‘Youngsters made their mark’

Indian hockey skipper Sardar Singh praised the youngsters for their “gritty show” in the just-concluded Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia, where they clinched the silver medal.

India put up a consistent show in the tournament, losing to eventual winners Australia 0-4 in the final on Saturday.

Said Sardar, “We put up a gritty display in the final, but there were some errors in our circle and that caused the 4-0 scoreline.

“Australia are among the toughest opponents one can take on in contemporary hockey, but we have had a successful tournament.”

India fielded an experimental team in the six-nation tournament, that was their first international competition in the build-up to the Rio Olympic Games in August.

“We came here with a team comprising several young players with an eye on the future,” said the Indian skipper, reflecting on this outing.

“That purpose has been accomplished. These youngsters have gained tremendous experience against some top international teams.”

Coach Roelant Oltmans had decided to include junior players from the core group in this squad with his focus on picking the squad for the Olympic Games.

Despite putting up a gritty performance, India were outplayed in the second half when the reigning world champions scored three goals by catching the Indian defence on the wrong foot.

“We need to sort out the minor mistakes that lead to goals being conceded,” said the Indian skipper.

The triumph clinched Australia their ninth title in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. For India, this was the second time they finished with the silver medal in seven final appearances.

Said Oltmans, “We went up against the best team in the world, playing their best game and came up short. It is a creditable finish for us, since we had a team who were a mix of young inexperienced players and veterans working together for the first time. “This is a good warm up for us, leading to the Olympics.”