Chak de India man, Mir Ranjan Negi told espnstar.com that Jose Brasa’s team has a lot to do to regain old glory.

By Rajarshi Gupta

The former India goal-keeper, who turned out at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium for the first time in the ongoing World Cup feels the Indian team still has miles to go and coach Jose Brasa should work harder.

“I don’t buy Brasa’s logic of marginal improvement in the team. He keeps talking about his targets for the Commonwealth Games but nothing could have been bigger than the World Cup. The coach should have focused on the current tournament.”

Negi, who inspired the mega-hit Bollywood film, Chak de India on the plight of Indian hockey suggested strengthening the defence of the Rajpal Singh led team before concentrating on other aspects on the field.

However, the venerable hockey figure admitted getting Goosebumps seeing the unprecedented crowd support at the ground.

“It is amazing to see so many people throng the stands to cheer their local heroes. However, it would have been nice to see a few more around, bringing the ground down with all the noise they could have made.”

Negi had last walked into the National Stadium when he shot for the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chak de India and confessed visualising similar scenes.

“I could imagine a few thousand spectators standing at attention to the national anthem and then egging their team on. I feel the film has done its bit to excite crowds into watching hockey again.”

Negi stood ramrod straight as the Public Address system blared out the same tune that he would have so earnestly listened to, before that fatal loss to arch rivals Pakistan in 1982 at the same venue. Life had changed for him 70 minutes after. Today, the man is a hero again.
 
Part II of the EXCLUSIVE with Negi on Tuesday