New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) India’s chief hockey coach Jose Brasa is unhappy for not having a free hand in the selection of the national team and it stems from Hockey India’s (HI) rejection of the Spaniard’s request to include senior player Prabhjot Singh in the ongoing national camp in Pune for the Oct 3-14 Commonwealth Games.
Brasa reportedly lashed out at HI and his employers Sports Authority of India (SAI) for not allowing him to select the team as is the trend in most countries.
The Spaniard’s repeated requests to call back Prabhjot to the camp has fallen on the deaf ears of HI. Brasa had sent two e-mails to HI secretary-general Narinder Batra to drive home the point.
‘I would like to let you know that I want Mr. Prabhjot Singh to be called to join the camp at Balewadi, as soon as possible. I kindly ask you do the needful to get Prabhjot Singh back in the camp,’ Brasa wrote to Batra in the e-mail Aug 20, a copy of which is with IANS.
Brasa sent another email a day later, saying that the team management is also in favour of Prabhjot’s inclusion in the squad.
‘I sent you yesterday an e-mail saying that I agree to call Prabjot Singh to the camp. Today early morning in the meeting of our coaching staff, all coaches, physical trainer, doctor, physio, everybody agreed to call Prabjot Singh back to the camp. Please, I kindly ask you to do the needful to get Prabjot Singh here in Pune as soon as possible,’ Brasa wrote.
The 30-year-old Prabhjot, a senior member in the Indian team, was dropped from the squad after India’s poor performance in the World Cup at home.
India finished eighth in the tournament and senior players like Prabhjot, Deepak Thakur, who were seen as the faces of the revolt against HI on the issue of pending payments, and Sandeep Singh were dropped from the squad.
Though Sandeep was later recalled, Prabhjot and Deepak were not fortunate enough.
Brasa had been vocal in his demand of getting a free hand in the selection of the team.
HI sources told IANS that till the World Cup, Brasa got all the players he wanted but after a poor World Cup performance, he was clearly told that he will have to work with the team given by the selection committee.
‘Earlier, the selection committee used to pick players of Brasa’s choice. It is only after India’s poor performance in the World Cup that the selection committee was asked by the federation to build a team for the future,’ a source said.
It is also understood that the coaching staff was divided over the issue of recalling Prabhjot as some felt it would set a wrong precedent.
Prabhjot, when contacted, said he has been performing well in the domestic tournaments and was bewildered at being overlooked.
‘I was the top scorer in the Bangalore league and later in the Chief Minister’s Gold Cup. My performance in the German league and Muruguppa Cup was also good. So, why am I being overlooked for the national team?’ Prabhjot asked.
Meanwhile, Brasa has been gagged by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which issued a new diktat barring the head coaches from talking to the media.
‘I have received an e-mail Thursday forbidding me from talking to media. It said that all the head coaches have been asked to concentrate on coaching for the Commonwealth Games,’ Brasa told IANS.
Asked when the Indian team would arrive here for the Games’ preparations, Brasa said: ‘That’s a million-dollar question. I want the team to practice there (New Delhi) from tomorrow. I also want to know when we will practise at the venue.’
(Avishek Roy can be contacted at avishek.r@ians.in)
