New Delhi: In a bid to make use of the continued nationwide lockdown period, Hockey India (HI) on Saturday (May 9) announced that it will be conducting the Hockey India Level 'basic' coaching course for the senior core probables currently stationed at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.

The course will see a total of 32 senior men and 23 senior women core probables take part, the sessions of which will be conducted online by HI. Captain of the Indian women’s team Rani has already attended the HI coaching education pathway in the past and achieved a Hockey India Level ‘1’ coach certification.

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HI Level 'basic' coaching course is a part of a meticulously-designed coaching programme, known as the Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway which was launched in 2019 with the objective of providing a simplified education structure that helps in the development of Coaches from the grassroots level into world-class coaches of the high performance/international level.

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This move from HI will see the core probables get 36 hours to review their online sessions, and then clear an online assessment exam which will be based on the latest FIH Rules and Regulations. The online assessment exam for senior men core probables will be held on May 11 while the same for senior women core probables will be held on May 15.

The HI level 'basic' coaching course will help them in broadening their understanding of the sport as it will give them a chance to view the sport from a coach's perspective. The core probables who will successfully clear the HI level 'basic' coaching course will be eligible to attend the HI level '1' coaching course in the future, thereby paving the way for their development, not just as athletes, but as potential coaches as well.

Expressing his delight at providing such an opportunity to its athletes, HI president Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said, “All of us at Hockey India have made sure that even during such tough times for everyone around the world, we are able to follow our policy of working without any hindrances, and have also been able to devise various ways to conduct our day-to-day activities.

“With our core probables currently stationed at SAI Centre, Bengaluru, we decided it would be appropriate to provide them with an opportunity to understand Coaching through our Hockey India Coaching Education Pathway. I am quite confident that the athletes will be able to gain knowledge about the intricacies of Coaching, and will get some essential insights and a fresh perspective of ways to understand the sport better.”