'India gunning for CWG gold but focusing on the details along the way,' says men's hockey skipper Manpreet Singh

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Manpreet Singh returns as captain of the Indian team for the event, with the position briefly being taken up by Amit Rohidas during India's Pro League matches this year.

 

India captain Manpreet Singh in action (Hockey India)

 

 

India are gunning for gold at the Commonwealth Games but it is not a target they are keeping in their minds in the run up to the event, according to captain Manpreet Singh. The 30-year-old returns as captain of the Indian team for the event, with the position briefly being taken up by Amit Rohidas during India's Pro League matches this year.

The men's team's best finishes have been silver medals in 2010 and 2014 and Australia are the only team to have won gold on all six occasions that the sport has been played at the Commonwealth Games. Manpreet said that the team is ultimately going for gold but are now following a mental exercise to compartmentalise what they need to do to get there.

"We are going for gold. But we know that to do that, we have to achieve the small things first. We reach the final stage only if we take the first step correctly," Manpreet told HindustanTimes.com.

"Our coach Graham Reid speaks about 'zoom out and zoom in'. Zoom out means, looking at what we want to achieve, like the CWG medal, reaching the final. Now to achieve that, we have to first take care of the details. Which is giving everything you have in every match regardless of whether it be your first or second in the tournament," said Manpreet.