Rupinder helping women players hone the dragflick

Rupinder Pal Singh laughs about being busier in his post-hockey playing days than he was as a player. The travel hasn't reduced, family commitments have surged while he also often dons a coaching hat.

- Rutvick Mehta

The latest was in Bengaluru in the last week of December, where India's top drag-flicker until his post-Tokyo Olympics retirement was called to take a five-day drag flicking camp for the national senior women's team, which is gearing up for the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi from January 13 with an aim to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Rupinder, a member of the India team that won the Tokyo Olympics bronze, was involved in another short camp with the senior women drag flickers ahead of the Asian Games. He has also spent some time with the junior women's team. In the Bengaluru camp last week, he worked with young Deepika, seasoned flicker Gurjit Kaur, and a couple of junior girls. "The more I'm spending time with them, the more details we are getting into," Rupinder said over phone from Chandigarh.

Yet more than the details, it is the basics that need maximum brushing up in a skill of hockey that is extremely technical and individual and remains a gaping hole in the women's team.