Focus is on fitness ahead of busy hockey season: Amit Rohidas

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 20 : With a busy season ahead of them, the Indian men's hockey team is putting in the hard yards at SAI, Bengaluru where the ongoing national coaching camp is being held.

The 39-member Core Group is gearing up for the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League games in Europe where they take on Belgium and Great Britain in London followed by a short trip to Eindhoven, the Netherlands where they take on Argentina and hosts the Netherlands.

India currently leads the points table after their magnificent show in Rourkela where they remained unbeaten against World Champions Germany and Australia.

"Last time we finished third in the League. In the FIH Hockey Pro League, we have typically done well at home but the challenge is when we play abroad and this time, we aim to keep up the winning streak when the matches move to Europe," Hockey India (HI) quoted the experienced defender Amit Rohidas as saying.

Talking about a busy season ahead, Rohidas said that it's important for the team to stay on top of their fitness level. "We are working really hard in the ongoing camp with the focus being on fitness, building our core and improving our agility. It is a busy year of hockey and it's important we remain fresh from tournament-to-tournament and emphasis is also on a good recovery process to avoid small injuries," added the hockey ace from Sundargarh, Odisha.

Following their FIH Hockey Pro League games in London and Eindhoven which ends in June, the Indian Team will return home to prepare for the Asian Champions Trophy at home in Chennai this August followed by the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023. "No doubt it's going to be an exciting period for hockey with major tournaments coming up. After the Asiad, we will commence the next season of Pro League and then there's the Hockey 5's World Cup as well so in that sense, there is a lot of hockey coming up right until the Paris Olympics."

"It's also a good thing that we have a strong core group with youngsters getting a chance to play in top tournaments. This ensures that we have an experienced pool of players who are waiting for a call-up to perform," he added.

Speaking about his own performance, Rohidas said, "I was rested after the FIH Odisha Hockey World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela which was good for me. I played some domestic hockey here in Bengaluru and also got to spend some quality time back home. I have come back to the camp feeling fresh both mentally and physically. Now I am just looking forward to the upcoming season," he signed off.