Graham Reid steps down as India men's hockey team coach after World Cup debacle

Indian men's hockey team chief coach Graham Reid resigns following World Cup debacle.

Graham Reid has resigned as the chief coach of the India men's hockey team following their forgettable performance in the just-concluded 2023 Hockey World Cup. It is learnt that Reid, the former Australian midfielder who took over in 2019, and played a key role in the team winning a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2021, submitted his resignation to Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey after India’s disappointing 9th-place finish.

Graham Reid has stepped down as the chief coach of India men's hockey team(PTI)

"It is now time for me to step aside and handover the reigns to the next management. It has been an honour and privilege to work with the team and Hockey India and I have enjoyed every moment of this epic journey. I wish the team all the very best," Reid said.

Besides a historic Olympics medal, Reid and his team of support staff also oversaw a India's terrific Commonwealth Games silver-medal finish last year to go with a fine show at the 2021/22 FIH Hockey Pro League season, where India finished third. However, all the hard work came undone at the World Cup, where hosts India failed to qualify even for the quarterfinals. They beat Spain 2-0, drew with England 0-0, and defeated 4-2 against Wales. This meant that India had to next beat New Zealand in a crossover match, but despite putting up a spirited fight, the team went down in sudden death after finishing 3-3 in regulation time.

Reid remained mum about his India future after the team's shocking World Cup exit but the suspense ended with his resignation and Tirkey paying tribute to the veteran coach for his immense contribution.

"India will always have gratitude towards Graham Reid and his team of support staff who have brought good results to the country, particularly the Olympic Games. As all journeys move to different phases, it is now time for us to move on towards a new approach for our team."