For a personality whose associate with women’s hockey is a new experience. And needs a lot of adjustments. Ask Harendra Singh, the new women’s coach. The gift of the gab coach will let you know much. Foremost is how to manage technical bench and convey message to players on the turf during match.

Its not vociferous shrills, bouncing on the bench, throwing stick, taking players to verbal task. No No. These can happen in men’s, but not in women’s.

For an international player turned coach Harendra Singh, who has come through hustle and bustle of Indian domestic hockey, and wholly tuned to his hockey career with Men’s till now, the change to women’s side is sudden, but he has seemed to have grabbed the nuances like a fish would to water.

“Yes. I would have shouted whenever I spot a mistake by a player on the turf. I would have engated the technical table with argument or dissent when umpires delivers a decision which is incorrect to me. Its part of any coach’s behaviour. But I controlled much of them. Because its women’s hockey. The things go here smooth way, and softly.

India played Singapore yesterday at the Kawasaki Stadium in Kakamigahara, a deep suburb of Gifu Prefecture. One can easily see a calm and quiet Harendra on the bench. Not the kind of Harendra Singh we in India used to see him during, say, Lucknow Junior World Cup or Hockey India League. He used to firebrand whether on reacting to usual umpiring malfeasances or towards his own players when they needlessly hold the ball, spoil a move and not play to pattern.

Harendra Singh was a different person on Saturday at Kawasaki turf. His usual smiles increased, celebrations subdued, just a chhalta hai gesture on a unlikeable umpiring decision or when his players missed out on penalty corners which was in numbers the other day.

There were many occasions Rani led Indian attack would have slotted more goals. Singapore offered no real resistance inside the circle. Still, goals were slow and loathe to come by.

“I felt at times the girls in the striking circle are too generous”, as he continues to explain as below:

“We created more chances. But utilized only 40-45 percent of them. Players were seen passing the ball to others selflessly though sometimes I felt she could have struck on her own. Here lies the thing I want by the way. Selfless passing, and the deep embedded team spirit. The girls do a thing that is in the interest of the team, not individuals. This is positive. At the same time I know you won’t get that much space against better teams in the fray here like Korea or China”

The team spirit is there. I need to build on this. I am for sure know the verbal, direct approach wont do here, but making the players understand in a soft and repeated ways. This will only work with girls.
Harendra has grasped the details between men’s and women’s hockey, and is all set to deliver on a new frontier.

The signs are here