Junior Hockey pressure on hosts to deliver

New Delhi: With just three days to go for the Junior Hockey World Cup here, a lot of talk centres around how the hosts will handle the pressure of the big stage, coupled with performing in front of their home crowd.

India coach Baljeet Singh Saini, who has been involved with junior hockey for almost a decade, says a competent player knows how to leave everything behind as soon as he “steps on to the ground“.

“Pressure is what we create in the mind,“ said Saini, as India prepared for the opening game against Holland. “The players are excited and anxious, and it is good to have positive energy. I don't think that can be labelled pressure.

“Once you take the field, a player forgets what goes on in the stands or anywhere else. It is the singleminded focus and that is what we have tried to teach this bunch.“

India have fielded a strong squad of 18, with five of them having the experience of playing at the senior level on a regular basis.

Placed in Pool 'C', India take on Holland on Friday (December 6), followed by Canada (December 7) on Saturday. Their final group match will be against Korea on December 10, before the tournament heads into the knockout phase.

At a time when most countries aim to develop future talent through junior level events, Hockey India high performance director Roelant Oltmans said “this is what India were targeting too“.

The Dutchman said it would be interesting to “see the hosts' performance“ ahead of the senior World Cup in the Hague, Netherlands, next year.