Bengaluru, July 8: The Indian men’s hockey team left for Switzerland Monday, and following three days designed to instill mental toughness, the team will move to the Netherlands to play practice matches. After completing this final block of training the team is scheduled to arrive in the City of Lights July 20.

“We just completed a gruelling two-week camp in SAI, Bengaluru and after a short detour in Switzerland with Mike Horn, who is reputed for his extreme adventures that conquer his fears, the team will play some practice matches against the Netherlands and Malaysia to ensure we are in the best state of mind and body before we begin our Olympic journey. The team is in high spirits and is looking forward to the final block of training,” the Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh said before the team's departure.

India will begin their Paris 2024 Olympics journey, in Pool B, with a match against New Zealand July 27, followed by a match against Argentina July 29. They will then face Ireland and Belgium July 30 and August 1, respectively, with their final group stage game against Australia August 2. A top-4 finish will ensure that India advances to the knockout stages.

“The team has prepared well so far, we identified areas that needed improvement from the London and Antwerp stages of FIH Pro League 2023/24 and worked on it in the training camp in SAI Bengaluru. The best teams in the world will take part in the Paris 2024 Olympics but this squad is ready to seize the opportunity and bring glory to India. We are confident in our abilities and excited about the journey ahead," added vice-captain Hardik Singh.

India has historically been a force to reckon with in hockey and has won 12 medals to date which include 8 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze medals.

The Squad

Goalkeeper: PR Sreejesh

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay

Midfielders: Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad

Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh

Reserve players: Nilakanta Sharma, Jugraj Singh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak

(IANS)

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