Bengaluru: Former player Harendra Singh is a well known name associated with coaching various Indian hockey squads over the years. It didn’t come as a surprise then when the master tactician, with a no-nonsense persona, was appointed the head coach of a team in shambles.
After having failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, the 54-year-old, who took over coaching duties in April, has been given the responsibility of resurrecting the Indian women’s squad with the 2028 LA Olympics in sight.
He spoke to DH about course-correction, future goals, team building and more.
Excerpts:
You have taken over a team in a predicament. How difficult will this be?
I like to be challenged. People think of this as a difficult phase, but I’d like to look at it as an opportunity to prepare a strong team when everybody says they are down and out. I know the potential of these girls. We will put in the effort to take them to the stage we want to see them.
They were meant to be in Paris, but fumbled. What went wrong?
This team deserved to be in Paris now, but such is sport. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. It is a harsh lesson we need to learn from. According to me, the team’s fitness wasn’t on par with international hockey standards. It was nothing to do with skill-set or the execution of it but lack of fitness was the main reason for the failure to qualify.
Is fitness the main focus in the camp?
Yes, building power, strength and speed. Now that everybody is busy in Paris, it is an opportunity for me and the girls to utilise this time to prepare for Los Angeles. So, I have 6-8 months more compared to the other teams which are there now because they have to reset and recycle post September while we have started in April. That’s how I look at it.
A 33-member core group in the camp. What is the code to bring them all together?
The most important thing is for me to win their confidence to help them become not just a good player but a great one. Me and my coaching group have made a rule that no two girls from the same state can room together. Even in the dining hall, state-mates cannot sit next to each other during any meal. Everybody has to talk to everybody even if they don’t speak the same language. We have all agreed that the common communication language will be Hindi. If someone is struggling, it is our job to help them learn. For instance, one of the five girls I have picked from the juniors is from Mizoram and she cannot speak both Hindi or English. So I put her with someone who is really good at Hindi. Her job is to teach her one new word everyday so she feels like she belongs.
What are the other challenges as the head coach of a women’s team?
As a head coach, it is my responsibility to understand the issues such as women’s health, mental side of things or if they have some personal or family problems. I cannot ignore and demand them to give their 100% each day. We have gadgets now to keep a track of the menstrual cycle of each player. The data helps us understand when her period cycle starts, ends, the intensity of the pain on heavy-flowing days so we can formulate their personal training accordingly. Me and my team ensure that anything troubling a player is addressed and solutions found immediately.
What is the style of play you want the girls to adopt?
When we have the ball, I’d like them to be aggressive and attacking and when we don’t have the ball they have to hold the emotion to make it difficult for the opposition to play vertical passes. Conserving energy during defense so there is enough left for counter-attack is also key. In simple words, it should be a mix of Australian and Indian style of play with a German mindset.
Do all of you analyse the matches happening in Paris?
Yes, we are keenly observing all the women’s games. However, we cannot discuss or dissect other team’s tactical, technical aspects too much right now. It's too early because after Paris, most of the coaches will change, some players will retire with new faces introduced changing the style/ pattern of play.
The next Olympic cycle is already underway. What’s the goal for the 2028 LA Games?
In 1928 the men's team won our first gold medal at the Olympics with the great Dhyan Chand top-scoring. Since we talk about women empowerment and such, we as a team want to start a new chapter by winning a medal, which one I cannot promise, at the 2028 LA Olympics - a 100 years after where it all started for Indian hockey.