New Delhi: Ric Charlesworth on Monday refused to accept the curtailed role offered to him by the ministry of sports and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF).

The Australian hockey legend, who arrived in the capital on Monday morning at the behest of the ministry, was not willing to restrict his role to the junior men’s and the women’s squads.

“That was not part of the deal,” he told The Telegraph and made it clear that he was only interested in coaching the senior national team.

“Things don’t work that way. I have not come to India to do that (coaching the juniors),” an irate Charlesworth said.

When asked whether he would like to coach the junior men’s and senior women’s squads only, Charlesworth categorically said: “No.”

The Australian’s rebuff came after the IHF once again had its way and managed to convince the ministry to keep Charlesworth at bay from the senior national team.

After a four-hour meeting on Monday with top IHF officials — that included supremo K.P.S. Gill — the ministry decided to finalise Charlesworth’s appointment as the technical advisor but said the Australian would only look after the junior programmes of the federation.

“Charlesworth will be asked to take care of the under-19 and under-21 squads and also the women’s squad that is preparing to qualify for the Olympic Games,” ministry sources said.

The legendary Australian’s refusal has come as a blow for Gill and Co., who were keen to limit him to guiding the juniors. If Charlesworth, who is likely to meet the ministry officials in the next couple of days, doesn’t relent, the federation will have to come out with a new formula to keep the FIH happy.

According to sources, the IHF is all set to retain Carvalho as the national coach. The beleaguered Carvalho, who declared that he was stepping down after the Santiago debacle, has been summoned to Delhi on Tuesday for a review meeting and was “secretly” asked to keep his list of probables for the Azlan Shah tournament ready.

Strangely, though Charlesworth arrived on Monday, he was never asked to come over to the ministry for a meeting.

While the ministry and IHF officials deliberated, the four-time Olympian was left to cool his heels for a call.

“It is like waiting for Godot,” he quipped, sitting at his hotel room. Later, however, IHF officials asked him to come over for a meeting with Gill.