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The Indian men’s hockey team head coach Roelant Oltmans has turned down the job offer to coach the Hockey India League’s franchise Uttar Pradesh Wizards in order to avoid any ‘conflict of interest’ and to fully focus on the Indian team’s preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Oltmans was handed the charge of the senior squad few months back after Hockey India's fallout with Paul Van Ass that led to the Dutchman’s sacking. He is now doubling up as a high-performance director as well as the head coach till the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“Hockey fans might just accuse me of favouritism”
The Dutchman refused to take up the job in order to save himself from being accused of ‘favouritism’. He said, “I have said no to the coaching offer from UP Wizards so as to avoid possible conflict of interest. This I have done because of two simple reasons. Let's say if a player selected in the Olympics core probables list belongs to UP Wizards, then the other players or hockey fans might just accuse me of favouritism,” as IBN Live reports.
Currently, the Indian men’s hockey team is in New Delhi taking part in the three-week training camp. He added, “It might attract criticism that I am selecting players from the franchise which I have been associated with, even if the players from UP Wizards are genuinely good.”
The 61-year old Dutchman was in charge of the Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the last edition of the HIL and led them to a 4th place finish.
“People would again say look he is busy making money”
He also believes that the time needed to take charge of the UP Wizards can be utilised in order to prepare the Indian team for the Olympics.
He concluded, “People would again say 'look he is busy making money or investing his time with a franchise when he should be strategising for the Rio Olympics'. And yes, I should be utilising that time in framing new strategies, coming up with Plan 'B' or 'C', or giving finishing touches to my ideas. Obviously, I would be travelling to different Indian cities that time, but that would be to identify core probables and oversee their progress.”
The Hockey India League auction is scheduled for 17th September and the league will begin early next year.
