‘Restructure coaching system in hockey, football’

It takes a touch of genius to make complex things simple. Horst Wein easily outlined the “real” problems plaguing two of the most popular sports in India: football and hockey.

As much as he is renowned for excellence in hockey, Wein is a rare, multi-faceted personality who has earned equally good reputation in the football world too.

Perhaps, no one else could have compared and made sense of the condition of these two sports in India than the German. “In India people do have technical knowledge, but there are very few qualified coaches,” he said. “I saw the national football team in Spain earlier this year and I think the Spanish third division side is technically superior to them,” he said matter of factly.

“In hockey, your players are the most skilled in the world. But if you look at it, there is one common problem plaguing both the sports here — complete mismanagement. While trying to be a super power, the officials governing them have become world champions in playing politics,” he pointed out.

Wein, invited by city-based football club Kenkre FC, will be conducting seminars and training sessions for coaches and young players over the next 10 days. “Kenkre are setting an example for everyone involved in running Indian sports,” he said, adding that his main aim will be to recycle the knowledge and update the coaches with new methods and coaching styles.

“You have got top class foreign coaches for the hockey and football teams. But what is happening at the grass-roots? The coaching methods adopted are 20 years old. There is no system to develop youngsters. We will try to restructure the system... at least make a start,” Wein said in the city on Saturday.

Wein, an author of 34 sports-related books, most of them on hockey and football, said a sound youth development programme is the need of the hour. “School sports federations here are spreading the cancer. Kids are forced to play like adults. The ministry of education has to take a note of this. It is a crime.

“Children aged 10-12 should never play 11-a-side football or hockey,” he remarked. “The eight-year-olds should play a three-a-side game while 10-year-olds should be engaged in five-a-side and 12-year-olds should play eight-a-side.

“When you reduce the number of players, the kids automatically get the chance to play more and that helps them in understanding the game better,” said the leading mentor of coaches and trainers.
Wein, whose revolutionary football principles are taught to youth football coaches at clubs like Barcelona, also said that India badly needs good coaches. “Ideally, the foreign coaches should play second fiddle. The chief coach should be an Indian. He knows the mentality of the players and will be able to work things out in a better way. Having quality coaches is the key if India aims to be a sports superpower,” he said.