Hockey contingent leaves for Delhi

To start their campaign for the FIH World Cup, the Indian contingent left for New Delhi from Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi on Saturday.

The players, who were attending the camp here in Pune, will now resume practice at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi, where they will play warm-up matches with Petroleum Board teams, along with the matches against Argentina and Holland.
Before leaving, chief coach Jose Brasa said he and his boys would do their best in the mega event. “We have got good players and we will try to do our best in the tournament,” he said.

When asked about the warm-up games, Brasa said he would have liked to have some more matches with more teams, but now they will play with the available teams. “It would have been good if we had other teams also for the warm-up matches, but we will have to play with what we have. I have managed to get Holland and Argentina, while our goalkeeping coach Romeo James has arranged some matches with the petroleum teams,” said Brasa.

Talking about the present Hockey India body, Brasa said, “This is perhaps the only body, which is going through such a tough time, managing to host the World Cup and at the same time conducting their elections.”

India will take Pakistan in the World Cup opener on February 28.