Thaindian News

Bhopal, June 16 (IANS) The five-member Hockey India panel, assigned to find a foreign expert, has short-listed five eminent coaches, including Dutch legend Roelant Oltmans.

“The list has been prepared in consultation with International Hockey Federation (FIH),” a member of the panel headed by Olympian and former captain Pargat Singh told IANS here Thursday.

“The names selected are all coaches of international repute.”

Besides Oltmans, who coached Pakistan in 2003-04, German Paul Lissek was also considered, but he is not available.

Once approved, the coaches will make a presentation based on which the selection will be made. The sports ministry is keen to give the foreign expert a three or four year tenure.

“We have spoken to the coaches and it is to be decided in what capacity the expert will work. He may be a high performance director or chief coach. HI and the sports ministry are working on the modalities,” the member, not wanting to be named, said.

HI wants to complete the process in three to four weeks since the foreign expert has to quickly get down to business as India will have to play the Olympic qualifiers in Delhi in February.

The national team is without a foreign coach since Spaniard Jose Brasa’s term ended after the Asian Games, where India won the bronze.

Harendra Singh, who was deputy to Brasa, was named his successor after HI failed to zero in on a foreign coach despite interviewing some candidates.

The sixth place finish in Azlan Shah trophy has forced HI and the ministry to expedite the process of finding a foreign coach.