Batra should resign for misleading nation: Ex-coach Carvalho

Hockey India official Batra vindictively kept players, who took part in rebel World Series Hockey, out of Olympic Games team selection

Former national coach Joaquim Carvalho today asked Hockey India official Narinder Batra to quit his post for misleading the nation and vindictively keeping players, who took part in the rebel World Series Hockey, out of Olympic Games team selection.

"I want Batra to resign as he misled the nation over the participation of WSH players in the Olympics saying they would not be allowed by FIH (International Hockey Federation). Then how are some Pakistan players who were seen in WSH, like Rehan Butt, taking part in the London Games," Carvalho told PTI from Mumbai.

Carvalho's tirade came a day after India lost its fourth straight game in Group B to fellow Asian outfit South Korea and will now have to fight to avoid the wooden spoon in the 12-team tournament in the minor placings match.

 

Carvalho, a top half back in his playing days and a member of the 1984 Olympic Games team, also asked Batra to resign from his HI post for his "vindictive" move to keep out WSH players from selection of the Indian squad for the London Olympics.

"When the Indian team did not qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008 through the qualifiers in Santiago, Chile, Batra was among the first to ask for my head as coach. Now I say, he should resign for misleading the nation over the WSH players issue. He was vindictive towards WSH players.

"WSH players like Arjun Halappa, Prabhjot Singh and Rajpal Singh have still something left in them to be part of the Indian team. Why were they not considered for selection. Olympic Games is not kid's party, the pressure is huge right from the time you check into the Games Village. I say it from experience," said Carvalho.

Carvalho said the very fact that some of the top Pakistan players like Butt, Wasim Ahmad and Shakeel Abbasi, are now representing their country in the Games after paying a fine to their federation for playing in the WSH, showed that Halappa, Prabhjot and Rajpal should have been considered.