Herman Kruis reappointed Pakistan hockey head coach ahead of South Korea Tour and Asian Games
Herman Kruis reappointed Pakistan hockey head coach ahead of South Korea Tour and Asian Games
By Nawaz Gohar ; The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed Roelant Oltmans’ fellow Dutchman Herman Kruis as the head coach of the national men’s hockey team for the ongoing tour of South Korea and the upcoming Asian Games.
The Pakistan squad is currently in South Korea as part of its final preparations for the Asian Games.
The national side will attend a dedicated training camp through September 14, during which they are scheduled to play three practice matches against the host nation before heading to the mega-event.
Under the updated coaching hierarchy finalized by the team management, Herman Kruis assumes the head coach position, supported by assistant coaches Adnan Zakir, Bop Jan Veldhof, and Chris Bowen. The support staff also includes Javed Fahad as physiotherapist, Ashraf Sultan as video technician, and Owais Muhammad serving as team manager.
The coaching decision marks another shift in PHF’s tactical structure. In July of this year, the federation had initially introduced a foreign coaching panel, assigning Kruis as the National Hockey Coaching Adviser and Head Coach, alongside Veldhof as the specialized goalkeeping coach. However, ahead of the World Cup,
the responsibilities were swapped—Veldhof was promoted to head coach while Kruis was assigned the advisory role. Following the conclusion of the World Cup, management has reverted to its original arrangement, restoring Kruis to the head coach position.
(Note: The breaking news regarding Kruis’s reappointment was first reported by senior sports journalist Tahir Latif on the official Hockey Pakistan platform, which has now been formally validated by the team’s latest management layout).
Upon wrapping up their South Korean tour on September 14, the green-shirts will put the final touches on their Asian Games preparation.
The men’s hockey event at the Asian Games will take place in Nagoya, Japan, from September 20 to October 3. Pakistan has been placed in Pool B alongside Malaysia, China, Oman, Uzbekistan, and Thailand.
