Baskaran to work with Walsh as India hockey coach

Hockey India on Wednesday appointed former Olympic gold-medallist V Baskaran as a coach of the men’s national team to work under the recently-appointed chief coach Terry Walsh. “Baskaran has joined the training camp of the senior men’s hockey team at SAI Centre, Bhopal for preparations of the FIH World League Finals in Delhi in January 2014 and the FIH World Cup to be held in The Netherlands next year,” the HI said in a statement. HI secretary general Narinder Batra felt Baskaran’s experience will come in handy for the team. Baskaran has coached the team several times, the last time at the 2006 Men’s Hockey World Cup in Monchengladbach. [caption id=“attachment_1240723” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Baskaran has coached the team several times, the last time at the 2006 Men’s Hockey World Cup in Monchengladbach. Reuters[/caption] Currently he is the chief coach of Bhopal Badshahs in World Series Hockey league. “Mr Baskaran will form an integral part of the coaching staff headed by Mr Terry Walsh. I am sure his valuable experience will help the Indian team in its 2014 World Cup and help take Indian hockey to new heights,” Batra said. Baskaran said he was pleased to come back as coach for the side. “It’s a pleasant comeback for me with the senior men national team. It will be excellent to work with Mr. Terry Walsh for the betterment of Indian Hockey,” he said. Baskaran, who was the captain of the team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, has 287 international caps and has represented India in the Olympic Games in 1976 Montreal, two World Cups in 1973 Amsterdam (Silver) and in 1978 Buenos Aires. He has also been a part of two Asian Games – in 1974 Tehran (Silver) and in 1978 Bangkok (Silver) – and a Champions Trophy in 1978 Pakistan (Bronze). Baskaran coached the senior men national team for 10 years. Under his coaching, India played 187 matches including major tournaments such as the Olympic Games in 2000 ( Sydney), two World Cups in 1998 in Utrecht and 2006 in Germany, Asian Games 2006 in Doha, Junior World Cup in 1997 in Milton Keynes (Silver) and Champions Trophy in 1997 in Chennai. In 1980, he received the Arjuna Award and in the next year he received Padamshri. PTI