India's chief hockey coach Jose Brasa is unhappy for not having a free hand in the selection of the national team and it stems from Hockey India's (HI) rejection of the Spaniard's request to include senior player Prabhjot Singh in the ongoing national camp in Pune for the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games
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| Prabhjot Singh |
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| India hockey coach Jose Brasa. PIC/AFP |
India's chief hockey coach Jose Brasa is unhappy for not having a free hand in the selection of the national team and it stems from Hockey India's (HI) rejection of the Spaniard's request to include senior player Prabhjot Singh in the ongoing national camp in Pune for the October 3-14 Commonwealth Games.
Brasa reportedly lashed out at HI and his employers Sports Authority of India (SAI) for not allowing him to select the team as is the trend in most countries.
The Spaniard's repeated requests to call back Prabhjot to the camp has fallen on the deaf ears of HI.
Brasa had sent two e-mails to HI secretary-general Narinder Batra to drive home the point.
"I would like to let you know that I want Prabhjot Singh to be called to join the camp at Balewadi, as soon as possible. I kindly ask you do the needful to get Prabhjot back in the camp," Brasa wrote to Batra in the e-mail Aug 20, a copy of which is with IANS.
Brasa sent another email a day later, saying that the team management was also in favour of Prabhjot's inclusion in the squad.
The 30-year-old Prabhjot, a senior member in the Indian team, was dropped from the squad after India's poor performance in the World Cup at home.
India finished eighth in the tournament and senior players like Prabhjot, Deepak Thakur, who were seen as the faces of the revolt against HI on the issue of pending payments, and Sandeep Singh were dropped from the squad.
Though Sandeep was later recalled, Prabhjot and Deepak were not fortunate enough.
Prabhjot, when contacted, said he has been performing well in the domestic tournaments and was bewildered at being overlooked.
"I was the top scorer in the Bangalore league and later in the Chief Minister's Gold Cup. My performance in the German league and Muruguppa Cup was also good. So, why am I being overlooked for the national team?" Prabhjot asked.
