‘Indian hockey cannot go down further'

He is appointed as the coach-in-charge of the Indian hockey team after MK Kaushik was made to join the women’s team. With the national camp set to begin on October 14 in Bangalore, Harendra Singh tells Mihir Vasavda that his first aim will be to help the players regain their lost confidence…

Were you surprised being appointed the coach?
I cannot say I was surprised by the announcement. To be frank, I expected a call in 2007. To coach the national team is a dream for everyone. It’s better late than never.
You will be with the team until a foreign coach is named. Is it sufficient time for you?
I only know that I am in charge of the team till they appoint a foreign coach, whenever they do that. It can also take a year… The camp starts on October 14 and I will start working on the weaknesses right away.

Do you think a foreign coach will help the cause?
I always believe that we will learn something from foreign coaches. The Australian and European coaches have better knowledge of the type of game played there so it always helps us.

How well do you think we utilised the services of Ric Charlesworth?
I wasn’t involved with the team then. I did meet Ric a couple of times but didn’t interact much.

Is it a big loss for Indian hockey, considering that he is now the coach of Australian team?
Why should we bother if he is the coach of Australian team? We should focus on our hockey now than theirs.

Seniors were recalled on their performance in just one domestic tournament. Is it enough to judge?
They need not prove their worth to anyone. They have been playing hockey for many years now and our decision was more based on keeping the Junior Hockey World Cup (2009) in mind. By including the junior players, we thought we were neglecting that important tournament next year.

So how can you say that the seniors are fit to play?
The first thing we will do in the camp is to undergo a physiological and biomechanical test for the seniors so that we come to know of their fitness and work on it accordingly.

But don’t you think that the exclusion will affect the confidence of the juniors?
It shouldn’t. Junior team coach AK Bansal will keep a close eye and some players. As soon as the World Cup is over they will be back with the senior team.

What is the guarantee that the list of probables won’t change again after the appointment of a foreign coach?
That is up to the selection committee. They have to decide whether to change the list. A coach can always express his views on the list but it is the duty of selection committee to choose the perfect combination.

Some players who won the Junior World Cup in 2001 and played in the 2005 junior WC should be on top of their game now. Instead, a few of them are struggling to stay fit while some have called it quits?
It is the sad state of hockey in our country. The junior players should ensure they play for top domestic teams, who play tournaments throughout the year. However, some of them go for money and play for the lesser clubs who play two or three tourneys a year and hence struggle to remain fit. And once you are out, it is difficult to motivate yourself and make a comeback.

One thing the team has been lacking is the exposure of playing against top European nations. Any plans for that?
We have chalked out a programme for next two years in the run up to Commonwealth Games and the World Cup. We shall play some top countries like Germany, Spain, Holland and Australia on home and away basis. We will also play some comparatively weaker teams. This will ensure that our players are involved in playing competitive hockey and also adapt to the conditions in those countries.

Coaching the Indian team means a lot of pressure and criticism to face. How do you plan to go about it?
It all depends on how you take criticisms. I will take it positively and try to prove them wrong by building a strong team. I draw inspiration from three men, who I believe are the best coaches in the world at present — Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and 1998 France World Cup winning coach Aime Jacquet. Any one else would have left coaching with the criticisms Jacquet faced in 1998.

The players come back after a long lay-off and after disappointing Olympics qualifiers…
Indian hockey cannot go down further. The players need to regroup themselves and concentrate on the weaknesses. I have to help them regain their lost self-confidence. Only then can we move ahead.

What are your targets?
In 2010 we host two major events — Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. My aim is to reach the semifinals of the World Cup in 2010, final of the Commonwealth Games and to lift the Asia Cup to ensure 2012 Olympics qualification. Since we are the hosts, the pressure is on us to perform well.

Indian hockey lacks transparency. No one actually knows what surprise the sport will throw.
In fact, in last two or three months, I feel things are changing. People are better informed about the working of the committee, even if there are controversies involved and any clarifications that are required are made immediately.