When India take on Singapore tonight in the first game of the Olympic qualifiers, they will justifiably start as favourites. But they will also know that the bigger challenges lie ahead. India ranked 10th in the world are have a very good chance to go through to the main draw in London 2012 but can expect tough competition from 14th ranked Canada, 18th ranked France and 19th ranked Poland. Italy, ranked 28th, and Singapore, ranked 41st, will pretty much make up the numbers.
“The first two matches will be like training sessions for us. We plan to utilise them to prepare for tougher matches,” Chetri had said after training on Thursday. But having failed to qualify for Beijing 2008 – the first time India had failed to qualify for the Olympics in 80 years – the Indian team will know that there will be several speed breakers along the way.
Players battle for the ball during a field hockey game. Reuters
Players battle for the ball during a field hockey game. Reuters Former India skipper Viren Rasquinha believes that one of the things that India need to guard against is complacency. “There is a lot of talk about India being favourites but Michael Nobbs will be constantly reminding the team that the other teams are here because they also deserve to be here. There is no certainty in hockey, it’s a fast game and you can’t have an off day,” said Rasquinha.
A lot has also been said about India’s greatly improved fitness and stamina. But India are going to run into teams that have a much more physical style of play. “France and Poland, in particular, play against tough teams in Europe and are much more physical. India, on its part, has never liked that. Canada plays in a similar manner and it will be interesting to see if this team can counter that,” added Rasquinha. “
A lot of India’s confidence comes from that fact that they are being allowed to play their ‘natural’ attacking game. As compared to the previous coach Jose Brasa, who advocated defensive tactics, Nobbs believes in an all out attack policy. The Indian team scored 29 goals in just six matches in the Champions Challenge tournament in South Africa in December last year. But then a last-minute goal by Belgium in the final rattled them. It also showed the need for a good defence.
India were comfortably sitting on a 3-1 cushion in the second half but a resiliant Belgium bounced back in the match. So is that the way forward? “It’s tough to say and that’s because under Nobbs, India haven’t really played against tough opposition like Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Spain or even Pakistan. So while the tactics may work against lesser opposition, it’s difficult to know how they will work against the best in the business.”
“However, for now, the only thing they need to do is concentrate on qualifying. This isn’t about people turning up to watch or supporting them. This is about getting to the Olympics, if they fail, it will have a far-reaching impact on future of the sport in India.”
