Last Update: January 22, 2023, 07:26 AM IST
Graham Reid (Hockey India Image)
Reid Graham has backed Rajkumar Pal, who has come in as a replacement for the injured Hardik Singh, to do well in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup.
FIH Odisha ahead of their crossover stage match against New Zealand in Hockey Men’s World cup, India Coach Reid Graham on Saturday backed skilful Rajkumar Pal, who has come in as a replacement for the injured Hardik Singh, for his good performances and described him as one of the future stars.
After finishing second in their group thanks to a 4-2 down win over Wales in their final game, the hosts will face New Zealand in a must-win match for a place in the quarter-finals on Sunday. However, they will miss the services of key midfielder Hardik Singh, who had to pull out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury towards the end of the match against England.
Hardik was the fulcrum of the midfield and the team’s best player as India put up a brilliant defensive display and shut out England. Hardik was throughout midfield, acting as the perfect link between the forwards and the defenders.
His absence was felt in the match against Wales as the forward found the right supply of passes when going on the attack but the Indian coach is confident of Rajkumar’s replacement ability.
Hardik is a good player and is in very good form. But Raj is also in good form and is one of our future stars. People who have seen matches against New Zealand earlier would have seen what he can do, so we are confident. He’s very fit, works very hard in defence, has silky skills and is handling the ball very well at the moment. We have enough talent to compensate,” coach Reid said at the pre-match press conference.
The coach admitted that it will be India who will be under pressure in their knock-out crossover match as New Zealand have nothing to lose. But, he also supported the good coming of his players.
“It is true that they have nothing to lose and the pressure is on India. I also back my players to stand up to pressure and like I said earlier if we play at our best we can beat any team.”
Talking further about the opponent, the coach said, “As an Australian, I know New Zealand are always tough and we (India) have utmost respect for them. I am also confident that we will do our job.” Will do (and win),” he added.
Notably, India beat New Zealand twice at the Kalinga Stadium in Pro League matches a few months ago and the 58-year-old will be hoping to repeat the result.
“We beat them twice then. Furthermore, our defensive unit is more organized (and better) now than it was then. So, we are looking forward to the match,” Reid said.
During this World Cup, India has failed to convert its chances into goals. The Indians have entered the shooting circle on 76 occasions but have managed only 37 shots on target and only six of them have managed to score. He has earned 16 penalty corners but scored only three goals.
When asked about the issue, Reid said, “I agree that we have been lacking in eliminating the opportunities that we have created. But I would have been more concerned if we had not created opportunities. I believe we will be better in that aspect as well.”
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)