India captain Harmanpreet Singh has urged his team to treat every Pool D match at the FIH Hockey World Cup with equal importance. With Wales, England and Pakistan as opponents, he stressed preparation, tactical discipline and emotional control. Harmanpreet said India must stay calm, follow their plans and use the home crowd's energy positively, especially against Pakistan.
New Delhi: India captain Harmanpreet Singh has urged his team to treat every match in Pool D with equal importance at the FIH Hockey World Cup, with Wales, England and Pakistan standing between the hosts and their ambitions of making a deep run in the tournament.
India have already faced some of the teams in their pool in recent international competitions, giving the side valuable experience of their opponents’ playing styles. Harmanpreet said the coaching staff and players have been studying footage and identifying areas that could prove decisive when the tournament gets underway.
“Playing styles are mostly man-to-man for probably all the teams. Pakistan mostly mixes it up with zone and man-to-man. We played against them in the Pro League and identified elements where we can improve. We played Wales in the Commonwealth Games. We are analysing video footage and discussing key points with everyone,” Harmanpreet told JioStar.
The India captain, however, was clear that previous encounters would not make any of the pool matches straightforward. With the World Cup bringing added pressure and every result carrying significance, Harmanpreet stressed the need for India to respect each opponent rather than look too far ahead.
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