Indian men's hockey team resume training post Tokyo Olympic glory

The Indian men's hockey team resumed their training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Center in Bengaluru on Monday (October 4). The team was on a break after the Tokyo Olympics, which ended on August 8 this year.

The Indian men's hockey team players went through a COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) and, as per the quarantine rules, are staying in separate rooms. With the revised SOPs of SAI allowing outdoor training during the quarantine period, the Indian men's hockey team has been assigned a different time slot. This ensures they do not come in contact with other campers of the SAI Center.

The Indian team hit the turf for the first time after their podium finish in Tokyo and looked all charged and pepped for their upcoming international engagements.

Read: Junior Hockey World Cup: England pulls out of marquee event, cites India's COVID-19 quarantine rules

Upcoming tournaments for the Indian men's hockey team include the Asian Champions Trophy in December this year, the Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held in Birmingham in July 2022, and the Asian Games scheduled to be held in China in September 2022. This will be followed by the World Cup, which India shall host in January 2023, before the Paris Olympics 2024.

Indian men's hockey team lauds facilities in SAI

The Indian Men's Hockey Team secured a historic medal at this year's Tokyo Olympics

Indian men's hockey team skipper Manpreet Singh thanked the SAI administration for working overtime to provide access to all facilities during a prolonged training camp prior to the Tokyo Olympics. The captain said:

“I want to thank the entire staff of SAI and the Regional Director on behalf of the entire team for the whole hearted support extended to the team even in difficult times."

The Indian men's hockey team head coach Graham Reid said the team was returning to training after a well-deserved break and the camp will help the players reorient their priorities. Reid said:

“The boys are all excited to resume training and we are looking at our future engagements."

The Indian men's hockey team was felicitated on their return to the SAI campus in a grand manner on Monday. A felicitation function was organized in the honor of the team, with junior players according to them a traditional welcome.

The Indian men's hockey team was also felicitated by the former Regional Heads of SAI Bengaluru including 1972 Olympic medalist M P Ganesh and ASV Prasad.

The enthusiastic junior players asked several questions about the Tokyo Olympics, the sport, and other aspects of the game for which the members of the Indian men's hockey team gave patient answers.