Gill gives super six a fitting hope

8220;I have heard reports that Dhanraj has been playing very well and so has Sabu,8221; Gill said, while addressing newsmen today. Dhanraj Pillay, who led India to the Asiad gold at Bangkok, starred in a Maharashtra team tour of Europe recently after which the centre-forward was offered a contract with a leading Dutch club.

But the IHF chief stressed that reputations don8217;t matter, fitness does.

8220;Although we sent players with the average height of 58217;118221; to the recent four-nation tournament in Australia, our fitness left much to be desired,8221; Gill added. Gill said Indian teams find it tough to cope with seven or eight matches in a row.

8220;We had at least eight players who were injured at the end of the Australian tour,8221; Gill lamented. 8220;Half-back Baljeet Singh Saini played the last match all bandaged up,8221; he added.

The progress of four other players, rested by the IHF after the Bangkok triumph, will be observed before the Sydney team is selected, Gill emphasised. The players are half-back Sandeep Somesh, goalkeepers Ashish Ballal and A Subbaiah, and right-winger Mukesh Kumar 8212; whose sidelining for the Indo-Pak series raised a furore.

The IHF announced a list of junior probables for the Australian tour in November-December and one for the Bombay Gold Cup commencing tomorrow.

IHF u-18 team for Bombay Gold Cup:

Goal keepers: Baljeet Singh Chandigarh, Kamaldeep Singh A- I. Full backs: Robindro Okram Mumbai, Senthil Kumar Pondicherry, Tarcius Kullu Orissa, Sunil Kumar Mumbai. Half backs: Nitin Kumar Uttar Pradesh, Jaswander Singh Chandigarh, Susan Topno Services, Jugraj Singh Punjab. Forward: Sanjeev Kumar Singh A-I, Vinay Gethe A-I, Tejvir Singh Punjab, Biknu Munda SAI, Roshan Tete A-I, Lakhwinder Singh PSB. Coaches: Clarence Lobo, AK Bansal. Manager: Benny Boodle.

Probables for Australia

Goal keepers: Bharat Chetri Karnataka, Alex David Rlys, G Nataraj TN, Horojit Singh Manipur, Gurinderjit Singh Punjab.

Full-backs: Len Aiyappa A-I, Kanwalpreet Singh PSB, Bikramjeet Singh PSB, Chandrashekhar Xalxo SAI, Amrit Kiro SAI.

Half-backs: Paramjit Singh Services, Radhakrishnan TN, Arjun Halappa Karnataka, Shamsuz Zoha UP, Bimal Lakra IA, Sonu Delhi, Vikram Pillay Mumbai, Prabody Tirkey Orissa, Bipin Fernandez Karnataka, Krishna Reddy A-I.

Forwards: Gurjat Singh Indian Airlines, Viren Rasquinha Mumbai, Inderjeet Singh Chandigarh, Ajit Pal Singh Punjab, M Mandanna Karnataka, Prakash Chalke Karnataka and Alphonso Vijay Savio Mumbai.

Chief coach: CR Kumar. Assistant coach/trainer:

Saju Joseph.

INSIGHT:

PROJECT 5,000: A hockey revival

The IHF chief hinted at broadening the base of juniors receiving training on artificial surface from 75 at present to 1,000 in the next couple of years and eventually to 5,000 in all age groups in time to come.

Gill described the current junior training effort as a nucleus of a hockey revival.8217; 8220;Players who have been attending camps are physically fitter and more skillful. We want to extend this benefit to a larger number of players. For too long we had restricted advanced training to 20 or 30 players.8221;

The ultimate aim, Gill revealed, was to include very young players 8212; between the age groups 10-14 8212; in the programme and a decision is expected within a week. With hockey becoming increasingly expensive to play, Gill hoped to attract players in Central Board of Secondary Education CBSE schools who generally come from economically favourable backgrounds.

The IHF, Gill informed, plans to send 20 boys to Cologne, Germany and the Netherlands for advanced training. But the IHF supremo felt the importance of converting penalty corners must be given utmost importance. The drag-flick is becoming vital and a plan to send three groups of six players each to the Netherlands and Spain to improve our performance at the set-piece as well as goalkeeping is on the anvil, Gill informed.

Gill admitted to difficulties in finding sponsors for hockey in India, although ONGC, Tata Tea and Taj Group of Hotels have come forward in a big way.

8220;We don8217;t want to waste sponsors money on conducting events, 8221; he explained. 8220;We would rather spend it on development.