NEW DELHI, April 20: Former Olympic gold medallist Rajinder Singh was appointed national coach by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) Saturday.

Singh was a member of the victorious side at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and coached India to the junior world cup title in Australia last year.

He replaces Cedric D’Souza, who left midway through last month’s World Cup after the IHF asked him to let his deputy Chandra Kumar handle the side for a few games following three defeats for the former champions.

“We have decided to appoint the officials who were at the junior world cup,” IHF secretary K. Jothikumaran told Reuters.

However, former coach Maharaj Kaushik criticised officials for not giving Singh a fixed tenure, which he said would affect planning.

Kaushik coached India to their second Asian Games gold after a 32-year gap in Bangkok in 1998.

“There is no point unless there is continuity. That is a major worry,” he said.

“India deserves to be among the top six teams in the world in terms of potential. But that will happen only if the administration improves.”

Singh, 44, is an advocate of a free-flowing style which he feels will help India to regain their glory days when they won eight Olympic titles and the 1975 World Cup.

India have struggled in the last two decades at world level and finished seventh at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

India will play in the elite Champions Trophy event in Germany in August and then defend their Asian Games title in Pusan, South Korea.—Reuters