"Our goal is to upgrade color of the medal" - Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh on 2024 Paris Olympics
Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh has expressed confidence about his team’s prospects at the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. After returning with a bronze medal at the last Olympics in Tokyo, the expectations from the team would be high this time around too.
Harmanpreet spoke following the announcement of the hockey schedule for Paris 2024. His team has been placed in Pool B, which also contains defending champions Belgium and defending runner-up Australia. 2016 Olympic gold medalists Argentina are also in the same pool, alongside New Zealand and Ireland.
Harmanpreet Singh isn’t overawed by the presence of tough teams in India’s pool. He is aiming to do even better than Tokyo with his team this time around.
“Tokyo was a monumental moment, and we're determined to carry that momentum into Paris. Our goal is straightforward – to upgrade the colour of the medal by aiming for gold,” a Hockey India release quoted the skipper as saying.
“Taking it one step at a time, our initial focus is on advancing through the group stage and securing a spot in the quarter-finals. With our experience and skill set, we believe we're strong contenders for a podium finish," it added.
The bronze won at Tokyo was a major event in the history of Indian hockey as it was the first Olympic medal won by the team since the 1980 Moscow Games.
Indian men's hockey team's schedule at 2024 Paris Olympics
The Indian team will begin their quest for another medal on July 27 against New Zealand. Interestingly, it was the Black Sticks who knocked India out of the 2023 World Cup by defeating them in a shootout.
But Harmanpreet Singh is confident about his team’s prospects.
“Competing in Pool B is going to be challenging, given the undeniable potential of every team to emerge victorious on any given day," he said. "But we stand steadfast, mentally and physically prepared for every challenge that paves our journey at the Paris Olympics.
“As a collective force, our mindset is unwaveringly centred on our own strengths, as we believe that by harnessing our full potential, we can beat anyone.”
Following the meeting with New Zealand, India will face Argentina on July 29, Ireland on July 30, and Belgium on August 1. The Indian side will round off their group stage campaign with a clash against Australia on August 2.
Though the Olympic bronze at Tokyo seemed to suggest a renaissance of Indian hockey, what followed was a period of poor results for the men’s team. That sordid run culminated in the team failing to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup last year.
Since then, the team have shown considerable improvement and managed to draw games with heavyweights like the Netherlands and Australia in the most recent set of matches in the FIH Pro League.
However, with the World Champions Germany and defending Olympic champs Belgium also on the way, the road to the podium will be a difficult one for India.