Indian males’s and ladies’s hockey groups are eager to win the gold medal on the upcoming Asian Video games to safe direct qualification for the subsequent 12 months’s Paris Olympics. The lads’s workforce, who ended a 41-year anticipate an Olympic medal profitable a bronze at Tokyo Video games, will compete within the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai from August 3 within the build-up to the Hangzhou showpiece in September-October. “We’ve vital matches developing as we inch nearer to the 2024 Paris Olympic Video games. We’re enthusiastic about our upcoming tour because it additionally provides us an incredible alternative to play in opposition to high quality groups,” Indian males’s workforce skipper Harmanpreet Singh advised Hockey India.
India will battle it out in opposition to the likes of South Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan and China within the Asian Champions Trophy.
“These matches will likely be essential for us as we put together for the all-important Hangzhou Asian Video games scheduled later this 12 months. We’re conscious of what’s at stake, and we’re not taking something without any consideration.” Along with the rigorous coaching within the camps underneath the management of chief coach Craig Fulton, Hockey India has additionally roped within the companies of psychological conditioning professional Paddy Upton for the boys’s workforce. Apart from this, particular camps are being organised with Dennis van de Pol, the famend hockey goalkeeping coach from the Netherlands.
Having performed matches in Germany, the ladies’s workforce then again are in Spain for the a centesimal Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation-Worldwide Match.
“We’ll give our all the pieces on the sphere,” Indian ladies’s workforce skipper Savita Punia stated.
“All of the gamers within the workforce know that we’ve to win the gold medal within the Hangzhou Asian Video games to earn direct qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“We hope to keep up the identical consistency and type as we’ve been doing up to now,” she added.
The ladies’s workforce narrowly missed a bronze medal on the Tokyo Olympics after taking place to England 3-4.
On the Commonwealth Video games in Birmingham final 12 months, they returned with a bronze and emerged victorious within the 2022 Nations Cup.
Indian ladies draw 1-1 in opposition to England in Spain
The Indian ladies’s hockey workforce got here from behind to register an exhilarating 1-1 draw in opposition to England in its opening recreation of the a centesimal Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – Worldwide Match in Barcelona on Wednesday. For India, Lalremsiami (forty first minute) scored the equaliser after Holly Hunt (seventh) gave England the lead.
The sport started with England shortly settling right into a passing rhythm whereas controlling nearly all of possession, and it paid off when Hunt scored a subject aim with a strong and well-placed shot from contained in the D.
Surprised by the early aim, India upped the ante in the hunt for an equaliser, repeatedly testing England’s defence and even coming near scoring on a number of events.
Within the second quarter, India elevated the frequency of their assaults in an try to degree the rating, forcing England’s midfielders to make again passes and keep possession.
The ploy bore fruit as England loved the slender one aim benefit at half time.
The decided Indians adopted a counter-attacking technique after the change of ends and the transfer paid dividend when Lalremsiami transformed a penalty nook to attract degree.
Each India and England received a number of penalty corners within the dying minutes of the third quarter however failed to seek out the again of the online.
The Indians got here out all weapons blazing within the fourth and last quarter and stored England underneath strain by attacking rigorously.
However England stored their defence tight and likewise received a penalty nook within the closing minutes of the match however didn’t benefit from the possibility because the match resulted in a draw.
The Indian ladies will subsequent play hosts Spain on Thursday.
Indian males’s hockey workforce loses 1-2 to hosts Spain
The Indian males’s hockey workforce put up a spirited battle earlier than taking place 1-2 in opposition to Spain in its opening recreation of the a centesimal Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation worldwide match in Terrassa.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh (59th minute) netted a aim for India after Pau Cunill (eleventh) and Joaquin Menini (thirty third) had put the hosts in entrance on Tuesday.
India began the match on an aggressive observe with excessive urgent within the first quarter however had been unable to attain. Spain started to realize momentum as the primary quarter progressed and Pau Cunill discovered the again of the online to place the hosts forward.
With the scoreline stacked in opposition to them, India appeared to regulate possession and launch a counterattack within the second quarter in the hunt for an equaliser, however Spain’s defence held robust to stop the guests from bouncing again.
The second quarter ended goalless, with Spain main 1-0 at half-time.
The third quarter started with the Indian workforce on attacking mode and repeatedly testing Spain’s defence.
Nevertheless, the hosts not solely stored India at bay but additionally doubled their lead by way of Joaquin Menini, who discovered himself in a perfect place to deflect in a lighting shot by Jose Basterra three minutes after half time resumption.
Trailing by two objectives, India shifted gears to place relentless strain on Spain and even received a penalty nook, however had been unable to capitalise on it.
Additionally, Spain goalkeeper saved Harmanpreet’s fiery shot from a distance in the direction of the top of the third quarter to ensure that the house workforce enters the ultimate quarter-hour of the sport with the a two-goal cushion.
India got here out all weapons blazing within the fourth quarter and created some good scoring alternatives, however they nonetheless struggled to seek out their first aim of the sport.
Spain switched to counter-attacking mode and received back-to-back penalty corners, however had been unable to transform.
India continued to place strain on the house workforce’s defence, which paid off when Harmanpreet transformed a penalty nook within the dying minutes of the sport.
Spain, nonetheless, prevented India from scoring one other aim. The Indian workforce will subsequent tackle the Netherlands on Wednesday.
(This story has not been edited by Ednbox employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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