India need to capitalize on penalty corners to end medal drought in World Cup: Dilip Tirkey
Rourkela. Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey on Sunday said that India can win a medal in the World Cup this time after a gap of 48 years, but for this the hosts will have to take advantage of penalty corners. India have not won a medal in the World Cup since the 1975 tournament gold but Tirkey, one of the finest defenders of his time and former captain, says India under Graham Reid will be on the podium in the prestigious tournament at home. Can make room. Tirkey said in an interview to PTI, “We have fielded the Indian team this time to win medals. We want India to make it to the medal tally. They are playing very well at the moment.
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“But modern hockey has changed a lot. Penalty corners have become very important. When you take advantage of penalty corners, most of the time the team wins. We have very good dragflickers and I hope they do well in the tournament and win medals for India. Doing great for the country as a dragflicker. However, he was not at his best against Spain. So we expect India to do well in the penalty corners. Gave Australia a tough fight, they fought very well. “Tirkey said,” Belgium is also one of the best teams in the world. But India is in a position to give tough competition to any team in the world any day now.
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The three-time Olympian Tirkey also said that the Hockey India League (HIL) will be revived and the national federation is trying to revive it by the end of this year. “Reviving HIL is on the main agenda. We are trying to restart it by the end of this year. We are going to find an agency to organize the league on a long-term permanent basis and also the franchisee.” He also said that the World Cup to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela will set the benchmark for future major tournament host countries. Tirkey said, “When the Kalinga Stadium hosted the 2018 World Cup final, I thought it was the best stadium. But when I came here and saw it myself and after talking to the coaches and players, it (Birsa Munda Stadium) is just amazing. I think there is no better stadium than this in the world. “Obviously if a better stadium is built than this, it will be good for hockey. With the largest stadium in the world hosting the World Cup including the Kalinga Stadium, there is no doubt that this World Cup will set the benchmark for future tournaments.”
Tirkey, who was born in Saunmara village in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, said after the World Cup, the Birsa Munda Stadium could host the national team’s training camp and domestic championships apart from Pro League matches in March. “Pro league matches will be held here in March, domestic championships and preparation for the Asian Games and Olympics for the national teams. The Indian women’s team has qualified for the Pro League (after winning the FIH Nations Cup) and we can have experience tournaments here.
