Committee wants Van Ass out

Paul van Ass’ brief stint with Hockey India is all but over with the nine-member special committee headed by Olympian Harbinder Singh recommending a new coach for the national team.

 The committee -- which had also met to review the performance of men’s and women’s teams in Hockey Word League Semi-Finals at the Hockey India office -- comprised BP Govinda, V Baskaran, AB Subbaiah, Thoiba Singh, RP Singh, Asunta Lakra and Jasjeet Kaur.
Harbinder said there was no question of Van Ass returning to resume the coaching reins. "He is not responding, he didn’t submit the assessment report of Word League, he didn’t come for the camp here, so there is no question of his returning,” Harbinder told Deccan Herald after the marathon meeting on Friday.
 “The committee members have recommended a new coach as the time left for Olympics is very short and the team should quickly get to work on the shortcomings from their last tournament. The men’s team’s fourth position was good but we are not satisfied. It is now for Hockey India to take a final decision.”
 Harbinder, however, refused to disclose the name of coach recommended by the committee. Hockey India president Narinder Batra alongwith High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans will now meet Sports Authority of India's (SAI) Director General Injeti Srinivas before making a formal announcement on the matter. Oltmans is now overlooking the men’s team which is undergoing training at Shilaroo.
 It is learnt that Oltmans may be asked to take over as the coach of the team.
 The 54-year-old Van Ass, meanwhile, was not surprised by what transpired in the committee and maintained he was sacked by Hockey India after the World Hockey League Semifinals. “I have got mails telling me that I have been sacked. I have released them to even SAI and Ministry. SAI should ask my opinion as well, they could have contacted me. But no one tried calling me. I just can’t understand why they can’t speak the truth that they had fired me. They are putting up an impression that I didn’t want to coach which is not true. Batra is telling that I am not a good coach which is ridiculous. He is hiding behind this committee to fire me. It is just dirty politics,” Van Ass told Deccan Herald. “The problem is that one man is ruling everything and everybody else is having weak knees. How can one man be allowed to have so much influence?”
Things soured between Van Ass and Batra during the quarterfinals against Malaysia in World Hockey League semifinals following a heated exchange.