I expect Brasa to take the team to a higher level: Gill
5 May 2009

CHENNAI: India hope new field hockey coach Jose Brasa will revive the eight-time Olympic champions’ fortunes and plan to provide the Spaniard with
Hindi lessons to ensure his words of wisdom are not lost in translation.

“I was very happy to meet Mr. Brasa and held detailed discussions about the work he will be doing,” India’s sports minister Manohar Singh Gill said in a statement.

The statement said Brasa expressed his desire to learn Hindi for better communication with the players and that his request had been approved by the sports minister.

Brasa signed up on Monday following a meeting with the ad-hoc committee that runs Indian hockey. His initial contract is until next year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

“Spanish people are emotional, very much like Indians, and I am confident Mr. Brasa will have good relations with all our players and support staff.

“I expect him to take the team to a higher level and I have assured him that we will give him full support.”

Brasa, who guided the Spanish women’s team to success in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games, is tasked with getting India back on track after they failed to qualify for the Summer Games for the first time in Beijing last year.

The Indian Olympic association suspended the national hockey federation last April.

Indian hockey has been beset by internal squabbles and Australian Ric Charlesworth quit as consultant last July after an unhappy 10 months.

However, the Indian team have raised hopes of a turnaround by winning the Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia last month after a barren 13 years.