Bengaluru, Oct 25 (IANS): Midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad has stated his ultimate goal is help the Indian men's hockey team win an Olympic medal next year in Tokyo.
"Olympics is the pinnacle of our sport and contributing to India winning an Olympic medal is my biggest dream," said Prasad
"We certainly have a great team who is confident of making history in Tokyo and I am really looking forward to competing against the best teams at the quadrennial event. If we play to our full potential, we will certainly come back with a Medal from Tokyo next year," he added.
The midfielder further said that he still has to improve on many aspects of his game and he has been closely speaking to captain Manpreet Singh about getting better everyday.
"This is just the beginning of my career and I have to improve on many aspects of my game. I am very grateful to have brilliant seniors who are always there to guide me. I am very lucky to be playing alongside my idol Manpreet Singh," said the 20-year-old.
"I have been talking to him and he always gives me the confidence to perform on the big stage. It's great to have a federation like Hockey India as well, who is always there to support us in every way possible. We wouldn't be the players we are without the undying support of Hockey India," he added.
Prasad has tasted success in his short career so far. He was part of the gold medal-winning team at the FIH Men's Hockey Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019 and also played a key part in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers in November last year.
While Prasad is ecstatic with his start in the international circuit, he expressed that he will be satisfied only when he can be consistent for the Indian team over a long period of time.
"It has definitely been a dream start for me and winning the FIH Rising Star of the Year award 2019 was also a huge boost for me. However, I will only be satisfied with my performance if I can be consistent for the Indian team over a long period of time. That is the biggest priority for me," said the midfielder.
"I am very happy about contributing to the team's victories in big tournaments such as the FIH Men's Hockey Series Finals Bhubaneswar Odisha 2019 and the FIH Olympic Qualifiers 2019, however, I want to contribute to the team's success in much bigger competitions as well," he added.