Former senior men’s national team coach Harendra Singh, on Monday, denied reports that is not inclined towards coaching an Indian team again to Hockey India.
Harendra, last week, was removed from the position of chief coach of the senior India men’s team by HI, which also offered him the position of coach of the junior men’s team, one that he has held before. Harendra, before his latest stint with the senior men’s team, has coached the women’s team as well.
A report in India Today had claimed that HI has written to the Sports Authority of India to relieve Harendra and revert him to his parent cadre (Air India) as he is “not interested in Indian hockey” anymore.
“When Harendra himself is not interested in pursuing the junior coach’s job, there is no point in continuing with it,” the report quoted a Hockey India source as saying.
But Harendra denied the claim. “I have not told Hockey India that I am not interested in coaching an Indian team. I have submitted my report [after the World Cup],” he told Scroll.
A report had claimed earlier that he’d written a letter to the SAI and HI saying that the federation’s interference in selection affected the team in the Hockey World Cup, wherein it finished sixth after losing 1-2 to the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Hockey India’s High Performance Committee Chairman RP Singh said poor performances in the Asian Games and World Cup, were the reasons for Harendra’s removal as the senior team’s coach.
HI said in a release that it would invite applications for the job before the national camp begins in February 2019.
The team, it said, will be overseen by Hockey India High Performance Director David John and current Analytical Coach Chris Ciriello till the appointment of a new coach.