5 months ago
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Switzerland’s tract hockey is not arsenic competitory oregon celebrated arsenic its crystal hockey teams oregon its tennis players.
Slowly and steadily, the nationalist assemblage for tract hockey is making quiescent efforts to guarantee the inferior and elder teams execute good successful International competitions.
The effect is showing. The inferior men’s squad qualified for the FIH World Cup successful Chennai and Madurai, aft winning the Euro u-21hockey II-B successful Lausanne, by remaining unbeaten.
In Group-B with Oman, Chile and two-time champion India, Switzerland oozes assurance going inito the prestigious competition.
Speaking connected the sidelines of the relation hosted by Swiss India Chamber of Commerce (SICC) for the players here, the team’s caput manager Jair Levie said, “We deliberation we tin triumph the archetypal 2 matches against Oman and Chile. India is simply a apical team. And past let’s spot what the different results successful different groups are, due to the fact that we beryllium of people connected the results of the different group. But we decidedly person the assurance that we tin triumph the archetypal 2 matches.”
Levie said the signifier matches successful Chennai gave the squad an thought of its strengths and weaknesses.
“We drew with South Korea 1-1 and mislaid to Bangladesh 2-5. The decision really gave america a batch of caller insights. We spot each different present and we cognize wherever our strengths are,” said the coach.
Jens Flueck, the skipper of the team, too, appeared confident. He is of the presumption that arsenic overmuch arsenic punishment country conversion is important, PC defence volition play a large role. “Not conceding a extremity from punishment corners tin nonstop a large awesome to the full group. And I deliberation that’s the astir important thing. It shifts momentum successful the full game. We person a batch of bully ideas for our punishment corners. We person bully resistance flickers. And I deliberation they’re going to beryllium dangerous,” said Flueck.
According to manager Lavie, qualifying for the World Cup was immense and being a Dutch himself, tract hockey is not fashionable successful Switzerland but added it volition beryllium a immense situation to beforehand tract hockey.
“And present I moved with my household to Switzerland. It’s truly bully to enactment for specified a tiny hockey household successful Switzerland. There’s not galore hockey players arsenic it’s much astir crystal hockey. It’s a immense situation to amended tract hockey successful Switzerland. But I truly similar that. And qualifying present for the World Cup for the archetypal clip successful past with Switzerland past twelvemonth (July 2024). We person been promoted to the A Division. We are present among the 8 strongest countries successful Europe. This procreation gives the full Swiss hockey household a batch of caller assurance for the future,” helium said.
Swiss hockey president Rob Mudde wished the squad the champion and asked the boys to bask themselves connected the field. “It’s truly astonishing what you person achieved already, simply by being here. And I truly bash anticipation that you arsenic a team, unneurotic with your large staff, and the manager who is starring the unit here, volition get the champion what’s imaginable for you. And the astir important thing, conscionable bask being here,” helium said.
Satish Rao, president of SICC, spoke astir the historical ties betwixt Swiss and India portion wishing the visiting team. “The ties betwixt India and Switzerland are mode excessively deep, mode excessively old, mode excessively historic. These 2 countries person been genuine friends for galore years. For me, it’s not conscionable a sports event, it is astir radical to radical ties, astir friendship, astir however concern tin beryllium collaborated betwixt the 2 countries, astir culture,” helium said.
With specified a beardown bonding and emotion betwixt the 2 countries, the Swiss squad volition person galore Indian fans cheering for it erstwhile it takes connected Oman astatine the SDAT-Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.
