"Players are just jokers in circus"

NEW DELHI, January 28: As Pargat Singh opened the doors of his Feroze Shah Road residence this evening to lead the mediamen inside, memories...

NEW DELHI, January 28: As Pargat Singh opened the doors of his Feroze Shah Road residence this evening to lead the mediamen inside, memories of that fateful day last year came rushing back, when the former India captain had announced his retirement from the game at the same venue.

“You cannot expect anyone to work in such a system. At least I can’t. Hence I decided to call it quits,” Pargat said. “I wish Baskaran and Somaya good luck, but isn’t it ironical that we are back to square one?” Pargat asked. “What security do they have? Even I was appointed for four years.”

When asked whether he had been given a raw deal by the Federation, Pargat said, “I don’t want any more controversies. Baskaran made several statements on this issue all these months, but I kept quiet. I did not go begging for the post (of the chief coach). They called me. And now… ,” his voice trailed off.

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The IHF President KPS Gill had admitted earlier that the IHF had “offered the post of the coach of the development team” asa compromise which Pargat refused.

“I have always maintained that I wanted to work at any level. But not this way. I requested the Federation several times to change the domestic calendar. But they were not listening. Players at the first camp — Saini, Baljit Singh Dhillon and a few others — were not in a shape to play. They were playing 40 matches in two months. I had no option but to rest them rather than try out fresh strategies. If I have been eased out because of these changes, what can I say,” a bitter Pargat said.

“Players are just jokers in the circus and there is no one to look after their cause. I took up the issue but nothing was done,” said Pargat, who had formed the Indian Hockey Players Association in 1990 to fight for the players’ benefit.

“Whatever happened today is not for the benefit of the game,” he added.

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