An enterprising journalist Raghu of Deccan Chronicle took the interview of hockey’s ‘Smiling Assasin’ Jothi Kumaran to know about the much-hated Indian personality. Jothi pretends many things one among them is nation’s anger. His replies evoke joke than sense. S2h makes its comment on Jothi’s replies.

Raghu: Mr Gill keeps talking about his mission for Indian hockey. Do you think the IHF has achieved something in the last 13 years?
Jothi: Yes. One has to compare the pre-1994 days with the reign of the current body to see the difference. We have brought in sponsors and as a result our players started getting incentives.

S2h Comment: Certainly the longest served Secretary General – and thus the longest casualty that the Indian hockey bore, and bearing — has apparently nothing to show on the medals tally. Gill & Co.’s mission as of now is making millions for themselves and effectively wasting it on extravaganza. Coaches and players have made it clear that the 1998 Asian Games victory was despite IHF, as victorious coach M.K. Kaushik’s ‘Golden boot’ abundantly makes it clear. Jothi please remember, in pre 1994, no country ever accused India of match fixing.

Raghu But there is very little to show on the field. India’s performance in Olympics and World Cups has been markedly poor. Isn’t the IHF accountable for the team’s failings?

Jothi: I would say it’s the collective responsibility of players, selectors, coaches and the federation. We are doing our best. I don’t know why results aren’t there. Fitness is one area our players are found wanting. We need to improve in coaching too. Though we suffered heart-breaking losses in the dying minutes in a couple of big tournaments, I don’t want to escape from the fact that we have fared poorly over the years.
S2h Comment: This is a honest statement – ‘I don’t know why results aren’t there’ . Honestly speaking we, hockey lovers world over, know you don’t know anything, except of course for whatever you are known for – one among them is silently killing all good things that happened to hockey in the past decade or so. When you don’t know why do you talk about fitness. Any idea, Mr. Jothi, to ask government big grant – like Rs. 70lac for the Arizona fitness camp – to make players more fitter?

Raghu: When smaller sports bodies conduct nationals without fail, why couldn’t the IHF organise the nationals for some years?
Jothi: The IHF can only direct its units to conduct the nationals. Many state units couldn’t organise the national championship due to financial constraints. There is no pay and play rule in our game. The organisers have to foot the entire expense to conduct the nationals. It’s not at all easy given the number of teams in the fray.
S2h Comment: Certainly, you habitually forget it certain things, Mr. Jothi. Conducting Nationals is one of the IHF’s constitutional obligations. After you people refused to part with the hosting units even the government grant, which state unit will come forward? Of course, am trying to scratch your mind your bounced about the bounced IHF cheque to Karnataka Hockey Association, which hosted the 1997 Nationals, and you are all yet to give the Nationals grant given by the Govt. of India to them. By the way, what is the pay and play rule you are talking about Mr. Jothi. Players have to pay for playing – is that you mean? If it is so, it has happened number of times. A whispering bird often tells me some players paid for playing for the country — and paid for not paying too!!

Raghu A lot of people accuse you of interfering in team selection. Is it true that you take up the cause of a particular player?
Jothi: I don’t force my view on selectors. I may like a player but there is no guarantee that he will find a place in the team.
S2h Comment: Joke of the century. You like a player but there is no guarantee that he will find a place in the team. S2h’s view is, if your player of choice is not in the team, that team will not find a place in the tournament it was intended to go or the coach will be dropped from the plane, literally!!

Raghu: National cricket team selectors face the media while announcing the team. But in hockey, Mr Gill fields questions after a selection committee meeting. He often brushes aside queries in his inimitable style…
Jothi: Mr Gill is the chief of the selection committee, so there is nothing wrong in him addressing the media.

S2h Comment: What Raghu, you don’t know they street-fight to be in the IHF only to address the press. You want to rob them of this maza too. There is nothing wrong in Gill addressing the media, but the moot point is he never addressed media, only abused them.

Raghu: But questions are seldom answered in his briefings. Why aren’t the selectors, who are all Olympians, given a c