Batra as Gill-ty...
Bad old days of Indian hockey come back to haunt the game as HI chief appears as autocratic as KPS Gill was.
A nine-member committee sat for four-odd hours in Delhi yesterday and achieved the goal of rebranding the national hockey body. It can now be called ‘Hockey Batra’. His wish was their command.
Hockey in India was delivered a big blow. No, not because the seven men and two women announced the expected verdict – the ‘provisional’ sacking of coach Paul van Ass. But because of the reality that the dreaded days of KPS Gill, who ran the erstwhile Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) with iron fist, are back. It can get worse, who knows?
Remember in 1998, a seven members of the Asian Games gold-winning team were axed by Gill even before their return. Their sin was that they expected a proper reception on their triumphant return.
With money pouring in now, the players have ‘sobered’, but the foreign coaches are not used to the sycophancy culture. There are these former internationals who jostle against one another to get into the good books of Batra. These are the very ‘passionate’ Olympians who had criticised Gill for his autocratic style.
The coach, here on tax-payers’ money, is more answerable to the government and the fans. Why should their fate — and thus fate of the Indian hockey — be decided because his ego is hurt?
Van Ass was not wrong when he blamed an “autocratic” Batra for his ouster and said the recommendation to remove him did not come as a “surprise” to him. It came to nobody’s surprise, in fact.
Mirror had reported on July 21 that van Ass will be formally sacked on July 24. Batra formed this committee and kept himself out because he did not want to directly take the blame for van Ass’ exit.
Planned sacking
In fact, Batra not only played a martyr but also meticulously planned his sacking. “I have been made a villain but we have not ended his contract. That will be discussed in the meeting of the special committee on July 24. I am not part of the committee which will be chaired by Olympian Harbinder Singh. If they feel that van Ass should be retained, I will personally go to The Netherlands to bring him back,” he said. He was saved of that trouble by the Harbinder Singh-led committee.
Van Ass, however, was not surprised by the decision. “I knew the decision already. I am not surprised. He (Batra) was just finding ways to fire me and he did it. He should apologise for it (tarnishing my reputation),” van Ass said. “I won’t call him a dictator but he is an autocratic person. How can he single-handedly take all the decisions?” he said.
On their part, the committee members came out to say this. “He has not yet submitted his report on Hockey World League semi-finals. He is not taking our calls, nor responding to our mails. The tickets were sent to him but he lied he didn’t receive any tickets.
“Under such circumstances, the committee has worked under the assumption that Paul won’t return. There is no question of him returning. But HI will take the final decision based on our report.”
BATRA VS COACHES
May 2009-November 2010
Coach: Jose Brasa
Batra: He is the biggest mischief-creator I have ever seen. He is breaking the team. Brasa wants to paint himself as a martyr because he knows his contract won’t be renewed after the Asian Games. He has failed to deliver. Brasa: He (Batra) wanted me thrown out right after the World Cup, but he did not succeed. They wanted a puppet who would be under their complete control and I am not one.
June 2011-June 2013
Coach: Michael Nobbs Batra: Nobbs seemed to have been lacking in motivation as well as commitment. A national team can’t be coached by somebody who is not motivated and committed. Both parties felt it’s time for us to move on. Nobbs: He is passionate and only wants the best. I never had an issue with him. Batra is the only person who can do this job
October 2013-October 2014
Coach: Terry Walsh
Batra: Walsh has been given sufficient time to clarify on the financial irregularity issue and he instead tried to beat around the bush. HI now does not require services of Mr. Terry Walsh and will look for a new chief coach with approval of SAI
Walsh: I am finding considerable difficulty adjusting to the decision-making style of the sporting bureaucracy in India which I believe, in the long term, is not in the best interests of Indian hockey or its players
January 2015-July 2015
Coach: Paul van Ass
Batra: I had an altercation with Paul van Ass and he was very rude to me. Paul is a good manager and a good motivator but not a good coach. I have been made a villain but we have not ended his contract. That will be discussed in the special committee meet on July 24. Van Ass: I knew the decision already. I am not surprised. He (Batra) was just finding ways to fire me and he did it. I won’t call him a dictator but he is an autocratic person. How can he single-handedly take all the decisions? How can he single-handedly fire me to please his ego?
A nine-member committee sat for four-odd hours in Delhi yesterday and achieved the goal of rebranding the national hockey body. It can now be called ‘Hockey Batra’. His wish was their command.
Hockey in India was delivered a big blow. No, not because the seven men and two women announced the expected verdict – the ‘provisional’ sacking of coach Paul van Ass. But because of the reality that the dreaded days of KPS Gill, who ran the erstwhile Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) with iron fist, are back. It can get worse, who knows?
Batra, the Hockey India president, now appears to be thereincarnation of Gill. He has become bigger than the game. If you have fired four coaches since taking charge in 2009, then there must be something wrong with you, not with the coaches. Interestingly, none of the coaches have actually been fired because of a series of losses.
Remember in 1998, a seven members of the Asian Games gold-winning team were axed by Gill even before their return. Their sin was that they expected a proper reception on their triumphant return.
With money pouring in now, the players have ‘sobered’, but the foreign coaches are not used to the sycophancy culture. There are these former internationals who jostle against one another to get into the good books of Batra. These are the very ‘passionate’ Olympians who had criticised Gill for his autocratic style.
The coach, here on tax-payers’ money, is more answerable to the government and the fans. Why should their fate — and thus fate of the Indian hockey — be decided because his ego is hurt?
Van Ass was not wrong when he blamed an “autocratic” Batra for his ouster and said the recommendation to remove him did not come as a “surprise” to him. It came to nobody’s surprise, in fact.
Mirror had reported on July 21 that van Ass will be formally sacked on July 24. Batra formed this committee and kept himself out because he did not want to directly take the blame for van Ass’ exit.
Planned sacking
In fact, Batra not only played a martyr but also meticulously planned his sacking. “I have been made a villain but we have not ended his contract. That will be discussed in the meeting of the special committee on July 24. I am not part of the committee which will be chaired by Olympian Harbinder Singh. If they feel that van Ass should be retained, I will personally go to The Netherlands to bring him back,” he said. He was saved of that trouble by the Harbinder Singh-led committee.
Van Ass, however, was not surprised by the decision. “I knew the decision already. I am not surprised. He (Batra) was just finding ways to fire me and he did it. He should apologise for it (tarnishing my reputation),” van Ass said. “I won’t call him a dictator but he is an autocratic person. How can he single-handedly take all the decisions?” he said.
On their part, the committee members came out to say this. “He has not yet submitted his report on Hockey World League semi-finals. He is not taking our calls, nor responding to our mails. The tickets were sent to him but he lied he didn’t receive any tickets.
“Under such circumstances, the committee has worked under the assumption that Paul won’t return. There is no question of him returning. But HI will take the final decision based on our report.”
BATRA VS COACHES
May 2009-November 2010
Coach: Jose Brasa
Batra: He is the biggest mischief-creator I have ever seen. He is breaking the team. Brasa wants to paint himself as a martyr because he knows his contract won’t be renewed after the Asian Games. He has failed to deliver. Brasa: He (Batra) wanted me thrown out right after the World Cup, but he did not succeed. They wanted a puppet who would be under their complete control and I am not one.
June 2011-June 2013
Coach: Michael Nobbs Batra: Nobbs seemed to have been lacking in motivation as well as commitment. A national team can’t be coached by somebody who is not motivated and committed. Both parties felt it’s time for us to move on. Nobbs: He is passionate and only wants the best. I never had an issue with him. Batra is the only person who can do this job
October 2013-October 2014
Coach: Terry Walsh
Batra: Walsh has been given sufficient time to clarify on the financial irregularity issue and he instead tried to beat around the bush. HI now does not require services of Mr. Terry Walsh and will look for a new chief coach with approval of SAI
Walsh: I am finding considerable difficulty adjusting to the decision-making style of the sporting bureaucracy in India which I believe, in the long term, is not in the best interests of Indian hockey or its players
January 2015-July 2015
Coach: Paul van Ass
Batra: I had an altercation with Paul van Ass and he was very rude to me. Paul is a good manager and a good motivator but not a good coach. I have been made a villain but we have not ended his contract. That will be discussed in the special committee meet on July 24. Van Ass: I knew the decision already. I am not surprised. He (Batra) was just finding ways to fire me and he did it. I won’t call him a dictator but he is an autocratic person. How can he single-handedly take all the decisions? How can he single-handedly fire me to please his ego?
