Former captain and Hockey India president, Dilip Tirkey, has high hopes for Indian men’s hockey team skipper Harmanpreet Singh ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympics. Tirkey believes that if the star drag-flicker performs at his best, India has a strong chance of improving on their bronze medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. India had ended a 41-year wait for an Olympic medal by defeating Germany to clinch bronze at the Tokyo Games. With the Paris Olympics set to start on July 26, expectations are high for the Harmanpreet-led team to achieve an even better result.
“I have full faith in (goalkeeper PR) Sreejesh and in all the young players in the team. Five players are going to make their debut at the Olympics, but they too have good experience in international hockey. We are expecting a lot from captain Harmanpreet; he is a world-class drag-flicker. If he gets going, there is nothing to worry about,” Tirkey stated at the ‘Glory of Five Rings’ event, organized by Manav Rachna Educational Institutions.
The event also featured notable sports personalities such as former women’s hockey skipper Rani Rampal and ex-world champion trap shooter Manavjit Singh Sandhu. Tirkey emphasized the importance of drag-flickers in securing victories, noting that their performance will be crucial.
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“Everything falls upon the drag-flickers who will have to be at their best. If our drag-flickers are on song, nothing can stop us. Having said that, it is not that we haven’t scored field goals,” he added.
In preparation for the Olympics, the Indian hockey team will benefit from the expertise of renowned South African mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton. Upton, who contributed to India’s 2011 Cricket World Cup victory, has joined the support staff and recently conducted a three-day intensive camp at adventurer Mike Horn’s base in Switzerland.
Tirkey, who represented India in three Olympics, highlighted the importance of mental strength in such high-stakes competitions. “Conceding goals in the last minute has troubled us a lot in the last few years, but recently, we’ve seen vast improvement in this area. For the last 1-2 years, we’ve had a mental conditioning coach with the team, which has made a difference. Before a match in the Olympics, we need to be fully prepared mentally. I am confident that the training program of our mental training coach and all other support staff will yield results in Paris.”
He also stressed the need for a solid defensive line, citing the example of Amit Rohidas’s strong performance in defending short corners during the last Olympics.
With experienced head coach Craig Fulton at the helm, Tirkey is optimistic about India’s chances. “The team has already reached Paris. Our first match is against New Zealand on July 27. We had a very good performance in the last Asian Games. Head coach Fulton has vast experience, having coached the Belgium team and other Olympic and World Cup-participating teams. The team has gained a lot of confidence under his coaching. Every player knows that at the last Olympics, we won a medal after a long time, and this time we can change the color of the medal.”
India is placed in a tough pool alongside Australia, Belgium, Argentina, New Zealand, and Ireland. Despite the challenging competition, Tirkey remains confident. “In the Olympics, there are 12 teams, six each in two pools. It is not something that we can’t beat top teams like Australia and Belgium. It is simple… the players have to do their duties in their specific roles on that given day. The team must be fit, and we are one of the fittest teams,” he said.
India will begin its campaign on July 27 against New Zealand, followed by matches against Argentina (July 29), Ireland (July 30), Belgium (August 1), and Australia (August 2).