Five reasons for Indian women's hockey team's disappointing World League campaign

Hawgood’s coaching methods: Neil Hawgood took charge of the Indian women’s team in July last year and close to a year later, we are yet to see any significant improvement in the team’s fortunes.

Neil Hawgood at a training session with women’s team earlier this year

Under Hawgood, India finished seventh among eight teams in the Champions Challenge Cup in Ireland, lost to New Zealand 0-5 in a six match Test series and now this hugely downbeat HWL semifinal campaign. The Australian’s lone success came in the HWL round 2 where India qualified to the semifinal round.

We all know that Indian eves are not formidable enough to take on the might of Netherlands, Germany or New Zealand, but the manner in which the girls have suffered big defeats will cast aspersions on his coaching methods. The team continued to make the same errors after losing the opener 0-7 to New Zealand. The least he could have done is to make the girls fight hard and lose with dignity.

Hockey fans would surely not like to hear things like ‘this is a young team,’ ‘it will take time’, etc. No one would have cribbed if India had lost after giving the opponents a run for their money.