India’s Men’s Head Coach: Craig Fulton
South African‑born Craig Fulton has been India’s men’s hockey coach since March 2023. He led the team to an Olympic bronze in 2024 and received an extension through 2028. His disciplined, data‑driven methods, working with scientific advisor Alan Tan and analytical coach Rhett Halkett, bring strategic sharpness to India’s style.
India’s Women’s Head Coach: Harendra Singh
Veteran Harendra Singh took over the women’s national team in April 2024. A Dronacharya awardee, he has led India to the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy title and is preparing them for the 2026 World Cup and Asian Games. He’s bringing long‑term vision, intense drag‑flicking drills, and fitness focus to revive the women’s program.
Technical and Analytical Support:
The men’s side also benefits from expert staff including Alan Tan (Scientific Advisor) and Rhett Halkett (Analytical Coach), while the women train under external specialists such as drag‑flick expert Toon Siepman and goalie coach Simon Zijp. These additions demonstrate India turning to high‑performance science.
Rising Mentor Legends:
Former greats like Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal have joined JSW Sports’ Soorma Hockey Club as mentor coaches in the Hockey India League. They bring decades of experience, helping younger players tap into fierce passion and tactical nous.
India’s U‑21 Goalkeeper Coach: PR Sreejesh
Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh, legendary goalkeeper and Olympic medalist, has already transitioned into coaching. He now leads India’s U‑21 men’s setup and contributes significantly to grooming future shot‑stoppers. This is a sentimental and inspiring evolution of a hero.
Veteran Master Coach: Harendra’s Legacy
Singh’s coaching journey is built on rich experience: junior world cup titles, Asia Cup gold, and national team stints. His return to the women’s team brings in trust and familiarity—vital for stability and rebuilding faith after a disappointing Olympic qualification hurdle.
Former Chief: Joaquim Carvalho
Part of an earlier golden era, coach Joaquim Carvalho led India to podium finishes in the 2007 Asia Cup and Champions Trophy. His legacy lives on in players like Dhanraj Pillay and Sardara Singh who credit him for technical refinement.
Past Women’s Coach: Dave Smolenaars
Even though Harendra now leads the women’s team, Dutch coach Dave Smolenaars previously served as analytical coach and helped shape early match tactics during the World Cup buildup phases.
Coaching Education Push by Hockey India
To strengthen grassroots and long‑term coaching, Hockey India organizes specialized workshops for FIH certified coaches led by experts like Graham Reid and Robin Arkell. These sessions cover tactics, interchanges, and sports science.
PR Sreejesh’s Vision for Juniors
Stepping into coaching, Sreejesh now mentors India’s Under‑21 men’s squad. He speaks passionately about replicating Rahul Dravid’s pathway model and nurturing talent from the grassroots up.
Balancing Legacy with Modern Demands
One of the challenges Indian hockey coaches face is balancing tradition with innovation. The legacy of past glory often weighs heavily on their shoulders, pushing them to honor old-school methods. But the demands of modern hockey—speed, agility, analytics, and player psychology—require a very different toolkit. Coaches today must not only command respect based on experience, but also adapt quickly to changing global standards, often without enough structural support.
The High-Pressure Job Nobody Talks About
Coaching the Indian hockey team isn’t just about drawing tactics on a board. It involves managing expectations from fans, officials, and media—all while dealing with internal politics. Coaches are often judged harshly, sometimes after just one tournament. This pressure-cooker environment leaves little room for long-term strategy, which is essential for grooming talent and improving consistency. The revolving door of coaches has done more harm than good in recent decades.
Foreign Coaches: A Mixed Bag
India has turned to foreign coaches frequently in search of a fresh approach. Names like Ric Charlesworth, Terry Walsh, and Graham Reid have brought international flair and structure. Some have left behind a legacy of discipline and fitness, while others exited amid controversies or misunderstandings. While foreign expertise brings professionalism, communication gaps and cultural misalignment often hold back their full impact. Their departure usually signals more than just a tactical failure—it reflects systemic mismanagement.
Domestic Talent Still Overlooked
Despite having a deep pool of former players and passionate hockey minds within the country, domestic coaching talent is often sidelined for more “glamorous” international appointments. Coaches from within the Indian system are more familiar with ground realities and know how to connect with players emotionally. Yet, they often lack exposure to modern coaching tools or simply aren’t trusted with the top job. This imbalance creates frustration within the hockey community and undermines local expertise.
