India eye strong show at Sultan of Johor Cup ahead of Junior World Cup

Johor Bahru (Malaysia), Oct 10 (PTI) With an eye on the upcoming Junior World Cup, the P R Sreejesh-coached Indian hockey team will hope to better the bronze-winning show of the previous edition when it takes the field in the Sultan of Johor Cup, starting with a clash against England here on Saturday.

Sreejesh feels the Sultan of Johor Cup will provide the colts the "perfect stage" to test their skills against the best ahead of the global event to be held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28, featuring 24 teams.

"The Sultan of Johor Cup has always been a special tournament for us -- it's where many of our current senior players first made their mark," said the legendary India goalkeeper.

"It provides young players with the perfect stage to test themselves against the best in the world and understand what it takes to perform consistently at the international level," he added.

"This (Sultan Johor) tournament will also serve as a great platform to prepare for the Junior World Cup later this year. Facing strong teams in this tournament will give the players valuable experience and a real feel of top-level competition," he further stated.

Elaborating on the team's strategy, the two-time Olympic bronze-winner said creativity, discipline and aggression would be the focus areas of the side as it prepares for the Junior World Cup.

"Our preparation has been focused on building a well-balanced team - one that can combine structure with creativity, and discipline with aggression. The boys have trained with great intensity over the past few weeks, and there is a strong sense of purpose in the group.

"We respect every opponent, but our focus is on playing our brand of hockey - fast, fearless, and intelligent. The team knows the legacy India holds in this tournament, and the players are determined to uphold that tradition and aim for nothing less than the top," said Sreejesh.

India is the second-most successful team in the Sultan of Johor Cup, having won three titles (2013, 2014, and 2022). Only Great Britain, with four titles, have dine better than them.

Following their encounter against Great Britain, India will play New Zealand (October 12), Pakistan (October 14), Australia (October 15), and hosts Malaysia (October 17). The top two teams at the end of the round-robin stage will battle for the title on October 18.

Defender Rohit is leading India in the tournament. Renowned former drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh recently conducted a 10-day drag flick camp with the team in Bengaluru. PTI AM PM AM PM PM