Chennai, March 1, 2008 -  From India’s point of view, the significance of the hockey Olympic qualifier starting at Santiago on Saturday cannot be underestimated. Never before has the uncertainty over gaining a berth for the Olympics at Beijing been dissected with apprehension by the fraternity.

An Olympic place through the qualifier route is nothing new for India. Since 1988, the question of India figuring in Olympic hockey has cropped up time and again. The qualifiers that India played in Auckland (1991), Barcelona (1995) and Madrid (2004) were in a totally different format as it was enough to finish among the top five.

However, Santiago is different as only the champion goes to Beijing. The norms framed by the International Hockey Federation for 2008 are so demanding that only the winners of the three qualifiers will make the grade. This has put enormous pressure on India as well as the rest.

Even a powerful side like Argentina has missed the bus, going down to New Zealand through a golden goal in their qualifying tie held on Feb. 9.

It is not just optimism to expect India to emerge on top in the Chilean capital. The record of the opposition is modest, save for the eighth-ranked Great Britain, winner of the 1988 Olympiad in Seoul. India has to beat Great Britain twice, including the final (if the two sides get there), to ensure a spot. More