Indian hockey team aims to win gold at Asian Games 

During a virtual media interview, veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh revealed, "We are starting this year with the Pro League before Asian Games and CWG." The Tokyo Olympic bronze medal-winning side has kickstarted the year with the second cluster of the FIH Hockey Pro League that began in February 2022.

Target Paris

"The first target for us is to qualify for Paris, so Asian Games is the biggest hurdle and after that, the World Cup is the second important tournament. The training and the way we are playing now is going great, we have implemented new strategies," Sreejesh added.

The 33-year-old goalie midfielder is a part of the International Institute of Sports Management's initiative that involved 18 of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics medallists reciting the national anthem on January 24, 2022. He talked about their plan of finishing in the top four in Bhubaneswar. 

Likewise, Indian men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh mooted how the FIH Pro League will give the perfect opportunity to try new combinations for the upcoming showdown in Hangzhou.

Manpreet said, "Asian Games will undoubtedly be the biggest event for us this year. Surely the competition will be quite tough at the Asian Games as all teams will be vying to make the Olympics cut (by winning gold)."

The gold-medal winner in Asiad will automatically advance to the grand event in Paris. “We will be assessing our performances in 2021 with the Chief Coach and support staff and we will also draw up a road map for 2022,” the midfielder further added. 

Meanwhile, the Indian women's team have adopted a similar vision. Chief coach Janneke Schopman is determined to improve the squad's game play.

"I want our team to perform and to be able to be at our best in a tournament like the World Cup or Asian Games. The players need to be at the level that they get the experience they need," Schopman revealed.

India missed two and a half years of on-field experience due to a prolonged interference by Covid-19, so she plans to compensate for the loss by fixating on gameplay. 

"I'm really trying to focus on the way we want to play and how do we want to attack and how do we want to look as a team and I think we made big steps there."

When being asked about new possible strategies, she said, "India is having discussions about that. I don't know yet what the plan will be.

"We are right now really focusing on the World Cup. And of course, the Asian Games is the most important tournament this year where we want to qualify directly for the Olympics."