Paul van Ass named India men’s hockey team coach

New Delhi, January 30

Former Dutch national team coach Paul van Ass was on Friday named the new head coach of India men’s hockey team, ending three months of uncertainly after Australian Terry Walsh quit under controversial circumstances.

While 54-year-old Van Ass, who was at the helm of affairs of the Dutch team from 2010 to 2014, will take charge of the men’s team, New Zealand’s Anthony Thornton, 47, will replace Neil Hawgood as the coach of the women’s senior team.

According to a statement from the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the name of the coaches were finalised at a special selection committee meeting headed by Secretary Sports and interim Director General of SAI Ajit Sharan, Hockey India president Narinder Batra, High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans and Olympian Harbinder Singh among others.

The committee considered three names — Van Ass, Hans Streeder of the Netherlands and Alexander Grey of Australia — for the coach’s position of the men’s team, while Thornton, Canada’s Mathias Ahrens and Fabian Gregory of South Africa were in the race for the women’s side.

According to sources privy to the development, both Van Ass and Thornton have been awarded a three-year contract till 2018. India will host the 2018 men’s Hockey World Cup.

It has been learnt that both Van Ass and Thornton will get a pay cheque similar to their predecessors, Walsh and Hawgood.

While Van Ass is expected to join his new assignment within three to four weeks time, Thornton will need some more time to report to his new job as he has to give 30 days notice to his current employers.

Sources said Thornton is most likely to join the women’s team only after the Women’s FIH World League Round 2 to be held here from March 7 to 15.

As a player, Van Ass had limited international experience but as a coach he led the Netherlands to an Olympic silver medal in the 2012 London Olympics after being given the charge of the Dutch team in 2010. He also served as the head coach of the Dutch Under-21 team.

At the club level, Van Ass not just resurrected the fortunes of the Dutch Club HC Gazellen-Combinatie, he even took them to the Euro Hockey League final in 2007-08. — PTI