CAPTAIN –SANDEEP SINGH IS NOT
INDIAN PRESS—INSTRUMENTAL IN DEMISE OF INDIAN HOCKEY

BY DR SHANKAR CHATTERJEE, KOLKATA
DR DEEPAK SHETH, UPLAND, CALIFORNIA, USA

CAPTAIN –SANDEEP SINGH IS NOT

Sandeep Singh can be a match winner but not a captain.
Sandeep Singh has a ferocious penalty corner shot but that is all he has.
Sandeep Singh does not appear to be very intelligent from his controversial
statements.
Sandeep Singh not in an Indian team is a No-No

Common layman definition of a captain

1. Somebody who leads the team & country in his field of expertise.
2. Leads by example & by what he stands for .
3. Somebody who gets the best out of his team mates, both junior & senior.
4. Above all somebody who has leadership skills & barks out instructions, having
a good read of the game as is happening on the pitch.
5. He is somebody who the rest of the players look up to.
6. Finally he is one whom the coach & team management feel would bring value for
the team by being captain. Team handlers are the best at knowing the nuances of
player psychology, politics, intelligence, etc etc in making that decision.
7. It definitely is not a ceremonial title.

Now here are the points why Sandeep Singh runs afoul of nearly all the above
points

1. Any athlete, particularly a PC shooter, knows that a lumbo-sacral strain is
devastating since it takes a minimum 3- 6 weeks to heal, needs painful
physiotherapy for another 6 weeks & the nature of the injury makes bending which
is essential for PC shooting absolutely impossible. Every one knows that Hockey
players are prone to back problems due to the constant bending done by them that
strain the back ligaments. Even after 3 months of waiting, healing & rehab there
is no guarantee that you will be in optimal condition. SO WHAT CAPTAIN WOULD
HURT THE CHANCES OF HIS TEAM BY PLAYING. BELOW HIS OPTIMAL CONDITION.? He makes
controversial statements when he can barely get out of bed or move without
pain—absolutely unconscionable.
2. By talking ill of the coach & his coaching methods---he acts un-captain like,
shows his immaturity, leads to tension between players that are learning a lot
from the coach's techniques & him. He will never get the best out of these
players—fails as a captain

3. Does he act like a captain on the pitch & barks instructions—all of us have
seen him –you be the judge –the answer is a resounding no!

4. Do players look up to him –sure for his PC expertise & match winning
abilities. Score the only point in his favor for captaincy.

5. Not very intelligent---

a. Creates unnecessary controversy by going against his current coach & team
management, (risking permanent loss of captaincy, possibly place in a future
india team) (not very smart) , adds to his past well known problems with other
coaches (like Carvalho), so gets labeled as a player with an attitude problem..
b. Creates tension with (inevitable captain in his absence due to injury) Rajpal
Singh
causes division between players just before a vital tournament –certainly all
actions UNWORTHY of an aspiring captain .
c. Sides with players (Indian airlines colleagues )who for their individual
reasons decided not to attend camp, so de facto abandoning the interests of his
current teammates (whom he wants to lead) Does he feel his relationship with his
players will be good after this & would they like him as captain. IN FACT THIS
MAYBE THE SINGLE REASON WHICH MAY HAVE ELIMINATED HIM AS CAPTAIN FOREVER.

.


INDIAN PRESS—INSTRUMENTAL IN DEMISE OF INDIAN HOCKEY

What is role of the Indian Press in the decline of hockey—why are they doing
what they are doing?
These are our questions to them

