Road to Rio 2016: 5 specialists to drag-flick for India
Exciting times are upon us, as Indian Hockey is on the rise once again. Sure, it has been a while since we dictated matters at the world stage, but the unmistakable sparkle that the team holds today is, by all means, a welcome development after some forgettable years for us involving the sport.
With India procuring second place at the recently concluded 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, coach Roelant Oltmans would now be looking to finalise his starting lineup before the Champions’ Trophy kicks off in London in June, post which we’ll be heading to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Also read: 5 things we learned from the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
A key factor in fetching the all-important goals, penalty-corners are a prime area of focus for this team. Delightfully enough, India has a handful of talented drag-flickers to choose from.
Let’s take a look at our penalty-corner specialists who could, currently, be readying themselves for the upcoming challenges:
#5 Gurjinder Singh
Gurjinder Singh had stormed into the fray for the first time in the 2012 World Series Hockey, scoring 19 goals for his side Chandigarh Comets, besides winning the title of Player of the Tournament, at the age of 17.
After a standout performance in the 2014 Champions’ Trophy, this fullback from Punjab has had a relatively quiet run in the international stage. He has, however, retained his scoring touch from penalty-corners for the Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League earlier this year.
With the Indian side currently enjoying notable affluence when it comes to having top-notch drag-flickers, Gurjinder might seem as an outside choice for the summer of 2016, but he’s a choice nonetheless.