Junior Coaches Planting Seeds of Change
Some of the most hopeful stories in Indian hockey are being written at the grassroots and junior levels. Coaches like BJ Kariappa and Romesh Pathania have been quietly developing young athletes who go on to represent India at international levels. Their approach focuses on mentorship, personal growth, and fundamental skill-building—crucial elements that the national setup often overlooks in its quest for immediate results. These coaches are planting the seeds of India’s hockey future.
The Mental Game: Still a Blind Spot
Modern hockey is as much a psychological game as a physical one, but many Indian coaches have yet to fully integrate mental conditioning into their training. While some senior teams are beginning to understand the value of sports psychologists, the coaching infrastructure still lacks professionals who can guide players through anxiety, pressure, and focus. Coaches who invest in this softer side of performance are often the ones who truly change careers—and lives.
Too Many Cooks?
Another area of concern is the frequent shuffle of assistant coaches, analysts, and consultants. Instead of building a stable, cohesive coaching team, the federation often overloads the staff with multiple voices and unclear responsibilities. This leaves players confused and disrupts the overall strategic direction of the team. Hockey thrives on rhythm and trust—and when the bench lacks clarity, that uncertainty reflects on the field.
Celebrated Coaches Who Made a Difference
It would be unfair to paint the entire coaching history with one brush. Some coaches have undeniably lifted Indian hockey. Harendra Singh, for example, is known for his aggressive style and emotional connect with players. Joaquim Carvalho brought back energy to a deflated squad in his time. These coaches didn’t just teach hockey—they inspired belief. Their stories serve as proof that, when given time and trust, Indian coaches can deliver remarkable results.
The Clash of Coaching Philosophies
One underlying tension in Indian hockey today is the clash between traditional Indian coaching philosophies and western, data-driven systems. While both have their merits, trying to merge them without a unified vision often leads to chaos. Some coaches prefer structure and drills, others value creativity and instinct. Without a shared framework, players are often stuck trying to reconcile conflicting instructions, ultimately harming their development.
Legacy Meets Modern Demands
Indian hockey coaching is caught between pride in past glory and demands of contemporary performance. For decades, coaches looked to legendary traditions and instincts to guide teams. Today’s game, however, calls for sleek analytics, rapid transitions, sports psychology and global strategic precision. The challenge is how to honor legacy while evolving fast—especially when structural support remains inconsistent.
Emotional Toll Behind Coaching Pressure
Being national coach in India means constant scrutiny—from fans, federation, media. Coaches often bear the burden of unstable results after just one tournament. That instability undermines long-term strategy and player growth. We rarely talk about the emotional pressure: one wrong series can spell dismissal. Change in leadership breaks team rhythm, affecting trust and player confidence.
The Foreign Coach Conundrum
In recent years, Hockey India frequently hired foreign coaches—Ric Charlesworth, Terry Walsh, Graham Reid. While some introduced discipline and performance culture, others struggled due to language or cultural disconnects. Players often struggled to internalize tactical shifts. And when these coaches exited amid friction, the underlying issues—like communication gaps—were exposed.
Homegrown Coaches Often Overlooked
Local coaching talent is often sidelined in favor of international hires. Yet coaches who grew in India understand the players’ backgrounds, mindset, linguistic preferences, and emotional triggers. But many lack exposure to advanced tactics or modern infrastructure. The result: frustration and under-utilized domestic expertise.
Junior Coaches: Building Foundations
At grassroots level, coaches like BJ Kariappa and Romesh Pathania are quietly shaping future Indian stars. Their focus is on mentorship, fundamental skills, and disciplined practice—not instant results. They embody the idea that high-performance sport begins with patient, emotional nurturing. Their impact may be unsung, but deep-rooted.
Mental Coaching: A Crucial Blind Spot
Sports psychology remains deeply underutilized. Team India has only recently begun working with Behaviour Insight in Bengaluru to address anxiety, decision-making and mental resilience Yet most coaches still lean on tactics and drills, ignoring mindset preparation. The teams grow physically fit, but often falter in crunch moments.
Coaching Staff Overload
Too often, fielding consists of too many consultants, assistants, overlays of voices. Lack of clarity in roles—and shifting staff rosters—leaves players confused. Indian hockey thrives on rhythm and trust; a stable coaching nucleus can produce that coherence. Instead, fragmented teams are routinely reshuffled mid-tournament.
Harendra Singh: A Motivating Force
Harendra Singh is arguably the most impactful Indian coach in recent times. His long association with India’s junior and senior teams—culminating in the 2016 Junior World Cup win—stems from his unique ability to communicate in players’ language and background For players from rural Punjab or Haryana, that connection has been a game‑changer in confidence-building and unity.
