New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) Hockey India on Thursday announced the appointment of decorated Frenchman Frederic Soyez as the coach of the Indian junior men’s hockey team.

One of the most accomplished coaches in European hockey, Soyez brings over three decades of elite hockey experience, including 15 years as an international player for France and over 15 years as a head coach at the highest level of world hockey.

Soyez, who enjoyed an illustrious playing career with France from 1995 to 2010, earning 196 international caps and scoring an impressive 195 goals for the team, coached the national men’s hockey teams of both France and Spain.

He boasts experience at three Olympic Games, having guided Spain at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics before leading France at the Paris 2024 Olympics. During his tenure with Spain, he guided the team to a silver medal at the 2019 European Championships while also steering them to quarter-final finishes at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.

Soyez coached France to a historic silver medal at the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup in Delhi in 2013 and most recently guided the French U18 Men’s Team to a silver medal at the 2025 European Championships. He additionally served as the High-Performance Director of the French Hockey Federation from 2021 to 2024, overseeing the country’s broader high-performance and athlete development structure.

His coaching resume also includes participation in two FIH Men’s Hockey World Cups (2018, 2023) and six European Championships (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023), underlining his extensive experience at the elite international level. At the domestic level, Soyez guided Lille MHC to French Indoor and Outdoor Championship titles in 2012, along with EuroHockey Trophy Indoor and Outdoor titles in the same year.

“Notably, Soyez’s appointment resonates with the government of India’s objective of creating a strong pathway towards sustained Olympic success and sporting self-reliance leading up to the 2036 Olympics. As part of this larger vision, Hockey India has focused on bringing the best coaching and high-performance resources from across the world to further strengthen the country’s hockey ecosystem,” Hockey India said in a release.

Soyez will succeed Indian stalwart P.R. Sreejesh, whose contract concluded in December 2025.

“Moreover, Hockey India’s long-term strategy also places significant emphasis on developing Indian coaches alongside international experts. To ensure knowledge transfer and continuity, Indian coaches have been integrated across the senior, junior, and sub-junior national camps, with designated Indian coaches working closely alongside the respective head coaches at every level,” it added.

This structure aims to create a seamless and aligned coaching philosophy across all age-group programmes, ensuring that players transitioning from sub-junior to junior and eventually to senior levels develop under a consistent playing style, training methodology, and tactical framework. Hockey India believes this integrated approach will help build a wider and deeper talent pool for the nation in the lead-up to the 2036 Olympics.

Welcoming Soyez, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said, “Frederic comes with outstanding international credentials, having coached at multiple Olympic Games, World Cups, and European Championships, while also successfully developing young talent and high-performance systems. We believe his experience and skill set will greatly benefit Indian hockey as we continue to work towards a bigger long-term vision for the 2036 Olympics.”

He added, “Our focus is not only on immediate results but also on building a deep talent pool and a coaching structure that remain aligned from sub-junior to senior level. By integrating Indian coaches alongside international experts in every national camp across all levels, we are ensuring continuity in coaching philosophy, player development, and tactical understanding. This collaborative approach will also play a vital role in strengthening the capabilities of Indian coaches and creating a more self-sustaining high-performance ecosystem for the future.”

Also, Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh stated, “Frederic Soyez’s track record in building competitive international teams and nurturing young athletes makes him an excellent addition to our setup. His appointment will not only strengthen the junior men’s programme but also contribute to the larger objective of building a deep and sustainable talent pool for Indian hockey for years to come.”

–IANS

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