Billed favourites, Rani-led side needs to hit the ground running
Pakistan during the 2014 Champions was still fresh in the minds of Indians, Butt conceded, “Those gestures by Pakistani players (who took off their shirts and made obscene gestures after they beat India in the semi-final) were in poor taste. It was unfortunate. They (Pakistan players) were angry because the spectators were hurling abuses at them.”
Last time at the Asian Games in Incheon, India played Pakistan twice --- once in the league phase and in the final --- and both times India won. This time, being in separate pools, the arch-rivals will not meet before the semi-finals. “I want India and Pakistan to top their pools so that we only meet in the final and it should be one hell of a final,” said Butt, adding under Oltmans the team has learnt tricks and “we will apply them against India”.
With Imran Khan taking over as Prime Minister, will it give a fillip to country’s hockey? “We have a new Wazir-e-azam (head of state) and he is a sports legend. He will certainly help Pakistan hockey grow. The pay dispute with the Pakistan Hockey Federation is history and now its mission gold at the Asian Games,” he concluded. JAKARTA: Rani Rampal-led Indian women’s hockey team begins its campaign against hosts Indonesia on Sunday. Ranked 9th in the world, India are the highest ranked team in the competition, while Indonesia are way below at 64. In pool B’s other match, Thailand face Kazakhstan.
India had won their only gold medal at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi and were runners-up to South Korea in 1998 in Bangkok. But they have managed to return with a medal everytime. Their biggest test in the group stage will come against Korea who they face on August 25.
Finishing champions at the Asia Cup in 2017, Indians are expected to bag the yellow metal. A flying start would be a welcome one for coach Sjoerd Marijne, who wants India to win gold and make it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. An Olympics berth will also help India erase the dis- astrous performance at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
Earlier t his month, t he women’s team had entered the World Cup quarterfinals after 40 years but a defeat against Ireland via penalty shootout is still rankling the players, especially captain Rampal, who had missed her shootout stroke.
The girls have hit the ground running. Hours after their arrival to Jakarta, the chief coach was seen holding yoga and stretching session at the Games Village. A significant improvement in the Yo-yo test, has been added to the girls’ routine.
“For the last one-and-a-half years, I am with the team and seeing a lot of changes in players’ perspective in terms of fitness and stamina,” teams’ analytical coach Erik Johan Wonink said.
6:30pm onwards India v Indonesia (Women’s Pool B tie) Freestyle qualification (Sushil Kumar 74kg, Sandeep Tomar 57kg, Bajrang Punia 65kg, Pawan Kumar 86kg, Mausam Khatri 97kg)