The bronze medal in Tokyo after 41 years has doubled the expectations this time and everyone expected the team to not only win a medal in Paris but also improve the color of the metal.
Former Indian captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha believes that it will be difficult for the Indian men's hockey team at the Paris Olympics and the team will have to be at their best, stay focused, play as a unit and execute your plans to perfection.
"It is going to be difficult for the Indian team because there are teams like Australia. Holland, Germany, Belgium and Spain are very strong teams. When it comes to big events like the Olympics, it is about playing well as a team under pressure and having composure. under pressure, do what you've done 10,000 times in training, but execute it in 60 minutes," Rasquinha said during a roundtable. on India's chances at the Paris Olympics organized by the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) on the occasion of World Sports Journalists Day on Tuesday.
"In terms of talent, in terms of ability, this team has it all. It's about executing under intense pressure," Rasquinha said.
The Arjuna Award winner and CEO of Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) listed some areas of concern which he believes the team will have to overcome if it wants to be on the podium in Paris.
The 43-year-old cited the team's poor defence, over-reliance on drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh and the Indian teams' slow starts as areas of concern.
"My main concern would be that in the last Olympics we had two excellent drag flickers, both in very good form. Harmapreet Singh and Rupinderpal Singh, who between them racked up double-digit goals for India. This time, if I had a concern I think there is too much reliance on Harman Pri in terms of drag flicks and when you become predictable in terms of a drag flick or something like what we experienced in the 2023 World Cup, it also becomes much easier for your opponent to defend. penalty corner close all the angles for your main drag-flicker, I don't think the other drag-flickers are anywhere near the same level," said Rasquinha, who represented the country at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Rasquinha said the toughest match for India in Paris will be the quarter-final match as they will face the best teams in the other group, which has world number one Netherlands, world champions Germany, Great Britain and Spain. .
"In Paris, we come from a brilliant medal in Tokyo, which was after 41 long years. Many teams were very close, but very far from that medal. And in Tokyo, we finally won that bronze medal and got to the finish line in that tense bronze medal match against Germany," he said.
He said it was good that India had Australia, Belgium and Argentina in their group and therefore would not play them in the quarter-finals. However, he said India cannot take New Zealand and Ireland lightly in their group matches.
He expressed his satisfaction that head coach Craig Fulton got the team he wanted and said this is always a crucial issue for a major tournament.
"In terms of the team, the team was just announced a couple of days ago. And in a way I'm happy that the coach has the team of his choice. In modern sports, especially a team sport like hockey, where, unlike cricket, there are fewer statistics to back you up. It is very important for the coach to have a team of his choice," Rasquinha said.
The OGQ boss urged the team not to succumb to the pressure of expectations, not to try to match the opponent's pace and tactics, but rather to make them play at his pace.
Former Indian captain and Olympian Viren Rasquinha believes that it will be difficult for the Indian men's hockey team at the Paris Olympics and the team will have to be at their best, stay focused, play as a unit and execute your plans to perfection.
"It is going to be difficult for the Indian team because there are teams like Australia. Holland, Germany, Belgium and Spain are very strong teams. When it comes to big events like the Olympics, it is about playing well as a team under pressure and having composure. under pressure, do what you've done 10,000 times in training, but execute it in 60 minutes," Rasquinha said during a roundtable. on India's chances at the Paris Olympics organized by the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM) on the occasion of World Sports Journalists Day on Tuesday.
"In terms of talent, in terms of ability, this team has it all. It's about executing under intense pressure," Rasquinha said.
The Arjuna Award winner and CEO of Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) listed some areas of concern which he believes the team will have to overcome if it wants to be on the podium in Paris.
The 43-year-old cited the team's poor defence, over-reliance on drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh and the Indian teams' slow starts as areas of concern.
"My main concern would be that in the last Olympics we had two excellent drag flickers, both in very good form. Harmapreet Singh and Rupinderpal Singh, who between them racked up double-digit goals for India. This time, if I had a concern I think there is too much reliance on Harman Pri in terms of drag flicks and when you become predictable in terms of a drag flick or something like what we experienced in the 2023 World Cup, it also becomes much easier for your opponent to defend. penalty corner close all the angles for your main drag-flicker, I don't think the other drag-flickers are anywhere near the same level," said Rasquinha, who represented the country at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Rasquinha said the toughest match for India in Paris will be the quarter-final match as they will face the best teams in the other group, which has world number one Netherlands, world champions Germany, Great Britain and Spain. .
"In Paris, we come from a brilliant medal in Tokyo, which was after 41 long years. Many teams were very close, but very far from that medal. And in Tokyo, we finally won that bronze medal and got to the finish line in that tense bronze medal match against Germany," he said.
He said it was good that India had Australia, Belgium and Argentina in their group and therefore would not play them in the quarter-finals. However, he said India cannot take New Zealand and Ireland lightly in their group matches.
He expressed his satisfaction that head coach Craig Fulton got the team he wanted and said this is always a crucial issue for a major tournament.
"In terms of the team, the team was just announced a couple of days ago. And in a way I'm happy that the coach has the team of his choice. In modern sports, especially a team sport like hockey, where, unlike cricket, there are fewer statistics to back you up. It is very important for the coach to have a team of his choice," Rasquinha said.
The OGQ boss urged the team not to succumb to the pressure of expectations, not to try to match the opponent's pace and tactics, but rather to make them play at his pace.
