AUSTRALIAN FIELD hockey legend Ric Charlesworth says he is not impressed with the new Olympic qualifying system that kept both India and Argentina away from Beijing.
“I never liked the new process as I knew it would throw up anomalies,” Charlesworth, who resigned this month as India’s technical advisor, told AFP in an email interview.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) awarded direct entries to nine teams based on their performance in regional meets, with the remaining three berths going to the winners of three separate qualifying tournaments.

A team that did not automatically make the grade could take part in only one qualifying event and needed to win it to go to Beijing.

Eight-time gold medallists India lost to Britain in the final of the qualifying tournament in Chile in April and will miss the Olympics for the first time.

World number seven Argentina, one place higher than India, lost to Canada in the PanAmerican Games and then went down to New Zealand in the Olympic qualifier in Auckland.

Even world champions Germany were forced to go through the qualifying route af- ter failing to finish among the top three in the European championships.

The Germans responded by winning the qualifying event in Japan without conceding a goal and became the last team to get an Olympic berth.

“Both Argentina and India are clearly in the best 12, so it’s a pity they are not in the Olympics,” said Charlesworth, a four time Olympian and noted coach.

“The new process might promote the game better around the world, but it throws up some ridiculous mismatches that benefit nobody .

“But it must be stressed India had two chances to qualify as did Argentina and they failed to realise them. It’s their own fault.” Mockery of the new system India and Argentina mocked the new system by reaching the Azlan Shah final in Malaysia in May ahead of four Olympicbound nations, New Zealand, Pakistan, Canada and Belgium.

Charlesworth predicted a tight contest in Beijing with Australia, Spain and the Netherlands as his favourites to win the gold.

“But at the Olympics there is often a surprise, perhaps Great Britain, Korea or New Zealand may throw up a surprise.”

Teams qualified for Beijing are Germany , Spain, South Korea, New Zealand, Belgium, China, Australia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Britain, South Africa and Canada.