Players’ complaints on ‘outdated and dictatorial’ coaching style led to Harendra’s resignation

The sudden resignation of the Indian women’s hockey team head coach, Harendra Singh, was prompted by a series of players’ complaints against his “outdated and dictatorial” style of working.

Harendra, who joined the team in April 2024, surprised the fraternity by resigning as head coach on Monday (December 1, 2025).

Sources, however, revealed to PTI that there had been considerable anger among the players regarding his working style for a long time, and they had complained of “mental harassment” to Hockey India, SAI TOPS officials, and the Sports Ministry last week.

According to sources, the Sports Ministry took cognizant of the players’ complaints and directed Hockey India to take immediate action.

Sources stated that the players had complained about his authoritarian attitude, coaching methods, and the team’s consistently declining performance.

They also said that the SAI TOPS officials, who were sent to Bengaluru for inspection four months ago, had also given a “negative” report.

Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, the investigation was conducted within four days, with very few people informed. Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey and Secretary General Bholanath Singh arrived at the Sports Authority of India in Bengaluru directly from the ongoing Junior Hockey World Cup in Chennai and Madurai and spoke individually with the players participating in the camp.

It has been learned that most of the players had demanded the replacement of the entire coaching staff, including the head coach.

Almost everyone rated Harendra Singh lower than former coaches Sjoerd Marijne and Janneke Schopman. Many players also said that his presence was not benefiting the team.

After receiving feedback from the players, his resignation was accepted. When asked if there were any other allegations against the coach, a senior player said, “All our complaints were only about hockey. We only had problems with his poor attitude and coaching methods, and we wanted change.”

“The team’s performance and fitness levels have plummeted, and poor coaching practices have left over a dozen players injured. How can such a team win a medal?” the played asked.

In the wake of Harendra’s departure, the women’s hockey team camp in Bengaluru has been called off, and all players have returned home until further notice.

There is speculation about the return of Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne, who led the team to a fourth-place finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, as head coach.

Players say tensions within the team were affecting performance, and no one was performing to their full potential.

A senior player said, “We felt a lot of tension before matches, during matches, on the field, and in the changing room, and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly unpleasant.

“We were always blamed for the poor performance. Players in the team were constantly getting injured, a result of poor training.”

Regarding allegations of players playing politics and using the coach as a scapegoat, a player said, “Many people are saying that the coach was made a scapegoat after the poor performance, or that the senior players were playing politics.

“This is their opinion, but we know the truth. Only we know what was going on in our team. We weren’t seeing any improvement in our performance and were fed up with the coach’s attitude. That’s why we came forward and said we need a new coach,” the played said.