Selection chief Khan wants candidates to take up the challenge

Hyderabad

PUTTING ALMOST an end to the ongoing controversy regarding Ric Charlesworth, selection committee chairman of the ad hoc committee Mohd Aslam Sher Khan on Saturday claimed that only an Indian coach could better understand and run Indian hockey .
“We have plenty of good hands to take up the job, but we feel that somebody should come forward and take up the challenge,” Khan told Hindustan Times.

“A foreign coach can’t do miracles if a system doesn’t want him to do so.

“We need a courageous coach, who can take the responsibility to bring back Indian hockey on its road to regain the lost glory,” he said. “So far no one has contacted us.”

Khan, however, praised junior team coach AK Bansal.

He didn’t make it clear whether Bansal could be given the charge of the senior team too, but claimed the team’s success at the Azlan Shah tournament in Ipoh went to Bansal alone.

“He did a wonderful job, and if he feels like taking the responsibility of the senior team, he should come forward. We can consider him,” the Olympian said.

“Undoubtedly, the Charlesworth issue has become very complicated now. If his contract had been with us, we could have made things easier for him,” Khan said.

“As far as an Indian coach is concerned, he could be convincing to our players and our players too could understand him better.” Reality bite Khan emphasized the need for more reality checks to improve Indian hockey’s image at the world level.

“Our responsibility is to make a free and fair selection of the team, but for the better conduct of hockey in India, we need a better system.”

As far as the selection committee’s job was concerned, Khan claimed that his team was doing justice to it.

But a clear-cut policy and a program for its development should go together.

“We are ready to take the responsibility of planning and programming if it is gives to us. Give us four years time and see the results,” he said.

“Indian hockey needs a result-oriented atmosphere. We must sit together to make a diagnosis of our poor system and planning, which is responsible for Indian hockey being where it is.”