Indian men's hockey team chief coach Graham Reid on Monday resigned from his position following the host nation's disastrous outing at the just-concluded World Cup.

WION Sports: Indian men's head hockey coach Graham Reid resigns after World Cup

Following India's disastrous run at the FIH Hockey World Cup, coach Graham Reid has stepped down from the position. Reid sent his resignation letter to Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey on Monday who promptly accepted it.

Following India's disastrous run at the FIH Hockey World Cup, coach Graham Reid has stepped down from the position. Reid sent his resignation letter to Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey on Monday who promptly accepted it. "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," said Reid after the resignation. Alongside Reid, analytical coach Greg Clark and scientific advisor Mitchell David Pemberton have also quit their respective positions. The string of resignations come a day after the end of the World Cup where Germany emerged as the champions. In response, the Hockey India president wished Reid and his support staff the best. "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.” WATCH | What next for Indian Hockey after World Cup exit? × Reid took the reins of the Indian team in 2019, following which he enjoyed a successful partnership, up until the World Cup. After Reid took over, India won the FIH Series in 2019 and managed to secure a berth in the Tokyo Olympics, following a smashing performance in the qualifiers. The high point for Reid's tenure was India winning the bronze medal in Tokyo Olympics, breaking a 41-year drought. Later, his side went on to win the silver medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. India finished the World Cup at the joint-ninth position, which was the worst-ever finish by a host nation in the quadrennial event. The Indian side was knocked out by New Zealand on penalty shootout in the crossover match, after failing to top the group Read more: Germany beat Belgium in a dramatic penalty shootout to win hockey World Cup WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Indian men's hockey coach Graham Reid steps down following disastrous WC performance

As the Indian men’s hockey team gear up to take on New Zealand on Sunday in the crossover stage at the ongoing 2023 Hockey World Cup, coach Graham Reid has asked his team to put forward&nbsp;a better defensive performance. For India to directly qualify for the quarters they had to top their group and for that they had to beat Wales by a margin of eight goals in their last pool D match; that, however, didn’t happen as they won it by the margin of two goals only (4-2). Now for them to reach the last eight, they have to win their encounter against the Blacksticks at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, that begins from 7 PM.

Addressing the media ahead of their crucial clash, Reid that despite beating New Zealand&nbsp;twice (4-3 and 7-4) during the FIH Hockey Pro League last year, it would be India who would be under pressure on Sunday evening instead of New Zealand as they have nothing to lose. Also, commenting on how they plan to march ahead in the tournament, Reid said the team must put forward an improved&nbsp;defensive show on Sunday evening to ensure they are setting up a quarters date with world champions Belgium.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/2023-australian-open-pressured-world-number-1-iga-swiatek-crashes-out-in-fourth-round-to-elena-rybakina-554832">2023 Australian Open: 'Pressured' world number 1 Iga Swiatek crashes out in fourth round to Elena Rybakina</a>

"We have played them earlier (during the FIH Hockey Pro League), we need to tighten our defence but it's more set now compared to Pro League. I expect a stronger defensive performance tomorrow."

"They (New Zealand) have nothing to lose. The pressure is on us but I've said this before that if we play well and execute our chances we can beat any team," said Reid.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Indian team was jolted by the news of Hardik Rai getting injured and getting ruled out of the tournament. Expressing his views on Hardik’s absence, Reid said the team is obviously disappointed but are confident in Raj Kumar Pal’s ability to fill his shoes at the same time.

"While it is disappointing for Hardik and he was in good form, we have enough talent in the group and Raj Kumar Pal who comes in has done well for the team earlier this year and we are quite confident of a good show," Reid added.

The match will be telecasted on the Star network on TV in India while fans can enjoy the live coverage on Disney + Hotstar as well.

As the Indian men’s hockey team gear up to take on New Zealand on Sunday in the crossover stage at the ongoing 2023 Hockey World Cup, coach Graham Reid has asked his team to put forward a better defensive performance.

