India set modest target
Coach Nobbs wants his team to finish among top six at London Games
KUALA LUMPUR: India have won the hockey title eight times in the Olympics but for the London Games they have set a modest target of a top-six finish.
India, who qualified for the Olympics by winning the Olympic qualifier in New Delhi in February, are drawn in Group B with Germany, Holland, South Korea, New Zealand and Belgium.
Defending champions Australia are drawn in Group A with Spain, Pakistan, Argentina, South Africa and hosts Britain.
India last won the Olympic gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Games when other teams boycotted the event in protest against Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan.
Indian coach Michael Nobbs said that they are happy to be back in the Olympics after failing to qualify for the 2008 Beijing edition.
“There will be no easy matches in our group but I want the players to give their best to finish among top six ,” said the Australian coach.
Nobbs was hired by the Indian Hockey Federation to coach the national team eight months ago and his contract is until 2016.
The 57-year-old Nobbs said that Australia, who won the 2010 World Cup in Moenchengladbach, Germany, would start as the favourites to retain the title.
“The Australians are just a class above the other teams in the world,” said Nobbs, who arrive in Kuala Lumpur yesterday with the Indian team for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which begins on Thursday in Ipoh.
Besides Malaysia and India, the other teams in the Azlan Shah Cup are Argentina, Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Korea.
Nobbs said that the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is also part of their preparation for the Olympics.
“I am not setting any target for India in the tournament as we don’t have our full squad here. I want to try several players in different positions to see how well they can click with other players,” said Nobbs.
He added that in the Azlan Shah Cup, they would also be able to gauge the strength of South Korea and New Zealand, who are in the same group for the Olympics.
India will be led by 26-year-old Sandeep Singh, who is regarded as one of the top penalty corner flickers in the world.
He was the top scorer in the Olympic qualifier in New Delhi with 16 goals.
India thrashed France 8-1 in the final and five of the goals was scored by Sandeep, who is Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Haryana.
India also have another good penalty corner flicker Rupinder Pal Singh who scored six goals in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last year.