Nilam Sanjeep Xess says he is working on technical issues to cement position in Indian hockey team

Bengaluru: Indian men's hockey team defender Nilam Sanjeep Xess says he is striving hard to address some technical issues in his game to cement his spot in the national side.

The 21-year-old, who has played 14 matches for the Indian team, said he has been honing his skills during the national camps.

"It's been a little rocky start to my international career. My last tournament for India was the Olympic Test Event in August 2019. However, I have continued to work hard on my game in various national coaching camps since the competition," he said in a Hockey India release.

"I have singled out a few techniques that I need to work on and hopefully, I will improve as a player. I am very determined to raise my game to a level with which I can cement a regular spot in the Indian team. That is my immediate target at the moment."

Xess said he is very fortunate to be rubbing shoulders with Harmanpreet Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh.

"I am very lucky to be practicing hockey with players such as Harmanpreet and Rupinder. They are very inspiring athletes and I have learned a lot from them," he said.

"They have been terrific defenders for India in the last few years and I hope they continue to help India win many more matches in the future. Hopefully, I will be as good as them one day. We have a terrific balance in the defence unit, which is very valuable for the entire team," he added.

Xess said that winning an Olympic medal is his ultimate dream as a sportsperson.

"It's the biggest achievement for any sportsperson. If I make it to the Indian Olympic team next year, it will certainly be a dream come true for me," he said.

"Our team has grown from strength to strength in the last few years and all the hard work is paying off. Hopefully, the Indian team will make history in Tokyo next year."