As the Indian men’s hockey team gear up to take on New Zealand on Sunday in the crossover stage at the ongoing 2023 Hockey World Cup, coach Graham Reid has asked his team to put forward a better defensive performance. For India to directly qualify for the quarters they had to top their group and for that they had to beat Wales by a margin of eight goals in their last pool D match; that, however, didn’t happen as they won it by the margin of two goals only (4-2). Now for them to reach the last eight, they have to win their encounter against the Blacksticks at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, that begins from 7 PM. Addressing the media ahead of their crucial clash, Reid that despite beating New Zealand twice (4-3 and 7-4) during the FIH Hockey Pro League last year, it would be India who would be under pressure on Sunday evening instead of New Zealand as they have nothing to lose. Also, commenting on how they plan to march ahead in the tournament, Reid said the team must put forward an improved defensive show on Sunday evening to ensure they are setting up a quarters date with world champions Belgium. ALSO READ: 2023 Australian Open: 'Pressured' world number 1 Iga Swiatek crashes out in fourth round to Elena Rybakina "We have played them earlier (during the FIH Hockey Pro League), we need to tighten our defence but it's more set now compared to Pro League. I expect a stronger defensive performance tomorrow." "They (New Zealand) have nothing to lose. The pressure is on us but I've said this before that if we play well and execute our chances we can beat any team," said Reid. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Indian team was jolted by the news of Hardik Rai getting injured and getting ruled out of the tournament. Expressing his views on Hardik’s absence, Reid said the team is obviously disappointed but are confident in Raj Kumar Pal’s ability to fill his shoes at the same time. "While it is disappointing for Hardik and he was in good form, we have enough talent in the group and Raj Kumar Pal who comes in has done well for the team earlier this year and we are quite confident of a good show," Reid added. The match will be telecasted on the Star network on TV in India while fans can enjoy the live coverage on Disney + Hotstar as well.

2023 Hockey World Cup: 'We need to tighten our defence against New Zealand', says head coach Graham Reid

As India gear up for the 2023 Hockey World Cup at home, scheduled to begin on Friday, January 13th in Odisha, veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh alongside team India head coach Graham Reid spoke at length in an exclusive chat&nbsp;WION's Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on the country's chances of doing well in this edition after Tokyo heroics last year. While Sreejesh stressed on the fact that the bronze medal win in Summer Olympics is part of history now, Reid feels the team has gone better since then and have the home advantage going forward.&nbsp;

It was in 1975 when team India last won the&nbsp;Hockey World Cup, and this time in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Harmanpreet Singh-led side will aim to end the 48 year wait. India, who will be hosting the Hockey World Cup for the fourth time, will see the veteran PR Sreejesh appearing in it for the record third time, having played in Delhi in 2010 and in Bhubaneswar in 2018.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mens-hockey-world-cup-2023-live-streaming-when-and-where-to-watch-india-vs-spain-match-551977">Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 Live Streaming: When and where to watch India vs Spain match?</a>

Speaking on what it feels to be playing at home for the third time, the former captain said it's nothing less than a blessing for him. With India slated to face Spain in their opener at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela, on Friday,&nbsp;Sreejesh talked about the newly-built stadium as well.

"I am very fortunate to play my third World Cup on my home soil, its a great blessing for me. Odisha is hosting back-to-back World Cups which is huge, the team, the coach, everyone's excited to play in this new ground in Rourkela in front of 25000 people," PR Sreejesh said.&nbsp;

The head coach, Graham Reid also commented on the prospect of this sport growing in the country given the World Cup is happening across two cities this time. He said,

"As expectations grow, the infrastructure required to host these larger events also grow. Some times it needs more than one city, some times more than one country to provide that infrastructure. The stadium here in Rourkela is world class."

Meanwhile, on being asked is there a pressure on him and the team to deliver and go two steps ahead of what they achieved in Tokyo, Sreejesh looked optimistic and said,&nbsp;

"It's important for players to look behind for history, but for me it is important to focus now. When you enter a tournament with lots of expectations it puts added pressure on you and that will distract you from what you focusing on. Our main target will be to not allow any outside pressure to come in and drive us, we want to focus on each match," he said. Sreejesh&nbsp;added, "You take the experience from your Tokyo Games or any event, grow with that and prepare for the tournament in hand."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-2023-pools-team-squads-schedule-all-you-need-to-know-551881">Hockey World Cup 2023 Pools: Team, squad, Venue, Dates, India Time, Live Stream, Tickets all you need to know</a>

As this tournament could likely be PR Sreejesh's last World Cup, he surely wants to finish it on a high.&nbsp;

"This is this team's last opportunity to win the World Cup. This is my last chance, so if we win here, infront of our people this is going to be best."

