Hockey World Cup 2023: India failed to qualify for the quarterfinal but is on course to finish in the best possible manner. Meanwhile, head coach Graham Reid has confirmed that his contract with the side would be reviewed.
Indian hockey head coach Graham Reid's contract, which runs till the 2024 Paris Olympics, is likely to be revisited after the hosts' premature exit from the ongoing FIH Men's Hockey World Cup. The Indian side suffered a massive backlash after its defeat to New Zealand in the penalty shootout in the crossover fixture in Bhubaneswar on January 22, with some of the nation's hockey legends blaming Reid for the thrashing. At the post-match presser after India decimated Asian champion Japan 8-0 in an insignificant classification game in Rourkela on Thursday, Reid said that his contract would be reviewed, having signed with the team in 2019.
"Look, I have signed the contract through Paris [Olympics]. But, you know, we will be reviewing, I assume, at the end of this [HWC]. But the next game is what I am focussing on," Reid said when asked if he would dedicate himself to the side through to the Asian Games this year.
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A reexamination after a prominent event is standard practice. However, what is paramount is that the Australian did not earmark guiding the side at the Asian Games scheduled to be held in September. India plays South Africa on Saturday in the 9th to 12th classification contest. Reid did not hint at leaving his job when he addressed the press conference in Bhubaneswar after the New Zealand failure.
"After these two classification matches, we have Pro League matches against Germany and Australia, and then we have a test series against Australia. But our focus is on the next match," Reid had sounded. Hockey India (HI) president and former skipper Dilip Tirkey has also said little when asked if there will be changes in the coach or captain position. "We will see later. The World Cup is going on, and any discussion on that is inappropriate," he told PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)