IOA chief Narinder Batra slams Hockey India for below-par performances

The Indian men's hockey team received flak for their recent performances from Indian Olympic Association President Narinder Batra.

Batra, who also heads the International Hockey Federation, termed the Indian men's hockey team's performance in recent tournaments as unacceptable.

In an email to the national federation, Batra asked the reasons behind the below-par performances of the Indian team.

In a strongly-worded communication to HI President Gyanendro Ningombam, HI Secretary General Rajinder Singh and CEO Elena Norman, Batra said he has serious concerns about the team's performance after the historic bronze at Tokyo Olympics last year.

He also indicated that the team was being mismanaged but did not specify how.

"I have serious concerns about the way the Indian men's team has performed after the Tokyo bronze medal. In Bangladesh and now in South Africa. Blaming the players is not the ultimate and only truth for me," Batra said in his email.

Indian hockey team has been inconsistent

The Indian team has been inconsistent after scripting history at the Tokyo Olympics. After a bronze-medal winning sojourn in Japan last year, the Indian team had a disastrous Asian Champions Trophy campaign, where they were unable to defend their title. More recently, they lost to France in a FIH Pro League match in South Africa last week.

"My observations are much more than that. I would like to have your views. The way the team is performing is not at all acceptable and please see where the problems are at all levels," Batra said in his email.

He added that the team should not be mishandled or mismanaged and asked the federation to plug the gaps at the earliest.

"I will not accept Team India to be mishandled and mismanaged, such incompetence will have to make way. Please meet me at the earliest with your findings," he wrote in his email.

The Indian team's most recent assignment was the FIH Pro League matches in South Africa this month. India played four matches - two matches each against South Africa and France. India won three and lost one.

The team beat South Africa twice with identical 10-2 margins. But what might have raised concerns for Batra was the 2-5 defeat to France in the second-leg tie after beating the same side 5-0 in their first match of the South Africa sojourn.