Nothing was conveyed to me, reveals Jude Felix after reports of Hockey India sacking him came out in media
Jude Felix, who was in-charge of the Indian junior men’s hockey team, has revealed that the Hockey India didn’t inform him before putting an advertisement for the same post on its website. Reports of Jude Felix being sacked from the coach’s post of the junior team came in the media last Wednesday.
Earlier this week, there was a PTI report which carried the news of former India captain Jude Felix being sacked from the position of the chief coach of the Indian junior men’s team because of the poor performance of the team in an eight-nation under 21 invitational hockey tournament in Madrid. The Hockey India has also put up an advertisement in the recruitment section of its website inviting applications for the same post before July 5.
Although Felix is not “surprised” with the development and the steps taken by the Hockey India because of a few of the international matters, he has revealed that he has not been conveyed anything regarding the same by the administrators from the apex body of the sport in India.
“I am not surprised at all (with Hockey India putting an advertisement for the post on its website). Nothing, nothing was conveyed to me. They just went ahead and did what they had to do,” Felix told SportsCafe.
In the junior tournament in Madrid, the Indian colts lost against Australia, the Netherlands, Spain and Great Britain and the only win came against a poor team like Austria who were beaten by a score of 4-2.
The performance of the junior team is given as the main reason behind Felix’s sacking but he the former coach himself has mentioned that there is more to the reports in the media. He also mentioned that the Hockey India had already taken the decision to sack him a few days before the eight-nation junior tournament started in Madrid.
“I don’t want to say anything. There is much more to it than what is written in the newspapers. The people reading were made fools. Also, the decision of not to extend my contract was taken on the June 6 and the tournament started on the June 10. When the time comes, I will talk.”
Felix, who had played more than 250 international games for India in the past and had led the senior national team as well, was given the responsibility of the junior side in August 2017. Earlier in his coaching career, the Bengaluru man was the assistant coach of the senior men’s team as well. Felix asserted that the junior boys have reached a good level in the last couple of years.
“I have taught them for two years. They have reached a good level. I don’t know who the other guy is, so I wouldn’t know what he teaches. But, in two years what they have learnt is of very very good level.
“Hockey India should send more under 21 players like the other teams. In our team, 10 out of 18 played for the first time, five players for the second time and three were playing for the third time,” the three-time Olympian concluded.
