Legendary Pakistani hockey player Hassan Sardar has expressed his belief that Team India has the potential to end their long wait for an Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games 2024. India’s impressive performance in the ongoing Summer Games, where they defeated Great Britain in a thrilling shootout to enter the semi-finals, has caught the attention of Sardar.
India’s last Olympic gold medal in hockey came at the 1980 Moscow Games, and they will be hoping to break their drought in Paris. Sardar, who played a key role in leading Pakistan to a gold medal at the 1984 LA Olympics, believes that the current Indian team has the talent and determination to achieve success.
“I always support India when Pakistan is not playing cricket or hockey,” Sardar said. “It’s a much better side and one of the best Indian teams I have seen. They have improved a lot and they are giving hard times to the Europeans. They (India) can win and they should win this Olympics.”
Sardar praised India’s performance against Australia in the group stage, highlighting their mental strength and ability to adapt to different situations. He also shared some valuable advice for the Harmanpreet-led side ahead of their semi-final clash against Germany.
“When we won the Asian gold against India, we only focused on taking the lead and doubling it,” Sardar said. “Both teams played well but we were lucky that we could score so many goals. Mental strength is the most important aspect in crucial matches. The Germans are a tough team.”
Sardar emphasized the importance of short passes, preventing counter-attacks, and scoring from penalty corners against Germany. He also advised the Indian team to stay calm and play as a unit, even when things are not going their way.
India will be without key defender Amit Rohidas for the semi-final against Germany after his one-match suspension was upheld by the FIH. However, Sardar believes that the team has the depth and quality to overcome this setback.
