IOA chief seeks explanation from HI
BENGALURU: The Indian hockey team, which won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year, looks a pale shadow of the gritty team which fought its way to the podium. Post the glory senior players like Rupinder Pal Singh and Birendra Lakra decided to hang up their boots, making way for more juniors.
With the podium finish, the expectations from the team have soared and on that count the team has faltered. Currently ranked fourth in the world, defending champions India lost to Japan 3-5 in the semifinals of the Asian Champions Trophy in December last year. Beginning their season in the FIH Pro League in South Africa this month, India after getting past the hosts, faced France. A 5-0 win against the Frenchmen was followed by a 2-5 shock loss on Saturday to the team ranked 11th in the world.
The recent performances of Manpreet Singh & Co has not gone down well with Narinder Batra, president of the Indian Olympic Association and the former chief of Hockey India.
In a scathing message to HI president Gyanendro Ningombam, secretary-general Rajinder Singh and Elena Norma, the CEO, Batra termed the team’s performances ‘not at all acceptable. ‘In the message, accessed by TOI, Batra stated, “I have serious concerns about the way the Indian men’s hockey team has performed after the Tokyo bronze medal in Bangladesh (Asian Champions Trophy) and now in South Africa (FIH Pro League). Blaming the players only as seen in the media reports is not the ultimate and only truth for me.”
Batra further added, “My observations are much more than that. … The way the team is performing is not at all acceptable and please see where the problems are at all levels.” The IOA chief also pointed fingers at the team management. “I will not accept Team India to be mishandled or mismanaged, such incompetence will have to make way. Please meet me at the earliest with your findings,” he wrote.
India’s performance against France may have prompted the letter from Batra, especially since France, known to punch above their weight, unravelled India’s strategies after going down in the opening match. India failed to find answers to an aggressive French attack. Chief coach Graham Reid questioning the players focus and commitment too doesn’t seem to have gone down well with Batra.
This is a distraction the Indian team could well have done without considering, they landed in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday morning to prepare for a clutch of Pro League fixtures starting with their matches against Spain on February 26 and 27. Batra is expected to meet a few senior players and HI officials this week to take stock of the situation. Batra remained unavailable for comment.
BENGALURU: The Indian hockey team, which won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year, looks a pale shadow of the gritty team which fought its way to the podium. Post the glory senior players like Rupinder Pal Singh and Birendra Lakra decided to hang up their boots, making way for more juniors.
With the podium finish, the expectations from the team have soared and on that count the team has faltered. Currently ranked fourth in the world, defending champions India lost to Japan 3-5 in the semifinals of the Asian Champions Trophy in December last year. Beginning their season in the FIH Pro League in South Africa this month, India after getting past the hosts, faced France. A 5-0 win against the Frenchmen was followed by a 2-5 shock loss on Saturday to the team ranked 11th in the world.
The recent performances of Manpreet Singh & Co has not gone down well with Narinder Batra, president of the Indian Olympic Association and the former chief of Hockey India.
In a scathing message to HI president Gyanendro Ningombam, secretary-general Rajinder Singh and Elena Norma, the CEO, Batra termed the team’s performances ‘not at all acceptable. ‘In the message, accessed by TOI, Batra stated, “I have serious concerns about the way the Indian men’s hockey team has performed after the Tokyo bronze medal in Bangladesh (Asian Champions Trophy) and now in South Africa (FIH Pro League). Blaming the players only as seen in the media reports is not the ultimate and only truth for me.”
Batra further added, “My observations are much more than that. … The way the team is performing is not at all acceptable and please see where the problems are at all levels.” The IOA chief also pointed fingers at the team management. “I will not accept Team India to be mishandled or mismanaged, such incompetence will have to make way. Please meet me at the earliest with your findings,” he wrote.
India’s performance against France may have prompted the letter from Batra, especially since France, known to punch above their weight, unravelled India’s strategies after going down in the opening match. India failed to find answers to an aggressive French attack. Chief coach Graham Reid questioning the players focus and commitment too doesn’t seem to have gone down well with Batra.
This is a distraction the Indian team could well have done without considering, they landed in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday morning to prepare for a clutch of Pro League fixtures starting with their matches against Spain on February 26 and 27. Batra is expected to meet a few senior players and HI officials this week to take stock of the situation. Batra remained unavailable for comment.
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