India missing from Olympics hockey in centenary year as Pakistan look for glory

India missing from Olympics hockey in centenary year as Pakistan look for glory

 

At Beijing, the Olympic Games men’s field hockey event turns 100 years old, after having made its first appearance at the fourth Olympiad staged at London in 1908. In the twenty subsequent events held, India have won the most gold medals -- eight, with Pakistan and Great Britain claiming three each, Germany and Netherlands picking up two each and New Zealand and the current defending champions Australia having won the title once each.

Of the other leading hockey nations of the world, like Spain and South Korea, no one else has as yet put its hands on an Olympic Games gold medal. Even India, who have dominated the Olympic scene with as many as 11 medals over the years, have not won anything since the Moscow event in 1980 where they struck gold for the last time.

But, horror of horrors, India are not even represented at Beijing 2008 as they failed to win the qualifying tournament held in Santiago, Chile, in March earlier this year. After both India and Great Britain had battered their rather weak opponents in the league round, it was Great Britain who beat India in the final by a 2-0 margin. For the first time in 80 years, India will not be featured in an Olympic Games hockey competition!

Pakistan broke India’s stranglehold on the hockey title when they finally won gold at Rome in 1960. They won three gold medals, at Mexico City in 1968 and at Los Angeles in 1984 they didn’t even have India as their opponents in the final. At Melbourne 1956, Pakistan took silver as India beat them in the final; at Rome the result was the other way round, Pakistan winning by 1-0. At Tokyo 1964, India took gold again, beating Pakistan by a lone goal.

Since Barcelona 1992, where they took the bronze medal, Pakistan have gained no more medals in three successive Olympiads. At Atlanta 1996, they suffered a slump to end at sixth spot. At Sydney 2000, they made the semifinals but only managed the fourth position. At Athens 2004, they were down to the fifth place.

Australia took their first, and so far the only, gold medal at Athens four years ago. This after they had won three silver and three bronze in earlier competitions. They lost in the finals to Pakistan in Mexico City 1968, to New Zealand at Montreal 1976 and to Germany at Barcelona 1992. In 2004, they beat Netherlands 2-1 to win gold after their opponents had taken the title in the previous two consecutive Olympic Games.

India’s golden run started at Amsterdam in 1928, when they were still termed as British India. As an independent nation, their first hockey gold came at London 1948, but it was in fact their fourth successive triumph. India were champions a record six times in a row before Pakistan snatched away the gold medal from them at Rome in 1960.

Pakistan have made it to Beijing by the skin of their teeth. They are in because they had finished third at Asian Games hockey event at Doha, Qatar, in 2006. If silver medal winners China had not automatically qualified being hosts of the 2008 Games, Pakistan would not have gone to Beijing.

The twelve teams in the men’s Olympic hockey tournament in 2008 qualified through a series of tournaments. China, as mentioned earlier, has been given an automatic entry as the Olympic host nation. Five continental championships were used to determine eight other qualifiers. Teams who did not qualify through these tournaments were invited to attend three Olympic qualification tournaments to determine the final three entrants.

South Korea qualified as champions of the 2006 Asian Games while South Africa have gained entry after winning the African Olympic Qualifier. Canada won the Pan American Games while Netherlands, Spain and Belgium qualified from the EuroHockey Nations Championship. Australia had won the Oceania Cup in September last year.

The remaining three teams joining in won the other three qualifying tournaments conducted. They are New Zealand, Great Britain and Germany.

Pakistan have been placed in Pool B of the hockey competition at the Beijing Olympic Games. Their campaign starts tomorrow (Monday, August 11) with a match against Great Britain. Of the more prominent hockey sides in the world, Pakistan’s Olympic record against Britain is quite encouraging, six wins in nine matches, with 25 goals scored and a goal-difference of as much as 14.

But Pakistan must beat Great Britain, Canada and South Africa in their pool to take the full points if they intend to make the semifinals. Of the other two matches, they would be expected to beat at least one of either Australia or Netherlands to complete their ascent into the last-four.

