Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
In the five editions of the Commonwealth Games that hockey has been a part of, India has won two silver medals but never a gold. But this time round, the Indian men are hoping to change that at the Gold Coast Games, scheduled to start on 4 April.
Leading the team at the prestigious quadrennial games for the first time, midfielder Manpreet Singh said: “The players are ready for Commonwealth Games because this is really important for us. It’s good that all the players are really focused because this is a crucial tournament and everyone is going to want to win”.
India’s Pool B Matches at 2018 CWG
India vs Pakistan: 7 April
India vs Wales: 8 April
India vs Malaysia: 10 April
India vs England: 11 April
Clubbed in Pool B with Pakistan, Wales, Malaysia and England, the Indian hockey team will open their campaign with a match against ‘arch-rivals’ Pakistan on 7 April. While the India-Pakistan rivalry is one of the fiercest in the sport, senior defender and penalty corner specialist Rupinder Pal Singh said: “As sportspersons, it’s a normal game for us. We’ll prepare ourselves like we do for other teams and will do our best.
We’re not looking at any one team differently. All the participating teams are strong like Australia, England and Malaysia. They are going to give their best because Commonwealth Games is a big event, so we too have to give our best. We have to take whatever chances we get and convert them into a gold.Manpreet Singh, Captain, Indian Men’s Hockey Team
World champions Australia (World No 1), along with Netherlands (World No 4), are the only two teams ranked higher than India at the Commonwealth Games this year. In fact, the Aussies have won gold in every edition of the tournament that the sport was included.
“We won silver last time after losing to Australia. This time, we want to change the colour of the medal. Last time we lost to Australia so we will try out best to defeat them this time,” said Manpreet.
On paper, if you compare practice sessions, then we are definitely one of the prime teams in the tournament. But it’s all about that day. Like in the Azlan Shah Cup, we lost to Ireland.PR Sreejesh, Goalkeeper, Indian Men’s Hockey Team
“In a tournament, you need to perform well in each and every match. So everything depends on our performance. We’re in good shape now and we are confident enough to perform really well. So the ultimate task for us is to win the tournament,” he added.
Sreejesh’s CWG Challenges
The upcoming Commonwealth Games will be senior goalkeeper PR Sreejesh’s first major tournament since returning from a serious injury. The 29-year-old had been out of action for almost 8 months after suffering a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury during the Azlan Shah tournament in 2017.
The goalkeeper – who will be supported by the young Suraj Karkera during India’s campaign at Gold Coast – said that the two major CWG challenges for him as a senior player were read the situation and bringing out the best from the team.
In Commonwealth Games, the added pressure is different. Being a senior player, it is my duty to make sure that the pressure doesn’t affect the team. Youngsters have to be guided and told to concentrate on their business rather than what is going on around you or what the newspaper and media is carrying.PR Sreejesh, Goalkeeper, Indian Men’s Hockey Team
“Second, there will be tough times in a big competition that even smaller teams can cause in a negative way. So you need to guide players in appropriate times and get the best performance out of them,” he added.
We wish the Indian men’s hockey team all the best for 2018 Commonwealth Games!
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