On the day though, van Ass made his stand clear sharing all the e-mails exchanged between him and high performance director Roelant Oltmans – who had first informed van Ass that his services were not needed by HI – saying he did not want to leave “with his reputation tarnished”.
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“We are not considering van Ass since he is not responding, so there is no question of him returning”, Harbinder told reporters after marathon meeting at the HI office, which also involved BP Govinda, V Baskaran, AB Subbaiah, Thoiba Singh, RP Singh, Asunta Lakra and Jasjeet Kaur.
Van Ass had created a flutter on Monday by claiming that he has been fired by HI following his public altercation with Batra. How can he single-handedly take all the decisions? He said he had no ego problem and if the committee felt the coach should continue, he would himself go to The Netherlands to bring him back.
“I won’t call him a dictator but he is an autocratic person”. No one from the Sports Authority of India has tried to contact me.
“Can you please confirm that you received my explanation and the mails back and forth from Roelant Oltmans to me?”
“To finish fourth at World League semis was good but not satisfactory”, he said.
Oltmans has been associated with Indian hockey for almost three years and to add to it, the players also gel well with him and some have even aired their views of handing the reins of the team to the Dutchman after Van Ass’ ouster.
“We have given our recommendations on the Van Ass matter to Hockey India but we can’t reveal them”.
Oltmans’ immediate task would be to prepare the team for the European tour, which starts on 31 July.
Van Ass, who was appointed in January, had to join the Indian team, which is undergoing a fitness camp at SAI centre in Shilaroo, Himachal Pradesh.
Van Ass has become the fourth foreign coach to be shown the door unceremoniously ever since Hockey India took over the reins of the game in 2009. The special committee noted that the Dutchman didn’t submit his report of India’s performance in the World League.
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His predecessors Jose Brasa, Michael Nobbs and Terry Walsh-all of whom were hired by Sports Authority of India on the recommendations of HI at hefty salaries-also left the country on a bitter note.
