NEW DELHI: Indian men's hockey team midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad says he was devastated after missing the final of the Commonwealth Games against Australia due to a minor knee injury.
India had to settle for a silver medal after going down 0-7 to Australia in the final of the quadrennial event.
"I was devastated to miss the Commonwealth Games final against Australia," Vivek said in a Hockey India (HI) release.
"Making the final of such a prestigious tournament is a big deal for any player. Having played a good campaign to reach the final and then being ruled out of the summit clash due to injury was devastating for me.
"I really wanted to be there for my team on that particular day. However, this happens in sports. So, the only thing we can do now is to move on."
This was Vivek's second CWG campaign. In 2018, at the Gold Coast edition, he was the youngest player in the squad, which returned home without a medal.
"The CWG in 2018 was my first experience of a multi-discipline sporting event. I was quite young and really excited. But it was a disappointing outing for us as a team. This time, we were adamant of a good show but again, things did not go as planned in the final," he said.
Having rested over the past few weeks, Vivek is all set to join his compatriots at the National Camp which commences in SAI, Bengaluru on Monday.
"It was just a minor injury. Having rested well over the past weeks, I am eager to join my teammates in camp and begin our preparations for the Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in January," he said.
"I am sure the team's support staff will assess my recovery once I join the camp basis which they will plan my workload."
