KARACHI, July 27: Members of the Pakistan Olympic hockey squad supported their coach Roelant Oltmans on Tuesday, saying he should remain with them irrespective of the results at the biggest sporting extravaganza.
Key players told Dawn before their scheduled departure for a pre-Olympic tour of Spain that the Dutch coach should continue for a longer period as he had made a huge difference in each aspect of the game.
Oltmans, who helped the Netherlands win Olympic, World Cup and Champions Trophy titles, was hired by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) last December after a series of pathetic performances under Tahir Zaman.
The Dutchman has signed a one-year contract with the PHF which expires after Lahore's Champions Trophy in September. Penalty corner exponent Sohail Abbas is a big admirer of the Dutchman's coaching abilities and says the coach has revolutionised the method of training the squad.
"He (Oltmans) has changed the structure. He has not only emphasised a lot on physical fitness, but instilled confidence in us and we are more tough mentally. Previously, we used to evade training, now we enjoy hardwork," said the full-back.
Sohail said the Dutchman should be asked to stay on with the team even after the Olympics and Champions Trophy because of his professional attitude. "I want betterment of Pakistan hockey and that's why I am for Oltmans.
This is not the matter of a foreign or a local coach. When it comes to hockey coaching, one should see the benefit the team could get in the long run. "I must say whether we win or lose, Oltmans should be given another contract, a long-term contract for the sake of hockey.
PHF should depute Pakistani coaches so they could learn from Oltmans's experience. I would say Oltmans has proved himself as the best coach. "We lost against Germany 6-0 during the European tour.
But we are not bothered about the loss as we used to be before Oltmans came. Now we know what we are suppose to do," said the defender. Forward Rehan Butt and goalkeeper Salman Akbar said the players had become physically and mentally tough while the team was more organized under Oltmans.
They said although Tahir had the same technique as Oltmans has, the vast experience of the Dutchman had made all the difference. They added that the PHF should place more Pakistani coaches under Oltmans's wings for future needs.
"We feel a big difference now. We have improved our physical fitness and are more organized. Technically Oltmans is a sound coach and PHF should asked him to continue even after Champions Trophy.
"We are not talking about having a local or a foreign coach. We are talking about the quality of training we saw under Oltmans," one of the players said. Left-half Waseem Ahmad said it would have been better had Oltmans joined the team at least two years ago.
"Oltmans has made all the difference in each and every field of training," he said. Now PHF should request him to stay on even after the Champions Trophy to get better results in future."
Mercurial forward Shabbir Hussain put his weight behind Oltmans and said the Dutchman had changed the structure and made several changes in training style. "Apart from our better level of physical fitness, the coach has strengthened the midfield. He is a true professional and should stay with us for a longer time," he said.
Forward Mudassir Ali said Oltmans was an experienced coach and PHF should ask the Dutchman to train coaches who could replace him in future. Akhtar Ali, who will only tour Spain, said: "Oltmans has different style and his presence has helped the team a lot."
