Times of India: Ric Charlesworth gives words of ad

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Ric Charlesworth gives words of advice to India

NEW DELHI: After becoming the only player to have won the World Cup both as a player and coach, Australian hockey legend Ric Charlesworth, on Saturday, gave some words of advice to the Indian team to regain their lost glory.

The former India technical director Charlesworth feels the hosts have improved in their style of play under coach Jose Brasa but need to formulate three things in order to become a potent force in world hockey again.

“According to me India need to do three things. First set long term goals, then play as many international matches as possible and thirdly, privatise the game because India has plenty of resources,” he told reporters.

“They have very good players in the team but need to work on defence. The Indian game fits well with ours but they need organisation in the structure,” Charlesworth said.

The win on the Indian soil would come as a very satisfying feeling for Charlesworth, who had an unceremonious ouster from Indian hockey.

Asked whether he is open for coaching India again, Charlesworth said, “I am the coach of Australian side and I have a contract till the 2012 London Olympics. I moved my family and came to India hoping to make difference but unfortunately it didn’t work out. So I was very disappointed.”

Australia, on Saturday, defeated double defending champions Germany 2-1 at the floodlit Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here to register their second world title after a span of 24 years.

Incidentally, Charlesworth was the skipper of the Kookaburras side that won the World Cup in 1986 in London and, on Saturday, he once again emerged on the victorious side albeit this time as a coach.

“It’s better to win the World Cup as a player than as a coach because the coach only gives tactical inputs and it is the players who implement them on the ground,” a visibly delighted Charlesworth said.

“But I am very pleased. We played good game. We controlled the game throughout the match. We played the best hockey in the tournament,” he said.

The Australian, however, was of the view that his side needs more improvement in some aspects of the game.

“We created chances but we need to work on finishing. The team is being built for the last 15 months but not solid yet. We are in the point of building a very good team,” Charlesworth said.

Interestingly, Charlesworth preferred to be out of the dug out in the final today, leaving the team’s charge to assistant coach Graham Reid but the Australian said it has nothing to do with superstition.

“I am too noisy in the bench. Today we needed a calm and quite atmosphere in the bench so I decided to sit in the stands. Moreover, you can read the game better sitting in the stands. It has no relation with superstition,” he said.