The Indian men’s hockey team left for England on Saturday morning for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a hope to win their maiden Gold medal at the event. The 22nd edition of the event will be held from July 28th to August 8th. India will be led by Manpreet Singh and is placed in Pool B along with England, Canada, Wales and Ghana. They will start their campaign against Ghana on July 31st.
Manpreet Singh shed light on the excitement in the team, saying they will be aiming for a podium finish at the Games.
Off to Birmingham ??
All the best #TeamIndia ?? for CWG @birminghamcg22??#IndiaTaiyaarHai #Cheer4India #India4CWG20222@PMOIndia @ianuragthakur @NisithPramanik @YASMinistry @TheHockeyIndia @SAI_Bengaluru @ddsportschannel @CGI_Bghm pic.twitter.com/IMUhZVavNy
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) July 23, 2022
“We are quite excited about this event as we have been training for this competition for quite some time now, and we are looking forward to putting on our best show against some of the best teams in the world. Having worked on our strengths and weaknesses in the last few months, we will do whatever it takes to win a medal here,” Manpreet said.
He further said that India’s third-place finish in the FIH Men’s Pro League season 2021/2022, where they faced tough competition, will help them in Birmingham.
Speaking about the mood in the dressing room, Manpreet said, “Everyone is excited and looking forward to giving their 100 per cent. Right now, we are focused on reaching Birmingham and getting accustomed to the weather and playing conditions there. We are also preparing for our first game, as a strong start against Ghana will be crucial in kicking off our campaign.”
The Indian hockey team re-ignited the country’s interest in the sport after their remarkable performance at the Tokyo Olympics last year. After losing in the semi-finals at the mega event, India went on to win the bronze medal match. It was a welcome victory for the nation which won a medal in hockey at the Olympics after 41 years after beating Germany.
