Negi has been cast in an unprecedented role of goalkeepers' coach for the eight hopefuls, including former international Ashish Ballal and Mumbai players Jude Menezes and Jagadish Ponappa, who will vie for places in the Indian squad for the Bangkok Asiad in December. A recent fax message from Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) secretary K Jothikumaran summoned the Mumbai Customs stalwart to Bangalore's Sports Authority of India (SAI) Complex to take charge of his wards along with National coach Maharaj Kishen Kaushik, whose idea it was to ressurect Negi.

Negi, more than any other Indian, will want to forget the Asian Games disaster 16 years ago when India were humbled 1-7 by Pakistan in the final.

More than the humiliating loss to arch-rivals it was the bizzare allegations against him that hurt him badly. Negi wassaid to have accepted a bribe to betray his country at that Asian final an accusation that, by his own admission, sent him into a shell from which he found difficult to emerge.

For those who know Negi, the accusations were damning and slanderous. And despite the hurt and tears that followed, he was convinced that his countrymen will eventually repose their faith in his loyalty.

An upbeat Negi, while speaking to Express Newsline, said: ``I can't express how euphoric I feel on being given this honour of being made goalkeepers' coach. I must thank my friend and India teammate Joaquim Carvalho who kept encouraging me during all those dark moments that followed the Asian Games final. He kept cajoling me, pushing me forward. He kept involving me in various junior and sub-junior coaching programmes.

``I feel terrible about that New Delhi final, but our dismal defeat came after the team as a whole collapsed inexplicably. I made mistakes as well and I want to make amends. This appointment will give me achance. It will serve as a morale booster,'' Negi added.

Pushing emotions aside, Negi focussed on the task at hand. He believes that Indian 'keepers are not lagging behind their Western counterparts, but there's a vital difference in temperament.

``We gain in confidence if we bring off saves at the start of a match, but should we concede goals, we are all too often demoralised. I want to change this. I believe my nature and experience will help strike the required rapport with the boys.

``The Indian style of 'keeping has its plus points. We stay on our feet far more than the Europeans who rely on their big builds to lie prostrate and make spectacular lunges. However, I intend blending the two styles, depending on the goalkeeper in question,'' Negi elaborated.

Negi has been involved in various national sub-junior training programmes, including two clinics with Dutchmen Van der Staark and Tom van't Hek in Mumbai.

He also went to Utrecht to witness the double World Cups and took careful note of theever-evolving techniques of modern hockey goalkeeping.

Negi looks eagerly forward to the 10-day camp at Bangalore that commences on October 5 and a reunion with his old India teammate Kaushikbhai to prune India's last line of defence for Bangkok 1998.