Indian men's hockey team's next target is to be World No. 1 - Shamsher Singh
The Indian men’s hockey team had a fruitful Tokyo Olympics stint. With the brouhaha of the quadrennial Games dying down, the Indian men’s hockey team is now looking forward to setting new benchmarks.
The Indian men’s hockey team beat Germany 5-4 in the bronze medal play-off match at the Tokyo Olympics. It helped them win an Olympic medal in hockey which had been eluding the nation for 41 years.
The team had the right mix of experienced guns and young players who rose to the occasion when it mattered. The team worked like a well-oiled unit, creating chances and thwarting attempts with tenacity and skill.
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The Indian men’s hockey team’s forward Shamsher Singh played a crucial role in India’s medal-winning campaign. It was a learning experience for the young striker as he brilliantly worked the ball, pushing into the opponent’s circle at will.
Shamsher Singh said winning a medal at the Olympics was just one of the many goals the team had set up to accomplish. He said:
"We still have a lot of targets to achieve as a team. We have ticked off the target of winning an Olympic medal, but we have been striving to be the best side in the world in the last few years.”
Indian men's hockey team’s target is to be the best
The Indian men’s hockey team has grown by leaps and bounds. The team was one of the most successful teams in Olympic history. However, they went through a rough patch that lasted decades and hit a new low when they did not qualify for one edition of the Olympics.
Picking up pieces and improving by the day, the Indian men’s hockey team slowly started to get back on track. They showed glimpses of form by beating some of the best teams in the world.
Consistency soon stepped in and the Indian men’s hockey team raised their bar. Innumerable camps and an excellent support staff changed the dynamics of Indian hockey as the team grew in stature on the world stage.
With a monkey off the back in the form of an Olympic medal, the Indian team is now gunning to rule the world. The target for the Indian team is becoming the World No. 1, according to Shamsher. He added:
“We are going to give everything we have in every match we play in the future, especially in big tournaments such as the FIH Hockey Pro League. We are confident that if we keep improving match by match, then one day we will surely be the world number 1 team.”
Pointing out one trait that was a stand-alone at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, that put the team in good stead, Shamsher said:
“I think it was our never-die attitude on the field. Even when we were behind in the game against Germany, we never stopped believing in our chances and kept looking to create goal-scoring opportunities. We knew that if we kept putting pressure on the opposition, we would be on the winning side in the end and that's what eventually happened.”
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