NEW DELHI, June 16: Former head coach Roelant Oltmans has picked the Indian men’s hockey team among the medal contenders for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in July-August.
In an insightful conversation with ‘Hockey Te Charcha’, a podcast series initiated by Hockey India ahead of the Olympics, Oltmans emphasised that mental toughness will be a deciding factor for any team to succeed in Tokyo.
“For me, India is among the top five contenders to win a medal in Tokyo. The team has shown good consistency,” he said.
However, Oltmans warned against needless panicking in pressure situations.
The Dutch coach anticipates that the weather conditions in Tokyo will be another key factor.
Oltmans was head coach when India reached the quarterfinals in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He believes that the team has made headway since then.
India has not won an Olympic medal in the sport since 1980. (PTI)
