The Indian men's hockey team got the coach after 4 months. Graham Red, the former Australian player, has been appointed coach of the team. Harendra Singh was removed in December last year. Since then the team did not have a coach. Red's tenure will be until the end of next year. However, it can also be extended depending on the performance.
'Honoring me as coach of Indian men's hockey team'
"It is a matter of honor for me to be the coach of the Indian men's hockey team," said Red, adding that the history of any other country in this game is not like this that could compare India. India is the most exciting and aggressive country playing in hockey. I like fast and attacking hockey, it comes from almost Australian style. "
In Red's coaching, Australia's team has won the Champions Trophy twice. In his coaching, the Australian team won Commonwealth Wealth 2014 World League in 2015. At the same time, Rio Olympics could not make a place in the top four in 2016. After this, he resigned.
Red 1982 was a member of the silver medal at the Barcelona Olympics and Australian team winning the Champions Trophy in 1984, 1985, 1989 and 1990. As the Indian coach, the first challenge to Red is the team visit of Team India next month. The FIH Men's Series finals will be played in Bhubaneswar in June.
Hockey India President Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad added: "Graham Reid is backed by a successful career as a player and also comes with strong coaching experience, having worked with the Australian and the Netherlands national teams.
"We are hopeful his experience and expertise will help the Indian men's hockey team achieve desirable results leading up to and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
A member of the Queensland Hockey Hall of Fame, Reid moved to the Netherlands in 2017 to serve as the head coach of Amsterdam Club which he was part of as a player in 1993 and 1994. In his recent stint, he worked as the Assistant Coach for the Netherlands team who won the Silver Medal at the 2018 Men's World Cup.
"Graham Reid is backed by a successful career as a player and also comes with strong coaching experience, having worked with the Australian and the Netherlands national teams. We are hopeful his experience and expertise will help the Indian Men's Hockey Team achieve desirable results leading up to and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics," stated Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, President, Hockey India.
