The last few days has seen more dramas in Indian
hockey than the rest of the bygone year.

Firstly, the new technical expert of Indian hockey and
legendary Australian coach Ric Charlesworth made a
sooner than expected entry (officially it was supposed
to be in December) at the Bangalore camp where the
Indian probables are currently training for the
Olympic qualifiers. This, after the IHF dilly-dallied
for more than 31 years on appointing a FIH master
coach for the national team.

The Aussie legend, I am told, didn’t hesitate in his
first meeting with Joaquim Carvalho, to suggest a few
changes in the training system. For some of us, who
have followed the process of Ric’s entry into Indian
hockey, Carvalho’s reactions in various forums on the
appointment of the legendary coach from Australia,
were similar to human fear about the landing of the
Aliens!

Carvalho, who’s certainly not a green horn to Indian
hockey politics, claimed in various media interviews
that he has been given advance assurance from
Charlesworth and IHF that there will not be any
interference in his training programme.

One recent media report eulogising former Olympian and a member of
Carvalho’s think-tank, M.M. Somaya, who has been selected to go to Kuala Lumpur to watch India’s rivals in the Champions Trophy tournament, who’ll later on
meet India in the Qualifiers. It’s a part of team
strategy followed for decades by the other countries. However, I wonder when the same report jumped to conclude the move (sending
Somaya to KL) proved that “we had talent too”.
Then, it goes on to highlight the cost at which the
Australian legend has been hired to come to train
Indian hockey. Incidentally, Charlesworth’s name has
been recommended by none other than the FIH
(international hockey federation) in conjunction with
the International Olympic Committee. So, what are we
really talking?

My question to those opposing Charlesworth is: We
haven’t really covered ourselves with glory for the
last 30 years. And frankly, why not try now?

The Australian legend is the only hockey professional
in the true sense (except for his brief fling with NZ
Cricket) who makes a living out of hockey (TV
commentary, lectures, coaching, mentoring, consultant,
writing hockey books). Charlesworth retired in 1986
and took up coaching soon after and since then has
been involved in coaching. Compared to him, Somaya,
and no offence meant, had hung up his boots in
late-1980s, and has been of more utility to his
employer than to coaching at top level in any sport. The same applies
to Carvalho, who was not coaching a major team in the
domestic circuit till 2005 after his Mahindra team was disbanded. You cannot take hard
decisions based on emotion and past attachment.

Secondly, the announcement by the FIH that the IHF
secretary Jothikumaran will be the interim chairman of the 2010 World Cup Organizing Committee in New Delhi, raises some eyebrows.
A hockey buff pointed out, in a conversation, a serious problem with the announcement.
He asked, how many sponsors will come forward to
support Indian hockey if Jothikumaran is at the helm of affairs, as he carries a negative image. Even hard-critics of KPS
Gill believe that the all-powerful president of the
IHF is still the only person with any credibility left
in the Federation.

The third but not the least important issue is of the
PHL board sidelining hockey’s only icon in the
country, Dhanraj Pillay. According to the latest
decision of the PHL board, the mercurial star will not
be allowed to play the next PHL tournament despite his
superb fitness, on age ground (above 34 have been
disallowed). It happens nowhere in the world. I see scope for a Public Interest Litigation on the count of discrimination of age (Dhanraj is 39).

Notwithstanding Charlesworth’s entry, it’s worrying
that the old mindset hasn’t changed much in Indian
hockey. What if we bungle again. Even Shahrukh Khan
won’t dare to act in a hockey sequel.