Erstwhile Indian women's hockey coach M K Kaushik heaved a sigh of relief when it was announced recently that his former deputy Sandeep Somesh would assume the role of chief coach of the team.
Erstwhile Indian women's hockey coach M K Kaushik heaved a sigh of relief when it was announced recently that his former deputy Sandeep Somesh would assume the role of chief coach of the team.
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Kaushik resigned after one of the fringe junior players of the team, TH Ranjita, charged him with sexual harassment. The team backed their colleague and called for Kaushik's ouster. Since then, Kaushik has engaged a lawyer to clear his name from the incident even as Hockey India are conducting an inquiry.
"Sandeep is the right man for the job. He is my ideal successor. I would have dreaded the job going to anyone else, but Somesh has been around with me for quite some time now, so I'm sure he will take things forward in the right manner," Kaushik told MiD DAY.
Though he refused to comment on the sexual harassment issue, claiming the matter is sub-judice, Kaushik said it's good that the girls have got their way, as it will only benefit the team and Indian hockey on the whole. "It's a crucial year for women's hockey with the World Cup in Argentina, followed by the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and then the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. Hopefully, Somesh will carry on the good work and the team will deliver,' he said.