New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) The India A men’s hockey team is all set to commence their tour of Europe, with the opening game against Ireland at the Hockey Club Oranje-Rood, Eindhoven, Netherlands on Tuesday. The tour of Europe, organised by Hockey India will feature a total of eight matches against some of the top European sides and is aimed at providing valuable international exposure to a mix of emerging and experienced players.

The squad, which is a healthy mix of youth and experience, is led by Sanjay, who believes the tour of Europe is a fantastic idea for the team. Speaking ahead of the opening game, the captain said, “The tour of Europe is a great opportunity for all of us. There will be some very tough games on this tour and we are looking forward to testing ourselves against these teams. There is youth and experience in our squad, and that will be very useful for the team in these games.”

The India A team will play two matches each against Ireland, France and the Netherlands, along with one match each against England and Belgium. These high-intensity games are expected to test the depth and readiness of India’s talent pool as the national setup looks to build a strong pipeline for the senior team.

Sanjay added, “The India A men’s team is aware of the challenges and how tough the opposition will be. It is also quite different since we are playing away from home. But the team has prepared well, and our senior players have also been helping the younger ones settle in and understand the demands of the game at this level.”

While the India A men’s hockey team’s first game will be against Ireland, the team is looking at the overall picture and hopes to benefit significantly from the tour. Captain Sanjay noted that this is the stepping stone to the Indian men’s hockey team for the squad.

He said, “The India A men’s hockey team’s tour of Europe is one of the avenues to break into the senior squad. All of us are keen to up our game, and match up to the European standards of hockey first, and then leave an impression on the matches as well, so that the senior coaches and selectors take note.”

“While the results are of utmost importance, the India A Men’s Hockey Team will be focused on playing good hockey across the matches in the next two weeks. Our goal will be to try and get our combinations right and execute our plans perfectly. We have been working hard as a group in training for this, and now we have to make our plans work. In terms of preparation, we have put in the hard work, and hope that is visible when we take the field,” he signed off.

The first match between India A and Ireland will take place on July 8.

–IANS

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