Against Australia, Pakistan have won five of their eight Olympic hockey matches with three lost. They have scored 15 goals against Australia’s 16, so the defending champions should start with a sort of psychological edge. Overall, against Netherlands, Pakistan have won six and lost two of their 11 Olympic Games hockey encounters, with 29 goals scored for and 19 against. But Beijing 2008 could be hugely different.

When Pakistan face the Netherlands in their last Pool B match on August 19, it will be their 100th such encounter at the Olympic Games hockey tournaments. At the start of the Beijing Olympiad, of their 95 matches, Pakistan have won 65 and lost 19. Eleven games ended as drawn while Pakistan have netted 269 goals with 107 scored against them, for a goal difference of 162.

According to the latest International Hockey Federation (FIH) men’s team rankings, Australia enter the Beijing competition as the world No. 1 closely followed by Germany. Netherlands are third in the list, Spain fourth and South Korea fifth.

Pakistan are at the number seven spot. The rest of the teams are placed as follows: Great Britain eighth, New Zealand 11th, Belgium 12th, South Africa 13th, Canada 15th and China 17th.

Nations which are currently placed in the FIH ranking higher than China, but haven’t qualified for the 2008 Olympics, are Argentina at number six, India at nine, Japan at 10, Malaysia at 14 and France at the 16th spot.

ZEESHAN ASHRAF LEADING PAKISTAN AT BEIJING

Defenders Imran Warsi and Adnan Maqsood made a comeback to the national hockey team announced for the Beijing Olympics while three members of the Pakistan junior team are also a part of the 16-member squad. "Our endeavour was to form a combination having experience and youth in the ranks and the team announced for the grand event is capable of fetching glory," said President Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, at a news conference in Lahore at the National Hockey Stadium after three-day trials.

Jamali alongwith chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui and selector Colonel (retd) Mudassar Asghar watched the final day’s trials. Also present were Secretary PHF Mohammad Asif Bajwa and Senior Vice President Khalid Mahmood. Chief coach Khawaja Zakaudddin and coach Naveed Alam were also present.

Jamali sounded confident when asked about the team’s prospects in the Olympics saying, "It is my wish it should win the title but to be more realistic the Olympics is a very tough event with little difference left between the top and the lesser known teams."

Full-back Zeeshan Ashraf will lead the team while Mohammad Imran will be his deputy. The team comprises goalkeepers Salman Akbar and Nasir Ahmed, full-backs Zeeshan Ashraf, Mohammad Imran and Imran Warsi, half-backs Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Saqlain, Adnan Maqsood and Rana Asif and forwards Waqas Sharif, Waqas Akbar, Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Abbas Haider, Mohammad Zubair and Shafqat Rasool.

Warsi has made a comeback after being dropped from the team for one year after the tour of Russia where the team won a four-nation tournament last July. Adnan was dropped after the Champions Trophy in 2007 in Malaysia where Pakistan finished fifth.

The three players coming from the junior team to the ultimate level of the game are Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Zubair and the captain at the Junior Asia Cup Shafqat Rasool.

The PHF Chief said the selection was based on performance of players in the past and present and only those players have been selected who really deserve to represent the team in the Olympics.

Answering a question, chief selector Islahuddin rated his team among the top four in the Olympics. "The competition will be very close there and I believe that my team will be among the first four and if they do that it will be a big accomplishment on part of the team," he added.

Jamali disclosed that former PHF secretary Khalid Mahmood, who is now the senior vice president of the PHF, would also accompany the team. Khalid was replaced by Olympian Asif Bajwa as Secretary recently following an order of the federal sports ministry.

The four other officials with the team are Khawaja Zakauddin (head coach), Naveed Alam (coach), Faiz-ur-Rehman (physio) and Nadeem Lodhi (video analyst).

