So KPS Gill is now history. We can rejoice and relax but momentarily only. Does that then mean everything will be fine in Indian hockey? This is what we thought when former IHF presidents like Inder Mohan and RN Prasad went, but in return what we got is still worse – now disgraced Gill.

If KPS and his loyalist K. Jothikumaran, who led Gill to graveyard, are booted out today, they were not alone in their crime trials. They had a cover of former players.

Gill and Jothi followed same the formula that their predecessor set – Olympians as selectors and coaches. Each succeeding IHF president brought his own set of sycophant Olympians to select and train national teams. The results are disastrous — we are nowhere in the world in the last three decades.

Since legendary players are involved, we believed everything is fine and the real factors behind our downfall are something else. Unknowingly, this vicious circle former players and administrators fed the nation enough falsehood.

Introduction of synthetic surface (though we finished poorly in two World Cups held on natural grass), lack of artificial turfs (we have 40, but the teams who beat us like China, Korea, Argentina have just half a dozen), the game suits the Europeans (Why then Belarus, Greece, Norway are not champions teams) are some of them

Strictly speaking these lies served a purpose. It justified our downfall, while allowing them to continue as national heroes.

Ajit Pal Singh, for instance, is still 1975 World Cup hero, perpetual selector and government nominee, never mind as a chief coach he took India to 12th position at the London World Cup. When he canvassed for Adam Sinclair against his choice of VS Vinaya in 2005 on behalf of Jothikumaran, coach Rajinder Singh Jr. said to this writer: “I stopped respective him ever since”.

What we need at this crucial stage is paradigm shift in perception and policies, not just in personalities. Never have a situation of old wine in new bottle. We have had enough cycle of it in the past.

Aslam Sher Khan and Ashok Kumar resigned as Selectors when things went out of hand, but the likes of Zafar Iqbal and Ajit Pal Singh have been sticking to administrators. Dhanraj Pillay is a raw hand. In all, the first step of Suresh Kalmadi – forming selection committee with legends– is merely a publicity stunt.

These all five personalities could well be hockey’s brand ambassadors, useful in marketing and improving hockey’s profile, but not for serious aspects such as selection and training teams. That is the domain of Richard Charlesworth, for which we pay a huge salary. Let him do all these jobs, while these five some can elevate themselves to be the future IHF leaders.

This writer is in possession of all the reports that Ajit Pal Submitted in the last three years to government as Government nominee. Nowhere did he observe one bad thing with the Gill’s regime, now he is again one of the five selectors!

We have move beyond personalities.

Europe wins because they avail the services of professional coaches. It has in its rank an array of great players like Paul Litjens, Floris Jan Bovelander, Stephen Veen, Carsten Fisher but none of them were ever made coaches. That duty went to Horst Wein, Paul Lissek, Maurits Hendriks, Roelant Oltmans, Bernhard Peters etc, who delivered.

That’s why flopped former coaches (see box) came in trove last month to support another flopped coach Joaquim Carvalho – parading themselves before KPS Gill, whom the country loved to hate. I see pessimism in this coaching cartel. Even last week Carvalho took one unknown Amir Kumar to Darwin 4-Nation. Amir was never in the camp nor in the eight reserves. Some Olympians make hay when the sun shine. They should not be given divine license to kill hockey.

The FIH President Els van Breda Vriesman clearly outlined the objectives of bringing Charlesworth to India. “He will have the full responsibility for the high performance side of Indian hockey. Whether he would be the coach himself or whether he would appoint a coach who is responsible for the performance of India should be his look out. He might say I want to be the coach that is the best to do go forward”.

We can add to this wish list: Let him decide whether he needs selector or not and whom he wants to do the job if at all he goes for this.

Ousting of Gill, hosting of 2010 World Cup are ok, but if Indian tricolour has to flutter in the international sporting meets, we have to leave that job to professionals like Richard Charlesworth, and not to the whims and fancies of amateur Olympians. Herein lies the future course our hockey would take.

We flopped with Olympian Coaches for 30 years. Statistical proof.

Event Coach historical low
1976 Olympics Gurbux Singh First time not in the Olympic SF
1978 World Cup RS Gentle First time no World Cup medal
1986 Asian Games Harmik Singh First time India not in the final
1986 World Cup Ajit Pal Singh Only time last in the World Cup
2006 Asian Games V. Baskaran First time no medal for India
2008 Olympic Qualifier Joaquim Carvalho First time not in the Olympics

Note: This article was published in Hindustan Times last week