Hockey Update: Possibility of local coach for Indian hockey team
Senior Hockey Indian official on Wednesday, declared the possibility of ‘local coach’ for Indian men’s field hockey team. He said that the final decision is yet to come at the end of December or in the mid of January.
Sources in HI have told media that they are willing to hire a national coach, as the team’s previous experience with the three foreign coaches has not been so good. The recent foreign coach Jose Brasa’s contract expired after the Asian Games, and he is unlikely
to find renovation of his contract.
“And if we decide to go ahead with a foreigner, he has to have really good experience. To have a master-tactician will also cost a lot,” the source said.
Although when the person was contacted for the confirmation of this news, HI secretary-general Narendra Batra gave a contradictory statement saying there is a possibility of a foreigner becoming the coach of Indian men’s hockey team but final decision will
only be concluded by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
“We haven’t ruled that out. But the decision is with SAI as they have the final say on appointing a foreign coach,” Batra said.
However, Batra said that some of former Indian Olympians are interested to coach the Indian men’s field hockey team and they have applied for the post. He said that their applications are under consideration and HI is sorting out various options in search
of new coach.
When Batra was asked about the possibility of Harendra Singh, who recently resigned as national coach after Asian Games, he said;
“Harendra has resigned after the Games. There are a few others who have shown interest in the job. But it won’t be right on my part to disclose any names right now.”
It is probable that the famous players Vasudevan Bhaskaran and Jude Felix who expressed their great interest in coaching and are quite experienced might be taken for the post of coach.
“The final decision on the coaches for the men and women teams will be taken in last week of December or mid-January,”
Batra informed.
Recently Rajpal Singh the captain of Indian men’s field hockey team, who had some conflicts with the foreigner Jose Brasa, suggested HI to hire an Australian coach. Even the players of the team don’t have harmony in their demands. Some are in favour of taking
up foreign coach while others are in support of national coach.
All of these different statements from different people made it uncertain of who could be the next to lead India. No one can make a wild guess until the decision comes from SAI.
Indian team’s preparations for the next events must be quite disturbed as they are in the wait of a new coach for more than two weeks now. Hope this long wait for the Indian hockey team will end up with the selection of the best coach suitable for them.
Tags: