LAHORE: With the Azlan Shah Cup and the FIH Nations Cup approaching, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has reached out to Roelant Oltmans to take the helm once again as head coach of the national team.
Since 2004, the Dutchman has filled several roles for the Pakistani senior and junior teams. During his most recent assignment, he worked with the young team.
The financially challenged PHF is now looking to hire Oltmans solely for the Azlan Shah Cup and the Nations Cup, which are scheduled for May and June in Malaysia and Poland, respectively. The long-term contract will only be questioned following these two tournaments.
Dawn has discovered that Oltmans received the contract from the PHF, and the coach is currently reviewing it.
Dawn was informed by a PHF that “the PHF will hire him for the two tournaments if he accepts the terms and conditions.”
The federation hopes Oltmans accepts to take on the coaching post, which is a two-month deal, before the national team’s training camp in Islamabad begins for the two tournaments on April 15.
Siegfried Aikman, Oltman’s fellow countryman, was the last foreign coach the PHF employed to serve with the national team in 2022–2023. Due to disagreements between the organization and the Pakistan Sports Board, the PHF was unable to pay the latter’s monthly salary for a full year, making the encounter unforgettable.
Aikman didn’t get paid till he quit his work after a difficult period in Pakistan.