1. Why are you creating controversy where none exists, sometimes downright lies,
just to sell more newsprint, knowing fully well that a further decline in Indian
hockey would be a death knell, not self serving, since you would not have your
favorite whipping boy that is Indian hockey to write about?
2. Is it not your role to check on the facts of a back injury to know whether a
player is stringing you for his own evil vested interest, ask any physio, or
injured player or any orthopod like anant joshi & you will know the truth?
3. Why do you consult old players, failed coaches, disgruntled former or current
players & goad them into making controversial statements knowing fully well that
sometimes they are lying, sometimes they have bias, they are all failures for 1
reason or the other. Or are you trying to encourage failure for whatever
sinister motives you have?
4. Why this penchant for putting down our current Coach Brasa or publishing
comments against him by people who are much much worse than him besides being
failures, in everything that they have done. At least he has won a World title &
has a proven track record. Don't you think there is enough infighting between
different segments of the hockey society in India and an outsider like Brasa
would be without the parochial bias & graft & cheating that is rampant in
anything to do with the national team?
5. If you are doubting his credentials & his teaching, then is it not right that
you do a good faith study into what factors have taken Indian hockey down & is
Brasa right in the statements that he makes about his coaching techniques, & the
deficiencies of hockey in India?
6. Don't you feel it is your duty to expose silly people like Mr. Mattoo & his
ilk who make silly statements that the captain is decided by administrators
rather than team management, knowing fully well what a mess hockey
administration is, & how untruthful all this is .All you have to do is some fact
checking with any team all around the world & you will understand the
ridiculousness of these statements.
7. Is not your duty to find out the truth of the downfall of Indian hockey
rather than ask for opinions of players who are responsible or were part of that
downfall & profess to have no idea except for parrot inane statements about it
is the fault of everybody else but them?

8. Why did you not name the sources who made comments so as to prevent this
charge against you that this is all made up & all lies just to sell more
newsprint?
9. Is it fair to the current team & Indian hockey that a controversy happens,
which is baseless & detrimental to the teams interest particularly just prior to
an important tournament?
10. Why do you allow hockey India administrators like Mr A K Mattoo, to make you
have egg on your face by publishing a statement that Sandeep Singh will play for
the champions challenge tournament in Argentina this December, & the very next
day, the attending Orthopaedic Surgeon advised Sandeep Singh rest, as his back
injury was real and likely to get worse if he played competitive hockey.

11. Where does this leave Mr. Mattoo, Hockey India and you, the media, which had
highlighted his ill-advised press statements casting Jose Brasa in bad light?
Was Jose Brasa wrong in resting Sandeep Singh? Does one not get a sense of déjà
vu (a la Ric Charlesworth)? What explanation do you, the media, have now about
your role, highlighting the statements of Mr Mattoo, making heroes of the rebel
players and a negative projection of Jose Brasa, our national coach? One can
trust Mr Mattoo, a stooge of Suresh Kalmadi to act without any principles,
having undermined a proven coach and encouraged indiscipline in the ranks. But
you, the media owes an explanation about the way it projected the whole episode
otherwise it stands guilty of doing a serious disservice to the cause of our
national sport.


By misreporting, being untruthful knowingly or being manipulated into it,
By not doing your due diligence in verifying your contacts & the veracity of
their comments, you the INDIAN press, are seriously shirking your responsibility
& are being derelict in your duty of upholding the ranks of your society that is
Indian hockey.
We hold you mainly responsible for the demise of Indian hockey since you have
the greatest power to do good for the Indian hockey community.

well something wrong in the whole issue

2 days earlier they had announced the team and sandeep was part of the team


and now 2 days later coach is saying that he has been bed-ridden for last 5 days


well we were in the bottom 4 earlier and with sandeep out, dont know whr will we
end up

raghunath is no good, he is more of a liability

and only replacement i can think of is didar singh, he was impressive with his
drags in recently concluded surjit hockey

and he is better player than sandeep in the field

EVEN GOD HAS STOPPED HELPING THE INDIAN HOCKEY

HI fans

as on expected lines, the "team" got thrashing at Euro tour

now the question is that they learn from the mistakes and rectify them
there is no use, if they close there eyes and persist with the same combination
which as evident from the result is not capable of standing up to high level
teams

we conceeded 42 goals in 10 matches and scored just 28
this is just unacceptable for any team looking for some semblance of a
performance at the top level

the worryig thing is that bench strength is not good for anything
the list could go on


my advice
organize national hockey championship within next 1 or 1.5 month and at a venue
where there is some respite from humidity and heat, so that players perform at
their peak level

if they dont want to select already tested players, it is time that some fresh
legs get inducted which can be easily picked up at nationals and after that we
have about 5 months to go for WC, if not any fresh player, get back those who
left for non-sporting reasons

defence badly requires a boost up,
midfield some creativity,
and forward line some pep in their feet

dilip is going to be back, but there will be issues abt his fitness,
get kanwalpreet back, sandeep singh is already there, the 3 can play in rotation
alongwith diwakar ram

in midfield, persuade viren rasquina to get back, and i also advocate return of
jugraj as a playmaker and he can also serve as a 2nd dragflicker,
gurbaj, sardara, ignace r already there, if possible get SS Gill back, he was
very effective left half and still is, i last saw of him at PHL

fwd line needs a major boost, at Euro toure, they hardly scored any thing
tushar, deepak (if he is fit now), jr guy mustafa or mushtaq, gurvinder chandi
(if there is no other option), rajpal at right, i wish for gaganajeet (the agile
fast gagan of 2003, 2004 CT)

after baljeet's exit,
even GK department needs some other option
has Adrian lost his touch, letting in so many goals
i cant think of any other rt now, Devesh chauhan was good,