Here's India's squad for the World Cup -

PR Sreejesh, Krishna Pathak, Armanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas (Vice Captain), Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Shar, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Rajkumar Pal, Jugraj Singh

As India gear up for the 2023 Hockey World Cup at home, scheduled to begin on Friday, January 13th in Odisha, veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh alongside team India head coach Graham Reid spoke at length in an exclusive chat WION's Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on the country's chances of doing well in this edition after Tokyo heroics last year.

As India gear up for the 2023 Hockey World Cup at home, scheduled to begin on Friday, January 13th in Odisha, veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh alongside team India head coach Graham Reid spoke at length in an exclusive chat WION's Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo on the country's chances of doing well in this edition after Tokyo heroics last year. While Sreejesh stressed on the fact that the bronze medal win in Summer Olympics is part of history now, Reid feels the team has gone better since then and have the home advantage going forward. It was in 1975 when team India last won the Hockey World Cup, and this time in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Harmanpreet Singh-led side will aim to end the 48 year wait. India, who will be hosting the Hockey World Cup for the fourth time, will see the veteran PR Sreejesh appearing in it for the record third time, having played in Delhi in 2010 and in Bhubaneswar in 2018. ALSO READ: Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 Live Streaming: When and where to watch India vs Spain match? Speaking on what it feels to be playing at home for the third time, the former captain said it's nothing less than a blessing for him. With India slated to face Spain in their opener at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela, on Friday, Sreejesh talked about the newly-built stadium as well. "I am very fortunate to play my third World Cup on my home soil, its a great blessing for me. Odisha is hosting back-to-back World Cups which is huge, the team, the coach, everyone's excited to play in this new ground in Rourkela in front of 25000 people," PR Sreejesh said. The head coach, Graham Reid also commented on the prospect of this sport growing in the country given the World Cup is happening across two cities this time. He said, "As expectations grow, the infrastructure required to host these larger events also grow. Some times it needs more than one city, some times more than one country to provide that infrastructure. The stadium here in Rourkela is world class." Meanwhile, on being asked is there a pressure on him and the team to deliver and go two steps ahead of what they achieved in Tokyo, Sreejesh looked optimistic and said, "It's important for players to look behind for history, but for me it is important to focus now. When you enter a tournament with lots of expectations it puts added pressure on you and that will distract you from what you focusing on. Our main target will be to not allow any outside pressure to come in and drive us, we want to focus on each match," he said. Sreejesh added, "You take the experience from your Tokyo Games or any event, grow with that and prepare for the tournament in hand." ALSO READ: Hockey World Cup 2023 Pools: Team, squad, Venue, Dates, India Time, Live Stream, Tickets all you need to know As this tournament could likely be PR Sreejesh's last World Cup, he surely wants to finish it on a high. "This is this team's last opportunity to win the World Cup. This is my last chance, so if we win here, infront of our people this is going to be best." Here's India's squad for the World Cup - PR Sreejesh, Krishna Pathak, Armanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas (Vice Captain), Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Shar, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Rajkumar Pal, Jugraj Singh

EXCLUSIVE: Tokyo is past, we have to focus on tournament in hand - veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

The sporting fraternity is eagerly waiting for the commencement of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. The 2022 edition of the marquee event will be held in Birmingham and the Indian contingent comprises a plethora of promising athletes who are strong medal contenders.

While Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin thrower, bowed out of the quadrennial event due to a groin injury, on Tuesday (July&nbsp;26), the countrymen can still pin their hopes on several players to shine and take&nbsp;India's medal tally higher in the overall rankings in the CWG'22 edition. Ahead of the upcoming tournament, Wion's Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to India's men's hockey team's captain Manpreet Singh and head coach Graham Reid as the duo dwelled on Australia's dominance at the Games (having won six gold medals since the game's inclusion in 1998), India's fixtures and more:

How to stop a rampant Australia?

