India’s men’s team will have to contend with the FIH World No. 1 Australia and defending champions Argentina in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Spain, New Zealand and Japan are India’s other rivals in Pool A of the 12-nation tournament.
India’s women’s team find themselves grouped with World No.1 and reigning World Cup champions The Netherlands and defending Olympic champions Great Britain in Pool A. Germany, Ireland and South Africa are the other teams in the pool.
The composition of the pools for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, going by the rankings formula, wasn’t much of an issue.
What would have provided a last-minute twist was the participation or otherwise of South Africa who twice before were not allowed to go to the Games by their Olympic body.
Happily it wasn’t the case this time around. South African teams from either gender will feature in Tokyo after the FIH was able to confirm approval of all teams by their respective National Olympic Committees on Saturday.
The pools, based on highest rankings that drew the Nos. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 15 teams in Pool A. Nos. 2, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11 went to Pool B.
The pools, therefore, panned out as follows.
Men
Pool A: Australia (World Ranking: No. 1), Argentina (4), India (5), Spain (8), New Zealand (9) and Japan (15).
Pool B: Belgium (2), Netherlands (3), Germany (6), Great Britain (7), Canada (10), South Africa (11).
Women
Pool A:Netherlands (WR: No. 1), Germany (4), Great Britain (5), Ireland (8), India (9), South Africa (16).
Pool B: Australia (2), Argentina (3), New Zealand (6), Spain (7), China (10), Japan (14).
All teams belong to the top 16 bracket determined by FIH World Rankings which promises an intriguing taut tournament.
Queerly, both the men’s and women’s tournament show a convergence of European teams in one pool while the opposite pool has just one European team – Spain.
In the men’s Pool B, there’s a bunch-up of European heavy weights. World Champions Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Great Britain will provide potentially classic contests in the quest to make the quarterfinals by finishing in the top four.
Canada and South Africa, presumably, will be left to spring an upset or two to find a foot in the door and progress to the last-eight stage.
In the women’s Pool B, Spain is the lone European representative with Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, China and Japan.
The men’s pool A is perhaps the most intriguing. Australia, one expects would be highly fancied to not only make the quarterfinals but finish pool toppers.
But with competition being cut-throat in recent times, the other three quarterfinal spots would be up in the air with defending champions’ Argentina’s indifferent form in recent times giving the other four in the pool – India, Spain, New Zealand and Japan – a more than even chance of taking points off the South Americans.
Hosts and Asian champions Japan will be charged up to put their best foot forward at home, even if a drop in funding (owing to pessimism of a podium finish) may have undermined their chances.
In the Pool B, silver medalists at Rio 2016 and reigning World champions Belgium are red-hot property having clinched their spot by emerging European champions in their own backyard.
But the Netherlands, beaten in a shootout in the World Cup final last year in Bhubaneswar by the Red Lions, are perennial contenders for a medal and with Germany and Great Britain for company appear to be a cut above Canada and South Africa.
The quarterfinals will be played between pool toppers versus the fourth best in the opposite pool, the second best playing the third placed in the other pool.
The Dutch, runners-up at Rio and current World champions should rule the roost in the women’s Pool A. Germany and defending champions Great Britain must fancy their chances of progressing with the last spot likely to go one of Ireland or India.
In Pool B, Argentina chasing the elusive gold and Australia start odds-on-favourites for quarterfinal berths. The remaining two places could result in a scramble involving New Zealand, Spain, China and hosts Japan.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments will be staged in the brand-new Oi Hockey Stadium from 25 July to 7 August next year. The match schedule will be announced at a later stage.