MUMBAI: International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Els Van Breda Vriesman is on a mission to revive Indian hockey. On Tuesday she revealed her plans. “The FIH has short-listed seven foreign coaches and it is left to the body in India to select the right person for the job,” Els van Breda Vriesman, here to attend to the Commonwealth Youth Games, said. “We will give all the support India needs to become a superpower in hockey again. The FIH acknowledges the fact that this country is one of the few in the world that has produced many class players over the years,” the FIH president added.

All speculation of India not hosting the World Cup in the year 2010 were set aside as the FIH president clarified that the World Cup will be held in India for sure. “The 2010 hockey World Cup will be held in India. It presents an opportunity to boost the game in the country,” she stressed.

However, Vriesman insisted that it was high time officials in India realized that hockey needs a shot in the arm in the country.

Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, who disbanded the Indian Hockey Federation earlier this year, following corruption charges against one of its top officials, said: “It’s time we wake up and get hockey back to where it was and with FIH’s support India should make it.” Kalmadi admitted that India needed a foreign coach. “We have already set up the technical committee to pick up the coach, and India needs a foreign coach,” Kalmadi added.