Kaushik to seek help of past reports by coaches

“With the immediate job (the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in September) in mind, I will depend on the seniors. Time is short. If they are fit, play sincerely and are not a liability, they should be in,” he said.

Kaushik added that ensuring “everybody played as a team” and improving overall fitness of players were his top priorities to pull the Indian team back into winning ways.

The 43-year-old Olympian expressed confidence at the task ahead. “I feel I can do it. I don’t feel much pressure, though time is short and most of our main rivals like Australia and South Africa have alreadystarted playing matches and are in a much better state of preparation.”

The former India right winger, who is in his second stint with the men’s team after serving as assistant coach from 1989 to 1991 during MP Ganesh’s tenure, was not worried Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) had appointed him only till the December Bangkok Asian Games.

“It all depends on my performance. The IHF earlier had given longer tenures to certain coaches which might not have worked. Though I do feel a longer period will be more beneficial to a coach,” Kaushik added.

Asked for his observations on India’s pathetic ninth place finish in the recent Utrect World Cup, Kaushik said some of the players did not look fit to play at that level.

Asked whether it was appropriate to make reports given by coaches public, Kaushik said such suggestions “should be kept confidential. If it comes to the press it has a negative effect”.

One of India’s shortcomings was that the deception which was used to make up for pace and robustness wasnow missing.

Kaushik, whose career extended from 1975 to the First Asia Cup in Karachi in 1983 said “we learnt these things from our seniors at the school and college level, but the sport is not very active at educational institutions these days.”

The big margin of India’s defeats in the World Cup clearly pointed to physical and tactical shortcomings and these have to be corrected before the Kuala Lumpur Games, he said.

On exposure trips, which have always been a double-edged weapon for Indian hockey teams in the past, Kaushik felt only those trips which are beneficial should be taken up adding that he did not see India going on any such tours at least till the Commonwealth Games.

“There should be enough time to correct the mistakes. If these tours are too close to competition, with players running the risk of injury, we will be better off not taking them up.”

Kaushik met IHF president KPS Gill here yesterday and discussed his programme with him. He felt no more players will be added to the campat the SAI South Centre in Bangalore, with already 55 probables having been named.To the list of 51 announced in Chennai last week, the four names added yesterday were those of Brojen Singh, Ravinder Singh, YS Rawat and Shahid Akhtar.