Graham Reid: Yeah look it certainly is (a challenge). It has an interesting history in CWG for the Aussies. Unfortunately, I was never able to play as a player but since then (in 1998), Australia have certainly dominated. Having said that, India have also done very well over the years and the job this time is to take it to the next&nbsp;level&nbsp;and win that elusive gold at CWG 2022.&nbsp;

Intimidated playing the Aussies?

Manpreet Singh: Doesn't matter. They are No. 1 but we need to give our best. If we give our best, definitely the result will favour us. You want to win the gold medal so you are more confident and fired&nbsp;up.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-momentum-from-tokyo-2020-is-helping-us-push-harder-for-more-glory-pr-sreejesh-497760">Exclusive | Momentum from Tokyo 2020 is helping us push harder for more glory: PR Sreejesh</a>

On Indian Olympic Association's Covid precaution (asking players to limit outings to prevent viral infection's spread)

Manpreet: We are doing the same thing (as we did in the Tokyo 2020). We heard some players got infected, hence, they were sent back. Hence, we are taking up precautions and following all protocols because even if one person gets infected, it will affect the team.

On India's opener vs Ghana, playing England next

Reid: It is our second game but we always have to take one game at a time. Ghana is the one we are focusing on at the moment. England are at home here. Playing the English is a tough ask but a great test for us to see where we are.

India are placed in Pool B along with England, Ghana, Canada and Wales and they open their campaign versus the&nbsp;nation from West Africa, on July 31. So far, India's best performance at CWG came when they ended as runners-up in the 2010 edition, in New Delhi, after being hammered 8-0 by the Aussies. Will they attain their maiden gold in the forthcoming CWG'22? Only time will tell...

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/neeraj-chopra-out-of-cwg22-after-stupendous-run-since-tokyo-2020-javelin-stars-misfortune-catches-up-500802">Neeraj Chopra out of CWG'22: After stupendous run since Tokyo 2020, javelin star's misfortune catches up</a>

<h3>INDIA MEN'S HOCKEY SQUAD FOR CWG 2022</h3>

GOALKEEPERS: PR Sreejesh (gk), Krishan Bahadur Pathak

DEFENDERS: Varun Kumar, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (vc), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh.

MIDFIELDERS: Manpreet Singh (c), Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Nilakanta Sharma

FORWARDS: Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek.

The sporting fraternity is eagerly waiting for the commencement of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. The 2022 edition of the marquee event will be held in Birmingham and the Indian contingent comprises a plethora of promising athletes who are strong medal contenders.

The sporting fraternity is eagerly waiting for the commencement of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games. The 2022 edition of the marquee event will be held in Birmingham and the Indian contingent comprises a plethora of promising athletes who are strong medal contenders. While Neeraj Chopra, India's javelin thrower, bowed out of the quadrennial event due to a groin injury, on Tuesday (July 26), the countrymen can still pin their hopes on several players to shine and take India's medal tally higher in the overall rankings in the CWG'22 edition. Ahead of the upcoming tournament, Wion's Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to India's men's hockey team's captain Manpreet Singh and head coach Graham Reid as the duo dwelled on Australia's dominance at the Games (having won six gold medals since the game's inclusion in 1998), India's fixtures and more: How to stop a rampant Australia? Graham Reid: Yeah look it certainly is (a challenge). It has an interesting history in CWG for the Aussies. Unfortunately, I was never able to play as a player but since then (in 1998), Australia have certainly dominated. Having said that, India have also done very well over the years and the job this time is to take it to the next level and win that elusive gold at CWG 2022. Intimidated playing the Aussies? Manpreet Singh: Doesn't matter. They are No. 1 but we need to give our best. If we give our best, definitely the result will favour us. You want to win the gold medal so you are more confident and fired up. ALSO READ | Exclusive | Momentum from Tokyo 2020 is helping us push harder for more glory: PR Sreejesh On Indian Olympic Association's Covid precaution (asking players to limit outings to prevent viral infection's spread) Manpreet: We are doing the same thing (as we did in the Tokyo 2020). We heard some players got infected, hence, they were sent back. Hence, we are taking up precautions and following all protocols because even if one person gets infected, it will affect the team. On India's opener vs Ghana, playing England next Reid: It is our second game but we always have to take one game at a time. Ghana is the one we are focusing on at the moment. England are at home here. Playing the English is a tough ask but a great test for us to see where we are. India are placed in Pool B along with England, Ghana, Canada and Wales and they open their campaign versus the nation from West Africa, on July 31. So far, India's best performance at CWG came when they ended as runners-up in the 2010 edition, in New Delhi, after being hammered 8-0 by the Aussies. Will they attain their maiden gold in the forthcoming CWG'22? Only time will tell... ALSO READ | Neeraj Chopra out of CWG'22: After stupendous run since Tokyo 2020, javelin star's misfortune catches up INDIA MEN'S HOCKEY SQUAD FOR CWG 2022 GOALKEEPERS: PR Sreejesh (gk), Krishan Bahadur Pathak DEFENDERS: Varun Kumar, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (vc), Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh. MIDFIELDERS: Manpreet Singh (c), Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Shamsher Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Nilakanta Sharma FORWARDS: Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek.

