Indian Hockey In Uncomfortable Zone At Asian Games 2018 But Not For Long

After the defeat of Indian Hockey team to Malaysia, both the team members and the FIH president were stunned. India is ranked 5th in the world and lost to a team that ranked 12th. But the sports are obviously not so straightforward otherwise Japanese (16th in the world) wouldn't have been able to score 3 goals against Malaysia. Apart from the loss in the semi-finals, India did play well. All the Indian hockey team is doing right now is introspection. This is giving them the opportunity to look at the things clearly instead of sweeping them under the carpet.

Only 86 days are left before India is going to face another important tournament - 2018 World Cup which will start on 28th November. It's quite apparent, from the past performances, that India needs to prepare more to face pressure in these tournaments. After losing the battle to the finals, India was able to fight enduringly for bronze medal - a match that most teams hate playing. Harendra Singh, India's coach said that the two things they need to work on is consistency in thought and intensity.

Right now, hockey team of India is not in their comfort zone. But this will not last for long. The players feel powerless. But they will come back soon with realisation of their mistakes and correcting them. They will prove that they are more than sum of their parts we witnesses in Jakarta.

By: Neha Maheshwari

Content: https://www.firstpost.com/sports/asian-games-2018-indian-hockey-in-uncomfortable-zone-after-disappointments-in-indonesia-but-not-for-too-long-5103891.html