(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) The Oman Hockey Association (OHA) has shortlisted four top-level foreign candidates in its hunt for a full-time national team coach. Dutch coach Seigfried Aikman, South Korea's Kim Sang-Ryul, South African Brendon Carolan and Oliver Kurtz of Germany are in the running for the Oman job, according Redha Taqi al Lawati, the OHA's general secretary. The OHA, which is expected to take a decision on the appointment soon, would prefer the candidate who responds first, the official said. Since Oman's disappointing show in the Qatar leg of round one of the World Hockey League late last year under interim coach K K Poonacha, the OHA has been keen to hire a world-class coach on a long-term basis. Lawati said, ''We are very close to picking a new coach. The board has already shortlisted four names and we are in the final round of negotiations.''Lawati said, ''In the fray are Aikman, an FIH Grade 1 coach and former Japan manager, Sang-Ryul, a coaching guru from South Korea, Carolan, former Ireland coach, and Kurtz, Germany's 1992 Olympic gold medallist and former assistant coach of India.'' Lawati said that the association is keen to put the new coach in charge of the national side ahead of round two of the WHL in New Delhi, India, next month. Lawati said, ''Our message to the four coaches is clear.The one who is ready to arrive here by next week will get the nod. If that doesn't work out, we have a different plan for the national team's trip to New Delhi. ''Our main goal is to get a good result at the ninth Asian Cup to be played in Ipoh, Malaysia, in August. Over there, our team will be up against heavyweights like South Korea, India, Pakistan and Malaysia.''The Asian Cup will offer a qualification berth for the 2014 World Cup in the Netherlands. Lawati said that the OHA consulted the International Hockey Federation (FIH) while shortlisting the four names. ''We feel that our team needs a worldclass coach. This will, in turn, improve the overall standard of the game in the country. We are hopeful of signing one of them.''____________HOCKEY COACH CONTENDERSSEIGFRIED AIKMANThe Netherlands FIH Grade 1 coachFormer Japan men's team coachFIH coaching consultant & instructor KIM SANG-RYULSouth Korea China women's team coachFormer China men's team coachFormer South Kor BRENDON CAROLANSouth AfricaInterim Ireland team coachFIH high-performance coachFormer SA men's team coach OLIVER KURTZGermany1992 Olympics gold medallistFormer India men's team assistant coachFormer Bangladesh team coach
