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- United News of India
FIH Pro League poor show a temporary dip in form: Aslam Sher Khan
New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) Former India hockey great Aslam Sher Khan feels the Indian Men team's poor show at the European leg of the FIH Pro league should not be seen as a big cause of concern as the team has shown that it can peak at the right time.
The Indian team suffered a run of seven successive losses in the European leg of the FIH Pro League recently finishing eighth on the points table.
In an exclusive interview to UNI, the 1975 World Cup winner asserted that fans should not lose faith in the team.
"They have been performing well for a long time, it is natural that there will be a dip, they were off-colour. But they are a good side with a lot of quality players. They will come back strong. They have shown that they can peak at the right time," Aslam Sher Khan said.
Khan, who scored the crucial equaliser against Malaysia in the 1975 World Cup semi-final, said that with the introduction of the Hockey India League (HIL) a lot of Hockey is being played these days, so a balanced calendar needs to be followed.
"A lot of hockey is being played nowadays, so a streamlined calendar needs to be there which prevents burnout. And rotation of players of course is important, so that bench strength is built. Europeans do a lot of rotation and follow a balanced calendar. They know for which tournament their best side should be fielded, in which competitions their number two side can be fielded, and where a mixture of experience and youth needs to be fielded," he explained.
He noted that tournaments like FIH Pro League provide a lot of international exposure to players, but hosting tournaments in India is equally important.
"When top teams come to India to play it boosts spectator interest, which will eventually translate into a robust club hockey culture," he added.
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