Terry Tale: Resignation balloon will blow by morrow
It is certain that the avoidable, unnecessary and untimely resignation of chief coach of Indian hockey, Terry Walsh, will blow over by tomorrow.
Indications that emerge, after media took of the issue on a large scale, is that some clauses in his contract with Sports Authority of India will be suitably altered so that the perceived grievances of Terry will be addressed, and his services will continue to be availed by the national team.
Honestly speaking, the media and the hockey world hockey world in this part of the continent were taken aback by the sudden turn of event today wherein the news of ‘Golden coach’ Terry Walsh’s resignation was leaked by the known sources, who are adept at creating and destroying public perception.
Now that the resignation is no longer an issue between the triangle – Hockey India, Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India – but a national one, as mainline media has taken up it on a grand scale.
The news has even overtaken the issue of West Indies cricket tour’s sudden withdrawal in public space, and is prominently highlighted on television and online news portals.
Now, it seems usually lethargic government top guns, Director General of Sports Authority of India and Secretary Sports, Govt of India, has invited indignant coach Terry Walsh for a meeting tomorrow, wherein the grievances (that are not made known to them) are going to be addressed and a draft for fresh contract is going to be made.
These two officials, who normally out of sync with what happens at ground level, seemed to have realized the weight of the issue, and were ‘open-minded’ to thrash out the issue. This is what they said on many television channels.
“Terry is my good friend, apart from it he is an excellent coach. We would like to have him for more time”, said Jiji Thompson who will any case face the fury of media and Sports Ministry for whatever has happened.
Terry in his interview given here and there emphasized again what he has in a nutshell put out in his resignation email.
While he is completely in disagreement with the kind of sporting decision making process in India, and its futility to usher in a good sports governance, he emphasized the fact that he is not finding fault with one person or one organization but only want a beginning has to he made somewhere to correct the system failures”.
“Things can be rectified, but somewhere first step has to be taken, who will take?”
None can dispute Terry’s disappointment over the delays in the decision making, where ego plays major role — as is evident from the ongoing verbal duels between HI and SAI in the run up to Commonwealth Games and Asian Games — but this is a bigger issue that hampers India in every walk of life, which we in India are always fighting against.
Meanwhile, the air over the resignation has reached its logical end. The public opinion now is in favour of Terry’s continuance, which is going to happen anyway.