Confident India leaves for Asian Champions Trophy
18 Dec 2012 2:05 AM GMT
Determined to defend the title, a confident Indian hockey team under Sardar Singh today left for Doha to participate in the second edition of the Asian Champions Trophy to be held from December 20-27.
The 18-member squad left for Doha by a Qatar Airways flight this morning, a day after the Hockey India League players’ auction, where Sardar and his deputy V R Raghunath became the highest-paid players from India.
 India have retained the same team that finished fourth in the prestigious Champions Trophy in Melbourne recently.
Sardar, who was one of the five nominated players for the FIH Player of the Year Award this year, is upbeat about the team’s chances in the tournament.
‘We have just one goal, we are going there to defend our title and we are confident of doing that,’ Sardar said before leaving for Doha.
‘We have very good team which is full of youngsters. We have shown is Melbourne what this team is capable of,’ he said.
The 2012 edition of the Asian Champions Trophy will also feature China, Japan, Malaysia, Oman and Pakistan.
India will open its campaign against China on December 20 followed by matches against Japan, Oman, Pakistan and Malaysia.
The 18-member squad left for Doha by a Qatar Airways flight this morning, a day after the Hockey India League players’ auction, where Sardar and his deputy V R Raghunath became the highest-paid players from India.
 India have retained the same team that finished fourth in the prestigious Champions Trophy in Melbourne recently.
Sardar, who was one of the five nominated players for the FIH Player of the Year Award this year, is upbeat about the team’s chances in the tournament.
‘We have just one goal, we are going there to defend our title and we are confident of doing that,’ Sardar said before leaving for Doha.
‘We have very good team which is full of youngsters. We have shown is Melbourne what this team is capable of,’ he said.
The 2012 edition of the Asian Champions Trophy will also feature China, Japan, Malaysia, Oman and Pakistan.
India will open its campaign against China on December 20 followed by matches against Japan, Oman, Pakistan and Malaysia.
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