ANI
19 Sep 2023, 12:55 GMT+10
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 19 (ANI): The Indian Men's Hockey team on Tuesday left for Hangzhou from Bengaluru airport to take part in the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou.
The Indian Team will kick off their campaign in the marquee event on September 24 against Uzbekistan.
According to the Hockey India press release, India are placed in Pool A, alongside Pakistan, Japan, Bangladesh, Singapore, and Uzbekistan. Pool B consists of Korea, Malaysia, China, Oman, Thailand, and Indonesia.
The top two teams from each Pool will qualify for the semi-finals. Harmanpreet Singh, the charismatic defender, has been tasked with leading the squad once more, with Hardik serving as his deputy.
"The team has been rigorously preparing for the Asian Games Hangzhou, and we performed well at the recently concluded Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023, so the goal is to maintain that level of performance. We have some tough opponents in our Pool, but we are confident in our preparation and hope to finish on the podium," said Captain Harmanpreet Singh before leaving for Hangzhou as said in the release.
The team includes goalkeepers PR Sreejesh and Krishan Pathak. Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, and Sanjay are the defenders selected for the Asian Games. The midfield will be anchored by Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Sumit, and Shamsher Singh, while the attack will be led by Abhishek, Gurjant Singh, Mandeep Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.
Before leaving for the Asian Games, Vice Captain Hardik Singh expressed optimism, saying, "We have had some tough practice sessions in the lead-up to the Tournament and everyone in camp is focused, working towards the same goal.
""We are in the best possible mental and physical shape to travel to Hangzhou, and we are looking forward to the tough competition in our group. "The goal is to continue performing as well as we have in recent months and return from China with a medal," he concluded.
India will face Uzbekistan on September 24 before taking on Singapore, Japan and Pakistan on September 26, 28, and 30 respectively. They will play their last group-stage match against Bangladesh on October 2. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of Central Asia Times news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Central Asia Times.
More InformationTALLAHASSEE, Florida: The Florida Lottery said this week that the second-largest lottery winner in U.S. history has come forward to ...
LONDON, UK: This week, the Global Financial Centers index showed that New York remains the world's leading financial center, with ...
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: In a significant milestone for its defense capabilities, Taiwan has unveiled its first domestically developed submarine. Although it ...
HONIARA, Solomon Islands: Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare revealed that he opted out of a Pacific Islands leaders' summit at the ...
SACRAMENTO, California: Intending to raise some US$160 million per year to help prevent gun violence, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed ...
MANILA, The Philippines: The Philippines remains steadfast in its resolve not to yield to Chinese efforts to obstruct its fishermen ...
QUETTA, Pakistan - The terrorist attacks in Mastung and Hangu have been vehemently denounced by the international community, including the ...
HONIARA, Solomon Islands: Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare revealed that he opted out of a Pacific Islands leaders' summit at the ...
MANILA, The Philippines: The Philippines remains steadfast in its resolve not to yield to Chinese efforts to obstruct its fishermen ...
SHAN STATE, Myanmar - According to a military source and a representative of a local rescue organization, a bomb explosion ...
DHAKA, Bangladesh - According to U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas, addressing Dhaka's air quality problem is essential for public ...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - According to a high-ranking government official who briefed a parliamentary panel on Wednesday, although Pakistan has accelerated ...