The Indian Men’s Hockey Team midfielder Sumit is working hard to earn a place in the squad for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela and said that he is giving his 100 per cent on the field.
“If I play well, no one will be able to stop me from getting into the Indian Men’s Hockey Team for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela,” Sumit said when he appeared on Hockey Te Charcha – a podcast series initiated by Hockey India. “I always think about giving my 100 per cent when I go to the ground. I always compete with myself and believe that I have to be better than what I was yesterday. My duty is to do the hard work and selection completely depends on the Coach and selectors,” said Sumit.
He added, “The plus point with my game is I can play in almost every position. I play as a midfielder, but sometimes I drop deep to play as a defender as well. I have no problem with playing in any position in the team.”
Speaking candidly, Sumit gave a good account of the preparations of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team for the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
“Our practice has been going on really well and we have just played four matches in the FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League 2022-23. We played good hockey in all four matches, so, our preparation has been on the right track,” commented Sumit.
He stated, “I remember the Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 when we lost in the quarter-finals and every time I go back to Bhubaneswar, it reminds me of that loss. The target of our team is to finish on the podium of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.”
Coming from a small village in Haryana, Sumit faced a lot of hardships in his childhood. However, it didn’t affect his resilience and dream to play for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team.
Sumit said, “From childhood, I aimed to play for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team. However, my family background wasn’t that good and then my Coach supported me in my village. My father used to be sick when I was a kid and my brother worked to support the family.”
