This team is special and best is yet to come: Graham Reid

Speaking after the bronze-medal match, the former Australian Olympian attributed the team’s success to the hard work put in by everyone in the last one and half year.

Hyderabad: India hockey team’s head coach Graham Reid said that this team, which broke the 41-year-old medal drought at Olympics by clinching a bronze with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Germany on Thursday, is special one will go on to achieve more success.

Speaking after the bronze-medal match, the former Australian Olympian attributed the team’s success to the hard work put in by everyone in the last one and half year.

“The victory means a lot to us. We have worked very hard in the last two years, made a lot of sacrifices. We have increased fitness levels in the last few years. It was all about details. Whatever work we do behind the scenes, it is to the players to execute. Their ability to execute under pressure makes this team special. We haven’t seen the best of this team yet. I am sure we have a long way to go.”

When asked how he motivated the team after losing the semifinal, he said, “When we had a meeting in the morning, we showed them the picture of the bronze medal and allowed us to think about it. And discussed what we need to do to win that medal today. When you actually do it is a very special moment.”

India were trailing 1-3 at one point and Reid hailed the team for the fightback. “Today’s match performance was fantastic. We were a bit slow to start and we paid a price for that. But the next three quarters, we were switched on. It was a great fightback. From 1-3 down after losing the seminal match (against Belgium), most of the teams would have struggled mentally. But we showed what this team is capable of. Equalling at 3-all and going on to win 5-4 was a great performance.”

He further explained, “In the very first hurdle after the semis loss, I talked about team-first mentality and it is about not allowing yourself to feel sorry for yourself. What it means is that we all are disappointed about missing the final. But in reality the best thing is to put that behind us and focus on the bronze medal match. That first night after the loss, we spoke to each other.”

With just six seconds left on the clock, India conceded a penalty corner. But how did Reid feel at the moment? “We sort of working out how much time was left. The clock stopped for a while and didn’t start. I was a bit distracted which is a good thing. The penalty corner is always the most nervous time. The defence has been very good throughout the Olympics. I was pretty confident about it but sports has the habit of taking away that quickly.”

Meanwhile, vice captain Harmanpreet Singh said it was a moment to cherish in their lives. “Winning a medal after 41 years, it is a proud and emotional moment. We are very happy. We worked very hard and spent a lot of time in Bengaluru training and focusing on mental strength. It was visible that everyone wanted to win.”

Simranjit, who scored two goals in the final, revealed that he was disappointed after being left out of the original team but later called on as a reserve and to deliver in the final was very satisfying. “I had faith but I was not selected. The same night, I got a message from the coach. I replied saying it does not matter whether I am there or not in the team but what matters is the team standing on the podium. Whenever I got a chance, I wanted to give my best and prove that I belong here.”

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