Now it is very difficult to score from penalty corner, drag-flickers are getting upset – Rupinder Pal Singh

Bhubaneswar. Former India drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh believes it is becoming increasingly difficult for international teams to score goals from penalty corners as the use of technology like video analysis in the game has made opposing teams’ defenses stronger. Rupinder, who was part of the bronze medal-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics, said penalty-corner defense has improved a lot in recent years and that is why drag-flickers are finding it difficult to score goals across the world.

Rupinder had said goodbye to the sport after the Olympics. “Defending penalty corners has become an art in recent years,” he told PTI in a phone interview from Punjab. Every team now has video analysis to study how opponents take their penalty corners. The teams analyze how the opposing team’s drag flickers flick. Seeing their approach and technique, they prepare themselves to defend it. Rupinder, who teamed up with current team captain Harmanpreet Singh in the drag flick during the Tokyo Olympics, said, “Same in the case of India. Is. We are also very good at defending penalty corners as we saw against England (in this World Cup). Our players, Amit Rohidas and Manpreet Singh, are very quick to break out and close angles.” India have earned 16 penalty corners in the ongoing World Cup and have been able to convert only three of them. At the end of the pool stages, the teams had earned a total of 130 penalty corners in 24 matches and were able to convert 43 of them. The 32-year-old former player said, “This is the World Cup, not an international tournament or a bilateral Test series. Every team will try to score more goals from penalty corners while the opposition will try to defend it. Rupinder said that apart from video analysis of opposition teams, better quality equipment, such as knee and mouth guards, gloves and The head guard has made the drag flick less dangerous than in the past. So they can defend better now. He said, “We cannot say that the impact of the drag-flicker has diminished in hockey. Yes the goal figures have gone down because the defense has better equipment to prevent injuries. Drag-flickers will also find new ways to score goals, it’s just a matter of timing. If the co-ordination between the injector (the one who hits the ball first at the penalty corner), the stopper and the drag-flicker is good, then the chances of scoring are more. But Rupinder advised the Indian players to exercise restraint. “It happens in high pressure matches. They should remain calm and positive. I think she has done nothing wrong and she should not harbor negative thoughts.” Harmanpreet was in fine form during the Tokyo Olympics, scoring six goals, including one during the bronze-medal match against Germany. Was. Rupinder also scored a goal in that match with his drag-flick.