New Delhi: Hockey defender Rupinder Pal Singh says having a specialist drag-flick coach in his idol Jugraj Singh will benefit him and young colleague Harmanpreet Singh, as India prepare for the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia. Rupinder, along with Harmanpreet will be India’s drag-flick exponents in Malaysia.
Chief coach Roelant Oltmans had already emphasised on the importance of improving penalty corner conversations and Rupinder is confident they will live up to the billing in Ipoh. “We spend one hour every day specifically on drag-flicks. Jugraj has been my idol and he was also the one to introduce me to the drag-flick when I began my career. So working with him has been great,” Rupinder said.
“He has been able to help us with finer details which we would otherwise miss. Having a specific coach for drag-flicking along with Oltmans has been beneficial,” he added. In the absence of senior players like V.R. Raghunath and Birendra Lakra, Rupinder will spearhead India’s backline along with Harmanpreet, Gurinder Singh, Pardeep Mor and Surender Kumar in Ipoh. “Yes I do have an added responsibility of guiding these youngsters but I believe they are ready to take on responsibilities.”
