CHANDIGARH, MARCH 21 (Balbir Singh) :Haryana Olympic Association secretary general Dr Mohinder Singh Malik, IPS (Retd) is willing to take responsibility to train the Indian hockey team for the 2012 Olympic Games. Assuring that India would win gold medal in 2012 Olympics if the job is provided to him, Dr Malik said that he had prepared a detailed plan in this direction.
Shocked and pained after eight-time Olympic champions India did not qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Dr Malik, manager of the victorious 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, asked Indian Hockey Federation President KPS Gill to own responsibility and resign. Asked whom he thinks if the suitable replacement for Mr Gill, Dr Malik said "the next president should be elected demoractically.".
Dr Malik, however, explained that "I have nothing personally against Mr Gill. But the IHF president must take full responsibility for the sharp decline in the Indian hockey standard and Mr Gill must quit immediately in the interest of hockey, which is a national game."
"Mr Gill won war against terrorism. He was the most successful General. However, tt was not necessary that a General, who wins a war, will also prove to be a successful administrator in a democratically- run institution. There is a single command in the Army. Winning or losing a battle, the General owns the full responsibility. However, in a democratically-run institution, views of others must be given due considered. Single command would prove fatal. Mr Gill does not entertain contradictory views," said Dr Malik..
"It was after 32 long years that India won gold medal the Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998. I was manager of the Indian team and tried my best that things were done smoothly. Even our prayers were answered. The players remained disciplined. They were taken for a grand party only after entering final. After the party was over, the players were brought back to their hotel. It was only after winning the final; the players were allowed to go for shopping."
"Chief coach MK Kaushik and coach Mir Ranjan Negi did their best to unite the team. They played like a well-knit squad," recalled Dr Malik.
If I were given the charge to train the team Dr Malik said " I will launch the IHF Gold Policy. Paid professionals will be inducted. "All selectors, coaches, sports psychologist, sports medicine expert and physio etc would be suitably paid so that accountability is fixed," said Dr Malik who also suggested opening of four regional hockey academies where 64 players in the age group of 16 to 25, with exception of one or two players above 25, should get round-the-year coaching. Selection will be purely on merit and it will be the duty of the selectors to watch each player in camps and tournaments. There should be no interference in the selection procedure.
Mercurial Olympian Dhanraj Pillai will be appointed the manager. "The former Indian forward is the most suitable person for this assignment," asserted Dr Malik.
Dr Malik said "80 per cent of money generated through sponsorship and other sources must be spent on the players and the remaining 20 per cent on the IHF establishment." Dr Malik alleged that only 20 per cent of sponsorship amount was spent on the players and the remaining on the IHF’s officials.
Dr Malik suggested appointment of three coaches, including one from a foreign country. "However, the chief coach would be only an Indian only. The players will be provided at least three international exposures in a year and would be sent for training and acclimatization under the same conditions before a tournament, " said Dr Mailk.
Mr Malik alleged that instead of felicitating and encouraging the players the IHF often humiliated them..
"Dropping of five top players from the winning combination of 1998 Bangkok Asiad was a blunder. From that onward the downward trend of Indian hockey started with the result that India is virtually out of all major international tournaments, including Olympics and World Cup," said Dr Malik in a dejected mood.
