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Updated July 20th, 2021 at 19:27 IST

Tokyo Olympics: India's skippers Manpreet Singh, Rani Rampal pen heartfelt letter to fans

The Indian hockey teams have always carried the burden of expectations at every Olympics and it will be no different as they head to Tokyo for the Summer Games

Reported by: Prithvi Virmani
Manpreet Singh
Image Credits: Hockey India - Facebook | Image:self
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The Indian hockey teams have always carried the burden of expectations at every Olympics and it will be no different as they head to Tokyo for the highly-anticipated Summer Games. The men’s team will be hoping to end a 41-year-old medal drought while the women’s team, high on the record of qualifying for successive Olympics for the first time, would love to script history by becoming the first Indian hockey women's team to win a medal.

In a heartfelt letter, the two captains Manpreet Singh and Rani Rampal informed that they had arrived safely in Tokyo for the Games and that it was an emotional moment for all those involved due to all the obstacles they faced amid strict COVID norms in place.

The duo expressed gratitude to the teams' support staff which helped them prepare and said that the teams’ performances on the pitch were owed to those dedicated members who worked hard behind the scenes.

They also thanked the Sports Ministry, Sports Authority of India, Hockey India, Indian Olympic Association, and especially Odisha State Government without whose support they felt that they probably would not have been on the flight to Tokyo.

The two Indian skippers then spoke about how all the players had gotten closer to each other in the biosecure bubble and that it helped them in possessing a better understanding of each other, both on and off the field. They also stated that they had grown as hockey players and individuals in life because of dealing with challenging situations that otherwise they probably would not have had to face. They then added that it was truly a proud and special moment to be able to represent the country at the Olympics.

Succesful tour of Europe for the men's team

The Indian Men’s Team have braved the odds of lockdown, being restricted to a bubble all of 2020 but have been unwavering in their quest to achieve success at the Tokyo Olympic Games. They have remained in SAI, Bengaluru for over five months in 2020 where they trained in a bio-bubble environment before getting a break to return home. With a focus on keeping up their fitness levels, the team was rearing to go when they travelled to Europe for their first competition in over a year. 

Indian Men’s Hockey Team ended their Tour of Europe with a splendid 3-2 win against Great Britain on 08 March 2021. In the four-match tour, India secured a 6-1 win and 1-1 draw against Germany in Krefeld. They followed this up with a 1-1 draw and a 3-2 win against Great Britain in Antwerp, Belgium. The Indian team remained unbeaten in the 4-match Europe tour clinching a victory each against Germany and Great Britain.

Room for improvement for the women's team

After being out of action for almost one year after their tour of New Zealand in 2020, the Indian Women’s Hockey Team travelled to Argentina in January 2021 for their first tour post the start of the COVID pandemic. The Indian Women’s Team registered scores of 2-2 & 1-1 against Argentina (Junior Women), 1-2 & 2-3 against Argentina (Women B) and 2-3, 0-2 and 1-1 against Argentina Senior Women’s team. Following their tour of Argentina, the Indian Women’s Team travelled to Germany for their second tour of the year. They registered scores of 0-5, 0-1, 0-2 & 1-2 in their four encounters against Germany in February-March 2021.

(Image Credits: Hockey India - Facebook)

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Published July 20th, 2021 at 19:27 IST

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