I am looking forward for competing in Asian Championship Trophy: Indian midfielder Sumit

Indian men’s Hockey Team Midfielder Sumit said that “Next year Asian Championship Trophy” will be a perfect platform for us to groom for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics 2021 as players have not played for last six month due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The #MenInBlue are scheduled to play in the Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka, early March next year.

Here’s why Hockey Midfielder Sumit looks forward to it: https://t.co/eSQIvMrbjV#IndiaKaGame @IndiaSports @Media_SAI @sports_odisha @CMO_Odisha

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 9, 2020

Amid this pandemic time Indian team will resume the competition at the continental tournament which is scheduled in Dhaka in March next year provided there is no health restrictions next year.

“We have been very fortunate to resume training … to hone our skills. The Asian Champions Trophy will show the level we are at and how much we will need to further improve ahead of the Olympic Games,” said Sumit.

He is currently a member of Core Indian group. All the current Indian team member who are currently part of the ongoing national camp said ” “Though we won’t be competing this year due to the pandemic, the sessions are planned in such a way that we play matches against each other where we are expected to bring out our best”.

“We have something called as red sessions which are high-intensity sessions and I can tell that we are in much better form both mentally and physically than when we started out in August after mandatory quarantine.”

He was a member of that Indian team who lifted FIH men’s World Cup in 2016 had missed some important tournaments due to Wrist injury.

“I had suffered a wrist injury during the FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar last June. It was a long road to recovery and I was happy to have been picked for the FIH Hockey Pro League earlier this year where I got to play against top teams,” he said

“To make the Indian Team, one has to be really good in executing what is expected of us and there is good internal competition.

“For now I am giving my 100 per cent in training and I look forward to hopefully playing in the Asian Champions Trophy and defending our Title next year,” he signed off.

Indian men’s and women’s Hockey team has performed in last few years and with their amazing performances in last few years in different tournaments, they are able to break into top 10 of FIH world rankings. Indian men’s Hockey team is touted as one of the contenders to perform well in the upcoming mega event. Indian men’s team have a rich history in clinching gold medal as it starts from 1928 where the team won the first gold medal until 1960. The team had a 30–0 winning streak during this time, from their first game until losing in the 1960 gold medal final. India’s hockey team is the most successful team ever in the Olympics, having won eight gold, one silver and two bronze medals.