IHF has to blame itself

IHF Secretary-General K Jothikumaran, seeking to put an end to all speculation, told The Indian Express here on Thursday: 8220;Yes, the names of Balbir Singh until recently the Indian women8217;s team coach and MK Kaushik 1980 Olympian and also a former women8217;s team coach, have been suggested for the post of the chief coach, but it the appointment can only be finalised after consulting Gill.8221;

But the dilemma is of IHF8217;s own making due to its silence on the subject of chief coach. If the ongoing MCC-Murugappa Gold Cuptournament was to be a sort of 8220;selection trials8221;, then all the more reason why Baskaran should have been taken into confidence and asked to co-ordinate with the selectors. On the contrary, Baskaran has not been given any brief and it has only compounded the confusion.

In the meantime, different lobbies are campaigning hard for Kaushik who has not had a major coaching assignment in the past four years, and Balbir. The choice before the IHF is whether to continue with Baskaran, at least until the Bangkok Asian Games in December or to have a new coach. It will be a tragedy if political priorities rather than the need of Indian hockey take precedence in deciding on the coach.

The IHF could have saved itself a lot of bother had it come out with a viable project keeping in mind the 2000 Olympics and 2002 World Cup, like Pakistan.