India won their last Olympic hockey gold at Moscow in 1980. That was also the year the women’s team qualified for the event for the only time. Twenty-eight years later, with the men’s team failing to make it to Beijing, the spotlight is back on the women.

While the team, who left last night for the final qualifying tournament in Russia, are cautiously optimistic about their chances, several members of the 1980 squad give them more than a fair chance of making it to Beijing. Their only advice: offence is the best form of defence, so India should play to their strengths and go all out.

Sudha Chaudhary, the lone Delhi presence in the 1980 squad and the team’s manager in recent times, is well placed to gauge the potential of side. “We have a great forward line. For me, the trump-card is Surinder Kaur, who is back from injury and should be in great form,” she says.

Best chance

Chaudhary raises some concerns about the shaky Indian defence but says the attack more than makes up for it. “USA are the only tough opponents and if we play to even 80 per cent of our potential, we can beat them,” she says, adding that this is India’s best chance to qualify for the Olympics.

What will work for this team, some say, is that they have players who have experienced victory at major tournaments over the last few years.

Eliza Nelson, one of only two Padma Shri awardees in women’s hockey, says it is high time Indian women got their due. “I am hopeful of a real Chak De! India story, with the women doing what the men failed to do,” she says.

... contd.