Harpal Singh Bedi / New Delhi
Promising striker Dilpreet Singh is of the view that deferment of the Olympics by a year has provided young hockey players a chance to work and improve on their skills and stake claim for a place in the national team
According to him the current phase is very crucial for the youngsters in the Indian team
“With the Olympics being postponed to 2021, a huge opportunity has emerged for the youngsters to hone their skills further and make it to the Indian Olympic team.” the 20-year-old striker told Hockey India in Bengaluru.
“The months leading up to the Olympics is a very crucial phase for the youngsters as opportunities like this don’t come everyday. Playing in the Olympics is a dream for any sportsperson and all of us have a great chance of turning our dream into reality in a few months’ time,” he said .
Dilpreet said that his only goal at the moment is to get selected for the Olympics and perform for the Indian team on the biggest stage.
“I am very determined to utilize the next few months to the fullest to get better at my game so that I can find a place in the Indian Olympic team. It was great to be back in the Senior Team for the FIH Hockey Pro League earlier this year. I have jotted down all the aspects that I need to improve on and I am working on them one by one.
We have a great Forward line and it will be fantastic to play alongside brilliant players and perform for the national side in the quadrennial event,”
The young striker maintained that he has been even more enthusiastic about playing hockey after returning to the pitch for sports activities in August.
“It’s been certainly wonderful to be back on the pitch again. I have found a new zeal in myself for the sport and I’m loving every minute of it. We are taking things slowly at the moment, but we are improving and moving forward every day, which is the most important thing.
Hockey India and SAI have been exceptionally helpful in the last few months. They have understood our requirements perfectly and executed all the safety measures seamlessly so that we can focus on our game,”.
Dilpreet Singh, has been part of a few memorable moments for the national team which includes the Silver Medal-winning campaign at the Hockey Champions Trophy Breda 2018 and the Bronze Medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games 2018 in his short career so far;.