U-19 Bengal hockey players get heads shaved after coach rebuke

KOLKATA: Most members of the U-19 Bengal hockey squad have shaved their heads, days after their coach reportedly scolded them for a bad performance.
Coach Anand Kumar denies ever pressuring the kids, saying he spoke out of frustration, never literally meaning it. At least one player says Kumar called him "indisciplined" for refusing to shave his head; another member, who did shave his head, says it was out of "respect" for the coach, and that there was no pressure.
The team represented the state in the recent Hockey India Junior National Championship (B Division) in Jabalpur.One player says Kumar was so infuriated after their 1-5 loss to Namdhari XI in the quarterfinal that he wanted each member to shave their head as punishment.
"As I refused, he called me indisciplined. He had suggested the same even after we had won our first match against Gujarat because he felt we didn't play well," said the player, who did not wish to be named. "After returning from Jabalpur, most of my teammates have shaved their heads. I haven't followed suit, and do not intend to do so."
The coach, however, refuted the allegations. "We were losing by three or four goals at halftime against Namdhari XI. I scolded the boys and, in anger, said I will have their heads tonsured," Kumar said, clarifying, "It was said in frustration. When I came to know some of the players have shaved their heads two days after coming back, I was surprised. I asked them and they said they did it out of repentance (for playing poorly in that match), since I had mentioned it to them."
The U-19 squad comprised 18 players and, according to sources, all players except two have had their heads shaved. Interestingly, at least a dozen of them were from SAI's Eastern Regional Centre in Salt Lake. "I am not aware of this incident but will definitely look into it if something like this has taken place," Manmeet Singh Goindi, director, SAI, Eastern Centre, said.
According to reports, the Bengal Hockey Association (BHA) will form a three-member committee to look into the matter.