New competition format is good for India: Oltmans

BENGALURU: Indian men’s hockey team chief coach Roelant Oltmans on Friday said the new competition format of having quarterfinals in place of direct semifinals in the upcoming Rio Olympics is not only beneficial for the Men in Blue but all small teams. “If you have teams like Argentina, Germany and Holland in your group, it becomes that difficult to end up being the top two teams in your group. It is not impossible to qualify, but now if you finish in top four, you have a chance to play in the quarterfinals,” Oltmans said. “This format will give India and every other teams including, Canada a feel that they have a greater chance of making it to the quarterfinals.”