India paid the price for playing defensive hockey

Gagan Ajit Singh believes a defensive style of play was responsible for the Indian hockey team's debacle in Athens.

Striker Gagan Ajit Singh believes a defensive style of play was primarily responsible for the Indian hockey team's dismal seventh-place finish in the Athens Olympics.

The forward, who returned home from Greece alongwith his team-mates and some members of the athletics contingent late last night, declined to comment on the much-criticised strategies of coach Gerhard Rach but said whenever India play an attacking game, they emerge victorious.

"We did not play attacking hockey. Rather we were a bit defensive. But whenever we have followed an attacking style, we have won," he said referring to India's two wins in the competition.

India came from the death to beat South Africa 4-2 and then trounced Korea 5-2 for their only wins from seven matches in the August 13-29 Olympic Games.

Rach had come under flak from some members of the team including Dhanraj Pillay and Prabhjot Singh for his strategies in the tournament. But Gagan said he would not comment anything on the German's strategies although he admitted that they were different from that of Rajinder Singh, who was removed from the chief coach's post just a fortnight before the Olympics.