Reid's credentials as both player and coach are rich. The Queenslander was part of the Australian team that won silver at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
The hunt for a head coach for the Indian hockey senior men's team might end with Australia's Graham Reid.
It is learnt that the 54-year-old, currently the assistant coach of the Netherlands men's senior team, is the frontrunner to replace Harendra Singh who was sacked by Hockey India (HI) in January this year.
The speculation of Reid coming to India has intesified after he parted ways with his club — the Amsterdamsche Hockey & Bandy Club or simply the Amsterdam Hockey Club — late on Thursday night with immediate effect due to his interest in a "new challenge". The club's historic 2-8 loss against HGC in a league match last Sunday also played a part.
"The current disappointing results emphasize the need for change. In addition, Reid has indicated that he may have a new challenge in the short term outside of Amsterdam. The combination of these factors led to this decision," the club said in a statement posted on its website.
Reid's credentials as both player and coach are rich. The Queenslander was part of the Australian team that won silver at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
His coaching career took off in 2009 when he was appointed the assistant coach of the Kookaburras, being promoted as head coach in 2014. His most notable achievements include guiding Australia to the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold and 2016 FIH Champions Trophy gold.
However, he quit the role after Australia's disappointing 2016 Rio Olympics outing, and since been the assistant coach of the Dutch national team.
The Dutch media too has strongly linked Reid to the India job, with hockey.nl reporting about "a concrete interest from India to become national coach there" and Max Caldas, the current head coach of the Netherlands, "probably looking for a new assistant at the Dutch team".
HI, however, continues to remain tight-lipped about the appointment, which has to be sealed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). HI officials refused to take calls from this paper.
The federation first advertised for the vacant post in January, before extending the deadline twice for applications.
The Indian team, meanwhile, will open its Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign against Japan in Ipoh on Saturday under the leadership of HI high-performance director David John and analytical coach Chris Ciriello.
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