There are a number of reasons why the Indian women's hockey team's opening encounter of the XIX Commonwealth Games against Scotland here today could so easily make or break their campaign
There are a number of reasons why the Indian women's hockey team's opening encounter of the XIX Commonwealth Games against Scotland here today could so easily make or break their campaign.
The Indian eves have been placed in a tough pool alongside champions Australia, South Africa, Trinidad & Tobago, besides the Scots. While the Aussie women will be the toughest of the lot, India have beaten South Africa 4-3 at the recent FIH World Cup in Rosario, Argentina and are expected to put it across Trinidad & Tobago too.
However, the Scots are no pushovers and coach Sandeep Somesh is well aware of that. "Normally in a tournament you tend to have at least one easy match, but there are no easy games for us here. And Scotland will be our first and most important encounter. We don't know much about them so in a sense they are an unknown quantity.
Favourites
"People may say that we are favourites going into today's game being hosts and given our good track record in the CWG (Indian eves won gold in Manchester CWG 2002 and silver in Melbourne 2006), but I will be relieved if we get three points," Somesh told MiD DAY yesterday.
If India is to qualify for the semi-finals from Pool A along with Australia, they have to win at least four of their five group matches considering a potential slip up against the Aussies (Australia beat India 6-3 at the World Cup recently). But Somesh has another unknown factor to contend with in Trinidad & Tobago.
"I'm not even thinking about the podium right now. Our priority is to reach the semis. Another crucial game for us will be T&T. I believe a lot of hockey players from England, who are unable to make it to their national team, have moved base to Trinidad. So, they could be another hard nut to crack," said Somesh.
Add the host of recent controversies the Indian women's hockey team have been through - sex scandal that saw the subsequent ouster of coach MK Kaushik, followed by a recent campaign aimed at removing Somesh too - the Indian eves have a mountain to climb.
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