Dharmaraj does not want Kirandeep to let adulation get to her head

women’s coach K. Dharmaraj hopes Kirandeep Kaur will stay humble despite all the attention the Asian Gamesbound player has been receiving from fans of late.

“Kirandeep is still young and I hope the special attention from fans will not affect her performance in Indonesia. She is only 15 and we want her to develop accordingly and become a good player,” said Dharmaraj.

“It is still too early to set a target for Kirandeep. We need to help her develop as she has quality. I think it is good to receive praises but she needs to remain humble as if she does not, it could affect her career.”

The Form Three student of SMK Bukit Bandaraya is the youngest ever Malaysian hockey player to represent the country in the Asian Games.

Dharmaraj said Kirandeep is a player with potential and she showed it during the recent tour in Australia.

“Frankly, she was not part of my plans for the Asian Games but I changed my mind after watching her perform in tournaments.

“I hope, however, she will continue to work hard. I believe she will be the team’s future captain.

The team will head to Jakarta tomorrow and will open their Pool A campaign against Hong Kong on Sunday.

China, Japan and Taiwan make up the group.