Harmanpreet Singh: Focus is on our first match against New Zealand at Tokyo Olympics

The 24-year-old defender has been the mainstay of the Indian defence for the last few years.

The Indian Men's Hockey team is currently training at the SAI centre in Bangalore, and defender Harmanpreet Singh said the team is focussing on improving on certain areas.

Harmanpreet Singh recently won the Hockey India Pargat Singh Award for Defender of the Year 2019 at the 3rd edition of the Hockey India Annual Awards held in New Delhi. He was also instrumental in the FIH Series Final as well as the FIH Olympic Qualifiers 2019.

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"We started this camp with a focus on certain areas that needed improvement, especially converting our attack from the 25-yard line to successful circle penetrations," said the Defender.

"Tackling is also another area that needs improvement. We have a good support system around us here at the Sports Authority of India campus and our focus is currently on the first match we will play on 25th July at the Tokyo Olympics against New Zealand."

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Harmanpreet Singh added that the side undergoes two sessions, namely red and green. The team focusses on high-intensity practice in one session and the other session is focussed on skill improvement.

He said, "We have red sessions and green sessions. The red sessions are mostly high in intensity and we play matches among ourselves. The sessions are usually at noon, which is planned to get used to the hot and humid conditions that await us in Tokyo. We focus on our skill improvement during the green sessions."

The Indian player also pointed out that they are taking the necessary measures to continue practising in a safe environment amid Coronavirus outbreak.

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He said, "We have all been asked to take certain basic precautions like washing our hands regularly and our temperature is checked regularly. We have been asked to avoid going out of the campus."

"We usually would step out on weekends for coffee or dinner but from this weekend onwards, we won't be going out anywhere. Also, no outsider is allowed inside the Sports Authority of India campus and SAI staffers are also checked if they have fever or cold, before they enter the gate," signed off Harmanpreet Singh.