Rajinder got Cedric treatment

Chandigarh: The unceremonious sacking of Rajinder Singh as national coach by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) a little over three weeks before the Olympics came in for heavy criticism from many quarters with most questioning the timing and the reasons behind the decision, reports PTI.

“With the Olympics just around the corner, I wonder whether it was an appropriate time to take this drastic action. The IHF had axed former chief coach Cedric D’Souza in the same style,” Olympian and former national coach M. K. Kaushik said.

The IHF sacked Rajinder as the chief coach Monday without assigning any reason but stated the dip in performance of the team in the last one year after the Afro-Asian Games was one of the major factors behind the decision.

Olympian Balbir Singh also questioned the rationale behind the preference given to Jagbir Singh, who will assist chief coach Gerhard Rach of Germany, over Rajinder and said it was “baffling and beyond reasoning”.

Jagbir was last month appointed assistant coach to Rajinder in place of Harendra Singh.

Olympian Balwinder Singh had no sympathy for Rajinder but also criticised the continuation of Jagbir as coach. “Rajinder has been indulging in wrongdoings with the players. His sacking by the IHF was what he deserved. However, the time is absolutely wrong. Jagbir has not even coached a school team”.

Former captain of junior World Cup and Olympian Baljit Singh Saini said: “The time to axe Rajinder Singh is not right.”

‘Performance better’

Gurbux Singh, one of the selectors who had gone all the way to Germany to see the team in action in the four-nation meet, refused to comment on the sacking or its timing, but felt that the performance of the team at the second meet was a “much improved one than that in the Netherlands.”

A Staff Reporter in Calcutta adds: Speaking to the The Telegraph over phone from New Delhi, after his return, Gurbux said: “This particular tourney was given to German coach Rach. The result was definitely good. The team played well, and after a long time we beat Britain. And then we were moral victors over Germany. We led thrice, and when they finally equalised, it was off a penalty corner that should not have been awarded. We should have won 3-2.

“And I believe that the team is getting back into hockey. On this I am with IHF chief K.P.S. Gill. I had said this before that perhaps their poor result was because the Arizona camp was only physical and the players were off hockey. Now they are getting back in.

“As for Rach, from what I noticed, he has this European way, naturally. He has a way with substitutions…” said Gurbux.