I beg to differ with former India hockey captain & Olympic Gold Quest CEO Viren Rasquinha when he says that it is unrealistic to hope for medal from our hockey team at Rio Olympics. Nobody expected or had realistic hope from Kapil Dev & his men to win the 1983 world cup in England but we won the cup which in fact brought a new revolution in Indian cricket from where we never looked back. Hockey on the other hand is a game which we once mastered and Olympics is about national pride and our boys should go out with an hope & aim to win a medal.
Sorry Viren, but recent years records should be no baggage when our boys leave for Rio. Former great including ace hockey player Viren Rasquinha for whom I have the highest regard should keep passing on their vitals tips and experience to our boys who should be egged all the way to win a medal at the Olympics. Yes, a medal on present form looks difficult but the motivation and hard work should be there to turn the impossible into a reality. Minnows have won sporting laurels at Olympics and other major sporting events. There is no reason why India should go to Rio only as a participants but our entire nation should root for our hockey India to win a medal there.
S N Kabra
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
