Paul Van Ass saga leaves current and former Olympians shocked

NEW DELHI: Former and current India players feel that Paul van Ass’ “firing” as Indian men’s hockey team’s chief coach barely five months into the job could prove to be detrimental to its preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Van Ass’s future with the Indian team was in serious doubt after he failed to report on time for the national team’s camp that began at the scenic Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Shilaroo, Himachal Pradesh yesterday.

The theory that the Dutchman won’t be continuing as the coach gathered further steam when he failed to submit his report on India’s performance at the recently concluded World Hockey League semi-finals in Antwerp, Belgium.

According to media reports, temperamental Van Ass had a public spat with Hockey India president Narinder Batra after the quarter-final match against Malaysia at the World League semifinals.