Harmanpreet’s sudden drop in type is regarding, will give staff psychological conditioning coach: Tirkey

A upset Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey on Monday mentioned captain Harmanpreet Singh’s “sudden drop in form” was a matter of concern, although lack of penalty nook objectives was not the only motive for the house facet’s shock and untimely exit from the FIH Men’s World Cup right here.

India misplaced to New Zealand of their crossover match on Sunday within the penalty shootout after the 2 sides have been locked 3-3 on the finish of regulation time.

Tirkey mentioned any speak relating to change of coach and captain is untimely because the World Cup is happening and India are to play within the ninth to sixteenth classification matches.

“Harmanpreet was doing very well in the FIH Pro League matches and in the (five match) Australia series just before the World Cup. We had a lot of expectation from him but suddenly dropping form in the World Cup is a matter of concern,” Tirkey, one of many best penalty nook hitters of his time, informed PTI in an unique interview.

“There are also some up and coming drag-flickers in the team. Drag-flickers are very important in modern hockey and we will plan accordingly,” added Tirkey, who had an extended assembly with the staff on Monday.

“Just one-and-half years back, we had won a bronze in the Olympics and then not reaching the quarterfinals of the World Cup is very disappointing.” Harmanpreet took most of India’s 26 penalty corners within the 4 matches, from which the staff scored simply 5 objectives.
Harmanpreet himself transformed simply two PCs.

“Ultimately, as I said earlier also, if we don’t score more goals from penalty corners we will face issues and that was what happened yesterday,” Tirkey, a former India captain who has performed 412 worldwide matches, mentioned.

“The team’s strong point was scoring from penalty corners. We had high expectation from Harmanpreet. But his flicks were not converting into goals, and we saw it from the first match to the last. Not scoring from the PCs hurt the team a lot.” Tirkey mentioned India had gifted the crossover match to New Zealand from a profitable place.

“We obtained sufficient alternatives to win the match towards New Zealand. We have been main 3-1 and we may have achieved higher within the defensive construction. After that within the shootout, each our goalkeepers did very properly and gave us alternatives to win the match. But we missed the probabilities within the shootout additionally and misplaced the match.

“Kahi na kahi jita huwa match ko hum unko de diya hey (Somehow, a match we should have won was gifted to them),” he mentioned.
Harmanpreet may have sealed the match for India in sudden dying however he wasted the prospect.

“We played aggressive hockey and we got chances (against New Zealand). We got 10 PCs and we scored just two from them, we could have scored more,” Tirkey mentioned.

“Some players from whom we had a lot of expectations, they somehow could not perform. We all have accepted it.” Tirkey, top-of-the-line defenders of his technology, was additionally not pleased with the efficiency of the defensive unit of the house facet, of which Harmanpreet is the bulwark.

“If we discuss out defence, I really feel there was one thing lacking in our defensive construction, we may have achieved higher (towards New Zealand).

“We also felt the absence of Hardik Singh, he was performing very well and his injury hurt us. But we could have won the match with the players we have.” Head coach Graham Reid mentioned on Sunday after the defeat towards New Zealand that the staff wants a psychological conditioning coach going forward, and Tirkey mentioned Hockey India will do the needful.

“Whatever the team needs, we are ready to do it. Whatever the coach and the team needed, Hockey India has provided them,” he mentioned.
Asked if there can be modifications within the place of coach or the captain, Tirkey mentioned, “We will see later. The World Cup is going on and any discussion on that is not appropriate.” India will play towards Japan of their first classification match in Rourkela on January 26, earlier than taking over a yet-to-be-known opponent on January 28.

Tirkey mentioned the staff’s subsequent precedence is to do properly within the Asian Games, scheduled to be held this 12 months.

“Asian Games is very important for us and that is our priority before the Olympics next year,” he mentioned.

“Some players are out of the team due to injury, they will come back. Some players might not have performed well due to pressure. We will provide the team with a mental conditioning coach and we will see.”