Mental trainer Upton to help Indian men’s hockey team

The South African is scheduled to hold three-part mental conditioning sessions starting July 1 at the ongoing national camp for the men's core group at SAI

Paddy Upton, who was the mental health and conditioning coach of the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian cricket team, has been signed to work with the Indian men's hockey team ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy and the Hangzhou Asian Games where India will be vying for direct Olympic qualification.

File image of Paddy Upton

The South African is scheduled to hold three-part mental conditioning sessions starting July 1 at the ongoing national camp for the men's core group at SAI, Bengaluru. July 1 to 9 will be the first part of his engagement with two more clinics for a span of 8-9 days each in the build-up for Hangzhou 2023.

The team felt the need for a mental conditioning coach after the World Cup debacle at home in January where the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists finished joint ninth — the worst finish by a host nation in the history of the tournament.

“Sometimes we do need them because players often don't share. But when you go for big events like the Olympics, World Cup or Asian Games, there is a lot of expectation and pressure. If the results don’t come there could be repercussions," said former India captain Manpreet Singh.

“Even the (chief) coach (Craig Fulton) agrees that not just players but even coaches require mental health experts to remain strong. When you play crucial games sometimes doubts arise: what if we lose? For that we need to strengthen our minds. How to keep it strong, how to keep it stable throughout the tournament, how to deal with important matches or opponents," Manpreet added.

Hockey India (HI) president Dilip Tirkey said in a statement: "HI wanted to ensure there is absolutely nothing lacking in the team's preparations for major tournaments this year, particularly the Asian Games where the Olympic qualification will be at stake."

Upton brings with his a wealth of experience. The Cape Town-based 54-year-old is a high-performance coach, author, speaker and has an extensive background in sports psychology and leadership coaching.

Upton played a pivotal role in leading the India men’s cricket team to victory at the 2011 ODI World Cup. He also contributed to South Africa’s unprecedented achievement of simultaneously holding world No.1 ranking in all three formats in cricket. Upton has also worked with T20 franchises like Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).