Indian hockey needs sports psychologists: Expert

Jalandhar, Jun 6 (UNI) To further improve performance of the players, Indian hockey needs trained sports psychologists, feels the expert.

After conducting three-day workshop in sports psychology for nearly 50 hockey coaches from Punjab, while addressing a press conference here this evening along with IHF coach Shiv Jagdev, Punjab Sports Director Pragat Singh, Sports Psychologist Dr Jyoti said,''Sports psycology is very much in practice in foreign countries, but it is yet to catch up in India, which is coming up very slowly.'' ''As the competitions are becoming tough, to de-stress players and improve their performance, it is the need of the hour to appoint sports psychologists,'' she said adding that the exert would not only remove the fear from the mind of the players but would also help him in making right decision at an appropriate time.

International Hockey Federation grade (I) coach Shiv Jagdev, who is conducting a 10-day training workshop for coaches, said that this was the basic course for the coaches, while the intermediate and advance level courses would be conducted by the end of this year and mid of the next year respectively.

''The Indian hockey is now on the right track and going in right direction. This is the excellent concept, which is being adopted in every part of the world,''he said adding that the results of this model would start coming from next three to four years.

Sports Director Pragat Singh said that sports department had identified 20 pockets where six-aside turfs would be installed and also six new mini hockey stadia would be built in the state.

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