India is a closed chapter now for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/malaysian-head-coach-roelant-oltmans-look-to-aim-for-podium-finish-179487">Roelant Oltmans</a> but the legendary Dutch coach said more than hurt he was surprised by the way he was unceremoniously shown the door by Hockey India, especially after investing his time in the country for nearly five years.

Oltmans came to India as High Performance Director in 2013 and played an instrumental role in reviving Indian hockey before taking up the position of men's team's chief coach.

Oltmans' association with Indian hockey for nearly five years came to an end in September last year after he was sacked by the national federation for lack of results.

"I was not hurt (about the sudden sacking). That is part of our coaching job but I must admit I was surprised," the 64-year-old master tactician told PTI in an exclusive interview here.

"There are certain moments people take decisions and you need to accept the decisions the way they are," said Oltmans, who is here as the head coach of Malaysian team participating in the World Cup.

During his time as a High Performance Director in India, Oltmans strengthened the grassroot level besides working with all the national teams, be it junior or senior, men or women.

He also worked with the domestic coaches, including current India chief coach Harendra Singh, and played a key role in restructuring the game in the country.

Some former players have even said that Indian hockey is currently reaping rewards for Oltmans' labour.

"I worked here (in India) for 5 years with a lot of pleasure. I enjoyed my stay here. India has a rich hockey history and I am satisfied that I could contribute something to Indian hockey's rebirth," Oltmans said.

"I am happy to see that Indian hockey in this period has grown. This is a new team with new group of people. I have worked with a lot of these players. I hope the best for India apart from one game (against his own team Malaysia if they face each other in knockout stages)."

Asked about India's podium chances at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">World Cup</a>, Oltmans said: "I said it before that the winner of the World Cup will come from the top six teams of the world at the moment." 
India are currently ranked fifth in the world.

After the India sojourn, Oltmans was with Pakistan team on a two-year contract but resigned barely four months into the job.

After the Asian Games, Oltmans took over as Malaysia coach for a two-year tenure with an aim to help the side qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Malaysia missed a golden chance to seal their Olympic berth after losing to Japan in the final at the Asian Games earlier this year but the Dutchman said that episode, which he was not part of, is history now.

"Of course, it was a big disappointment but that is history now. We can't change history but we can change the future and that is what we will try here. The boys have talked about what went wrong there, but many things were right or else we won't be there in the final of the Asian Games," he said.

Malaysia are placed in what can be termed as pool of death at the ongoing World Cup alongside three former champion sides -- Pakistan, Germany and Netherlands -- in Pool D.

"We have set very simple targets. First is to survive in this pool of death. That's the challenge and we take it as a challenge. How we survive, it doesn't matter. Then, we will reset our goals for the next phase," Oltmans said.

He also feels that his knowledge about India and familiar weather conditions will help Malaysia in the World Cup.

"All the 16 teams are well prepared. Of course, it helps us that we are coming from Asia. We did not have to travel too much. We are used to weather conditions in this time of the year. But these are minor advantages because every team has prepared themselves to make sure they are the best and this is what World Cup is about," Oltmans signed off.

India is a closed chapter now for Roelant Oltmans but the legendary Dutch coach said more than hurt he was surprised by the way he was unceremoniously shown the door by Hockey India, especially after investing his time in the country for nearly five years.

India is a closed chapter now for Roelant Oltmans but the legendary Dutch coach said more than hurt he was surprised by the way he was unceremoniously shown the door by Hockey India, especially after investing his time in the country for nearly five years. Oltmans came to India as High Performance Director in 2013 and played an instrumental role in reviving Indian hockey before taking up the position of men's team's chief coach. Oltmans' association with Indian hockey for nearly five years came to an end in September last year after he was sacked by the national federation for lack of results. "I was not hurt (about the sudden sacking). That is part of our coaching job but I must admit I was surprised," the 64-year-old master tactician told PTI in an exclusive interview here. "There are certain moments people take decisions and you need to accept the decisions the way they are," said Oltmans, who is here as the head coach of Malaysian team participating in the World Cup. During his time as a High Performance Director in India, Oltmans strengthened the grassroot level besides working with all the national teams, be it junior or senior, men or women. He also worked with the domestic coaches, including current India chief coach Harendra Singh, and played a key role in restructuring the game in the country. Some former players have even said that Indian hockey is currently reaping rewards for Oltmans' labour. "I worked here (in India) for 5 years with a lot of pleasure. I enjoyed my stay here. India has a rich hockey history and I am satisfied that I could contribute something to Indian hockey's rebirth," Oltmans said. "I am happy to see that Indian hockey in this period has grown. This is a new team with new group of people. I have worked with a lot of these players. I hope the best for India apart from one game (against his own team Malaysia if they face each other in knockout stages)." Asked about India's podium chances at the World Cup, Oltmans said: "I said it before that the winner of the World Cup will come from the top six teams of the world at the moment." India are currently ranked fifth in the world. After the India sojourn, Oltmans was with Pakistan team on a two-year contract but resigned barely four months into the job. After the Asian Games, Oltmans took over as Malaysia coach for a two-year tenure with an aim to help the side qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Malaysia missed a golden chance to seal their Olympic berth after losing to Japan in the final at the Asian Games earlier this year but the Dutchman said that episode, which he was not part of, is history now. "Of course, it was a big disappointment but that is history now. We can't change history but we can change the future and that is what we will try here. The boys have talked about what went wrong there, but many things were right or else we won't be there in the final of the Asian Games," he said. Malaysia are placed in what can be termed as pool of death at the ongoing World Cup alongside three former champion sides -- Pakistan, Germany and Netherlands -- in Pool D. "We have set very simple targets. First is to survive in this pool of death. That's the challenge and we take it as a challenge. How we survive, it doesn't matter. Then, we will reset our goals for the next phase," Oltmans said. He also feels that his knowledge about India and familiar weather conditions will help Malaysia in the World Cup. "All the 16 teams are well prepared. Of course, it helps us that we are coming from Asia. We did not have to travel too much. We are used to weather conditions in this time of the year. But these are minor advantages because every team has prepared themselves to make sure they are the best and this is what World Cup is about," Oltmans signed off.

