No player is bigger than the game: Nobbs

Even though the Indian hockey players may have earned sympathy for the pittance they were paid as reward recently.

Even though the Indian hockey players may have earned sympathy for the pittance they were paid as reward recently,their rejecton of the money and the way the issue played out in public has not gone down too well with chief coach Michael Nobbs. Nobbs,interacting at The Indian Express Idea Exchange,said it was not something he agreed with. At the same time,he distanced himself from the political aspect of it,saying his job was to concentrate on what happens on the field.

I think Indian players are a privileged lot. They have jobs because they play hockey. They dont have to work in offices,they get paid for playing the sport. In Australia or even in many European countries,players have jobs and they take time out to play; they are not paid anything for it, Nobbs said.

Nobbs,who had taken charge only six weeks back,was blunt in his assessment about the Indian players attitude. Its good that now they are getting a lot more money and I dont have any problem with that; more the merrier. But some of the players do have a feeling that they are bigger than the game. But for me,its the team that wins gold. Anyone who puts India first,is my man. Any player who thinks he is bigger than the team or the game is not needed,thank you, he said.

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That would perhaps make any comeback for Sandeep Singh and Sardar Singh,who walked out of the Indian team just days before their departure for a major competition,that much more difficult. Even though both have appealed against their two-year ban with Hockey India,Nobbs is not clear about their return.

Its a tough question and I cant answer that at the moment. They walked out of the team four days before we had to leave and it forced us to change all our plans. We were left with no variations in the penalty corner battery and the result was there in Ordos we did very badly in PCs. If something like that had happened with you,would you trust them again?

Now we have won a tournament without them and I am proud of all the boys who played. They will have to work really hard to regain that trust and prove themselves. And what about the two players who replaced them? They were drafted at the last minute and both did really well in the Asian Champions Trophy. What do you tell them? Thank you,you did really well but now that these two guys are back,theres no place for you? I dont think thats right. It will be tough, said Nobbs.

(For full transcript,read The Sunday Express)