We are the best in Asia; we had to prove it and live up to it; we deserved to win this — these were the recurring motifs from the narrative the Indian junior men’s hockey team set about for itself throughout the Junior Asia Cup, even before the title-clinching win against Pakistan.
It wasn’t arrogance but belief in the work the team — the players and the staff — had put in in the 18 months prior to the outing in Oman since finishing a disappointing 4th at the 2021 Junior World Cup at home. Six from that December outing in Bhubaneswar were on the field in Oman, including captain Uttam Singh — a lanky soft-spoken forward from Uttar Pradesh with refreshing candidness — and with an entirely revamped coaching staff led by veteran C.R. Kumar, the difference was as much mental as physical.
