HOCKEY IMPASSE

FLIP FLOP ON MEN’S COACH

Hockey coach could be foreigner

Harendra Will Be In Charge For The Time

New Delhi: The search for the chief coach of the national men’s hockey team is far from over.

After the failed attempt to get MK Kaushik as the coach, the authorities running the game in the country have decided to look abroad for a solution. The members of the ad hoc committee as well as the selectors, after a meeting on Friday, told reporters here that they have approached the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in helping them find an international coach for the team. Interestingly, no one could tell what his role would be.

They put a dampener on Harendra Singh’s hopes of becoming the national coach by naming him as the coach incharge, but did not make it clear whether the foreign
coach would have full control over the team. “Both will be in charge of the team and both will look after the national camps,” said selection committee chief Ajitpal Singh.

But sources revealed that once appointed the foreign coach would take over with Harendra reporting to him. “But till his appointment, Harendra will look after the team,” they said.

President of the ad hoc committee Suresh Kalmadi said Tayyab Ikram, FIH coaching manager, would be shortlisting three to four names before sending it across to the Indian authorities for selection. “We hope to get the names in a week’s time, after which the selection committee would meet and pick the right person,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kalmadi said the ad hoc committee had no intention of continuing for long, though he also announced the formation of a couple of committees and some officials to help run the game. He said a technical monitoring committee would be in place comprising Rajeev Mehta, Jagbir Singh, Pargat Singh, Anupam Ghulati, chairman of the selection committee as well as the national junior and senior coaches.

An advisory committee including officials from state associations was also formed. Ghulati, an expert on hockey , was named the communications advisor. Shakeel Quereshi and KN Sharma were named umpires development manager and director administration respectively.

“We have no intention to continue forever. But till the formation of the hockey federation we have to keep things moving,” Kalmadi said.

He also announced several tournaments involving the Indian junior and senior teams in future.

Tirkey’s back

Meanwhile, the meeting on Friday also decided to include Dilip Tirkey and Ignace Tirkey besides Bimal Lakra in the probables list for the 2010 Asian Games, World Cup as well as the Commonwealth Games. Eleven players were included with the same number of players in the original list being named as probables for next year’s junior World Cup.

New inclusions in senior list:

Dilip Tirkey, Kalu Ram, Bimal Lakra, Bikas Toppo, Deepak Thakur, Ajitesh Roy, Bharat Chhikara, Ignace Tirkey, VS Vinaya, Kuljeet Singh and Amit Singh. Junior list: Diwakar Ram, Innocent Kullu, Manjeet Kullu, Ranjeet Singh, Birender Lakra, Ravi Pal SIngh, Amardeep Ekka, Vikas Sharma, Vivek, Jagwant Singh, Pramod Kumar, Mandil Antil.