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Former Indian men’s and women’s coach Maharaj Krishan Kaushik is tipped to join the coaching staff of the Indian men’s hockey team in preparing them for the upcoming 9th Asia Cup hockey tournament slated to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia from August 24 to September 1.
Although this could not be confirmed, highly placed Hockey India sources are in touch with Kaushik, who was part of the national team that won the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold.
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It is learnt that Kaushik is expected to be given a role in the Indian coaching staff in a desperate bid to help India salvage a World Cup berth by winning the forthcoming Asia Cup.
Hockey India insiders says Kaushik, who guided the Indian men’s team to the 1998 Bangkok gold-winning triumph, and was startlingly axed as coach along with six other players, is likely to be appointed as head coach Michael Nobbs’s deputy for the Asia Cup with the former even expected to be present in the national camp that begins in Bengaluru from July 15.
Nobbs, who recently completed two years in the hot seat, will be under pressure to hold on to his job if the national team fails to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
It goes without saying that Nobbs has been entrusted with a job to build a team for the future with an eye on the Rio Olympics. But the team’s wooden spoon finish in the 2012 London Olympics and the team’s inability to seal a World Cup place in the Hockey World League Round 3 event has apparently prompted Hockey India to summon remedial measures before the team suffers another plunge – of not making it to the 2014 World Cup.
It is also learnt that Hockey India High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans is not happy with the way the team has shaped up under Nobbs’s stewardship.
The general perception is that Nobbs hasn’t delivered despite being offered a decent pay packet and a long-term contract – something former Indian team coaches could only dream about.
With Oltsman around and Kaushik likely to come on board, there could be pressure on Nobbs to make a statement in Ipoh. If he does, the whole of India would be on cloud nine.
