What’s the need of a foreign coach: Ajit Pal
By Amit Sampat

NAGPUR: On the field, he has spent over 35 years and off the field after retirement, he is still an active official. Having spent his entire life for the national game, Ajit Pal Singh, who led India to their only World Cup Hockey Championship triumph in 1975 at Kuala Lumpur, has seen many ups and downs that Indian hockey has gone through.

On a day-long visit to the Orange City, the former Olympian analyzed the ways to bring back the glory days for Indian hockey. The soft-spoken 66-year-old dribbled the volley of questions posed by the media on Thursday.

In his inaugural speech to the 400 delegates attending the international conference of sports and exercise psychology, Ajit Pal asked, “For most of our Indian teams, we import doctors, psychologists and support staff from other countries and spend millions on them. Why can’t we find any one in India? The US and China are far more ahead as they use their own resources, so why can’t we?”

With the Indian team hitting the nadir at the London Olympics, the popularity of hockey at home was on the wane and it appeared as if this was the end of the road for the national game. Though the selectors brought in some changes in the team which resulted in India finishing fourth in the Champions Trophy in Australia, but for a much better result in the years to come, Ajit Pal has his own doubts.

Asked whether Michael Nobbs should be removed as the India coach, he said, “It’s not me to decide. But if India are not getting success after spending so much, then what’s the need of a foreign coach?”

He further added, “We hired foreign coaches because they have gone through the system of producing top players and as far as India is concerned we do have many great players who can be successful coaches too. Having failed to understand the local culture, a foreign coach cannot interpret that an Indian player look up to him as a father figure and that’s where they struggle.”

For a better future ahead, Ajit Pal wants the artificial turf at the grassroots, “We need to provide turf to a local player so that he can develop his muscles according to the astro turf so we need to develop infrastructure for a better future.”

On the power tussle between Hockey India (HI) and Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), he said, “Self interest was the only reason which brought the game down. Hockey is my life and if any one is working for its good then I will support it. With the recently concluded Hockey India League (HIL), our players got the much needed exposure.”

“Hockey India is trying to make things happen in a positive way. With HIL, in addition to money, the HI brought world’s best current hockey stars to play with their Indian counterparts. It was a good turnaround and is the first step to revive the game. The FIH should also be credited for that,” signed off Ajit Pal with a ray of hope.