'We all are really eager to return to training' - Indian men's hockey team player Abhishek opens up after Commonwealth Games 2022

Indian men's hockey team's forward Abhishek has opened up for the first time after the Birmingham event finals. The forward opined that the team will unite once again and prepare for the next World Cup. Indian men's hockey team faced a humiliating 0-7 defeat against Australia in the 2022 Commonwealth Games finals.

The Indian vice-captain Harmanpreet Singh earlier said that the team must move forward from the defeat. The 22-year-old has now reiterated the words of his senior. "We all are really eager to return to training and prepare ourselves for the upcoming competitions," Abhishek said in a Hockey India release.

He added that the team must look forward and improve and that the team must aim to win the World Cup next year. "It was quite a memorable experience for me to perform on such a big stage. I learned a lot about my game during the tournament and understood areas where I can improve upon," the Haryana-based star told.

Abhishek played fourteen games for India before he made his way into the Commonwealth Games squad. He took no time to thank Graham Reid for the successful outing at the Birmingham event. He added that the advice from the Coach helped him play his natural game and that it helped him to get the best out of himself.

"This advice really helped me at Commonwealth Games 2022 as I was able to focus on my natural game and was able to play freely," Abhishek said.

He revealed that the coach informed him to not take too much pressure. Abhishek, who will turn 23 on August 15, said the team backed him throughout the Commonwealth Games 2022.

"My teammates and coaches told me I performed well considering it was my first major tournament of such scale. There are still a few areas where I have to improve upon, and the Commonwealth Games 2022 experience has motivated me to work even harder to fulfill those shortcomings," Abhishek concluded.