New Delhi: The Indian team was seen practicing rigorously for the Finals of the Hero Hockey World League at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. The team will be playing its first match against England on the first day of the tournament.
Speaking post the practice session, VR Raghunath said “this tournament is an ideal platform for us to work on our skill sets and loopholes before the World Cup. Terry Walsh is working very hard on our game and we are feeling the improvement in the manner we are playing in a synchronized manner. The team is looking at winning its first match against England and this will help boost our spirit going ahead in the tournament.”
Speaking on getting a big opportunity, Nikkin Thimmaiah said “I am the youngest in the squad and it’s a big opportunity for me to be playing with the seniors and on such a huge platform. While playing with the seniors you learn a lot in the process and automatically improve on one’s game and will help me evolve into a good player. the team is concentrating on the first game and we will take each game as it comes.”
India
Current FIH World Ranking: 10
How they qualified: Tournament hosts
About the team: India may have only managed a 6th place finish at the Rabobank Hockey World League Semi Final event in Rotterdam, but a strong showing at the Asia Cup continental championship provided plenty of evidence that they are really stepping up their game. A youthful India team battled to a hugely impressive second place finish behind Korea at the Asia Cup, winning four of their five matches and giving a spirited showing against a Korea team packed with experience. The performances were extremely encouraging, and will give the team great confidence ahead of the challenge of facing the world’s best on home soil at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Recently appointed head coach and former Australia international striker Terry Walsh will be greatly looking forward to seeing how his team performs in this showpiece tournament.
One to watch: Sardar Singh. India captain Sardar Singh is a talismanic midfielder who is rated as one of the best players in the game. The 27-year-old has been involved with the international set-up since 2003, and in that time has grown into one of hockey’s brightest stars. If India claim the Hockey World League title on home soil, you can bet that Sardar will have played a significant role in that achievement.
