There is growing worry in Indian sports circles about the future of the women’s hockey team. The concern comes after a major players-coach standoff. Head coach Harendra Singh has exited the national setup. His departure followed serious allegations of mental harassment, outdated coaching practices, and favouritism. The situation has created tension within the team and raised fears that years of progress could be affected.
To control the damage, the sports ministry has stepped in. It has asked the Sports Authority of India’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme division to take charge of the matter. Senior officials at the SAI regional centre in Bengaluru have also been instructed to act. Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams train at this centre.
Discussions will now be held with senior and key players of the women’s team. The purpose is to understand why the players revolted against the coach. Officials also want to study the fallout of the issue. Another major goal is to end any groupism within the squad. The ministry wants to ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future.
“We want the women’s hockey team to solely focus on their preparations and games, rather than getting involved in such players-coach politics. We have all been there to help them and provide the best of training facilities, funding, exposure trips, international competitions and coaching,” an official told TOI.
Ministry Feels Federation Mishandled the Situation
Ministry officials have also accepted that the situation was not handled well by Hockey India. They believe the federation should have played a stronger and more responsible role.
“His resignation should have been handled in a gracious way. He left after realising there’s no one in the federation to support his coaching ideas. One can’t let the internal politics win,” another official added.
The timing of this crisis is a major worry. The next year is very important for Indian hockey. The Asian Games and the Hockey World Cup are scheduled in the coming months. These tournaments are crucial for the future of the team.
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The ministry now wants full focus on performance. It hopes the talks with players will calm tensions. The goal is clear. Protect team unity. Restore confidence. And ensure that India’s women’s hockey team continues its upward journey without distractions.