Half-back Mohammad Saqlain, a former captain, is likely to make his first appearance in the Olympics Games in a decade-long career. Earlier, the seasoned campaigner -- a strong candidate for the Olympics squad in 2000 and 2004 -- could not get his place due to various reasons.

Saqlain’s omission was a surprising one in the year 2000 when PHF chief Akhtar Rasool was replaced by Arif Ali Abbasi and the temperamental player was omitted. In the next edition in 2004, Saqlain was axed for hitting one of his teammates which angered the then coach Roelant Oltmans.

'PAKISTAN CAN REACH THE VICTORY STAND’

The Pakistan hockey team’s captain Zeeshan Ashraf, who had been named captain for the tour of China earlier, then went on to lead the team at Sultan Azlan Shah Cup event and the long-drawn tour of Europe later on. He has said his team would go into the Beijing Olympics with the aim to win the title.

He said fitness problems of the players have been sorted out. "The recent tour to Europe was very useful as it helped the national team prepare well for the mega sporting event," he said. He also said the players were working hard on their fitness level and weaknesses were noted during the recent tours.

Zeeshan believed that Salman Akbar was the best goalkeeper available in the country who was passing through a rough patch. He hoped Salman would soon regain his form and fitness. Zeeshan further said the team’s fitness level was so high as the players appeared to play the full 70 minutes at the same pace.

Zeeshan is thus hopeful about his team making it to the podium in the Beijing Olympic Games in spite of it being placed in a tough pool alongside the Netherlands, Australia, Great Britain, South Africa and Canada.

Zeeshan, also the flag carrier of the Pakistani contingent at the Games, told a daily newspaper: "We have some tough opponents in our pool such as Australia and the Netherlands and should also not underestimate Great Britain. It will indeed be quite challenging for us to reach the top."

When asked about the presence of any penalty corner specialist in the side who could be groomed into another Sohail Abbas, Zeeshan said: "We don’t have a player of Sohail’s calibre in our ranks, but in Mohammad Imran we have a striker who has the ability to turn the game in favour of Pakistan."

Including Zeeshan himself, four other players also represented Pakistan at the Athens Olympiad in 2004. They are Salman Akbar, Adnan Maqsood, Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt. Salman and Rehan have both captained Pakistan teams in the recent past.

Speaking about the strengths of the current hockey squad, Zeeshan said: "We are participating in the Olympics with a strong side and it is a good combination of senior and junior players."

Among the junior players accompanying the squad, Shafqat Rasool and Mohammad Zubair stand out with their potential to excel at the top level.

PHF chief Jamali has announced cash incentives for the hockey players: "The federation is offering good cash incentives to the team for the Olympic Games. Besides that, I would like to announce $500 for each player as they depart for the Olympic Games. Around 160 million Pakistanis have medal hopes with the hockey team and I wish them good luck," Jamali concluded.

AUSTRALIA 'MISSING’ INDIA AS THEY LOOK FOR GOLD

Reigning Olympic champions Australia are disappointed not to be able to test their mettle against eight-times hockey gold medallists India in Beijing. Hockey celebrates its Olympic centenary at the Games but, for the first time, India will not be at the event after they lost to Britain in the final of a qualifying tournament in Chile in March.

India’s absence is already being felt by Australia’s captain Bevan George. "It’s disappointing that they are not going to be there," the defender said. "I was looking forward to playing them. But I am sure they will be back at the next Games."

Australia, who won their first hockey gold four years ago, start as favourites after a remarkable year in which they won a record-equalling ninth Champions Trophy in June to leapfrog Germany to the top of the rankings.

The Kookaburras followed that up with a 2-0 victory in a three-match series against South Korea at home last month to lend the finishing touches to their preparations. "We are feeling good... the lead-up has been really good," George told Reuters.

"It’s very sad that they (hockey team) are not here," Randhir Singh, secretary-general of India’s Olympic association, told Reuters. India’s decline coincided with the game’s switch to artificial turf with the emphasis shifting to power, speed and accuracy rather than deft stickwork.

