Two-time champion India appears to be like to reclaim Sultan of Johor Cup hockey title

With eyes firmly set on breaking their five-year-old title jinx within the Sultan of Johor Cup, India would look to start its marketing campaign towards host Malaysia in a constructive be aware within the U-21 males’s hockey event right here on Saturday.

The Indians have received the age group event twice -- 2013 and 2014 -- and completed second greatest 4 instances in 2012, 2015, 2018 and the final version of the occasion in 2019.

The event was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Greatest identified for producing top-level worldwide gamers, the invitational event serves as an ideal platform for hockey enjoying nations to check their bench power.

But it surely received’t be a cakewalk for Uttam Singh-led India as Malaysia is predicted to pose a troublesome problem within the opener, driving on dwelling assist.

Having mentioned that, the Indian junior aspect can be assured, particularly as a result of a lot of gamers within the core group of the group are the identical that featured in final yr’s Junior World Cup, the place it completed fourth.

“The Sultan of Johor Cup is a really huge event within the calendar and we're ready for this problem. This event will give us a way of the place we begin amongst high groups as we're getting ready for the upcoming FIH Hockey Males’s Junior World Cup,” skipper Uttam mentioned.

After the opening recreation towards Malaysia, India will tackle South Africa on October 23, adopted by video games towards Japan on October 25, mighty Australia on October 26 and Nice Britain on October 28.

The highest two groups from spherical robin stage will progress to the ultimate to be performed on October 29.

“We'll face proficient and hard opposition sides all by the event and count on no simple video games. Will probably be vital to execute our plans correctly on the sphere in any other case the opposition will benefit from the scenario. We’ll take it one recreation at a time,” Uttam added.

Barring the 2011 and 2016 editions of the Sultan of Johor Cup, the Indian group has completed with a medal each time.

Talking on the wealthy historical past and the way in which ahead for the younger aspect, India coach CR Kumar mentioned, “This can be a good Indian junior males’s group and I'm assured that they won't disappoint.

“The intention is at all times to win our video games one after the other and be the higher group on the pitch. We have now a well-balanced group with nearly seven gamers who have been a part of the 2021 Junior World Cup group and a few of them have additionally had a stint with the senior males’s group.”