Players focussed on attaining peak fitness: Manpreet Singh

NEW DELHI: Senior men's hockey probables at the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) Bengaluru centre are currently focussed on getting as close as possible to peak fitness and are not concerned with changes being effected in the coaching staff, says India captain Manpreet Singh.

"Our focus is on our fitness levels. It is something that we have not really worked on for a long time. The Olympic Games are coming up next year and just before that there are quite a few matches, possibly in the Asian Champions Trophy and the Pro League," Manpreet told IANS.

"We have to be ready for all that and we have this year to prepare for it. We are also having dicussions on tactics, trying to improve in areas we were lagging behind as individuals," he said.

The 28-year-old, who has been at the centre since early August, was one of six players who started training later than the rest as they tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival at the SAI southern centre. Manpreet feels holding the national camp now, rather than later in the year, gives players a chance to get close to their peak fitness by the time a tournament comes around.

"We all know that this was the right time to hold the camp. If this had happened in December then we would have regained full fitness only by around February or March," he said.

"For players like me who tested positive there is no doubt that we would have easily lost two months in trying to prepare. So, it is good that Hockey India and SAI held the camp now because we can regain fitness and by the time the tournaments start, we can even get back to our peak." (IANS)

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