By IANS,
New Delhi : The young Indian hockey team could perform beyond everyone’s expectations and finish runners-up at the Azlan Shah Cup tournament only because they played without fear or uncertainty about their future, said chairman of new selection committee Aslam Sher Khan.
Aslam Sher, who took over as chief selector after the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was superseded by the Indian Olympic Association a week before the team was to go to play in the Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, was all praise for the young team.
Aslam Sher told IANS Monday that hitherto players were gripped by fear psychosis as they were not sure of their place in the team even after good performance and that resulted in prolonged poor showíng of the team. “Hereafter players need not worry about anything except their game and they can be rest assured that merit alone will be consideration for selection.”
A day after India played the Azlan Shah Cup final after 12 years, Aslam Sher minced no words in slamming the previous regime headed by K. P. S. Gill, saying it “could not care less about the players’ welfare.”
“The insecurity and the lack of confidence rendered them mentally fatigued. No player can perform under such intense mental pressure,” Aslam Sher said.
“There was a lot of heartburn in the players because of the arbitrary chopping and changing by the federation officials. The selection was shrouded in mystery with the selectors not being involved in the process. The lack of transparency in the selection of the teams led to major controversies,” he said.
India scripted a brilliant turnaround to win four matches on the trot after losing the first two games to enter the title clash which they lost to Argentina by a golden goal.
It was a commendable performance from a team full of juniors. Three players, including designated skipper Tushar Khandekar, observer Joaquim Carvalho and manager R K Shetty returned after the team’s tour to Australia, though the new management wanted them to accompany the team to Ipoh.
“We never thought that the players will perform so well, they did beyond our expectations” admitted Aslam Sher, who along with four other Olympians made some changes in the original list of the players selected by the IHF days before it was superseded.
The new-selection committee made nine changes in the squad and added some more junior players to the list.
The most glaring change was the inclusion of expert drag-flicker Sandeep Singh who was sidelined by the IHF and chief coach Carvalho after the Punjab youngster recovered from a bullet wound.
“Sandeep is the best drag-flicker we got after Jugraj. After what he had gone through, he needed the federation’s backing, but he was treated shabbily.”
Saying the federation should stand by the players in difficult times, Aslam Sher stated that the ad hoc committee would be organising a camp to interact with the players to discuss various issues.”
“We will invite all the players who have been part of the national squad in the past three-four years. The team’s support staff, coaches and adviser Ric Charlesworth will all be there at the camp,” he said.
The Azlan Shah team will also call on the Sports Minister M S Gill.