India eyeing winning start against Kiwis

After a forgettable 2008, Indian men's hockey team will be looking to redeem themselves when they begin their journey in the inaugural four-nation Punjab Gold Cup with a match against world number seven New Zealand, here on Saturday.

In the mouth-watering second match of the day, Olympic champions Germany will take on the Netherlands at the floodlit Sector-42 hockey stadium here.

India, who made a comeback to international hockey after a hiatus of almost a year with a series against Argentina earlier this month, have their task cut out in their first tournament since last year's Olympic debacle as Beijing Games champions Germany, European champions the Netherlands and the mighty Kiwis stand in their way.
    
A rusty India, led by new captain Sandeep Singh and under coach-in-charge Harendra Singh, started their four-Test campaign in Argentina on a promising note, winning the first two matches but faltered in the later stages to see the series end in a 2-2 draw.

But Sandeep and his men has to be careful that they don't lower their guard in the four-nation event as the Germans, Dutch and Kiwis would look to punish the hosts at every given opportunity.

However, crowd support is one thing that India would be looking to bank upon.
    
Playing at home could provide the platform they need to get back to winning ways and skipper Sandeep seemed to be in no mood to squander such a wonderful opportunity.

"We want to win the Punjab Gold Cup and get into the winning groove," Sandeep said.

The eight-time Olympic champions have also been bolstered by the return of forward Arjun Halappa and veteran Ignace Tirkey, both of whom were out of the Argentina-bound squad due to injuries.
    
The 10-day tournament, being organised by the Punjab Sports Department under the supervision of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), will be inaugurated by Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
    
The inaugural ceremony of the event, to be attended by Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi and IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh, will witness a colourful performance by Bhangra dancers.
    
To encourage youngsters to take up the national game and ensure good turnout during matches, the organisers have decided to pack the stadium with nearly 2,500 hockey players and school children from across the state at government's expense.

"We are keen to promote hockey at the grassroots level. This tournament is also unique as it is being organised by the state government instead of the sports federation. The tournament will boost our national sport and create interest among youngsters," said Badal, who is also the chairman of the organising committee.

"The young hockey trainees from rural areas of Punjab will be brought here to witness top world stars in action during the tournament," he added.

Meanwhile, the tournament will be telecast live on Doordarshan instead of ESPN as the organisers failed to raise enough sponsorship money (Rs 60 lakh) due to the recession, resulting in a last-minute change of broadcaster.