Printed Article in Asian Age by Harpreet Kaur Lamba

Harendra’s track record as a coach has been anything but impressive.The 45-year old has been at the helm for a decade, working first as the junior India coach and then as assistant to Rajinder Singh Junior,Vasudevan Baskaran and Spaniard Jose Brasa.

Handed a March 15: Handed a reprieve by the Supreme Court to select the national teams for the upcoming events, Hockey India on Tuesday appointed Harendra Singh as the coach yet again.

The decision comes as a surprise as the Delhi-based coach has not been in the good books of the players — senior member Prabhjot Singh had accused Harendra of creating a rift in the team — and even the fivemember development committee, appointed to hire the national coach by Hockey India had shot down his name.

Harendra’s track record as a coach has been anything but impressive. The 45-year old has been at the helm for a decade, working first as the junior India coach and then as assistant to Rajinder Singh Junior, Vasudevan Baskaran and Spanish coach Jose Brasa.

While most coaches have been either kicked out or resigned in the wake of poor performances, Harendra has miraculously survived. And that too without results!
Said a development committee member, “He has managed his way to the top.

He had the backing of the Sports Authority of India, who want a yes man for the job. I don’t think any foreign coach would want to work with the Indian team if is that is how they (SAI and Hockey India) operate.” Committee head Pargat Singh too wasn’t pleased.

“I think all of us have just wasted our time. The priority was to put in place a coaching mechanism that would take the game ahead.

We had decided to hire a
foreign coach and also include Indian players like Mukesh Kumar, Mohammad Riaz, Jugraj Singh, etc.

to put a system in place.

“The latest decision shows that none of our suggestions have been thought upon.

We have committed mistakes in the past and are continuing to do so,” Pargat said.

Asked about Harendra’s appointment, he said, “I am not in favour or against Harendra. But in my opinion, he cannot take the team ahead single-handedly.” Harendra, it is learnt, also had the support of HI secretary general Narinder Batra, who recommended his name to the sports ministry.

The ministry had a tough call to make with government observers Dilip Tirkey and Harbinder Singh, also putting their foot down against Harendra’s appointment.

Hockey India, on its part, washed its hand off the matter saying the coaching staff and the players retained were the same as the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games last year.

The 45 probables assembled in the city on Tuesday evening.