Felix appointed coach of national hockey team

Former India hockey captain Jude Felix was Wednesday appointed the coach of the senior men's national team and will work under chief coach Terry Walsh.

Felix will join the training camp here at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium Thursday. The team is preparing for the World Cup that will be held at The Hague, Netherlands from May 31 - June 15.

Hockey India (HI) said that Felix has been appointed on a probationary period of three months with the senior men hockey team.

"We are pleased to appoint Jude Felix as the coach of the men's team. The players are very excited about the FIH Men's World Cup and are practicing rigorously in the preparatory camp. The appointment of Jude will help the players to use his vast experience of playing at various international and domestic tournaments and his vast experience will be an added advantage for the preparation of the upcoming world cup," said HI secretary general Narinder Batra.

Felix said his vast playing and coaching experience at different levels will help the team.

"I am confident that I will be able to make a contribution to players individually and team as a whole. Working with two great coaches in Roelant Oltmans and Terry Walsh, I am looking forward to learning from them and passing on the knowledge to as many coaches as possible in India," he said.

Felix, an Arjuna Awardee (1995), was the captain of the Indian team from 1993-95. He led the team in the 1993 World Cup and in the Asian Games in 1994 at Hiroshima. Felix has played more than 250 international matches and represented India in two Olympic Games in 1988 (Seoul) and 1992 (Barcelona).