‘They will change the colour of the medal’: Rani Rampal backs Indian men’s hockey team to shine in Paris

New Delhi (India), July 22: Indian hockey star and coach Rani Rampal cheered on the men’s team to change the colour of their bronze medal in Tokyo during the upcoming Paris Olympics.

India has been placed in Pool B and will begin their competition against New Zealand on July 27. Rani said that the team has prepared very well for the upcoming Summer Games and the entire country has high expectations from them to shine at the Olympics.

“Last time our men’s team won bronze and this time the country has high expectations from them to win another medal. They have prepared well for it. We have to support our team no matter what. We strongly believe that they will change the colour of the medal,” Rani told ANI.

In hockey, male players are the only team representing the country. The women’s team failed to break through the qualification zone after losing to Japan in the FIH Qualifiers earlier this year.

Rani is confident that the women’s team will learn from the setback and focus on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

“Unfortunately, the women’s hockey team could not qualify for the Olympic Games this time, which is a setback for us. In sports, we learn and move forward. We are preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games,” she added.

She wished the entire Indian contingent to make their mark at the Paris Olympics and showcase their true potential.

“I wish all the Indian players going to the Paris Olympics the very best of luck. It is your time to show your true potential,” Rani concluded.

India has been drawn into Group B, which consists of Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Ireland and reigning champions Belgium. To qualify for the next round, India must achieve a top four finish in the group stage.

Indian Men’s Hockey Team Selection for Paris Olympics:

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Sanjay

Midfielders: Rajkumar Pal, Shamsher Singh, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad

Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh.

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