Hockey: Chief coach Graham Reid steps down following India's dismal World Cup campaign

Indervir grewal

Advertisement

Bhubaneswar, January 30

Another big tournament ended with a familiar sense of disappointment for the Indian hockey fans.

India’s ninth-place finish, just over a year after winning the Olympics bronze medal in Tokyo, at the World Cup came as a big shock, even for coach Graham Reid. The Australian was lost for words when asked to explain the reasons for India’s defeat to New Zealand in the crossover match.

It is now time for me to step aside and hand over the reins to the next management. It has been an honour and privilege to work with the team and I have enjoyed every moment of this epic journey. I wish the team all the very best. Graham Reid, India coach

Change is always for good and I feel Reid’s resignation will be good for the Indian team. I feel we now want a person with new ideas, who can gel the team together once again. Ajit Pal Singh, 1975 World Cup winner

The below-par result led to questions about Reid’s future with the team. Even though it was widely perceived that Reid had earned enough goodwill — having guided India to their first Olympics medal in over four decades — to face any danger to his job, Indian hockey’s notorious history with coaches raised doubts.

The Indian team has had seven different coaches in the last 10 years.

Reid’s resignation, submitted today, means another coach will leave without finishing his contract. The 58-year-old was given a contract extension till next year’s Olympics, but he quit a day after the World Cup. Reid was appointed India coach in 2019.

“It is now time for me to step aside and hand over the reins to the next management,” Reid said.

“It has been an honour and privilege to work with the team and I have enjoyed every moment of this epic journey. I wish the team all the very best,” he added.

It is anybody’s guess if Reid resigned or was asked to leave by the new administrators of Hockey India, led by president Dilip Tirkey.

At this juncture, the question seems irrelevant. With months left for the Asian Games, which is a qualifying tournament for the Olympics, a change of coach does not look promising.

Along with Reid, team’s analytical coach Greg Clark and scientific advisor Mitchell David Pemberton have also resigned.

“India will always have gratitude towards Graham Reid and his team of support staff who have brought good results to the country, particularly the Olympic Games,” Tirkey said.

“As all journeys move to different phases, it is now time for us to move on towards a new approach for our team,” he added.

Until the new approach involves making a systemic change, including paying greater attention to the grassroots, the new coach will find it difficult to achieve long-term success.