India

Star coach Maurits Hendriks on what brought him to India’s hockey venture

UTHRA GANESAN

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 31: Even before it’s begun, the Premier Hockey League seems to have won at least one fan: top coach Maurits Hendriks, recently appointed technical consultant to the PHL. And the main reason for his accepting the job, he says, is professionalism.

‘‘When I was first approached by the Indian Hockey Federation sometime towards the end of November — I was here with the Spanish team for a two-match series — there was an immediate interest on my part. I was impressed by the whole initiative, the professionalism that was evident’’, he told The Indian Express.



‘‘The idea of packaging and attempt to make it attractive for the public, the decision to market and telecast the league...all spoke of a whole new professional set-up.’’

Hendriks' credentials are strong. His latest achievement was taking Spain to its maiden victory at the recent Champions Trophy, the first ever coach to win the tournament with two different teams (he led the Dutch in 2000). He was also in charge of the Dutch when they won gold at the Sydney Olympics.

The PHL, he says, is a project long overdue. ‘‘I know it will be pretty tough in the beginning, starting a whole new domestic competition structure. But in the long run, I feel it will only be beneficial for the sport in India, and that is the most important thing. In fact, the desire to see the league succeed despite the hurdles is what makes the proposal attractive to me, to be a part of the whole concept.’’

Pak presence in PHL

• Though the IHF is yet to disclose all names, 10 of the 17 foreign players already confirmed for the league are from Pakistan. There is one from Spain (Juan Pablo Escarre), two from France (Soyez Frederic and Nicolas Galliard), two from Malaysia (Kuhan Shanmuganathan and Nor Azlan Bakar), and one from Japan, though Hendriks said there were efforts to get some more big names: “But I can’t say anything about them.”



Hendriks' work will focus on technical aspects, mainly in the area of coaching and training of the support staff, and other areas like the time-outs during the matches.

He’s also been asked by the IHF to design and conduct a kind of coaching programme for the coaches and the support staff of the participating teams once the event gets over. It’s not yet finalised, though, because of his prior commitments.

One immediate positive fallout of geTting Hendriks on board has been the induction of European players to the league. ‘‘A limited number of players this year, since the league is already too late. Most domestic leagues in Europe start in September, and contract negotiations begin much before that. But we will definitely get more top stars from the next season onwards’’, he adds.

Finally, the inevitable question: Is his appointment a one-time affair, or for a longer term? ‘‘As of now it’s for this year, we will talk about the future when the need arises’’, he says.

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