Champions Trophy to be a ‘litmus test’ for coach Harendra

NEW DELHI: With leading hockeyplaying nations in fray, the Champions Trophy in the Netherlands will be a litmus test for Harendra Singh who was appointed the men’s team coach.

India face Pakistan in the opening-round match on June 23, followed by Olympic champs Argentina on June 24. The tournament also includes Belgium, Australia and hosts Netherlands.

The focus will then shift to the Asian Games from Aug 18- Sept 3 which offers an automatic qualifying spot for 2020 Olympics.

India will be defending the gold they won in Incheon Games. After the poor show at the Commonwealth Games where India finished fourth, Hockey India decided to try out Harendra Singh at the helm. Last week, members of the men’s team met HI top brass and expressed unhappiness over the playing style and selection of chief coach Marijne. The players also hinted at having faith in Harendra. The major achievement of Harendra’s coaching career, spanning over two decades, has been victory in the 2016 junior World Cup. He is yet to prove himself with the senior team.

It was Harendra who was the last Indian coach of the men’s team when he was given the reins for a brief period in 2009. After that Spaniard Jose Brasa took over, with Harendra his deputy.former national coach Vasudevan Baskaran kept his fingers crossed over Harendra’s selection, saying it’s going to be a challenging task for him because getting into the hot seat so close to the Asian Games could add to the pressure. “Harendra has been associated with coaching for long. He should be able to communicate better with players. It will be a plus,” he said.

Another advantage for him will be that many players of the victorious 2016 jr World Cup team have now graduated to the senior squad. “On paper it’s an advantage, but it all depends how the players respond in the matches,” Baskaran added.