Indian Hockey: Pioneer of foreign-coaching concept accepts failure
Interestingly the man who firstly brought a foreign trainer for Indian hockey team is considering it a wrong decision and declared it ‘super flop’ experience. KP Singh Gill, who had appointed first foreign coach at last, spoke out, as below-the-par coaching
in Indian hockey is adversely affecting the game’s standard.
India’s hockey team is currently playing without a coach following the completion of the Asian Games when Harendra Singh tendered his resignation taking the responsibility of the defeat in the semi-final while the contract of chief coach Jose Brasa also
expired.
KP Gill, while talking to the media, said that foreign coaches did not suit India and it was a wrong strategy to appoint foreign coaches in India, adding that foreign coaches get entangled in other organizational issues instead of concentrating on team’s
performance.
Kanwar Pal (KP) Singh Gill was president of Indian Hockey in 2004 when Gerhard Peter Rach of Germany was appointed as the first foreign trainer of the Indian hockey team, who quitted after five months due to poor performance and differences with the federation.
Following him, legendary Australian coach Ric Charlesworth was given the responsibility of Indian hockey team who also left the squad over fees and administrative matters. The most recent foreign trainer, Spanish-born Jose Brasa was appointed as chief coach
of the team in 2009 but his differences with Hockey India (HI) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) erupted from very start of his deal. His contract expired last month after the Asiad and has not been renewed thus far.
At present Indian hockey team has not any coach while less than two years are remaining to the 2012 London Olympics and India would have to win the qualifiers for getting a slot in the tournament.
KP Singh Gill said, “India has no dearth of talented coaches. Cedric Dsouza, MK Kaushik, Joachim Carvalho and Bhaskaran Vasudevan are some of the examples. We must have an Indian coach and new coach should be given the contract for four years ideally from
Olympic to Olympic to develop a team.”
Welcoming the decision of Hockey India (HI) for complete revamp in the hockey management, Gill was of the view that some changes are also required in the team as well. He said that few of the players in the present squad should not be part of the team, owing
to their poor performances.
It is pertinent to mention here that many of former legendary players and Olympians including Jude Felix, Dhanraj Pillay and Ranjan Negi offered themselves to coach the national team.
The dilemma in the India hockey is exacerbating with every passing day while new faces are regularly joining it by giving suggestions and recommendations; however the chiefs of Indian hockey are not ready to break their slumberous state.
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