Last Update: January 28, 2023, 23:56 IST
Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey India)
India lost to New Zealand 5-3 in a sudden death shoot-out in the crossover stage match after holding the hosts to a 3-3 draw in regulation time.
Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh on Saturday expressed satisfaction over his team’s overall performance at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s. World Cup 2023 and said that better performances in the third and fourth quarters in the crossover match against New Zealand could have resulted in the hosts finishing higher than joint-ninth, in which they eventually finished.
India lost to New Zealand 5-3 in a sudden death shoot-out in the crossover stage match after holding the hosts to a 3-3 draw in regulation time. India They missed several chances, including leads of 2–1 and 3–1, to squander two goals in the fourth quarter.
Harmanpreet Singh’s side also failed to convert 12 shots on goal, 18 circle entries and 11 penalty corners and failed to reach the quarter-finals.
“If we had made fewer mistakes in the third and fourth quarters in the crossover match against New Zealand and capitalized on our opportunities, the end result would have been different,” the top drag flicker said at the post-match press conference on Saturday. ,
However, Harmanpreet said that the event was not a disaster for her team as it finished undefeated in stipulated time and ended the tournament with an 8–0 win over Japan and a 5–2 win against South Africa. The event ended with Ryo in 9th place. Olympic gold medalist Argentina.
“We didn’t lose a single match in the tournament – except the crossover match with New Zealand, which we lost in a shoot-out. We played well overall,” he said.
The skipper said that defense was considered the weak point of his team but his players performed well in that aspect of the game throughout the World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
Harmanpreet said that players fighting as a team is a big positive for them from the World Cup.
“We played as a team, fought as a team in every match. Of course, it was disappointing not to do better in the third and fourth quarters against New Zealand.”
Asked about the future, he said that he would learn from his mistakes and try to do better in the upcoming matches in Pro League and Asian Games later this year.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)