Our instantaneous priority is to win Asiad gold and qualify for Olympics, says mid-fielder Sumit

Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist hockey midfielder Sumit on Saturday talked about profitable gold at this 12 months’s Hangzhou Asian Games stays their excessive priority as it will possibly hand them a direct ticket to 2024 Paris Olympics.

“We want to win a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023, which will ensure our direct qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics,” talked about Sumit, who carried out a key place in India profitable a historic bronze medal in Tokyo.

The midfielder feels the upcoming matches of the FIH Pro League in Europe will perform a super platform for them to rearrange for needed tournaments lined up, along with the Asian Champions Trophy, to be held in Chennai from August 3 to 12.

Sumit is a member of the 39-core attainable, who’re presently sweating it out on the nationwide camp in Bengaluru ahead of the Europe tour, the place they will deal with Belgium, Great Britain, Netherlands, and Argentina inside the remaining season of the Pro League.

“We are confident of giving our best performance in the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League games in Europe as they will be crucial for our preparations for important tournaments like Hero Asian Champions Trophy and the upcoming Asian Games,” the Sonipat-born participant talked about in a Hockey India launch.

“FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League 2022/23 in Europe will help us fine-tune our team structure and strengthen bonds among players. It will also help us reckon the aspects of our game which need to be improved.” Sumit, nonetheless, was out of movement for some time after the Olympics as he was not famous of India’s squad for the World Cup, collectively held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela earlier this 12 months.

But he didn’t lose hope and put up an outstanding current inside the Rourkela leg of the Pro League as India defeated the mighty Australians and world champions Germany twice.

“I played as a defensive midfielder in all the games in Rourkela, which helped me in doing better because it provided me with a clarity of thought that was missing earlier as I used to play at multiple positions,” Sumit talked about.

“Moreover, as I was returning to the team after quite some time, I was eager to put my best foot forward and make the most of this opportunity.”