Tribune: Paul offers conditional return

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Paul offers conditional return

Dutchman says he’s willing to resume his duties provided there is no interference

New Delhi, July 22

Indian hockey team’s chief coach Paul van Ass, who claims he has been fired from the job following an altercation with Hockey India (HI) president Narinder Batra, today said he is willing to resume his duties provided there is no “interference” in his work.

Asked if he is ready to rejoin the Indian team if asked to do so, Van Ass said: “It’s too early to jump the gun. Let’s wait and see. The fact is I am not welcome any more. For sure I was sacked just a week after the tournament (in Antwerp). I am just waiting for the official word. But whatever happens I am OK. I have never quit the job. I have never said I have quit. What can you do if you are fired?

“But if am asked to return I am fine. But before that we will have discussion. I am just very straight. My position is simple — don’t interfere in my primary process,” Van Ass added.

Batra yesterday said that “Van Ass is not a good coach” and was “rude”.

Reacting to Batra’s remarks, the Dutchman said: “He cannot judge what he doesn’t know. It’s useless. Such remarks prove that he doesn’t know the game but I am least interested in all this. I am not bothered about his opinion. It is not serious. What was serious was that all the blame was being put on my head by saying that I haven’t reported for the camp. But the fact is I was never supposed to join the camp as I had already been sacked,” he said.

The Dutchman made it clear that he was not in India for the money but to create “magic” in next year’s Rio Olympics.
“I was not in India for the money. By God’s grace I have earned enough in my lifetime to lead a healthy and good life,” Van Ass said.

“What excited me about the India job was the Olympics. But as a coach I was not just interested in going to the Olympics. I wanted to create magic and the boys were pretty fired up. That’s the ultimate fun,” he said. “It was possible to get a medal (at the Olympics) and it could have been done.”

Asked about his time with the team, Van Ass said: “I had spent some wonderful times with the boys. We also had decent results in the tournaments I was in charge.” — PTI