Just after a day of the conclusion of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 in which the Indian team finished at a disappointing joint-9th place, Graham Reid has stepped down as chief coach of India men’s hockey team.
Reid, the former Australia coach, submitted his resignation to Hockey India (HI) President Dilip Tirkey in Bhubaneswar.
Hosts India, who were touted as a medal contender after ending a four-decade drought at the Olympics by winning a bronze medal in Tokyo Games in 2021, had a tournament to forget after finishing at a disappointing ninth place along with Argentina after losing to New Zealand in the Crossover match.
Meanwhile, the men’s team’s analytical coach Greg Clark and scientific advisor Mitchell David Pemberton also put in their resignation on Monday morning and the trio will now be serving their notice period over the next month.
Talking about his stint with the Indian side since 2019, Reid said: “It is now time for me to step aside and hand over the reins to the next management. It has been an honour and privilege to work with the team and Hockey India and I have enjoyed every moment of this epic journey. I wish the team all the very best.”
Having accepted Reid’s resignation along with that of Greg Clark and Mitchell Pemberton, Hockey India President Dr Dilip Tirkey said: “India will always have gratitude towards Graham Reid and his team of support staff who have brought good results to the country, particularly the Olympic Games. As all journeys move to different phases, it is now time for us to move on towards a new approach for our team.”
Notably, Reid had taken over as chief coach of the Indian men’s team in April 2019 and his initial tenure was till August 2020 however the contract period was extended after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed for a year.
As per a statement, HI will now initiate the process for the appointment of a new coach as they have a break before India’s next round of FIH Pro League matches.