Hockey: Graham Reid is new Chief Coach of India
Hockey: Graham Reid is new Chief Coach of India
Hockey India announces Graham Reid as new Chief Coach
of Indian Men's Hockey Team
India will take services of yet another Australian to guide the destiny of its men’s hockey team. The Union Government in consultation with Hockey India has named former Australian deep defender and midfielder Graham Reid as the new Chief Coach.
He comes in place of Harendra Singh who was relieved after the 2018 Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup.
Fiftyfour-year-old Graham Reid was a member of the 1992 Silver medalist Australian hockey team. He will take over the ongoing coaching camp of Indian team at Bengaluru.
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Hockey: Graham Reid is new Chief Coach of India[/caption]
India had a silver medal finish in the 28th Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament in Kuala Lumpur last week where the command of caching the team was given to the Director High Performance John David.
India’s immediate task is to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. In June Graham Reid will have his first major test when India plays FIH World Series Final at Bhubaneshwar. A podium finish can get India a place in the Olympic Qualifier to be played later this year.
Reid has a decorated playing career. He was also part of the Australian squad that won back-to-back Champions Trophy titles in 1984, 1985 and 1989, 1990. With 130 International Caps, Reid took to Coaching a national team when he was appointed Assistant Coach in 2009 for Australia. During this tenure he was elevated to the Head Coach position and he guided the Australian team to their fifth consecutive Champions Trophy title in 2012.
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Hockey: Graham Reid is new Chief Coach of India[/caption]
He was named Head Coach in 2014 where he contributed to Australian squad's reign as world No.1 team. Under his guidance, Australia won the World League Semi Final in Antwerp and went on to win the World League Final in Raipur the same year. 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.
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Expressing his delight over taking on a new assignment, Reid said, "It’s an honour and a privilege to be appointed as Chief Coach of the Indian Men’s hockey team. No other country has a history in this sport that can compare to India. As an opposition Coach I have enjoyed watching first hand, the steady rise of the Indian team to one of the most exciting and threatening teams in world hockey. I have a passion for the fast and attacking brand of hockey that India plays which marries closely with the Australian style. I am looking forward to working with Hockey India, SAI, MYAS, team Support Staff and players with the continuation of positive development of the team in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics. My wife will also be moving to India in August and we are very happy to be making a home in Bengaluru."
- PTC NEWS
