One really can't blame Tushar Khandekar for not opening up to the media. In the system that prevails in India, if Tushar even praises Jose Brasa or criticises the way hockey is being run, he would be out of the team. Off the record, he has always maintained that Indian hockey needs strong coaches not insecure Indian Olympians without a clue about modern hockey. One of the better players in the team, Tushar is a good example of how a player can shut his mind off Indian hockey politics and just perform.

Even before the Asian Games bronze medals were given a place of pride in the trophy cabinet, Indian captain Rajpal Singh's accusation that coach Jose Brasa humiliated him and never gave him respect shocked the hockey fraternity. Rajpal went onto say that he was only used for the toss. In New Delhi for the Lal Bahadur Shastri Hockey Tournament, Rajpal spoke about his captaincy, Brasa and the divisions in the team.

The intensity was missing in Malaysia’s play. Pakistan knew what to do. They kept the ball, attacked with sharpness and ensured that the defence didn’t have to do much.

Hockey fans can smile a bit. The Indians won the bronze beating South Korea 1-0, thanks to a tap into the Korean goal by Tushar Khandekar in the second half.