The issue of foreign coaches in India is the buzz of the day. Be it cricket or football, opinions are varied and confounding, and basketball seems to be its latest casualty.
Serbian coach shares his views after a six-month stint with Indian basketball team
MUMBAI: The issue of foreign coaches in India is the buzz of the day. Be it cricket or football, opinions are varied and confounding, and basketball seems to be its latest casualty.
Serbian Aleksander Bucan, who had been hired to coach the national basketball team in May 2007 for just six months, is about to end his contract and though the Serbian looks confident to carry on with his job in India, there are murmurs of discontent in the basketball fraternity.
Talking to DNA, Bucan said: “My contract with the Basketball Federation of India ends after ten days but I am looking forward to continuing with my job.”
Adding further he said he was in talks with the Sports Association of India and was looking at a tenure of at least 30 months to make a significant contribution. However, some of his Indian counterparts are skeptical about the coach’s capabilities and usefulness in the subcontinent.
Abdul Hamid Khan, a former international and coach of the women’s team, said: “The foreign coaches come on contract basis and are usually not bothered about improving the quality of the game. They coach the respective teams and fail to connect with the players. They lack a long-term plan and end up filling their pockets.”
Khan added that the women’s team finished sixth in last Commonwealth Games and the men’s team last under another Serbian, Zoran Lukic, who was the national coach before Bucan.
However, Bucan’s passion for the game was evident when he harped on the need for continuity and his observation on the game in the limited time that he has been here. Though the Serbian lauded the talent in Indians, he lambasted the lack of professionalism and passion that must come with the game. “India players don’t have a winning character,” he rued.
The coach blasted out at the myopic approach of the players, coaches and the system in general.
“There is no professional league and the game should not be restricted to tournaments only. Players too lose interest after landing up with jobs. The talent is there and we need intelligent players. Let me emphasise, explosive power is not mandatory in basketball. Height too is not important, except for certain key positions. Players with average height too can excel,” he reiterated.
The coach came down heavy on the prevalent culture vis-a-vis giving importance to the sport. “Players here are taken to ransom in the middle of the match when the chief guest arrives thus losing all momentum and focus. In Serbia, even the country’s president is given the same treatment as a common spectator during the course of play. The game is more important,” he concluded.
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