`Winning in Argentina is a confidence booster’
Skipper Manpreet Singh, though delighted with the team's exploits against the Olympic Champions, cautioned his teammates about reading too much into the results.
Hyderabad: India successfully ended their campaign in Cenard, Buenos Aires with a 2-2 (3-2 SO) and 3-0 double-header win in the FIH Hockey Pro League tie over the weekend. They had built up to these crucial matches against the Olympic Champions with a solid 4-3 win and 4-4 draw in the first two practice matches and ended the tour with a 0-1 loss and 4-2 win in the third and four practice matches respectively.
Skipper Manpreet Singh, though delighted with the team’s exploits against the Olympic Champions, cautioned his teammates about reading too much into the results. “No doubt winning against a really strong team like Argentina in their home ground is a big confidence booster, but we shouldn’t read too much into the results. We need to keep our heads down and remain focused on the areas that require improvement basis our performance here. Our task is not over until we stand on the podium in Tokyo,” stated the skipper.
Manpreet also highlighted that the team’s ability to come back into the game after an early setback is a big takeaway from the tour. The skipper set up a brilliant PC in the final 30 seconds of the first Pro League tie against Argentina which was successfully converted by his deputy Harmanpreet Singh, resulting in the match going into a shootout.
“After the matches, we feel there are a few areas we need to improve upon. While we did well as a team to come back into the game even in the dying minutes of the match, we feel we could have started better. Also playing consistently, keeping up the pressure on the opponents in all quarters is another area we need to work on,” he stated.
The team leaves for Europe where they will play six FIH Hockey Pro League matches. They are scheduled to take on Great Britain on May 8 and 9 in London followed by a doubleheader against Spain in Valencia on May 15 and 16. They will play Germany in Hamburg on May 22 and 23.
He added that it was great to resume the FIH Hockey Pro League with 5 points from Argentina. “We would like to keep this momentum going into the matches in Europe. These matches will surely be a litmus test for us before Tokyo.
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