New Delhi, 14 May (H.S.):

Hockey India appointed experienced French coach Frederic Soyez as the new head coach of the Indian junior men's hockey team on Thursday. This appointment is regarded as a significant step toward building a robust and long-term high-performance framework, keeping in mind India's 2036 Olympic goals.

Counted among the most experienced and successful coaches in European hockey, Frederic Soyez brings over three decades of experience. He represented France as an international player for 15 years, while over the past 15 years, he has served as head coach for world-class hockey teams.

Frederic Soyez played 196 international matches for France from 1995 to 2010, scoring 195 goals.

Subsequently, he coached the national men's hockey teams of France and Spain. He also has experience from three Olympic Games. He guided the Spain team at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, while serving as head coach for the France team at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Under his coaching, Spain won a silver medal at the 2019 European Championship. Additionally, the team reached the quarterfinals at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.

Soyez also has an outstanding record in grooming young players. He led France to a historic silver medal at the FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup held in Delhi in 2013. Recently, he guided France's under-18 men's team to a silver medal at the 2025 European Championship.

Soyez served as High-Performance Director of the French Hockey Federation from 2021 to 2024, where he handled responsibilities for player development and performance systems.

His coaching career includes two FIH Men's Hockey World Cups (2018 and 2023) and six European Championships. At the domestic level, he led Lille MHC club to French indoor and outdoor championship titles in 2012.

Frederic Soyez is renowned as an expert in high-performance systems, player development, and penalty corner strategies. His teams are particularly known for strong strategies and consistent performance.

Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Tirkey said, “We welcome Frederic Soyez to the Hockey India family. He possesses extensive experience in Olympics, World Cups, and European Championships. We are confident that his expertise will strengthen Indian hockey toward the long-term goal of the 2036 Olympics.”

He further stated that Hockey India's objective is not merely to achieve immediate results but to build a strong and integrated coaching structure from sub-junior to senior levels.

Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh said, “Our aim is to create a robust development system for players from grassroots to international levels. Frederic Soyez's experience will provide a new direction to the Indian junior hockey program and assist in preparing strong talent for the future.”

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar