Oltmans is high performance director

Top Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans will serve the Indian hockey team as director (high performance), according to Hockey India (HI) on Thursday.

Oltmans will oversee the sport in India till the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“Oltmans will look after the technical side of the sport. He will be planning the calendar and training programmes of senior and junior players in the men’s and women’s sections,” said HI secretary-general Narinder Batra. After the London Olympics debacle, Batra had announced HI’s plan to recruit a high performance director.

Oltmans, currently working with the Dutch Olympic Committee as performance manager for elite sports, is coaching the Uttar Pradesh Wizards team in the ongoing Hockey India League. He will quit his Dutch job and join HI after the league gets over in February.

“HI has been looking for a candidate who not only has the experience of high performance management, but also understands the unique attributes of working in the sub-continent. We are confident that Roelant will bring his vast experience and knowledge to this key position,” said Batra.

Oltmans, also an International Hockey Federation master coach, said: “I strongly believe there is a lot of talent in India and by having a proper plan in place we will be able to raise the level of Indian hockey in the near future. “Our dream is to bring the glory back to the country. We need to work hard on a single platform, encouraging our players and giving them the right direction which will help our dream come true,” said Oltmans.