Sport

Ad hoc panel seeks foreign coach

NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association-appointed ad hoc committee stated on Friday that the way forward for Indian hockey was in seeking the services of a foreign coach.

“We have decided to go in for a foreign coach,” said IOA President Suresh Kalmadi. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) would suggest three names to the ad hoc committee next week.

“We are waiting for this communication from FIH,” said Mr. Kalmadi, who was distinctly uncomfortable when confronted by the media on the entire exercise of losing out M.K. Kaushik to women’s hockey and also the addition of nine names to the original list of probables for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

With the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF) successfully retaining the services of Kaushik as its coach for the next two years, the ad hoc committee was left with little choice than pick former National junior coach Harendra Singh as the ‘coach in-charge’ of the senior men’s team.

Harendra would be in charge of the team till a foreign coach takes over.

Interestingly, the ad hoc committee announced a list of support staff that will be in charge for the Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Asian Games.

Ramandeep Singh and Romeo James will assist Harendra while Rajesh Chauhan and Clarence Lobo will be assistants to A.K. Bansal in junior hockey.

Harendra’s appointment came after the ad hoc committee confirmed his availability. “We are working to give Indian hockey a good foundation. We have made these appointments because we need to start work at least,” said Mr. Kalmadi.

The chairman of the selection committee, Ajitpal Singh, confirmed they were looking for a foreign coach desperately.

“We always had a foreign coach in mind. Other countries also encourage this idea and we are not an exception really. We have to move with the world,” he said on the necessity of looking at a coach from outside the country.

The ad hoc committee also drew up elaborate plans to train the players with some foreign exposure in place next year.

A four-nation double-leg tournament involving India, Germany, Holland and Pakistan will be held at Chandigarh and Jalandhar in February, 2009.

“We are doing our bit for hockey. It is our national game,” Mr. Kalmadi said.

India will host the first Asian Championship next year while the senior team will undertake a tour of Europe in July next year.

World champion Germany will visit India in November before the Champions Trophy. The junior team will play a three-nation tournament with Pakistan and Argentina before the World Cup to be held in Dubai in June 2009

The players added to list of probables announced earlier: Dilip Tirkey, Bimal Lakra, Deepak Thakur, Ajitesh Roy, Bharat Chhikara, Ignace Tirkey, V. S. Vinay, Kuljeet Singh, Amit Singh, Bikas Toppo and Kalu Ram.

Players shifted to juniors’ list: Diwakar Ram, Innocent Kullu, Manjeet Kullu, Ranjeet Singh, Birender Lakra Jr, Amardeep Ekka, Vikas Sharma, Vivek, Jagwant Singh, Pramod Kumar and Mandeep Antil.

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