It’s a farce, a tragic joke that only IHF and Gill can find remotely funny. A look at how national hockey coach Rajinder Singh was axed because there’s no place for him in the bench at Olympics.

They say what goes around, comes around. It wasn’t long ago two years, to be precise – that India was first introduced to Rajinder Singh when he replaced Cedric D’Souza as the national hockey coach. D’Souza had just been sacked in the midst of a World Cup campaign. It’s Rajinder’s turn now for an equally unceremonious exit. Barely 24 days before the Indian hockey team makes a statement at Athens, the Indian Hockey Federation put forward its own – by sacking coach Rajinder Singh after a closed-door meeting stretching into hours in Germany. The reason? According to IHF president KPS Gill, the axe fell because there was no place for Rajinder in the bench at the Olympics!

Plot Begins And Ends in Germany

Everything started in Germany (where India just finished second in a four-nation tournament) and was over in a jiffy. Gerhard Rach, the German consultant of dubious background, was appreciated by IHF for his expertise and was an automatic selection for one of the four officials allowed along with the squad at the Olympics. Rach then put his foot down for a German assistant.

Two down, two to go.

Jagbir Singh, the assistant coach, was recruited by IHF barely a month back especially for the Olympics. So he couldn’t have been axed. And Saji Joseph, the Indian team’s physiotherapist, got the nod ahead of the chief coach. But even in adverse times, Rajinder has put up a brave face. In his only comment to the media, he says he’s stepping down in the “team’s interest.” Well done coach, but what ‘interests’? Sources say almost all players in the squad had problems understanding Rach and Rajinder would step in with translations and explain ’em all to the players. Jagbir now gets that duty.

Alone At The End Of The Road

Rajinder, whose tenure was dominated by fracas within the team and against media, now finds himself alone with no consolation or sympathies coming from any quarters. The response from the former players’ brigade evokes shock but that’s solely due to the approaching Olympics. It will be hard to find anything noteworthy if you rummage through Rajinder’s tactics or his coaching abilities. At best, he will be remembered for that notice banning the media from the national team’s practice that still hangs on the gates of National Stadium.

Courtesy: Today newspaper