HOCKEY | The only aim is to win gold at the Asian Games, says Manpreet
The Hindu
India fav'd to win Asian Games gold; Manpreet Singh says team taking tournament seriously, coach Fulton's motto is 'defend to win'. Team must remain focused, take clinical approach vs Pakistan.
The Indian men’s hockey team is the favourite to win the Asian Games gold, given the side’s impressive title run in the recent Asian Champions Trophy at Chennai.
The stakes at the Asian Games, however, are higher. The winner will earn a direct berth at the 2024 Paris Olympics — the perfect chance to avoid the tricky qualification rounds.
Midfielder Manpreet Singh, who led the nation to a historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, acknowledged the added importance of doing well in the continental games.
“We have only one aim — to win the gold, because we can get the ticket to the Paris Olympics. This is a crucial tournament for us, and we are taking things very seriously,” Manpreet said here on Thursday.
“But we should not take the burden of getting an Olympic berth in our mind when we enter the field. We should play our normal game. If we feel the Olympics pressure, we might lose focus. Our coach wants us to just enjoy the game,” Manpreet added.
Manpreet stated that head coach Craig Fulton, appointed in March, has established a good rapport with players.
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