Indian hockey team captain PR Sreejesh said he foresees a few ups and downs in the team’s campaign in the upcoming hockey season opener – the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which is scheduled to begin on 29 April.
The tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia, is the first major event in this year's international calendar for the team, which will take on Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Japan and hosts Malaysia.
India lost the final to Australia at the previous edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. At the 2016 FIH Champions Trophy in London too, it was Australia who denied India the coveted gold medal in the final.
The Pakistani team has not been invited to participate in the tournament but their presence or absence does not matter to the Indian squad, said Sreejesh.
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