Conflict of interest among coaches can severely harm Indian hockey

Players in action during the Hockey India League

In a recent interview, Michael Nobbs revealed that he was approached by a high profile franchise the previous year for appointing him as the coach. He consulted Roelant Oltmans about that and the latter advised him not to accept the offer as it would be in ‘conflict of interest’.

Nobbs went on to add that it was the same Oltmans who, when it came to his own personal agenda, took another yardstick and accepted the chair at the UP Wizards team set-up.

Nobbas made these comments in view of this year’s Hockey India League’s line up of coaches. Six Indian national coaches are serving for the franchises in some capacity or the other. Roelant Oltmans (high performance director of senior national team) is the chief coach of Sahara owned UP Wizards. Terry Walsh (India’s head coach) is the coach of new kids on the block – Kalinga Lancers. M K Kaushik (assistant national coach) is associated with Mumbai Magicians. Baljit Saini (coach of junior national team) is assistant coach of Ranchi Rhinos. Dave Staniforth (national goalkeeping coach) is GK coach of Ranchi Rhinos. Gregg Clark (head coach of junior national team) is head coach of Ranchi Rhinos.

2014 is going to be a very busy and important year in the hockey calendar. The World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games are ahead in the lineup. India is already in trouble with a depleted bench strength and the business of these coaches will give the team less time in building up grass root talent.

Indian coaches should have been spending time watching the Indian boys at different venues. Instead, they are confined to loyalty for a single club only. This will surely narrow down their vision and desired camaraderie and chemistry with the squad. They should have seen the match with a straight eye, but their jaundiced view now might harm the search for young talent.

The question of the role of SAI and Hockey India in the whole prescriptive is also under the scanner. First the SAI quoted that the deal was ‘unethical’, but later presented another version of the case. They said that these coaches would not get salary from the Government in this duration. But the dust refuses to settle. These contracts have invited widespread criticisms in all the social media circles.

Hockey India is spending a huge amount of salary on these coaches. These coaches must repay that. Nobbs reminded that one of the most important jobs of this group was to scout and develop the grass root talent, but they are mere ‘travellers’ now.

Surely, Hockey India and SAI should take cognizance of the grievance of hockey lovers of the country. Nobbs might have a score to settle with Oltmans for losing his job as head coach. But the questions raised by him must be answered.