Pakistan appoints goalkeeping coach Bob Johan Veldhof as head coach ahead of FIH World Cup
Pakistan elevated goalkeeping coach Bob Johan Veldhof to head coach of its national team on August 10, 2026, ahead of the FIH World Cup being co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. The Pakistan Hockey Federation said Herman Kruis, who had been originally named head coach, returned to the Netherlands and will serve as an adviser while Veldhof assumes full coaching responsibilities.
After the FIH Pro League in Europe in June–July, the PHF had brought in the Dutch trio of Herman Kruis, Bob Johan Veldhof and Christopher Bowen, appointing them as head coach, goalkeeping coach and assistant coach respectively as part of a coaching shakeup. The federation made the change public just hours before the Pakistan squad departed for the World Cup. Veldhof had been recruited specifically to work with the team’s goalkeepers.
A reliable source said Kruis had informed the PHF that he would only be able to take up a full-time coaching assignment with the Pakistan team after the World Cup. "He had left for the Netherlands to continue with his present assignment, but the PHF remained hopeful that he would still be available to the team during the World Cup, which is being held in Belgium and the Netherlands," the source said. When Kruis made clear he could not dedicate himself full-time to the Pakistan squad during the tournament, the federation reassigned the head-coaching duties to Veldhof.
The PHF chose to promote Veldhof rather than bring in a former Pakistan player to lead the side for the World Cup. The decision formalised Veldhof’s role beyond his original remit as goalkeeping coach and placed him at the head of the coaching staff for the tournament. The announcement came amid preparations for Pakistan’s departure to the Netherlands and Belgium.
Former Pakistan Olympian Farhan Khan raised concerns about the appointment, saying, "Veldhof will no doubt be invaluable for our goalkeepers, but his lack of experience as a head coach is a concern. In modern hockey, the head coach calls all the shots with the help of his assistant coaches and video analyst," Khan said. The statement underlines questions about leadership continuity inside the dressing room ahead of the World Cup.
Pakistan, the record four-time world champions, have been drawn in Pool D alongside India, England and Wales. Sixteen teams have been divided into four pools of four at the tournament, with the top two from each pool advancing to the second round, then the top two from each of the two second-round pools progressing to the semifinals and the winners meeting in the final. The World Cup is being jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15-30.
Pakistan will begin their Pool D campaign against England at the Wagener Stadion in Amstelveen on August 15.