Ranchi: Olympian Sylvanus Dungdung today praised the Indian hockey team for reclaiming the Asian Games gold medal after 16 years before saying that players must improve further to have any chance of success in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“I am happy that the team got the gold after the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. But better finishing skills could have helped India finish the match in regulation time,” Dungdung, a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal winning team, said.
“Our lads got a couple of chances, which should have been ended in goals and prevented the shootout. They have to practice more as this performance will not be enough in the Olympics,” Dungdung said on India's 4-2 win over Pakistan in penalty shootout after the rivals were locked at 1-1 in the final yesterday.
India last won their Asian Games hockey gold at 1998 Bangkok under Dhanraj Pillay's captaincy.
