India hockey coach Graham Reid: The best is yet to come out of this team
The Australian believes that this squad can achieve greater heights
The Indian men's hockey team clinched a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics after beating Germany 5-4 in the third-place playoff. It was India's first Olympic medal in Hockey in 41 years and coach Graham Reid feels that this team is yet to realise its full potential.
At the Oi Hockey Stadium on Thursday morning, India were 3-1 down at one stage but was quick to respond and at halftime, they drew level. Their performance soared in the second half and they added two more goals to extend the lead. The Germans pulled one back in the fourth quarter but that was too little too late.
"It was a fantastic performance apart from the first seven-eight minutes. Germany were pumped today and we paid the price early. But we picked up our momentum. It was a great fightback from 3-1 down. Most teams would have struggled mentally after a semifinal loss and being 3-1 down in a virtual final.
"We started slowly and perhaps a little bit casual. But in the second half of the first quarter, we woke up and saw the improvements. It was no doubt that we were going to be in trouble. We talked about this before the game. We took the game to the next level, played attacking hockey, and also dug deep when required," coach Reid stated after the game.
It was a tricky match for India as they came into the game after a heartbreaking 5-2 loss against Belgium in the semifinals. Reid had once finished fourth in the Olympics as a player and he warned his troops of the bitter experience that follows the match.
"In Seoul 1988, (with Australia) we came fourth and it is not a nice thing. These guys were so motivated. They have a superb mentality. In the morning, I showed them the picture of the bronze medal. I told them to visualize them winning the medal and when you actually do, it is a very special moment.
"In the very first hurdle after the loss, I talked about mentality and did not let them feel sorry for themselves. We put that behind us and just focused on the bronze. The players let go of it as quickly as they could and they came together. It was a team-first mentality that helped us through."
In the final 15 minutes, Germany gave their all to cancel the deficit and with just 30 seconds to go, they earned a penalty corner.
"We were trying to figure out how much time was left. We were a bit distracted at that moment. It is one of the most nervous times. I was pretty confident but sport takes away that confidence. Now with the rules, they can still refer even after the final hooter. It was stressful (laughs)," Reid revealed.
The Indian team had been staying together at the SAI (Sports Authority of India) facilities during the lockdown in a bio-bubble and the tactician thinks that has helped the team improve its mental resilience.
"The last 15 months were a unique experience. That increased our mental resilience. We stayed together under duress and stress. I think a lot of that helped us in the second and third quarters today. I would give a 9/10 on the performance.
"The team was also fit (physically)and we saw that in all the games. It is all about minor details. Their ability to execute under pressure makes them a good team. We haven't seen the best of the group yet. I am confident that it is yet to come," he mentioned.
Harmanpreet Singh who had a fantastic outing in Tokyo 2020 lauded his coach for the way he guided them since he took charge in 2019.
"One of the words on the board was 'calm'. It was a proud moment of course when the final hooter went off. Every one of us wanted to win. We knew, this is it and we did not want to regret it later. All the players gave their 100 per cent.
"The coach has shown a lot of belief in us. He says to play simple hockey and just believe in the hard work," he signed off.