Walsh matter will be resolved; we want him to continue: SAI

Under pressure from all quarters after Indian men's hockey team chief coach Terry Walsh's sudden resignation because of a "pay dispute", the Sports Authority of India sprang into action. Its Director General, Jiji Thomson, has assured that the matter will "resolved". 

Thomson said he met Walsh at his office and convinced the Australian to continue in his role as chief coach. 

"I met him (Walsh) when he came to SAI today. He told me that he doesn't have any issues with SAI. The matter will be resolved. We want him to continue in his position," Thomson said.

In a sudden jolt to Indian hockey, Walsh, on Tuesday, resigned because of a "pay dispute" with SAI, barely three weeks after guiding the team to a historic gold medal in the Asian Games in Incheon. 

The 60-year-old Australian, himself a noted Olympian, submitted his resignation in dramatic fashion, saying he was finding it difficult to adjust to the decision-making style of the sporting bureaucracy in the country.

Soon after his resignation, Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said he is looking to resolve the issue and sought a report from SAI within the next 24 hours.

On a day of high drama, Walsh's resignation created a flutter in the hockey fraternity and triggered off a blame game between Hockey India and SAI.

While Hockey India maintained that the pay dispute and suffocating bureaucracy had prompted Walsh to quit, SAI rubbished the claim, saying that the Australian had never complained of any financial issues.

Image: Terry Walsh