Richard Mantell was glad to be back and playing competitve international Hockey on his return to the Major Dhayan Chand national Stadium in Delhi at the Commonwealth Games.
The England star defender horrifically broke his leg back in March at the World Cup and was forced to return home for emergency treatment but after a swift recovery he is enjoying playing on the global stage again.
He said: “It’s nice to be back out here. It’s a fantastic stadium to play in and obviously seven months after being injured it’s nice to be back so quickly, its good fun.”
Mantell, whose brother Simon scored two goals to set England on their way to victory against Trinidad and Tobago before Ashley Jackson and Alastair Brogdon rounded off a 4-0 win, was pleased with the overall performance.
He said: “It’s good to start with a win. We kind of feel we have a few more gears to go into as we go through the tournament. We would have liked to have scored a few more corners and popped a few more goals in opening play. But all in all a reasonable start.”
Both male and female members of the England team have found the hot conditions in the Indian capital hard to deal with and Mantell admits it does affect the team’s performance, he added: “It’s hot out there - we knew it would be and it’s definitely a factor.
“It’s a lot hotter than we play in back home, a lot hotter than some of the international tournaments. We’ve been out here for quite a while now so we’re getting more and more used to it. Our first couple of games when we got out here were hard work they’re getting a bit easier now but there is no doubt the heat will have an affect on the way the game is played.”
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