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| Gold in Paris will be tribute to India and senior hockey players, says skipper Harmanpreet | | |  Agencies
NEW DELHI, July 3: Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh is desperate to reclaim the gold medal in the upcoming Paris Olympics in his bid to give a fitting tribute to the country and stalwarts of the game.
Eight-time Olympic champions India won an Olympic medal, a bronze, after 41 years in the Tokyo Olympics to revive the golden days of the sport in the country, and come 2024 Paris, the Harmanpreet-led side is chasing nothing less than a gold.
"We are giving our all to elevate our history and legacy. Winning the gold will be a tribute to India and our seniors," the ace drag-flicker said in an exclusive feature on JioCinema's 'The Dreamers.'
Harmanpreet's predecessor Manpreet Singh, under whose leadership India bagged the historic bronze in Tokyo, echoed similar sentiments.
"Seeing our flag on the right, I felt we could strive harder to place it at the centre next time, with our anthem playing. This marks the beginning of our renewed journey," he said.
Veteran India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh highlighted the relentless drive and collective spirit of the team.
"Someone somewhere is training to beat you. That thought pushes me out of my comfort zone. Every time I train, I am driven by the desire not to disappoint the 1.4 billion people of our country.
"There was a time when Indian hockey relied on individual brilliance, but now we play as a cohesive unit, and that transformation has been key to our success on the international stage," Sreejesh said.
India's chief coach Craig Fulton broke down the team's mentality, philosophy, and strategy, which helps them go toe-to-toe with some of the best sides in the world. "There isn't a team that this Indian team hasn't beaten. The question you could also be asking is -- what do the other teams have to do to beat India?
"The whole philosophy in my mind is to defend, to counter, and to win - having a team that can defend against the best teams in the world but then counterattack from anywhere. And that's in the DNA of this Indian team," the South African said. |
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