New Delhi, 22 April (Hindustan). The Indian men’s hockey team is currently sweating it out at the ongoing national coaching camp, which is being held at SAI, Bengaluru and will conclude on May 21 ahead of the team’s trip to Europe, where the team will compete in the FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League 2022- Belgium will face Great Britain, the Netherlands and Argentina in the remainder of the 2023 season.
The 39-member core group for the national coaching camp includes midfielder Sumit, who contributed to the Indian men’s hockey team winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. However, the youngster was out for a while after that. He was also not included in the Indian team for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
However, the Sonepat-born midfielder hasn’t given up hope of making a comeback to the squad for the FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League 2022-2023. He performed well in the Rourkela stage of the tournament as India defeated the mighty Australians and world champions Germany twice.
Talking about his return to the team and performance in Rourkela, Sumit said, “I played as a defensive midfielder in all the games in Rourkela, which helped me to do better as it gave me clarity of thought which was not there earlier because I used to play in multiple positions. Also, as I was returning to the team after a long time, I was keen to give my best and make the most of this opportunity.”
Talking about the upcoming FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League 2022-23 matches in Europe, Sumit said they will be crucial for the team as it prepares for the much-anticipated Hero Asian Champions Trophy to be held in Chennai in August and the Hangzhou Asian Games in September this year. Will be important to prepare for 2023.
“We are confident of giving our best in the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League games in Europe as they will be crucial for our preparations for important tournaments like the Hero Asian Champions Trophy and the upcoming Asian Games,” said Sumit.
He added, “The FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League 2022/23 in Europe will help us fine-tune our team structure and strengthen the bond between the players. It will also help us understand the aspects of our game that need improvement.”
Sumit also revealed the immediate target of the Indian men’s hockey team, saying, “We want to win the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, which will ensure our direct qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.”
