After Sunday's Champions Challenge final defeat, hockey coach Michael Nobbs talks about India's precarious, yet possible Olympic qualification

The Indian hockey team may have broken a million hearts with their 3-4 defeat in the dying moments of the final of the Champions Challenge to Belgium in Johannesburg on Sunday, but coach Michael Nobbs is satisfied with the team's progress nevertheless.u00a0The Australian said the second place finish, though disappointing, will keep India in good stead for the all-important Olympic Qualifiers to be played in New Delhi in February next year.


Gurbaj Singh effects a tackle during India's Asian Games semi-final
against Malaysia in Guangzhou, China last year. Pic/AFP

Excerpts from an interview

The team did well throughout the Champions Challenge and looked certain to clinch the title before losing the final in the last few minutes to Belgium. What went wrong in those final moments?
It's really disappointing to lose like this... we had things under control at 3-1 in the second half. But we can take a lot of positives from here. It's better that we learn from ouru00a0 mistakes and make certain improvements before the Olympic Qualifiers (February).


India hockey coach Michael Nobbs

Going into the Champions Challenge did you think winning the title was a possibility?
I think we were always long way off the title as there were some very good teams in this tournament but we made some good progress. David (John, physiotherapist) and I have been coaching for just 17 weeks now, so it's not really a long time. We have attempted to reintroduce hockey patterns that India always had and improve on them with our Australian style.