India will start their Paris Olympics campaign vs New Zealand in their first Pool B game.© X (Twitter)

Indian hockey team senior midfielder Manpreet Singh is excited to represent the country in his fourth Olympics in Paris, a remarkable achievement that puts him alongside the legendary Dhanraj Pillay. Set to play in his fourth Olympics, Manpreet expressed his excitement and pride, saying, “Playing in my fourth Olympics is a dream come true and a milestone that fills me with immense pride. It is a testament to years of hard work, dedication, and unwavering support from my family, coaches, and teammates. To follow in the footsteps of a legend like Dhanraj Pillay, who has been an inspiration for countless players including myself, is an honour beyond words.”

“I am excited to give my all for India in Paris, representing not just the team but the hopes and dreams of millions of fans back home. Our team is ready to show the world the spirit and strength of Indian hockey. We have prepared rigorously, and we are determined to perform at our best, bringing honour to our country and making our countrymen proud,” he added.

Manpreet made his senior team debut in 2011. Since then, the dynamic midfielder has amassed an impressive 370 caps and scored 27 goals, showcasing his skill and consistency on the field. His journey with the national team includes participation in three previous Olympic Games: the 2012 London Olympics, the 2016 Rio Olympics, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he led the team to a historic Bronze medal under his captaincy to mark India’s first Olympic hockey medal in 41 years.

Also, speaking about the team’s mindset and expectations for the Paris Olympics and if there will be any pressure to match the Tokyo Olympics’ performance, Manpreet asserted, “There is no pressure on us; instead, we are looking forward to enjoying our performance in every match. We must not underestimate any team, regardless of their ranking. Each team will bring their best to the field, and so will we.

“Our focus is on fulfilling our responsibilities and supporting each other as a cohesive unit. We believe that by concentrating on our game and maintaining our composure, we can achieve great results. It’s all about playing with passion and determination, without letting pressure hinder our performance.”

Notably, the Indian men’s hockey team on Monday departed for Mike Horn’s base in Switzerland, where they will undergo a three-day training period designed to instil mental toughness. Following this, the Harmanpreet Singh-led team will move to the Netherlands for a series of practice matches before arriving in Paris on July 20.

India are placed in Pool B for the Paris 2024 Olympics, alongside defending Champions Belgium, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, and Ireland.

To advance to the Quarter-Finals, the team must secure a top-four finish in their pool. Pool A features the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, South Africa, and host nation France, setting the stage for a highly competitive 12-team men’s hockey tournament.

The Indian junior women’s hockey team lost 4-6 to Germany in its fifth match of their tour of Europe on Monday. However, after conceding six goals, India rallied to score four goals and asserted themselves in the second half of the match. Sanjana Horo, Bhinima Dan and Kanika Siwach scored for India. Like their previous match, Germany scored early in the first quarter and doubled their lead soon after. Despite trailing, the Indian defence did well to successfully defend multiple penalty corners. In the final minutes of the first quarter, India won a penalty corner but the scoreline remained 2-0, in favour of Germany.

India began the second quarter on a positive note but failed to find the back of the opposition net.

Germany struck their third goal soon to put themselves in a dominant position at half-time.

Germany continued to assert themselves in the third quarter, scoring thrice, including a successful penalty corner conversion to take a commanding 6-0 lead.

But India fought back and scored their first goal when Sanjana Horo sounded the board late in the quarter.

India turned up the pressure on Germany in the final quarter. Sanjana Horo scored India’s second goal before Binima Dhan and Kanika Siwach found the opposition net to reduce the margin to 4-6.

On Sunday, the Indians lost 0-1 to Germany in their fourth match.

India had a challenging first quarter as Germany broke the deadlock early match to take a 1-0 lead.

A goalless second and third quarter unfolded, ensuring Germany stayed ahead, even as India worked hard to score an equalizer.

In the final quarter, Germany nearly doubled their lead, but their penalty stroke was denied by India’s goalkeeper.

With minutes left on the clock, India’s final opportunity of the match came in the form of a penalty corner, but they failed to convert it and conceded a 0-1 defeat to Germany.

India will play their next match against Dutch club side Oranje Rood in Breda, Netherlands on May 29.

The Indian women’s hockey team continued its winless streak in the Belgium leg of the FIH Pro League, slumping to 0-3 defeat against Argentina on Sunday. Celina Di Santo (1st minute), Maria Campoy (39th) and Maria Granatto (47th) scored for Argentina in India’s final match of the Belgium leg. Argentina stormed ahead in the very first minute, dissecting the Indian high press and penetrating to the shooting circle, where Di Santo deflected in Granatto’s shot to score their first goal. As India struggled to play out of their half, a period of Argentinian dominance followed, resulting in a penalty corner eight minutes into the game, but they failed to extend their lead.

