Hockey World Cup 2023: India coach Graham Reid resigns following team's disappointing 9th-place finish
Indian men's hockey team's coach Graham Reid has resigned from his position following his team's inability to reach the quarterfinal stage of the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup.
According to Hockey India, Reid, along with analytical coach Greg Clark and scientific advisor Mitchell David Pemberton, submitted their resignations to the governing body's president Dilip Tirkey.
The move comes after a meeting with players and the support staff to "understand and analyze the team's performance and strategy for the way ahead."
India finish 9th in the 15th World Cup - 3 notches below their 6th place finish in the 2018 World Cup both as hosts
Graham Reid, who took over the reins of the team in April 2019, saw the Indian side considerably improve their performance.
Failure to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics via the 2018 Asian Games route led the Indians to go through the Olympic qualifiers with the Australian at the helm. The Indian team defeated Russia in a two-match contest in 2019 to book their spot at the major event in Japan.
Under the tutelage of Reid, the Indians made their mark in the elite Hockey Pro League 2020 season. They managed to earn morale-boosting wins at home over the Netherlands and Belgium before COVID brought a sudden halt to sporting action.
However, the team managed to retain its form and scripted history by earning an Olympic medal for the first time since the 1980 Moscow Games.
India defeated Germany to win the bronze medal in Tokyo, much to the jubilation of Indian hockey fans. This effort also raised expectations of fans ahead of the 2023 Hockey World Cup. However, a decline in performance after the Tokyo games culminated in a disastrous campaign in Odisha.
Reid blooded in the likes of Raj Kumar Pal, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, and Mohammed Raheel to name a few. This provided some much-needed depth in the squad.
Yet, the Indians finished ninth in the Hockey World Cup after being touted as one of the title contenders ahead of the tournament.
"Honour and privilege to work with the team" - Graham Reid after resignation following Hockey World Cup
Graham Reid enjoyed one of the longest and most successful stints as coach of the Indian men's team in recent times. He was quoted by Hockey India as saying that he was honored and privileged to have worked with the Indian team.
Indian Hockey Men's National Team Graham Reid resigns after a dismal World Cup campaign with just more than a year to go for #Paris2024 Olympics! 😳
He led India to #Tokyo2020 Bronze, #CWG2022 Silver and #FIHProLeague Bronze medals! 🥉🥈🥉
Thank you coach. 🇦🇺🇮🇳
#Hockey https://t.co/NuCBpMDcOp
"It is now time for me to step aside and hand over the reins to the next management. It has been an honour and a 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,” the former Aussie international stated.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey lauded Reid for the unprecedented success he brought to the Indian men's team.
"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,” Tirkey was quoted as saying.
The Indians lost to a lower-ranked New Zealand side in a crossover game after failing to earn a direct ticket to the quarterfinals.
India had managed to reach the quarterfinals of the previous edition of the Hockey World Cup. Their failure to do so this time led to serious questions being raised about Reid's future. The answer arrived on Monday.