New Delhi – Former hockey legends Harbinder Singh and Zafar Iqbal have expressed their excitement to witness the Indian hockey team take on Germany at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. The event, set for October 23 and 24, is expected to draw many prominent figures, including former hockey stars.
India will face the Paris Olympic silver medalists, Germany, in a much-anticipated showdown. At the Paris Olympics, Germany narrowly missed the gold, losing to the Netherlands in the final. They had previously defeated India 3-2 in the semi-finals, while India went on to secure a bronze medal by defeating Spain in the third-place match.
In a statement released by Hockey India on Saturday, Padma Shri awardee Harbinder Singh shared his memories of playing for the national team in Delhi in 1972. He said, "I remember the packed Shivaji Stadium, filled with fans cheering for us. I believe many fans will come to show their support for both the Indian and German teams, as this will be a high-level international match after a decade."
Zafar Iqbal, captain of the gold-winning 1980 Moscow Olympic team and a silver medalist at the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi, reminisced about the passion hockey once ignited among Indian fans. "In our time, we had a massive fan following. Tournaments like the Nehru Gold Cup, the Asian Games, and other international matches were always well-attended with lots of excitement. Germany is a strong team, and we defeated them in Tokyo to win the bronze medal, but they bested us in the recent Paris semi-final. I'm confident that Indian spectators will motivate us to claim victory."
The upcoming matches promise to be thrilling, as the two teams rekindle their fierce rivalry on Indian soil.