Exclusive: Time for India to win elusive gold, says coach Graham Reid as Manpreet & Co. prepare for CWG'22

After India's hockey team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics beating Germany 5-4 in a nail-biting match, WION spoke to the captain Manpreet Singh&nbsp;and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh,&nbsp;along with the team's coach&nbsp;Graham Reid.

IN PICS|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/photos/with-a-medal-at-tokyo-olympics-re-live-the-glory-days-of-indian-mens-hockey-dhyan-chand-403033" hreflang="en">With a medal at Tokyo Olympics: Re-live the 'Glory Days' of Indian men's hockey</a>

The Indian hockey coach said he had told the team to dare to dream, adding, "you have to be prepared to lose in order to win."

India's "wall" Sreejesh, who belongs to Kerala,&nbsp;said hockey can be developed in his state while asserting that he was "seriously proud" of his achievements.

Watch:&nbsp;

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"I am speechless, it was a great team effort," the star Indian goalkeeper said.

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Describing his emotions as India were declared winners against Germany&nbsp;in the bronze medal match, Indian captain Manpreet,&nbsp;29, said the team was overjoyed calling it an "outstanding" performance.

The Indian captain said the players and the coach had tears of joy after the&nbsp;victory, India's first hockey Olympics medal in 41 years.

"He was just trying to be strong, saying I am not crying but actually he was crying," the Indian captain said jokingly referring to the coach.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-india-end-41-year-medal-wait-in-mens-hockey-as-they-win-bronze-402994">Read:&nbsp;India end 41-year medal wait in men's hockey as they win bronze</a>

"It was very testy on the field today which probably led to the emotions," the Australian admitted while adding that the "Olympics is special".

"It gets in your blood and in your heart and when you mix those two together then you get what you saw today."

"The last 15 months haven't been easy for the team including the whole world which also plays a fairly big role," the Indian team's coach said.

"We haven't seen our families for a very long time and missed little things like seeing my daughter, including missing birthdays and weddings which has been sacrificed for the greater good," the coach said.

"It makes it easier when things like this happen," the coach said haling India's victory.

Goalkeeper Sreejesh reflected on India's missed opportunities earlier, but said this time, the team had the confidence to win a medal.

Sreejesh said even though India didn't play well against Australia, the quality of the team stood out.

"We bounced back, played really well although we lost in the semi-final but the team spirit came through in the end," the Olympic bronze medallist said.

"The team did not take too much time to bounce back, they focused on their task. In today's match as well, we went down but due to our bonding, confidence and trust between each other, it helped us to get back," he said.

"We just snatched the match from the Germans," the Indian goalkeeper said proudly.

"This is the answer to everyone's questions, those who asked us questions earlier, this is it," he said. "Just wait, do the things and results will follow," Sreejesh said while taking a swipe at the detractors.

