Pro League important for CWG preparation
The Birmingham CWG games are fast approaching and the Indian contingency is in preparation mode. Every India squad is eyeing the top spot finish in this multi-nation event. In their quest for the gold medal, India's men's & women's hockey teams have flown out to Belgium to compete in the FIH Pro Hockey league which will give them enough game time ahead of the mega event.
"With little less than two months for the CWG, we will utilize this time to ensure we are best prepared for the prestigious event. The Pro League matches will give us insights into the areas that require improvement ahead of the CWG," said Indian men's team chief coach Reid in a Hockey India statement. He further went on to add that they will conduct the national camp for CWG at the end of June which will further work towards the improvement in their game plans. Reid also said that there is a healthy competition between all the players for the spot in the final team and this puts Indian hockey and their preparations in a great place.
Supporting Reid's statement, India women's hockey team head coach Schopman said "The next few weeks are going to be challenging and exciting as we play regular matches in June and July leading up to the CWG. Back-to-back Pro League matches will give us the understanding of how the players' bodies are reacting to recovery and being ready for a game within 24 hours". Schopman narrowly missed a podium place in the 2018 CWG in Jakarta and under his guidance, the Indian women are eying a medal in Birmingham.
The Indian teams will play their first match on June 11 and June 12 respectively.
(Inputs from PTI)
