Three years ago, Harendra Singh made a life-changing decision. The former India coach, one among a handful of certified master coaches in world hockey and the only one from the country, decided he had had enough of playing second fiddle to foreign appointees at home, refused to compromise on his demands and moved to the USA.
As the chief coach of the USA men’s team, Harendra readily agreed to help the women’s team in its quest for excellence. Its success at the recent Olympic Qualifiers, where it beat India before eventually qualifying for Paris, owed a lot to his inputs, both in terms of planning and player understanding (he was also the India women’s coach for a period). Back in the country for the FIH Pro League, Harendra spoke candidly to The Hindu on a range of subjects. Excerpts:
