Victorious U-21 hockey players return home to rousing welcome

The Indian Under-21 hockey team returned home to a rousing welcome here after clinching the Sultan of Johor Cup with the upbeat players terming the victory as a stepping stone for bigger challenges ahead.

The players were received at the IGI airport by their family, friends, officials and hockey lovers late last night. They defeated Great Britain 2-1 in the final on October 19 at Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Captain Harjeet Singh was named 'Most Promising Player of the Tournament' while drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh bagged the 'Top Scorer of the Tournament' and 'Player of the Tournament' awards.

Speaking about the triumph, Harmanpreet said, "This tournament has helped the whole team in understanding each other even better and has given us the motivation as well as self confidence to take up even bigger challenges in the future.

"Apart from the individual efforts, the team focussed on playing as one, which helped us in stopping the attacks coming in from the opponents," said the youngster.

Asked about his performance, he said, "I did not think that I would be winning the 'Player of the Tournament' and the 'Top Scorer of the Tournament' title at the start of the tournament but finishing the tournament with such appreciation has really boosted my confidence and morale.

"Coach Harendra Singh and entire support staff has worked really hard on each one of us to build a team like this and their efforts have helped us emerge victorious in the tournament."