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Can India book a berth to Beijing Olympics?

S. Thyagarajan

CHENNAI: From India’s point of view, the significance of the hockey Olympic qualifier starting at Santiago on Saturday cannot be underestimated. Never before has the uncertainty over gaining a berth for the Olympics at Beijing been dissected with apprehension by the fraternity.

An Olympic place through the qualifier route is nothing new for India. Since 1988, the question of India figuring in Olympic hockey has cropped up time and again. The qualifiers that India played in Auckland (1991), Barcelona (1995) and Madrid (2004) were in a totally different format as it was enough to finish among the top five.

However, Santiago is different as only the champion goes to Beijing. The norms framed by the International Hockey Federation for 2008 are so demanding that only the winners of the three qualifiers will make the grade. This has put enormous pressure on India as well as the rest.

Even a powerful side like Argentina has missed the bus, going down to New Zealand through a golden goal in their qualifying tie held on Feb. 9.

It is not just optimism to expect India to emerge on top in the Chilean capital. The record of the opposition is modest, save for the eighth-ranked Great Britain, winner of the 1988 Olympiad in Seoul. India has to beat Great Britain twice, including the final (if the two sides get there), to ensure a spot.

Good record

India opens its campaign against Russia (World Rank 45), a replacement for Bangladesh which withdrew. The Indians have won all their three matches against Russia so far, the last one being in Moscow in the Samaranch Cup in 2001 which India won 4-3.

Austria (WR 25) is next and India has won six of their eight matches. The previous meeting was in the final of the Alps Cup in Vienna in 1993. After a 1-1 draw, India prevailed 4-3 in the tie-breaker.

Mexico, the third opponent, has lost both its games against India, the last one being in the 1972 Munich Olympics when the latter won 8-0.

Against Britain too, the balance is in India’s favour. In the 57 encounters played between the teams, India has won 33, lost 14 and drawn 10. India has figured in only one match against host Chile, winning their 1989 pre-World Cup qualifier at Madison (U.S.) 6-0.

Though record and history favour India, nothing should be left to chance as coach Joaquim Carvalho rightly said. The team has to be professional and pugnacious enough to pull it off.

India’s schedule:

March 1: vs Russia; March 2: vs Austria; March 4: vs Mexico; March 6: vs Britain; March 8: vs Chile.