Indian men's hockey team defender Surender Kumar said that a strong defence line will be important for increasing chances of winning matches consistently.

In the Hockey India release, Surendra said, "Now that we have raised our game to a high level, we are eager and ready to perform for our country in big tournaments this year. I think a strong defence line will be the key to our chances of winning matches consistently. If we ensure that our opponents don't get goals easily, it will help our forwards put pressure on them and create more chances for us."

Surendra also said that the players have improved tremendously since returning to the national coaching camp in January. Surender added that everyone is feeling very upbeat about their respective games. He also said that the Indian team has been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to train at the Sports Authority of India campus during a very difficult time for the entire world. The defender said,""It's been a tough phase for all of us and therefore we are very thankful to Hockey India and SAI for ensuring that we have a safe environment wherein we have been able to continue our training for the Olympic."

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