Former India player Harendra Singh is all set to take over as the coach of the India women’s senior team for the first time in his career. Know to be a taskmaster, Singh has the credentials required to lead the team, a year before the World Cup takes place in England in July 2018.

Singh represented India during 1985 to 1991 playing 43 games for India before retiring at 26 due to ‘too much politics in hockey.’ However, he took to coaching in 1998 and till date has coached in close to 400 games. Previously, Singh coached the senior men’s hockey team back in 2009 to 2011. He had resigned after the team performed poorly during the Azlan Shah Cup in 2011 where they finished sixth.

However, in 2014 he was appointed as coach of the junior men’s team and then pulled of the near impossible as the team went on to bag the Junior World Cup in 2016. He also won gold in the Asia Cup, the Eurasia Cup and the Four-Nation tournament with the junior team before winning the World Cup.

Singh has won eight gold medals, five silvers and nine bronzes in various international tournaments as coach of the senior and junior men’s team. He also was bestowed with the Dronacharya Award in 2012.

Singh has also been the assistant coach during the Sydney Olympic (2000), World Cup (Junior 2005, 2006 and 2010), Asian Games (2006 and 2010), Asia Cup (Junior 2004 and 2009), Champion’s Challenge (2009) and various other tournaments.