Well-prepared Belgium ready for hockey Champions Trophy

Belgian hockey mid-fielder Thomas Briels Wednesday said that they are banking on good preparations to have a successful Champions Trophy starting Saturday at the Kalinga Stadium here.

"We are working on those areas where we are lacking. Over time, having practiced rigorously, we have successfully started implementing our strategies on the field. Riding high in confidence, the team is continuously working hard to put up their best performance in every game," said the 27-year-old, who has played in 213 international matches.

The European team take on Pakistan (Dec 6) before facing reigning champions Australia (Dec 7) and England (Dec 9) in Pool A.

Briels' teammate and centre-half John-john Dohmen said that they have adjusted to the blue turf here.

"With just three days since our arrival in Bhubaneswar, we have been to the pitch three times already making all our training sessions a good learning experience for us. We can feel the newness in the pitch and the team is very happy with the turf. Winning every match will be very difficult but will try to win most of the matches and keep our spirits alive. All of us will try to give our best shot in the tournament."