The Indian men’s hockey team had huddled up in a room at the SAI complex here on Monday to watch the telecast of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers draw, held at Lausanne (Switzerland).
The players were relieved when it was announced that they would face World No. 22 Russia, the weakest team in Pot 1. The two other teams in Pot 1 — Pakistan (World No. 17) and Austria (World No. 20) — could have posed sterner tests. Russia is the preferred opponent, considering that India (World No. 5) had whipped Russia 10-0 in the FIH Series Final in Bhubaneswar earlier this year.
But any sense of complacency vanished when coach Graham Reid got up to address the room.
This story is from the September 11, 2019 edition of The Hindu Delhi.
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This story is from the September 11, 2019 edition of The Hindu Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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