India's recently appointed hockey captain Sandeep Singh is against the idea of having a foreign coach for the team.

By Achint Gupta 

He told ESPN Star Sports, "In my opinion a foreign coach is not needed. But Ad-Hoc committee thinks have got the experienced guys who think on their own. But as far as players are concerned, Harendra Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Romeo James are doing a god job and they are taking the team forward."

Indian coaches as good as foreign coaches: Ramandeep 

Ramandeep also told ESPN Star Sports that Indian coach can do the job. "Indian coaches are as good as foreign coaches. They need exposure and they will prove themselves. If foreign coach is being called for then he should be assigned specific purpose."

'Need for a foreign coach' has always been an uncomfortable question for the Indian hockey. Even though the reigns have been transferred from KPS Gill's hands to Ad-hoc committee, the whole saga behind appointment of a foreign coach has been a hot topic of debate.

Gerard Rach, Ric Charlesworth were two foreign experts who were assigned to get Indian hockey back on track, but in the end the unsuccessful experiment in bringing in coaches from the outside has left Indian hockey in a sorry state.

I want to lead by example: Sandeep Singh 

When Australian, Charlesworth left the game here in the doldrums it might have served as a final warning to the Ad-hoc committee. But from the look of things committee haven't learnt the lesson and they are close to finalizing Spain's Jose Brasa as the foreign coach, if he does accept the job.

The difference of opinion is also there in the selection committee members. Even during the appointment of Harendra Singh as the coach, Ad-hoc committee members left the media queries unanswered on what capacity a foreign coach would be taken in.

Dhanraj Pillay not in favour of foreign coaches

Dhanraj Pillay, one of the members told ESPN Star Sports that he himself is not in favour of a foreign coach as the head coach. "Greats like Major Dhyan Chand, Mohd Shahid, Zafar Iqbal and others have never had any training from foreigners, still they achieved big things. No doubt a foreign coach can take us forward and we should take their help, but not at all as a head coach."

Dhanraj added that foreign coach can raise fitness level of the team and can serve other purpose. "A foreign coach can mix both Asian and European style of hockey and that can help team to do well."

Indian players have never been comfortable with a foreign coach - possibly because of the language problem and different training methods. Even the administrators have failed to keep the foreign coach happy as the demands have been found unreasonable.

Ad-hoc committee will have to keep all these factors in mind apart from the players' reluctance, when they sit to decide the specific role for the foreign expert they are planning to rope in.