India hockey team has good momentum: Deepak Thakur

He was also part of the junior Indian team which won the junior World Cup in Hobart, Australia, in 2001, and scored a total of 73 goals in his career.

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The Hoshiarpur-based player, who made his India debut for the senior team in 1999 when he played in South Africa tour under coach V Bhaskaran, was also part of the Indian team which won the silver medal in 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“I think the current Indian hockey team has a good momentum as they go into the Olympics. They have performed really well in the Champions Trophy held recently. We have a good chance of winning a medal this time or at least finishing in top four. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. I think the change in the format will give an opportunity to the teams to enter directly in the semi-finals,” he said.

Thakur now also plays in Europe and the USA and runs a hockey academy at Dhuri, Punjab, for aspiring hockey players. Earlier, Thakur spent time in Mauritus where he helped in establishing hockey at college and school level.

“I have collaborated with USA Phoenix Hockey Club and signed a three-year contract with them to teach local players and students alike the nuances of hockey. Working in Mauritius was an honour and a big leaning experience for me as I was given the responsibility of setting up hockey project and teach the youngsters the nuances of hockey. We have tied up with a school at Dhuri and will be training the students of the school along with the local children of surrounding villages like Sangrur and Nabha. We will also put an astro turf for kids to train,” said Thakur.