Valentin Altenburg

About Valentin Altenburg

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Valentin Altenburg was introduced to the game at a very young age of 9–10, and he grew up in an environment where mentorship and nurture were considered very important, with senior players passing the baton to younger ones on a rather continuous basis.

His list of accomplishments proves that his perspective has been truly a success. Valentin Altenburg won the bronze with the senior men’s team at the 2016 Rio Olympics while guiding the senior women’s team to fifth and fourth place finishes at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively, besides winning the silver medal at the 2023 European Championship.

More than that, he also has significant coaching experience in the Indian setup. Valentin was in charge of the senior men’s team during the 2015 FIH World League finals as well as coached the junior men’s team during the 2016 FIH Junior Men’s World Cup.

Well-known for his tactical acumen and his ability to build and maintain strong teams, Valentin combines his humanistic perspective with a strong strategic flavour, where coaching is just one aspect of creating a team of champions that can consistently deliver results.

In his stint as the new head coach of Kalinga Lancers, Valentin Altenburg will bring his nuanced expertise and extensive experience, and with the right mix of senior, junior, Indian, and international professionals, he will be successfully able to forge a team that will not only aim for the win but also pave the way for a more resilient template of professional hockey for India.