I was surprised by sudden ouster as India coach: Roelant Oltmans

Malaysia's head coach Roelant Oltmans believes that his team's recent performances will give them the required confidence to make an impact at the 14th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup 2018.&nbsp;

Recently, Malaysia won bronze at the Asian Champions Trophy after defeating Japan for the third-place match, where India and Pakistan were the champions as they shared the title.

For World Cup, team Malaysia has been placed in Pool D with Netherlands, Germany and Pakistan.&nbsp;

"We understand that we’re in a very difficult pool, so our first aim is to get into the next round," Malaysia head coach Oltmans told to International Hockey Federation after winning bronze at the Asian Champions Trophy 2018.

"We will try to make this happen by performing at the very top of our game. Once we achieve this aim, we will re-set our goals for the next stages," he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/hockeymalaysia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@hockeymalaysia</a>'s Chief Coach <a href="https://twitter.com/OltmansOltmans?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OltmansOltmans</a> believes his team's recent performances give them the confidence they require to make an impact at the Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/GwNJH2ImCy">pic.twitter.com/GwNJH2ImCy</a>
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia/status/1066783914448969728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Over the past few years Oltmans has coached India men, Pakistan men and, for the past few months, has been head coach to Malaysia's Tigers.

He also shared his approach that how the team will prepare for the World Cup.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/mens-hockey-world-cup-2018-all-teams-and-their-squad-list-177944">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: All teams and their squad list</a>

"It is most important that the players realise from the start, that the competition needs a different approach because of the time between matches - particularly in the opening stages," he said.

Malaysia hockey team has arrived for the tournament at the Odisha on November 25 and under the guidance of experienced coach Roelant Oltmans, the team will look for the podium finish.

Here is the squad of Malaysia hockey team:

Squad: Norsyafiq Sumantri, Ramadan Rosli, Marhan Jalil, Fitri Saari, Joel van Huizen, Faizal Saari, Syed Cholan, Sukri Mutalib (C), Firhan Ashaari, Nabil Fiqri, Kumar Subramaniam, Razie Rahim, Faiz Jali, Azri Hassan, Azuan Hassan, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Aiman Rozemi, Hairi Rahman.

Malaysia's head coach Roelant Oltmans believes that his team's recent performances will give them the required confidence to make an impact at the 14th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup 2018.

Malaysia's head coach Roelant Oltmans believes that his team's recent performances will give them the required confidence to make an impact at the 14th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup 2018. Recently, Malaysia won bronze at the Asian Champions Trophy after defeating Japan for the third-place match, where India and Pakistan were the champions as they shared the title. For World Cup, team Malaysia has been placed in Pool D with Netherlands, Germany and Pakistan. "We understand that we’re in a very difficult pool, so our first aim is to get into the next round," Malaysia head coach Oltmans told to International Hockey Federation after winning bronze at the Asian Champions Trophy 2018. "We will try to make this happen by performing at the very top of our game. Once we achieve this aim, we will re-set our goals for the next stages," he added. .@hockeymalaysia's Chief Coach @OltmansOltmans believes his team's recent performances give them the confidence they require to make an impact at the Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.#IndiaKaGame #HWC2018 #DilHockey pic.twitter.com/GwNJH2ImCy — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 25, 2018 × Over the past few years Oltmans has coached India men, Pakistan men and, for the past few months, has been head coach to Malaysia's Tigers. He also shared his approach that how the team will prepare for the World Cup. Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: All teams and their squad list "It is most important that the players realise from the start, that the competition needs a different approach because of the time between matches - particularly in the opening stages," he said. Malaysia hockey team has arrived for the tournament at the Odisha on November 25 and under the guidance of experienced coach Roelant Oltmans, the team will look for the podium finish. Here is the squad of Malaysia hockey team: Squad: Norsyafiq Sumantri, Ramadan Rosli, Marhan Jalil, Fitri Saari, Joel van Huizen, Faizal Saari, Syed Cholan, Sukri Mutalib (C), Firhan Ashaari, Nabil Fiqri, Kumar Subramaniam, Razie Rahim, Faiz Jali, Azri Hassan, Azuan Hassan, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Aiman Rozemi, Hairi Rahman.

