Mission Olympics: Sandeep feels team’s hard work will pay off, Nobbs says a top-six finish may be possible

Sandeep Singh, the hero of India's Olympic qualifiers, is confident of a good show and says that he has been working hard to improve his drag-flicking skills, says a report in The Tribune.

"I always try to give my best and improve my skills as per the changing trends of the game. I have a feeling that India will be one of the better teams to compete in the London Olympics," Sandeep told from La Albercia in Spain.

Asked about the team's preparations, the senior player sounded pretty confident. "We have been doing well for the past six months in the run-up to the Olympics. We have put in a lot of hard work and hopefully, it would pay off when it matters the most." He didn't seem to agree that the Indians would be under immense pressure at the quadrennial extravaganza.

"There is no pressure on us as we are much more confident of doing better this time around." While the team's Australian coach Michael Nobbs is eyeing a top-six finish, his key player feels that the "primary target should always be a podium finish." "The idea will be to take one match at a time rather than thinking too far ahead. We are planning proper strategies for each of our opponents," says the Tribune report.

Meanwhile, chief hockey coach Michael Nobbs is still bemused by the question that tripped off everybody's tongue once India qualified for the Olympics earlier this year: "Will we win a medal?" Nobbs feels a top-six finish may be possible with a bit of luck, says a report in The Times Of India.

At the same time, he also acknowledges that the new blue turf in London, the weather and lack of enough preparatory matches will dictate India's progress in the Olympic hockey tournament.

But as is his wont, Nobbs would rather control the controllables. He is pleased with the progress on the fitness front, in the players' commitment and the way they have come around to his ideas.

Meanwhile The Hindu writes that among the 90-odd countries that have some table tennis links, India has been consistent in sending its players for the Olympics ever since its introduction in Seoul in the year 1988 , however, no Indian — male or female — has been able to make a mark.  Will the script change in the London Olympics?, asks the report.

“Two surprise 19-year-old debutants, Soumyajit Ghosh and Ankita Das, will be eager to put their best foot forward. They would want to prove to their critics and well-wishers that they deserve their places in London ahead of more accomplished senior paddlers. Soumyajit and Ankita, both hailing from Siliguri, booked their tickets to the Olympics defeating higher ranked players Amalraj and K. Shamini respectively in the qualification tournament held in Hong Kong,” says the report.

“Soumyajit and Ankita are no upstarts having had sufficient international exposures. Last year alone, they travelled to France, Spain, Bahrain and Sweden, among other countries, for training and tournaments,” writes The Hindu.

Will the two youngsters, Soumyajit and Ankita, do what their predecessors couldn’t?