India's women's hockey team expecting medal at AAG
 |
| India |
October 17, 2003 
The Hindustan Times
> Page Views 2676
Bangalore, October 17
India's women's hockey coach M K Kaushik on Friday exuded confidence that his team was capable of winning a medal in the inaugural Afro-Asian Games starting in Hyderabad from October 24 against the likes of South Africa, China and Korea.
"We are expecting a medal", Kaushik said here on Friday as the team probables continued with rigorous practice sessions at the Sports Authority of India, South Centre. They are putting in a lot of hard-work at the camp, which began on September 7, he said.
Kaushik said the preparations for the intercontinental games were going on fine, adding, Indian team would do its best and seek to play to its potential.
But, he admitted that the services of senior players like Sita Gussain, Pritam Siwach, Manjinder Kaur, goal-keeper Tingolima, Mamata Kharab, Saba Anjum and Neha Singh, who were not participating in the mega event for one reason or the other, would definitely be missed.
India is grouped with South Africa, Kazakhstan and Ghana while the other pool has China, Korea, Kenya and Zimbabwe. Stong teams from Singapore and Japan were earlier expected to come to Hyderabad but were not doing so.
Meanwhile, delay in laying of the artificial turf at the venue in Hyderabad has upset Indian team's preparations. The team was actually scheduled to go to Hyderabad on October 8 and gain valuable practice at the venue, get a feel of it and the conditions out there.
But, according to Kaushik, work is still on at the venue, and the delay has deprived the team of the home advantage to some extent.
The team, led by Railways' Suraj Lata Devi, will now leave for Hyderabad on October 20.
Your opinion counts.
Rate this article or enter your comments below.
|
