Terry Walsh, Roelant Oltmans instilled winning mindset: SV Sunil

PUNE: Terry Walsh and Roelant Oltmans may not have coached the Indian hockey team to Olympic success, but the duo laid the foundation for the 2020 and 2024 bronze medals, feels former India player SV Sunil.


Sunil, who represented India at the 2012 London Games and was part of the team that won gold at the Asian Games in 2014, has made his coaching debut as assistant coach in the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB). The former India centre-half says coaching is the natural choice for him to opt for. “I feel that all those who played around the time I played, should get into coaching. I feel the relevant experience that we have, will also help build the knowledge bridge between generations. I am glad that my former team -mates like Shivendra Singh, Tushar Khandkar and others have already began coaching players,” Sunil, 35, told TOI.

Talking about India’s consecutive bronze medals at the Olympics, Sunil said a lot of credit must go to former foreign coaches Walsh and Oltmans.

“The aggression and winning mindset was instilled by Terry and Oltmans. Prior to them too, our coaches told us to have a winning mindset, but Terry and Oltmans also showed us how to get it. They also made us prepare that way,” Sunil added. Walsh had coached India from 2013 to 2014. Terry’s stint was short, but it was impactful,” Sunil said.





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