OLTMANS’ HIRING: ‘PSB has nothing to do with PHF move’

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has made it clear that it had nothing to do with the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s hiring of coach Roelant Oltmans as the PHF did not follow the standard operating procedure.

PSB’s Director Sports Federations Azam Dar when contacted on a possible government role in the hiring of the Dutchman for a second term with the national team, he said the government had nothing to do with it.

“The PHF did not follow the SOP in hiring the foreign coach. As such, we cannot financially support his hiring,” he said.

Dar said in recent times the government has supported the volleyball and taekwondo federations in hiring coaches. “They followed the SOP and are being financially supported to hire coaches.”

Meanwhile, the government has yet to pay the annual grant to the PHF because of the hockey officials’ inability to submit the previous audit report in time.

“The government gives Rs3.5 million as annual grant to the hockey federation. We issue the grant once we get complete an audited report of the previous year’s grant.

“The PHF only submitted its audit report last week which is too late. Now we have moved its case to the Finance Ministry,” Dar said.

“A PHF official keeps visiting the PSB offices regularly in an attempt to get the grant early. We are pursuing their case and will only be in a position to give them the grant once we receive it from the ministry,” he said.