Hockey India has made an important decision before the FIH men's and women's junior World Cup later this year. They have named Herman Kruis of the Netherlands as the coach of both the men's and women's junior national teams.
The Men's Junior World Cup will be played in Kuala Lumpur from December 5-16. The women’s event will be held in Santiago, Chile, from November 29 to December 10.
Kruis said the next four months would be crucial for the teams.
"I am looking forward to this new role with Hockey India. There are some very talented players in the Indian junior men's and women's hockey teams," he said in a HI release. “The next four months leading up to the Junior World Cups are exciting and at the same time an important phase in the teams' preparations. I look forward to working with them to achieve the desirable results.”
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In the past, the well-regarded coach has managed the Dutch club Den Bosch ladies. He also coached the Dutch women's indoor hockey team between 2006-08 and the Dutch outdoor team between 2008-10.
Kruis’ previous stint was with the Belarus Indoor and Outdoor team between 2016-23.
HI President and former India captain Dilip Tirkey trusted Kruis's experience to be helpful for the Indian junior sides.
"I believe his experience will further boost our prospects at the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2023. He will be working closely with Tushar Khandker, coach of India junior women's side and CR coach, India junior men's side," Tirkey said.
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HI secretary general Bhola Nath Singh expressed hope that Kruis’s appointment would see many more wins for India.
"In order to work towards desirable results in the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2023, the Hockey India Executive Board took a decision to strengthen our coaching staff by bringing on the expertise of Herman Kruis,” Singh said.
"His experience will certainly be a great value add for the two teams preparing for the prestigious event this year.”
