LAHORE – The Pakistan Hockey Federation has succeeded in its efforts to convince Michel Van Den Heuvel to continue as head coach of the national team, with added remuneration and authority of selection till the 2012 Olympics.
The coach will now be given $10,000 per month and will be paid on quarterly basis, while private security will also be provided to the Dutch after he expressed his concern following the murder of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer. Nothing has been finalized on the security issue, an official of the PHF said. But he added he would be given extra security and all his concerns will be dealt with.
It has also been learnt the Michel would be part of the training camp of the players named by the PHF selection committee, while the final selection will be done by him and he will be responsible for the team’s performance. It is for the first time in the history of Pakistan hockey that a coach has been given the authority to select the team and would be solely responsible for the players’ selection and their performance.
An official of the PHF revealed that shifting of the training camp to Holland or any European country would depend on the team’s preparations. He however, said that nothing has been finalised in this regard and the team may be sent for training a couple of days prior to its assignment, in case the need arises.
“We would provide him [Michel] security here, and everything will be finalised in today’s meeting with PHF secretary Asif Bajwa and president Qasim Zia,” he said.
Apart from running the coaching clinic under the PHF Development Programme at Faisalabad, Michel will also watch the performance of the players during the National Hockey Championship.
He will go back to Holland on February 14 and will meet Asif Bajwa and Qasim Zia today to pen down his agreement.
