Hockey legend and captain of the Indian men's hockey team at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games Vasudevan Baskaran believes the indian teams are poised to bring glory at the Tokyo Olympic Games scheduled for this July. In a candid conversation with Hockey Te Charcha, a podcast series launched by Hockey India in the lead up to the Olympic Games, Baskaran expressed that the teams must inculcate a strong belief that they can finish on the podium.
"The men's team has been playing really well. My advice to them is to keep the confidence level up. Each player has come up the hard way to reach here. It would perhaps be the first Olympics for about seven-eight players, and I feel they shouldn't just be happy with the 'Olympian title' but they should aim for a medal. This is possible only when everybody in the team believes that they can be a medal-winning team and finish on the podium," he said.
Speaking of the women's team, Baskaran stated that the team has gained tremendous confidence since their previous outing at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Beating USA at the FIH Olympic Qualifier, Baskaran says the team led by Rani has earned its place in the Olympic by sheer determination. Now, they must remain focused on finishing in top 4.
"When I was playing 1980 Moscow Olympics, women's hockey was included. Our Indian team had missed the bronze medal closely. After seeing the current Indian women's hockey team, particularly from 2016 they have developed a lot of confidence. I saw them play live in Bhubaneswar when they beat USA, one of the best teams in the world. They rightfully earned the place in the Olympics," he pointed.
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