By IANS
New Delhi : Combined pressure from the International body for hockey, FIH, and the Sports Ministry has finally resulted in the Indian Hockey Federation finally agreeing to use former Australian star and coach Ric Charlesworth in a bid to improve hockey in India.
Charlesworth, who was not given a ticket to go to Chile by the IHF, has now been invited to India for a meeting on Monday.
It was the FIH which got Charlesworth for India in order to revive the falling standards of hockey in this country. A host of former players, many of them known loyalists of the IHF, had opposed the move.
Indian coach, Joaquim Carvalho, under whom India has for the first time failed to qualify for the Olympics, made no secret of his displeasure at Charlesworth’s arrival in India.
The IHF had then said Charlesworth’s contract was not final, but the Australian himself was more than willing to help India and all he asked for was a ticket to Chile.
It is learnt that both the world body and Sports Ministry had made it clear that the IHF would have to meet and use the services of the world-renowned Charlesworth.