Bhubaneswar: After Wednesday’s high-intense practice match against Australia, the Indian team hit the pitch for another practice session today at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. On Thursday’s practice session, the players took many fitness drills along with implementing different strategies and variations on team combinations. As the other teams are practicing hard for the tournament, the Indian players are also spending more time on fitness sessions.

Speaking on the sidelines of the practice session, India’s High Performanace Director Roelant Oltmans said, “Only thing on our mind is to prepare ourselves as much as possible before the tournament because we don't know what other teams are doing. The Hero Men's Champions Trophy is a very important tournament, where the top teams in the world are playing. We are planning our strategies according to the teams and we, as hosts, are confident to face them.”

Speaking on the upcoming tournament, Vice-Captain PR Sreejesh said, “We are very confident after clinching a gold in Incheon Asian Games and are well prepared for the Hero Men’s Champions Trophy. Pool B games are very important for us and confident of doing well in league matches. This is the last biggest hockey tournament in this year and our team is desperate to advance to the next stage.”

The Hero Men’s Champions Trophy 2014 will be aired live on Ten Sports.