Bhubaneswar, Mar 10 (IANS): Former international player and FIH level-2 certified coach, Edgar Mascarenhas has been appointed coach of the Odisha hockey teams for the upcoming Hockey India National Championships, Odisha's sports department said on Thursday.

With hockey being one of the key sports for Odisha athletes, the sports and youth services department of Odisha is pleased to welcome onboard Edgar Mascarenhas for his new role, and hopes that his experience and expertise can take Odisha hockey to new heights, it said.

Mascarenhas has over two decades of experience as a player for Air India, Maharashtra, and the Indian national team as a goalkeeper. His impressive resume includes winning a gold medal with the Indian national team at the 1995 SAF Games, representing the Indian team at the 1996 Olympic Qualifiers, a silver medal at the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup, to name a few.

He secured the FIH Level-2 certification in coaching in 2019 and has coached the Maharashtra senior men's team at the 2017, 2019, and 2021 national championships, securing two quarter-finals and one semi-final finish.

He was also the goalkeeping coach for the Dabang Mumbai team of the Hockey India League from 2016 to 2017.