KARACHI, Feb 26: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) paid foreign coach Roelant Oltmans 97,500 euros for one-year term, although the Dutchman violated the contract by arriving barely 10 days before elite Champions Trophy in Lahore last December.

Apart from Oltmans, PHF had also hired three other foreigners - the goalkeepers' trainer Ronald Jansen, video analyst Roberto Tolentino and physiotherapist Derk Verder - spending a total approximate amount of 164,900 euros equivalent to Rs12,697,300 in a year.

The huge amount given to Oltmans, which is equivalent to Rs7,507,500, came to light when PHF secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan disclosed the terms and conditions of the agreement signed with Oltmans after being asked by the Senate's Standing Committee on Sports.

Interestingly, Musarrat had refused to divulge the amount during a press conference in December 2003 to the media when the Dutchman was hired, saying it is a "secret."

The copy of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between PHF and Oltmans obtained by Dawn says that the Dutchman was hired barely nine months ahead of Athens Olympics for a period of one year from Dec 1, 2003, to Dec 30, 2004, on a remuneration of 7,500 euros per month.

Besides the hefty amount, the coach who returned to home country the Netherlands to join the national squad on a four-year contract after his assignment with Pakistan squad, was entitled to free boarding lodging during the training camps and tournaments abroad.

The foreigner was also entitled to receive prize money announced for the team and officials on winning any major international tournament. PHF was bound to provide air tickets to Oltmans during his assignments from Amsterdam to the venues of the training camps and the events and from there back to Amsterdam after each tournament.

While the contract was for 12 months and usually professional coaches prefer to stay with their side round the year, surprisingly PHF agreed on term that Oltmans would be with the team only during the training camps and international events included by PHF in the MoU.

The events included four to five-week training camps for Azlan Shah Cup, Olympic qualifiers, training camp at the Hague, European tour, Olympic Games and Champions Trophy.

Surprisingly, PHF did not take action against Oltmans who breached the contract by opting to report at the camp for Lahore Champions Trophy on Nov 23, while the six-nation event was scheduled to begin from Dec 4. The camp started on Nov 18 in Oltmans' absence, while he was scheduled to join on Nov 21.

The MoU could have been terminated by PHF and Oltmans or both parties, giving due notice for which no claim could have been made.

Oltmans' wife and children were also entitled to return air travel to Pakistan only once and boarding and lodging for a maximum of ten days. The coach also received return air ticket and 250 euros daily during Afro-Asian Games organized in Hyderabad, India, where he went to assess the players, making it a 97,000-euro deal.

Musarrat's reply to Senate is astonishing that Oltmans held a training camp in The Hague since it was according to the agreement. The fact of the matter is Oltmans is on record having said that it was chiefly because of his personal problems back home that he opted to hold the camp in the Netherlands.

Ronald Jansen, the goalkeepers' trainer, was hired for nine months (Dec 1, 2003 to Aug 31, 2004) on 20,000 euros (Rs1,540,000) besides having facility of free boarding and lodging. Like Oltmans, he was also entitled to receive prize money, air tickets from Amsterdam to the venue of training camps and tournaments and back to Amsterdam after each event.

The video analyst Roberto Tolentino was even more expensive as the Italian received 36,000 euros @ 3,000 euros per month during 12-month assignment plus 100 euros daily during Afro-Asian Games which made it a 39,000-euro contract which means Rs3,003,000.

He was also entitled to receive cash prize announced for the team, air travel from Amsterdam to training camp/tournament venues and back to Amsterdam, besides enjoying free boarding, lodging during camps and events abroad.

The team physiotherapist Derk Verder was engaged from Sept 7, 2003, to Dec 30, 2004, on 50-dollar daily basis during training camps and tours abroad besides having facilities of free boarding, lodging and air travel from Amsterdam to training camp, tournament venue and back to Amsterdam.

The total amount Verder received during his association with Pakistan team is $10, 900 which is equivalent to Rs643,100.

However, the copies of the contracts submitted by the PHF to Senate were not original and did not have dates, signatures of PHF officials and the four foreigners, while other details like system of selecting the team seem to be missing from MoU signed with Oltmans.

The total approximate amount of 164,850 euros was spent on the salaries of the quartet. The expenditures on their boarding, lodging, air tickets from Amsterdam to camp/tournament venues and back to Amsterdam, have not been mentioned by the PHF.