History beckons Roelant Oltmans to re-establish as a successful coach

In his first avtar as coach, the young The Netherlands’ Roelant Oltmans stood head and shoulders above the rest, bringing in amazing results in all genre of competitions in field hockey including Olympics.

When he brought his team to Chennai when India hosted the Champions Trophy for the first time, Stephan Veen led team easily overcame resurgent Pakistan in the final played under heavy downpour. (Two years though, on way to Lahore CT, India beat his team in a two-test encounter).

Past 90s, Roelant did not produce matching results, having been to other areas of sports, elevating himself to vital roles. However, he got to train many national teams including his country (for instance 2006 World Cup) besides being chief coach of Pakistan in 2003-2004.

Then he was roped in by the short-lived WSH organizers in India to train a franchise, and then came to coach a Hockey India League team, whence he was catapulted to the role of High Performance Director which he assumed one and half years ago.

This story is not to evaluate him in his HPD role, but as a coach.

When he shifted from football to Hockey and took up the Pakistan challenge in the early 2003, a short spell of about a year, he could not lift Pakistan beyond any known levels. Significantly, India beat Pakistan twice in Afro-Asian Games when he was the coach.

Not only that.

Before the Pakistan-Dutch match in Monchengladbach, the coach went on to say that his team will easily defeat Pakistan as he knows thoroughly the latter’s game. His comment was much talked about in those times in the context of acquiring foreign coach, their loyalty to pay masters etc.

But what happened on the turf was a different story. Pakistan defeated The Netherlands, and in the end finished a step above in the World Cup ranking!

This is a big blemish in an otherwise impeccable coaching career he labels.

Years later, India provided Lucknow Franchise, which he could not get the Gold in two editions.

Now, he has been with the Indian national team for more than one and half years. As events would have it, he will be the central figure in India’s fortune here in Bhubneswar.

Circumstance that landed him in-charge of Indian coaching is well known.

Having accepted the challenge, he has the onerous task of proving his delivery.

Oltmans is not unknown to India. He has been with the senior team for considerable time, touring and monitoring across the globe.

Therefore, expectation of the nation from him is high.

He has been on a roller coaster ride in his post 90s’ coaching stints, and its time now to prove his critics wrong.

Bhubnewar beckons the veteran.