The Indian Men’s Hockey team have bowed out of the Hockey World Cup after losing to New Zealand on penalties in the crossover game. However Indian have bounced back with a 8-0 win over Japan, it is a little too late for Harmanpreet Singh and his men as they never turned up to the big occasion in the main matches.
However the disappointing exit at the home Hockey World Cup means Graham Reid’s contract will be under review. The current one runs till the 2024 Paris Olympics but by the looks of things currently the Australian tactician may get relieved off his duties before the Summer Games next year. Reid shared that the contract is under review after the World Cup exit but for now he is focused on playing South Africa than anything else.
“Look, I have signed the contract through Paris (Olympics). But, you know, we will be reviewing, I assume, at the end of this (World Cup). But the next game is what I am focussing on,” Reid stated when he was asked if he would commit for the upcoming Asian Games.
While reviewing contracts is a very natural practice, it is his reluctance to not even commit on the Asian Games which will be held this year in September gives it away that he is expecting something major to happen.
While he did not give hints of stepping down from the position of head coach of the Indian Men’s hockey team, he also spoke about his contract review himself giving some indication of the things to come in future. However before that India will face South Africa in the 9th-12 classification match on Saturday. He also shared the upcoming Pro League matches against Germany and Australia and then a Test series against Australia but for now he is focused on the last game of this World Cup.
“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,” the Australian tactician shared.
It is the ups and downs that make sports interesting. A few months ago Graham Reid was lauded by every hockey fan in the country as he guided this Indian team to the Tokyo Olympic bronze medal and ended a long wait for Olympic medal in Hockey for the country. He was showered with praises duringthat time as he followed it up with a fine performance in Birmingham at the Commonwealth Games. But the World Cup disappointment changed everything as the team and the coach could not live upto the expectations of the home fans.
