Bengaluru: Ten days ago, when the Indian colts left for Lucknow for the Junior World Cup, beginning on December 8, coach Harendra Singh had a satisfactory smile in place. He was satisfied with the way his wards had put in their training at the Sports Authority of India, South Centre here ahead of the big event and was happy with their performance in the four-nation tournament at Valencia.
Now, just a few days to go before the start of the World Cup, Harendra’s focus and planning will come to the fore as they take on the Netherlands in their final warm-up game on Monday before hitting the straps in the tournament proper against Canada on December 8.
At Valencia, the colts had defeated world champions Germany twice and for Harendra, it was one of the best performances. “They are in the right direction,” he said when asked about the team’s preparation for the World Cup.
Harendra, known for imbibing a fearless game in his wards, said, “This team is fearless. They are physically and mentally prepared to take on any team at any point of time.”
This confidence is also a sign of the supreme belief that Harendra has in his team. With a rotation policy in place like in the senior squad, the colts have remained an injury-free squad while ensuring that the coach doesn’t have to rely on a particular player.
Two of the juniors, captain Harjeet Singh (Asia Cup) and Harmanpreet Singh (Rio Olympics) were part of the senior squad, and for Harendra, it meant that they would bring in valuable insights and help the team when the chips are down.
