Australian Graham Reid's appointment as the men's national team head coach till the end of 2020 was ratified on Monday after Hockey India received necessary clearance from the Sports Authority of India.
He spoke to PTI in an exclusive interview from Amsterdam -- "What I want is a stable environment for me as well as the players," he said, before talking about the influence former India coach Ric Charlesworth had in his decision-making, "I had a very long discussion with Ric and he thought it was good time for me to move to India. He feels I have the experience at international level to take Indian hockey forward."
"Pressure only comes in your mind. We should instead focus on what we can control as results will come from that. To be honest, I didn't have any apprehensions as such. I have been to India many a times and have also worked with the Hockey India League (HIL) teams. The good thing is that I will be based in Bengaluru with my wife and not fly in and out," added Reid
"Of course, it is a huge challenge but I am looking forward to it. When every coach starts his career, he has that secret desire to coach India someday and I am no exception. I love the way India play," he added.
When asked about his aim moving forward, Reid said "I am not thinking too far ahead. I believe in living in the present. What I know is that we have a tour to Australia before the Olympic qualifiers (Hockey Series Finals in Bhubaneswar) and I want to get everybody focused"
Talking about the changes he has in mind, he said, "I would like to continue with the improvement India is making without tinkering with their original style. My emphasis would be on basics of hockey, working on principles. I would like to get our coaching structure right and communication clear. India has experience but they need resilience. We need to play with confidence. Our defence need to tough and ruthless."
Reid, who is expected at the ongoing national camp at SAI South Centre in Bengaluru on April 18, added, "We need to put in place different things in order. Polishing basics is really important. The other key part is to stay focused on the present and not think about outcome. What is important is the process."