Germany sees Hero World League Final as the stepping stone for the World Cup

India has world class players with Sardar Singh being the key – Markus Weise

7 January 2014, New Delhi:  Germany had a tough and hectic practice session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium ahead of the upcoming Hero Hockey World League 2014.  The team will be playing against New Zealand on 10^th January 2014.

 Speaking on the tournament Coach, Markus Weise, Germany said “this tournament is the stepping stone to the World Cup. It will be tough for us as we are coming from a situation where the team trained indoor hence now playing outdoor will be tough for us. The Indian team is very strong and we hold high regards for them and especially for Sardar Singh. We are concentrating on basics rather than strategy. The team will give their best shot in the tournament.”

Speaking post the practice session, Captain of Germany Oliver Korn said “we are here to improve our game and is like a run up to the World Cup. Teams competing here are the best teams of the world and hence pinpointing on one as the strongest contender is difficult. We see the Australians, Dutch and Indian as strong rivals and one to look out for during the tournament. The Indians will be playing in front of their home crowd hence they have to live upto the expectations. Sardar Singh and Manpreet Singh are the good players in the Indian team. We will take the experience of this tournament to the World Cup and which will prove vital for us.

 Germany

Current FIH World Ranking: 1

How they qualified: 1st place – Hockey World League Semi Final, Johor Bahru (MAS)

About the team: 2013 has been yet another great year for Germany. Building on an incredible 2012 which saw the side become Olympic champions for the second time in succession, the team coached by Markus Weise powered to glory at the Tri-Finance EuroHockey Nations continental championships before taking a first place finish at the Hockey World League Semi Final in Johor Bahru. They will be hoping for even more success in 2014, and you wouldn’t bet against them achieving it. A first place finish in the Hockey World League Final would being the perfect preparation for their World Cup title challenge.

One to watch: Tobias Hauke. An extraordinary holding midfielder who rarely puts a foot wrong. At the age of just 26, Hauke is a double Olympic medallist and has set his sights firmly on glory both in the Hockey World League and at next year’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup.