Hawgood returns, this time as assistant coach

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 28

In an interesting turn of events, Andrew Neil Hawgood, who was the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team until a few months back, will return as an assistant to current head coach Mathias Ahrens next month.

Hawgood, who had abruptly resigned as the head coach last November without specifying the reasons for his sudden decision, will be paid $9500 per month by his employer, the Sports Authority of India (SAI). 

The 53-year-old former Australian hockey player was working as a consultant with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) till recently, overseeing the progress of the senior men’s national team. He also served the Malaysian team as head coach for some time, leading the side into the World League Semifinals in Belgium earlier this year.

However, Hawgood’s appointment as consultant was never approved by the MHC’s Executive Board despite the National Sports Council (NSC) making efforts to install him as a full-time coach. It has been learnt that due to the ongoing tussle in the MHC, Hawgood was relieved of his duties by the Malaysian hockey body. This prompted him to knock on the doors of Hockey India (HI).

Hawgood was contracted by the MHC in January this year. Under Hawgood’s tenure as consultant, Malaysian hockey went through a series of poor performances, losing to The Netherlands and Belgium in friendlies, besides finishing a lowly sixth in the HWL Semifinals, thus missing the Rio Olympics qualification.

Hockey India tight-lipped

While Hockey India is tight-lipped about Hawgood’s second stint, it has been learnt that SAI has cleared his name, along with that of Dutchman Roger Van Gent, who will be joining the senior men’s team as an assistant to chief coach Roelant Oltmans.

“The Ministry has accepted Hawgood’s proposal, and he will soon join the women’s team. HI has already consented to his appointment,” a SAI official told The Tribune.

After Hawgood left, the women’s team was without a head coach till May this year. HI had appointed Anthony Thornton in January, but the New Zealander failed to turn up. Ahrens was appointed on May 6.  Hawgood had first taken the charge of the women's team in July 2012. Under his stewardship, India bagged the bronze medal at the 2013 Asia Cup and the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, a fifth-place finish at the Glasgow CWG, finished runner-up at the Asian Champions Trophy and won their maiden medal (bronze) at the junior World Cup.

Also coming on board is Van Gent, who will be the full-time strategy coach of the men’s team and will be paid $10,500 per month — $2,000 less than what Oltmans is drawing presently. Van Gent was the coach with Belgian hockey club Royal Antwerp before he was approached by Oltmans as a key addition to his support staff. Previously, he served as the coach/technical director of HC Den Bosch, Orange, and Black HC Tilburg.