Somebody like Ric Charlesworth is hired, but have we made full use of him? I have travelled all over the country and watched hockey all over the world, and I can safely say that Indian U-10s are more talented than anywhere else; and everywhere I go, they talk about Indian skills. But they need to be groomed. Dribbling is the toughest of skills, and it comes easiest to us. But because of the lack of grooming, we make it the toughest. Dribbling is not the only skill though. Where we lose out to the Europeans are the other skills — passing the ball on time, not holding on to it, off-the-ball running. They have intelligence and are good at reading the game — where we lose out. Someone like Charlesworth needs to be involved in coaching the coaches.

There is never a right time for disaster. Any time would have been bad. We can always bounce back, and public memory is short. But what I really want to know is this. All the news channels are screaming about our failure to qualify for the Beijing Olympics now. But where were they earlier? It has been a gradual decline — and how could we fail to notice the writing on the wall?

Finally, the leadership at the top has been totally poor. They have allowed things to drift, so have the local and state associations. We also need younger selectors to understand the game on the turf, and modern hockey. No self-respecting coach will take up the job without a long-term contract — at least two-three years. It is devastating today, but further ahead lies a long, hard road to success.

... contd.