Carvalho exposes hockey146;s stick-check

A lack of coordination in Indian hockey came to light at a function organised to honour national coach Joaquim Carvalho. Dilly-dallying on part of the Sports Authority of India saw the Indian team failing to get composite hockey sticks during the pre-Champions Challenge camps that were held last month.

If this exposed the official apathy towards the national game, Carvalho8217;s views on a penalty corner coach brought to light the miscommunication within the Indian Hockey Federation. On a day when it was reported that IHF chief KPS Gill was in talks with a penalty corner coach from abroad, Carvalho said, 8220;I don8217;t believe we need a specialist foreign coach for penalty corner conversions. Don8217;t you have faith in me?8221;

Going back to the issue about hockey sticks, Carvalho explained the drama before their departure for the Boom tournament last month. 8220;I had asked for 36 sticks 8212; two each of the 18 players in the squad 8212; but even after two camps passed I didn8217;t get them. I was later told that I would get just 28 sticks,8221; recalls the Indian coach.

Faced with this problem Carvalho went to the SAI8217;s stores department and was in for a surprise. 8220;In the basement, I saw 200 hockey sticks lying unused, but the government was not ready to release even 36 sticks and then they say that hockey standards are falling,8221; he said.