‘EIGHT GOLD, THE BIGGEST CURSE

V Narayan Swamy | TNN

Bangalore: Indian hockey is dead. Long live the game. Jude Felix is another from the fraternity to go down the familiar path. And, he is definitely not the last.

“We have hit the pits. I doubt whether we can sink further,” Jude, who is the coach of Singapore Recreation Club, told TOI. “For many years, India have deliberately ignored signals of their doom. I no longer consider the eight gold medals the country won at the Olympics as a boon. They are its biggest curse.”

Jude feels the medals have pushed India irredeemably into a comfort zone. “Combine this with the king-sized egos of our Olympians who just can’t tire citing them as examples. That’s why we haven’t moved forward.”

Jude feels the task ahead is Herculean.

“If you ask me, there is no hope for Indian hockey . Just the other day, Ajitpal Singh said India would not only qualify for the London Olympics but would emerge as serious medal contenders. Is this guy kidding? Does he know what he is talking about? Does he know that there are at least nine countries who play better hockey than India?”

The malaise, according to Jude, begins and ends with Indian coaches. “Coaches can’t give quality stuff because they are doing a voluntary job. Even at the club level in Singapore, written contracts and remuneration are compulsory. Why do Indian coaches accept the job without a contract? I know it is an honour to coach the national team. But definitely not without a contract.”

The Bangalorean, who led India to a fifth-place finish in the 1994 World Cup, a feat unmatched even 14 years after the joyous evening in Sydney, is also aghast at the way Aussie legend Charlesworth was treated by the country. “Australia needs Charlesworth but India doesn’t need him. Here is a super coach who was dying to coach India. He was driven to despair for no reason. Why?”

Would he be interested in taking the job? “I was keen a few years back. It doesn’t fascinate me any longer.”