Hockey | We can avoid getting cards, says Harmanpreet

The Indian men’s hockey team produced a solid showing at the Pro League last week

Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh is happy that his team could maintain composure despite making errors against strong opponents at the FIH Pro League but said one area where they need to work on is to avoid getting cards.

The Indian men’s hockey team produced a solid showing at the Pro League last week, defeating New Zealand 7-4 and then going past Spain 3-1 in shootout at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

Harmanpreet, who led India in the tournament, insisted that there are still certain areas where the team can improve as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup, to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, from January 13 next year.

“The team’s efforts have been quite good in these matches but we can avoid getting cards. Because even if we lose one player on the field, then everyone has to run twice as much,” he said in a release issued by Hockey India (HI).

“We do train for how we have to create our formation and structure if we are a man short. Hence, despite getting the cards, we were able to defend well. But still, it is important for us to avoid getting cards.”

Surender Kumar and Manpreet Singh had received green cards in the 14th and 21st minutes, respectively, during the second match against Spain.