"It has been a surreal experience" - Indian forward Araijeet Singh Hundal on competing in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24
Indian men's hockey team forward Araijeet Singh Hundal was on target for India during the shootout against the Netherlands during their FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24 fixture on Wednesday.
The Indian team have performed in this tournament on a bright note and are doing pretty well so far with a couple of wins in regulation time. They have as many wins in shootouts, a regulation time defeat, and a loss against the Netherlands in the shootout on Wednesday.
The clash against the Netherlands was a thrilling bitter-sweet contest for India. While they were trailing 0-1 at half-time against the Dutch, India scripted a comeback to level the score and take the game into a shootout. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, India ended up losing the game 2-4 against the World No.1 team.
However, Araijeet Singh Hundal and Lalit Kumar were a couple of players who impressed. They were on target for India during the shootout.
“It has been a surreal experience. Competing against top-tier teams such as the Netherlands and Australia, receiving encouragement from both seniors and the coach, is genuinely delightful, and it has also been a valuable learning experience for me,” the young forward from Punjab expressed after the crunch game against the Netherlands.
Araijeet Singh Hundal is a recent addition to the senior Indian men's squad
It was only recently that Araijeet Singh Hundal made it to the senior Indian squad. Speaking about the guidance that he has received from his seniors in the team, the 20-year-old added:
“They advised me to keep an open mindset, play freely, and avoid putting unnecessary pressure on myself.”
Araijeet also went on to express his gratitude towards the coach and his senior teammates.
“I would like to thank the coach for providing me with the opportunity to take the shot. I would also like to thank my seniors for encouraging me before I stepped up. It helped me with my nerves," he explained.
“I am glad that my shot was on target as it certainly helped boost my confidence in my game,” he concluded while reflecting on his performance against the Netherlands.
India are set to face Australia up next on Saturday with the game scheduled to begin at 7:30 pm IST.