Times of India: Zika is not a concern for us

By Biswajyoti Brahma

NEW DELHI: Despite various sportspersons having expressed concerns over the threat posed by Zika virus at the Rio Games, the Indian hockey team is focusing on the job at hand and is not even thinking about the virus, rising star Manpreet Singh said on Thursday.

The midfielder – a key player in the team bidding for a podium finish in the Olympics – is part of the Indian squad which is playing a six-nation tournament in Spain.”I don’t think it’s a concern for us. We are being updated about it by the medical staff of the team. We are not worried, rather we are fully focused on our game and looking to do well in the Olympics,” Manpreet told TOI.

The 24-year-old said the team will be going to Rio high on confidence after finishing second in the Champions Trophy in London just a fortnight back. “The performance in the Champions Trophy was important. We did well against the top teams. Though we lost in the final, holding the Aussies goalless in regulation time was hugely motivating,” he said.
“It’s too early to predict about Olympics, but looking ahead I can say that we can beat any team in the world now. We will do well in the Games. The Champions Trophy was also a great learning experience for us.”

Manpreet’s confidence emanates from the fact that India have won quite a few medals in the last two years, including a gold in 2014 Asian Games, silver in 2014 Commonwealth Games and a bronze in the Hockey World League Final last year. “I think we have done relatively well in the last two years. We have managed to bag a few medals in international competitions. We hope to replicate that success in Rio.”

Talking about the ongoing tournament, which India started with a 4-0 loss to Germany, Manpreet said it was sort of a dress-rehearsal before the Rio Games. “This tournament has teams like Germany, Argentina and Ireland who are in our group in the Olympics. This event has given me a chance to assess our rivals and work on our strategies for the Olympics.”