India ready to take on Sri Lanka in Asiad hockey opener

The Indian men's hockey team aim to start their Asian Games campaign on a winning note when they take on Sri Lanka in their first pool match at the Soenhak Hockey Stadium here Sunday.

In the Asiad, the neighbours last faced each other in 1978 Bangkok. Exposure to back-to-back major tournaments gives India the edge with the amount of experience they have in their side. But the Sardar Singh-led team is not taking any team lightly.

With vice-captain and goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh having his faith on forward S.V. Sunil being their trump card for keeping the pressure on the opponents defence, Sunil on the other hand feels that Sreejesh will ensure that he keeps the opponents forwards at bay while the forwards are fighting it out at the other end.

Youngster Manpreet Singh is looking at giving his support to Sardar in the midfield while the skipper will want to continue his seamless support to both the defence as well as the forwards.

"We are fully prepared for the tournament and really excited to take on the challenges of the new format. Our plan is to attack and put the pressure on Sri Lanka from the outset. This will help us understand their weaknesses and make us take advantage and score," said Sardar.

Chief coach Terry Walsh said that the team's aim will be to find out the flaws in the opponent's defence.

"The first game of any tournament comes with expectations and a desire to begin the competition well. Our team has been preparing solidly in Incheon with the pitch, the facilities of the village and the weather conditions now very familiar," said Walsh.

"No doubt Sri Lanka will be fighting from the outset and our task will be to expose their defensive structure with a combination of patience and quality attacking play. Our defenders must ensure their first task of defending is implemented to the best advantage of our team. Building a quality start to this tournament will be important for us."