Why winning the Asia Cup is even tougher for Indian men’s hockey team now

India cannot afford to spend time ruminating on other teams’ lost opportunities

If at all the Indian men’s hockey team were tacitly seeking any favours from some of their fellow Asian teams in their pursuit to seal a berth for the 2014 World Cup at the second men’s Hockey World League Round 3 event in Johor Bahru, there were none coming.

In fact, the disappointing performances of the three major Asian teams – world number five Pakistan, eighth-ranked South Korea and 13^th-ranked Malaysia – in the second men’s Hockey World League Round 3 event in Johor Bahru have made India’s job of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup by winning the ninth Asia Cup even tougher.

India’s hopes of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup would have got a huge boost if two of the three Asian teams finished in the top three of the second men’s Hockey World League Round 3 event in Johor Bahru. Of course, the hopes of two Asian nations making to the World Cup qualifying stage were wiped out in the quarterfinal stage itself when Pakistan pressed the ‘inconsistent button’ and went down to lower ranked Korea 3-4, while hosts Malaysia were handed a 0-6 pasting by Olympic gold medallist and top-ranked Germany.

Effectively going into the semifinals, South Korea was the lone Asian country with the hope of achieving a top-3 finish and sealing its 2014 World Cup berth.

But South Korea’s 1-2 defeat at the hands of England in the third place play-off tie must have been something India, for that matter Pakistan or Malaysia would not have wished for – simply because all four teams – India, Pakistan, South Korea and Malaysia would now have to slug it out for the lone berth from Asia – winning the ninth Asia Cup.

Had Malaysia, who finished fifth in the Johor Bahru event, managed to sneak out a top-three finish along with South Korea or Pakistan , the pressure would have eased a bit on India as they are aware that only two Asian teams are eligible to participate in the 2014 World Cup berth. With all Asian team faring poorly at Johor Bahru, it means that the big four of the continent will have to duke it out for the two available spots.

It is often said that good teams invariably plays to win and don’t care two hoots about permutations and combinations while qualifying for a marquee event.

This precisely should be the line of thinking of the Indian men’s hockey team when they prepare for the crucial tournament at their upcoming national camp beginning in Bengaluru on July 16.

The writing is clearly on the wall for India. But, it hardly means that we should give up hope. Fortunately, India is placed in Pool B which features only one strong team South Korea besides unfancied sides like Oman and Bangladesh against whom we are expected to sail through.

So making it to the semifinals should be well within India’s grasp. Look at Pool A – Pakistan has to counter Malaysia and rapidly improving Japan in their bid to make it to the last-four stage.

It’s quite clear that India has got a favourable draw. It will all boil down to two big matches – their semifinal and the final, though one is not trying to suggest in any way that the Blueshirts can afford to take the league phase lightly.

A bit of favour from the fellow Asian teams would have helped India’s cause, but why bother about things that are not in their control – they just have to play as a team and win the Asia Cup – instead of thinking about ‘ifs and buts’!