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'The pool is very tough. The team must play with a fresh mind. They are capable and they have the capability'
The Indian hockey team has been handed an unenviable draw at the Paris Olympics and the legendary Ashok Dhyanchand reckons that the players will have to play "fearlessly" and "without pre-conceived notions" to negotiate the challenge.
India had clinched a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 under Manpreet Singh to break a nearly four-decade-long jinx. There are huge expectations from Harmanpreet and Co. to achieve success in Paris.
But India's performance over the last few months, especially against Australia and in the Pro League, has become the talking point as the team heads into the Games, commencing in less than a week's time.
Ashok, the son of the hockey wizard Dhyanchand, conceded that India will have its hands full, but added that if they are able to control their nerves at crucial junctures, they would be successful.
India have Australia, Belgium, Argentina, Ireland and New Zealand in their group.
"They have always given us a tough fight. The pool is very tough. The team must play with a fresh mind. They are capable and they have the capability," said Ashok during a panel discussion on India's preparations for Paris Olympics on Friday.
India recently lost a five-Test series in Australia, while the European leg of the Pro League, which was billed as extremely crucial for Olympic preparations, too didn't go as planned with the team finishing seventh among nine participating countries.
"I hope they play fearlessly and with a fresh mind, otherwise definitely the pool is hard. Also, they need to control their nerves at those particular (crucial) times. Let the mind work according to the situation," was Ashok's advice to the Harmanpreet-led side.
"For the athletes, it should only be a match where they can sustain the pressure and not let it get the better of them... that we are playing against Belgium or Argentina or New Zealand or Australia," said Ashok, who was a member of the 1972 Munich Olympics bronze-winning side.
The legend also felt that the Paris Olympics would be the swansong for several players and it was an opportunity for them to bow out on a high.
"It should only be a match where they have to implement their technique and tactics learnt over the years. These 11 players have been playing together for so many years, they are experienced. The only thing is to be organised and settled before the games."
"Agreed, the group is heavy (tough) and they they have suffered some setbacks during the Pro League. But if you look at the performance in the Asian Games (where India won gold)... we played well in the World Cup as well (in Bhubaneswar) but lost. It's not such a big deal."
"The players should not go with preconceived notions in their mind. They will have to play for a medal, no doubt about that, because for many of them, this will be their last Olympics. They have to keep that fire burning, if they keep it that way, then we will get success... I am very hopeful that our team will stand on the podium."
Ashok lamented that the aura around hockey had faded because of several reasons but, given the rich history, the romance with the sport continues.
"It is still called the national sport, although that aura has faded a bit because of lack of grounds, lack of astroturf, change in rules and regulations. "But that expectation from hockey remains the same... that India will bring home a gold, or any medal because a lot of history is associated with the sport. That's why the medal is an absolute necessity," he added.