Brasa named Indian hockey coach

Jose Brasa of Spain has been selected as the new Chief Coach for the Indian Men's Hockey team.

"Brasa will soon join the Indian Men's Hockey team as the Chief Coach," Joint Secretary of Union Ministry of  Sports Pravir Krishna said in Bhopal on Thursday.

An agreement between the Government of India and Brasa was signed recently in this regard for a period of two years, till the next Asiad in 2011. However, there is a possibility that the agreement with the Spaniard coach might be extended till the London Olympics in 2012, Krishna added.

Brasa, who coached the Spanish women's team to a gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, made it clear that he would not like any sort of interference in his job.

"A lot needs to be done to improve Indian hockey and I have made it clear that I will run things the way I want to," Brasa told a newspaper.

"I was not happy with the initial contract but over the past two weeks or so, Indian officials seem to have been very keen to hire me. They have constantly been in touch and that has helped settle things," he said.

All the required approvals have already been given by the government to facilitate Brasa's becoming the hockey coach, the Joint Secretary of Union Ministry of Sports said.

Soon after completing the formalities, Brasa would join the hockey team in Bhopal.

As part of preparations of Commonwealth Games and Asiad, the Indian Men's hockey team would camp for at least a year in Bhopal, he said.

Earlier, Brasa had sent his demands and a list of requirements to accept the Indian government request to coach the hockey team, sources said.

Besides emphasising on the need of technology and a good physiotherapist, Brasa asked for a staff of 14 people including two from Spain who would accompany him.