Australia’s coach Barry Dancer and his set of brilliant players, who won in Rotterdam, are on cloud nine as they line up to defend the gold, writes S. Thyagarajan.
To predict who will win the Olympics hockey gold medal in Beijing requires a rare clairvoyance. It has never been easy to spot a winner after India’s domination ended in 1960 after a sequence of six titles from 1928. Thanks to the complex format that was framed for picking qualifiers to fill the last three places, India, an eight-time winner, and an in-form Argentina will not be in the Chinese capital. For India, it was a tragedy to miss the Olympics for the first ti me in eight decades.
The view that the competition this time looks diluted has many takers. But why should it diminish the competitive fervour since the major powers are very much a part of the format is not easy to explain. The Champions Trophy in Rotterdam a few weeks ago was the testing arena before Beijing. The twists and turns there were sufficient indication to show the thin dividing line between the top combinations.
Australia’s coach Barry Dancer and his set of brilliant players, who won in Rotterdam are on cloud nine as they line up to defend the gold they anchored in Athens in 2004. That memorable day against the Dutch — the match winner, a golden goal, was scored by Jamie Dwyer — realised the Aussie dream of a gold medal in the Olympics since its debut in 1956 in Melbourne.
Can Australia do it again? This is a fascinating question. Clubbed with the Netherlands, in Pool B, the Aussies have a fight in their hands before the semifinals. Confident, consistent and composed of players who synthesise the elements of adeptness with athleticism, Australia is unlikely to be pushed out from the podium. A coach like Barry Dancer has enough craft and charts up his sleeve to help his team out of tight situations. The Aussie squad exudes experience and expertise from its seasoned stalwarts such as Dwyer, Matthew Wells, Travis Brooks and Bevan George (captain). The trump card will be the balding flicker, Luke Doerner. Australia’s tally of one gold, three silver and three bronze medals in 12 appearances can be reckoned as an outstanding record.
The Dutch under Roelant Oltmans have been somewhat inconsistent on the road to Beijing. Champions in 1996 and 2000, the Netherlands requires to strengthen itself enormously to halt the Aussie juggernaut. This is again a team of veterans led by the indefatigable mid-fielder, Jeroen Delmee, whose 393 international caps are a testimony to his longevity on the field. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the skipper will be another outstanding star of this generation, Teun de Nooijer with 380 international appearances. The hallmark of the Dutch approach is the unfathomable velocity of the frontline and finish. Symbolising this ethos in the team are the Brouwers, Ronald and Matthijs. Of course, all eyes will be on the compactly built, Taeke Takema, for his lethal penalty corner flicks. Takema is one capable of changing the course of a match in seconds. The Dutch have been on the Olympic scene from 1928, and, in their 15 appearances, have taken two gold, three silver and three bronze medals.
Will Pakistan be able to challenge the two superpowers, Australia and the Netherlands, is a poser that cannot be easily answered. The three-time gold medallist is going through a difficult phase even in tournaments like Azlan Shah and the Asia Cup. That it managed to sneak into the Olympics with a bronze in the Doha Asian Games is a sufficient commentary on the team’s struggle to be in Beijing. The problems are not only confined to the change of coaches but the composition of teams as well. Leading the pack in Beijing will be Zeeshan Ashraf under the guidance of veteran coaches, Zakauddin and Asif Bajwa. The seasoned Salman Butt and Shakeel Abbasi will lead the frontline with mid-fielder Saqlain providing the support base.
The surprise element is Great Britain, which bundled India out of the Olympics at the Santiago qualifier. Winner of the gold in 1988 in Seoul, Britain is capable of damaging the reputation of any combination. The consistency of effort by Ben Hawkes and penalty corner strikes by Richard Mantel are the twin dangers for its opponents. Canada is back into the fold after a gap of eight years after submerging the more powerful Argentina at the Pan-American Games while South Africa figures as the African champion for the third time since 2000.
World Champion, Germany, went through the mortification of qualifying from the Japan leg after a fourth place finish at the European Cup in Manchester. But on that score its chances of regaining the gold won last in 1992 cannot be underrated. Veteran Timo Wess leads a young and energetic pack that includes gallant strikers Matthias Witthaus and Florian Keller. Challenge for Germany should emerge from the unpredictable Spaniards, yearning for an Olympic gold after appearing in 14 editions. The last silver came in 1996 in Atlanta. Coach Maurits Hendriks is striving hard to inspire his gifted players like Santi Friexa and Pol Amat to achieve the Spanish dream.
The team that needs to be followed closely in Pool A will be New Zealand, whose record in recent times has been significant. It qualified from the Auckland leg beating Argentina in a nail-biting finish. Led by the impeccable mid-fielder, Ryan Archbald, the Kiwis with players like Pat Burrows, Simon Child and Hayden Shaw can bug any team in the pool.
Silver medallist in 2000 in Sydney, South Korea has been surprisingly off form recently as reflected by the defeat to India in the Asia Cup and the last place finish at the Champions Trophy in Rotterdam. What can lift the team is the successful penalty corner drills by Jang Jong Hyun and Yew Woon Koon. Belgium has an enriching history of 11 appearances and the entry here came thanks to the bronze medal it secured at the European Cup. The Australian coach, Adem Commens, is attempting to infuse some life into the squad which has gained immensely from its tour of India not long ago.
The host, China, is the surprise packet. A debutant in Beijing, the Chinese team, under the dynamic South Korean coach, Kim Ryul, comes into the fray with the reputation of having won a silver medal in the Doha Asian Games. A podium finish, which Ryul set as the target, will enhance China’s stature in men’s hockey.
Germany defends the women’s gold against the three-time winner Australia with the Netherlands fighting to regain the top place won last in 1984 in Los Angeles. For all its splendid performances, Argentina is yet to clinch gold in the Olympics. Will Beijing be the turning point?
THE GROUPINGSMen: Pool A: Germany, Spain, South Korea, New Zealand, Belgium, China. Pool B: Australia (holder), The Netherlands, Pakistan, Great Britain, South Africa,Canada.
Women: Pool A: The Netherlands, Australia, China, Spain, South Korea, South Africa. Pool B: Argentina, Germany (holder), Japan, New Zealand, Great Britain, United States.
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