Paris Olympics 2024 Stay: India have to punch above their weight to win successive medals in hockey
Positioned in a ‘pool of dying’, the India males’s hockey staff must punch above its weight to raised the color of the bronze medal from the earlier version when it open its Paris Olympics marketing campaign towards New Zealand on Saturday.
The expectations are excessive from the Indians after they managed to interrupt a 41-year-old medal jinx on the Tokyo Olympics by bagging a historic bronze.
It was a landmark second for a wealthy hockey nation like India, who’ve a document eight Olympic gold medals to boast of.
And the bronze has solely raised expectations of second consecutive podium end, however it will be simpler stated than achieved.
The Indians are clubbed alongside facet reigning champions Belgium, mighty Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and Eire in a troublesome Pool B, whereas Pool A consists of Netherlands, Germany, Nice Britain, Spain, South Africa and hosts France.
4 groups from every pool will progress to the quarterfinals.
The primary three pool matches of India towards New Zealand, Argentina (on July 29) and Eire (July 30) are very essential as they might search for most factors from these video games earlier than taking up Belgium (August 1) and Australia (August 2).
The competitors additionally offers the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian facet the right alternative to provide a becoming farewell to the ‘Wall of Indian hockey’, long-serving goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, who will stop the game after the continuing Video games.
The 16-member Indian staff has 11 Olympic medallists, whereas Jarmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Abhishek, Rajkumar Pal and Sanjay might be making their Video games debuts.
Sreejesh and Manpreet Singh, each of whom might be collaborating of their fourth Olympics, have been the staff’s pillars for one-and-a-half-decade.
The continuing Video games is anticipated to be Manpreet’s final in addition to the Indian staff begins its rebuilding part.
Whereas of late India have progressively dropped from third to the seventh spot on the earth, rankings are by no means by no means a good measurement in modern-day hockey.
A chief instance being the 2023 World Cup, collectively hosted by Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, the place India misplaced to the Black Sticks, presently ranked 10th, within the shoot-out in a crossover match to complete outdoors top-eight.
India’s chief coach Craig Fulton very nicely understands the importance of the primary three video games and is focussed on taking one match at a time.
“It’s the greatest pool we will get. In Olympics no match is simple. We’re trying on the first video games to set the tempo earlier than we tackle Belgium and Australia. We’re taking one match at a time,” Fulton advised PTI.
Enjoying the final worldwide match of his profession, Sreejesh is anticipated to depart no stone unturned in entrance of the objective to assist his facet end on the rostrum, whereas the defence might be guarded by skipper Harmanpreet, Amit Rohidas, Sumit alongside facet Jampanpreet and Sanjay.