Saturday, August 25, 2012

Never-ending talk of whether a foreign or an Indian coach is the answer to Indian hockey’s woes

The never-ending discussion about what is the answer to Indian hockey’s woes – should we have a foreign coach or should we plumb for an Indian coach? - gets only animated every time our national team returns from a major tourney defeated, embarrassed and morale severely dented.

The rich legacy of winning eight Olympic gold medals almost works like a ‘firewall’ for our former international greats, who found it hard to swallow that a foreign coach can be a remedy for uplifting Indian hockey.

Illustrious names – Zafar Iqbal, Mohammed Shahid, Jude Felix, Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay Jagbir Singh, Ashish Ballal, Thoiba Singh, MM Somaya, Merwyn Fernandes, Mohinder Pal Singh and Joaquim Carvalho readily spring to mind when we think of our former internationals who could coach the national team. Let’s face it; no one is questioning the pedigree of these former internationals but having them in the ‘hot seat’ is replete with impediments.

And the biggest among them is the status of the sport’s national federation - Hockey India (HI), which is locked in an unbecoming tussle with Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) over which group will run the sport in the country.

To call spade a spade it really does not matter which group is running the sport as far as the players are concerned since the whims and fancies of both these groups have been a ‘big factor’ in many promising careers falling by the wayside.

Given such a scenario, it is difficult to accept how our former international greats would fit in the federation’s scheme of things as coach of the national team. Most of these former greats have played for the country with distinction and would desire a free hand in their bid to deliver the desired results. In India, the federation won't mind one bit to exercise control over the coach and expect him to function as a ‘yes man’ which in turn sows the seeds of a disappointing chapter – which we have been witness to for many years now.

Often, the biggest angst among our former greats (many of them, if not all) is that the federation pays hefty salaries to foreign coaches while our coaches are paid peanuts, which is a fair point. Striking a fine balance is the key and weeding out this enormous disparity in salaries is the way forward.

I am ready to be castigated for this but I am willing to say that foreign coaches have never been given a fair crack of the whip to build a team that can deliver.

Save for the below-par German coach Gerhard Rach (who was a wrong choice in the first place anyway) –  the then IHF appointed him barely three weeks before the 2004 Athens Olympics after it sacked Rajinder Singh to whom the German served as an assistant for a couple of months.

Over the years some of the big names of world hockey were drafted in to resurrect our fortunes but the spectre of red tapism and official mismanagement ensured much of the efforts went down the drain.

Aussie legend Ric Charlesworth was appointed as Technical Advisor of the Indian team in 2008 but he quit within a year of taking up the job, reportedly frustrated at not being given a free hand to oversee the senior team, not to speak of his salary which was allegedly also not paid on time.

Spanish Jose Brasa took charge of the Indian team in 2009 and his eighteen-month stint was the longest any foreign coach has had so far. In fact, Brasa worked well with the team after the 2008 ‘Chile catastrophe’. He guided India to a silver medal and bronze medal finish at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2010 Asiad. Inexplicably, Brasa’s contract was not renewed and no one knows why?

Australian Michael Nobbs took over in August 2011 with his stress on ‘attacking hockey’. Surprisingly, Nobbs took charge barely six months before the Olympic qualifiers and probably not many were that optimistic about India making the cut – probably fans’ interest in the sport had dipped substantially after the 2008 Chile shocker even though we made a podium finish at the last Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Asian Games.

The resounding manner in which India qualified for the Olympics led to expectations soaring with India being touted as a medal hopeful – a far cry from what was going through hockey lovers’ mind six months before - we were not sure whether we would even qualify.

However, the wooden spoon at the 2012 London Olympics panned out to be an ‘unpleasant surprise’ with all and sundry calling for Nobbs’ head.

Such a public backlash is not unprecedented  in India – be it a foreign or an Indian coach, this has been the trend – such a backlash lasts for a few weeks and when once dust settles down, nothing changes except a few scapegoats are found and are dealt with as per the federation’s wishes.

So, within six months of taking up as India coach, Michael Nobbs must have realized how things can go horribly wrong in no time. He must be scrutinized for some of his tactics, especially team selection. But if we think letting him go is the answer, I would only say ‘God save Indian hockey’.

The tug-of-war - whether a foreign or an Indian coach - would bring back the glorious days of Indian hockey appears to be an unending one, but on the turf one still harbors hope that the Indian team would recover from the Olympic wounds and come out stronger.

