There is a revival of Indian hockey: Kaushik

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New Delhi: Maharaj Krishan Kaushik, who was the coach of Indian men's hockey team during the 1988 Bangkok Asian Games when India won the gold, is delighted with the team's show in the Punjab Gold Cup.

Even though India lost the Punjab Gold Cup final against the Netherlands narrowly on Monday, but according to Kaushik the signs are good and Indian hockey is on the road of recovery. Kaushik, a member of the 1980 Olympic gold-winning squad, spoke to CNN-IBN after the Punjab Gold Cup final.

CNN-IBN: What do you think of the match? We were so near yet so far. We could have easily woin this game.

MK Kaushik: Yes! We won very well today and I think we played better than the Dutch team. We missed five penalty corners, which is not expected in such competitions. But I must congratulate the team and coaches. They played extremely well and dominated the game today.

CNN-IBN: As a hockey lover it must have been heartening to see the way fans thronged to the stadium and not just for today's game but throughout the tournament. Do you think that this was in that sense a very successful tournament? That there are people whole love this sport very much in the country.

MK Kaushik: I think it is a great success to participate and do well in this tournament because it is a long time after which I see the team playing as one unit and coached well. Most of the time when there has been a score against us we have equalised. I think we must appreciate that within two months the team has come up so well. We must try to cooperate and give support to this team. Hopefully they will do very well in coming times.

CNN-IBN: Mr Kaushik, in the recent past there was huge disappointment for our national game. We in fact failed to qualify for Beijing Olympics. There was massive disappointment all across the sporting fraternity in India. After seeing a strong outing in Punjab Gold Cup, we are not getting excited right now but the point is after this positive performance there is a revival in the coming?

MK Kaushik: There is revival. You can see the difference between that team and this team. The performance can be seen, anybody can watch players and officials were quite confident of performing. The performance itself speaks. It is not easy to beat Germany when they play as one unit. I think our team has played extremely well in this tournament. I have great hopes from the coaches and this team.

CNN-IBN: After this and looking at this team and the players who comprise this team, what do you think would be the future of this team. You said it is good but you have the world cup coming up in 2010. What seems to be future?

MK Kaushik: I think whatever plans our coaches make should be implemented properly and whatever selection he makes, we all must cooperate with him. I think if foreign coach is required, it should be asked from the coach who is in-charge of the team. We all in every sense must support them. Whatever the demand, we must give them. It is time for us to give them maximum exposure. Time will teach whatever mistake they are making. In the coming time team will do very well.

CNN-IBN: The Spanish coach Jose Manuel Brasa who was recently by the ad-hoc committee for the post of Indian hockey coach, after seeing what Indian hockey has gone through recent past do you think he is well equipped and if he actually gets the job will he make a change here.

MK Kaushik: It all depends on the coach in-charge. If he fell he should come, he should come. It should be left to the coach in-charge. An Indian coach should be given the charge of the team and it should be Harendra (current coach Harendra Singh).