Hockey mess bad for players: Joaquim Carvalho

NEW DELHI: A day before the fate of Indian hockey coach Paul van Ass is to be decided, former India player and coach Joaquim Carvalho expressed his support for the Dutchman and asked for Hockey India president Narinder Batra’s ouster.

Carvalho said that if the current regime continues, then no foreign coach would like to come to India. “Look at the number of changes we have had in the last five years. It shows it’s no better than the earlier regime of KPS Gill. Indian hockey just can’t move forward like this. No foreign player would like to come here.”

He also expressed concern about the current ‘mess’ affecting Indian players. “This whole mess will cause damage to the players’ mindset. They won’t be able to focus on the game,” said Carvalho.

“Paul was absolutely right. What Batra has said till now is absolute rubbish. If he wanted to have a word with the team, there was a proper time and place to do that. He had no business to enter the ground. The problem is Batra wants to control everything. He has a huge ego. He just wants to flaunt his power. This is arrogance at its best. Batra is responsible for the poor condition of Indian hockey and he should get out first. He needs to resign,” Carvalho told TOI on Thursday.

“Who is Batra to say Van Ass is not a good coach? What are his credentials to say that? And if that was the case, why was he brought here in the first place? Who selected him and why did they select him?” he asked.

Former India goalkeeper Charles Cornelius agreed with Carvalho and said a coach needs to be given time to prove himself. “Results take time. Nothing is achieved overnight” said Carvalho. “We have had so many coaches. Once you have appointed one coach, give him at least three years to settle down and form a team. A coach learns from his own mistakes. There should be no interference,” added Cornelius.

However, Cornelius said that if the players want high performance director Roelant Oltmans as the coach, then they should be granted their wish. “If the boys want him to be the coach, then that should happen. If it’s working for them, then that’s how it should be. At least they will get good results.”