Hi Joaquim,
Congratulations on your new appointment ! It really warmed the cockles of my
Stanislite heart to know that you were appointed Chief Coach of the Indian
team with Markie Gomes as your deputy and Merwyn Fernandes as your advisor.
Thats really an all-Bandra team !
Now to ensure that India wins the Beijing Olympics Gold Medal and all other
tournaments - Here are a few suggestions:
1. Dont sever ties with Vasudevan Bhaskaran - he has got over 20 years
experience in that position and some keen insights into the Indian side, the
strengths and weaknesses and capabilities of the opponents
2. Incorporate Yoga into the Training regimen as Balbir Singh-ji Sr. had
done in 1972 - Use a qualified Yoga instructor for the purpose - It will
give the players extra-sensory perception and improve their anticipation,
agility, muscle flexibility, endurance,
3. Concentrate on physical fitness from day One. The players should last for
2 hrs with showing any signs of tiredness.
4. Make use of fellow Bandraite coach Cedric D'Souza's insights too, esp
when it comes to goalkeeping
5. Benchmark heavily with the Pakistanis, Aussies and the Germans - They
will be your toughest competitors.
6. Refer to Balkishen Singh-ji's Training Manuals, Notes and Books - He had
infused Inductive thinking into Indian Hockey. You should do the same to
push the state of the art. Just deductive thinking will not do. Balkishen-ji
use to talk about his theories just before going to sleep - so that we
thought about hockey strategies even in bed. You should do the same ! Also
use Ganesh (INS Bangalore) as a resource. Dr. Vece Paes (India, Center
Half,1972, of Calcutta) has done a lot of cutting edge research on
conditioning and endurance-building. Use all of it. Also you may want to
include altitude training as part of your training regimen - one week in
Patiala and one week at the heights of nearby Uttaranchal Pradesh - this has
similar effect on endurane as blood doping and the Americans use it all the
time ! and its all legal !)
7. Enforce strict curfews and discipline in the team, and impartiality in
the selection process. I am confident that with you, Markie and Merwyn,
Indian hockey is in good hands. We cannot complain about the coaching staff
any more.
Inculcate a winning attitude in the team and develop a winning tradition.
And I have no doubt that India will win again and again. There is lot to
learn from the last World Cup winning team of 1975 - how Balbir developed a
winning attitude in the team, he psyched out the Pakistanis (by going to the
mosque to pray with the entire Indian team) and victory was assured. Maybe
you should resort to such off-the-field tactics too, They really rattled the
Pakistanis - who always think God is on their side and get an entra boost of
confidence. Ask for Balbir's advice, call him to give a pep talk to the team
- he can be very inspirational - esp when he talks of his 3 Olympic Golds
and the 1975 World Cup victory as coach cum manager ! His spends 6 mths in
Chandigarh and 6 mths in Vancouver.
Wishing You Guys all the Very Best in Beijing and Beyond.....
Best Regards,
Dr. Carmo D'Cruz
Indian Harbour Beach, Florida
Message: 8
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:57:38 +0530
From: "Frederick Menezes" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet] REDIFF: Carvalho Appointed India's New Hockey Coach
To: [email protected]
Carvalho appointed new hockey coach
Continuing its hire and fire policy, the Indian Hockey Federation sacked
national coach Vasudevan Baskaran following an unending streak of dismal
performances and handed the post to another Olympian Joaquim Carvalho.*
..........................................................................................
Full story at http://www.rediff.com/sports/2007/mar/20coach.htm.
* Joaquim Carvalho traces his roots to Goa.
