Sporty India Forum::Hockey::A litmus test for one and all

FLASH: BASKETBALL:....53rd P.D. Chidambara Sourya Naraynan Memorial Rolling Trophy All India Basketball Tournament 2012...live score....The Score will updated in the Evening IST Time Evening

Sporty India Forum

Board Index

Latest Posts

Welcome Guest [Register] [Login]

Sporty India Institutions:

by on 2009-10-31 01:19:04

Subject :A litmus test for one and all.. 2011-07-20 18:05:34

sportyin

Joined: 2009-06-16 00:07:19
Posts: 77
Location:

4294967149

Courtesy:The Hindu
S. Thyagarajan

The anguish expressed by Baljit Singh is heart-rending. Here is a goal-keeper, regarded as the best in the business two years ago, who finds himself isolated, humiliated and victimised.

A serious eye injury from a flying golf ball used thoughtlessly in practice by a coach signalled Baljit's end game from hockey.

Battling a great deal of pain, anxiety and the notorious indifference by the powers-that-be wrecked him psychologically. The Sports Ministry stepped in to bear part of the medical expenses for treatment in the United States.

All that may be history. But it is necessary to recall and underline Baljit's determination to come back. And he did this amidst all round appreciation at the National Games in Ranchi.

In an exercise aimed at satisfying a wide spectrum of interests, HI invited more than 80 players for the camp at Bangalore.

The list included all and sundry. In the absence of a structured programme to identify talent, the only option left was to fall back on the stored data and veterans on the verge of retirement.

Risk perception

Baljit's omission from the list to the second camp is based on the risk perception taking into account the nature of his eye injury and fitness to face competition at the international level. The goal-keeper rightly questions the wisdom of pressuring him to join the camp and then be sidelined for an eye related reason.

Worrisome too is the recall of Ignace Tirkey who suffered serious ankle injury. There can be no two opinions about his proficiency in the mid-field. But can he be nursed to a level of fitness required at the Champions Trophy?

The pruned list of 48 contains four goals-keepers, seven defenders, 17 mid-fielders and 20 forwards. It is comprehensive. The coaches, headed by Michael Nobbs, have a wide choice. But to compose a balanced combination will not be easy.

There is a surfeit of deep defenders and drag-flickers. Picking two or three will again cause much heartburn. Rupinder Pal Singh holds the advantage after his show in the Azlan Shah Cup. He is young and can be shaped into an effective all-rounder.

In the mid-field, all those available are in the list. The competition for five or six slots in this layer will be intense. The 20 available for the forwardline may make the selectors' task unenviable. Prabhjot's return surprises a few. But no newcomer has matched his versatility at the left flank.

To weed out another big chunk before the Asian Champions Trophy in September will be a nerve-wracking exercise. A litmus test awaits Michael Nobbs.

Club Mahindra Resorts
Exclusive booking offer for Mumbai. @ Easy EMIs. Signup & get LCD TV
ClubMahindra.com/Fun-Family-Forever