Lucknow, Aug 09: The 17-day preparatory camp for the Champions Trophy hockey tournament helped the players overcome their shortcomings, chief coach Rajinder Singh said here today. "The boys are fully prepared and ready to face any challenge in the Champions Trophy," Rajinder Singh told after the conclusion of the camp, which was conducted at the Dhyan Chand Stadium here.
He said the back-to-back title triumphs in Australia and Germany boosted the confidence of the players and the side was now hoping to put up their best ever showing in the prestigious six-nation tournament in Amstelveen, Holland, starting from August 16.
The chief coach, however, admitted the sultry and humid weather affected the preparations to some extent as several players including former captain Dilip Tirkey suffered from dehydration during the camp. "But the team managed to minimise the damage by adjusting our training accordingly."
Overwhelmed by the response the team received during its training in the city, the coach said, "I had never seen such a response for the game anywhere else."
The players, who will be leaving for Delhi tomorrow morning, would fly to Amstelveen on August 11.
They will take on defending champions and hosts Holland in the opening match on August 11.
Besides India and the home side, Pakistan, Australia, Germany and Argentina are the other teams in the fray.
Bureau Report