The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : IHF looking for a foreign coach

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

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Sport - Hockey

IHF looking for a foreign coach

By Our Sports Reporter

HYDERABAD, JAN. 30. The Indian Hockey Federation is looking for a foreign coach who will be based in India, concentrate on the job and not address press conferences, asserted K.P.S. Gill, president of IHF.

Mr. Gill, who addressed the media after the AGM, said that they had some names of foreign coaches in mind and a decision would be taken at an appropriate time. "We are essentially looking for someone who doesn't impose his own style but tries to get the best out of the Asian style," he said.

Mr. Gill didn't subscribe to the view that foreign coaches should be given a long-term for better results. "How can we do this? If a coach performs badly in an important event, what will we do? We will sack him. So, there is a false notion that it will be good for Indian hockey if the foreign coaches are given longer reign," Mr. Gill said. "The results depend on how good he is and not how long he stays with the team," he added.

What really ails Indian hockey? The IHF chief says from his interaction with some foreign coaches, it is not necessarily physical fitness. "We have a pool of 50 world-class players and all we need is to find a suitable coach who acts as a catalyst to make them perform," he said.

Mr. Gill revealed that the IHF would initiate serious measures towards establishing the FIH Development Centre at Gachibowli Complex. "The proposal was first mooted during the inaugural Afro-Asian Games here and that after the Premier Hockey League steps would be taken towards realising this dream.

"Hyderabad is very dear to us and we are very keen that the State Government is actively involved in the promotion of sport in the coming years. More than that, the world-class facility here should be put to optimum use," he said.

The IHF chief dismissed the opinion that the AGM was a stormy affair. "In any democratic set-up, there are bound to be dissenting voices. Even a simple middle class family has problems. It doesn't mean that everything is awry," Mr. Gill said.

"In fact, everyone welcomed the concept of PHL and suggested improvements for the next edition," he added. "I have taken a decision not to stand for another term as IHF chief long before the 2004 Athens Olympics and I don't think there is any noticeable change in the scenario wherein I have to rethink," he said.

Mr. Gill also said an ad hoc committee had been formed to study the suggestion of having a separate pool of competition for associate members before they join the final round of the Senior Nationals which will be held in Delhi.

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