"My target is to score in every match here at the 2012 Olympics. I am hoping to land on target with my penalty corner shots at crucial moments," said Sandeep ahead of India's tournament opener against the Netherlands on July 30.
Sandeep's drag-flicking prowess is one of the key components of India's game plan and he is hopeful of living up to the promise.
"I never think that I'm the best flicker, but I practice to learn new things every day," said Sandeep, who said he wants to improve his overall field play.
"I don't just want to be a drag-flicker. I want to be become a complete hockey player. If you are just a drag-flicker, you may some time be out of the team because you're not performing well," added the strapping defender from Haryana.
Incidentally, Sandeep is among the two players in the current Indian team to have previous experience of playing in the Olympics. Sandeep and Ignace Tirkey, the most seasoned player in the current squad, were part of the squad that participated in the 2004 Olympic Games at Athens.
Indian hockey's downslide after Athens saw them finish 11th in the 2006 World Cup and then for the first time in the history of the game the eight-time Olympic champions failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games.
The inability to qualify for the Beijing Olympics was a big setback to the country's national game, and Sandeep said Indian hockey would have suffered a serious blow had the team not qualified for the London Games. MORE