Malaysian head coach Roelant Oltmans aim for podium finish

Indian hockey team&#39;s captain PR Sreejesh has apologised for letting the nation down after his team&#39;s 1-3 loss to Belgium in the quarterfinals at the Rio Olympics. 
 
&quot;Unfortunately we are touching the moon, but still we couldn&#39;t reach there, we have fallen from there. It&#39;s hitting really hard because the expectation was very high on us back home,&quot; Sreejesh said after the loss yesterday. &quot;I think we disappointed our country but still I think we players need to work really hard and perform well in the next coming tournaments.&quot; 
 
India were up 1-0 by Akashdeep Singh&#39;s goal inside the first quarter, but the Sreejesh&#39;s men conceded thrice in the second half to hand Belgium their first Olympics semifinal since Antwerp 1920. 
 
Stephan Dockier&#39;s double in the third quarter and Tom Boon sealed the win in the 50th minute. The Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh was brilliant and saved a penalty corner to maintain India&#39;s lead in the first half.&nbsp;&quot;It&#39;s very difficult, especially, for me as a goalkeeper, I feel like saves never count because it&#39;s all about the scoring, the goal-line.&quot; 
 
Asked about captaining India at the coveted Olympics, he said: &quot;I never dreamt about this, leading the team anywhere. But still it&#39;s a great honour and a great responsibility for me. In hockey, captaincy isn&#39;t the most important, but it&#39;s all about outside of the field, how you are coordinating with the players, how you are bringing them together, getting their potential out.&quot; 
 
India coach Roelant Oltmans too was a disappointed man and said they should have won the match.&nbsp;&quot;Of course I&#39;m disappointed and not only about losing the quarterfinal, because you can win matches, you can lose.&nbsp;I&#39;m disappointed about the kind of game that we played today. I have to give all the credit to Belgium who forced us to play like this. I have to look into my players, why they didn&#39;t perform in the way that we had planned,&quot; he said. 
 
The eight-time former Olympic champions India still had a decent run at the Rio 2016 by making the quarters. 
 
&quot;We are getting closer and closer (to the top of world hockey), but the next step still needs to be made. That&#39;s what has been proven in today&#39;s game,&quot; the Dutchman said. 
 
(PTI)

'It's hitting really hard because the expectation was very high on us back home,' PR Sreejesh said after India lost 1-3 to Belgium yesterday

Indian hockey team's captain PR Sreejesh has apologised for letting the nation down after his team's 1-3 loss to Belgium in the quarterfinals at the Rio Olympics. "Unfortunately we are touching the moon, but still we couldn't reach there, we have fallen from there. It's hitting really hard because the expectation was very high on us back home," Sreejesh said after the loss yesterday. "I think we disappointed our country but still I think we players need to work really hard and perform well in the next coming tournaments." India were up 1-0 by Akashdeep Singh's goal inside the first quarter, but the Sreejesh's men conceded thrice in the second half to hand Belgium their first Olympics semifinal since Antwerp 1920. Stephan Dockier's double in the third quarter and Tom Boon sealed the win in the 50th minute. The Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh was brilliant and saved a penalty corner to maintain India's lead in the first half. "It's very difficult, especially, for me as a goalkeeper, I feel like saves never count because it's all about the scoring, the goal-line." Asked about captaining India at the coveted Olympics, he said: "I never dreamt about this, leading the team anywhere. But still it's a great honour and a great responsibility for me. In hockey, captaincy isn't the most important, but it's all about outside of the field, how you are coordinating with the players, how you are bringing them together, getting their potential out." India coach Roelant Oltmans too was a disappointed man and said they should have won the match. "Of course I'm disappointed and not only about losing the quarterfinal, because you can win matches, you can lose. I'm disappointed about the kind of game that we played today. I have to give all the credit to Belgium who forced us to play like this. I have to look into my players, why they didn't perform in the way that we had planned," he said. The eight-time former Olympic champions India still had a decent run at the Rio 2016 by making the quarters. "We are getting closer and closer (to the top of world hockey), but the next step still needs to be made. That's what has been proven in today's game," the Dutchman said. (PTI)

Rio Olympics 2016: Indian hockey captain apologises for letting nation down

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I was surprised by sudden ouster as India coach: Roelant Oltmans

Malaysian head coach Roelant Oltmans aim for podium finish

Rio Olympics 2016: Indian hockey captain apologises for letting nation down