THE 57-member Indian contingent for Beijing does not include a hockey squad as India has failed to qualify for the event in the Olympics for the first time. Great Britain put paid to India’s hopes in the qualifiers in Chile.

“Great Britain in fact denied us a place in the semifinals in the 1988 Olympics. We needed a draw to advance but we lost 0-1 to Britain then too,” said triple Olympian MM Somaya, technical director for the Joaquim Carvalho-coached team which failed to make it. “It hurts very badly. Having figured in three Olympics in a row in 1980, when we won the gold, in 1984 when we had the best team, and in 1988 in Seoul where I led the team, I really feel disappointed,” added Somaya.

“Australia must be the favourites to win.
Of course, Germany , Holland and Spain are all capable of an upset. But I think in Asian conditions, South Korea will be the team to watch,” Somaya opined.

Asked of which Olympics he had the best memories, Somaya said all three for different reasons — “Moscow, where we won the gold defeating Spain in the final. In LA, we had what is termed as the best possible hockey team to represent India in the Olympics and I was a part of it. And in Seoul, I was the captain. So all the three Olympics mean a lot.” There was a US-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics. “But Spain were the European champs and we beat them in the final. Spain were coached by Horst Wein, who is now the FIH’s master coach. So our victory was not against any ordinary team,” Somaya said.