New Delhi: Hockey India on Monday named Graham Reid, former Australia coach, as the new chief coach of the men's team.
The 54-year-old will join the team for the ongoing national camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Bengaluru.
Reid had a decorated playing career for the Australian national team and was part of the silver medal winning team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He was also part of the squad that won back-to-back Champions Trophy titles in 1984, 1985 and 1989, 1990.
"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,” Reid said.
“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 the positive development of the team in the lead up to the Tokyo Olympics,” he added.
With 130 international caps, Reid took to coaching when he was appointed as an assistant coach in 2009 for Australia. During the tenure, he was elevated to the head coach position and guided Australia to their fifth consecutive Champions Trophy title in 2012.
He was named as head coach in 2014 where he contributed to Australian squad's reign as world's number one team. Under his guidance, they won the World League semi-final in Antwerp and went on to win the World League final in Raipur.
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 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," said Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, President, Hockey India.
