Brasa’s appointment may take more time

By Sandeep Narayan in New Delhi

THE appointment of Spanish hockey expert Jose Brasa as the new coach for the Indian men’s team could get delayed, thanks mainly to the lengthy hiring procedures of the Sports Ministry.

A source in the IOA- run hockey ad hoc committee revealed that while the process of appointing a foreign coach is extensive, the recent demise of a high- ranking official in the Sports Ministry could postpone the matter even further.

“ Nothing is confirmed so far.

We have been waiting for a while now and it seems that the wait will be a bit longer. I can’t be sure of the time frame because, honestly, we were hoping to get him by April. But that doesn’t seem possible now,” said a member of the ad hoc committee.

“ First of all, Brasa wasn’t going to be free before April as he had some prior commitments to fulfil and now with the bereavement, there is no one to take the final call,” he added.

“ Someone has been given the additional charge of handling the office of the late official till a new replacement is found, but I’m not sure if he or she will take a decision on the coach soon or ever, for that matter.” It looks as if Brasa’s appointment may have hit another roadblock and India may have to wait a little longer for its foreign expert to arrive.

Though the team has been doing well under Harendra Singh, the officials of the ad hoc committee still feel that the presence of a foreign coach is necessary.

“ It’s been nearly two months since Brasa came to India and we feel that a decision should be taken quickly as the coach needs to be with the team before the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games,” said ad- hoc committee convener Mohammad Aslam Khan.

Courtesy: Mailtoday