Hockey coach Reid asks players to put team first

Bengaluru, April 22

India’s newly-appointed men’s hockey coach Graham Reid on Monday took charge of the national camp and asked the players to put the team first in his maiden address to them. 

Reid, who arrived in Bengaluru on April 20, got down to business on Monday, meeting players for the first time at the SAI Centre here. “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,” the 54-year-old Australian said. 

Reid said the available talent in India makes him optimistic about the future. “I am really glad that I also got to watch the 33 players from the Junior Core Group and being part of the national trials this morning gives me a good sense of the talent that is available at the moment. It makes me feel very positive about the future,” said Reid, a former player of the Australian national team.

Reid’s first big assignment as chief coach will be the upcoming FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar, starting June 6, where India will vie for top honours against Asian Games champions Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, USA and Uzbekistan. The Indian team will go for an exposure tour to Perth from May 6 to May 18 where they will play a four-match series against the Australian national team. — PTI