Only in last column I dwelt upon how on the eve of major tournaments all vicious elements gang up together to get rid of those who work for teams’ cause, and how everything then starts from scratch.

The issue in question then was systematic relegation of everyone connected with women hockey.

Now the sordid story repeats in men’s domain.

We have invited a foreign coach — his name is Jose Brasa — to train our national men’s team.

Now all of a sudden (at least for the onlookers), within a year from his appointment it seems there are more competent coaches in India than him!

Call for importing coaching talent has been a long cry in India, and it took shape after we failed to come within top four of either Asian Games or Asia Cup — not just missed out Olympics alone. Brasa was brought in after Ric had become ‘unwanted’ and I strongly feel this was the only solid work the Adhoc Committee, the forerunners of Hockey India, did in their whole spell last year.

Now, right from great hockey visionary Narinder Batra to everyone dislikes Brasa. Sports Authority of India habitually dislikes anybody who pinpoints its shortcoming — and the snail pace with which it works. So expectedly both Batra and SAI are strange bed fellows in this case, though in court and elsewhere they were at logger-heads.

Not only he is disliked. It looks he is subject to humiliation also. All of sudden his designation changed from national coach to foreign coach, and then he sat out in the stands instead of being incharge of the teams.

Certainly something is basically wrong with us.

There are reasons why Brasa is disliked by a few — who of course have powers to define the course our hockey in coaching and administrative spheres.

The foremost is the salary Brasa gets. It is Rs. 6 lac plus, may be close to Rs. 7 lac. This is envy of everybody in our coaching and bureaucratic world. Because his monthly salary is roughly the sum they get annually — for doing paper work and chipping tea in working hours; masquerades and coaches for arranging a match between locals and the campers and then call it a national training camp!!

None of the current generation Indians are ever invited to coach any foreign teams of worth. They do not know or pretend, how much a professional coach is paid.

Kindly remember Brasa gets nearly half of what was promised to Charlesworth (One part of his salary was borne by the International Olympic Committee).

Our coaches, who can win all age group tournaments but never a proper event, claim they do coaching free and it is service then render to Indian hockey. Indian coaches are not paid, because they are employed elsewhere. It is here any self-respecting Indian coach should avoid coaching Indian team if not paid extra for their professional service. Coaching national team needs specialization and they have to be paid accordingly.

Then why our coaches fall over each other to do ‘service’. When you are not paid, why are you there? Please don’t be there. But it is not happening. They go inside coaching, keep on grudging, start spying for administrators and all such things that do harm for the team than good. Some even claim they are better than the boss under whom they once undertook to serve — while lobbying for their posts.

Second reason why foreign coaches are disliked in India is the sort of autonomy he advocates for himself.

A foreign coach always wants freedom to work, have his choice of support staff, and basic right to select team.

These are basics and routine in most countries — who win medals. But in India, two plus two is not four. It is everything except four till a court issues a stay or stays a stay.

If a coach is given autonomy, who are at loss? If you make out that list then you will come to know who actually kill hockey in India. It is as simple as that.

Top in the list is, favourite stooges of administrators, if they are not inside the support staff circle, who will spy for the administrators?

Second is, some discarded and thick-skinned Olympians who enjoy power as selectors and observers but never accountability.

Third is, the steely bureaucracy that is byword for insensitiveness and self-righteousness.

If our incompetent coaches, thick-skinned Olympians and the bureaucracy have to survive in one go, and behave like stars in the society, get the name and fame for being just there, it is in their interest to keep the system rock solid.

If India does not do well, who bothers? None of them gentleman, none of them.

A foreign coach after all is interested in the team and its success. He thinks players are the assets, to bring best out of them is his duty.

The two things are never an issue with those people who form the formidable three rings we described above.

So, India must rank as the only country to find two foreign coaches – Charlesworth and Brasa – incompetent in the span of two years.

We haven’t invited foreign coaches when we are winning. And, significantly, most of our coaches have got their due, given enough chance to prove.

Its 30 years since we made it to the semis of any FIH tournaments!!!

Brasa did not coach India in the last 30 years — only patriotic Indians did.

Bharat mahan hai.