Lobo laments Varkey’s exclusion

AUG 6: Clarence Lobo, coach of Bombay's hockey squad at the National Championships and National Games in Bangalore is dumfounded at the ign...

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AUG 6: Clarence Lobo, coach of Bombay’s hockey squad at the National Championships and National Games in Bangalore is dumfounded at the ignoring of inside-forward Sabu Varkey, one among the four senior players axed from the squad for the forthcoming four-nation tournament in Hamburg, Germany.

“Just how a versatile forward like Sabu can be dropped is simply beyond me,” said Lobo, who achieved reasonable success with the squad at both events.

According to Lobo, Varkey’s control, verve and acceleration made him the outstanding player of the side at Bangalore in June.

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“Sabu can tear any defence apart. With no problems of discipline, he should have walked into the India squad a slot he richly deserves,” added Lobo, a former Tata forward. Lobo urged the media not to rake up the issue of Varkey’s mental strength an area of vulnerability which showed up at the Sydney World Cup in 1994.

“Sabu was absolutely strong mentally at Bangalore shouldn’t his performance speak for that?” he retorted. Varkey, who plays for the Mumbai outfit Bharat Petroleum, has been shockingly omitted from a 30-member probable list alongwith Bombay team-mate and superstar Dhanraj Pillay.

The other senior players dumped are goalkeeper Aashish Ballal and Mukesh Kumar decisions as surprising as the appointment of Pargat Singh as coach, after strong speculation surrounding the return of Cedric D’Souza.

However, Lobo takes heart from the call of his other wards Amjad Khan (midfielder) and Jude Menezes (goalkeeper) for the camp at Chandigarh from which a squad of 16 will be selected to tour Europe.

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As indeed he does of newly-appointed coach Pargat’s plea to bring back the disposed senior players Pillay, Ballal and Mukesh, besides Varkey for the tournament which involves top guns Holland (Olympic champions and Champions Trophy winners), Germany (European Champions) and Australia.

Lobo asks: “How will youngsters take to the game if players of the highest calibre receive such treatment at the peak of their careers? It does not augur well for the sport.”

An Indian side without four of the most experienced players brings back haunting memories of a dubious record set at Amstelveen in similar circumstances.

The country’s worst-ever drubbing (0-8) at the sticks of hosts Netherlands in the wake of the suspension of six top players found guilty for attacking an umpire at the 1985 Asia Cup final in Dhaka still rankles.

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Ironically, the selection panel includes Merwyn Fernandes, one of those players given the stick by the Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH) in 1985. The ensuing lacuna at inside-right, incidentally Varkey’s position, was a major factor in sending the country’s fortunes to dismal depths of the London World Cup in 1986.