After drastic performance at London Games, Indian Hockey Veterans are working out to revive its lost glory. Olympians and former International hockey players including Mohammad Riaz, B.J. Carriapa, Baljeet Singh Saini, Surinder Kaur and Sandeep Kaur are participating in the first High Performance Coaching Programme  at Lucknow.
The three-year programme, organised by Federation of International Hockey (FIH) and Hockey India, aims to help Indian coaches obtain up to a Level 3 certification and will be an annual feature during the junior national championship.
As many as 46 coaches have registered for the inaugural course that is being conducted by FIH Master Coach and FIH Coaching and High Performance Manager Tayyab Ikram and FIH Grade 1 Coach Siegfried Aikman.
“Hockey in India needs to be institutionalised and the focus should be on the structural development and high performance awareness. There is a pressing need of professional high performance center and a long term plan for coaches and training of team entourage, time to give up ad hoc arrangements,” Ikram said.
“In India, we need to be more consistent when it comes to coaching development. This can be the most important investment for a country which is very rich in potential and talent,” he said.
The seven-day initiative will conclude Sep 10, a day after the conclusion of the men’s junior hockey championship.
The content includes two High Performance Courses a year and will target the experienced and qualified coaches from all over India. It also includes inputs from top experts and practical coaching sessions, discussions on development, special presentations and contributions from participants, match analysis, feedback after each course and complete monitoring and assessment process will be in place.
“We are delighted to assist the coach education programme which intends to develop the coaches with updated and scientific know how of High Performance Coaching, an area which needs attention and resources in a country full of talent,” Kelly Fairweather, CEO, FIH said.