He is still unsure whether he will continue if given a longer run, but goalkeeping coach Dave Staniforth has set his goals clear -- to try and make Indian custodians the best in the world in this short period of time.
The 37-year-old former South African hockey player was appointed as the goalkeeping coach and strategic analyst of India's senior and junior men's teams only last month and has been given a short-term contract till the FIH Junior World Cup to be held in New Delhi later this year.
But having already worked in India with the inaugural Hockey India League champions Ranchi Rhinos, Staniforth is quite familiar with the goalkeeping scenario in the country and has set his priorities clear.
"It's too early for me. I just started working with the Indian team 6 weeks back, but my goals are clear. My primary goal is to make sure that our goalkeepers are playing to the level we want them to play, make sure that our goalkeepers are keeping the ball out of the back of the net," Staniforth told PTI in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the ongoing ninth Asia Cup here.
The South African is already impressed with the talents he had witnessed so far in the country.
"No doubt that there is some talent. It's just a case of harnessing these talents and making sure that they are going in the right direction, changing some simple things so that we can bring out the best in every goalkeeper," Staniforth observed.
"From what I have seen there is certainly some potential. It's just a case of harnessing that potential. I have seen four U-21 goalkeepers and they have impressed me," he said.
Indian goalkeepers have always rued the lack of goalkeeping specialists. But, it seems Staniforth's presence in the support staff has already started to pay dividends as P R Sreejesh produced a stellar performance under the bar to help India stun defending champions South Korea in their second match at the Asia Cup here.
