In bizarre circumstances just a year away from the Rio Olympics, Hockey India has fired men's team coach Paul van Ass six months after his appointment in January this year.
"I have been fired by Hockey India," the Dutchman confirmed IBNLive from his home in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where he had gone for a vacation after the FIH Hockey World League Semifinals in Belgium.
Speculation was rife about Van Ass's future with the Indian team after he didn't join the fitness camp in Shilaroo, leading to reports that he might be on his way out. But Van Ass categorically said he hasn't quit.
"The news has been broken to me by the Hockey India High Performance Director, Roelant Oltmans, via an e-mail; but I haven't had an official information from Hockey India or Sports Authority of India yet," Van Ass said.
"Oltmans has also told me that Mr. [Narinder] Batra has asked him to replace me as coach. But what disturbs me is the fact that it's being said that I have quit. I have not quit, I have been fired by Mr. Batra, and it was done one week after the World League semis in Belgium," he repeated.
The Dutchman also confirmed about his spat with the Hockey India President Batra in Belgium, which was being widely reported in the media over the last week.
Van Ass confirmed that Batra did invade the pitch after the quarter-final against Malaysia, which turned into an argument between him and the president.
"He [Batra] came onto the pitch and said something in Hindi to the players. I thought he was saying things like 'Well done' and 'Well played' but the tone was not such. Then I asked him to leave the pitch, that's not right," Van Ass informed.
"We had won a quarter-final, it was big. This is not how he should have behaved," the 54-year-old added.
But what adds to the drama is the fact that Sports Secretary Ajit Saran told CNN-IBN that the Ministry has been informed by Batra that Van Ass has sent in a letter informing that he wants to leave his job.
However, Van Ass's version is completely the opposite, which means that this theatre of the absurd may continue for a while considering Van Ass is an employee of Sports Authority of India, not Hockey India, and as per contract either party needs to serve a month's notice before discontinuation of services.
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