India needs to beat Canada to enter quarter final
Bhubaneswar: Indian hockey team chief coach Harendra Singh on Sunday said they have to win the match against Canada to enter the quarterfinal in the Men’s Hockey World Cup.
“My players have to play with the mindset to enter the quarterfinal. Forget about these two matches. The next match is going to decide whether you are going to play quarterfinal or crossover,” said Singh.
Both Belgium and India have won one match each in the pool C while both managed to draw the Sunday match.
India will play their next match against Canada on December 8. Belgium will play against South Africa on the same day.
Praising his players’ fitness and drive, he said they have to continue being aggressive in their next games.
He said his team drew their energy in the second half from a buoyant crowd at the Kalinga Stadium, which allowed them to overwhelm Belgium and earn a point.
Varun Kumar, who was awarded the Man of the Match award for his incisive passing and for earning the vital penalty stroke in the 3rd quarter, said it was the turning point of the game.