Eyes firmly skilled on Paris Olympics berth, outright favourites India would look to start out their Asian Games marketing campaign with a dominant win over lowly-ranked Uzbekistan of their opening Pool A match on Sunday.
Ranked third on this planet, India is the highest-placed aspect within the continental showpiece and it could be an enormous disappointment if the Harmpanpreet Singh-led aspect fumbles right here.
Having returned with a bronze medal from the final version of the Asian Games, the Indians would search for resurrection this time round and, going by their world standing and present kind, they’re sure-shot gold-medal contenders and something lower than that might be an enormous letdown.
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After the historic bronze medal within the Tokyo Olympics, it has been a roller-coaster trip for the Indian males’s hockey group because it completed a disappointing ninth within the World Cup at house in January this 12 months, which led to the ouster of Australian chief coach Graham Reid.
But the eight-time Olympic champions got here again robust below new chief coach Craig Fulton to say the Asian Champions Trophy title in Chennai final month, which additionally propelled them to the highest three in world rankings.
The Asian Champions Trophy was a costume rehearsal for the Asian Games as all the highest groups of the continent participated within the occasion and India turned out to be the perfect aspect within the event.
So, the expectations from the aspect are at all times excessive and new chief coach Fulton is properly conscious of it.
But he’s clear about his objectives — develop into the No.1 group in Asia and qualify for subsequent 12 months’s Paris Olympics, which can give them sufficient time to arrange for the mega-event.
“I want India to be the No.1 team is Asia. We have to know where we are, where we need to improve and ultimately we want to qualify directly for Paris through the Asian Games, that’s the realistic and ultimate goal,” Fulton had instructed PTI.
While India are recognized for skilful, attacking hockey, Reid’s successor Fulton has modified the model a bit, emphasising extra on a strong defensive construction after which counting on brisk counter-attacks.
“It’s a little bit of philosophy change, we really want to improve our defence and counter-attack to win and that’s the philosophy,” the South African mentioned.
India have fielded a robust 18-member squad for the Asian Games to be led by talismanic Harmanpreet.
With a world-class drag-flicker in Harmanpreet apart from Sanjay, Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas of their ranks, India’s power lies in penalty corners and will probably be on full show within the Asian Games.
The midfield might be spearheaded by Olympic bronze medal-winning former skipper Manpreet Singh, present vice-captain Hardik Singh and younger Vivek Sagar Prasad, whereas India additionally boasts of a robust, attacking ahead line in Shamsher Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh.
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In veteran PR Sreejesh and the ever-improving Krishan Bahadur Pathak, the Indian citadel is in secure arms.
The Indian males are three-time Asian Games gold medallists however are solely the third-most profitable aspect within the competitors, with each Pakistan (8) and Korea (4) having gained extra yellow metals than them.
Besides India and Uzbekistan, the opposite groups in Pool A are arch-rivals Pakistan, Singapore, Japan and Bangladesh, whereas Pool B consists of Korea, Malaysia, China, Oman, Thailand and Indonesia.
After Uzbekistan, towards whom they’re anticipated to win arms down, India will face Singapore on September 26, adopted by matches towards Japan (September 28), Pakistan (September 30) and Bangladesh (October 2).
The match towards the world No. 66 aspect must be a cakewalk for India however they’ll’t afford to let their guard down in a high-stakes event like this.
(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated news company feed – PTI)
Source: www.news18.com
