Aim to win gold at Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, says Manpreet Singh

In this year's edition, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Japan will vie for top honours along with India. "Teams like Great Britain and Australia will play with a young squad. We are awaiting the final team selection but I feel this is a great tournament for the youngsters. The atmosphere is good with lots of spectators and top teams play, so there is tough competition. Since this is the first tournament we play this year, we will be able to see where we stand and what are the changes that need to be made moving forward," said Manpreet, who was recently appointed as Deputy Superintendent of Police by Punjab Government.

In the last edition of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, India won the silver medal after losing to Australia in the final. But this time, the team is determined to return with the gold. "Last time we lost in the final but this time definitely the aim is to win the title. We have had good sessions in the national camp and with youngsters in the mix, there are options to try out different combinations. Our results will be based on how well we execute the plans we work on here in the camp,” he added. 

Moving forward, with the intention of infusing fresh blood into the senior men's team, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup can be a big learning for youngsters. "Players like Mandeep Singh, Harjeet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh have played in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup where they got great exposure. They were also able to understand the demands of international hockey. Likewise, I feel some of the other youngsters too can learn a lot from this tournament if they are selected and if they perform well then it's great for the team as we can have a fresh approach and outlook in the upcoming tournaments like World League semi-final and the Asia Cup," Manpreet added.