Hockey India’s high performance director David John resigns

Hockey India’s high performance director David John resigns

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David John

Hockey India’s high-performance director and one of the key figures, David John, will no longer be associated with Indian Hockey.

Rumour state that the Australian coach has cited personal and health issues as reasons to return to his country.

Last month, John’s contract was renewed by the sports ministry until September 2021. As the Indian Express reported, he was asked to report to the Hockey India office in Delhi every day.

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Also, to make trips to training centres around the country all in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Where Sports Authority of India and it’s employers on paper are yet to respond, hockey India has accepted the Australian’s resignation.

David John’s history with Hockey India

Having first come as the men’s team physio along with former coach Michael Nobbs, John has been associated with Indian hockey for a major part of the last decade.

He left the team after the 2012 London Olympics but returned in November 2016 as the high-performance director.

He was first credited with improving the players’ fitness levels, and then making them better .Although, his appointment raised a few eyebrows
following his zero prior experience in coaching.

But David John has been closely associated with the men and women’s teams as well as designing Hockey India’s ambitious coaching programme.

This is not it, but the Australian has also played an important role in the appointment of coaches for the national teams.

Since the beginning of the lockdown in March, John, who works at a monthly salary of $12,000, is working from home in New Delhi.

Hockey India when asked about John’s resignation as well as the reasons for it, Hockey India said, “no comments.” 

A source told that David is not comfortable to travel to the office and other cities in the country following the health issues and eventually he quit.

His resignation further states that Indian hockey’s dubious tradition of parting ways.

Even in a year without a lot of sporting action with coaches and people in related roles continues.

Also Read: Former Hockey Player V R Raghunath Appreciates The Current Indian Team