"We didn't get a medal in a long time so we created history. I think it will be good for the upcoming players who can now say they too want to win a medal just like this team and they can win too and create history again," India's captain said.

The Indian captain said it is a big win for the game and the Indian fans.

The match was a cliffhanger in the end as&nbsp;Germany was given a penalty corner with just seconds to go for the match to end, however, the Indian coach informed that there were about 29 seconds to go since the officials hadn't switched the clock back on after the timeout and so the clock stayed at 29.6 seconds for a period of time

"It was certainly more than 6.5 seconds, I was a little bit distracted trying to get the bench to switch the clock back on and to go back and check how much time was added on but we have a great penalty corner defence unit."

"I knew they would all be fighting for their lives to keep the ball out of the net and sure enough they did it," the coach said with relief.

The Indian captain excitedly informed that India's goalkeeper will be in charge of the celebrations tonight and will organise everything.&nbsp;

"Coach&nbsp;will do the snake dance today," the Indian goalkeeper said.

After India's hockey team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics beating Germany 5-4 in a nail-biting match, WION spoke to the captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, along with the team's coach Graham Reid.

After India's hockey team won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics beating Germany 5-4 in a nail-biting match, WION spoke to the captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, along with the team's coach Graham Reid. IN PICS| With a medal at Tokyo Olympics: Re-live the 'Glory Days' of Indian men's hockey The Indian hockey coach said he had told the team to dare to dream, adding, "you have to be prepared to lose in order to win." India's "wall" Sreejesh, who belongs to Kerala, said hockey can be developed in his state while asserting that he was "seriously proud" of his achievements. Watch: "I am speechless, it was a great team effort," the star Indian goalkeeper said. #EXCLUSIVE | "The team didn't take much time to bounceback. They were focussed. This is the answer to everyone who questioned us in 2012", says Indian Hockey Team Goalkeeper @16Sreejesh to @DiggySinghDeo @reidgj @manpreetpawar07 #Tokyo2020 #IndianHockeyTeam #Olympics pic.twitter.com/PEFUdJdTwh — WION (@WIONews) August 5, 2021 × Describing his emotions as India were declared winners against Germany in the bronze medal match, Indian captain Manpreet, 29, said the team was overjoyed calling it an "outstanding" performance. The Indian captain said the players and the coach had tears of joy after the victory, India's first hockey Olympics medal in 41 years. "He was just trying to be strong, saying I am not crying but actually he was crying," the Indian captain said jokingly referring to the coach. Read: India end 41-year medal wait in men's hockey as they win bronze "It was very testy on the field today which probably led to the emotions," the Australian admitted while adding that the "Olympics is special". "It gets in your blood and in your heart and when you mix those two together then you get what you saw today." "The last 15 months haven't been easy for the team including the whole world which also plays a fairly big role," the Indian team's coach said. "We haven't seen our families for a very long time and missed little things like seeing my daughter, including missing birthdays and weddings which has been sacrificed for the greater good," the coach said. "It makes it easier when things like this happen," the coach said haling India's victory. Goalkeeper Sreejesh reflected on India's missed opportunities earlier, but said this time, the team had the confidence to win a medal. Sreejesh said even though India didn't play well against Australia, the quality of the team stood out. "We bounced back, played really well although we lost in the semi-final but the team spirit came through in the end," the Olympic bronze medallist said. "The team did not take too much time to bounce back, they focused on their task. In today's match as well, we went down but due to our bonding, confidence and trust between each other, it helped us to get back," he said. "We just snatched the match from the Germans," the Indian goalkeeper said proudly. "This is the answer to everyone's questions, those who asked us questions earlier, this is it," he said. "Just wait, do the things and results will follow," Sreejesh said while taking a swipe at the detractors. "We didn't get a medal in a long time so we created history. I think it will be good for the upcoming players who can now say they too want to win a medal just like this team and they can win too and create history again," India's captain said. The Indian captain said it is a big win for the game and the Indian fans. The match was a cliffhanger in the end as Germany was given a penalty corner with just seconds to go for the match to end, however, the Indian coach informed that there were about 29 seconds to go since the officials hadn't switched the clock back on after the timeout and so the clock stayed at 29.6 seconds for a period of time "It was certainly more than 6.5 seconds, I was a little bit distracted trying to get the bench to switch the clock back on and to go back and check how much time was added on but we have a great penalty corner defence unit." "I knew they would all be fighting for their lives to keep the ball out of the net and sure enough they did it," the coach said with relief. The Indian captain excitedly informed that India's goalkeeper will be in charge of the celebrations tonight and will organise everything. "Coach will do the snake dance today," the Indian goalkeeper said.

