Australian Michael Nobbs faces his first big test as India’s field hockey coach as he aims to win the Olympic qualifying tournament starting in New Delhi on Saturday. India, past masters in the sport with a record eight Olympic men’s titles, suffered a setback when they failed to make it to the 2008 Beijing Games for the first time since their maiden appearance in 1928. The hosts have shown encouraging results since Nobbs took over as coach last June, starting with a victory in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy tournament in China. India then finished runners-up at the Champions Challenge tournament before beating South Africa 3-1 in a five-match home series in January. A favourable draw and familiar conditions make 10th-ranked India strong favourites in the six-team group comprising Canada (14th), France (18th), Poland (19th), Italy (28th) and Singapore (41st). Only the winner after a round-robin league and final will make the trip to London. “I’m confident of qualifying provided something does not go awfully wrong and there are no bad umpiring decisions against us,” Nobbs said ahead of the qualifiers. “Almost all international teams still fear us. It is the talent of Indian players that makes them potent. We are a naturally attacking side.” Three Olympic berths are up for grabs in the men’s section, with the remaining two to be decided after the qualifying tournaments in Dublin and the Japanese city of Kakamigahara.
