New Delhi, May 15:
India on Thursday officially appointed decorated Frenchman Frederic Soyez as the chief coach of the national junior men’s hockey team, replacing two-time Olympic medallist PR Sreejesh.
Sreejesh, a former star goalkeeper, was removed from his role just after 17 months following the expiry of his contract after guiding India to a bronze medal-finish at last year’s FIH Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai.
In a strongly-worded social media post, Sreejesh vented out his frustration, saying his tenure was brought to an end despite winning five medals in as many tournaments during his stint, but Hockey India argued that the decision was taken considering long-term vision of building a sustainable high-performance ecosystem aligned with India’s ambitions for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.
One of the most accomplished coaches in European hockey, Soyez brings over three decades of elite coaching experience, including 15 years as an international player for France and over 15 years as a head coach at the highest level.