Asian Champions Trophy: India are ready for Pakistan, says hockey coach

Harendra Singh

Indian men's hockey team chief coach Harendra Singh says his team has shrugged off the disappointment of the Jakarta Games and is looking forward to the keenly awaited contest against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asian Champions Trophy here today.

Title holders India started the tournament with a runaway 11-0 win over hosts Oman on Thursday. "The competitive part of the tournament starts on Saturday with the match against Pakistan," said Harendra, who admitted the dejection within the squad when they failed to defend the Asian Games title in Jakarta. "After the semi-final loss in the Asian Games, the mood was not good for a few days. The disappointment of not winning the Asiad gold is still playing on our minds."

"We are now focused on this tournament. Nine of our players scored goals against Oman yesterday. A win in the Asian Champions Trophy will be a good path for the World Cup just over a month away," he said.

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