Hockey: Coach should stay in Pakistan says Olympian Sardar
Hockey officials questioned on Heuvel by Olympian.
LAHORE:
Olympian Hassan Sardar has become the latest voice questioning the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) decision to stick with coach Michel van dan Heuvel despite the Dutch’s year-round unavailability.
Heuvel only joins the squad on tours or short camps held before international series and his non-presence at academies or with the junior squads should force the PHF to name a replacement, according to Sardar.
“If the PHF wants a foreign coach then firstly it should’ve been an Australian and he should be here full-time,” Sardar told The Express Tribune. “There’s no point of having a coach just for the tours. He should also be available to work in camps, academies and with the youngsters so that they learn the art at an early age.”
Sardar also said stressed the need of stability in the national squad in order to perform well in the upcoming Olympics.
“The team needs to be stable. It beat Australia one day only to be defeated by a lower-ranked team soon after. With stability comes performance and with the Olympics drawing near, I think the team lacks that on a huge scale.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2012.
Olympian Hassan Sardar has become the latest voice questioning the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) decision to stick with coach Michel van dan Heuvel despite the Dutch’s year-round unavailability.
Heuvel only joins the squad on tours or short camps held before international series and his non-presence at academies or with the junior squads should force the PHF to name a replacement, according to Sardar.
“If the PHF wants a foreign coach then firstly it should’ve been an Australian and he should be here full-time,” Sardar told The Express Tribune. “There’s no point of having a coach just for the tours. He should also be available to work in camps, academies and with the youngsters so that they learn the art at an early age.”
Sardar also said stressed the need of stability in the national squad in order to perform well in the upcoming Olympics.
“The team needs to be stable. It beat Australia one day only to be defeated by a lower-ranked team soon after. With stability comes performance and with the Olympics drawing near, I think the team lacks that on a huge scale.”
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2012.