Hockey World Cup: 'India not scared of Dutch, Aussies anymore'

Former Australian hockey striker Glenn Turner at Kalinga Stadium yesterday. Pic/Hockey India

From a fierce striker on the field to a soft-spoken trainer off it, Australian Glenn Turner, 34, has come a long way. The softness has probably come around since he's been busy training the Indian women's team's strikers in an eight-day camp in Bangalore. Done with it, he was at Kalinga Stadium here yesterday for a Team India training session.

The two-time World Cup-winner (2010 & 2014) said he is impressed with what he's seen of the men's team so far at this World Cup, the strikers particularly. "The Indian strikers scored some nice goals the other night [against Canada]. You have to be calm but also fast inside the circle. That's the hardest thing. You can't be slow, but you also can't be frantic else you'll miss the ball.

"The other night, Lalit [Upadhyay] missed a goal he could've scored when the game was tight. And then he gets the same chance again, and he's more calm because he has already scored a goal and the team is more relaxed. Just watching India train now, they're looking sharp," said Turner, who considers Odisha his second home given his 2016-onward stint with Kalinga Lancers for the franchise-based Hockey India League. Their speed and skill notwithstanding, Turner said it is Manpreet Singh & Co's fearlessness that should keep them in good stead in the knockout stages here.

"I think India will play Holland [in the quarter-finals], but you never know. I don't think India are scared of Holland now, and if they are not scared, then they can beat anyone in the world, including Australia. You have to believe you can win because if you go into the game thinking Australia are better, even just that little bit, then you're already on the back foot," he added.

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