I HOPE BETTER SENSE PREVAILS AND THEY SELECT PLAYERS ON MERITS

hi fans
I just dont know wht to write

i was going through the "team" selected for Euro Tour

the selectors have shut the doors of their mind and vision
picking up the same deadwood again & again

if this is the best, then forget abt any good news for hockey in next 5 yrs,
bcos the juniors currently in circuit r even more disaapointing

THIS SETUP HAS LOST TO AUS DEVELOPMENTAL TEAMS, KNOCKED OUT OF ASIA CUP,
BY PERSISTING WITH THESE KINDS OF SELECTION, THEY R WORKING ON SOME HIDDEN
AGENDA
I THINK IT IS A GREAT CONSPIRACY TO KILL THE GAME IN COUNTRY


http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/indianhockey/message/922
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/indianhockey/message/1302
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/indianhockey/message/1306

read these msgs
i wrote it on 11th of September 2006 and 10th of October, 2007
long time before the Olympics qualifiers
the question is, when a layman like me can point it out, why cant those experts
in the helm of affairs see it coming


defence is awesome, with a stalwart like raghunath manning it

midfield is very creative, with likes of vs vinaya/vikram pillay more of back
passing than forward movement, ball rotation is not their habbit, prolonged
hanging is

forward line is sharp and penetrative, they dont believe in scoring goals in
open and empty net, its another matter if a deflection goes and crosses the line

that sums up the team according to me

instead of looking forward they have bended over backwards, fielding players who
r well over their prime and at the best are mediocres.
a well balanced unit is required for any team to succeed, but i dont see any
balance here or vision.

we all know that olympics, WC are getting beyond our reach and now even asia cup
or asian games are getting harder nuts to crack

the wrong thing is that for last 2-3 yrs no national tournament has been
organized, so that any upcoming talent is spotted, they r just rotating old
horses, who at the most can walk and not gallop

GERMANY LIFTS THE JWC BEATING DUTCH 3-1
AUS TAKES THE BRONZE

AND INDIA ENDS AT PATHETIC 9TH POSITION

well wht he has written has been discussed many times in this forum

and well before any major tournament, just closely studying the selection of
team will let u know that the team was not going to make it

you are right that best 16 to be selected but this hasnt been going on since a
long time, the day the higher ups decided to sideline punjab players from the
teams first the seniors and then the juniors

and this crap will continue, bcos they just dont learn frm past mistakes, they
refine their mistakes more

ppl were going ga-ga over azlan shah win and but with no strong team in the
fray, the win was of no importance
and same was the case with juniors, instead of sending srs to azlan shah, jrs
shud have been sent over, giving them enough match practice and lettting them
know their weak links

but who cares for hockey in india

a coach wins a inconsequential tournament, he starts speaking as if they have
conqured WC and in the next tournament they r brought down to earth, i must say
buried in the earth

In indianhockey@yahoogroups.com, V M <pingvm@...> wrote:
>
> If you need a real assessment, read Sundeep Misra's write up
> after the Asia cup India vs China game:
>
http://www.indianhockey.com/Home/tabid/36/EntryId/141/India-gift-semis-berth-to-\
China.aspx
>
> I just don't understand why the regionalism debate is rearing its head again.
>
> The best 14/16, no matter which part of the country they come from,
> should represent India. Full stop/period!
>
> cheers,
> Vasu
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: avs_bhullar <avs_bhullar@...>
> To: indianhockey@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 10:03:29 AM
> Subject: [indianhockey] INDIA OUT OF JWC, IN MY OPINION THEY DIDNT DESERVE IT
TO BE IN TOP TEAMS
>
>
>
>
>
> news just came in
>
> india beats pol 4-2
> but ned-nzl ends 2-2 draw
>
> india out of JWC
>
> for the first time in 12 yrs
> we are not in top 12
>
> what more damage they want to cause to hockey
>
> wht ever u call me
> but u need punjab players in the team
> by keeping punjab players out just for their egos
> they r doing harm
>
> i had cried hoarse that punjab players are being sidelined
> and ppl accused me of being a biased person
> just take a look around
> sr were in the dumps
> and now r the jr too
>
> EVEN GOD HAS GIVEN UP FOR THE HOCKEY
>

