Defender Amit Rohidas feels that the upcoming FIH Hockey Pro League season  to be played in Bhubaneshwar next month will be a "new challenge and a new opportunity for us"

"We will be playing our opening matches at home, so we would like to take advantage of it and make a solid start to the new season, which will eventually help us prepare for the  Hockey World Cup 2023. India is slated to play their  Pro League 2022/23 games against New Zealand and Spain between 28 October and 6 November

Amit Rohidas, who also led the team in the previous edition of the Pro League, has over the years put up some remarkable performances which have helped him become one of the key figures in the team's defence. 

However,  the 29-year-old player believes that there is still a lot more for him to improve ahead of a busy season. Talking to  Hockey India he said, "Last year it was Olympics Bronze and this year a Silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, so it's been a wonderful journey so far. I've been very fortunate to represent my country and win medals on the biggest stages. I think there is still a long way to go and there is a lot to learn and improve ahead of a busy season."

About the Final of the CWG, he said, "We did pretty well overall in the tournament, but I think we could have done better in the Final. We made some errors and missed out on executing our plans, but there's no point to dwell in the past. 

"We are focusing on the learnings we took from that match and our overall campaign."

"After coming back to camp (In Bengaluru), we introspected our performances at the CWG Games and started the training with a fresh approach. From defending to finishing along with our fitness, we are currently focusing on every aspect of the game," he said. 

The pool draw for the  World Cup is set to take place on 8th September in Bhubaneswar. Expressing his excitement, He said "We are really excited about the World Cup pool draw. It also means that the marquee event isn't really far, we have a few months left to prepare."

"We will have to prepare well and give our best irrespective of whoever we face in the World Cup. The focus will be on ourselves. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to play the prestigious event at home in front of our fans for the second consecutive time, and we want to be fully prepared for that," he added 

HSB