Sultan of Johor Cup litmus test as colts have one eye on World Cup

Johor Bahru (Malaysia): With an eye on the upcoming Junior World Cup, the PR 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.”