London: The FIH Pro League matches underway in England are going well and the team is fully geared up for the coming matches later this week, said Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh during a diaspora event in London.
Harmanpreet was joined by his teammates and coach Craig Fulton at a special reception hosted by the Indian High Commission in London for the team, which is currently placed second on the tally behind Great Britain after winning five of its matches.
The team takes on Belgium Friday and Great Britain Saturday for the FIH Pro League matches being played at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in north-east London.
“It’s great to be here in London after a gap of some years, we were last here in 2017. The Pro League matches are going well and we are fully geared up for the matches June 2 and 3 and call on everyone to come out and support the team,” said Harmanpreet.
“It is a matter of great pride to welcome the Indian men’s hockey team. It is difficult not to have a lump in the throat when you see the boys in blue take on the world in this game that is our national sport,” said Vikram Doraiswami, Indian High Commissioner to the UK.
“The hockey team is truly a team that represents all parts of India. Of course, historically Punjab has been a little extra represented as a premier hockey playing state, but it’s great to see that other parts of India are also playing hockey now with as much josh and zeal,” he said.
During an informal interaction co-ordinated by the Indian Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, Sujit Ghosh, some of the players shared their experiences of playing for India, the great bonding and banter shared by the teammates and also the coping mechanisms to keep morale high through wins and losses.
“We either win or learn, that’s the attitude with which we all play every game. We will never lose, we will only ever learn,” said the captain, when asked about tough non-scoring patches in his career.
“We are a mix up of different cultures and the common factor is we are all Indians, the second is hockey and the best part is our shared foodie habits,” said Sreejesh, who also shared insights into the many changes he has witnessed in the game over the years.
“The beautiful thing about this team is that they have the talent… They have always had the craft and backing of the country.
“At the same time, they play a different kind of style, which is also engraved in the nature of being in India and Indian, and it works. It’s their style, that’s the special thing. Unique relationships (within the team) bring unique results,” added the team’s coach.
PTI