Maybe a return of Indian hockey’s glory days could just put a lid on such incessant talk.

8 comments:

hockeyaddict said...

Love the Article... A few things If I may comment on.

1. Having a foreign or Indian Coach is not the answer... the answer is finding the right person, even if they don't perform as well as you expected at the start, remember they have to find their footing and then develop.

2. Selection is very difficult from what I understand due to the National Governing body wanting to have a lot of say in who makes the team or not.

3. Its not the coaches fault the team did so badly its the players fault for not delivering...

4. Coach Nobbs is doing what he thinks is right after all he is the coach but even saying that their is a lot of red tape from the NGB that he has to get through again from what I understand.

5. The coach should not be given the boot but given the chance to build on the team he has already done well with (Even the Olympics results or the lack of them) as you pointed out 6 months earlier the team was not even in contention for qualifying for the Olympics and when they did everyone expected them to gain a medal... very presumptuous IMHO and way beyond their means.

The Indian Fans expected too much from them and they unfortunately couldn't deliver how could they they were not as good as most of the teams in the competition, no disrespect to the Indian Hockey Team I really like the players, met some of them and think they are capable of a lot given time but the other teams have and are playing in lots of international friendlies and competitions unlike the Indian hockey team who haven't played in many high profile friendlies and or International Competitions enough. or do I have that wrong.

The only way the game will change for the Indian Hockey Team and Fans is if they have faith in their coach and what his vision is and if they play more international friendlies and competitions.

I really hate when the fans expect too much from their team especially when they qualified so late on in the OQ stages... and when I still think they are developing as a squad... also more freedom should be given to the coach and not have the NGB giving step by step instructions on how they should do their job.

Win or Lose the Fans should be behind the team... The Asian nations were once a force to be reckoned with but those days are gone. We should step back and come up with a 3 or 4 year plan keep the coach we appoint for all that period and only appoint someone who gives you a 3-5 year plan and what they want to accomplish within that period and give them the resources to do so without the nagging in the background thats the only way IMHO things will change.

Broadwit said...

Nobbs should be held accountable! IMHO Brasa was a good coach albeit a bit defensive. Nobbs over did the physical fitness bit, left Indian players jaded. Also mindless attacking hockey can be counterproductive!! I don't see a future for Nobbs after Champions Hockey!

RamNarayan said...

One poor penalty corner conceded v a beatable Malaysia cost Brasa his job! How can people deliver in such a fear psychosis?

Suhrid Barua said...

hockey addict: you r spot-on, finding d right guy is key, doesn't matter whether he is gora or desi

Broadwit:Nobbs certainly has a tough road ahead of him

Greycell:In hindsight I think we cud have persisted with Brasa 4 a longer period

moderateright said...

Some good points made in your last two posts.

Foreign vs Indian Coach: Indians are culturally conservative, followers and less innovative. Hockey is rapidly changing and there have been huge number of rules that have been changed in the last decade.

Indian players may not be well versed in English and therefore an Indian coach could communicate better.

I would suggest the following structure with three teams being promoted:

Team India: Foreign Coach and an Indian assistant Coach

India A: Indian coach and assistant coach.

India U-19: Foreign coach and foreign assistant coach.

The ideas behind the above structure are plain and simple:

1. Build enough benchstrength, of both of players and coaches. Dont make anyone indispensable. Anyone who is not disciplined enough can be kicked out with a ready replacement.

2. Get foreign coach at junior levels. It is difficult to change a player at much later age.

3. Indian coaches should be amongst recently retired players who are aware of how the game has changed.

4. Indian coaches should be sent to foreign for training on how to coach

5. Transparent selection process.

Suhrid Barua said...

moderateright: nice thoughts.........i wud really like a foreign coach to assume full control over overseeing our junior hockey structure. Talking of bench strength, we are struggling to have that coz not many kids are keen to pick up a hockey stick. Also, we need to lay more astroturfs as kids playing on grass in their initial days of playing hockey doesn't help anyone............biggest hassle is lack of infrastructure and the secondly the federation must get its house in order

Anonymous said...

I think letting go of Ric Charlesworth was a huge mistake.

Suhrid Barua said...

Anonymous: i fully agree with u..........rick was a loss for us

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