Of the four Olympic Qualifiers held by the FIH before 2008, India figured in three, while the 1998 Asiad success ensured its direct qualification for the 2000 Sydney number. India struggled in every other Qualifiers, and when it once did well it got into a match fixing quagmire.
Under coach Balkishen Singh and captain Pargat Singh, India took part in the first Olympic Qualifier at Auckland (1991). As Korea and Pakistan made it to the Barcelona Olympics as finalists of the 1988 Asian Games, India not making it directly was considered a shame and outright fall of our hockey.
The critics were in a shock as India would put up a pathetic show at Auckland and at one stage it appeared Barcelona was out of its reach. India’s morale was down even before the event commenced. En route to New Zealand, India played two tests against Australia only to be routed (1-6, 3-6). It never recovered from those shockers.
India narrowly won the first two matches (Switzerland 3-1, Belgium 1-0) at Auckland before France drew goalless and Malaysia surprised with a 2-3 shocker. The pool goings were such that that India needed Malaysia — which had already made the Olympic grade by virtue of four straight wins — to defeat Belgium in its last encounter for its safe Olympic journey. Malaysia obliged (5-2) in style; India heaved a sigh of relief.
1991 Auckland Qualifier
1 defeat Switzerland 3-1 League
2 defeat Belgium 1-0 League
3 drew France 0-0 League
4 lost to Malaysia 2-3 League
5 defeat USA 8-0 League
6 drew New Zealand 2-2 Semifinal
7 lost to USSR 0-1 Final
First four ranked teams qualified