Press Trust of India
Bangalore, March 28: A positive start to their Rio Olympics preparation would be key on their agenda when the India eves launch their campaign in the Hawke’s Bay Cup hockey tournament in Hastings, New Zealand, April 2.
Going into the tournament, there will be two things paramount on the minds of the team’s think-tank – fitness and converting short corners into goal.
These are the two key areas that chief coach Neil Hawgood, his coaching staff and senior members of the squad, singled out for special attention during the recent training and preparatory camp here.
India, placed 13th in the world rankings, have been grouped with hosts New Zealand (No. 4), China (No. 14) and Ireland (No. 18).
“In the past we have lost some crucial matches due to fitness and not being able to convert penalty corners. In our last camp we paid extra attention to these two critical aspects. In fact, you can say that our chief coach Neil Hawgood is obsessive about improving the fitness levels of those in the camp,” said Deepika, who will lead the Indian team in the absence of Ritu Rani.
“In modern hockey, converting penalty corners makes a huge difference between winning and losing. We have to learn from the mistakes of the past and ensure they are not repeated,” she added.
The New Zealand outing will also give the chief coach and selectors a chance to see how some of the junior players who have been drafted in the camp fare at the senior level ahead of the 2016 Rio Games.
“The Olympic squad has not been announced yet. Currently, the entire core group is training at the camp. So, everyone is very keen to perform in the Hawke’s Bay Cup to brighten their chances for making the cut for the Olympics,” pointed out Deepika.