Hockey India calls meeting on May 31 to review Azlan Shah debacle

NEW DELHI: Concerned by India’s disastrous outing in the just-concluded Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, Hockey India has convened a meeting on May 31 to thoroughly review the performance of the team, which finished a lowly sixth in the seven-team event.

HI secretary general Narinder Batra said the coaching and development committee under former captain Pargat Singh will meet coach Harendra Singh, captain Arjun Halappa and other members of the support staff to evaluate the team’s performance.

“We have called a meeting of the coaching and development committee on May 31 during which we will conduct a thorough evaluation of the team’s performance,” Batra said.

The HI chief also said that action would be initiated against anyone who is found guilty for the team’s below par performance.

“Nobody is above the game. The prestige is of the country and not of any individual. Every individual is responsible,” Batra said.

The 2010 co-champions India produced a lacklustre display in this year’s Azlan Shah Cup, where they opened their campaign with a 2-3 loss to South Korea before registering wins against Great Britain (3-1) and hosts Malaysia (5-2).

India then drew 1-1 with world champions and eventual winners Australia before slumping to humiliating defeats against arch-rivals Pakistan (1-3) and New Zealand (3-7).

The Halappa-led side then lost to South Korea (1-2) for a second time in the fifth-sixth place classification match to end their campaign on a lowly note.

Asked whether HI was open to the idea of hiring a foreign coach for the team following the end of Spaniard Jose Brasa tenure after the Guangzhou Asian Games last year, Batra said, “All ideas are open for the betterment of the team’s performance.”