Nobbs foresees Indian hockey team among the top three by 2016
The recently appointed Indian hockey team’s foreign coach, Michael Jack Nobbs, yesterday, on July 3, arrived in Bangalore for the national men hockey camp, clearly mentioned his future prospects for the team.
With an agreement for a five-year period with the federation, the Australian coach talked with the media at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), South Centre that he expects India to become one of the top three teams until 2016.
He seemed very determined about the team’s standing at an international level and stated that he is in a position to evaluate the team’s status in the future until the next six-month period.
Nobbs will be paid 10,000 Australian dollars as his monthly salary and a benefit of 10% salary raise if he gets the team into the 2012 London Olympics. When asked about how hard it will be for him, the Australian responded to try his best depending upon the fact that it is vague, whether the set target is practically achievable or not.
In order to meet the objective of qualifying into the Olympics ahead, Nobbs identified three qualities needed in a team that lead towards success namely, the physical stamina, diet and quality of identifying the opponent team’s weakness.
He commented, “Apart from regular playing exercise, the players will go through special training programs like bio exercises and nutrition programme and skill session. We will analyse their player personality and change it according to the system.”
Furthermore, Nobbs highlighted the fact that the team requires more international exposure with competent teams in order to make improvement. Considering the present sport system in the country, Nobbs suggested that it needs to be reinstated for obtaining results.
According to him, “These five years we need to build a system that can give us results. Like the Australian Institute of Sports, India needs qualified regional coaches, junior coaches and we need sports medicines. I will follow the same lines what AIS does.”
He will begin with the team’s training from today at the camp, which is to be held at SAI South Centre, Bangalore where he will shortlist the best 19 to make up India’s men national hockey team.
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