MUMBAI, May 12: Flustered and frustrated, Mumbai's hockey squad are well into intensive training for the postponed National Championships all over again. But if blessings ever come disguised, what appears to be a vexing revision of schedule may well work in the favour of a team vying for top honours at Bangalore later this month.

Stepping in to boost the team think-tank is Apekasha Cultural and Sports Organisation (ACOSA), a Sports Management firm, influencing Indian hockey in recent times. Headed by Deepak Khanolkar, familiar in hockey circles, ACOSA's methods based on sports science, promise to change the approach and attitude towards the way the sport is played and organised.

Khanolkar who garnered know-how during a decade-long stay in the Netherlands, explains: ``It may sound hi-tech, but it actually isn't. It's a time table that we have drawn up for the players that we'll be persuading them to follow. The programme covers basic activity of training, competition, recovery and diet.''

The programme began in Mumbai at the Khalsa College Ground, Matunga on May 1 and has now reached the end of its second phase in Pune where the squad has been acclimatising to the Polygras surface at the stadium located in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

The programme will have the players' work cut out. For instance time table on Day 1 (May 1) reads: 5.00 p.m.: Electral water and lime juice (2) between practise sessions; 6.30 p.m.: Electral water after practise session; 7.15 p.m.: Banana, Masala Dosa or Idli Sambar. Ensure that till night you have drunk eight litres of water per day.

Browsing through the programme chart reveals logistics to cover training and diet intake vital from ACOSA's point of view to prime the squad in time for the National Championships commencing in Bangalore on May 14.

Coach Clarence Lobo carries a seperate list of instructions which does not concern the techicalities of coaching, which of course, is his prerogative. But it will help imbibe the principles of Sports Science in the day-to-day activities.

The chart spells out the squad's travel schedule, when they will lunch and the training sessions. They will also know the agenda for practice on a given day whether the emphasis will be on penalty-corner drills, set-play or a hard session of games.

Much to their comfort, squad members will learn of lighter moments in the programme. For instance, The party in the evening on May 8 to ``to set the mood for the National Championships'', one expects, would have been more than welcome!

However there are impediments to smooth progress. Scant training on artificial surfaces, Khanolkar feels, will have retarded the effectiveness of his methods by 15-20 percent.

He also frowns upon the absence of a team physiotherapist.

Then there's the National Games coming on the heels of the National Championships that has brought on its share of problems. Priming the side for the dual events to come isn't going to be easy as Khanolkar explains: ``It's very difficult to decide on which is the more important event but we've planned our programme to reach peak performance by the fourth week of May when the knock-out stage of the National Champions will be in progress.''

Khanolkar's immediate task is to seek acceptance of his methods from the players. According to him, half the battle is won there. If successful it could bring in a fresh approach towards sport not just in Mumbai but all over the country.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.