Hockey team qualifies for Olymps after 36 years

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 31, 2015: After 36 long years, Indian women’s hockey team has bagged a place on the world’s biggest sporting stage, having qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics. The news was conveyed to the bleary eyed young bunch by none other than Hockey India High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans while they were on way to training in the morning and it sparked a wild celebration.

The only time India women featured in Olympics was through invitation in the 1980 Moscow Games, when women’s hockey was introduced in the Games. India had finished fourth then.

Captain Ritu Rani told media that the news came as they were on way for training. The news simply gave the team a new high.  This is the biggest achievement, it took 36 years to do so, but it will give hope to the coming generations that nothing is impossible.   Coach Mathias Ahrens was proud of his wards, he said this team has played against the best and proven themselves to qualify for the Olympics. They beat Japan in a do-or-die contest in World League Semifinals to keep themselves in contention. They have great ability. However, more experience of playing under pressure against top teams will help them.

The Women Indian team has rapidly improved in recent times and won bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games. They have some of the best strikers. But what can make a big difference in today’s hockey is ability to convert penalty corners and it is here we are lacking. The team comprises of players of healthy age group, they have many years in front of them. We now need good competition before the Olympics.

India will join nine other teams, who have qualified for 2016 Rio Games -- Korea as Asian Games champions, Argentina as Pan Am Games champions and Great Britain, China, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and the USA through the Hockey World League Semi-Finals.

For the last 36 years this has been a goal and this achievement is the sweetest and the most memorable among all previous feats in recent times said press note.