The Australian lands in India but only to complete the formalities of leaving Indian hockey for good

FOR someone who has been in the firing line for the past couple of weeks, Ric Charlesworth seemed a calm man on his arrival to India. One would have expected at least a small list of complaints after the ordeal he had been through. But the hockey coach preferred to take the high road. Though the Australian was successful in concealing the anguish he must be feeling

‘ Things have not turned out quite the way I had planned ‘
currently, one could still sense a certain level of disappointment in his tone. “Well, things have not turned out the way I had planned they would when I came to India. I am a bit disappointed. “Despite the way things were for the past couple for weeks, I was still hoping that we would have a positive outcome,” Charlesworth told MAIL TODAY on his return from Australia. Charlesworth had submitted his resignation as Technical Advisor for Indian Hockey exactly a month back and has since been in Australia for personal reasons.

“My intentions were not to quit helping Indian hockey, but just that I felt that my role as advisor was over and it was time that I have a different role. “Obviously that’s not what people here want and it seems that my stint in India has ended. It’s not the way I wanted it to but nothing can be done right now,” he said.

It is strange that after the all the conundrum that had been caused by his resignation and the events that followed, he returned to India. “Well as I mentioned earlier, I was going to return so it shouldn’t be surprising that I am back. “I am back to sort out my remaining affairs with the IOA and the Sports Ministry and that can’t be done in one day so it was obvious that I was going to return,” he said.

“I haven’t contacted any official as of now but I plan to speak to them first thing in the morning. “Right now, I am at my house in Chandigarh and hopefully I will have a meeting with them in a couple of days.” It’s clear that after the IOA accepted his resignation, Charlesworth also has no intentions of continuing with Indian hockey in any capacity and these meetings with the IOA and ministry officials are just to tie up any lose ends he may have in India.

He however, did not want to comment on the accusations that were launched on him during his time in Australia. “I don’t really want to comment on what has been said about me in my absence right now but hopefully I will address a press conference before I finally go back to Australia. Hopefully all matters would have been settled by then.”
sandeep.narayan@mailtoday.in