New Delhi: A successful away outing against World No.2 Belgium will definitely boost the confidence of the Indian men’s hockey team ahead of the Olympics qualifiers, stated experienced goalkeeper PR Sreejesh.
The Indian team are coming off a successful Olympic Test event in Tokyo where they were crowned champions after thrashing New Zealand 5-0. The World No. 5 men’s team will next tour Belgium in September before the all-important Olympic Qualifiers in November.
“The tour of Belgium is a massive series for us. They are the No. 2 side in the world. If we perform well against them then it will be a big confidence-booster for us ahead of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers. Hopefully, we will win the series at their home turf,” PR Sreejesh said.
Talking about the success at the Test event, the 31-year-old, who was rested for the tournament along with several senior players, said the team have the right balance for the upcoming FIH Olympic Qualifiers.
“It’s been amazing to see the way our team has performed in the last couple of months. Our victory in the Olympic Test event proved that we have excellent bench strength. The team have the right balance and we are confident of booking a place in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” pointed out PR Sreejesh.
Like their male counterparts, the Indian women’s hockey team also returned triumphant from the Test Event after beating hosts Japan 2-1 in the final. Analysing the team’s performance, goalkeeper Savita said on-field communication was key to success at Tokyo.
“We were extremely pleased with our performance at the Olympic Test Event. Being unbeaten was a very heartening performance and especially playing toe-to-toe with World No. 2 Australia gave us a lot of confidence. The players are communicating very well on the field and therefore we have been able to win the tournament,” Savita pointed out.
The Indian women’s team, ranked 10th in the world, will take on World No. 4 England in September ahead of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers.
“Playing World No. 4 England side will be a tough challenge in a five-match series, but if we continue to communicate well on the field then we will surely produce great results,” Savita stated.
PTI