Every match is important in Olympic build-up, says skipper Sardar
Indian hockey captain Sardar Singh has urged his team to raise their game during the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia and the subsequent Hockey World League in Raipur as they prepare for the Rio Olympics next year.
India go into the opening Test in Chhattisgarh on November 19 on the back of a 2-1 away series victory over a higher ranked New Zealand. The Men in Blue showed a lot of improvement during that tour, and this upcoming series against the No. 1 ranked team in the world, will provide the side with good preparation ahead of the HWL.
With only nine months remaining for Rio Olympics, Sardar stressed on the importance of the upcoming matches. “We don’t have a lot of time left. The boys are improving day by day in training sessions. But everyone has to be aware of his responsibilities in the team,” the 29-year-old told The Hindu newspaper.
“The result of the Australia series will have no impact on us. We don’t have much time. We have 20-25 matches left before the Games against quality opponents. We’ll have to play each match like we’re already playing in the Olympics. We need to do well in the HWL. It will help us recognise our mistakes now, nine months before the Olympics,” Sardar said.
Indian defence came under the scanner during the Hockey World League semifinals in Belgium earlier this year when they conceded a whopping 41 goals in 14 games.
However, Sardar refused put the blame solely on the defenders and insisted that the whole team should take responsibility. “Defence is not just about the back four. People think our defence is weak. It is a team game and the defence starts from the front. The furthest man forward is the first line of defence. Our defence will work well if all the forwards and midfielders support them and communicate well,” he said
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