‘India capable of winning World Cup, Harendra a good coach’

NEWDELHI: It wouldn’t be out of place to say that Ric Charlesworth has been an explorer and a seeker, who gathered and is still gathering knowledge even though it’s been more than three decades since he quit playing competitive hockey. From holding a Bachelors degree in Arts to being a qualified medical practitioner to having a decent batting average as a first-class cricketer for Western Australia, to being a member of the Australian parliament for a decade, Charlesworth has strived to excel in every sphere of life. On Saturday, the 66-year-old spoke about India’s over-confidence in the Jakarta Asian Games and why Indian coaches are as good as their foreign counterparts.

Excerpts: Well, the country needs an Indian to be involved in the coaching process. I don’t think a foreign coach could make a difference, it is not important anymore. Harendra is very capable and it all depends on other people (the support staff) — he has to get the combination right. I think they are among the best five teams now. They have entered the Champions Trophy finals in the last two editions. The last one against Australia (in Breda, Netherlands), even though they lost the final, they gave Australia a tough fight. The Asian Games (in Jakarta) was an upset. But this is what happens when you become overconfident. But I think, they are capable of regaining their glory days. They can win the World Cup (in Bhubaneswar in November-december).