Latest News: Hockey greats slam appointment of Dutch coach

KARACHI: The appointment of a Dutchman to revive Pakistan's dwindling field hockey fortunes is a waste of money and will not stop the alarming decline, former greats said on Sunday.

Pakistan Saturday named Michel van den Heuvel as coach of their national team in a bid to revive the game here, which hit its lowest ebb in New Delhi in March this year.

Pakistan, winner of three Olympic gold and four world titles, finished 12th and last -- their worst-ever finish -- in the World Cup.

Former Olympian and ex-coach Shahnaz Shaikh said hiring a foreign coach will prove a waste of money.

"Under economic problems, Pakistan government has already slashed sports budget by 60 percent and the hiring of a foreign coach will increase financial woes and will not produce desired results," Shaikh told AFP.

"I am told the Dutchman will be paid 1.6 million rupees (18,000 dollars) per month until 2012, which is huge and unacceptable in this poor country."

Shaikh said Van den Heuvel had failed to lift Dutch hockey.

"In the last ten years the Dutch hockey has failed to produce results and with Van den Heuvel involved, either as assistant coach or coach, this step is unwise and will fail," said Shaikh, a winner of the World Cup in 1971.


Van den Heuvel will be Pakistan's third foreign coach, succeeding fellow Dutchmen Hans Jorritsma, appointed in 1994, and Roelant Oltmans, in 2004.

Another former Olympian, Shahbaz Ahmed, was just as scathing.

"When I played in the Dutch league (1996-2000), Van den Heuvel was my team coach and I found him very ordinary, he failed to handle the team and I told club's president that until he is in charge, we cannot win," Ahmed said.

"By appointing a foreign coach they (officials) are trying to save themselves and when the team loses they will put the blame on the foreign coach," said Ahmed, a member of Pakistan's World Cup winning team in 1994.

Under the new coach Pakistan tour Spain next month before featuring in October's Commonwealth Games in India and November's Asian Games in China.