This question might surprise many – might even at the end of the day turn out to be an irrelevant one – but at the moment the story is written (Evening of Tuesday as the women team returned from Lucknow camp to board flight for Kazan from New Delhi), it is pertinent and disturbing.

The thing is that Indian women team’s chief coach MK Kaushik has not been given due clearance from his employer, Haryana Sports Department, that enables and legalizes a government employee to leave the shores of his country. Secondly, he is supposed to have been granted leave – his leave would last only up to 20th of April — and that also did not happen.

It is easy to find fault with the Sports Department of Haryana, and its bureaucracy, but the fact of the matter remains at the doors of the usually phlegmatic Indian Women Hockey Federation. It is the parent organization’s duty to get such formalities cleared from the employer. It is not known what other role the Federation is expected to perform, that too, when they get the coach free of cost?

It is a matter to ponder over that the State or Central Government – in this case the State Government of Haryana – spare their employees for the service of the country, and in no way their salaries are borne by the Federation. It is the respective government departments that bear their employee’s emoluments while keeping their long term service benefits unaffected. Therefore, it is the IWHF that avails the booty of the government agencies and as such they are supposed to cater to the paper needs of those agencies. However, the IWHF is busy nowadays to pack as many freeloaders as possible for Kazan at the central government’s cost, and apparently has no time to do the needful to keep its chief coach’s service matters are taken care of.

Every time the question of Kaushik’s leave problem crops up, the media approaches the Haryana Government as if they are at fault while leaving the IWHF happily forever. A government officer cannot take a decision unless and until a request comes from competent quarters (here the Federation) in written form. It must be the universal rule not just in India.

Why the Federation, despite the keenness expressed by its chief president Vidya Stokes –- she is the Opposition Leader in Himachal Pradesh assembly –- does not solve lingering Kaushik’s leave issue is not beyond comprehension.

Yes, apparently somebody in her own Federation is working at cross purpose.

Though the Haryana Department is keen to relieve Kaushik for long term – they have done it so in the past, Kaushik was given long leave for three years from late 2003 to till the end of the Doha Asian Games – a section in the IWHF does not want this. Because, Kaushik being honest and outspoken, and also a luminary, they feel their monoevrability are curtailed. Like most of the petty officials who make up bulk of the Sports Federations in India, this section also waits for the outcome of Kazan. If India qualifies for the Olympics, then we will continue him. Otherwise, make some sily excuse and keep this man out. Their fear stems from the fact that the IWHF President wants Kaushik till the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and the small minded section sees a threat in it. In fact, short term for coaches is their long term benefit!!

Coming back to the issue of the day, it is gathered even an oral order from the higher ups can ease Kaushik. Otherwise, indications are that he might leave a couple of days later till the paper works are finished, while letting the team stick to the departure schedule — team is scheduled to leave Wednesday late night. The things are so at this juncture is utterly avoidable. While the whole nation wants to cheer up these girls and look for success at the most crucial of their outings, the chief coach is undergoing such a mental agony is something that needs to be pondered over.