Bangalore: Fit-again Birendra Lakra said Tuesday that hosts India will be under a little bit of pressure in the upcoming Hockey World League Final (WHLF) which will be played in Bhubaneswar, December 1-10. All top hockey playing nations like Australia, Argentina and Germany are playing in the tournament.
Lakra, who missed the Rio Olympics due to a nagging knee injury and has been out of action for quite some time, is making a comeback to the national team and that too in front of his home crowd.
The ever-reliable full-back said the capital of Orissa has always been a ‘special’ venue for India because of the support they enjoy from the hockey fans of the state.
“There will always be a little bit of pressure at a big event like HWLF where we are playing the top seven teams of the world,” said Lakra, who last played for India during the Australian tour in December 2016.
“But I am excited and eagerly waiting to play in front of my home crowd. I am expecting many of my friends and family to come and watch our matches. The support we enjoy in Bhubaneswar always makes this a special venue for the Indian team,” Lakra added.
Besides Lakra, two other players – Dipsan Tirkey and and Amit Rohidas – will also get a chance to play before their home crowd in the HWLF.
“This is the first time I will be playing in front of my home crowd in the Indian jersey,” stated the 19-year-old Dipsan. “Naturally I want to give it my best shot.”
Excitement apart, playing top teams like Australia, Germany and England in the group stage will test the nerves of youngsters like Dipsan, who has just 12 international caps under his belt.
“Our chief coach Sjoerd Marijne is having one-on-one talks with us on mental preparation for this tournament. We are aware of our individual duties. Our focus is to execute the team’s strategies without letting pressure of expectation affect us,” informed Dipsan.
In the backline, Dipsan and Amit will play alongside the experienced Lakra who has always been a constant support for the duo.
“It is not just Biru (Birendra) but seniors like (SV) Sunil, Manpreet (Singh), Rupinder (Pal Singh) have all been extremely encouraging to us in every session. As a team, we have worked very hard for this tournament,” informed Amit. India will open their campaign December 1 against defending champions Australia.
Press trust of India
