India hockey coach quits after World Cup debacle
NEW DELHI: India hockey coach Graham Reid resigned Monday, the sport’s administrators said, a day after a World Cup that the side embarrassingly exited at the group stage.
Once a powerhouse of hockey with eight Olympic golds to their name, India hosted the tournament but went out when they lost to New Zealand in a play-off for a quarter-final place.
Hockey India (HI) said president Dilip Tirkey and secretary Bholanath Singh “met with players and the support staff of the team to understand and analyse the team’s performance and strategy for the way ahead”.
Reid, a former Australia player, coached the Indian team to a bronze at Tokyo 2020 — their first Olympic medal for 41 years — and silver at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
“It is now time for me to step aside and handover the reins to the next management,” said Reid, who joined the Indian set-up in 2019.
His role had been “an honour and privilege”, he said, wishing the team the best for the future.
Analytical coach Greg Clark and scientific adviser Mitchell David Pemberton also quit, the governing body said.
Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023
