With a focus on attaining greater milestones in an important and packed calendar year, Hockey India has roped in former Australia defender and dragflick specialist Chris Ciriello as the analytical coach of the men’s side.
Even though his appointment is yet to be officially confirmed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the 32-year-old Ciriello, the youngest to join the Indian team management, started working with the Indian national side from the New Zealand tour in January.
However, a top Hockey India official has confirmed that Ciriello is already on board and it’s a matter of time that SAI makes the official announcement.
“Ciriello started working with the team in the New Zealand tour. He is currently in Bangalore at the national camp. His tenure is till 2020 Olympics. The official announcement about his appointment will be made by the Sports Ministry,” the Hockey India official told PTI.
The official, however, refused to divulge the remuneration of the big-shouldered Australian, nicknamed ‘Big Dog’.
When confirmed by the SAI, Ciriello will replace Hans Streeder who quit in September last year following the sacking of chief coach and fellow Dutchman Roelant Oltmans.
in 2014, Ciriello showed why he is one of the most dangerous players in world hockey and one of the best drag flickers in the history of the game. The ‘Big Dog’, as he is nicknamed, slotted a hat trick of goals in both the finals of the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games leading Australia to victory. At the World Cup Cirello was the second highest scorer of the tournament with 7 goals while at the Commonwealth Games he led the field with 9 goals.
It has been learnt that apart from providing inputs to chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, Ciriello will work with Indian dragflickers ahead of the important hockey season. Flickers like Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas will avail great benefits from the ex-Australian International.
Ciriello, a regular in the Victorian Vikings domestic team, made his debut for Australia in 2008 and was part of Kookaburras’ CWG winning side of 2010 and 2014. He also has two Champions Trophy gold medals in 2010 and 2012 and World Cup crown in 2014. He was also a part of Australia’s bronze medal winning side in 2012 London Olympics.
Before taking up the India assignment, Ciriello coached a top tier group of young female athletes at the prestigious Southern River Hockey Club, based in the south of Perth, Western Australia.
Ciriello’s parents met through hockey when his grandfather (Indian representative Rudolf Pacheco) coached his father, and now this Melbourne born may see it as an opportunity to return something in favour of his paternal grandfather’s country.
