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Azlan Shah Cup from today

Indians face Kiwis

IPOH: Four Olympic-bound nations aim to fine-tune their preparations at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup which starts on Thursday, while India struggles to pick up the pieces after a tumultuous few months.

Defending champion Australia is not playing, which opens the door for Canada, Belgium, Pakistan and New Zealand, who have all qualified for the Beijing Games in August.

Other teams in the fray at the annual men’s field hockey tournament are host Malaysia, runner-up to Australia last year, and Argentina.

In focus

How India fares will be closely watched with the National team in crisis after a bribery scandal and failure to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 80 years saw its controversial hockey federation sacked.

The omens however do not look good, with the fallen giant winning only one of eight games at two tournaments in Australia over the past fortnight.

The eight-time Olympic champion has dropped nine players who took part in the Australia series and named eight rookies among its 18-member squad as it looks for a new beginning.

Drag flicker Sandeep Singh, who missed India’s Olympic qualification campaign, is included while Prabhjot Singh, William Xalxo, Adrian D’Souza and Ignace Tirkey are left out.

India faces New Zealand first up on Thursday.

Confident Pakistan

Unlike India, Pakistan is confident that it can lift the trophy for the first time since 2003 as it builds up for a shot at the Olympic title.

“We should win this tournament. Our players are fit and in top form. We are taking this tournament seriously because it will be part of our preparations for the Olympics in Beijing,” said chief coach Khawaja Zakauddin.

Pakistan opens its campaign against Malaysia — which was devastated at failing to qualify for Beijing — and will be out to prove a point here.

“Judging by the teams competing this time, Malaysia have a fighting chance to win the tournament,” said an upbeat Malaysian Hockey Federation Secretary Hashim Yusoff.

But the home nation is without three key players including veteran defender S. Kuhan, who has 330 international caps, but is yet to recover from a groin injury.

Also out injured are midfielder Shahrun Nabil and forward Razie Abdul.

The other game on Thursday sees Argentina play Belgium.

Pargat is manager

Former Olympian Pargat Singh has been named the Indian team’s manager.

“Pargat replaced R.K. Shetty for the Azlan Shah meet,” Aslam Sher Khan, who is heading the ad-hoc selection committee, told PTI.

Shetty was the manager of the side during the tenure of former coach Joaquim Carvalho and was part of the Indian contingent during the side’s debacle in Olympic qualifiers in Chile.

On the three players — Tushar Khandekar, Samir Baxla and Baljit Singh — who along with Carvalho came back to India from Australia instead of heading to Malaysia for the Azlan Shah meet, Aslam said they were “victims of conspiracy.”

“The manager did not inform them about the change in schedule and they came back. It was a conspiracy,” he said.

“We do not want to disturb the team. We want minimum confusion in the side. I am in constant touch with coach A.K. Bansal. He thinks the team looks balanced. If he wants more players then these three would be asked to go. We have contacted employers of these players regarding this,” he said. — Agencies

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