EXCLUSIVE: We were questioned and laughed at in past, this is our answer, says Sreejesh after India win Olympic Hockey bronze - Watch

Indian hockey player Mandeep Singh on Tuesday said that if the team wins laurels for the country, the sport will itself resonate with people and will garner more admirers.

He also added that the Indian Hockey Team is confident of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Appreciating the 'Khelo India' initiative of the Sports Ministry, Singh said it has proved to a good platform."Khelo India has proved to be a good platform. It has helped in improving the game at the grassroots levels.&nbsp;

Our Sports Minister has always supported us. The honours lie upon us to win medals for the country," Singh told ANI.

"If we keep on winning medals for the country, the game itself will resonate with the youth and people will get attracted towards the sport. If people say cricket gets the support, I will add that hockey is also getting the support. If we keep on winning medals, the sport will attract people towards it," he went on to add.

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are fast approaching, Singh said that the first task for the side will be to qualify for the sporting event. The 24-year-old added that he's confident of qualifying for the Olympics and affirmed that if the team is through, they will strive to win gold.

"We are working very hard, the first thing we need to do is to qualify for the Olympics. For qualifying, we need to put our best foot forward and then we will aim to win the gold medal," Singh said.

"Our first task is to qualify for the Olympics, I am confident we will qualify and after qualification, we will think about the Tokyo Olympics. I hope we will continue to remain consistent, our aim will always be to win a medal for the country," he added.

Hockey India on July 25 had announced an 18-member squad for the Olympic Test event in Japan.

The team management had decided to rest senior players such as captain Manpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh and Surender Kumar.

The Indian team chief coach Graham Reid had said that the break will help the players shake off any niggling injuries and refresh themselves ahead of the Olympic qualifying matches in November.

Singh agreed with the head coach's statement, saying the rest was much needed for senior players. He also showed faith in the youngsters, stating that the new players will put their best foot forward.

"All the new players that have come into our side, they are all good. Some senior players needed rest, and they have been given rest by the federation. Some players were playing at a stretch from a long time so the rest was much needed.&nbsp;

New players are really good, they have been given an opportunity in the Olympic Test Event and I am confident they will perform to the best of their ability," Singh said.

Singh, who made his foray into international hockey in 2013, said that his game is improving day by day. According to him, his main task is to create penalty corners and convert them into goals.

Singh had scored his first goal against Oman in 2013, and the player has established his place in the side, becoming the linchpin in the current hockey team.

"I think my game is improving day by day. My main role is to create penalty corners and convert them into goals. I went into a dull period in the middle, but I was able to come back in to form and right now all things have fallen into place," Singh said.

Former Indian hockey team skipper Dhanraj Pillay had earlier emphasised on the betterment of rural setup to find and nurture players in the sporting circle.

"If more players are to be found and nurtured in the sporting circle, rural setup needs to be improved. No doubt, players from big cities get opportunities faster. But the rural setup has always given us great players. 
Players hailing from small towns make the most out of the given opportunity. I truly believe our hockey team will qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympics," Pillay had told ANI.

Singh agreed with the former Olympian, and hoped to see more players from rural India come under the limelight in future."I agree with Dhanraj sir. Hockey is getting support from all around the corners, the rural setup has improved quite a lot and I hope it continues to get better to give more players to the country," Singh said.

Pillay had also urged the team to not to concede goals in the dying minutes of the match. Singh said that the team has been practicing quite hard to get better in this aspect.

"We are practicing quite hard to eradicate this problem. Conceding last-minute goals has been a problem, but our support staff is working closely with us and our coach has always told us to give 100% in the last five minutes of the match," Singh said.

