Sandeep Singh feels that Indian hockey could win laurels in 2018

Indian Hockey enjoyed a phenomenal 2017 as a whole. The men’s team won the Asia Cup, won a bronze in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and also won a bronze medal in World Hockey league Finals while the Women’s team won the Asia Cup. 

Seeing the performances, the Sandeep said, "To be honest right now there is no team in the hockey world which is dominating and if we want to get a medal at Tokyo we need to believe in yourself and go one step at a time. We have the talent pool now which can beat any team on any given day. 2018 is a massive year for Indian hockey as we prepare to compete in CWG and World Cup. I am pretty confident that Indian hockey team will go from strength to strength and bring back the silverware in 2018," reported Times of India.

Every sport requires a backing at the grassroots level and also a big pool of players to select from. These players also need backing from the media, as the media plays an important part in showcasing the talent to the country and the world.

“Media plays a very crucial role here. For any sport to grow it needs to be marketed and funded in a proper manner. Media has the tools to create stars which eventually helps the game to reach every corner of our country. We have a solid core group of talented players as if now, but we also need to think long term. We all are gearing up for 2018 as we have to compete in CWG games and World cup but what about Tokyo Olympics and our future plans, replacements?" the 31-year-old added.

"We cannot produce champion teams overnight. Recently our hockey team whether it's our male, female or juniors, they have given sensational performances and this is the testimony of hard work which has been put at the very grass-root level. After recent brilliant performances by our hockey team it still doesn't get the reach or eyeballs it deserves," said the Arjuna Awardee.

Just like cricket, where the team’s think tank and the selectors have always planned for the future tournaments like World Cup and focussed on the need for youngsters and a bigger pool of players, hockey lacks the same planning. Sandeep pinpointed the same as a major problem in the running of the sport.

"We need to plan for long-term, keep working hard to find future stars. And if we talk about Olympics, are we good enough to get a podium finish?" Sandeep questioned.

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