ISLAMABAD The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), in a bid to resuscitate the game in the country, is set to hire a foreign coach, physical trainer and sports psychologist, Dawn learnt on Thursday.
“The federation is in discussion with a few foreign coaches and negotiations are underway with a German and Australian coach,” said a source privy to the ongoing developments. It was under Dutch coach Hans Jorritsma that Pakistan won the 1994 World Cup in Sydney, Australia, while another Dutch man Roelant Oltmans coached Pakistan in 2004 with the green shirts gaining better ranking at the international level during his tenure.
The source said “Hiring a good foreign coach is vital as well as the most immediate step for the PHF to cope with the physical fitness and technique mythology of the national squad.
It will also help the federation to bail itself out from the severe criticism it has had to face from former Olympians since the World Cup debacle.”
The PHF management, specifically Secretary Asif Bajwa, is under immense pressure to step down after the poor performance of the national team in the recently-concluded FIH World Cup 2010 in New Delhi, India, where Pakistan finished at the bottom of the 12-nation event.
“The PHF has the much-needed financial backing from the federal government,” added the source.
However, a sports analyst said “It will be critical to select the right kind of foreign coach who should be aware of Pakistani culture and our system of hockey in order to derive the required results.
“Liberty to work with the players and having a major say in the selection of the national squad besides training the local coaches would be the factors determining the success of a foreign coach,” he pointed out.
“Otherwise all the money spent on the foreign coach will go down the drain,” he added.
Regarding the hiring of a sports psychologist, he said “The players should at least be able to read and write, one of the basic components of sports psychology.”
