Ram (Mon Oct 9 2000 4:42 IST)
Is there a lot of politics involved in the election committee of Olympics and is the government doing enough to promote sports in India?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:31 IST)
Ram: I don't think the government is doing enough for sports in our country, could be better

Rohit (Mon Oct 9 2000 4:47 IST)
Hi Jude, what was the primary reason of for our defeat in Sydney? Lack of prepration? No used to performing infront of such a huge crowd? Lack of training facilities in India? Bad team?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:33 IST)
Rohit: I think that we lost out mentally and that's why we could not hold out to the last two minutes. We put ourselves under unnecessary pressure. Which ultimately lead to them equalising.

Manish (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:11 IST)
Hi Jude are you disapointed with India's loss what was the reaction of the officials?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:34 IST)
Manish: We were all disappointed with the loss, management included.

Ila (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:12 IST)
Mr Menezes, why is that India has been unable to win any kind of medal except a bronze in any sports category? do u think India should stop participating?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:35 IST)
Ila: I don't think India should stop participating in fact we should participate in events where we are likely to win medals and not use this as a learning ground.

Rita (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:15 IST)
Mr Jude great saves on those goals, what went wrongd with our team? and do u have any complaints with the coach?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:36 IST)
Rita: Thanks, as I said before I think we lost out mentally and at this level, yes, we could have ot more help from the management.

Hockey (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:36 IST)
You are right, Jude, about the mental aspect. That is also quite obvious in the way we relax when we are in the lead. There was no real reason why we could not have gone on the offensive and pumped in two more goals against Poland, instead of sitting back on our one-goal lead.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:37 IST)
Hockey: As I have been saying we Indians lack in mental stsrength, that I would attribute as one of the key aspects to our defeat. Otherwise we are on a par with the world.

Hockey (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:37 IST)
More help from the management? Do you mean in terms of psychological preparation?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:38 IST)
Hockey: Pscychological as well as on the field of play itself because as players though we try to analyse the games at all times we could do with some help from the bench.

Paul Overmans (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:38 IST)
Jude, saw you at Sydney. Yours was a great show. I think your midfield was bad. Have played hockey, I feel, Ramandeep, was he the captain, was really bad.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:39 IST)
Paul Overmans: Yes I felt our midfield was our weakest link as a result of which there was tremendous pressure on the defence. True Ramandeep had a poor tournament.

Paul Overmans (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:39 IST)
What India needs is a tactical coach. That's lacking. Am I right?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:42 IST)
Paul Overmans: Yes I think we could do with more tactical work.

Hockey (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:35 IST)
You know, I was quite surprised by K P S Gill's reaction to the defeat. His analysis of the causes was quite good, don't you think? Especially the pyschological aspects.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:41 IST)
Hockey: Very true, some of the players simply fell apart after we didnt qualify, in fact they should have been more professional in their approach and aimed at getting into the top six. So that we remained among the giants of world hockey.

felix (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:40 IST)
Well, we have been saying for a long time that we Indians lack in the psychological strength and that is where we lose out. We have been saying this for 30 years now. Isn't it time to do something about it? What do you think can be done to change this situation?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:43 IST)
Felix: We need to concentrate not just during major events. This is a full-time job. I don't think results can be attained just before the Olympics. Nothing is done as far as psychology is concerned.

felix (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:41 IST)
Not just Ramandeep, Mukesh Kumar too had a poor tournament. I wonder why Bhaskaran insisted on starting with them in every game, instead of giving a chance to some of the others. Or if the others weren't good enough, why were they taken at all? Just for a free trip?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:45 IST)
felix: Well there is a vast difference between the quality of Dhanraj, Mukesh and the rest of the forwards, it's not that they are not good enough but Dhanraj and Mukesh are on a different level altogether. So I dont think the coach was left with too many options. Coz even when the others were given a chance they were not doing much, international hockey is very difficult to play.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:46 IST)
Fidel: Yes there is always room for improvement.

Chandu (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:45 IST)
Hi Jude. You did well at Sydney. But you know what hurts. Not that we didn't win a medal, but that we couldn't even finish among the top six. The boys just looked dead in the match against Britain.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:47 IST)
Chandu: True after we failed to qualify for the semi finals, some of the boys just were not as focussed. I know this is a very unprofessional thing but that's what hapenned. The disappointment was too big for everyone to handle.

