Hockey, Harendra Singh interview: ‘I want this team to be the fittest in the world’

In February, the Indian women’s hockey team had fallen into a dark phase.

After the highs of what they achieved at the Tokyo Olympics and the hopes that came with it, it all came crashing down as they failed to make the cut for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Shortly after that, the national team coach Janneke Schopman, with whom the players had formed a good bond, resigned citing a toxic work environment created by Hockey India officials.

This was a tough period, but in stepped a familiar face who had once helped the team find the path towards an upward swing. Harendra Singh, under whose tutelage the team claimed the title at the 2017 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup, had returned once again to serve as the head coach.

Singh had been working with the American women’s team before returning to India, where he will now have to guide the Salima Tete-led team through a period of transition and rebuilding.

In an exclusive interaction with Scroll, Singh talked about the immediate goals set for the team, the reception they had to his arrival, the prospect of the upcoming Hockey India League season and more.

Edited excerpts:

What was the feeling coming back to the Indian team?

It felt like I was coming home again.

You’re now back with your own people, serving your own country, nothing can bring more happiness than this.

Hockey India had wanted me to come back in any capacity, and I had also told them that if an opportunity like this comes then I would like to take it up.

I got the message [that they were looking for a coach] after the Olympic qualifiers in February.

You had been a part of the American team for the past three years. How different was the hockey system there?

They do a lot of things differently.

There was a lot to learn from the US, not just about life. They have a lot of challenges because the University teams have a strong hold over the players, they don’t release them on time. Over there, education is the top priority but in that also, sports play a big role.

The good thing is that in the US, the [US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, or USOPC] and the universities work very closely together. They share a lot of data and the collection process is very good. They don’t believe on instant results. They use science and skill to develop the team. That was good for me also.

It’s not just the skill and athlete development. It’s the environment, the mental aspect, the physiological aspect, nutrition, when we should do what, how we should do what… and so on.

They put this all on the table and offer it to the athlete. It’s all defined.

The onus on the high performance is not just on the coach and federation. The players have it too. Eventually, everyone from the staff to the players are accountable.

It has been around seven years since you were last involved with the Indian women’s team. What was the reception like when you met the team now?

I knew a lot of the girls. We shared a good chemistry. But when we first met [when I got back to the team earlier this year] we took a few steps back, we had a team meeting and individual meetings. No blame game. We analysed ourselves to see where the errors were coming from before taking any steps forward.

The main thing we saw was that fitness was lacking. Because of that they carried niggles, and through that, they were questioning themselves – how much can I put into a match, how much can I run.

We decided that in the short period of time that we have since we had the Pro League [in May and June]. We decided let’s maintain what we can and start to grow. We’ve been working on this for the last two months now.

Modern hockey has become very fitness oriented. Tactical play has reduced, now it’s fast and furious. Every second pass is a vertical, meaning you’re already trying to beat the first line of defence. You need power in the legs and the mentality. Till you aren’t fit you cannot go that fast to attack.

There was a lot of disappointment when the team failed to make the cut for the Paris Olympics. How did the team overcome that heart-break?

We started working on it in our first meeting. We asked ourselves where do we want to see ourselves in the next two years, where in the next four years. Now we have to make a fresh start. We set individual targets, and a team target.

In the team target, we want to be accountable and adaptable. This will be a tough journey, but we will have to get out of our comfort zone and be ready for the challenge.

The next common goal is to win the 2026 Asian Games and qualify for the Olympics.

After that, it’s the 2026 World Cup. Then we look at 2028 Olympics.

The mentality has to change to achieve. We put all the work in, the fitness, and then make the team a habitual winning team rather than just a wait-and-watch team.

You’ve announced Salima Tete as the new captain in this rebuilding phase. Bringing in a fresh face for a leadership role, is that something important?

Every team has to go through a rebuilding phase. There are a lot of things you have to change in that phase for the future of the team.

In a way, there is a myth behind captaincy. Look at PR Sreejesh. He was not the captain of the team that won Olympic medals in Tokyo and Paris. But he has that aura.

Captaincy changes, but the core issue is to build the team. In that, the senior player has to play the more critical role. But once you change the captain, a new generation of players get a hope. “Today if she has become captain, tomorrow even I can.”

There is a mindset that comes in and it gives some inspiration. You get the youth attached to the idea that anyone can be the captain if you perform that way.

Also read: Salima Tete 2.0 – a speedster who is adding confidence and creativity to her improving game

One of the biggest changes in the Indian women’s team over the past few years has been the mentality, in that they do not fear an opponent. Do you agree with that?

The players don’t think about that anymore (fear of the opponent). Now they’re playing with the elite group, they’re playing the World Cups regularly, they’ve played in two consecutive Olympics.

Now the Hockey India League is coming up, they will see it closely as well. That self-confidence and awareness will come.

How will the Hockey India League impact the women’s players?

You will get to play with different coaches, with different patterns. You will see new challenges. HIL is demanding, you’re travelling, you’re performing. When you share your dressing room with top players, you know they are also humans who have the same skill. They will start to think that “If I can challenge them (in training), why can’t I challenge the others in a match.”

They will get that self-confidence. They will be sitting in team meetings and realise the big players talk about the same things.

What was the first meeting you had with the team like when you met them earlier this year?

Koi ‘bhaiya’ bolte hai, koi ‘coach’ bolte hai. Koi “Harry” bolte hai, I like that.

If I look at the age group of these players and that of my daughters, yeh mere 33 betiya hai. These are my 33 daughters.

It was a warm meeting. Everyone was there, some came to give me a hug. It was emotional for me to see them come and embrace me and welcome me. That acceptance was something I will cherish.

After that, we had our meetings and collected our data. It took me a week to understand each and every individual, what is the struggle – is it hockey, is it something from outside? Everyone has challenges and we tried to see how to help them.

But we were in a comfort zone now. We felt like we’re all in a family dealing with the challenges. But at the same time, we know what we have to focus on. We will not crib, not complain, we will work hard.

I want this team to be the fittest in the world.