Dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick as the Indian Men's Hockey Team pulled off a thrilling 4-3 win over England in the FIH Hockey Pro League here at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday.
With his hat-trick, the India defender took his total international goals tally to more than 100. Speaking after the win, Harmanpreet said that all the career goals he has scored so far are memorable for him.
"My aim has always been to score goals for the benefit of the team. Even if I score one or two goals, or don't score any, I always look to help the team in any which way I can. All my goals are memorable for me and are my favourite ones - because I scored them for India," Harmanpreet Singh said after the match.
India pulled off wins in both the games against England, winning the first one 3-3 (3-2) in the shootout. With the wins, India climbed to the top of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22 table with 21 points in 10 games so far.
Speaking on the opposition's performance in the double-header, Harmanpreet said that England did not give up till the last minute. "England are a very good team, they did not give up till the last minute. But we also performed well to keep our calm," Harmanpreet said.
"It is also a learning lesson for us that we need to maintain our lead and the pressure in the match so that we can play freely in the final two quarters," he added.
India Men's Team Chief Coach Graham Reid also spoke on the double-headers after India's win on Sunday and said that his players showed great heart and spirit. Reid also said that the two games against England will help the team in building character.
"We seem to have a habit of not finishing those games when we have control of them. We let the other team get back into it. But I suppose that's hockey nowadays. In the third quarter, we lost control a bit and we need to look into that," Coach Graham Reid said.
"The corners went in tonight and we had opportunities to try some variations. It was a really good fight with them and our boys showed a good heart and good spirits. Games like these help in building characters. And it's always good to come out on top," the coach added.
India Men's Hockey Team will next play home games against Germany in the FIH Hockey Men's Pro League on April 14 and April 15 at the same venue.
"It's good to win and reach the top of the table, but now we have to prepare for Germany, who are also a very tough team. They will always bring a competitive team. They are a great hockey nation. So, we can look forward to some good games coming up in two weeks," Reid said.
Amit Rohidas, who was the Captain of the Indian team for the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22 matches against England, said that the 4-3 win over England has given the players a great deal of confidence. "We have gained a lot of confidence. Everybody in the team is making their contribution and we are showing a great team effort," Rohidas said.
"I am enjoying leading the team as Captain, and it has been a great learning experience for me. But, more than that, everyone in the team wants to play for the benefit of the team, and that has been a really good thing to see in the past few games," Rohidas added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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