Jarmanpreet Singh: National team coach told me to express myself freely on pitch

The defender also mentioned that he feels lucky to be able to play with an 'excellent bunch' of senior players.

The Indian Men's Hockey Team defender Jarmanpreet Singh has been thoroughly examining the footage of his previous matches and has noted down some key factors that he needs to work on, once the team gets back to full-fledged training on the pitch. The 24-year-old expressed that he will come back on the hockey field with greater resolve than ever before.

"I have been in the international circuit for around two years and I have been very fortunate to be playing alongside players like Harmanpreet Singh and Birendra Lakra. I have watched all the footage of my previous games very closely during the lockdown period and I have a fair idea on all the techniques I need to work on. I have been able to utilize this period like a pause button on my career and had time to think about how much harder I need to practice to make significant contributions to the team's victories. I will surely be more determined to become a much better player once we can go back to full-fledged training," said the defender.

While speaking about the other activities carried out by the Indian team at the Sports Authority of India campus in Bengaluru, Jarmanpreet Singh said that he has enjoyed undertaking the Hockey India Level 'Basic' Coaching Course online this week.

"Apart from training, we have also been able to focus on the theoretical aspect of the game through the Hockey India Level 'Basic' Coaching Course online. It's been great to know about the history of hockey and get a better understanding of the rules of the game as well. If we know all the minute details of the game thoroughly then we can certainly make much better decisions on the pitch during a high-octane match," said the 24-year-old.

The defender expressed that he has been given a free hand by the Indian Men's Hockey Team Chief Coach Graham Reid and the senior players to express himself on the field.

"Being one of the youngsters in the side, I have been told by our Chief Coach and senior players to express myself freely. I am very lucky to be playing with an excellent bunch of senior players who soak in most of the pressure so that the youngsters can play freely. I am looking forward to adding more energy into my game and getting into excellent positions to drive the ball away when our opponents try to penetrate into our half in the upcoming matches," said Jarmanpreet Singh.