New Delhi:
“I was always prepared to be sacked,” said
Roelant Oltmans after Hockey India gave him the marching orders. India
has been a difficult place to work for foreign hockey coaches; in the
past, renowned coaches like Ric Charlesworth, Jose Brasa, Michael Nobbs,
Terry Walsh and Paul van Ass have been shown the door before the
completion of their tenures.
“We all (foreigners) know India is not the
easiest of countries to work, especially in the sporting sector, because
of a host of issues. But I was always prepared. When I took up the
offer, I knew someday I will be sacked but I was ready for that,” said
Oltmans.
The Dutchman, who came to India in 2013 as High Performance Director,
however, said he had no regrets and hoped that he had prepared a good
roadmap for the team. “I have no regrets because I know I have left a
certain legacy for Indian hockey in the last four-and-a-half years. The
team has made significant progress, and I hope the process I’ve put in
place continues in the future,” Oltmans said.
Oltmans said he emphasised on the need to set long-term goals for Indian
hockey to revive its past glory. “My plan from day one was to set
long-term goals to put the house in order and achieve a level of
consistency. I’ve always said that India need six years to be in the
top-3,” he said. “But people want overnight results in India. It takes
time to build a process after a slump. In India it’s all about winning a
tournament, everyone thinks from the point of view of a fan. It takes
time.”
The Dutchman said he had set a system for the Indian men’s team to
prosper in the future. “We have prepared the team for the future. I am
100 per cent confident we will win the Asia Cup and I absolutely feel we
can finish on the podium in the HWL Finals, Commonwealth Games and
Asian Games, provided we have the system in place,” he said. “But you
never know (now) because a new coach will have his own style of play.
But I feel the team is heading in the right direction.” — PTI
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