Rach on his way out

New Delhi:

India's hockey coach Gerhard Rach appears to be on his way out after the team's poor performance in the Champions Trophy but the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) bosses tonight maintained that he has not been sacked "as of now". The beleaguered coach and the Indian team returned here this evening from Lahore after participating in the Champions Trophy and Rach is scheduled to meet IHF President K P S Gill tomorrow. A decision on Rach's fate is expected to be taken after his meeting with Gill. "As of now no official decision has been taken. There is no such development that he (Rach) has been sacked right now. He has a meeting with Gill later," IHF Secretary General K Jothikumaran said. Decision yet to be taken Gill's office here also maintained that no decision has been taken yet on the removal of the coach. Rach himself had conceded in Lahore yesterday that he had got a message from IHF that the government is not happy with his work and the performance of the team. Rach, who took over the job few days before the Athens Olympics after Rajinder Singh was sacked, has not been able to change the fortunes of the team in his short tenure. India finished a dismal seventh in the Athens Olympics in August and lost to arch-rivals Pakistan in the bronze medal play-off in the prestigious Champions Trophy which ended in Lahore yesterday. (PTI)