Bengaluru: India men’s hockey defender Harmanpreet Singh feels the coming FIH Pro League matches which will resume from September 22 in Germany will provide perception into the variations and combinations of the European teams will exhibit.
The League will reassume with powerhouses Germany and Belgium facing-off against each other. “Both these teams are really good and of course we are eager to watch them play and we will be following these matches closely because it will give us insights into their variations, any new combinations they are using,” stated the drag-flicker who is currently part of the on-going National Coaching Camp in SAI, Bengaluru.
“It was the first time I was doing something like this online. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge about the game with the students. They had many questions on shaping and nurturing talent from the age of 12-13 years of age and they were also keen on understanding how one adapts to playing on synthetic turf after being used to grass surface. The session was interactive and I was particularly happy to know that the students followed our team’s performances closely,” recalled Harmanpreet during an online activity on Major Dhyanchand’s 115th birth centenary on National Sports Day (August 29).
Happy national sports day to everyone #NationalSportsDay pic.twitter.com/svrWxthkL0
— Harmanpreet Singh (@13harmanpreet) August 29, 2020
Harmanpreet, who captained India to victory at the FIH Olympic Test Event in Tokyo last year, feels the Indian team has plenty of time to return to their formidable form and watching these FIH Pro League matches will help them implement changes to their tactics and be prepared before they begin their FIH Pro League campaign in April next year.
“I feel we have enough time to prepare. Since we will be following these teams closely, we will be able to make timely implements into our game,” expressed Harmanpreet and further added that the coaching staff ensured the players have maintained their fitness levels over the past five months when training and coaching activities were halted due to nation-wide lockdowns, will be a key factor to bounce back.
“The good thing that happened during the past five months was the Coaching Staff particularly our Scientific Advisor Robin Arkel kept a close watch on our fitness and diet. Even when we were on a break, we had a schedule to follow. I think these factors will help us bounce back,” added the defender.
