The India Men’s Hockey team has ended the 41-year-old dry run in the Olympics after it clinched the bronze medal on Thursday by beating Germany. While the players showed resilience on the field, their medal finish is also a result of the invisible efforts by the team coach and support staff. Graham Reid is the chief coach of the men’s hockey team. Other coaches, advisors and support staffs also work relentlessly to bring out the best out of the players.
Let’s know all about Reid and his dedicated support staff.
Chief Coach - Graham Reid
The 57-year-old became the chief coach of the Indian team in 2019, and shaped the players who managed to clinch a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Reid is a former Australian defender and midfielder. He was part of the Australian squad which won the silver medal in 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Overall, he has played in two Olympics and 130 international matches for his country.
His management skills and knowledge of the sports made him the assistant coach of Australian hockey team in 2009. Later he replaced Ric Charlesworth as the chief coach. He, however, resigned after the 2016 Rio Olympics. He became the chief coach of India Men’s hockey team in April 2019.
Analytical Coach - Gregg Clark
Gregg Clark was the coach of Indian junior hockey team before he was made the analytical coach of the men’s team in January 2021. His expertise in data mining and improving players’ technique by analysing past performance helped the team a lot. Clark used to sit with the players after every match and discuss their performance with the minutest of angles. The former South African hockey player had previously assisted the Canadian team.
Coach - Shivendra Singh
Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur, 38-year-old Shivendra Singh has represented India in various sports events including the Asian Games. He helps the players during field training, as well as points out and then works on the drawbacks of the squad.
Assistant Coach - Piyush Dubey
33-year-old Piyush Dubey was made the assistant coach of the team in 2019. A post-graduate from the Allahabad University, he assists chief coach Reid and coordinates with players to improve their performance on the field.
Scientific Advisor - Robin Arkell
Robin Arkell has worked to take the fitness of India’s hockey team to another level. During an interview, defender Rupinder Pal Singh praised Arkell saying the way he physically trains the team, the players have witnessed a major change in their fitness. Arkell takes the team for a power gym session thrice a week which include high-intensity training and wet training. Moreover, Arkell coordinates with chief coach Reid to monitor the diet of the players.
Physiotherapist - Rathinasamy Bose Kanan
Since in hockey players can encounter injuries and muscle strain related problems anytime, Kanan has been proving to be a good physiotherapist for the team. He ensures minimal damage to the squad.
Video Analyst - Ashok Kumar
30-year-old Kumar gives important tips to the team after analysing match videos, and also prepares strategy against the opposition team before and during the game to predict their moves. Kumar has even played for the Under-18 team.
Masseur - Arup Naskar
38-year-old Naskar helps the players relax by giving them regular massages. The massages relieve muscle stress from the players and make them agile and active.
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