Don’t make a mockery of Dronacharya awards: Harendra

NEW DELHI: Former national hockey coach Harendra Singh is furious after learning that his name is not in the nomination list for the Dronacharya award and believes that people are making a “mockery of the award”.

According to reliable sources, another former national coach Rajinder Singh Junior’s name has been shortlisted for the Dronacharya award and this has irked Harendra no ends.

“I am very upset after learning that it’s Rajinder Junior whose name has been shortlisted for Dronacharya. I am shocked and have no words to express my disappointment,” Harendra said.

Harendra has been the assistant coach to Jose Brasa during India’s silver winning Commonwealth Games campaign. Also Harendra has had a better stint than Rajinder Junior who was the coach in 2005-06.

Even in the hockey fraternity, people are talking in hush-hush tones about the credibility of Rajinder junior.

“Just compare my record with Rajinder Junior and decide yourself as to who is more deserving. I believe those associated with the awards panel are making a mockery of the system. They are making this prestigious award look trivial by honouring non-deserving sportspersons,” fumed Harendra.

The former coach believes that sports minister Ajay Maken has the right intentions but he needs to set his house in order.

“Mr Maken speaks about cleaning up sports. He has honest intentions but he also needs to do a clean-up job in his ministry. I believe the panel who have entrusted with selecting the candidates are filled with ‘Yes-men’. Get the chamchas (Sycophants) out otherwise things will go from bad to worse,” Harendra said.

He said people like Dhanraj Pillay or Joaquim Carvalho are never kept in the Dronacharya panel but all those sportspersons with questionable credibility, who are ready to pay heed to whatever the men in power instruct.

“People like Dhanraj, Carvalho don’t mince words. They believe in talking straight and that’s why they are not in the panel.”