Former India international player and the coach who got India the gold at the last Junior World Cup, Harendra Singh, has been appointed chief of the Men’s national team. He will succeed Marinje Sjored under whom the Indian men failed to get a medal at the recent Commonwealth Games. Harendra was the Women’s coach in the previous swap effected after Roelant Oltmans was unceremoniously dropped a year ago.
In fact, its second tenure for Harendra as Men’s team coach. He led Indian men to gold in the Punjab Gold Cup before a New Zealand tour Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh in 2009.
The ad-hoc committee that managed the Indian hockey affairs after the Indian Olympic Association dissolved the Indian Hockey Federation in the aftermath of Chile fiasco (India failed to qualify for the Being Olympic in the Qualifying event held in Santiago, Chile), appointed Harendra as chief coach for Punjab Gold Cup in which four countries including India participated. India won the Gold in Chandigarh.
After three assignments, Harendra was removed with Spaniard Jose Brasas by the IOA appointed Ad-hoc committee.
Hockey India presented Harendra an opportunity to bounce back when it entrusted him the men’s junior team for the Lucknow World Cup after Jr team failed in the Delhi World Cup in 2013.
Celebrated Harendra has been in the reckoning of coach for over two decades, beginning with development teams in 1998.
He was as deputy to V Baskaran in both Monchengladbach World Cup and 2000 Sydney Olympics.
He takes up men’s team in the crucial year with World Cup, Asian Games and Champions Trophy coming in quick succession.
Harendra revitalized the women’s team and they showed their mettle in the recent Commonwealth Games where they lost the semis by an odd goal to Australia.
its actually women’s loss while it is men’s gain.