Former captains Ajitpal Singh and Zafar Iqbal Thursday hailed India's inspiring win over Pakistan in the Incheon Asian Games hockey final, that ended a 16-year wait for the gold medal, and said that it was high time for the eight-time Olympic champions to have a solid plan in place for the 2016 Rio Games.
Both Ajitpal and Zafar agreed that qualifying for the 2016 Rio Games two years in advance is the biggest bonus for the team. There was shock and disbelief when India, whose last Olympic gold came in the 1980 Games, missed the 2008 Beijing Games, the first time in 82 years, but then managed to qualify for the 2012 London Games where they finished last.
"During our playing days there were no qualifiers. India always got a direct entry. But once these qualifying tournaments started, there are always uncertainties over India's qualification. I feel the biggest advantage of the Asian Games gold medal is that we have also booked a berth for the Rio Games. We have two years in hand and I think it is a good enough time to prepare for the Olympics," Ajitpal told IANS.
Zafar said that having a proper plan for the 2016 Olympics is now the need of the hour for Hockey India (HI).
"Let the boys enjoy their win, but we need to settle down quickly. HI needs to have a sound plan in place with an eye on the Rio Games. The Asian Games win will also encourage a generation of youngsters because they now have something to play for," he said.
More than Ajitpal, Zafar was a relieved man since under his captaincy India were humiliated 1-7 when the two neighbours faced off the last time in the Asian Games final, in 1982 Delhi.
"It was the saddest day of my life. We started the game well but slowly it slipped out of our hands. But today I am a relieved man along with Mir Ranjan Negi (who was the goalkeeper in 1982). This is a great win for India and against Pakistan makes it special," Zafar told IANS.
Ajitpal hoped the Incheon win will help India forget the pain of the 1982 Asiad final.
"The 1982 Game final was a sad day for Indian hockey. I was there at the stadium and we were defeated badly in front of our Prime Minister. But I feel the Incheon Games win will help us forget that day and will also inspire the next generation of hockey players," Ajitpal told IANS.
They were all praise for goalkeeper P.R.Sreejesh, who starred in the final with two brilliant saves in the shoot-outs that India won 4-2 after the 60 minutes of play ended 1-1.
"Sreejesh is the Man of the Tournament. I have lost count on how many occasions this guy has given us wins. He is incredible," said Ajitpal.
The two legends were equally impressed with the young Indian side, especially the calmness shown by youngsters like Akashdeep Singh and Rupinderpal Singh in the shoot-outs.
"It is a relatively young side. But I am impressed with the way the youngsters kept their cool while attempting shoot-outs," said Ajitpal.
Zafar was happy to see India dominate the match but said they cannot afford to miss easy goals.
"It was delightful to see India dominate the match. We started defensively and then gained momentum. India was clearly the better side than Pakistan in all areas. But we cannot afford to miss chances. If we commit these mistakes against top-ranked teams we would be punished hard," said Zafar.
