“It is always good to win and we are happy to have won the tournament™ said the Russian coach Michael Osinstev after his team captured the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup in New Delhi.
“Of course it is not easy to win any tournament and on the other hand it is very easy to lose. So we are glad to have clinched the trophy”. Osintsev who talked through an interpreter was practical about winning “The margin is nor important but winning is the best way to win is to score one goal more than the Opponent”
Kenya played a fine tournament but it was surprising that the fifth placed team was able to do what the other three teams placed above it could not do to the USSR draw a game.
“We are happy that we didn’t lose to any team but we lost a point to Kenya. The reason for the draw against Kenya was that we failed to make use of the Scoring opportunities that came our way. There were plenty of them but they couldn’t be converted into goals because our players didn’t realize the chances of scoring.
It was creditable of the Kenyans to have drawn the game. They of course have to learn a lot” After a pause Osintsev followed with “like all other teams.”
Naturally the Russians were elated to have beaten India in India which ensured them the Cup. “It is always happy to win. But winning against India was much different and superior to winning against say Poland. The fact that we dethroned the defending champion was something special”
Osintsev agreed that this Indian team was much below the teams that he had seen earlier “The Indian seams I had seen before this were much stronger. I think at present the Indians technically play very well. They have the skill as well. They may perhaps be lacking in physical fitness. It is very difficult to pinpoint the reason for the deterioration in performance. I think they lack in terms of concentration.
In our match against India I was much too engrossed without boys to have noticed much of the Indian play. But I felt that our team was a little bit better motivated. I also felt that our player’s ambition for the game was stronger.” Osintsev modestly added “Of course we had a little bit of luck too”
Osintsev who had started as a second coach has been coaching various national teams since 1973. He has also coached the Soviet women’s team for three years He denied as fallacious the general feeling that the Russian hockey standard was going down. “I wouldn’t say that hockey standards are not that high as they used to be earlier. Maybe the present team is playing at the same level but definitely not lower. We are constantly among the top six teams in the world. We were runner-up in the European Championship. Recently we finished fifth in the Champions Trophy in Australia.
I think chat it will be difficult to go higher than one can’t say anything for sure it all depends on the game and the opponents. As you know in sports anything can happen.”
NEW DELHE: Maharaj Kaushik, a former Tatas (Bombay) and national player, i likely to succeed Shiv Dutt (Railways) as the national coach of women’s hockey team.
According to indications available, Maharaj Kaushik, who assisted M,P. Ganesh to prepare the national men’s team for teh 1990 World Cup, has been sounded for the post. He reportedly held a couple of meetings with the President of the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation, Ms Amawaz Damania here.
Maharj Kaushik, who played for India for a number of years as outside right, will be present at Gurgaon during the ensuing National Women’s Hockey Championship to select 48 players for the first phase of coaching programme. The first camp will be held from May 1 to June 1.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 22, 1991
