2018 debacle still fresh in our minds, target is to finish on podium in World Cup: Sumit

Bhubaneshwar: The quarterfinal exit in the last edition still bothering the players, the Indian men’s hockey team is determined to finish on the podium at the FIH World Cup to be held in January next year, said Olympic bronze medallist midfielder Sumit. In the 2018 edition of the World Cup hosted in Bhubaneswar, India lost 1-2 to eventual runners-up Netherlands to crash out of the tournament. But the Indians will get yet another shot at world glory before home crowd as the showpiece will be jointly hosted in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29 next year. “I still remember the 2018 Hockey World Cup when we lost in the quarterfinals and every time I go back to Bhubaneswar, it reminds me of that loss. The target of our team is to finish on the podium of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023,” said Sumit on Hockey Te Charcha �- a podcast series initiated by Hockey India. “Our practice has been going on really well. We played good hockey in all four matches of FIH Pro League , so, our preparation has been on the right track.” Sumit said India’s upcoming tour of Australia is really important in terms of preparation for the World Cup. India, currently ranked fifth, will face the world number one Australia in five matches between November 26 and December 4 at the MATE Stadium in Adelaide. The second, third and fourth matches of the tour will be played on November 27, 30 and December 3 respectively. “The Australia tour is really important before the FIH World Cup. Australia is a really strong team, we will get good competition from them and it will be a confidence booster for us to play against such a strong team before the big tournament,” Sumit said. “We will learn a lot from playing against Australia and our team will try to execute the plans we have made for the World Cup during the series. The upcoming tour will really help us to prepare for the mega-event.” Sumit, a member of India’s historic bronze medal-winning side in Tokyo Olympics, knows very well the tough competition he would to get a place in the team for the World Cup. “If I play well, no one will be able to stop me from getting into the Indian team for the World Cup. “I always think about giving my 100 per cent when I go to the ground. I always compete with myself and believe that I have to be better than what I was yesterday. My duty is to do the hard work and selection completely depends on the Coach and selectors,” he said. Sumit said he is a versatile player and to get selected in the World Cup squad, he is open to playing in any position. “The plus point with my game is I can play in almost every position. I play as a midfielder, but sometimes I drop deep to play as a defender as well. I have no problem with playing in any position in the team.” Hailing from a small village in Haryana, Sumit has climbed up the ladder the hard way. “From childhood, I wanted to play for the Indian men’s hockey team. However, my family background wasn’t that good and then my coach supported me in my village. My father used to be sick when I was a kid and my brother worked to support the family. “There were days when I substituted my brother in the dhabha (roadside eatery). I worked there to support my family and also practice hockey. The owners were kind enough to support me with petty cash whenever I had to travel to play matches,” he recalled. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.