Indian Hockey Coach Harendra Singh optimistic for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
In spite of missing some big names from the team, Harendra Singh, the coach of the Indian Hockey Team, is quite an optimistic to show an impressive performance in the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup beginning from May 05 in Ipoh, Malaysia.
It is vital to mention here that some six experienced Indian players will not be part of the team in the upcoming invitational tournament. All the six players are best in their sections including Sardara Singh, Sandeep Singh, Prabhjot Tirkey, Rajpal Singh,
Bharat Chikara and Thusha Khandekar. They are the best drag flickers and contested the Asian Games held last year in China, where they managed to win a bronze medal.
Legendary drag flickers, Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh, were dropped from the team, as they failed to report to the training camp on time. On the other hand, the remaining players are out due to injuries.
In absence of Rajpal Singh, seasoned midfield player, Arjun Halappa has been appointed as skipper of the national side for the Malaysia-based event.
It is pertinent to mention here that South Korea and India earned a joint trophy in the last edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, as the final game was abandoned due to heavy showers.
Harendra Singh, the coach, while talking to the media said that it would be a great chance for them to evaluate the worth of the youngsters. Their main objective is to win a berth in the 2012 London Olympic Games, he added.
He further stated that they would face world’s best squads and prepare a strong squad for the upcoming mega event. He said, “Like most teams here in Ipoh, we too are rebuilding our team and our immediate goal is to have a strong outfit for the Olympic qualifiers,
which we will host next March.”
Despite the fact they have many youngster players in the team, they will attempt to get a place among the top squads, he maintained.
It is vital to mention here that Harendra had worked with Spanish-born Jose Brasa as assistant for a period of three-year. The contract of Jose Brasa, the senior coach of Indian team, was not renewed for another term after the Asian Games. Harendra further
stated that there would be no key changes in the style of the game.
He was of the opinion that they would test new faces against the world’s best squads to train them for international hockey, adding that they have not fixed any specific target, but to display a good show.
The Indian team will play their first game of the event against South Korea on May 05, on the opening day of the tournament.
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