India hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh on August 6, praised the Asian Champions Trophy for their preparations ahead of the Asian Games 2023.
The Indian men’s hockey team reclaimed the top spot in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy hockey competition after they defeated Malaysia 5-0 in their round-robin clash at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai on August 6. Following the win, captain Harmanpreet Singh said that this is how the team is preparing for the Asian Games.
Previously, India had drawn 1-1 with Japan on August 4. They had started the campaign at home with a huge 7-2 win over China on August 3.
India is at the top spot, with two wins and a draw in three matches and a total of seven points. Malaysia is in the second spot with two wins and a loss in three matches and a total of six points.
In the post-match interview, Harmanpreet Singh said, ”If you look then this is how we are preparing for Asian Games. We are getting good matches ahead of Asian Games. It is good for us as well as others. We can work on what we learned in this tournament. It is a good opportunity to play against Asian countries ahead of the Asian Games.”
He added, ”Definitely, I think our first match was also good as we scored so many goals. We are hoping to maintain a clean sheet. The second match was tough for the team. Japan played really well on that day. What we learned from our previous game was to keep our defence strong and convert the opportunities coming our way.”
Harmanpreet Singh said, ”It is a proud feeling when you wear a jersey to represent the country it is the biggest honour. It is the support of our family. So, the biggest thing is that I am representing the country.”
While concluding, he said, ”Teams are good. It takes time to suddenly adjust playing to against Asian countries after playing against European nations. We know what we have to do and where we need to work on with or without the ball. We will discuss that in a team meeting.”
(with inputs from ANI)
