“Every match is like a final at the Olympics” – Olympian Mohammed Riaz

Former Indian hockey player Mohammed Riaz, who represented India at the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, feels the key to a successful Olympic sojourn lies when a team utilizes the chances offered to the maximum.

India are gunning to bring home a hockey medal that has eluded the nation since 1980, with experts and enthusiasts concurring that the current Indian team can break the jinx of not winning a hockey medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Mohammed Riaz reminisced about the moment India couldn’t capitalize on their lead against Poland at the Sydney Olympics, drawing the match and eventually bowing out of the Olympics.

“It could have been a game-changing moment for Indian hockey,” he said.

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The former Indian assistant coach said every team at the Olympics will bring out their best and chances will be far and few.

“A team might just get two or three chances in the game and the team must be in excellent shape to convert those chances or utilize those minimum chances. Else, it is going to get difficult,” Mohammed Riaz said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda.

Mohammed Riaz dwelled upon the idiom “Forwards win matches, defenders win championships” and added that the Indian team’s defense is holding up very well.

“The defense line is very important. Sometimes, the strikers do get second opportunities but defenders get none. They have to be on the money and be strong at all times, thwarting all resistance from the opponents,” he said.

While leaking goals could dent the morale of the team, Mohammed Riaz said effective communication is key and the players must motivate each other to turn games around.

“It creates positive energy in the team. It improves the level of the game and should any striker miss a goal, the team members should be able to help the striker have no negative thoughts. It can cause more harm than good if one players’ morale is down,” he explained.

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The Arjuna Award winner explained by drawing an experience from his playing days.

“We always had Mukesh who used to be jovial and kept pepping up the players. He used to make it lively. Even when Dhanraj bhai (Pillay) or myself used to miss a chance, he immediately came up to us and gave us the motivation that we could create another opportunity. We used to be motivated and energized to find that second chance,” Mohammed Riaz explained.

Mohammed Riaz confident of current Indian team

Having watched India play in the Pro League Bhubaneshwar, Mohammed Riaz is confident that the Indian team can return from the Tokyo Olympics with a medal.

“I watched them from close quarters in Bhubaneshwar. The team is working like a well-oiled machine with good communication skills, coordination, good fitness and confidence. Olympics is all about playing well on that day and if you are ready to give more than 100% on the field, you can be a clear winner.”

Riaz feels India can go all the way in Tokyo.

“Every game is crucial and every game is a final when you play at the Olympics. Going by how they have played, I have a good feeling that this team can win a medal in Tokyo,” Mohammed Riaz concluded.

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India are placed in Pool A at the Olympics and will face Australia, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and hosts Japan in the league phase. India will open their account against New Zealand on July 24 and like Mohammed Riaz, every hockey lover will hope that the country returns from Tokyo with a medal.