Men's hockey team from India departs for the Asian Games

NEW DELHI: The Indian men's hockey team is prepared to continue its remarkable run when they compete in the next Asian Games, which get underway on September 23 in Hangzhou.

On September 24, India launches their offensive against Uzbekistan. India is in Pool A of the event, along with strong opponents like Pakistan, Japan, Bangladesh, Singapore, and Uzbekistan. Korea, Malaysia, China, Oman, Thailand, and Indonesia make up Pool B in the meantime.

The semifinal round of the tournament will feature the top two teams from each pool, which heightens the tension and rivalry of the event.

Harmanpreet Singh will serve as the team's captain, and Hardik will be his assistant. Performances by the squad, particularly in the just finished Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, have demonstrated how diligently they have prepared. They now want to keep performing at that level and place on the podium at the Asian Games.

The Indian Men's Hockey Team flew from Bengaluru to Hangzhou on Tuesday to compete in the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. The Indian team will begin their campaign against Uzbekistan on September 24th 2023.

📅 24th Sept - 8th Oct 2023.
📍Hangzhou, China.#HockeyIndia… pic.twitter.com/jKPytBh8SE

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) September 18, 2023

Before the squad's trip to Hangzhou, Indian team captain Harmanpreet Singh expressed his sentiments, saying, "The team has been working hard to be ready for the Asian Games, and we did well at the just-completed Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai. Now we want to keep up that level of play. Although we have some challenging competition in our Pool, we are confident in our preparedness and intend to place highly."

Goalkeepers PR Sreejesh and Krishan Pathak are on the team's roster, and Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Sanjay will handle the defence. Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Sumit, and Shamsher Singh will form the backbone of the midfield. Abhishek, Gurjant Singh, Mandeep Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay will lead the offensive line.

Hardik Singh, the vice captain, emphasised his confidence by saying, "We are in the best physical and mental preparation to go to Hangzhou, and we are anticipating the intense competition within our team. The objective is to maintain our recent level of performance and leave China with a medal."

On September 26, 28, and 30, respectively, Singapore, Japan, and Pakistan will be the opponents in India's group stage games. Bangladesh will be the last opponent on October 2. The Indian hockey team will want to stand out in the competition and become a serious contender in the Asian Games in Hangzhou.