BoC agree to loan van Huizen until 2001

19/03/1999

BANK of Commerce, employers of national hockey coach Stephen van Huizen,
demonstrated corporate responsibility when they released him for national
service until 2001.
"I received a letter from BOC yesterday stating that they have agreed to
release van Huizen until 2001 to enable him to concentrate on building a
strong national team," said National Sports Council (NSC) director general
Datuk Mazlan Ahmad.
"The NSC would like to thank them for their generosity."
Van Huizen said he was grateful to his employers for releasing him.
"In the past, they have been supportive. With the latest move, they have
made my life easier because now, I don't have to worry about my bread and
butter," said van Huizen.
"I no longer have to run around and rely on weekends and my annual leave
to train the players."
The bank had released him for three years in preparation for the last
year's Commonwealth Games and extended it by another three months for the
Bangkok Asian Games last December.
Van Huizen had three options - take no-pay leave and continue coaching;
resign from the bank to take charge of the national squad fulltime; or go
back to work and coach part-time.
NSC, however, wanted him fulltime and pursued the matter with his
employers. Van Huizen is one of the most capable coaches in the country
and his stint as an assistant involved stints with former national coaches
Terry Walsh in preparing for the 1990 Beijing Asian Games and Volker Knapp
for last year's World Cup in Utrecht.
He also worked with Paul Lissek for the KL Commonwealth Games.
Mazlan clarified that if they succeed in hiring German coach Lissek on a
fulltime basis, after his contract with the German Hockey Federation
expires, he will be appointed as a technical director.
In this capacity he will oversee the national team, the Project 2001
squad and the Under-16 team.
(END)