Hockey India's Bholanath Singh: 'If Schopman was removed after Asian Games, we might have qualified for Paris Olympics'

Hockey India have lost two key stakeholders in a week. First women's hockey coach Janneke Schopman resigned. Three days later, Hockey India CEO Elena Norman quit as well. Both alleged to difficult working conditions within the organisation. Schopman and Norman said they found support from Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey while making no such claims for secretary-general Bholanath Singh.

Schopman said Bholanath wanted to get rid of her much earlier. He acknowledged that was the case. “I had clearly told everyone that if she stays, India can never qualify for the Olympics. And I wasn’t saying this. Our selectors, too, were of this opinion,” he told Indian Express.

He added, “Maybe we should have removed the coach before the Asian Games. Or she should have left. Maybe then the team would have qualified. All the players are good. After all, it was more or less the same set of players that finished fourth at the (Tokyo) Olympics.”

Read: India's sports ecosystem remains a tough place for women

The Dutch coach said she didn't feel respected and valued by the Hockey India officials. “Wasn’t she respected here for four years? If she felt like that, she could have said it anytime during these four years. But when India didn’t qualify for the Olympics, all these things came up,” he stated.

Bholanath defended his decision-making by claiming he was a coach too, albeit in wrestling. He further said a new women’s team coach will be announced soon with talks in advanced stage.