Indian hockey team after wining Asian Games gold.
Credit: X/@dileeptirkey
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey termed the Asian Games gold-medal winning effort by the Harmanpreet Singh-led side as a 'team effort', and added that while one mission has been accomplished, preparations will start immediately for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
India defeated defending champions Japan 5-1 to win the men's hockey gold medal at Hangzhou and qualify for next year's Paris Olympics.
"The most important thing is that we have qualified directly for the Olympics. Now, we will not have to go through the qualifiers and we will be able to focus on our preparation," Tirkey, a former defender and member of the gold-winning team at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, told PTI Bhasha from Hangzhou.
India could not qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games after losing the Olympic qualifiers in Santiago, Chile for the first time in 80 years.
Tirkey said, "Every player, coach and support staff knew that we had to win only gold (today). Everyone was clear about that. The entire team performed brilliantly. Be it experienced players like Sreejesh, Amit Rohidas and Manpreet (Singh) or a new player like Abhishek. This victory is the result of team effort."
"Japan is the champion team from the previous Asian Games. Beating them 5-1 is a big achievement. Hockey India will give Rs five lakh to each player and Rs 2.5 lakh to the support staff."
He also said the team will not rest on its Asian Games laurels and preparations for the Paris Olympics will start from tomorrow itself.
"One mission has been accomplished and now another will begin. Now we have to start making strategies to prepare for the Paris Olympics from tomorrow itself. We will try our best to change the colour of the bronze we won in 2020 Tokyo."
He praised the fitness of the side, saying, 'This is a very fit team and, apart from penalty corners, we have also been successful in scoring field goals. The greatest quality is that the team is playing as a unit and this is the secret of our victory.
"Apart from the players and coaches, credit also goes to Hockey India and the Odisha government for wholeheartedly supporting Indian hockey."