Sandeep aims to score in every game
India’s star drag-flicker Sandeep Singh has set a personal target of scoring in every game at the London Olympics and hopes to make up for the disappointment of missing out on the Beijing Games.
“My target is to score in every match here at the 2012 Olympics. I am hoping to land on target with my penalty corner shots at crucial moments,” said Sandeep ahead of India’s tournament opener against the Netherlands on July 30.
Sandeep’s drag-flicking prowess is one of the key components of India’s game plan and he is hopeful of living up to the promise.
“I never think that I’m the best flicker, but I practice to learn new things every day,” said Sandeep, who said he wants to improve his overall field play.
“I don’t just want to be a drag-flicker. I want to become a complete hockey player. If you are just a drag-flicker, you may some time be out of the team because you’re not performing well,” added the strapping defender from Haryana.
Indian hockey’s downslide after Athens saw it finish 11th in the 2006 World Cup and then for the first time in the history of the game the eight-time Olympic champion failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games.
The inability to qualify for the Beijing Olympics was a big setback to the country’s national game, and Sandeep said Indian hockey would have suffered a serious blow had the team not qualified for the London Games.