"Eye on 2028 for women's hockey team, fitness key to finding place in the side" - Harendra Singh back to complete unfinished task [Exclusive]

Back in early 2019, Harendra Singh was relieved of his duties as Chief Coach of the Indian men's hockey side following the team's failure to make it to the semifinal of the 2018 FIH Hockey World Cup.

Harendra, who oversaw the men's team winning a historic Champions Trophy silver before a shock semifinal defeat at the 2018 Asian Games, spent just eight months with the boys after having been moved from the women's team.

Following a coaching stint with the USA men's team, the former India international from Bihar returned to coach the Indian women's side after a six-year gap during the European leg of the Hockey Pro League earlier this year.

During an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Harendra Singh laid out his vision for the Indian women's team, placing a marked emphasis on fitness while stressing repeatedly that a medal at the 2028 LA Olympics is the ultimate aim.

"Our focus now is 2026 (Asian Games and World Cup) followed by 2028 (Olympics) and we are building the team accordingly in order to achieve the target. The 2026 Asian Games and World Cup will be the base for the 2028 Olympics," he revealed.

"We have also shared with the players what our target is and where we want to see the team reach in 2028. With an eye on 2028, fitness will be the key to finding a place in the side," Harendra Singh asserted.

The Indian girls, who were unable to qualify for the Paris Olympics under the tutelage of Janneke Schopman, failed to win any of their matches at the Pro League in Europe.

Harendra Singh, who took over the reins of the team ahead of the Pro League matches in May, stressed that the performance of the side was impacted by injury and a distinct lack of fitness.

"During the Pro League, the team was struggling because of fitness and a few injury concerns, and I knew it would impact the side. Fitness is not something that can be developed in a short time - it's a long-term process," Harendra explained.

"In the last couple of matches in the Pro League, we were almost there but the reason we lost those matches is because we lacked fitness. I told them to keep improving day by day. I also explained to them that unless we improve our fitness, we will always be left behind by these teams," he added. "The girls themselves admitted that they lacked speed and fitness and promised to work towards improving the same."

The Indians went down fighting 2-4 to Germany after having led 2-0 before ending their Pro League campaign with a heartbreaking 2-3 loss to Great Britain in London.

Harendra Singh also outlined the fact that the level of the team had to be good enough to win medals for the country and spelt out what he expected the standard operating procedure to be.

"I also made it clear to them that for me, mere participation is not enough, the team should be good enough to win medals for the country. Our focus will now be to improve our speed and fitness and also learn to retain possession once we lose it. Once we have the ball, we need to get into a furious attacking mode. This should be the SOP for the team," Harendra elucidated.

"When you rebuild a team it's not like you discard everyone. Whoever achieves fitness levels on par with international standards and those we feel can sustain the same until 2028 will find a place in the team" the 55-year-old coach stated.

While admitting that talismatic players like Rani Rampal and Gurjit Kaur had a significant role to play in the success of the team in the past, Harendra is confident that the present squad too will produce matchwinners in the future.

"Rani Rampal and Gurjit Kaur Kaur played their part with aplomb but this is new era. For me, every player in the present squad has the potential to be a Rani Rampal or Gurjit Kaur. In future, I am sure you will see matchwinners making a mark," he predicted.

"Individual skills of Indian girls on par with the best in the world" - Harendra Singh

With the Women's Asian Champions Trophy coming up in November, Harendra Singh shared his thoughts on China's meteoric rise on the world stage.

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Chinese girls stunned their rivals by advancing to the final, where they held the mighty Netherlands 1-1 in regulation time before losing the shootout.

Harendra Singh singled out fitness as the one key factor that helped the Chinese create history in Paris after having defeated India 4-0 in the semifinals of the Asian Games last year.

"I feel the Chinese girls are doing so well because they have worked hard on their fitness. If you notice, they always persist in trying to regain possession each time. The Indians have the capacity to do the same. What also counts is individual brilliance and decision-making," he stated. "The individual skill of each of the girls in the Indian team is on par with the very best in the world."

Harendra Singh is confident that this time around, he does have the support of Hockey India to enable him to achieve the long-term objectives thanks to a contract that extends all the way until 2028.

"Our Secretary-General has made it clear that coaching contracts for the men's and women's teams have been handed out until 2028 which gives us time and confidence to test and try out different combinations and strategies." he declared. "I returned to India to complete an unfinished task since I have a responsibility to contribute towards the growth of Indian hockey."

The Women's Asian Champions Trophy will begin at Rajgir, Bihar on November 20. Harendra Singh, who guided the Indian boys to a Junior World Cup win in 2016, will be hoping that his home state proves to be a happy hunting ground for the Indian women's team.

For a coach who wears his passion on his sleeve, it will be the beginning of a litmus test ahead of the gruelling Pro League that gets underway in February 2025.