Former India hockey captain Mukesh Kumar has alleged that he was not given enough chance in the just-concluded Hockey Australia Men's Challenge, and said seniors should not be ignored in the country's overall gameplan.
"I have been playing for the country for the last 14 years and for the first time I felt as if I was being ignored. I was allowed to play only for five or ten minutes in almost all the matches and that is not a sufficient time to play to your full potential," Mukesh Kumar told Zee News in Hyderabad.
Mukesh, who has represented the country in three Olympic Games, said giving juniors an opportunity to prove themselves is a step in the right direction, but the experience of the senior players should also be utilised.
"The experience of the senior players counts a lot, especially in pressure situations like the last few minutes of a game. That experience should not be ignored," he said.
The speedy right-winger also expressed his desire to continue playing till the next Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.
India won the second-leg of the three-nation tournament in Sydney after finishing second behind Australia in the first.