Goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi -- the man who was probed for match-fixing after India's 1-7 rout against Pakistan in the 1982 Asian Games hockey final -- would agree.

Sixteen years after suffering silently, Negi's honour was redeemed when he was named India's goalkeepers' coach for Bangkok -- from where India returned with an Asian Games gold medal after 32 years.

The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) has now invited Negi to take charge of the eleven goalkeepers, among 73 Indian probables selected for the 2000 Olympics.

Though he is not sure if he will be retained till the Olympics, and despite the absence of Asian Games custodians Ashish Ballal and A Subbiah from the 11, Negi is eyeing the assignment ``positively''.

He spoke to The Indian Express on the eve of his departure to Bangalore, where the camp gets under way this week:

Q: What changes has goalkeepingundergone since your days ?

A: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) wants more goals to be scored. They have changed rules, like allowing the reverse hit and the removal of the off-side rule. Today's goalkeeper is then like a third full back, as he touches the ball more often. In my days, I used to get two-three touches, during a good match. It is good to have a separate coach who can understand goalkeepers.

Q: Short-corners continue to be a major source of goals. How much is a goalkeeper responsible for plugging them?

A: I would say 80 per cent. The goalkeeper not only guards the goal, but also controls the movements of the other defenders.

Q: Pakistan's short-corner specialist Sohail Abbas scored 10 goals in the recent nine-test series against India, and slammed 12 more in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last week. Do you think he can be stopped?

A: While watching the test series against Pakistan on television, I was itching to be there. One small clue makes all the difference.Subbiah or Ballal would not have conceded so many goals. Abbas is good, but not that good.

Q: What would you have done?

A: Take Abbas' trump shot, the drag flick. While he is dragging the ball, he is waiting for the goalkeeper to react, to commit himself. Most goalkeepers cannot sight the drag and fall early. During the Asian Games, I told Ballal to delay his reaction by a fraction, and we reaped results. In the final against Korea, they had nearly 14-15 corners, but barely converted any.

Q: You seem to place a lot of emphasis on technology...

A: I believe any goal can be saved. You only have to study the team's routines well. Technology should be put to use. At Bangkok, I recorded the Japanese and Korean penalty corner routines on my personal camera. Our analysis helped us prepare.

Q: While the players and coach (MK Kaushik) who spoke out against IHF have been given the sack, you have been retained. How does that feel, especially when team spirit and unity were reasons for theAsian Games success?

A: I have mixed reactions. On one side I feel guilty. A person like Ballal, who was responsible for India's win, is out, while I have been retained. On the other hand, I feel I can contribute to the team, as much or more than anybody else. For instance, I will definitely try to get Ballal back.

Q: You are also pioneering a television serial on hockey.

A: We had thought about it long back, but were hesitant. After the Asian Games win, we decided to go ahead. We want to show Indian hockey in a positive light. In my days hockey players enjoyed as much popularity as cricketers, but since then hockey has witnessed a slump. We want to rekindle the game.

Q: Which are the matches you will be showing in the serial?

A: The 1975 World Cup triumph, the Champions Trophy match against Germany where India scored four goals in the last 10 minutes to tie 5-5, one match where Pargat Singh gave India a 5-4 win after we trailed 2-4, many more. The footage will be complemented byreactions from the players. We also spoke to current players during the recent Nationals at Hyderabad, and they will feature as guests.

The serial should be on air in June.