FIH Series Finals | Absolute honour for Russia to play India in first match, says Pavel Golubev

The Russian men’s hockey team is in Bhubaneswar for the FIH Series Finals. With an aim of doing well in the tournament and secure an Olympic qualifiers berth, the Russians will start their campaign against India in the first game on Thursday. Pavel Golubev is of the opinion that the Indian team is in excellent form and it is an honour for the 22-ranked team to play against the hosts in their opening game at the Kalinga Stadium.

"India is an excellent team and it is an absolute honour for us to play the hosts in our first match,” Golubev said during the press conference ahead of the first match.

“We have watched the World Cup matches here and the crowds turn out in full support of the team. We are looking forward to experience that feeling and hope to give it our best.”

On the other hand, the United States of America will be led by Indian-origin Ajai Dhadwal in the tournament and they are placed in Group B alongside Japan, Mexico, and South Africa. According to Dhadwal, the major factor in his team’s success will be their fitness. He also said that the USA wants to be a serious contender for the top two finish in the tournament.

"We are a team that pays a lot of attention to our fitness and I believe this will be one of the factors that will help us succeed. Though we are an inexperienced team, we do have that firepower in us to create some upset wins and we sure want to be a serious contender for the top 2 finish," Dhadwal said during the press conference.