Paris Olympics, IND vs NZ Men’s Hockey: India Eye Winning Start Against New Zealand

Paris: The Indian men’s hockey team is poised to kick off its Olympic campaign with a confident demeanour, as they prepare to face New Zealand in their opening match at the historic Yves-du-Manoir Stadium tonight. Backed by rigorous training and acclimatisation, the Harmanpreet Singh-led squad is focused on upgrading their Tokyo bronze medal to gold.

The team’s journey to Paris has been meticulously planned, including a series of high-profile matches in the FIH Pro League and intensive training camps in Bengaluru and Europe.

The inclusion of mental conditioning expert Paddy Upton and adventurer Mike Horn, both instrumental in India’s 2011 Cricket World Cup victory, adds an extra layer of expertise to the support staff led by coach Gary Kirsten.

As the team fine-tunes its strategies behind closed doors on the eve of the crucial match, the aim is clear: a strong start against New Zealand to build momentum for the challenges ahead. India will face Argentina, Ireland, Belgium, and Australia in the Pool B stage.

In a strategic move to optimise preparation, the Indian team had opted out of the opening ceremony to concentrate solely on the inaugural match.