Graham Reid’s 1st Address in Men’s Hockey National Camp: Put the Team First

Bengaluru: Graham Reid made it clear that he wants a ‘team first’ attitude in the national setup as soon as he took charge of the Indian men’s hockey team.

The newly-appointed men’s hockey team chief coach Reid joined the national camp in Bengaluru at the Sports Authority of India and expressed his first thoughts to the team.

“I am settling into my apartment in SAI and the turf here is world class. I addressed the players when I arrived and expressed my expectations as one unit, one team and that we always need to put the team first.

“We also spoke about the importance of trust and communication and to make sure it is both ways,” Reid said.

Reid further expressed that the available talent in India makes him feel optimistic about the future.

“I am really glad that I also got to watch the 33 players from the Junior Core Group on Saturday and being part of the National Trials this morning gives me a good sense of the talent that is available at the moment and it makes me feel very positive about the future,” stated Reid, former defender and midfielder for the Australian National Team.

Reid’s first big assignment as chief coach will be the upcoming FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar, starting 6 June 2019. In that tournament, the Indian team will be up against 18th Asian Games gold medallists Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, USA and Uzbekistan.

Prior to this important Olympic qualifying event, the Indian men’s hockey team will go on an exposure tour to Perth, Australia between May 6 and May 18. There the team will play a four-match series against the Australian National team as part of their preparations.

“We extend a warm welcome to Graham Reid on his arrival to India. Many players in the Senior Team are already familiar with him due to his stint as coach during Hockey India League. The Australia Tour will be an ideal ground for him to understand further about the team and their temperament and short comings ahead of the crucial FIH Men’s Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019. We wish him the very best in his new role with the Indian Men’s Hockey Team,” stated Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, president of Hockey India.