The French connection

Tony, who narrowly missed making the 1968 Olympics squad, disarmingly passionate about hockey, spoke, nineteen to the dozen, to The Indian Express on Indian hockey and FC Lyon. Excerpts:

Q: Thanks to you, Indian stars like Jude Felix, Dhanraj Pillay, Gavin Ferreira, Harindernath Singh and Shakeel Ahmed have put in useful stints, professionally and monetarily, in the French league.

A: It was mutually beneficial. For us, having players of the class of Dhanraj and Jude was a big boost. The club gained, the boys who trained under them gained. I would like to believe the move helped the players too.

Q: How did you come to live in Lyon?

A: FC Lyon made me an offer in 1968 to play for them. Later, my son Ashley became vice-president of the French Hockey Federation, and we were involved in training the French National squad. We thought, the best way to develop hockey there was to expose them to Indian players.

Q: What was your reading of last month8217;s Nationals?

A: It confirmed my opinion of Indian hockey. There is nothing wrong and everything wrong about it. In which other nation do you have 40 teams contesting the Nationals ? Well, all the teams were not of the same quality, but the top four teams were world class. The skills, the passion was evident.

Q: Why then is Indian hockey in decline ?

A: Let me ask you a question in return. We won the Asian Games. That was huge. But what happened after that? Did we extract any mileage out of it? Instead, we went and sacked six members of the squad. When France won the World Cup football, there were unbelievable celebrations. Clubs were unable to meet the rush of children wanting to enroll. Imagine what would have happened if they had dropped Zinedine Zidane? A title win is like the locomotive that pulls the train.

Q: Is that because the Indian approach to sports administration is unprofessional?

A: It is just sad to see players being treated so casually. For instance, the players may have warmed up and may be ready to play, and just then, the organisers chose to sweep in the chief guest. By the time the function is over, the players have cooled down again, but are expected to start play immediately. Then the infrastructure. If players are not getting employment or there is no place for them to practise, it is up to the associations to step in and revive the game.

Q: There has often been a debate that Indian sportsmen get complacent once they get a job in, say, the Railways or a bank. In contrast, hockey players in Australia, Holland and Germany learn to balance their professional careers with hockey. Do you think it is time Indian players followed suit?

A: It is true a balanced approach is more effective in the long run, as the player should learn to transfer the teamwork he learns on the field to his work. While tutoring French children, I have realised there is a high correlation between hockey and studies. We ask parents to pay as much attention to our Hockey School as they do to their child8217;s academic performances. With regards to Indian players and players abroad, we cannot compare. It cannot be done overnight. Companies, the association, the clubs, everyone should get involved.

Q: What is your antidote then for Indian hockey?

A: There are no instant solutions, but I think we should start at local levels. Take Mumbai. We have so many clubs but the one astroturf surface in the city has been non-functional for four years. The clubs should take the initiative in providing the surfaces. In Lyon, we have four clubs and each have a surface of their own. If clubs here say they cannot afford it, they should stop right there, what is the point going any further? I cannot see why teams like Tatas, Customs, Air-India cannot have their own turfs.

Q: You have been invited to work with the Indian team for the Sydney Olympics.

A: I got a call asking if I was interested. But there is nothing in writing. I am returning to France any day now, so I have no clue what8217;s happening.

Q: IHF has been contemplating hiring a foreign coach for the Indian squad. Do you think that will be worthwhile?

A: We have a large enough talent pool of Olympians and internationals who can do the job equally well. I don8217;t see how a foreign coach can add to our technical knowhow, except in specific drills like the short corner.