Nobbs’ role under scanner
Harpreet Kaur Lamba

Hockey India’s decision to rope in former men’s and women’s coach Maharaj Krishan Kaushik to assist chief coach Michael Nobbs has evoked surprise. The move depicts all is not well within the set-up.

India, who are oscillating between the attacking style of play and the European way — that they learnt successfully under former coach Jose Brasa — have been on the back foot in the last two years of international hockey.

Nobbs has struggled to put in a proper system of play and poor results are evident, and even if Hockey India secretary Narinder Batra chooses to say “he doesn’t like to discuss a coach’s performance”, the federation’s latest move shows it has lost faith in the Australian.

“Changes were needed and changes will help us,” is how High Performance director Roelant Oltmans explains the decision to include Kaushik. “We wanted an experienced man and Kaushik has shown in the past, that he is good.”
Sources suggest that Nobbs’ performance has been under scrutiny ever since the London Olympic

Games last year, where India finished last. Questions have been raised over his technical acumen and the players too have been unhappy with the confusing style of play.
Oltmans, in fact, the think-tank confirms, had to preside over team meetings — both pre-match and during match intervals — during the recent Hockey World League Round 3 tournament in Rotterdam, despite Nobbs’ presence.

“Nobody has a fixed term,” Batra said when asked if Kaushik’s appointment hinted at a change in guard at the top.

Former India skipper Zafar Iqbal says Kaushik’s name was suggested to Hockey India to plug in “the communication gap between the players and the coach”.

Asked about Nobbs’ impact on Indian hockey, Zafar agreed ‘things haven’t been positive’.

“Nobbs is okay.. the reports are not very positive. But Kaushik’s appointment will be a positive step. He will help plug in the communication gap between the players and the coach since he understands Indian hockey very well.“

Indian coaches Mohammed Riaz and Clarence Lobo, both of whom have been involved with the senior team since the last many years, have been asked to “sit out for sometime”.
“Yes, both of them will be rested for sometime. We will evaluate how the team progress under the new set-up and decide accordingly,” Batra said.