KUALA LUMPUR: The President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Etienne Glichitch said recently that India once a perennial hockey power had lost its weight in the world body.

“This state of affairs is because of the bickering between the various factions in the Indian Hockey Federation” he said adding that the Indians had also lost their say in Asia.

Mr Glichitch said that India had to reorganize its federation and ensure that the various factions worked together before it could slowly regain its footing in the Asian body and then in the world.

He dismissed complaints by the Indians that artificial pitches were the cause for their poor performance in international play in recent years.

“They are shifting their blame of poor performance on the pitches because of the domestic affairs” he told a Press luncheon here. “It is not the fault of the pitches or the FIH but they have only themselves to blame.”

He said Indian teams had been changing their line-ups every other day.

“Some of the teams are very good but instead of having training stints and supporting it they change the players to please the right and left (wings) in the Indian Federation” Mr Glichitch said.

He said South Africa a voting member of the FIH since 1972 would be allowed to field a team after the International Olympic Council (IOC) readmits them into their fold.

An IOC mission headed by Keba MBaye of Senegal a Judge at the Hague will visit South Africa early next year to meet sporting bodies and representative.

 

Mr Glichitch ruled out the possibility of South Africa playing in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The FIH chief who arrived here recently to attend the inaugural five continents field hockey classic said South Africa might be allowed to host a World Cup Championship to gauge their standing in the hockey world.

If not then they will have to climb their way to the top which will take a few more years a pity as they had been in oblivion for so many years he said.

“The South Africans have a very good hockey team both men’s and women’s teams comprising mainly blacks and I can say that they will certainly be in the top 15 he said.

On procedural matters Mr Glichitch said a panel of coaches retired World Cup players and others had been formed to recommend rules changes to make hockey more competitive and more flowing with less stoppages in play.

“There have been complaints about the penalty comers and stoppages due to injury.

 

Article extracted from this publication >> January 4, 1991