Friday 12 February 2010

Good morning,

Once again in India the captaincy issue is full in the press, this time even the Sports minister interfered with this team momentum.

Of course every professional sport player knows there is no one else but the coach who must pick up his captain, the fact that even a sports minister must bring this up gives a view of total unprofessional hockey approach.

In Europe or Oceania is absolute unthinkable that a committee of people who will never share every moment with the team should make these decisions. Why this is in 2010 still the case in India or other countries in Asia we don't know.

We all know that Hockey India, not even an official sports body, has brought themselves in an impossible position while the solution was very simple.

Never touch such a delicate matter.

But they did, and they have to pay the price.

To make clear to administrators and politicians: a captain is the right and left arm of the coach, his heart in the field.

Good, this issue will live his own life and probably so short before the World Cup it will have a bad influence on the team.

An unprofessional way of looking at things that must be stopped when India wants to step up on the World ranking again.

Probably the coaches get the blame instead of people of Hockey India. But totally unfair and for all totally unnecessary.

At Hockey Asia today many articles about the media issues in India, unfortunately hardly hockey updates can be found.

Sadly but it is truth. Of course it is very difficult as the Sports Authorities have blocked the stadium for media, so what update can we get.

But at least it is important that the coaches keeps informing us with their updates, what they did in various articles.

At this moment many articles of Harendra Singh can be found, this is a big plus.

We have entered the last 2 weeks before the start of the Word Cup and in Malaysia the end of the MHL is near.

Today the over-all finals will be played in Tun Razak Stadium between Tenaga and Sapura. May the best team win.

KLHC is scheduled before the final to play the 3rd placing.

Kualu Lumpur once again for the 3rd placing like the Razak Cup where no higher position was possible.

The coach of Maybank was at that time the coach of Johor Bahru state who became 4th at this tournament.

History repeats themselves.

Have a nice day and keep smiling,

Hockey Asia