Exclusive/ 'It felt really..': Magnificent Midfielder Nilakanta Sharma On His Standout Performance in ACT

Indian hockey has been enjoying a purple patch lately. Following a historic podium finish at the Paris Olympics , the men-in-blue annihilated the competition in Asia and won the Asian Champions Trophy quite dominantly. The victories are not a result of overnight improvement in the standard of play, rather it took an incessant determination from the authorities and decision-makers to scout a squad that years for win and does not stop at anything. The current lot is filled with star names and among the eminent individuals, one player who has over the years emerged as a key member of the unit is Nilakanta Sharma.

Republic World recently caught up with Team India's Midfielder and posed some relevant queries in front of him. Nilakanta addressed all the questions and gave an optimal response to all of then. Without further ado, here are the excerpts from the one-to-one.

Also Read | Exclusive/ Indian hockey goalkeeper Suraj Karkera reflects on consecutive Asian Champions Trophy wins

Q. How does it feel to have won the Asian Champions Trophy for the second consecutive time?

It felt really good because winning back-to-back medals makes you feel proud.

Q. Can you take us through the final match against China? What was going through your minds?

There wasn't much pressure on us. We knew it wasn't going to be an easy match. Playing in the final was a big deal for the Chinese team since they hadn’t made it to the Asian finals in many years. Another thing was that it was their home ground, so they had a lot of support. But beating China on their home ground was a great achievement for us!

Q. How does this victory set you up for the upcoming major tournaments?

Every tournament is really important for us, but we made some small mistakes. We'll focus on those and work on them in the next tournament.

Q. Nilakanta, as a midfielder, Can you share your perspectives on how your roles contributed to the team's success in this tournament?

It was a great experience for me in the Asian Champions Trophy . I played really well, and our team did well overall. I was awarded Player of the Match in the game against Pakistan , where I performed strongly as a midfielder.

Q. How does the team plan to build on this momentum and prepare for future challenges?

We had a mixed squad in the Asian Champions Trophy , with some experienced players and some juniors. The junior players did well in the tournament. We need to keep working hard, both physically and mentally. It's important to follow our strategy and structure, and we should focus more on our off-the-ball play. This will help us in the future.

Q. What message would you like to share with your fans and supporters back home?

I would say that self-discipline comes first. Enjoy every moment, keep working hard with honesty, and make sure to learn from your mistakes every day. Stay disciplined all the time and keep your mind focused on the present.

Q. Can you tell us about a particularly memorable moment or a turning point in the tournament for you?

Yes, back-to-back victories are a great memory for me, and also when I got the Player of the Match against Pakistan .

Q. What's a typical day like for you in terms of diet and nutrition? How do you fuel your bodies for optimal performance on the field?

As I mentioned, self-discipline is important. Focus on yourself, eat well, sleep well, and stay focused on the present. During this journey, Steadfast Nutrition has given me great support. They took care of my nutritional needs. During practice, I used Snergy from Steadfast Nutrition for quick energy, and it helped. I also take their whey protein, which fulfills my protein needs.