I’ve never played in the Olympics, but I’m glad that I now have the opportunity to be part of something as huge as the Olympics,’’ said Mir Ranjan Negi, who was appointed today as the goalkeeping coach of the Indian hockey team.The 45 year-old former India goalkeeper is aware of the uncertainties that hover around his post. ‘‘I’m a professional. There maybe uncertainties but then one has to learn to take them in your stride,’’ said Negi, who had a stint with the women’s hockey team that won the Asia Cup earlier this year.Interestingly, Negi was the goalkeeping coach with the men’s team which won the 1998 Asian Games gold but along with chief coach MK Kaushik and six senior players were sacked by the IHF at that time.But Negi is thrilled to be part of the team again and has already set the priorities for his new stint. ‘‘There is a lot of work that needs to be done for defending short corner.’’ he says. According to Negi at present the Indian team needs a defender like Jugraj Singh who can fearlessly charge out to stop the drag-flick when it is taken from a penalty-corner push.
