Aussie seeks good leadership & professional administration

Hyderabad: HOCKEY legend Ric Charlesworth’s short stint is all but over in India. A frustrated Charlesworth, who was appointed technical advisor by the redundant Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), said categorically that “no way he can work in the present scenario. I had told (KPS) Gill that the system need to be changed. But that didn’t happen or will happen,” he said.

Charlesworth expected India to learn from the pre Olympic debacle but sadly that has not happened. “I thought it will act like a catalyst. But unfortunately other events have conspired. There should be urgency and the crisis should be handled in a professional way.” The 56-year-old Australian coach predicted tough times for India and Pakistan. “It’s difficult for India and Pakistan to be in the top six of the world. The other day Belgium beat Pakistan. It’s time India arrested the slide. They have to change for good. Your country was the creator of the game and we were amateurs.

But that was in the past. It’s a different world now,” he added.

Meanwhile, Aslam Khan, the chief coordinator of the ad-hoc committee, was not sure of Charlesworth’s tenure.

“We had not negotiated with Charlesworth. The IHF and the Government had done it. We don’t know about the deal.We don’t know about his future,” he said.

Charlesworth, who is leaving for Australia tomorrow, met national coach AK Bansal at Gachibowli Stadium where the Indian junior team was preparing for Junior Asian Cup that gets underway from Friday.

Carvalho not invited Aslam Khan today said both national coaches V Baskaran and Joaquim Carvalho will not be invited for ad-hoc committee’s one-day meeting of the hockey Olympians on July 18 that will decide the road map of Indian hockey.