India finished seventh in the previous two Olympics and 11th at the last World Cup, the downturn blamed on the country’s hockey federation, suspended on corruption charges.

"They have some terrific young players and I am sure they will work their way back," George said.

In highlighting India’s golden age, the part of Pakistan in shoring up hockey’s majesty and sophistication in 1960 cannot be underestimated. But the euphoria has now evaporated and Pakistan is struggling to retain its identity.

The European hegemony emerged in 1972 when Germany claimed the gold at Munich in a tempestuous final against Pakistan. Slowly and inexorably, the balance shifted with the Netherlands and Germany surfacing as a powerhouse followed closely by Australia, the current champions.

It is against this backdrop that one should endeavour to evaluate the emerging power alignment at Beijing. Will the Aussies be on top of the podium again? Teamed with the former champion and the finalist at Athens, the Netherlands, in Pool B, Barry Dancer and his Aussie team will have to beat off a challenge.

World champion Germany, and Spain constitute the force in Pool A, with New Zealand and Korea forming an unpredictable quotient. Yet to strike gold after 1992 in Barcelona, Germany had to go through the qualifier in Japan.

No team mirrors the excellence of the coach like Spain. The aura of Maurits Hendriks is all over the Spanish squad that always basks in the incandescence of strikers Pablo Amat, Eduard Tabau and Santi Freixa. Spain is still chasing a golden dream after two silvers, in 1980 and 1996.

If consistency has been the virtue with New Zealand, it is the lack of it that makes South Korea unreliable. The Aussie coach, Adam Commens, who coaches Belgium, is pragmatic enough to estimate an eighth spot for his team.

Kim Ryul, the South Korean coach has given China the inspiration but the expected podium finish may be a mirage.

Germany defends the title in the women’s section which features the three times champion Australia, and the one-time winner the Netherlands. The dream of Argentina, silver medallists in the last two editions, may well become true in Beijing.

The women’s event comprises the following teams: Pool A -- The Netherlands (1), Australia (4), China (6), Spain (7), Korea (10), South Africa (12); Pool B -- Argentina (2), Germany (3), Japan (5), New Zealand (8), Great Britain (9) and USA (11).

A LITTLE MOMENT OF HISTORY

At the 1908 Summer Olympics, a field hockey tournament was contested for the first time. Six teams entered from three states. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was represented by a team from each of the four home nations: England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Germany sent a championship club team while France sent a team composed of players from three different clubs. England won the gold medal, Ireland the silver, and Scotland and Wales the bronze medals. There was no match to decide third and fourth place.

WHERE THE MEDALS WENT: India (11 medals) 8 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze. Pakistan (8) 3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze. Great Britain (9) 3 gold, 2 silver, 4 bronze. Netherlands (8) 2 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze. Germany (8) 2 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze. Australia (7) 1 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze. New Zealand (1) 1 gold. Spain (3) 2 silver, 1 bronze. Denmark (1) 1 silver. South Korea (1) 1 silver. Japan (1) 1 silver. Belgium (1) 1 bronze. Soviet Union (1) 1 bronze. USA (1) 1 bronze. At London 1908, two bronze medals were awarded -- to Great Britain (Scotland) and Great Britain (Wales).

FOURTH PLACE FINISHES: Pakistan 3 (1948, 1952, 2000). Netherlands 3 (1972, 1976, 1992). France 2 (1920, 1936). Great Britain 2 (1956, 1960). Spain 2 (1964, 2004). Germany 2 (1968, 1996). Australia 2 (1984, 1988). Belgium 1 (1928). Poland 1 (1980).

PAKISTAN’S PERFORMANCE: Apart from their eight medals performances, Pakistan finished 4th in 1948, 1952 and 2000, 5th in 1988 and 2004 and 6th in 1996. The country did not take part in the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980 being part of a US-led boycott.