The impasse between SAI and Hockey India over Roelant Oltmans and Terry Walsh's participation as coaches in the upcoming HIL is finally over after HI secretary general Narinder Batra today said that the duo will not get paid by the government body during the one-month period of the franchise-based league.
Insisting that he has got all the permission from SAI, Batra admitted that both Oltmans and Walsh will not get their salaries during their association with respective Hockey India League (HIL) franchises.
"I have got letters from SAI dated January 20 where it has been mentioned that both Oltmans and Walsh have the permissions to coach HIL teams. I got the letter on January 21 and both the letters are in my possession," Batra told reporters on the sidelines of the trophy unveiling of HIL 2014 and the launch of its mascot, named 'Gaurav, the pride of HIL'.
"We have complied all the processes outlined in their contracts. But it is true both Oltmans and Walsh won't get their salaries from SAI during the HIL period," he said.
Sports Authority of India (SAI) was on a collision course with HI after it issued a clear instruction to HI's High Performance Director Oltmans and chief coach Walsh to scrap their contracts with respective HIL franchises.
Stating their association with HIL as "unethical", SAI, the employer of the two coaches, said that they will tend to lose their salaries for the duration of the second edition of the event, commencing on Saturday in Mohali, if they continued their association with the high-profile FIH-sanctioned event.
Both Oltmans, who is the coach of Uttar Pradesh Wizards, and Walsh, the coach of Kalinga Lancers in HIL, are employed with the SAI and draw USD 15,000 (Rs 9.28 lakh) and USD 12,500 (Rs 7.73 lakh) every month.
