Coordination between defenders and goalkeeper crucial: Krishan B Pathak
Indian menβs hockey team goalkeeper Krishan B Pathak, who has earned 50 caps for the national side, believes the Indian menβs hockey team, led by Manpreet Singh and coach Graham Reid, will aim for a fairy-tale finish at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
Harboring a lot of expectations, the Indian team will be hoping to end a medal drought at the Olympics. Leaving no stone unturned, the Indian team has been sweating it out at the national camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) center in Bengaluru.
Krishan B Pathak opined that coordination between defenders and the goalkeeper is crucial for the defensive line of the team. Speaking about his style of play, Krishan B Pathak said he is always in sync with the plans made by the defenders during every match.
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Here's what 24-year-old Krishan B Pathak had to say:
"There might be only one goalkeeper on the pitch, but he's not alone. I keep speaking to the defenders about their plans and ensuring that I am on the same page with them. If I can coordinate well with the defenders, then we will have a strong defensive line and make sure that we don't concede easy goals. We practice coordination during our training sessions as well."
Our preparation is top-notch says Krishan B Pathak
Speaking about the Indian team's preparations for the Tokyo Olympics 2021, Krishan B Pathak said the team is carrying out high-intensity practice sessions at the moment.
This was his statement for Hockey India:
"The Olympics is not very far away and therefore we are all giving it our all in every practice session. The coaches have devised high-intensity practice sessions for us, and we are enjoying each of those sessions. We have been playing well as a group for a few years and we want to make sure that we play to our full potential at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. It's going to be a big challenge for us, but we are definitely up for it."
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Krishan B Pathak added that the Indian team will be aiming for nothing short of a medal at the Olympics.
βWe have played well against the top teams in the last few years. We have shown our mettle in the FIH Pro League as well. All the players are confident and are determined to make history for India. We have progressed well as a team and the time has come for us to apply our skills to the best of our abilities and execute our plans properly. We are aiming for nothing short of a medal and we believe that we can win the Olympics this year."