Calcutta: Overcoming on-field tackles is challenging, but dribbling past the monotony of lockdown-enforced inaction to keep the players fit and mentally motivated is perhaps a tougher job. Graham Reid, chief coach of the India’s men’s hockey team, thinks so.

“Yes, it has been a very difficult time for the players over the last couple of months,” Reid told The Telegraph.

“Perhaps one thing that lightened the load somewhat was knowing that we are not the only ones facing these issues. It has been a grounding experience to understand that there are lots of people in much worse situations than us.

“Things like online quizzes, one-on-one player meetings to discuss progress and objectives, sharing individual stories through videos on how we all got where we have and, of course, like all millennials, video games helped keep the boys involved,” Reid added.

After a two-month hiatus, the men’s and women’s national hockey teams have resumed outdoor training at the Sports Authority of India, Bangalore campus, from June 1. But now comes the difficult part, which is to temper their comeback so that they don’t get injured.

The team’s focus is understandably on the Olympics. Talking about India’s prospect in Japan next year, Reid, who has played for Australia in two Olympics, one World Cup and nine Champions Trophies, said: “One of the things people have to understand is that winning the Olympic Games is really tough. Every team in the world co-ordinates their programs and associated budgets to time their run for the Games.

“Internally, we are focused on the little things that we all need to do to be good at. Each player has a plan they have to work on to improve over this next period. As a group we have a game plan that we will continue to develop so that when we arrive in Japan, all our boys will be conversant with our way of play.

“We have studied our opposition teams and will continue to do so during this next 12 months as they also change and develop,” Reid continued. “If we focus on these things then, as the cliche says, the result will speak for itself.”

The 56-year-old Australian has completed one year as India coach in April. It is said, with his advent the team’s strategy changed from a defensive to an aggressive one.

“One of the positive things about Indian hockey over the last 10 years has been the influence of all the great coaches that this team and Hockey India League has had during this time. The European coaches brought a focus on defensive strategies and I think you can say the Australian-Indian coaches have re-introduced an aggressive Anglo-Indian touch in this team.

“I like to think all I have done is to increase that focus on playing attacking hockey with the ball and aggressive pressure off the ball.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed the last year with the group. But if we are to achieve our ambitions, this is only just a start,” concluded Reid.