21 July,2015 08:09 AM IST | | IANS
India chief coach claimed that he has been sacked by Hockey India (HI), but its president maintained there has been no termination of the Dutchman's contract and a decision in the matter will be taken this weekend
Narinder Batra
New Delhi: India chief coach Paul van Ass yesterday claimed that he has been sacked by Hockey India (HI), but its president Narinder Batra maintained there has been no termination of the Dutchman's contract and a decision in the matter will be taken this weekend.
Narinder Batra
The development comes in after the two had an altercation during the Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-Final after India's quarter-final win over Malaysia in Antwerp on July 1.
Decision on Friday
Batra told IANS: "There has been no termination. A special HI committee will meet on Friday after which their decision will be made public on Saturday. The committee will evaluate the performance of not just the men's but the women's team too."
HI on Sunday had set up a special committee to evaluate the performance of the national teams in the HWL Semi-Finals. While the men's team reached the semis and finished fourth, the women's outfit was ousted from the quarter-finals and managed to end fifth.
Van Ass, who was appointed on January 30, was supposed to join the Indian team which is undergoing a fitness camp at SAI centre in Shilaroo, Himachal Pradesh. But the Dutchman did not return to take charge of the camp, saying HI had not sent him the air ticket.
"Obviously, if HI does not send me tickets to return to India, how will I come? There are stories spreading that I did not return but how can I return if you do not send me tickets," wondered the 54-year-old, who went back home from Belgium following the conclusion of the HWL Semi-Final event on July 5.
Responding to van Ass's claims, Batra said the Dutch tactician was lying and travel tickets had been sent to him.
"He was supposed to evaluate the team's performance and send us a report on July 15. He was then supposed to send his report on July 17.
"He was supposed to come back. He is spreading the news that he has not been sent tickets. He is lying. We did send him the tickets," Batra said lashing out at the Dutch tactician.
