Stretch of 20-25 games will be crucial says Indian hockey head coach Roelant Oltmans
Indian men’s national hockey team head coach Roelant Oltmans believes that the run of 20-25 games from now on leading to the 2016 Rio Olympics in August will be crucial for the team in order to get the momentum going.
Currently, a group of 33 juniors and 32 senior players are taking part in a month-long preparatory camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bengaluru.
According to the Dutchman, the players have to be in their top-notch condition, both mentally and physically, in order to fight a podium finish at the Mega event in August. He said, “Our preparations look good. We have a stretch of 20 to 25 odd games before the Olympics which will be very crucial for the team.”
Team needs to improve in a few critical aspects
The Dutchman who is also doubling up his role as the High-Performance Director for Indian hockey also believes that the recently concluded CIL Hockey India League has provided youngsters with a perfect stage to showcase their abilities and fight for a place in the national set-up.
He added, “The Coal India Hockey India League has helped us tap some very talented young players, but for them to make it to the national team they have to be physically, mentally and technically adapt. We as a team need to improve on a few critical aspects and through this camp, I hope to achieve the same with the players.”
Indian national team skipper Sardar Singh also reflected on the importance of the preparatory camp and said, “The training camp is a great place for the boys to get back into the groove and gear up for the season ahead. We have just got 4 to 5 months left for the Rio Olympics and each training camp and tournament is important.”
The Indian team is due to take part in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in April followed by the Champions Trophy to be played in the month of June and then they will take a 5 day stop in Madrid before moving to Rio to take part in the Summer Games.
Sardar Singh concluded, “The coach is working really hard with the team and each of us is taking initiative towards working on our individual goals and turns ourselves into a cohesive unit.”
The Dutchman is confident of a good show at the upcoming Rio Olympics and believes a top 5 finish would be a great result for the team.