Hockey India appoints Oltmans as high performance manager

Hockey India appointed the legendary Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans on Thursday as its high performance director. He will oversee the affairs of the senior and junior national teams.

Hockey India secretary-general Narinder Batra said the appointment of Oltmans is an important step to ensure that a strategic programme will be put in place for the senior and junior men's and women's teams.

"Hockey India had been looking for a candidate that not only has the experience of High Performance Management but also understands the unique attributes of working on the sub-continent. We're confident that Roelant will bring his vast experience and knowledge into this key position," Batra said.

Oltmans said he is excited about his first-ever role as director, High Performance.

"I strongly believe that there is a lot of talent in India and by having a proper plan in place we will be able to raise the level of Indian hockey in the near future," Oltmans said.

"Our dream is to bring the glory back to the country. We need to work hard on a single platform that too with unity, encouraging our players and giving them the right direction which will help our dream come true," he added.

Oltmans, who coached the Dutch team for 14-long years, has a long list of achievements. Under his guidance, the Dutch team won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics, two FIH World Cups, three FIH Champions Trophy and the Euro Hockey League.

The Dutchman, who is chief coach of the Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the ongoing Hockey India, is currently working with The Netherlands Olympic Committee as its Performance Manager for Elite Sports, and is also an International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Master coach.