India hockey team getting in-house English speaking lessons
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Given the extreme need to know the language to understand the increasing foreign staff in the training ground and also to realize what opponents are communicating, the Indian men’s senior team has started getting in-house English classes before they leave for the Olympics Test event in Tokyo.
The introduction of Graham Reid has been instrumental in developing the reverse and drag-flicks, which has been seen in the outcomes in the team’s recent successes. However, the coach has now demanded that the players learned English speaking for it would help the players get the direct perspective of the coach or on the field.
The rural language could often come being aggressive on the field when players rush to the referees to complain, and the universally followed language could do wonders in this matter.
“We’re very aware of the language barrier, especially with our rough Australian accent, sometimes it is a bit difficult to understand,” said India’s chief coach, Graham Reid, reported HT.
And the gap has been seen bridged by analytical coach Chris Ciriello’s wife Heide, and Reid’s spouse Julia began, who have been reportedly giving English lessons to the players during their national camp in August.
“At the start, my wife took two weeks with the full team, but that was hard because of the different levels of English and (each of them) wanting to learn different things, grammar to speaking to presentation skills. After Graham’s wife arrived, it (lessons) has been split,” said Ciriello, who had won the 2014 World Cup with Australia.
“Graham’s wife helped the beginners and Heide the more advanced. I also did a presentation on English… It is about pushing the guys at all levels. It is really important the guys keep developing, not only on the field but off it too,” she added.
The Indian team had got a good six weeks of English lessons before they left for Tokyo last month and Manpreet Singh has stated that these lessons could help players change lifestyles as well. “There are many players who don’t know English and have a communication problem, be it talking to the media, or when you have to refer to the third umpire. This also changes lifestyles, you gain more knowledge, can talk to foreign players, and also know how or what to talk. Many players are learning.”
