The Pakistan hockey team is facing a major crisis ahead of the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy in China, with head coach Roelant Oltmans withdrawing from the team due to the lack of a long-term contract.
Oltmans, who has been coaching the senior team since earlier this year, was scheduled to join the team in Hulunbuir, China. However, he pulled out at the last moment, citing the need for a long-term commitment from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).
“Oltmans has notified the PHF that he is not available for coaching as he wants a long-term proper contract with the PHF,” an official source in the PHF revealed.
The PHF has been offering Oltmans event-to-event contracts due to financial constraints. This arrangement, however, did not sit well with the coach, who has previously worked as the High Performance Director and head coach of the Indian hockey team between 2013 and 2017.
“The PHF has been hiring him on assignment basis due to fund issues and he was supposed to coach the team during the event in China and then return home,” the source explained. “But Oltmans has now made it clear that he can’t work on an event-to-event basis and if the PHF requires his expertise they need to offer him a long-term contract.”
Adding to the team’s woes, captain Ammad Butt has reportedly not been getting along with the two local coaches who are travelling with the team to China. This internal conflict further complicates the situation as the team prepares for the tournament.
The PHF has been facing a financial crunch for some time, and the Pakistan Sports Board has also refused to release funds of 50 million rupees for 27 players and six officials for the Asian Champions Trophy. While the PSB has offered to pay for the air tickets of 19 players and four officials, the PHF claims the funds being demanded are justified.
With the tournament scheduled to be held between September 8 and 17, the Pakistani team is left scrambling to find a solution to its coaching crisis and address the financial challenges ahead of the crucial event.
