This time the Spanish way

Yet another foreign coach is tasked with reviving the fortunes of Indian hockey.

When you talk about Indian hockey in recent years, it seems as if there is a game being played within the sport. It’s called musical chairs. And it appears that the authorities seem to enjoy it.

First, the authorities running the sport keep changing. And then there is the small matter of the coach, where chopping and changing is an integral part of running the show. The latest instalment sees a new coach being appointed by the authorities to restore some order in the national game. Spaniard Jose Brasa has been handed over the reins of the men’s hockey team and will take over next week.

 

What’s surprising is that the foreign-coach experiment did not work well for Indian hockey, as Ric Charlesworth ended his tenure on bad terms with the authorities. So it comes as a surprise that, again, a foreign coach has been appointed.

However, Brasa, whose CV includes an Olympic gold medal, albeit with the Spanish women’s national team, will surely be hoping that his tenure isn’t marred by controversy.

Indian hockey showed glimpses of revival when the team won the Azlan Shah Cup last month in Malaysia.

Brasa has been given a two-year contract which will see India playing the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and the Asian Games in 2011. His first assignment will be to lead the team in this month’s Asia Cup.

It has been reported that Brasa has told the authorities that modern coaching methods need to be implemented for the betterment of Indian hockey. Brasa has apparently asked for a staff of 14 people, including two from Spain, who will accompany him.

A former coach who had a falling out with the authorities says that he isn’t too sure what to make of this appointment. “We have seen that foreign coaches find it extremely difficult to work in tandem with the authorities, so it does come as a surprise.”

The Indian team has been without a permanent coach for over a year now and was being managed by interim coach Harendra Singh.