Paul Overmans (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:46 IST)
Before the Olympics, India had very little international match play -- or nothing at all. That i thinks is the reason for your team's missing out on a semi berth

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:50 IST)
Paul Overmans: No I don't think so that was the reason, we had a real good training camp at Murwillumbah and we got a few training matches with local club teams which were of pretty good standard and we also got a training game against Canada before the Olympics. So I guess that was enough.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:51 IST)
Karan: Yes I think we need a very professional league. The level of our local hockey is pathetic, even countries like Bangladesh and Malaysia have a professional league, I guess India could do with one to improve our level of hockey.

Paul Overmans (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:49 IST)
Jude, are you a full time hockey player?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:52 IST)
Paul Overmans: Yes I am a fulltime hockey player. I would be looking out to play in some foriegn league in order to get more exposure and improve myself.

Rohan (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:51 IST)
Hi, Jude. When the Athens Games come around, you will be 33. Will you be still playing for India?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:53 IST)
Rohan: Don't know what will happen four years from now, but as a goalkeeper you mature with age, all the top goalkeepers in the world are in the 33-34 age bracket.

chander (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:49 IST)
Well, Mukesh was good some years ago. But the way he missed some sitters at Sydney was just not funny.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:54 IST)
Chander: True he missed quite a bit but I guess it happens to everyone. He still remains one of our top players.

jaspal (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:55 IST)
Agree with you, to be a good keeper you must play for many years at international level

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:56 IST)
Jaspal: Yes it's true that the more exposure at international hockey you get the better it is. So I guess I can only get better

jaspal (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:56 IST)
Mukesh was bad, real flop, so was ramandeep

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:57 IST)
Jaspal: True they had a bad tournament.

jasjit singh (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:59 IST)
What about Cedric D'Souza? Why is IHF not utilising his services.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:0 IST)
Jasjit Singh: I believe Cedric D'Souza has asked for a contract and the IHF refused.

Rifal (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:1 IST)
Hi Jude. How are you? Can you tell us something about your background? How did you get into hockey? And are you Goan?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:2 IST)
Rifal: I started out playing football and took up hockey only in college, got my break in the sub-junior Bombay team and took it up from there. I'm a Mangalorean.

jasjit singh (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:2 IST)
Bhaskaran has all old methods? Have seen him and know him? IHF must bring back Cedric now

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:2 IST)
Jasjit Singh: I agree that Cedric is one of the best coaches we have.

Goaly (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:2 IST)
Hi Jude. You are from Bombay, aren't you? So was Mark Patterson, remember him? What is it about Bombay that makes for good goalkeepers?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:3 IST)
Goaly: I really don't know, guess we are a daring bunch:-)

KPS Gill (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:3 IST)
Hi Jude, great showing on a personal level but we just dont have the stamina to last 70 mins

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:4 IST)
KPS Gill: I don't think we lack the stamina because fitness wise we match the best, I think our problem is mental.

Gill (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:4 IST)
You are right. Cedric is one of the best analysts of the game. It was a pity he couldn't inspire the boys enough at Atlanta. After all there's a limit to what a coach can do, isn't it? Finally it's up to the boys to go out there and perform.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:5 IST)
Gill: True, but positive inputs can really help a team, especially in critical situations.

salim (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:58 IST)
What are you immediate goals now?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 6:59 IST)
Salim: I don't know as yet gotta sit back and rethink.

ivan (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:3 IST)
Which school were you in? Staying where in Bombay

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:6 IST)
Ivan: St Annes High School, Orlem, Malad.

Bombayite (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:7 IST)
Right on, Jude!!! So you were a late starter? And were you always a goalkeeper or did you play in some other position before?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:7 IST)
Bombayite: Though I was always a goalkeeper I played most rink hockey tournaments as a forward.

KPS Gill (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:5 IST)
why didnt we try even for a berth for Champions Trophy

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:7 IST)
KPS Gill: The guys were totally shatered after we didn't qualify for the semi's and I guess this is what lead to our dismal performance for the 6th and 5th place.

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:9 IST)
That's all for now, hope to be back:-) Bye

KPS Gill (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:9 IST)
did u see KPS gill being interviewed on Star News yesterday he says in the world cup we will do well.do u agree without pillay and mukesh we can match with the best

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:10 IST)
KPS Gill: I think we will find it really difficult without Pillai and Mukesh. But I'm sure we will come up with some adequate replacements.

Jaswant (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:9 IST)
Any idea what is the position at the BHA Stadium? It's a pity that a city like Bombay does not have even one world-class Astroturf ground for hockey. Actually we should have at least half a dozen, don't you think? What's the use of playing on grass when all major tournaments are on Astroturf?

Mr Jude Menezes (Mon Oct 9 2000 7:11 IST)
Jaswant: True. I think that we could improve on our infrastructure because in a place like Bombay we should be having atleast 5-6 different turfs.