New Delhi: Following India's not-so-impressive World Cup campaign, chief coach Jose Brasa today unveiled the roadmap for hockey's revival and demanded more control in the day-to-day running of the team.
In an hour-long presentation titled "Indian Hockey Plan 2010 April-December", Brasa outlined the need for all
stakeholders to work together and create a healthy environment
for the development of the game.
"All should work together, including Sports Authority of
India, Hockey India, the national team and others for the well
being of Indian hockey. There should be no ego issues, no
protagonists, no political interferences and no economic
interferences," Brasa said in his presentation.
"We need to propitiate, facilitate, insulate a solid
internal positive motivation in the whole team, players and
support staffs to improve and strengthen our future," he said.
He also asked for full authority in all the decision
decision making process related to the national team.
"The head coach must be the general director of the
national team with full power, control over everything. He
should have his full say in players and staff selection, about
captaincy, about annual planning and about the town where the
camps will be settled," Brasa said.
"About the accommodation and lodging of the team, hockey
facilities and gymnasium, team training material, gradation
and daily allowances and budget control and decision in camps
and trips.
"The coaches for under-21, under-18 and under-16 teams
must also be selected by the head coach," Brasa added.
The Spaniard also asked Hockey India and SAI to act in a
more professional manner if they wish to revive Indian
hockey's past glory.
"I am just an employee and not an employer. My job is to
give suggestions based on my experience and their job is to
look into the advise and implement them as soon as possible.
We all have to think in one direction what is best for Indian
hockey. I am working under the lines and it's upto bosses who
have employed me to act," Brasa said.
"All coaches must be properly paid on time, there must be
money provision in advance for all camps and trips, need for
full time professional team manager, professional hockey
coaches and staff.
"There should be proper gradation of players, proper food
for elite athletes, good and modern accommodation facilities
when team visits outside or playing in India, insurance and
general care, good sponsors and sponsorship, good training
material and training facilities," he said.
"There must be one executive professional person in SAI
and one in Hockey India (HI) who can be contacted in the hour
of crisis. They also need to find new talent all around India
and build training centre academies to impart skills and
knowledge to the selected players," the coach added. Brasa also said that players should keep themselves at
bay from external forces which might act a deterrent in their
performance.
"There is love, confidence, friendship, unity and ego
which comes under positive internal motivation and money,
notoriety, fame, reputation and glory which were guided by
external positive motivation. You need to understand that
internal motivation is the main force behind every team's
success story," he said.
"Negative internal motivations are pressure, fear,
insecurity, ridicule and self-mistrust and negative externals
are loose-property, loose fame, crowd, miss reputation and
loose sponsors. Please ignore these things for the game's
sake," he added.
Brasa said that a proper domestic set up is the need of
the hour to unearth new talents.
"We need to start the hockey league (December 2010 to
February 2011), state under-14 and under-18 selection
championships soon .
"We also need to organise goalkeepers and drag-flickers
camp here next month," he elaborated. "If we want good results, we need to change lot of things
in Indian hockey. We have to start from somewhere and I think
the time is ripe. We should start the reconstruction phase now
otherwise desired results are not possible," Brasa said.
Outlining the future plans of the national team, he said
he was planning an exposure trip to Canada in June after the
Azlan Shah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia next month.
"We need four-five weeks good training. We want to play
more matches before the Asian Games in November. After
Canada, if it happens, we will go on Europe tour in July. We
would like to play Australia, Spain, Holland, England and
Germany before the Champions Trophy," Brasa said.
Asked whether the players revolt had anything to do with
the poor showing in the World Cup, where they finished a lowly
eighth, Brasa said, "There were multiple factors related to
World Cup performance. But if the players thought that was the
right time (to go on strike), they were right in their
decision. You can't blame that for finishing eight."
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 18, 2010, 21:40