Tokyo Olympic 2020 - Hockey

[rajitghosh]

Do we have a full list of individuals/ teams that have qualified so far?

[Atithee]

It was you only about a month ago in the Indian hockey miscellaneous thread, Jay.

Couldn't be me, unless PKB's spirit possessed me or something!

Can I be the first to predict that India will finally get a hockey medal at Olympics again next year? May even be a gold but I'm not predicting that. Just a hunch from me. It is finally time!

[jayakris]

Haha! Yeah, it was me. Now I remember. Wonder what else I predicted that day. PKB's spirit of course. Actually, I think we will get a medal because somehow the stars have to get aligned some time. But then again, before the stars can do that, we need to not go -2 on goals against Russia tomorrow

[srini]

Its only 2 minutes in Q1 and US women lead 2-0.Its 3-0 now

[ssp]

Oh dear. Our women are undoing all their good work of yesterday. This is looking bad. Unless we get a goal back soon, we are doomed.

Getting cards as well. Don't forget the obligatory last minute goals that we will concede, so from here USA are firm favourites

There we go, even as i type it's 4-0! What the hell is going on. how can we be so terrible within 24 hours.
Time to go away.

[ssp]

Rani Ramphal scored a vital goal and we sneak through 6-5 on aggregate.

Awful way to get through. But at least we didn't concede at the end and managed to reverse (the inevitable) PC awarded against us in the last few mins. I was just beginning think that our ladies might surprise at the Olympics, but after today, they are just a regular Indian hockey team- no better, no worse than the stuff we've been suffering through the last 4-5 decades. By that I mean, one good performance followed by utter rubbish in the next game.

Now let's see what the men's team dish out. Anything could happen.

[RohitG]

Classic case of complacency vs a motivated underdog (based on yesterday's result) Just glad that it was the Indian team who goes through to Tokyo.

The Russians up next against the men's team and they are not gonna go down without a battle. Workload on our defence now

[ssp]

We are 1-0 down already...this is really awful. We beat Russia 10-0 a few months ago and look at our struggles now!

[jayakris]

I cannot believe that the crazy scenario I wrote yesterday for women ALMOST happened. My God!

Akashdeep scores twice by half time. 3-1 up in the third. Now, we MAY win. Need to score more, because we will allow at least 2 in the last couple of minutes for sure.

[jayakris]

Classic case of complacency..

That is exactly what I was expecting yesterday. Losing 2 goals quickly at the start from complacency. The women did just that, and then panicked for the whole half it seems, under pressure. Great job though, in that we held our nerves in check, and did not allow anything in the second half. That gives me some serious cheer.

Our men are up 4-1 now in the 4th quarter. Now 5-1 on a Rupinder Pal PC. We will win now... I *think*....

Okay, Rupinder scored one more PC in the last minute. 6-1 romp for us. So, no mistakes from our men except at the start. Very nice.

[jayakris]

Do we have a full list of individuals/ teams that have qualified so far?

On the men's side, JPN, ARG, RSA, BEL, and AUS are in as continental qualifiers (Japan makes it in as both hosts, and also the Asian Games champion).

Out of the 7 spots left, 14 teams are playing 2 matches each. 4 decided. So far, CAN, NED, ESP, and IND have won and made it in (beating Ireland, PAK, FRA and RUS respectively).

3 more to be decided this weekend. NZL leads 3-2 on KOR. GER vs Austria, Britain vs Malaysia also.

[RohitG]

I am undecided on whom to root for between Britain and Malaysia. Malaysia are a bogey team but Britain has the prowess to beat us in the tournament.

[rajitghosh]

I was asking about Indian qualifiers across all sports

[jayakris]

I see Rajit. This is just a hockey qualification thread, as it is in the hockey forum. Come to think of it, the title isn't clear. Let me fix it.

[jayakris]

Ok. Added hockey to the thread title.