Kcgi, College in Kyoto, Japan

The women's team recorded convincing victories over Chile, beating them 4-2 in the semifinal, before downing hosts and reigning Asian Games champions Japan 3-1 in the final.Of the total 29 goals India scored, 11 were netted by drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur, who played a significant role in helping India not only win the championship, but also seal a berth for the Olympic qualifiers for 2020 Tokyo Games.Kaur found the back of the net 10 times through her drag-flicks while one was scored from the penalty spot.Talking to , the 23-year-old said that she mastered the art of drag-flicking after making the senior national squad as the team needed a skilled drag-flicker."I was selected for the junior team but my first tour was with the senior side. I didn't know much about drag-flicking at that time, but I tried to gain knowledge about it as our team needed an experienced drag-flicker. I feel there is more to be learnt... I also have to work on my speed," Kaur said.Kaur trained under renowned Dutch coach Toon Siepman, whose wards include some greats like Maartje Paumen, Sohail Abbas, Bram Lomans and Mink van der Weerden. Siepman helped Kaur improve her position.Speakin on her coach, Kaur said: "Toon was a great drag-flicker during his time. I used to make minor errors which I wasn't aware of and it was he (Toon) who helped me recognise my mistakes. He told me how to use my first foot, what could be the movement and how to use my hands swiftly so that the ball travels faster towards the net. He helped me improve a lot."Kaur also wants to impart her skills to the junior girls. "I am making the junior ones learn it (drag-flicking) better. I enjoy teaching them the skills," she said.Most of the teams at the FIH Women's Series Finals were lower-ranked when compared to India, but Kaur felt it was not because of their rankings that her team comfortably won the tournament."We take all the team as same irrespective of their rankings, as any team which participates in an international event gives their best on the turf. We won the tournament because of the hard labour we put in. Had we taken them (opponents) lightly, may be we could have lost due to over-confidence," she asserted.Kaur, however, said the mission was far from over as now their sole focus was on the Olympic qualifiers."We have just completed one mission and the next one is on cards. We will face many strong teams in the qualifiers and will try to deliver our best once again. Our team is ready for the major challenge," she said.The Indian women's team will return to the national coaching camp at the SAI facility in Bengaluru on July 15 to prepare for the Olympic test event in Japan, while the goalkeepers will return on July 8 for a special week-long camp before their compatriots join them for the national camp.(Gaurav Singh can be contacted at gaurav.s@.in)( With inputs from IANS )

KcgiFOLLOW

Kcgi, Latest News

India and Japan on Thursday agreed to hold a 'two-plus-two' dialogue of their foreign and defence ministers before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits India later this year. ...

Speaking at the Indo-Japanese delegation meeting on the sidelines of G-20 Summit on Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on storming back to power and also announced his visit India later this year. ...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed NBC network for a "horrible technical breakdown" immediately after some mic issue emerged in the middle of the first Democratic debate in Miami, Florida. ...

US President Donald Trump who is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, appeared reluctant to speak about his expectations on his scheduled meeting with his Russian counterpart. ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived here for the G20 summit during which he is scheduled to participate in a few plurilateral meetings besides meeting with world leaders including US President Donald Trump. ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold bilaterals and pull-asides with a host of world leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and South Korean Presi ...

Tight security measures were being enforced in the Japanese city of Osaka on Wednesday ahead of the G20 summit during which tens of thousands of policemen are expected to be deployed. ...

The Indian women's hockey team returned home to a rousing welcome on Monday after remaining unbeaten throughout their triumphant campaign at the FIH Women's Series Finals in Hiroshima, scoring 29 goals and conceding just four. ...