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Getting to represent the country at the Olympics is a dream achievement for any athlete and hockey is no exception. The eight Olympic titles are now history as the Indians have not won gold since Moscow 1980 and have not made it to the semifinals since Munich 1972 (as the Moscow Games did not involve a semifinal).
That said, the Indians have been on the path to ascendancy over the last five years or so after having moved up the ranking ladder to be counted amongst the top sides in world hockey.
It's Olympic year once again - but only the best can hope to make it to Tokyo and, for once, the Indian coaching staff have a plethora of talent available for selection - particularly, in a couple of departments.
The ability of the Indian forwards to strike fear in the minds of the opposition thanks to the fast counterattacking skills is what sets them apart - and, the competition for places up front is huge.
From SV Sunil and Lalit Upadhyaya to Ramandeep and Mandeep Singh, there are an array of options to choose from while the places on offer aren't as many.
In the drag-flick department, the Indians are fortunate to have a four-man PC battery; however, not all the drag-flickers may find a place in the final squad as the internal battle for spots hots up ahead of the Olympics.
We take a look at three individuals who will need strong Pro League performances in order to be included in the final squad for the Olympic Games.
#3 Rupinder Pal Singh
Not so long ago, the mainstay of the drag-flick department, Rupinder lost his place after a few disappointing outings in 2018 and has been in and out of the side ever since.
Indian hockey's poster boy was not part of the team that won silver in the Champions Trophy at Breda and Bobby failed to make it to the World Cup as well.
In Rupinder's absence, the Indian drag-flickers spearheaded by Harmanpreet Singh performed admirably with Varun Kumar chipping in when needed.
Adding variety and the element of surprise was Amit Rohidas.
As India's Analytical Coach and master drag-flicker, Chris Ciriello, mentioned to Sportskeeda in an earlier interview, the best drag-flickers are always on the radar of the opposition coaches who analyse every move forcing the PC specialists to change their strategy on a continuous basis.
As was evident from India's Pro League opener against the Netherlands, the Indian think-tank pinned their faith on Rupinder to surprise the opposition with his drag flicks and the move paid rich dividends.
It will be interesting to see which of the drag-flickers are called upon in the upcoming Pro League matches against Belgium and Australia, but Rupinder has a lot more to do to cement his place in the team considering that Varun Kumar will return at some point which will give the selectors a lot to think about.
Dilpreet Singh was the new star on the horizon who made his way into the senior squad at the Four-Nations Invitational in New Zealand in early 2018.
Having caught the eye of the selectors with encouraging performances at the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2017, Dilpreet did well at New Zealand and was on the flight to Gold Coast as part of the Indian team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
India's failure to finish on the podium led to a furore with critics pointing fingers at the coaching staff for having blooded in youngsters like Dilpreet Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad (who made his senior debut at the same as DIlpreet) too early.
Notwithstanding a change of coach, Dilpreet was selected for the Breda Champions Trophy, the Asian Games, and the World Cup but slipped into oblivion last year.
The 20-year-old was not included for the Azlan Shah Cup, FIH Series Finals, or the Olympic qualifiers and missed out on the tour to Australia and Belgium as well.
Dilpreet did, however, play the Sultan of Johor Cup and did well enough to be recalled into the senior core group ahead of the Pro League.
The prodigious talent will need to combine well with his senior counterparts if he is to return to the senior ranks - but, is more than capable of earning a place in the Olympic squad if he only has a decent Pro League season.
#1 Ramandeep Singh
Ramandeep's career has been dogged by injury for quite a while now but the gritty striker has never failed to amaze by managing to effect successful comebacks each time.
Ramandeep who had to fly back to India for knee surgery following the first match of the Breda Champions Trophy against Pakistan missed the rest of the 2018 season - which included the Asian Games and World Cup.
The 26-year-old from Gurdaspur played the senior nationals and was on the verge of returning to action on the international stage at the 2019 Azlan Shah Cup when he suffered yet another injury and had to wait until the FIH Series Finals to make a comeback into the India squad.
Ramandeep played the Olympic qualifiers too but was not in the team that beat the Netherlands in the 2020 Pro League opener.
With stiff competition for places in the forward line, Ramandeep who missed the 2014 and 2018 World Cups due to injury will need to perform exceptionally well in the Pro League if he does wish to make it to Tokyo 2020.
