Chennai, Nov 30 (PTI) Former India hockey defender-turned coach Birendra Lakra perceives a coaching job more challenging than playing, but is eager to improve his skills and learn new methods to grab further opportunities in future.
Lakra, a Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, is the assistant coach of the Indian men’s junior hockey team and along side former teammate and chief coach PR Sreejesh, is guiding the side in the FIH Junior World Cup being held in Chennai and Madurai.
The 35-year-old Odisha-born Lakra joined the junior coaching staff in May and has become a vital tactical voice in the group.
“It’s a new experience for me. As a player it was different inside the ground and a coach the role is completely different. But it is an opportunity
for me to learn new things in coaching,” Lakra told PTI.
“Coaching is a bit difficult than playing (even though) both are totally different. Coaching is much harder because of the responsibilities. In coaching, there is plenty of responsibility involved. A coach has to make strategies, manage the side, players, motivate them and many things more,” he added.
Lakra, who has an Asian Games gold (2014) and a bronze (2018) medals to his credit, has not been through any FIH coaching course yet but would pursue one after the Junior World Cup.
“Currently, my focus is with junior side but in future if whenever I get opportunities I will polish my coaching skills, be more confident and learn new things. It is very important for a coaching career. I haven’ done any FIH coaching course yet but will start doing after this tournament,” he said.
During matches, Lakra is responsible for communicating with players from the dug out while the legendary Sreejesh views the game from vantage points and passes on tactical information to his former teammate.
“He (Sreejeesh) sits at the top in gallery or somewhere and advises me in the dug out about what the game situation demands. He keeps on giving me information and I just forward those to the players,” Lakra said.
“It’s not that difficult because we have played together for 10-12 years. So we have an understanding and things become easy. I have shared rooms with him and we have a good tuning.” As a coach, Sreejesh is considered as a strict taskmaster, and Lakra said it is important to have that attitude while coaching at the junior level.
“There is nothing like friendly or strict. As a coach you just have to do your job, you can’t be much friendly when you are playing major tournaments. You need to be keep some distance with the players especially at the junior level,” he said.
“This is the time for these junior players to develop and learn. These players have (also) played a lot so they know where they need development.” PTI SSC SSC DDV
