Hockey: Indian coach Fulton proud of victory against Pakistan, Sreejesh said this about retirement

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Indian Hockey Team: India head coach Craig Fulton Asian Champions Trophy Appreciated the performance of his team in the hockey match and hoped that his players would continue the same rhythm in the semi-finals against Japan. India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 in their last round league match on Wednesday to knock them out of the tournament. India are yet to lose any match, top the league table with four wins and one draw and will now take on Japan in the semi-finals on Friday.

Team India will maintain rhythm in semi-finals as well: Fulton

Indian coach Fulton said in the press conference after the match, ‘We showed a very well organized game. We did miss some chances in the fourth quarter but overall we did well. He said, ‘We showed good consistency in each quarter which we also showed during the match against Japan (in the 1-1 draw on August 4).’ Japan has reached the semi-finals ahead of Pakistan due to better goal difference, although both teams have five points each. Japan’s goal difference was minus two and Pakistan’s was minus five. In fact, the third-placed Korea also scored five points but their goal difference was minus one.

Fulton said of the semi-final against Japan, ‘We broke inside the circle a lot more times in each quarter than Japan. So now it will be a matter of maintaining continuity.

India outshines Pakistan, seizing a spectacular 4-0 victory and marching confidently into the semifinals!

India 4-0 Pakistan #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HACT2023 #IndvsPak@CMO_Odisha @CMOTamilnadu @asia_hockey @FIH_Hockey @IndiaSports @Media_SAI @sports_odisha pic.twitter.com/XApEYnWV4v

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 9, 2023

Umpiring standards need to improve: Pakistan coach

Pakistan coach Mohammad Saqlain later complained that India were unfairly awarded the first penalty corner, which the hosts took a 1–0 lead through captain Harmanpreet’s drag-flick. Saqlain said, ‘We missed a goal through India’s first penalty corner but it was hit with the hand. The second umpire informed that it was not a penalty corner but the second umpire did not hear it. He said, ‘We lost the referral in the process. This kind of mistake can’t happen at this level, especially when we are playing against the top teams in the world. So there is a need to improve the standard of umpiring, which has been inconsistent throughout the tournament.

When asked about the decision of umpiring in the match, Fulton said, ‘Video referrals are for that reason only. The Pakistan goal that was disallowed was hit on the body. But there are some goals which the umpire cannot refuse.

Will see how things go after Asian Games: Sreejesh

Veteran India hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh is taking one tournament at a time and will see how things pan out after the Asian Games in China in September-October as far as his future is concerned. Are. Legendary goalkeeper Sreejesh (35), who made his debut for India in 2006, is now nearing 300 international appearances. He is currently doing the goalkeeping for India in the ongoing Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) along with Krishna Bahadur Pathak.

Walking into the real action…. Next is semi #AsianChampionsTrophy2023 #semifinals pic.twitter.com/Bj05hv0L5X

— sreejesh pr (@16Sreejesh) August 10, 2023

When asked about the possibility of playing another phase of ACT, Sreejesh told PTI, “At this age it would be better if you don’t ask me about the next two years.” Now it will always be a matter of next year. I will play in the Asian Games and only then will we see how things progress. I am thinking of only one tournament at a time. ACT is a biennial tournament but the venue and date for the next phase has not been announced yet.

After India thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 on Wednesday, Sreejesh said, ‘As Novak Djokovic said, ’35 years is the new 25 years’. That’s why I am definitely in it.

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