Harmanpreet Singh.
| Photo Credit: PTI
While it narrowly misplaced its first two video games on the Europe leg of the Pro League, the Indian males’s hockey workforce is not dropping any sleep over the outcomes, specializing in fine-tuning its plans forward of the massive check at the Asian video games in just a few months from now.
“Our main focus is on the defence and maintaining our structure specially without the ball. There are some small changes we have made and trying new things because these games and then the Asian Champions Trophy are our best chance to do so ahead of the Asian Games, which is our main target. Anything before that is a chance to fine-tune and develop a good understanding,” captain Harmanpreet Singh advised choose media forward of the upcoming weekend video games.
While the stage of play between the high European sides and Asian groups is very totally different — India is the highest-ranked Asian facet and the just one a part of the Pro League — the workforce is utilizing the ongoing video games to work by itself plans.
“Most Asian teams play half-court with a lot of tight marking and here also there are teams that follow a similar structure – teams like Great Britain and Argentina are very strong in defence and they do not allow opponents to enter the circle easily. The same will happen with Asian teams also so these games will help a lot,” Harmanpreet, who turned the all-time top-scorer in the Pro League, defined.
“See, the top teams in the world are from Europe and when we play them, it is part of our preparations for the Asiad only. If we do well against them, then the confidence automatically goes up. We have to be sharp and our execution must be perfect against the Top Four that we are playing here. That’s what we are trying to do right now so that by the time Asiad comes, we will get used to our roles and plans by then. Our basic plans, structure and execution inside the circle will not change,” Hardik Singh added.
Asked about the two video games performed to date – the first outings below new coach Craig Fulton — Hardik was sincere. “The games were good but we have to finish better inside the circle and get our basics even better. At the same time, we last played in March while players from the other teams were in the EHL in April. That said, the past is done and we are focused on the upcoming games,” he insisted.
India’s weekend video games might be towards Belgium and Great Britain.
