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Bhaskaran sacked as national hockey coach

Former Olympian M K Kaushik has been named the new coach of the national hockey side.

This was announced by Indian Hockey Federation president K P S Gill after hectic deliberations over the last few days.

Kaushik, who has represented India in the 1980 Moscow Olympics and was a World Cup star of the eighties, replaces former Olympian Vasudevan Bhaskaran, whose tenure has been curtailed following a poor showing in the World Cup at Utrecht in May last.

That Bhaskaran, who himself got the job following the axing of Cedric D'Sousa after the Atlanta Olympics of 1996, would be replaced was evident right from day one of the ongoing Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament in Chennai.

Speculation was rife that Col Balbir Singh, who recently resigned as coach of the women's national side alleging irregularities, or Kaushik who, ironically, was a former coach of the women's side, would get the job.

Ultimately, Kaushik got it. Gill, however, did not rule out the possibility that Bhaskaran could return, saying merely that Kaushik would be in charge for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in September, and the Asian Games in December.

Asked about reports that coaching committee chairman M P Ganesh had recommended that no change me made, Gill said that Ganesh's job was to interact with the coaches named, and give feedback to the IHF.

Gill said that he had held discussions with Bhaskaran, and added that other names had been considered for job of coach, but refused to name any.

Meanwhile, the IHF retained almost all the players who took part in the World Cup at Utrecht, while announcing 51 probables for the forthcoming C'wealth and Asian Games.

The probables were picked by the selection committee chaired by Gill and comprising Col Haripal Kaushik, Ashok Kumar, Balkar Singh and former national coach Cedric D'Souza, on the basis of performances in the Murugappa Gold Cup.

Gill told the media that the 51 players would assemble at Bangalore for a 21-day conditioning camp at the SAI Centre of Excellence in that city.

The selectors will also be present in Bangalore, and the team for the C'Wealth Games would be announced on August 5.

From Bangalore, the selected players will go to Chennai for a last camp, before leaving for Kuala Lumpur, venue of the C'wealth Games, on September 4.

Gill said the IHF would field experienced players for both the C'wealth and Asian Games, hinting that most members of the Indian team that did badly in Utrecht could retain their slots.

Later, a jubilant Kaushik, 43, told the media that he was not surprised by the outcome, since he knew that his name was in contention.

"I feel nice, it is challenging job," he said.

Kaushik said he would accord highest priority to the fitness of the players. "Since time before the Commonwealth Games is short, it will be difficult to go into the tactics of the game, we cannot change so suddenly. We will work out strategies according to the strengths of the opposition, I prefer to stick to our game, with a few modifications."

Every coach gets, first crack out of the box, the question of penalty corners. Kaushik was no exception. "The defence commits a lot of errors, leading to penalty corners, we need to cut out our mistakes," he said.

Which is fine, but what of conversion? Practise harder, is the only idea Kaushik has for now.

Kaushik said he would interact closely with his immediate predecessors Cedric and Bhaskaran, whose input he said would be of huge value.