NEW DELHI: Ric Charlesworth has said that he was left with no other choice than to resign from the post of Technical Advisor to Indian hockey. In his resignation letter, dated June 25, he stated that even though he was offered the post of National coach informally, there seemed to be little enthusiasm for putting in place the necessary support such a position needed.

The resignation has been addressed to the Union Sports Minister, M.S. Gill, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President, Suresh Kalmadi, the International Hockey Federation President, Els van Breda, the Director-General, Sports Authority of India, Syan Chatterjee, and the Secretary, Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC), Amrit Bose.

“You represent all the interests in my employment in India and therefore this letter is addressed accordingly. I have now been working in India since December 10, 2007, although SAI unfortunately has failed to recognise, in contractual format, my earlier tenure. On March 20, under duress, I finally signed a contract that was far from adequate and from what was agreed earlier,” said Charlesworth in the letter, sent from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where he had accompanied the Indian women’s hockey team to.

Broken promises

Charlesworth said that he was promised by the IHF and the SAI that all outstanding dues would be cleared but that had not happened. “The history of the contract negotiations and the fact of so many unfulfilled promises is the great regret of my time in India.”

The Australian Olympian said that he was not given any support staff and had to endure “impossible travelling and living arrangements.” Explaining his predicament, he wrote: “I am not crying foul as I knew India would be difficult — I just did not believe it could be this difficult. I still have no computer, no employer-provided phone, no efficient capacity to plan and book travel and I remain unpaid for many months with considerable personal expenditure un-remitted and have suffered unnecessary separation from my family.”

About the change in set-up and functioning of the authorities, Charlesworth noted: “Arrangements are erratic and there is no capacity for flexibility in the present system. My many emails to staff in SAI and Federations are testimony to this. The fact that they were only erratically answered goes to the work practices of staff or perhaps the difference in working arrangements between India and other places.

Untenable proposition

“Notwithstanding this difficult situation, I have fulfilled the conditions of the contract and according to its parameters am offering my resignation effective as of today. While I have been offered the position of National coach informally there seems to be little enthusiasm for putting in place the necessary support such a position needs, and as such, this is not a proposition that makes sense.”

He wrote that he would reserve the right to claim the outstanding amounts owed by SAI and the IHF and feared that he might have to take recourse to legal action to claim compensation.

“As I have pointed out many times, I do not believe that India can afford to change slowly or that it can, without a paradigm shift, generate the resources and energy to reorganise the game at the highest level. It is with regret that I take this decision as I believe India can be a power in the game. The FIH supported this project sharing the same view but sometimes the reality on the ground is too overwhelming and without any glimmer of change on the horizon I make this decision. I believe that I am left with no other choice, as things stand.”

Our Principal Correspondent reports from Hyderabad

Meanwhile, Kalmadi said that the IOA would discuss the Ric Charlesworth issue with the FIH president van Breda Vriesman on her visit to Hyderabad. The FIH chief is expected to be in Hyderabad towards the end of the on-going Junior Asia cup hockey championship.

“We have also convened a meeting of all the Olympians here on July 17 as part of our efforts to prepare a road-map for a better future for the sport,” the IOA chief remarked.

Union Minister for Sports M.S. Gill said: “I think we paid huge money to him (Charlesworth) and I don’t think the returns were up to expectations either,” he commented.

The Union Minister pointed out that the government was committed to promote hockey