The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Carvalho appointed coach

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Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007
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Carvalho appointed coach

New Delhi: Continuing its hire and fire policy, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) has sacked national coach, Vasudevan Baskaran, following an unending streak of dismal performances and handed the post to another Olympian Joaquim Carvalho.

According to IHF sources, Carvalho's appointment will follow more tough policy measures by the IHF to overhaul the ``dysfunctional system.''

``The IHF chief, K.P.S. Gill, had time and again made it clear that a change in the coaches could be expected after the World Cup and Doha Asian Games, the sources said. ``There are going to be changes in the system. The announcements will be made next week at a press conference,'' they said. The changes in the system would incorporate the proposals of the FIH, the World body for the sport, to bring back the glorious past of Indian hockey.

Indian hockey team recorded its worst ever performance in the last Asian Games in Doha when it returned home without a medal for the first time ever after shock defeats at the hand of teams like China.

``We will have Technical Advisers and Administrative Managers for senior and junior teams. Like the coaches, these personnel will have separate responsibilities and become accountable to their jobs,'' the sources said.

Sources said IHF considered the names of Harendra Singh, the deputy coach, Carvalho, and A.K. Bansal, who coached Orissa Steeler's to victory in the PHL this year.

The changes became necessary following a strained relationship between Baskaran and his deputy, Harendra, and the latter staked claim to be the chief coach of the national team. Harendra was also removed from his post.

This is the fourth time that Baskaran has been axed as the coach of the national team.

Meanwhile, the IHF has decided to have Olympians M.M. Somayya as the Technical Director and Mervin Fernandez as Technical Adviser of the senior and junior teams respectively. It also decided to appoint R.S. Shetty of Bangalore as the Administrative Manager. Besides these three, former coach Ramesh Parameswaran of Bangalore would administer the junior and developmental teams— PTI

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