van Ass exit imminent

With the Hockey India deadline to return and submit his report long gone, chief men’s coach Paul van Ass is all set to bid adieu to the team barely six months into his tenure. At the same time the goalkeepers are set to get specialised coaches to improve their performances.

The men’s team begins its training on Sunday in Shilaru, but no one has any information on the Dutchman. Hockey India president Narinder Batra said the national team’s training cannot be treated lightly and if someone wasn’t professional enough to take charge of the camp on schedule, it was time to take some hard decisions.

“I have no idea about Paul. He hasn’t come, he hasn’t sent his report on the team’s performance in Antwerp and no one here knows his whereabouts. I cannot let the national team’s training be affected by someone’s whims and fancies,” Batra told The Hindu.

According to federation and team sources, van Ass is most likely not to return.

Instead, High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans would be given additional charge as chief coach of the men’s side with a slew of coaches to assist him. Antwerp was the first big challenge for the 54-year-old van Ass.

A final decision, however, will be taken on July 24, when a nine-member committee of Olympians chaired by Harbinder Singh meets to evaluate and assess the team’s performance at the Hockey World League semifinals and the reports submitted by members of the coaching staff.

With van Ass neither appearing in person nor sending his report so far, it is unlikely he will be considered to continue.

Also, Hockey India has tied up with South African Dave Staniforth and Dutchman Martijn Drijver for a series of short, high-intensity camps till the Rio Olympics. The two have worked with Indian goalkeepers earlier and come highly recommended by the players. The camps will include goalkeepers from both the senior and junior for men’s and women’s teams.