"It will be a good learning curve for us" - Indian hockey skipper Harmanpreet Singh on upcoming FIH Pro League 2023
Indian hockey skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who was recently announced to lead a strong Indian contingent against Belgium and Great Britain, enumerated on a variety of topics ahead of the FIH Pro League 2023.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Harmanpreet started off by reasoning that the high expectations from fans were a courtesy of their good performances and how they want to shoulder the responsibility of delivering on those expectations.
"Expectations are based on our performance. Expectations rise when you perform well. So our responsibilities increase - we have to be more focused. Every practice session counts too. We want to get better off the field and on the field too. We want to take our learnings and get better to maintain the expectations. It's our responsibility to fulfill those expectations."
Harmanpreet added that they had a few areas to work on ahead of the tournament, namely their structure and the conversion rate since the formidable opponents will hardly give any opportunities to score.
"There are many areas to improve. There's always something or the other which can be improved. Mainly, we are looking to work on our structure with ball and without ball. We are looking to better our conversion rate in the opportunities that we get. In good matches, you just get a few opportunities and we need to focus on turning it into a successful outcome."
Motivating the team is not a difficult task for Harmanpreet, as they have seasoned campaigners who know their responsibilities and are amply motivated to give their best once they take the field.
"I don't think anyone in the team requires motivation - everyone has been playing for a long time and they know their responsibilities. But there are some moments when there is pressure, we look to keep it simple and communicate well with each other. That is everyone's responsibility."
Harmanpreet did not single out a player to look out for and answered that in a team sport such as hockey, you will not see one player doing everything
"It is a team. It is XI vs XI and there is no one on the field or on the bench who aren't ready to give their all. One player cannot do anything and every goal is a team's effort."
Harmanpreet enumerated the opponents - Belgium and Great Britain, and spoke about how crucial it will be for the team to switch strategies between the games. He also stated that playing those teams will be a good experience for his side, keeping in mind future tournaments.
"Every team is doing well in hockey. There are some teams which are showing consistency too. Both (Belgium and Great Britain) teams have a different structure and they play well. So for us, it will be a good experience. It will be a good learning curve for us. Our focus is not on our opponents but on ourselves - how quickly we read the game and stick to our strategies."
Finally, Harmanpreet signed off by thanking the fans that have supported the hockey team wherever and whenever they have taken the field. He humbly requested them to continue their love and support and assured them that the team will give their best every time they play.
"Whenever we have played, wherever we have played - there has been plenty of support. My request is for them to continue the support and we will do our best to fulfill our responsibilities on the pitch and play some good hockey."
India will play twin fixtures against Great Britain and Belgium in London starting on May 26. They have assembled quite a formidable squad, who will be looking to take the challenge head-on and emerge on top.