India began stringing a few passes together and got into the game. They forced Argentine goalkeeper Clara Barberi into action after a low drive into the circle from Udita found Lalremsiami, who failed to score from close range.

Argentina regained control of the proceedings in the second quarter, earning a slurry of penalty corners but an alert duo of Bichu Devi Kharibam and Salima Tete helped keep the ball out of the nets.

A rare Indian foray into the shooting circle resulted in a penalty corner but Deepika’s drag flick was comfortably kept out.

Argentina pressed hard in the rest of the quarter but the Indian defence held firm to keep the scoreline 0-1 heading into the second half.

India earned a penalty corner early in the third quarter but failed to create a goal scoring opportunity.

Argentina made a breakthrough in the 39th minute, as Campoy picked up the ball on the left wing and bulldozed into the circle, dodging a few challenges and slotting it past Savita Punia to double their lead.

India had a chance to score in the last minute of the quarter but Navneet Kaur’s tomahawk was saved by Barberi.

Argentina earned a penalty corner as soon as the final quarter began and Granatto directed Agustina Gorzelany’s flick over Savita into goal to increase their lead.

Argentina stepped up the intensity after the goal and pegged India back, creating multiple chances through Granatto but a resilient Indian backline managed to thwart any further advances.

The Indian women’s hockey team will now take on Germany in its next match at London on June 1.

The Indian women’s hockey team on Saturday lost to Belgium 1-2 — its back-to-back defeat to the home side — as its European leg of the FIH Pro League further slipped into chaos. The Indian women’s team, under new coach Harendra Singh and captain Salima Tete, were beaten 0-2 by Belgium on Thursday after opening its campaign with a 0-5 thrashing at the hands of Argentina on Wednesday. Belgium were ahead 2-0 at half-time with goals from Ambre Ballenghien (14th minute) and Vanessa Blockmans (20th). Both the Belgium goals came from penalty corners.

Kumari Sangita pulled one back for India in the 34th minute with a field goal. The fourth quarter did not yield any goal for both sides.

Belgium earned three penalty corners in the match while India got none.

Belgium began the game with a full-court press, making it difficult for the Indians to play out from the back.

The Indians withstood the initial pressure and began dominating possession, while Belgium continued to press, looking for a chance to score on the counter-attack.

The pressure resulted in a penalty corner for Belgium, and Ballenghien stepped up to power the ball past Savita Punia into goal, putting her team ahead as the first quarter drew to a close.

In the second quarter, Belgium employed the same tactic while India attempted to stitch a few passes together in the opposition half.

Five minutes into the quarter, Belgium’s high press resulted in another penalty corner, and Blockmans pounced on Louise Versavel’s deflected shot to score the second goal of the game.

India reacted to the goal through Tete, who turned on a sixpence in midfield, blazed to the right corner, and unleashed a rocket on goal, which was saved by Belgian keeper Elodie Picard.

India struggled to play out of their half as Belgium continued to close down their passing lanes, forcing the Indian defence into a scramble to keep it 2-0 heading into half-time.

Belgium further intensified the pressure in the third quarter.

However, Jyoti bypassed the press to find Deepika, whose forward pass deflected to Sangita in the circle. She flashed it into Picard’s goal to bring India back into the game.

After the goal, India occasionally started to beat the Belgian press, but the home team was quick to threaten the Indian defence. They won the ball high up the pitch and forced Savita into action.

Delphine Marien, who was later named player of the match, remained a constant threat down the right wing for Belgium, but the Indian defence stood firm, and the quarter ended 2-1 in Belgium’s favour.

The final quarter saw India turn over the ball in their half, but Belgium failed to capitalize. The game became stretched as both teams looked to score quickly towards the end.

India created a chance to score through Deepika, but her shot was saved, and Sangita snatched the chance to score from the deflection but was not able to convert it.

Savita had to stay alert in goal as the Belgian forwards constantly won the ball and threatened to score.

With five minutes left in the quarter, Belgium earned a penalty corner, but the ball sailed wide of the post.

India grew into the game, pushing ahead in search of an equalizer. Deepika was handed a chance to score in the final moments, but the Belgian defence rushed to subdue the chaos in front of the goal and sealed a 2-1 victory.

This was the Indian women’s team’s seventh defeat on the trot against Belgium in all international matches.

India will play against Argentina in their next match at Antwerp, Belgium on Sunday.