New Delhi: The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) has announced that former Olympian Jagbir Singh and Dutch goalkeeping coach Frank Leictre will assist the team ahead of the Olympics.

Jagbir replaces assistant coach Harendra Singh while Leictre takes the place of M.R. Negi, IHF president K.P.S. Gill said on Tuesday.

“Jagbir will assist chief coach Rajinder Singh,” Gill said, rejecting the view that the new staff will hardly get the time to effect improvements. “The time is sufficient.”

Brushing aside the dubious records of two other foreign experts — Oliver Kurtz and Gerhard Rach — the IHF chief said their past was “irrelevant” and they will continue to work with the team. The Germans, appointed in May to oversee India’s training programme for the Athens Games, have been in news for the wrong reasons.

Rach was convicted and served a jail term for tax evasion and fraud four years ago while Kurtz was caught for a doping offence in 1987.

A defiant Gill said the duo will not only be retained till the Olympics, but will also visit India to conduct “special coaches’ camp” after Athens.

Jagbir, meanwhile, identified lack of co-ordination and proper tactics as India’s main shortcomings. “We are playing as three teams in one team — the defence, forwards and midfielders lack co-ordination,” Jagbir said on India’s dismal performance in a recent four-nation tournament in Holland, where they finished fourth.

“We are holding the ball too much and dancing to the tune of the opponents. We lack tactical intelligence,” he said.

Jagbir, who played from 1988 to 1992 and represented India in the Seoul and Barcelona Olympics, said the biggest positive about the team despite the recent lacklustre performance was the fact that they were confident of doing well in the Olympics.

“I have talked to the players. They have the energy and confidence to do something worthwhile for the country.

“My job is to ensure that their confidence level does not go down. The team will be in a different mould in the Olympics.”

Jagbir will leave for Germany along with the team on July 10. India are scheduled to play a four-nation tournament in Duesseldorf starting on July 16.