Indian males’s hockey staff head coach Graham Reid on Thursday shrugged off the controversy surrounding the FIH annual awards, saying the distinction he and his gamers have obtained is a recognition of their sacrifices over the previous 12 months and a half.
India on Wednesday swept the International Hockey Federation’s annual awards, claiming all the highest honors primarily based on a voting system that was lambasted as a “failure” by males’s Olympic champions Belgium, the FIH stated. Inspired that he would attempt to discover out why some unions did this. Didn’t forged my vote.
Five Indian gamers and head coaches from each males’s and ladies’s groups claimed high honors in varied classes after garnering most votes in Tokyo. The males’s hockey staff received the bronze medal on the Tokyo Olympics for the primary time in 41 years, whereas the ladies’s aspect completed an unprecedented fourth within the showpiece.
Here are the reactions of the winners of the Men’s Awards!#hockeystar awards @13harmanpreet @16Sreejesh @VivekSagarpras1 @reidgj @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/kiXCa97pfs
— International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) October 6, 2021
Asked concerning the controversy, the Australian stated: “Look, as coaches and gamers now we have nothing to do with how issues are chosen or the system. We simply go on the market and do our greatest. This is a recognition of the work carried out by this staff together with the help employees.
“A variety of work has gone into this. I see it as a mirrored image of the sacrifice and work this staff has carried out within the final 16-18 months throughout the lockdown. I have never seen my youngsters for two years.
“It is nice for the group to get some recognition and additionally it is a mirrored image of hockey in India. It’s an excellent factor for world hockey.”
Harmanpreet Singh received the lads’s ‘Player of the Year’ award and Gurjit Kaur was acknowledged as the most effective participant within the girls’s class. Veterans PR Sreejesh and Savita Punia received the most effective goalkeeper award within the males’s and ladies’s classes, whereas younger strikers Sharmila Devi (girls) and Vivek Sagar Prasad (males) had been declared the most effective rising stars.
Reid additionally refused to have interaction within the debate as as to if India ought to have participated within the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, saying solely that the nation’s possibilities of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics, subsequent 12 months’s Asian Games hockey occasion, had been is paramount.
“We have the Asian Champions Trophy from December 24. In the brand new 12 months, we begin with the FIH Pro League and after that now we have the Asian Games that are essential for our qualification for the subsequent Olympics in Paris.
“Hopefully we will have time to prepare for it and then we have the World Cup, it will be a big 16-18 months for us,” he stated.
The coach lauded the contributions of just lately retired Rupinder Pal Singh, Birender Lakra and SV Sunil, saying that the trio has set an instance for the remainder of the world.
He stated that the necessity of the hour is to pump youth blood for Indian hockey retaining in thoughts the longer term tournaments.
“I believe it is fairly regular after the Olympic Games. You have to take a look at the youth, you want mixture of gamers and that is what we’re dedicated to do, carry collectively skilled gamers.
“It was nice to see these three guys make the announcement and that is what should always be celebrated. It is wonderful to see the accolades they have received,” Reid stated.
He stated veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh’s longevity displays his capability to maintain altering and getting higher.
“That is what we are looking forward to. The message is to get better,” stated the coach.
Reid stated the Junior World Cup is a month away and he’ll work with the Indian youth in making ready for the title protection.
“When you’re the defending champion there’s all the time strain. It is thrilling to get this chance to witness younger expertise. How we carried out in Tokyo will give him a whole lot of confidence.
“I’ve been working with him since I got here again from Tokyo. I’m glad that Sreejesh was additionally concerned. This group shall be part of the longer term.”
Reid stated the bronze medal in Tokyo is now a factor of the previous and gamers have to concentrate on their subsequent purpose.
“Keep your ego at the door, that’s what I told the boys on the first day of camp after Tokyo. Sometimes we can be influenced by what we read about ourselves or write about you. This refocused part Which is difficult.”
Veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh confused on the necessity to begin afresh after Tokyo.
“After profitable a medal, it’s actually tough to pay attention. Being a senior participant it’s a first expertise how the world is treating us however that’s the nature of the sport and there are all the time new challenges.
“It’s important to get the attention back. When we rejoin in November we can be more focused for the upcoming big events,” he stated.
.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
