Coach Harendra Singh eyes Olympic glory for Indian women’s hockey team

Indian women’s hockey coach Harendra Singh has a bigger vision for his team despite their recent success in defending the Asian Champions Trophy title on November 20 in Rajgir, Nalanda district of Bihar. For Singh, the victory is just a step towards a much grander ambition: guiding the team to its first-ever Olympic women’s hockey medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 (LA28). If it comes, it would be exactly 100 years after the Indian men’s team clinched their first of eight Olympic gold medals in the same city.

Singh, 55, who has spent more than half of his life in New Delhi while working with Indian Airlines, shared his determination: “I want our team to win their first Olympic medal at LA28. It’s up to the players to choose the colour of the medal.”

The Indian women’s hockey team has come close to winning an Olympic medal before, with their best finishes being fourth place in 1980 and 2020. Singh, who took charge in April after serving as the head coach of the USA team from 2021 to 2023, faced an uphill battle when he joined. India had lost five of their first eight matches in the nine-team Women’s FIH Pro League and were already out of contention for the title. Singh, however, urged the players to focus on long-term goals rather than immediate results.

“When I took over the reins of the national team in April, I told the players that we were in the process of building the team for LA28, and that we would not chase results as such prior to that,” he said.

Singh made it clear that fitness would be a non-negotiable part of the journey. “After the Pro League, I told them I wouldn’t compromise on their fitness. I am sure that once we become a fit unit, we can match any team. The result of the Asian Champions Trophy shows us where we have reached so far while following the process,” he added.

For the Asian Champions Trophy, Singh set a clear objective for the team: “I wanted a clean slate, i.e. no goals against us. For that, we needed to correct our defensive structure. And we conceded just two goals and scored 26 in the tournament. Basically, the Indian brand of hockey is attacking, and I will not compromise on that front, too.”

The tournament in Rajgir saw India defeat China 3-0 in the league phase, but the final was a closely contested battle, with Salima Tete’s team scraping through 1-0. The winning goal came from 20-year-old striker-cum-drag flicker Deepika Sehrawat, who despite missing a penalty stroke later in the match, impressed Singh with her potential. “She is a special girl; she is focused. She has to keep her head down and remain humble. It is just the beginning of her journey. She has a lot of potential. I am working on several aspects of her game,” Singh said.

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Singh compared Deepika to Indian men’s captain Harmanpreet Singh, drawing a parallel to his coaching journey with both players. “In one of the team meetings, I told Deepika that I would make her the Harmanpreet Singh of the women’s team, provided she followed the process and my instructions. Incidentally, I had told the same thing to Harmanpreet in 2014 – that one day he would become India captain, if he followed the process,” he recalled.

Another standout player, Sangeeta Kumari, emerged as the third-highest scorer of the Asian Champions Trophy with four goals. Singh praised her versatility and defensive capabilities. “She is skilled and a smart girl. She knows what to do with the ball. She is a good striker, though she, like her teammates, can play in any position. The best part of her game is that her defensive structure is very good. I have told all the girls that if our team’s first line of defence is good [forwards], the defenders won’t feel the pressure,” he explained.

Despite the title win, Singh urged his players to stay grounded. “Every triumph is good. However, we will have to work hard to fulfil our bigger dream. The government and Hockey India have supported us and given us all I have asked for since taking over the reins,” he said.

Singh also expressed his appreciation for former India captain Dilip Tirkey, who now serves as president of Hockey India. “He is the icing on the cake. He has a very good team [of officials] at Hockey India. I wish this team had come to power 10 years ago,” he noted.

For now, the players have returned home but will soon reassemble in Bangalore for a 20-day camp starting on December 1. Following a brief break, they will then compete in the Hockey India League starting on January 12.