"We scored goals in the dying minutes in our last tournament, we are working really hard at this aspect and our coaching staff is helping us improve," he added.

The Indian team would next be participating in the Olympic Test event which is slated to begin from August 17 in Japan.

Indian hockey player Mandeep Singh on Tuesday said that if the team wins laurels for the country, the sport will itself resonate with people and will garner more admirers.

Indian hockey player Mandeep Singh on Tuesday said that if the team wins laurels for the country, the sport will itself resonate with people and will garner more admirers. He also added that the Indian Hockey Team is confident of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Appreciating the 'Khelo India' initiative of the Sports Ministry, Singh said it has proved to a good platform."Khelo India has proved to be a good platform. It has helped in improving the game at the grassroots levels. Our Sports Minister has always supported us. The honours lie upon us to win medals for the country," Singh told ANI. "If we keep on winning medals for the country, the game itself will resonate with the youth and people will get attracted towards the sport. If people say cricket gets the support, I will add that hockey is also getting the support. If we keep on winning medals, the sport will attract people towards it," he went on to add. As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are fast approaching, Singh said that the first task for the side will be to qualify for the sporting event. The 24-year-old added that he's confident of qualifying for the Olympics and affirmed that if the team is through, they will strive to win gold. "We are working very hard, the first thing we need to do is to qualify for the Olympics. For qualifying, we need to put our best foot forward and then we will aim to win the gold medal," Singh said. "Our first task is to qualify for the Olympics, I am confident we will qualify and after qualification, we will think about the Tokyo Olympics. I hope we will continue to remain consistent, our aim will always be to win a medal for the country," he added. Hockey India on July 25 had announced an 18-member squad for the Olympic Test event in Japan. The team management had decided to rest senior players such as captain Manpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh and Surender Kumar. The Indian team chief coach Graham Reid had said that the break will help the players shake off any niggling injuries and refresh themselves ahead of the Olympic qualifying matches in November. Singh agreed with the head coach's statement, saying the rest was much needed for senior players. He also showed faith in the youngsters, stating that the new players will put their best foot forward. "All the new players that have come into our side, they are all good. Some senior players needed rest, and they have been given rest by the federation. Some players were playing at a stretch from a long time so the rest was much needed. New players are really good, they have been given an opportunity in the Olympic Test Event and I am confident they will perform to the best of their ability," Singh said. Singh, who made his foray into international hockey in 2013, said that his game is improving day by day. According to him, his main task is to create penalty corners and convert them into goals. Singh had scored his first goal against Oman in 2013, and the player has established his place in the side, becoming the linchpin in the current hockey team. "I think my game is improving day by day. My main role is to create penalty corners and convert them into goals. I went into a dull period in the middle, but I was able to come back in to form and right now all things have fallen into place," Singh said. Former Indian hockey team skipper Dhanraj Pillay had earlier emphasised on the betterment of rural setup to find and nurture players in the sporting circle. "If more players are to be found and nurtured in the sporting circle, rural setup needs to be improved. No doubt, players from big cities get opportunities faster. But the rural setup has always given us great players. Players hailing from small towns make the most out of the given opportunity. I truly believe our hockey team will qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympics," Pillay had told ANI. Singh agreed with the former Olympian, and hoped to see more players from rural India come under the limelight in future."I agree with Dhanraj sir. Hockey is getting support from all around the corners, the rural setup has improved quite a lot and I hope it continues to get better to give more players to the country," Singh said. Pillay had also urged the team to not to concede goals in the dying minutes of the match. Singh said that the team has been practicing quite hard to get better in this aspect. "We are practicing quite hard to eradicate this problem. Conceding last-minute goals has been a problem, but our support staff is working closely with us and our coach has always told us to give 100% in the last five minutes of the match," Singh said. "We scored goals in the dying minutes in our last tournament, we are working really hard at this aspect and our coaching staff is helping us improve," he added. The Indian team would next be participating in the Olympic Test event which is slated to begin from August 17 in Japan.

If we keep winning medals, Hockey will garner admirers in India: Mandeep Singh

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