CWG 2022: India aim to end Aussie jinx

Men's hockey team eyes medal after having returned empty-handed last timeBENGALURU: The script for the Indian men's hockey at the Commonwealth Games hasn't panned out the way they would have wished for. Since the introduction of the sport at the quadrennial event in 1998, Australia have won gold on all six occasions. India came close twice - in 2010 and 2014 - before being outplayed by the team from Down Under. This edition of the event beginning in Birmingham on Friday was not on the priority list until the Asian Games were postponed by a year. With a full squad and an eye on bettering their performance in the competition, Manpreet Singh and Co landed in Birmingham earlier this week. Having lost to England 1-2 in the bronze medal playoff and returned empty-handed in 2018, India are keen to make amends.

India's history at the Commonwealth Games

On the lessons learnt from the Gold Coast debacle four years ago, skipper Manpreet said, "In the last CWG, things didn't go our way. We underestimated a few teams like Wales in the group stage. In this edition we want to win a medal. We won't underestimate any team. In every match we will focus on our game plan and give our best." India, ranked fifth in the world, are in Pool B alongside Ghana, England, Canada and Wales. Manpreet, who will feature in his landmark 300th match in India colours when the team takes on Ghana in its tournament opener on Sunday, stressed that the team had dealt with the weight of expectations as CWG will be the team's first major outing after the bronze-winning performance at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Chief coach Graham Reid broke down the pressure factor and explained, "I don't think anybody's expectations from us are more than what we have from