27 February,2010 07:33 AM IST | | A Correspondent
The recent pay issue has got the players to bond better, feels India Hockey skipper Rajpal Singh Right: India skipper Rajpal Singh
If the Indian hockey team can equal the number of controversies they've been involved in recently with
victories in the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup, Rajpal Singh & Co would well be crowned world champions in a couple of weeks.
Having said that, skipper Rajpal believes the problems have only brought the players closer.
And the results of this "extra-special bonding" will be evident in the team's performance at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium from February 28 to March 16. India take on arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday in the mother of all hockey clashes.
Excerpts from an interview with the hardworking forward:
Given all the controversies surrounding your team in the run-up to the World Cup, you must be feeling like you are in some kind of a hot seat...
I don't think we should read too much into all that. The players were only asking what was due to them.
But what has stood out in all this is the team's unity. I think all the issues have only got us closer together.
There is no rift in the team. The boys now share an extra-special bond off the field. I'm sure that will culminate into great results on the field. We are totally focused on the job ahead -- which is to do well for the country in the World Cup.
Is there a target for this tournament?
It's a simple formatu00a0-- six teams in two pools and the top two in each pool qualify for the semi-finals. So, our obvious target is to reach the semi-finals. A top-four finish will be perfect. But we will have to play our best hockey to achieve that.
India are in a tough pool with teams like Pakistan, Australia and Spain. Does that bother you?
In a World Cup, I believe each and every team is tough. The teams have all come here on the basis of their good showing in qualifying tournaments, so no team is easy.
It's about winning every match so that you either top the pool or finish second and make the next round. No game can be taken lightly. And as for our opponents in the pool, all I can say is that the World Cup is purely about who plays better hockey on the day. If we can do that, we will win against any opposition.
Game One is against Pakistan, the old enemy on the hockey field. A lot has been said and written about this clash. What are your thoughts on India's opener?
It's only right that everyone talks about an India vs Pakistan hockey clash given the intense rivalry between the two teams.
I can assure you it will be a very passionate contest. We want to win it at all costs.
u00a0
There's all this talk about added security given the recent terror threats and that it could hamper the functioning of the tournament. You think that's a possibility?
Security is very important but I think it's not a big deal here. Big tournaments like this tend to have high security anyway and after all, it's for the players' and the public's benefit.
I'd like to urge our countrymen to come out of their homes, watch this tournament and support us will all their might. That will only give us more confidence to do well in our national game.
