Celebrated Dutch hockey coach Maurits Hendriks, currently in charge of the Spaniards, today told The Indian Express that India don’t need a foreign coach. This comes in the wake of German coach of the Indian team Gerhard Rach’s resignation. Hendriks, here as technical consultant for the Premier Hockey League, said, ‘‘I definitely feel that India don’t need a foreign coach at the moment. What they do need is a good foreign technical director. Someone who can work with the young guys and the talent coming up the ranks.’’ Admitting that he is not aware of the talent pool in India, if any, or the administration of the game in India, Hendriks says that he is hopeful of the current Indian line-up doing good things in the future: ‘‘I have seen the Indians since the 2001 junior World Cup. Along with the current lot, I think I have seen about 50 players. I say that you can do something incredible with these 50 players. They are fantastic.’’ Discussing the PHL, the prime reason for his presence here at the Gachibowli Stadium, Hendriks is cautiously optimistic. ‘‘Give us time, success cannot come overnight,’’ he says. ‘‘The recruitment of foreign players could, however, prove to be a double-edged sword. If there are too many, then the local talent gets overshadowed. If too little, there is the danger of missing out on the star power that is so necessary to bring in the public. And that is something that we need to be guard against. But I personally feel that we can get in a little more of them (foreigners).’’ On the same topic, Hendriks says, ‘‘What is important is where the players are playing. If we get five foreigners, but they play in the same position, then there will be no local talent groomed for that particular slot.’’ Continuing, Hendriks says, ‘‘What we need is to build up a player base, and that will be of Indian players. And that will bring in the local talent. But the most important thing at the moment is to make the league one of the best and most competitive.’’
