There goes another hockey coach?

Van Ass claims he has been fired by Batra following a tiff between the two at WHL Semifinals; Batra remains evasive

In a major blow to India’s preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympics, the men’s hockey chief coach Paul van Ass has claimed that he has been “fired” by Hockey India (HI) for his public spat with HI president Narinder Batra during the World Hockey League Semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium. Van Ass’ sacking has come barely five months after he took charge of the side. The Dutchman confirmed that he has been informed by the HI that his services are no longer required and that he can look for other employment options.

“I have been fired by HI after the World League Semifinals. Roelant Oltmans (HI’s High Performance Director) told me that the federation doesn’t require my services anymore. He told me Batra doesn’t want me as the coach. I have only been informed about it verbally. I am yet to get any written confirmation from HI,” van Ass told The Tribune from Rotterdam.

Asked why he did not turn up for the national camp at Shilaroo, Himachal Pradesh, on July 17 and the reason behind his failure to submit the report on the team’s performance in Belgium, van Ass shot back: “I was waiting for my return ticket from The Netherlands to India when I was informed about my sacking. They did not send me flight tickets which clearly meant they don’t need me. Also, when they don’t require my services, what’s the point in filing the performance report?”

Tiff in Antwerp

When van Ass was asked about his altercation with Batra in Antwerp after the quarterfinal match against Malaysia, the 54-year-old confirmed that he had a verbal duel with the HI chief, but added he never thought it would lead to his ouster.

“After our win over Malaysia, Batra entered the field of play and started interacting with the boys. Team-talking is my department. I told him that they have just returned from the game and need some mental and physical conditioning. Batra left the pitch and we went ahead with our routine. I did not read much into the situation,” he informed.
Van Ass did not go into the details of his spat with Batra, but a senior player, who was part of the Indian contingent to Belgium, revealed that Batra was actually criticising the players for their 6-2 defeat against Australia in the previous match. After winning the match against Malaysia, India went on to lose their final two matches against Belgium (4-0) and Great Britain (5-1) by heavy margins. India finished fourth in the tournament. “Van Ass’ intervention did not go down well with Batra. He seemed visibly annoyed,” said the player.
However, Batra has denied sacking van Ass. “There has been no termination. HI has been in touch with the Sports Authority of India over the issue. A special HI committee will meet on Friday after which their decision will be made public on Saturday. The committee will evaluate the performance of not just the men’s but the women’s team too.”

It has been learnt that Oltmans has been asked to double up as chief coach and High Performance Director till the Rio Olympics.

Perennial problem

Van Ass’ ouster has again highlighted a perennial problem in Indian hockey. The Dutchman will become the fourth coach in five years and second in less than a year to leave their job midway. Van Ass’ predecessors —Ric Charlesworth, Jose Brasa, Michael Nobbs and Terry Walsh — had also been involved in a verbal duel with Batra at some stage of their tenure, which may have played some part in their leaving the job midway.

Walsh had cited “sporting bureaucracy” as the primary reason behind his quitting the job midway.
“Batra has a long association with controversies. Who can forget the Walsh saga when he accused the coach of financial bungling? Ever since he has come into power in 2009 with the inception of HI, he has not allowed a single coach to complete his term,” said a former hockey player.

The biggest losers in this fight, as always, remain the players, who have to frequently adapt to the new coaches.
Foreigners who left midway before Van Ass

Gerhard Rach (Germany)

August 2004-January 2005

Rach was the first foreign coach of the national hockey team. Under him, the team finished a poor seventh at Athens Olympics and fourth at Champions Trophy in Pakistan the same year. Rach’s appointment raised eyebrows because the German had served a jail term for fraud and tax evasion. He was sacked in January 2005.

Ric Charlesworth (Australia)

October 2007-July 2008

He was appointed technical adviser to the men’s and women’s teams. Annoyed at the ambiguity over his assignment, he resigned after an unhappy 10 months in July 2008.

Jose Brasa (Spain)

May 2009-November 2010

Brasa was appointed at a time when the Indian hockey team was at its lowest after having failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Spaniard helped the team win silver medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi and the bronze medal in the Asian Games held in Guangzhou, China, the same year. In spite of the results, he was sacked in November 2010.

Michael Nobbs (Australia)

June 2011-July 2013

Nobbs was offered a five-year contract but his association with Indian hockey lasted merely two years and finally ended on a bitter note. Nobbs was sacked for non-performance after India finished last at the 2012 London Olympics. The Australian, however, said he willingly resigned from the job owing to his deteriorating health condition.

Terry Walsh (Australia)

November 2013-November 2014

Under Walsh, India won silver in the 2014 CWG and gold in the 2014 Asian Games. The Asiad gold meant India qualified for the Rio Olympics. He, however, quit after his contractual talks with Hockey India and SAI broke down. Walsh’s demands for a greater say in team decisions and hand-picked support staff were turned down. Also, HI president Narinder Batra had alleged that Walsh had indulged in “financial fraud” during his stint with USA Hockey.

SAI blasts Batra

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Hockey India (HI) are heading for another round of showdown over the ouster of Paul van Ass. The SAI has made it clear that van Ass is employed by them, not HI, and as per the contract offered to foreign coaches, either party needs to serve a one-month notice before quitting the job. “We are yet to get into the details of this mess created by Batra. Who is HI to decide whether he will continue or not? Van Ass is employed by us, we pay him the salary. We have contracted him till 2018. HI can’t remove him by keeping us in the dark,” a senior SAI official told The Tribune.

They say…

As far I know I was fired one week after the Hockey World League Semifinals. Roelant Oltmans was asked to replace me. I was told on July 13 that Batra doesn’t want me any more. Roelant called and informed me about this. I am yet to get official confirmation but I expect it to get it by the end of this week. — Paul van Ass

There has been no termination. HI has been in touch with the SAI over the same. A special HI committee will meet on Friday and its decision will be made public on Saturday. The committee will evaluate the performance of not just the men’s but the women’s team too. — Narendra Batra

No doubt our Olympic preparation is in jeopardy after this development. People have egos and can’t tolerate criticism. I feel Hockey India needs to believe in the coach, not put a question mark over him. There is not much time left for the Olympics. — Ashok Kumar