Hockey: Assistant coach Jude Felix also resigns

Not just head coach Paul van Ass, but assistant coach Jude Felix has also resigned from his post as Hockey India ready themselves for a rejig of their technical staff. “Yes, I have resigned from the job. I have an ailing mother to take care of. Also, I run a hockey academy for poor kids in Bangalore which needs my attention. So, I am going back,” Felix was quoted as saying in a DNA report. [caption id=“attachment_2362800” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Van Ass’s sacking mean India lost their fourth chief coach in five years. Reuters[/caption] The former India captain informed the paper of his resignation from Shilaroo in Himachal Pradesh, where the national camp is ongoing. Hockey India’s special committee recommended the sacking of Van Ass on Saturday and while the final decision rests on the Sports Authority of India and the HI, it is unlikely that the Dutchman will come back. The team was undergoing a change in approach under Van Ass — he told Times Now in an interview that he was working on making the group knit together and him leaving may affect their chances at the Rio Olympics. Roelant Oltmans, who was interim coach after HI had sacked previous coach Terry Walsh, is favourite to take over charge of the team, with Rio 2016 just more than a year away. Van Ass’s sacking mean India lost their fourth chief coach in five years. Click here to read the full DNA report.