The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Consensus emerging for a re-think

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 02, 2005

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Sport - Hockey

Consensus emerging for a re-think

S. Thyagarajan

CHENNAI: A consensus seems to be emerging within the hockey administration for a re-think on the chief national coach. Perceptibly embarrassed by the criticism after the recent Rabobank Trophy, a section in the Indian Hockey Federation is alarmed at the prospect of playing before the home crowd in the Champions Trophy.

There is understandable dismay over the seventh place and apprehension whether the incumbent, Rajinder Singh (jr), can motivate the squad for a decent rank in the forthcoming Champions Trophy. While it is premature to hazard a guess over the displacement of Rajinder (jr) in the coming weeks, there are moves to consider such a course.

Rajinder Singh (sr), who was ejected rather unceremoniously on the eve of the Athens Olympiad, held no punches a few days ago prophesying a last place for India in the Champions Trophy.

Shocked fraternity

Former Olympian and selector, Aslam Sher Khan, shocked the fraternity by his pronouncements on how handcuffed he and others are in the committee. Why the usually outspoken Aslam kept mum before the team left? Was he waiting for the team to perform badly to join the chorus?

Aslam is not isolated in taking pot shots at the IHF. Quite a few like, Pargat Singh, for instance, have become habitual in their harangue towards the administration as though India's image has taken a beating only now, and everything was milk and honey while they were on the scene as players or coaches. Berating the administration is hardly the diagnosis to the problems; it only promotes bitterness. The prescription lies elsewhere.

It is nobody's case that the coach is to be castigated every time when the team flops. But agonisingly such a system is in vogue for years now; pushing the coaches to the chopping block the moment when the team fails to deliver the goods, or meets the exaggerated expectations. The axe for Rajinder (jr) is possible if the administration responds to the cacophony raised in some quarters.

Hardly inspiring

That India needs a more dynamic and imaginative coach than Rajinder (jr) goes without saying. Both in the Aslan Shah and in the recent Rabobank tournaments, his handling of players was anything but inspiring. His statements in Amsterdam, concede that there exists a problem with the seniors. Repeatedly, he blamed them of letting the team down. He even issued a threat to induct juniors, as though the latter were trained by him.

Cataloguing Rajinder's shortcomings may appear irrelevant, as the President, Mr. K.P.S. Gill, in an impromptu response, committed the coach's tenure to the next World Cup in 2006. It is a daunting task to change horse in mid-stream; but the ground realities reflect a desperate situation where a re-think is inescapable, even as an academic exercise.

More complex

Finding a replacement to Rajinder (jr) is more complex than relieving him. The IHF may be averse to falling back on those already in the list of sacked. But there is scope to elevate the junior coach, Harendra Singh. This mode is well established in other countries too. Barry Dancer, Paul Lissek and even Rajinder (sr) are some examples.

There is also a line of thinking over resuming negotiations again with Jagbir Singh, who was part of the coaching team with Gerhard Rach before the Olympics. Efforts to rope him in after Rach left to maintain a thread of continuity proved futile as Jagbir Singh is reported to have insisted on a fixed term. But the failure was projected as the disinclination of the coach wanting to fulfil his media contracts as well.

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