"Scoring in the shootout against Australia was an unforgettable moment" - Uttam Singh to lead defending champions India at Sultan of Johor Cup
Uttam Singh who captained his team to victory during the previous edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup is all set to lead the side once again as the Indian juniors attempt to defend their coveted title.
The talented striker who was also at the helm when India beat arch rivals Pakistan to reign supreme at the 2023 Junior Hockey Asia Cup is confident of the team's chances at Johor Bahru considering their current level of experience.
While speaking to Sportskeeda during an exclusive interaction ahead of the 2023 Sultan of Johor Cup, Uttam Singh revealed that scoring in the shootout in the final against Australia last year was a moment he would never forget.
"India had won the tournament back in 2015 and several teams had been aiming to go all the way since. I will never forget the tense moments during the shooutout against Australia in the final last year," he recalled.
"I was under pressure to score in the shootout (after several misses from both teams) and I will never forget the goals I managed to score during those crucial moments," Uttam Singh added.
The skipper scored twice in the all-important shootout which led to sudden death while also finding the back of the net against Japan and South Africa eariler in the tournament.
At Johor Bahru, the Indians split points with mighty Australia and Great Britian in the preliminaries but a 4-5 defeat against South Africa very nearly derailed their chances of making it to the final.
"On any given day, if we play to our strength, we can beat any of the teams in the tournament" - Uttam Singh
Following a 5-5 draw with Great Britain, the fate of the Indians rested on the outcome of the match between Japan and Malaysia with both teams standing a chance of advancing to the finals with a win,
The defeat to South Africa in the preliminaries of the 2022 Sultan of Johor Cup, which was a six-nation round-robin tournament, is just as fresh in the mind of Uttam Singh as the tournament win.
The skipper pointed out that unlike the Asia Cup, where only a certain number of teams posed a threat to India, the Sultan of Johor Cup presented a far greater challenge with no easy matches in sight.
"In Asia, there are teams like Malaysia, Pakistan, and South Korea who are tough to beat, but at the Sultan of Johor Cup, there are no easy matches. We lost to South Africa last year and we cannot afford to be casual while going into any match at Johor Bahru," opined the player from Uttar Pradesh.
On any given day, if we play to our strenghth we can beat any of the teams in the tournament . On the other hand, even the weakest team in the competition can give us a run for our money. South Africa beat us last time despite not being considered a fancied side," Uttam Singh explained.
"We go into the Sultan of Johor Cup with our heads held high" - Uttam Singh reckons the opposition will be wary of India at Johor Bahru
As it turned out, Japan and Malaysia played out a 2-2 draw which meant India that earned the right to play Australia in the final. Both teams were locked 1-1 in regulation time before goalkeeper Mohith HS made some vital saves in the shootout to help the Indians emerge victorious.
Uttam Singh reckons that the team which is now brimming with experience will be even more confident and are well aware of how focussed they need to be.
"We go into the Sultan of Johor Cup with out heads held high after the magnficient performance we put in last year. The other teams in the tournament will no doubt be wary of us as we are the defending champions," the 20-year-old declared.
"The team we had last year was a relatively inexperienced lot and we still managed to counter the best teams in the tournament. This time, there is more experience and more confidence in the ranks after the Asia Cup triumph. Our focus, however, has to be spot on," Uttam Singh asserted.
The player who made his senior debut against Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup makes the most of his association with India internationals like Vivek Sagar, Raj Kumar Pal, and veteran striker Lalit Upadhyay.
"Vivek Sagar, Raj Kumar Pal, and Lalit Upadhyay are some of the players I interact with most often. Having said that, I have played the Asia Cup at the senior level as well and I know know pretty much everyone in the national team," he stated.
The Indians take on Pakistan in the first of their Pool B games on October 27 at Johor Bahru. The defending champions then take on hosts Malaysia a day later before squaring off with New Zealand on October 30.
"I am really happy to have been picked as the captain of the team again after missing out on playing in Germany. I managed to retain my place and was also chosen to lead the boys again which is a wonderful feeling," he said.
Australia, Great Britain, Germany and South Africa are the other teams in the eight-nation competition.