India will play for win against Thailand in Asian Cup: Gurpreet

Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu Saturday said that his side will play for a win against Thailand in their opening match of the Asian Cup football here on Sunday. Speaking at the pe-match press conference, Gurpreet said, "It will be a challenge for us tomorrow against Thailand, but the boys are ready to face them and we will play for a win." "We have worked really hard in the last four years to be here and we will try to put on the best show possible.

The boys have been doing the hard work on and off the pitch, we will make sure that the work does not go in vain," he added. India have been drawn in Group A along with hosts UAE, Thailand and Bahrain, after qualifying for only the fourth time in their history. India last qualified for the continental showpiece in 2011. The country finished runners-up in 1964. "As a team, we have proved that we can win and we are a difficult team to play against. We are concentrating on the challenge ahead and will take one match at a time," Gurpreet said.

"The main thing is to stay positive and be consistent." The goalkeeper was also part of India's squad in the 2011 edition in Doha but did not play a single match. "The experience of playing in 2011 has been huge for me and I have learnt a lot from it. But it was a different team in 2011 when players were at their peak. This team is young and could play for years to come. The desire in this team is ever-growing and they are hungry to prove themselves," he said.

(With inputs from agencies.)