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NEW DELHI (AP) — Former Australian Olympian Michael Nobbs beat a pair of Dutch field hockey greats to become the coach of India on Wednesday.
Hockey India also broke with tradition by giving Nobbs a five-year contract, when two years was normal. He was appointed to the 2016 Rio Olympics, in a sign of desperation by officials frustrated at India's decline.
The government-run Sports Authority of India, which made the announcement on the recommendation of HI, hope the appointment ends a state of flux over the job.
Spaniard's Jose Brasa's contract ended after the Asian Games last November, when India was stunned by Malaysia in the semifinals, and interim coach Harendra Singh led India to the Azlan Shah Cup in May, when the two-time defending champ crashed to sixth.
Nobbs, a member of the Australia team which placed fourth at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, sold Indian officials on his organization skills and style.
He headed off Roelant Oltmans, who coached Netherlands to Olympic and world titles, Pakistan, and was with the Dutch Olympic Committee; and Jacques Brinkman, a two-time Olympic and world champion.
India, a winner of eight Olympics, has yet to qualify for London 2012.
"We would love to qualify for the Olympics, but it would be difficult in such a short time," Nobbs said. "We should not think about short-term goals, and aim to take Indian hockey back to the No. 1 position."
India's last Olympic gold medal was at the boycott-hit Moscow Games in 1980, and its last World Cup success was in 1975.
Since then, India hasn't reached the semifinals at seven Olympics or World Cups.
It hit an all-time low when it failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The administration has also disappointed, with the sports ministry trying hard to merge two national bodies — Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation.
The IHF, which lost world body FIH's recognition in 2008 over a corruption scam, was replaced by HI before being revived by a court order last year.
However, HI continues to enjoy affiliation to the FIH.
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Hockey India also broke with tradition by giving Nobbs a five-year contract, when two years was normal. He was appointed to the 2016 Rio Olympics, in a sign of desperation by officials frustrated at India's decline.
The government-run Sports Authority of India, which made the announcement on the recommendation of HI, hope the appointment ends a state of flux over the job.
Spaniard's Jose Brasa's contract ended after the Asian Games last November, when India was stunned by Malaysia in the semifinals, and interim coach Harendra Singh led India to the Azlan Shah Cup in May, when the two-time defending champ crashed to sixth.
Nobbs, a member of the Australia team which placed fourth at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, sold Indian officials on his organization skills and style.
He headed off Roelant Oltmans, who coached Netherlands to Olympic and world titles, Pakistan, and was with the Dutch Olympic Committee; and Jacques Brinkman, a two-time Olympic and world champion.
India, a winner of eight Olympics, has yet to qualify for London 2012.
"We would love to qualify for the Olympics, but it would be difficult in such a short time," Nobbs said. "We should not think about short-term goals, and aim to take Indian hockey back to the No. 1 position."
India's last Olympic gold medal was at the boycott-hit Moscow Games in 1980, and its last World Cup success was in 1975.
Since then, India hasn't reached the semifinals at seven Olympics or World Cups.
It hit an all-time low when it failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The administration has also disappointed, with the sports ministry trying hard to merge two national bodies — Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation.
The IHF, which lost world body FIH's recognition in 2008 over a corruption scam, was replaced by HI before being revived by a court order last year.
However, HI continues to enjoy affiliation to the FIH.
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