Carvalho pulls out, skipper ‘dropped’

By Harpreet Kaur Lamba

New Delhi, May 5: All the talk of transparency and merit-based selection by the newly-appointed national hockey selection committee came to naught on Monday. Just hours before the national team’s departure for the Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, three senior players — skipper Tushar Khandker, goalkeeper Baljit Singh and defender Samir Baxla — were asked to return home by chief coach Joaquim Carvalho without informing the selectors.

The trio, part of the team that took part in the four-nation tournament in Australia, will now be replaced by drag-flicker V. Raghunath, goalkeeper Adrian D’Souza and midfielder Birender Lakra, it was learnt.

Interestingly, all three were named in the 18-member team by the national selectors a week back. A mixture of youth and experience, the team for the Azlan Shah consists of nine players (part of the Australia-bound squad) and nine junior members who left for Ipoh on Monday night.

Coach Carvalho, who was appointed adviser for this particular tournament, also pulled out at the last minute. Said an IHF official, "Yes, we got a request from Joaquim Carvalho for the same. He will return to India tomorrow." When asked, all five selectors were clueless. "There are no changes in the team. We are not replacing anybody," said chief selector Aslam Sher Khan. Ajitpal Singh also pleaded ignorance on the matter.

Insiders, however, reveal that the trouble began when Carvalho was sidelined by the new committee, which named junior coach A.K. Bansal as coach for the eight-nation event. The inclusion of Australian super coach Richard Charlesworth as technical adviser also did not go well with Carvalho, who had enjoyed complete freedom under ex-Indian Hockey Federation chief K.P.S. Gill.

Said a source, "Carvalho has been the one-man army for last one year. He has selected teams at will and had full support of Mr Gill. These three senior players were included on the insistence of Charlesworth.

"When Carvalho was named as adviser, he was adamant on pulling out his boys as well. This was essentially a junior team (for the Azlan Shah) and he didn’t want his boys to travel under Bansal," he said.

The development has now put a question mark on the participation of the three players, who are stranded in Kuala Lumpur.

While Carvalho is adamant to send them back, the selectors are keen to retain them.

Said an official, who did not wish to be named, "No one is aware of the situation. The team officials are reaching Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday morning. Even if Carvalho has asked the players to return, the officials in charge will try their best to include them. The selection committee’s decision will be final in all the matters."

Carvalho has often been at loggerheads with the selectors in the year gone by.

Insistent on picking his own team, the Mumbai-based coach was given a free hand by the former IHF supremo. Carvalho was also rebuked by the former selectors, who were shown the door when they complained about his dogmatic ways.