Emphasis on Fundamentals
In 2016, Harendra rebuilt India’s junior team from the basics. He insisted on mastering core skills—pass, trap, head-up control. In interview he said: “The biggest problem was basics… we have a lot of skill but we didn’t know how to stop or pass the ball” That focus translated into diagonal passing, team structure and tactical depth, culminating in world championship success.
The Value of Time and Trust
Unlike short-lived foreign contracts, Harendra had the luxury of two‑and‑a‑half years to prepare. It allowed him to align players mentally and tactically. He introduced shared goal-setting and video sessions where players documented strengths and weaknesses—aligning their perceptions with his vision This continuity paid off under pressure.
Innovative Habits for Cohesion
On-field cohesion was reinforced by off-field discipline. Harendra imposed rules like no mobiles at mealtimes, 10:30 pm lights-out, strategic roommates—pairing experience with youth These small nudges built camaraderie and mental sharpness. It’s a reminder that culture often shapes performance as much as tactics.
Shortcomings and Setbacks
However, even Harendra’s tenure wasn’t free of critique. In the FIH Pro League 2025, India’s women’s team lost eight consecutive matches in Europe and was relegated—highlighting deeper issues in defense, penalty corner management, and inexperience Despite these setbacks, Harendra maintained a positive outlook, calling it a learning opportunity.
Emerging Reality: Playing Abroad Matters
Craig Fulton, coach of India’s men’s team, emphasized overseas exposure is vital. Seven straight losses in Europe showed India’s over-dependence on home comfort. India A’s tour in Europe, playing teams like Belgium and England, is aimed at building resilience Sustainability in modern hockey needs squads to perform under adverse, unfamiliar environments.
Disconnect Between Vision and Structure
Despite Harendra’s credentials—FIH Master Coach, junior world title, emotional connect—Indian hockey often undervalues long-term vision in favor of short-term fixes. The system churns coaches every few months, denying them time to build. As former player Sandeep Singh said, “There is no one better than him for the Indian team” but he remains at the mercy of unstable hiring cycles.
The Language Barrier
Foreign coaches often fail to connect because language and culture matter. Harendra speaks in Punjabi, Hindi, and local dialects that resonate deeply with many players. He knows how to deliver instructions in a way that resonates emotionally, reducing confusion on field.
Coaching Should Be Continuity
Rather than recycling coaches, the federation should invest in developing a bench of homegrown coaches. As Lalit Upadhyaya—recently retired Olympian—pledges to revive hockey in Varanasi youth, there’s a growing recognition that local coaching matters deeply for talent pipelines.
Need for Documentation and Innovation
As Harendra himself pointed out, Indian hockey lacks scientific documentation and back‑room innovation. “We are only depending on skill and natural aptitude… we are far behind in technology, research, support”. Modern coaches need data systems, video analytics, fitness science, nutrition and mental frameworks to compete globally.
Bridging Club Play and National Selection
One Reddit commentator noted that unlike European nations with club culture, India lacks structured domestic competition. Coaches seldom see players in club contexts regularly. Reviving domestic leagues or zonal tournaments with coaching oversight could help build consistency and familiarity, aiding national team strategy integration.
A Balanced Coaching Ecosystem
The future lies in blending tradition with science. Indian coaches like Harendra can mentor a cadre of young professionals trained in sports psychology, analytics and modern methods. This hybrid coaching pool must be supported with resources, documentation, and long-term faith from Hockey India.
A Call for Strategic Patience and Vision
The recurrent pattern—frequent coaching changes, focus on short-term gain, undervaluing local talent—has hindered India’s global ascendancy. What is needed is a strategic framework: invest in coaches, let them implement long-term plans, integrate mental, technical and tactical layers, support them with modern resources and let them build legacy, not just results.
Final Take
Indian hockey coaching is navigating a turbulent path. On one hand, there is frustration over structural instability, mismanagement, and neglect of mental preparation. On the other, there is deep hope in coaches like Harendra Singh who blend emotional connect, tactical evolution, and discipline. The insight here is clear: India must root for continuity, trust local talent, invest in coach education, and integrate modern sports science to reclaim global competitiveness. When coaching becomes a long-game and not a revolving door, Indian hockey can not only dream again but win consistently—emotionally, technically, and tactically brilliant.
A Call for Consistency and Vision
The need of the hour in Indian hockey is not just better coaches—it’s a clearer long-term vision. Constant changes in the coaching setup lead to inconsistent performance and erode player confidence. The Hockey India Federation must invest in coach development programs, trust their appointments, and allow time for growth. Coaches need to be seen as strategic partners in progress, not disposable technicians. Only then can India build a sustainable, world-class hockey ecosystem.