Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], September 6 : Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey believes India's men's hockey team has performed in patches at the ongoing Asia Cup, with some fixtures showcasing their remarkable talent, while in others, they have failed to meet the standards associated with them.
After an imposing 4-1 victory over Malaysia, India's chances of qualification for the final solely on Sunday rest in their hands. Their recent victory over Malaysia eased the pressure that had mounted after a 2-2 draw against South Korea.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh and his troops will face China, which caused them a fair share of trouble during their previous group stage encounter, which ended in a 4-3 win for India. While citing the mixed bag of results, Tirkey highlighted the team's inconsistency, but remains hopeful that India will reach the final.
"The Indian team has performed well in some league matches. They have not been able to perform to the standards of the Indian team. In the play-off, we saw that Korea had a 2-2 draw. We hope India plays the finals tomorrow," he told ANI.
Before entering the fixture, India sits at the summit of the Super Four table with China and Malaysia level on points, closely followed in the second and third spots, respectively. A victory or a draw against China would guarantee India's place in the final.
If they end up enduring a defeat, the hosts will stay in the race, but their fate will depend on the outcome of the fixture between Malaysia and South Korea. If Malaysia lose, India qualifies; however, if they win, India's journey will end.
As the tournament heads towards its business end, Tirkey was impressed to see the number of spectators who turned up to fill the stands and cheer for the hosts. He even highlighted the support the Bihar government has offered throughout the marquee event.
"The arrangements in Rajgiri are very good. The most interesting thing is that the hockey fans are coming to watch the match. They are coming to the stadium, and many people are going back because the stadium is getting crowded. But the response has been very positive. The Bihar government is giving a lot of support," Tirkey added.