Two of the coaches with the Indian hockey team — Baldev Singh and AB Subbaiah — were sacked today and will not be part of the team for next month’s Australia tour which will kick off India’s preparation for the 2004 Olympic Games.Though the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) have not made an announcement to the effect so far, sources informed The Indian Express today that assistant coach Baldev and goalkeeping coach Subbaiah were being sacked for ‘‘their individual differences and the difficult situation it has created for the players in the team’’.The relation between the two coaches had deteriorated to such an extent that it was affecting the team’s performance. At the Madrid Olympic qualifiers held earlier this month, the team’s performance dipped suddenly after a successful season. Though India managed to qualify — they were fourth out of six berths available — the lacklustre display raised serious questions on their preparation with just four months remaining before Athens 2004.While the players had complained about the problem at the time, the IHF took it up only recently. Sources confirmed, ‘‘Everyone in the team had complained about the problem. It was creating an unhealthy atmosphere for the players and the (sacking) will no doubt help the team.’’The decision to sack the two was taken at a meeting held today in the capital to discuss the team’s tour of Australia next month to play a four-nation tournament. The training camp will most probably be held in Delhi from April 2. Incidentally, chief coach Rajinder Singh’s role is also being questioned but it was decided to retain him as the team is running out of time to prepared for the Olympics. It is felt that Rajinder could have defused the crisis or at least informed the IHF about it.Interestingly, though in the past coaches have been made scapegoats by the IHF for the lack of performance by the team, and their sackings have been received with displeasure, it is felt that the sacking of Baldev and Subbaiah has come in the ‘‘best interest of the team’’.However, questions on Baldev’s replacement will remain. Former coach NS Sodhi, who was with the team for a short term in 2002, is the names being discussed. Sodhi was deputy to Rajinder during the 2002 Champions Trophy and Asian Games but hardly made an impression. The IHF dropped him from the team for the next season and appointed Baldev in his place. Strangely, the IHF has recalled Sodhi, who, like some of his predecessors, were thrown out after short stints.
