In a long rant on Facebook, International Hockey Federation president Narinder Batra lashed out at the culture of the Indian hockey team and the recently-sacked coach Harendra Singh.
Without naming Singh, Batra said the coach’s comments following India’s quarter-final exit during the World Cup were in bad taste. The Indians were edged out by runners-up Netherlands in Bhubaneshwar.
The former Hockey India chief also reserved stinging criticism for forward Akashdeep Singh, who was suspended for reportedly using foul language at an official after the Netherlands loss. Batra also said that Akashdeep’s absence would hurt India during the 2020 Olympic qualifiers in June.
Batra also reserved some criticism for sections of the media for stating that the 1975 champions are ranked fifth when they are seventh. Here is an excerpt from Narinder Batra’s elaborate post:
After India lost to Netherlands in the quarterfinals in 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneshwar, someone part of the Indian contingent, immediately claimed after the loss that India lost because India was playing against 13 players and not 11.
By saying so, the concerned gentleman has done the biggest dis-service to the Sport.
If one has lost, then accept the loss gracefully and introspect where things went wrong and not criticize others for your mistakes.
Everyone can make mistakes in life and that includes me also and one should learn from these mistakes to mature and grow in life and rectify the mistakes to grow bigger and stronger.
Make your OWN JUDGEMENT and decide what the real TRUTH is...These kind of irresponsible statements do not label only an individual but the entire country as Sore and Bad Losers and by doing so the concerned gentleman has done the biggest dis-service to the Sport.
This just does not end here only, immediately after the end of the quarterfinals match, a senior athlete of Indian team makes inappropriate remarks at technical table and later on in disciplinary hearing gets a justified two match suspension.
The indiscipline and groupism that has crept within the team and team management needs to end and stop.
This now could potentially mean that Indian team, may have to play the first 2 matches of 2020 Olympic Qualifiers for qualification being held in June 2019 with only 17 players and not 18.
Does the whatsapp friends club need to be covering up for the facts and the after affects of indiscipline and behaviour issues?
Our common aim is to see Indian team on podium in Olympics and World Cup and with above kind of behaviour and attitude, we can only be labelled as complainers, bad and sore losers.
It was quite obvious in the 2018 men’s world cup that the teams which did well, besides other things had good and dependable goalkeepers, it’s high time Indian team management also starts focussing on this important aspect.
We again have lot of hard work to do and firstly to focus as to how to improve on our world ranking in 2020 which in all probability could be anywhere upto 9th beginning of 2020 due to 2018 miserable performances and secondly to work hard to qualify for 2020 Olympics and that will only come with discipline, hard work and respect for the sport.
We all have one common aim and goal, that is to be on the podium in olympics and world cup and that can only come with discipline, hard work and respect for the sport...