We're looking at Argentina tour to build momentum ahead of Tokyo Olympics: Harmanpreet Singh
Other Sports | Apr 05, 2021, 08:13 PM ISTThe 22-member Indian team arrived here last week for the six-match tour against the Olympic champions.
The 22-member Indian team arrived here last week for the six-match tour against the Olympic champions.
The 18-day camp will conclude on March 31 before the team departs for the FIH Hockey Pro League against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Harmanpreet Singh's strike in the very first minute and two goals by Mandeep in the 28th and 59th minutes helped India remain undefeated on the tour.
Clark, who will join the national camp this month, had coached the Indian junior men's team in 2013-2014 when it won the Sultan of Johor Cup and also participated at the 2013 FIH Junior World Cup in New Delhi.
With only 200 days to go for the Olympics, Manpreet and Rani, the women's team skipper, believe the players in respective core groups will have to give their 100 per cent to be able to achieve their goals in Tokyo.
Hockey India has been in talks with different nations to organise a tour for the men's team. Captain Manpreet has expressed that the side is looking forward to much-needed match practice before the Tokyo Olympics.
The camp will take place at the Sports Authority of India campus and the core group will undergo a mandatory quarantine period before re-starting training as per SAI and Hockey India SOPs.
India last won a hockey gold medal in hockey at 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Since then, the men's team has participated in eight Olympic Games without making it to the podium. In Rio, the men's team finished a dismal eighth.
The Australian coach said the sooner India gets to play international matches, the better willbe their preparations for the Olympics.
The team's core probable group has been living in a bio-secure environment at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility since August this year after a six-week break.
Last year, both the hockey teams secured their Olympic berth in Bhubaneswar following a successful outing in the Olympic Qualifiers at the Kalinga Stadium.
Having been selected in the senior core probable group again, Tirkey says his focus is now on executing what the chief coach expects of him and also on his drag-flicking.
The team is currently taking part in the national coaching camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility in Bengaluru amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kothajit said that the Indian team returned to the pitch at the right time and are moving forward with each sports activities session.
Dilpreet also said he has been even more enthusiastic about playing hockey after returning to the pitch for sports activities in August.
Six players of the men's team, including Manpreet, had tested positive for COVID-19 at the team's training base here in August after they arrived for the national camp following a month's break.
The Indian women's hockey team has enjoyed good results in top tournaments recently, including winning the silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games and qualifying for back-to-back Olympics.
Captain Manpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar, Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Mandeep Singh were discharged from a Bangalore hospital on August 17 and were kept on quarantine for some more days before joining the team.
Mandeep is one of the six men hockey players, including skipper Manpreet Singh, who had tested positive for COVID-19 at the team's training base here last month after they arrived for the national camp.
But Manpreet and five others players who tested positive for the Covid-19 feel fortunate to have a support system that constantly monitored their well-being.
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