Ministry open to hiring foreign coach

Hockey India (HI) has once again approached the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to short-list the candidates from overseas, but the ministry is opposed to a foreign coach if he is not of stature.

“The past experience with foreign coaches may not have been all that happy, but that cannot be the only reason for rejecting outright the appointment of another. I agree Ric Charlesworth left abruptly, but Jose Brasa completed his contracted tenure. We are still open to hiring a foreign coach, but we can’t have one for the sake of it,” Injeti Srinivas, joint secretary in the sports ministry, told IANS here Thursday. Srinivas said the ministry and HI have a pragmatic approach on appointing the national coach.