Focus on exercise and mindfulness: Harendra Singh | Hockey News – Times of India

The head coach Harendra passion to raise the profile of women’s hockey
BENGALURU: After a legendary entry Tokyothe Indian women’s hockey team was relegated to the world for the next two and a half years, even failing to qualify for the The Paris Olympics. Now they want to find the lost place. To help them get back on their feet, Hockey India has roped in the most experienced Harendra Singh as the head coach.
Harendra has had a love-hate relationship with the powerhouse of Indian hockey. He has coached national teams for more than two decades, including rollercoaster and senior men’s and women’s national teams.
During that time she had three years with the US women’s team and now she is back to fulfill what she calls an “unfulfilled dream”. He spoke to TOI about the mood in the camp and the road ahead.
Quotations:
It’s been five months since you returned to the women’s team, how has the journey been so far?
I’m glad to be back. It’s been a long time. In 2018 when I switched from the women’s to the men’s team, I left with an unfinished dream. We had started well and were confident of finishing on the podium World Cup that year. Unfortunately, change has happened. No apologies but I’m back to finish what I started.
You have worked with many actors before…
Most of them are my daughter’s peers, so it’s like coaching my 33 daughters. We have talent, no one can deny that, but obviously we have to do something different from the players’ teams what they do. These girls will one day claim their rightful place in world hockey.
What is the main reason for their fall after Tokyo?
The preparation for Tokyo 2021 was good but the team building process for that started in 2017. I think India deserved to be in Paris, unfortunately their performance was not enough and there were many accidents that were not. well taken care of. But we have started the rebuilding process. It won’t be easy to go from zero to hero, but we will get there. Our job is to make this team as strong as possible and once we achieve that, I can assure you that we are not far from the top six teams in the world.
When you took power, what was the behavior like?
It was really low, very low. These girls were talking about not qualifying for the Olympics and not doing well in the Asian Games. I sat them down and asked them, ‘Whatever we have lost, we have lost, can we keep crying and thinking about why we are not here, or do you want to build the dream of 2028?’ Everyone agreed that it was time to let go of the past and look forward. I had one-on-one meetings, and they all agreed that they should start working on the exercises because they realized that if there were weaknesses inside, there was no use of blaming someone else. They are now focused on writing a new chapter at the 2028 LA Games.

What change do you want to bring about?
The biggest change can be mental because it is always about the mind and the last minute decision. It is not just about ability, technical knowledge or preparation. The thin line between winning and losing is in the head. I want this group to change their mindset and start thinking ahead, taking risks, feeling individually responsible and making decisions without fear.
The first time out after you take over Pro Leaguewhere the team did not do well. What are your thoughts on that?
Yes, but that was expected. We are relaxed as a team, looking forward to the Asian Games and the World Cup, which is the foundation and symbol of our preparations. The Olympics.
The hard pull was a big hit. Is there something specific you plan to work on?
An old drawing ace Rupinderpal Singh it works with us in this regard. We have selected six players and have approached SAI and Hockey India for two others who are good but not in the camp. Today, without drag flickers and good keepers, you can’t survive in world hockey, so we’re still working on both.