Well aware of the tough schedule in the coming months, including the Premier Hockey League in Chandigarh from December 20, the Indians are making meticulous preparations in the ongoing camp at Sports Authority of India’s Southern Centre in the outskirts of the city. This will be the last long camp before the Olympic qualifiers.
“We are following the usual pattern of training, tournament and rest. After this camp, there will be a short break and the PHL will begin. The camp will resume on January 7 in Bangalore before we play Belgium in a preparatory series in India. There will be a short break after which we are likely to go to Australia for a match-cum-training stint. After that, we may play Argentina if things work out and we will arrive in Chile about a week before the qualifiers,” Carvalho said, outlining his plans in the run-up to the qualifiers.
“This is the base and foundation where we take off from for the Olympic qualifiers. The PHL is coming up and the players are conditioning themselves well. We are working on conditioning and strengthening ourselves. There is tough competition for all positions,” added Carvalho.
Intensive training
“There is intensive training in specific areas. We are working on things like defence, attack, rotation of the ball, counter-attacking and initiation of attacks. We need to have fast and solid counter attacks in today’s game. The forwards need to defend well because they are the first line of defence. They are doing that well now but I want them to do better. Now is the time to discuss all this and do stuff. The boys have been innovative and are coming up with ideas.
“The players have to develop strength, stamina, speed and agility when they are doing physical training. But when they come to the pitch, it has to be speed with the ball, off the ball running etc.”
Much as the campers are working on the technical and tactical aspects of the game, the physical part is also being concentrated upon. “The physical aspect is not being neglected. Running with the stick and ball can be very tiring. But the players are doing it well now and they know what I want. They now know where to run and how to run.”
As the ongoing camp nears the end, the idea is to narrow down the number of players at the camp. “Around 28 to 33 players is a good number. That way, we will have two strong teams to play each other and train moves on the field,” Carvalho felt.

The buzz in hockey circles for the present moment is about the fourth edition of the Premier Hockey League, which is all set to begin in Chandigarh from December 20. “I will watch the PHL. A lot of youngsters will get to play there. The PHL is a good chance for youngsters to get match practice. Those who do exceptionally well will be considered for the camp.
“Of course, the core group is there and I am not for wholesale changes. But we need to be ready with backup and that is what I am doing. We now have good backup,” he stated.
Bruno Hadrian Logun  has struggled lately due to his injuries. He has improved now. “Bruno is doing very well after recovering from his injuries. I think he will be in good shape by the end of this camp,” Carvalho said.