mr bansal instead of blaming others for ur defeat

set ur house in order first

--- In indianhockey@yahoogroups.com, Harbinder Virdi <harbinderv@...> wrote:
>
> I AGREE WITH YOU BHULLAR.
>
> --- On Fri, 12/6/09, avs_bhullar <avs_bhullar@...> wrote:
>
> From: avs_bhullar <avs_bhullar@...>
> Subject: [indianhockey] INDIA OUT OF JWC, IN MY OPINION THEY DIDNT DESERVE IT
TO BE IN TOP TEAMS
> To: indianhockey@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Friday, 12 June, 2009, 10:33 PM
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>       news just came in
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> india beats pol 4-2
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> but ned-nzl ends 2-2 draw
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> india out of JWC
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> for the first time in 12 yrs
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> we are not in top 12
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> what more damage they want to cause to hockey
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> wht ever u call me
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> but u need punjab players in the team
>
> by keeping punjab players out just for their egos
>
> they r doing harm
>
>
>
> i had cried hoarse that punjab players are being sidelined
>
> and ppl accused me of being a biased person
>
> just take a look around
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> sr were in the dumps
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> and now r the jr too
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> EVEN GOD HAS GIVEN UP FOR THE HOCKEY
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>       Cricket on your mind? Visit the ultimate cricket website. Enter
http://beta.cricket.yahoo.com
>

news just came in

india beats pol 4-2
but ned-nzl ends 2-2 draw

india out of JWC

for the first time in 12 yrs
we are not in top 12

what more damage they want to cause to hockey

wht ever u call me
but u need punjab players in the team
by keeping punjab players out just for their egos
they r doing harm

i had cried hoarse that punjab players are being sidelined
and ppl accused me of being a biased person
just take a look around
sr were in the dumps
and now r the jr too


EVEN GOD HAS GIVEN UP FOR THE HOCKEY

Hello,

For complete coverage on Men's Junior World Cup 2009 held in Singapore and
Malaysia, just log on to

http://www.juniorworldcup2009.com/

Hope India brings the cup home this time...


Regards,

Chitresh Singh

MORE TROUBLE FOR POOR GAME OF HOCKEY
hi fans

no end to troubles being faced by the game in country

IOA has formed a new body HOCKEY INDIA (HI), which is being opposed by state
federations

instead of doing anything good for the game, they are bent on creating more
controversies and hurdles in the path of game

now with the confrontation between state feds and HI, everyone will loose focus
on the team or game but all will plunge head on for staking claim to the power

vidya stokes, former President of IWHF and current Sr. VP of HI, she is from
Himachal Pradesh, what achievements has been made by HP in the field of hockey,
i cannot recall any, help me friends if u can

chief of boxing federation has been made the President of HI

i fail to understand why FIH is hell bent on having one federation for both
women and men hockey, instead they should set up their house in order, the
coverage and popularity of the game is on decline, they hardly care for any
media problems but will gladly impose a foreign coach on a reluctant country.


by hanging the sword of WC rights

they imposed a foriegn coach
and they have been indulging in all sorts of pressures
instead of taking a look in their own backyard
which is doing nothing good for hocke

NOW EVEN GOD HAS GIVEN UP IN HELPING THE HOCKEY IN INDIA

--- On Thu, 5/21/09, shyamgautham@... <shyamgautham@...>
wrote:

> From: shyamgautham@... <shyamgautham@...>
> Subject: [indianhockey] Re: is no one taking care of the group?
> To: indianhockey@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Thursday, May 21, 2009, 9:01 PM
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>       hi sir i am also a hockey player sir got to
> pratice in egmore or ymca sir can i know ur name
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hi sir i am also a hockey player sir got to pratice in egmore or ymca sir can i
know ur name

--- In indianhockey@yahoogroups.com, "avs_bhullar" <avs_bhullar@...> wrote:
>
> it has been 3 days since i posted a msg, and it hasnt been uploaded.
>
> guys wake up
>
hi guys how ar u i am a hockey player guys