TheSportsCampus

High on confidence after their Azlan Shah victory, the Indian hockey team will be satisfied with nothing less a gold in the Asia Cup starting May 9 in Kuantan, Malaysia, coach Harendra Singh said Sunday.

India are the defending champions, having won the title in 2007 at home. But since then they have gone through a long form slump and only picked up the pace this year with a couple of good performances.

The Indian team, on a comeback trail, finished runners-up in the four-nation Punjab Gold Cup and followed it up with the Azlan Shah victory last month after 13 year s.

Harendra said that winning the gold in the Asia Cup will complete the first phase of their revival plans for Indian hockey.

"We have successfully worked out on a plan to revive Indian hockey. Asia Cup victory is crucial to that plan," Harendra told reporters before the team left for Malaysia.

"We are the defending champions and we will be satisfied with nothing less than the gold. The team has worked very hard in past couple of months and the boys are upbeat about their performance," Harendra said.

"Everything has gone according to the plan of reaching among the top six nations by the end of this year. Asia Cup gold will complete the first phase of our revival plan."

India have been clubbed alongside Pakistan, China and Bangladesh in Pool B.

Pool A consists of Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

"The competition will be tough. We have to be consistent throughout the tournament. We will take one match at a time." Harendra said.

The Asia Cup will be a bigger test for the team as the field in the Azlan Shah Cup was not so strong with most of the top nations staying away.

The habit of conceding late goals haunted India in the Azlan Shah Cup and it was one of the areas the team has worked on during their training in Bhopal.

"We focussed on our weaknesses during the practice and we are confident that we will be (able to) eradicate them in Asia Cup."

"If we win the Asia Cup we will get a push in the world ranking and that is our motivation. There will be a long break after the Asia Cup, so we want to give our best and return with the trophy," Harendra added.

Harendra said forward Gurvinder Singh Chandi will not travel with the team as he had injured himself in practice.

Sarwanjeet Singh or Bharat Chikara is expected to take his place.

Indian's newly-appointed chief coach Spaniard Jose Brasa is expected to join the team during the tournament.

India won the championship in Chennai in 2007, beating South Korea in the final.

File photograph copyright: Gagan