"Indian men's hockey team is undoubtedly firm favorites for the gold medal" - Viren Rasquinha backs India to win gold at Asian Games 2023 in Hockey
With the 2023 Asian Games into its first weekend in Hangzhou, the Indian men's field hockey team is making huge strides in its attempt to secure a medal for the country. Tagged as favourites in the event, India has produced mammoth wins against Uzbekistan, Singapore, and Japan.
Former midfielder and India captain Viren Wilfred Rasquinha and current CEO of Olympic Gold Quest sat down for a Sony Sports Network online media interaction where he discussed the men's and women's Indian hockey teams and their chances at winning medals in the Asian Games and provided detailed insights into the nuances of a medal-winning field hockey team.
Viren talked about the men's team as being the favourites going into the tournament but stressed efficient performances on the field that backed up the tag.
"In terms of potential, caliber, talent and ability, I think this Indian men's hockey team is undoubtedly firm favorites for the gold medal. But being firm favorites on paper means nothing. You've got to execute it on the ground. You've got to be clinical. You've got to be mentally very strong. And I think teamwork and fighting spirit are two of the most important ingredients that this team has." he said.
Viren also shared thoughts on the recent successes of the women's team and their growth into formidable foes for teams like Japan and China.
"With Deep Grace Ekka, Nikki Pradhan handling the defence, and Susheela, Chanu, Neha and Monica in the midfield, we have a strong core. And of course, Vandana Katariya, Lalremsiami and Navneet Kaur have been impressive in the forward line. They've all been playing together for many years. And I would say for Indian women's hockey, this is our best chance in many years to win a gold medal at the Asian Games. And the added importance of an automatic Olympic qualification spot exists as well. That is added pressure as well, I might add." he added.
"Hockey is all about decision-making and making intelligent decisions in split seconds" - Viren emphasises the importance of the Asian Games
In a chat about the different methodologies of ex-coach Graham Reid and current coach Craig Fulton, Viren gave us details on the sport of hockey and how a team could successfully produce effective results.
"When we steal the ball from opponents, and are really quick and aggressive on counter-attacks, it is the right time to take risks. I think hockey is all about decision-making and making intelligent decisions in split seconds. The most important part are the two Ds, where in the attacking D, you get chances, you get a split second. And it's about our strikers being really sharp when it matters the most." he said.
Viren looked at the bigger picture at hand, with the Paris Olympics happening next year and saw the Asian Games as the ideal platform to excel in order to achieve bigger successes.
"We have to send our best to the Asian Games. I would say that the Asian Games is one of the most important milestones in the lead-up to Olympic preparations, which is next year in Paris 2024. So there's just nine months to go. So what we do here will actually show us where we stand in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics, where we need to improve, what are the gaps that need to be abridged." he added.
The Indian men's and women's field hockey teams are currently competing in China, where the first few games have gone smoothly for both teams. The Asian Games commenced on September 24th and will go on untill October 8th. The games are being telecast live on Sony Sports Network in India.