Hockey coach and entrepreneur Paul van Ass was sacked as national coach of the Indian hockey team after five months. "From the first day of work, the communication in India problematic."
Paul van Ass motivates his team in India
Culture clash
The clash between Paul van Ass and Narinder Batra, the president of the Indian hockey federation, was a classic clash of cultures. After the quarter-final match won by India in the Hockey World League in Belgium, Batra entered the field. Van Ass: "To compliment the players, I thought at first. But it soon transpired that he was calling the players names because he thought they had not played well. At that moment Van Ass intervened. "I asked the chairman to leave the pitch. On the pitch I am the boss. Besides, I thought we had played well."
Dismissal
The successful hockey coach, who won the silver medal with the Dutch men's team at the Olympic Games in London, immediately realised the importance of the incident. Van Ass: "I immediately thought: either we split up now or we will finally have a good talk in which we will make clear agreements and take important steps towards the 2016 Olympics. That conversation had never taken place before and never did: Van Ass had to step down.
Communication and hierarchy
Communication in India was problematic from the very first working day, says Van Ass. "Before you start working together, you normally sit down to discuss goals and divide responsibilities. I did say that I wanted to be in charge of top sport, but that was never confirmed by the hockey association. In the beginning Van Ass was given some space for his approach, but soon interference from above began. Without consultation, training matches were cancelled, training locations changed and the physiotherapist was fired. "It soon became clear that the chairman wanted to decide everything himself. That's a shame, because it's never going to work.
Paul van Ass during a match of the Indian men's team
Business opportunities
Despite his unsuccessful sporting adventure in India, Van Ass, who is not only a hockey coach but also an entrepreneur and investor, remains fascinated by the country in which he would like to do business. "There are great business opportunities in India. Certainly in Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India. But you have to be in it for the long haul and find a reliable partner."