New Delhi: India were a big disappointment in the last edition of the hockey World Cup in Germany but with home support behind them, the eight-time Olympic champions are confident of a top four finish in the 12-team quadrennial event starting here this month.
As the countdown for the February 28-March 13 mega-event
started, India captain Rajpal Singh and his fellow colleagues
said the team was working hard to improve upon their 11th
place finish in the last edition of the tournament.
"We are eyeing a semifinal spot. From there anything can
happen. We are training hard and have adopted some European
tactics without leaving our traditional style," Rajpal told
reporters at a felicitation function here last night.
"We have the home advantage on our side. A little bit of
pressure will be there but it should work as a positive
factor."
Downplaying the hype over his side`s opening match
against arch-rivals Pakistan, Rajpal pinpointed Australia and
Germany as the two teams to watch out for in the tournament.
"It is good that India and Pakistan are playing the first
match. Apart from Germany, I feel Australia is the toughest
side in the tournament. It is good that we will face Australia
in the pool and not in the semifinal," he said.
Rajpal also welcomed the presence of three drag-flickers
-- Sandeep Singh, Diwakar Ram and Dhananjay Mahadik -- in the
side.
"It is for the first time we have three flickers in the
team and they are capable of changing the course of any
match."
For senior striker Arjun Halappa the World Cup comes with
an added motivation to perform at the big stage.
"I don`t know whether I will be playing next World Cup or
not. I am not sure how long I will carry on playing hockey.
So, personally this World Cup is very important for me.”
"The tournament is also very important for the future of
the players and Indian hockey," said the 29-year-old
Bangalorean, who played in the 2002 Kuala Lumpur World but
missed the next edition four years later in Germany.
"As a player I think the first match is crucial for us.
It will set the tone for the entire tournament. Personally, I
feel we should make the semifinals," Halappa said.
"We are working hard on attack as well as defence. The
coordination between attackers and defenders is the key to
success in modern day hockey," he said.
Senior player Prabhjot Singh said being a senior member
of the side there is extra burden on his shoulders.
"There is more responsibility on my shoulders. I have a
role to play in the team and I will give my best.”
"I have been in the team for a long time and playing the
World Cup at home will be a different experience. All the
matches are important for us. We will take one match at a time
and hope to make it to the semifinals," he said.
Former captain Sandeep Singh was of the view that the
World Cup brings with it the biggest opportunity to revive the
national game`s sagging fortune.
"We will definitely better our last World Cup
performance. The entire team is confident about a good result.
Not just ours, Indian hockey`s future rests highly on this
World Cup," the ace drag-flicker said.
Bureau Report
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