One thing clear about the current controversy involving Richard Charlesworth is that he has not gone back to Australia once for all, despite sending in a resignation letter out of frustration, from the post of Technical Advisor to Indian hockey.
He is in Australia to be part of Hall of Fame function organized by Hockey Australia (this how the Australian Hockey Association is officially branded) and also to attend to his ailing mother.
However, it was not first time Charlesworth tendered his resignation. But only first time it was leaked out by a very own government that was supposed to sageguard such dealings. He first showed to say enough is enough during the Kazan Olympic Qualifier April this year. He was irked at the casual attitude of babudom in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and Sports Authority of India. They asked him to go to Australia from Russia or arrange himself visa to extend his stay for five extra days in Russia so that they can arrange renewal of his work permit that expired midway through the Qualifier.
As usual there was no clear cut information as to who will bear the extra costs involved in traveling to Moscow from Kazan, a good 900 km, and boarding and lodging. Confused and perplexed he said to this writer at Kazan, “I won’t take this nonsense. I should pack up. These are the same people who made us sit 18 hours at the Frankfurt airport in transit” he fumed.
The mere formality of renewing his work permit was not done on time by the babus, instead put him in awkward position. Ric brooked no nonsense and sent mail indicating his desire to resign as he did now.
Shocked babus then organized his work permit, gave it to him at the Delhi airport enabling him to disembark in India.
Luckily after he landed the Gill regime was disbanded and he changed his mind and decided to stay on.
Now the bone of contention is that he was not paid for the first three months of his salary. Only way to frustrate a professional is to deny his fee. This is exactly a vicious circle in the Delhi’s infamous babudom is doing.
It is pertinent to note that legally Ric cannot submit his resignation to Ministry of Sports or Sports Authority of India, as he was brought to India by the Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH) under Olympic Solidarity Programme with the International Olympic Committee. Both the FIH and the IOC in fact bears 60% of his monthly salary. It is unfortunate that the Union Sports Minister MS Gill, instead of ascertaining the fact, reacts so strongly to the wrong piece of information
Note: The story was published in New Indian Express two days ago.