Men’s hockey team undergoes adventurous mental conditioning camp in Switzerland ahead of Paris Olympics

Indian national hockey striker Abhishek is confident that their mental conditioning camp at adventurer Mike Horn’s base in Switzerland has prepared them perfectly for the stressful situations of the Paris Olympics. The Men in Blue completed a three-day activity and will now play practice matches in the Netherlands ahead of the quadrennial event that begins later this month.

Expectations will be high for the team after India’s bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics. India will begin their Olympic campaign in Paris against New Zealand in their first match in Pool B. “After months of focusing on the physical aspect of the game, this camp is exactly what we needed,” Abhishek said in a press release from Hockey India.

“The team has spent time connecting on and off the field, improving our bond and learning to better handle stressful situations,” he said.

Abhishek, who has made 74 appearances for India since making his international debut in 2022, is all set for his first appearance at the Olympics. “Since I was 14, it has been my dream to play for India at the Olympics,” Abhishek asserted that he is someone who does not buckle under pressure.

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“The pressure in big tournaments doesn’t stop me or change my approach. I just try to perform on the field,” he said. For Abhishek, playing for India at the Olympics will be an achievement far beyond what his family had imagined.

“When I started doing well in hockey, we expected at most a government job. It’s exciting for them to see me reach this level. My brother in particular has always been my biggest supporter,” he said.