World Cup setback fuelled the gold run in Asian Games: Shilanand Lakra

KOLKATA: The disappointment of a poor World Cup campaign could have derailed India’s Olympic ambitions. Instead, the setback became the Indian men’s hockey team’s rallying point as they fought their way to a second successive Asian Games gold and a place at the Los Angeles Olympics.Reflecting on the turnaround, Shilanand Lakra said the squad made a conscious decision to put the World Cup debacle behind and focus entirely on securing an Olympic berth. At the quadrennial event held in the Netherlands and Belgium earlier in the year, India finished eighth with just two wins in six matches.“We knew we had to improve, especially in attack,” Lakra told TOI. “But instead of thinking too far ahead, we decided to take things one match at a time. The focus was always on our own performance.”Coach Craig Fulton’s message was equally simple after the World Cup.