Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh said on Monday that the team is working to improve its defence. He also said that India is not thinking about being the favourites to win the Asian Champions Trophy.
India will try to win the title for the sixth time.
India will play its first match against Bangladesh at the Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium on Tuesday. Bangladesh replaced Pakistan in the tournament after Pakistan pulled out due to security concerns.
“Defence, that is our priority. We have very skilful forwards who create good opportunities. If we perform well in both defence and attack, we can become a better team,” Harmanpreet said at the pre-tournament captains’ press conference here.
“When we attack, we must ensure that we convert our opportunities into goals,” he added.
Harmanpreet said that better defence could help India perform better in the tournament. “I would focus on our defensive performance. The way we defend as a team can make a significant difference to our overall performance. There are some areas where we need to improve, but we will analyse our performances and work on those aspects during the tournament.”
India have won the Asian Champions Trophy five times and will try to win the title again. They are ranked eighth in the world, making them the highest-ranked team in the tournament.
India are also coming into the event after winning gold at the Asian Games. This win helped them book a direct place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Harmanpreet said India would take every team seriously and would not consider any opponent an easy one. “Every team is here to compete and win the tournament. All the teams are strong, and we do not want to take any opponent lightly. Everyone has come here to give their best,” he said.
“We have gained a lot of experience and matured as a team. We will approach every match with the same mindset and give every opponent the respect they deserve,” he added.
Harmanpreet believes that playing against Asian teams many times will help India in the tournament. “We have played against all these teams before, so we have an understanding of their strengths. The teams participating here are among the best in Asia, and we will have to be at our best to succeed,” Harmanpreet said.