The Indian men’s hockey team left for the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday.
The team, coached by Craig Fulton, will train at Mike Horn’s base in Switzerland for three days and work on mental health before moving to the Netherlands to play practice matches.
After completing this final block of training the team will arrive in Paris on July 20.
India, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist, will begin their Paris 2024 campaign in Pool B with a match against New Zealand on July 27, followed by a match against Argentina on July 29.
They will then face Ireland and Belgium on July 30 and August 1 respectively, with their final group stage game against Australia on August 2.
A top-four finish will ensure India’s place in the knockout stages.
“We just completed a grueling two-week camp in SAI Bengaluru and after a short detour in Switzerland with Mike Horn, who is reputed for his extreme adventures that conquer his fears, the team will play some practice matches against the Netherlands and Malaysia to ensure we are in the best state of mind and body before we begin our Olympic journey,” said India captain Harmanpreet Singh.
“The team is in high spirits and is looking forward to the final block of training,” he added.
India vice-captain Hardik Singh said, “The team has prepared well so far, we identified areas that needed improvement from the London and Antwerp stages of FIH Pro League 2023-24 and worked on it in the training camp in SAI Bengaluru.”
“The best teams in the world will take part in the Paris 2024 Olympics but this squad is ready to seize the opportunity and bring glory to India. We are confident in our abilities and excited about the journey ahead,” he added.