Manpreet Singh eyes Paris Olympics qualification, stresses on importance of mental fitness 

Indian Men's Hockey Team Skipper Manpreet Singh and co are excited ahead of an action-paced 2022 season. With 19th Asian Games lined up in the second half of the year, the hockey team have set their sights on the 2024 Paris Olympics berth.

The Asian Games will serve as the Olympic qualification tournament for the Indian hockey team. The mega event is slated to take place in China from September 10 to 25, 2022.

"Asian Games will undoubtedly be the biggest event for us this year. The Asian Champions Trophy was a good tournament to see the progress other Asian teams have made and from what we got to see, surely the competition will be quite tough at the Asian Games as all teams will be vying to make the Olympics cut," said Skipper Manpreet Singh at a Hockey India release.

Manpreet Singh, along with the team, are gearing up for tournaments starting with the FIH Hockey Pro League in February.

"This year is going to be quite exciting with back-to-back tournaments all year long. We begin the season with FIH Hockey Pro League matches in February. After almost two years, we will be returning to our favourite venue in Bhubaneswar where we will be playing double-header matches against Spain, Germany, Argentina and England," said Manpreet Singh.

"Staying metally fit will be the challenge for 2022," says Manpreet Singh

The Indian men's hockey team has FIH Hockey Pro League, Commonwealth Games, Asia Cup and Asian Games lined up in 2022. Their prime focus needs to be physical and mental fitness.

Keeping in mind an action-packed year for the Indian hockey captain, Manpreet Singh stressed the importance of staying mentally fit throughout.

"It is very important for us to remain mentally fresh from the tournament-to-tournament. Having faced the challenges of training and playing in a bio-bubble, we have become tougher together and going forward I think the team and support staff will collectively pay more attention to mental health," said Manpreet.

Meanwhile, India won a bronze medal at the men's Asian Champions Trophy. After that, Manpreet led Indian hockey team to kickstart their national coaching camp in SAI, Bengaluru on January 3.

Manpreet stated that coaching camp will be important for the team to assess their performance.

"I feel we have returned to the camp feeling mentally fresh and ready for the challenge ahead. We will be assessing our performances in 2021 with the Chief Coach and support staff and we will also draw up a road map for 2022," said the midfielder.