Former India [ Images ] hockey captain Mukesh Kumar has alleged that he was not given enough chance in the just-concluded Hockey Australia [ Images ] 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 [ Get Quote ] in Hyderabad.

Mukesh, who has represented the country in three Olympic Games [ Images ], 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 [ Images ] after finishing second behind Australia in the first.