NEW DELHI: In view of India’s humiliating performances in international competitions including the just-concluded seventh World Cup Championship, a serious move is afoot in the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to obtain the services of a foreign coach.

The three foreign coaches in contention are West Germany’s national coach Klause Kilieter and world champion Holland’s Hans Joritsan and Joost Ballart,

However, Klause Klieter has shown interest in coming to India for five to six weeks to conduct training clinics for national coaches.

Klieter has expressed his inability to stay for long in India, as he has to coach the German team for the BMW and Champion Trophy.

The Dutch coaches, Jortisam and Ballart, however are keen on taking up assignments for two to three years.

Klicter has informed the IHF that he is willing to come on short duration assignments without charging anything.

He has only sought boarding and lodging expenses from the IHF and said he would “be too happy to help India regain the old glory in the game.”

But Dutch coaches, have asked for three lakh U.S. dollars for two year contract and have made it clear that both of them (Jortisam and Ballart) will come together on the assignment. Jortisam and Ballart who trained the Holland team which won the World Championship have also got an offer from Spain to train their team for the 1992 Olympic Games.

The Dutch coach’s contract with their national side has ended and the Holland Hockey Federation has already appointed Mr. Bionki, coach of the Dien Stag Club as the national coach.

The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) is likely to take the final decision. in this regard after the Indira Gandhi International Gold Cup Tournaments over at Lucknow.

‘The IHF will also decide whether to retain the services of national coach MP Ganesh or not.

‘According to the sources initially IHF is likely to opt for Klause Klieter, because the money demanded by the Dutch coaches is very high and also Klieter will provide through his clinic if necessary expertise to local coaches about the European brand of hockey, which in the long run will prove useful,

Article extracted from this publication >> March 16, 1990