India’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh said that his team is focused on topping its pool and make the quarterfinals of the men’s World Cup starting here on November 28.
With less than two weeks to go for the prestigious World Cup which will witness 16 top teams battle for supremacy at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, India are busy making final preparations for their campaign.
“There is no doubt we want to win every match in the Pool Stage, earn the three points from each match, and top the Pool to make the Quarter Final. That is our first hurdle,” said Manpreet.
Grouped in Pool C, India will face South Africa on November 28, before taking on Belgium on December 2 followed by their last group match against Canada on December 8.
While the Indian team has not faced South Africa in a major tournament in over two years, Manpreet said that a win in their first match will set them on the right course.
While India have defeated Belgium recently at FIH Champions Trophy in Breda and last year’s Hockey World League Final, Canada have posed India some serious threat in their past campaigns at major International Tournaments.
