new delhi: Indian women’s hockey team chief coach Harendra Singh on Monday resigned from the post with immediate effect citing “personal reasons”.
Harendra, who had taken over the reins in April last year, led India to title triumph in the Asian Champions Trophy in Rajgir in November last year, but under him the team also got demoted from the FIH Pro League after finishing last in the 2024-25 season.
“Coaching the Indian women’s hockey team has been a privilege that has been a highlight of my career. Though personal reasons call me to step away, my heart remains with this extraordinary team and their ongoing success,” said Harendra, who was the United States men’s hockey team’s tactician prior to becoming the Indian women’s coach, said in a Hockey India statement.
“I will always cherish my journey with Hockey India and continue to support their efforts to take Indian hockey to the highest levels of achievement,” he said.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, while accepting the resignation, appreciated the commitment of Harendra, who guided India’s junior men’s team to the 2016 FIH Jr World Cup title in Lucknow.
“We thank Harendra Singh for his services and his exemplary experience. His commitment towards the development of Indian Hockey is well-known across the hockey community across the world,” he said. “We will soon start the process of appointing a new coach. There were some complaints from players about his high handedness and strict attitude but this was not the issue behind his resignation,” he added.