After a tumultuous few weeks, the Indian hockey team begins its Europe tour with a clash against France on Monday. Later the team will play two matches in France before travelling to Spain for three games.
India had recently beaten France in the World League Semifinals in Belgium where it eventually finished fourth.
High Performance Manager Roelant Oltmans has doubled up as the chief coach of the team after the sudden sacking of Dutchman Paul van Ass, who had just completed five months of his three-year contract.
Oltmans said that the team is not taking the hosts lightly.
“Though we have beaten France in our previous encounters, we are not taking them lightly. They are preparing for the EuroHockey Championships, which is a very important tournament for them and they will utilise all the opportunities perfectly before the start of the tournament.
“The Indian boys are well prepared and we have strategies to counter them. The tour will help us to understand our strategies better and the strength of the players,” said Oltmans.
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