Chandigarh, Dec 19 : Soorma Hockey Club commenced its training camp here at the Sector 42 Sports Complex, gearing up for the much-anticipated return of the Hockey India League, scheduled to unfold from December 28 to February 1, 2025.

The camp serves as a vital phase for building strategies, team cohesion, and synchronising playing styles. Speaking about the progress of the camp, Sardar Singh, the team's coach and mentor, emphasised its value in building camaraderie and understanding among the players.

"This camp is crucial for getting the players familiar with each other, especially as some have not played together before. Our goal is to ensure coordination on the field and create a strong, united team dynamic," he said.

The preseason camp now features both Indian and international players. The Indian contingent that joined on December 14, includes national team captain and double Olympic bronze medallist Harmanpreet Singh and the likes of Vivek Sagar Prasad, Gurjant Singh, Maninder Singh, Sunit Lakra, and Mohit HS.

Harmanpreet Singh expressed his excitement about the upcoming league and the team's enhanced preparations. 'We are all very excited to represent Soorma Hockey Club; it's especially meaningful for us to have the camp in Chandigarh, a region that we represent as Soorma Hockey Club. With the foreign players joining us, the energy has gotten even better, and we hope to channel that into our performances," he remarked.

The international stars who joined the camp on Wednesday bring a wealth of experience and diverse playing styles. These include Australian drag-flicker Jeremy Hayward, Belgium's Nicolas Poncelet, and Victor Wegnez.

The rest of the international contingent, including South African star Dayaan Cassiem, Belgium's Olympic gold medal-winning goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch, Dutch strikers Boris Burkhardt, and Argentine midfielder Nicolas Della Torre, are set to join in the days to follow.

Soorma Hockey Club will begin their inaugural campaign on December 29, against Tamil Nadu Dragons in Rourkela.

/IANS