Tokyo Olympics | We can break toughest defences with good communication, says Mandeep Singh
The Hindu
Having made his debut for the senior side way back in 2013, Mandeep is the most experienced striker in the Indian team.
Indian men’s hockey team striker Mandeep Singh on Thursday asserted that they have it in them to break the defence of any rival side in the Tokyo Olympics, beginning here on Friday. Having made his debut for the senior side way back in 2013, Mandeep is the most experienced striker in the Indian team. “I don’t think there’s any added pressure on me because I have good support from the rest of the players. We have good on-field communication and on a good day, we can breach the toughest defence,” said the 26-year-old forward from Jalandhar.Unlike most of the Olympic-bound athletes, who opt to train abroad before the big event, boxer Amit Panghal prefers training in home conditions prior to Paris 2024. A former World championships silver medallist and a World No. 1, Panghal won the 51kg quota place in the only chance he got. He wants to follow his own plans to script success in Paris.
The other men’s semifinal Friday is Norway’s Casper Ruud, twice the runner-up in Paris — to Rafael Nadal in 2022 and to Novak Djokovic in 2023 — against Germany’s Alexander Zverev, a finalist at the 2020 U.S. Open, an Olympic gold medalist and into the final four at Roland Garros for the fourth consecutive year.