[hockey] Europe Tour Is About Learning Not Winning: Brasa

India Hockey coach Jose Brasa said that the 13 matches that India are going to play next month in Europe are about learning not winning. He said the team will be in peak in its form and ability by middle of 2010. He warns not to expect too much from the team during the world cup next year though they will try to do the best. The spanish maestro hopes the team will be ready for the go during the commonwealth games and the Asian Games next year.

Meanwhile he has said that the team will not follow the traditional attack and defence formation inthe matches. He proposed the theory of 'total hockey' where everyone has the responsibility for the attack and defence. So much so, the team has only one traditional defender in the form of captain Sandeep Singh who also the lone drag flicker. The other defender and drag flicker V Raghunath is out of the squad as the team was trimmed from 24 to 22.

However, the team continued to face problems as they missed the flight from Pune to Delhi as negligence from SAI in providing transport reached them late. After waiting for 6 hours they reached Delhi , met Baljit Singh in hospital, participated in a progaramme of revealing of logo for Hockey India and then left for Amsterdam. It remains to be seen how much they have changed under the foreign flavour in coaching.