'We will be starting from scratch' - Harmanpreet Singh confident of Indian men's hockey team's comeback

Australian team thrashed the Indian men's hockey team 7-0 in the gold medal match of the Commonwealth Games 2022. Amid huge expectations, the Indian hockey team stepped onto the field but in vain. The Australian men were breathing fire and took a mammoth 5-0 lead at halftime.

The Indian men's hockey team never really got up from there on and it only became worse for the team. India had beaten Ghana 11-0, drew against England 4-4, and beat Canada 8-0 and Wales 4-1 in the tournament earlier. They also beat South Africa 3-2 in the semi-finals. After such an impactful performance right throughout the multi-sport event, India faced a humiliating defeat from the Aussie men in the final and the most important match.

“Definitely the entire team is disappointed by the way we played but it’s important we move on from this bitter outing. Like Chief Coach mentioned, we lacked the energy and tempo required to match up to a team like Australia," the Indian vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh said in a Hockey India release.

He added that the team wishes to move on and wanted to only improve from the defeat. Singh added that the team will work hard to make a strong comeback and would be starting from scratch after a two-week break. "There are many lessons from this campaign that we can work on and improve upon. Every match we played will be analyzed thoroughly when we return to camp after a two-week break and we will be starting from scratch,” Singh added.

The Indian vice-captain also added that his wife travelled with him and it was a special outing overall. "My wife travelled to Birmingham to watch our matches, and this was the first time she was watching me play a big tournament live. This is my first Commonwealth Games medal, so in all, it was a special outing for me on a personal note,” Singh concluded.

The Indian men's hockey team will be hoping for a strong comeback in future events. The mental barrier of losing in the most important matches has to be broken. India will be testifying itself in the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League season 2022/23.