NEW DELHI: India on Thursday officially appointed decorated Frenchman Frederic Soyez as the chief coach of the national junior men's hockey team, replacing two-time Olympic medallist PR Sreejesh.
Sreejesh, a former star goalkeeper, was removed from his role just after 17 months following the expiry of his contract after guiding India to a bronze medal-finish at last year's FIH Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai.
In a strongly-worded social media post, Sreejesh vented out his frustration, saying his tenure was brought to an end despite winning five medals in as many tournaments during his stint, but Hockey India argued that the decision was taken considering long-term vision of building a sustainable high-performance ecosystem aligned with India's ambitions for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.
One of the most accomplished coaches in European hockey, Soyez brings over three decades of elite coaching experience, including 15 years as an international player for France and over 15 years as a head coach at the highest level.
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 has coaching 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 quarterfinal finishes at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics.
A proven developer of young talent, 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 U-18 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.
Widely regarded for his expertise in high-performance systems, athlete development, and penalty corner strategy, Soyez has consistently built teams with strong tactical structure and competitive consistency across all levels.
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.
Welcoming Soyez to Indian hockey, Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said, "We warmly welcome Frederic Soyez to the Hockey India family. 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."
"Our focus is not only on immediate results but also on building a deep talent pool and a coaching structure that remains 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," he added.