'India needs to work on penalty corners'

Ranchi: Penalty corner conversion would be the key to Indian hockey team's success in next month's London Olympics, feel former players.

"Unless the Indian team converts two out of three penalty corners into goals in every game, it is very difficult for the team to match the likes of Holland, Germany and Australia," said Michael Kindo, part of the bronze-medal winning 1972 Munich Olympics team.

A fullback in the 1975 World Cup-winning team, Kindo put his faith on drag-flick specialist Sandeep Singh.

"On his day, hardly anyone can match Sandeep Singh in hitting targets in the penalty corners. I hope he excels in all the matches," added Kindo.

India, clubbed in Group 'B' along with Holland, Belgium, Germany, South Korea and New Zealand in the Games beginning July 27, had a good outing in the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia finishing third.

"If the boys continue to play the way they played in Malaysia, there is every chance of India getting an Olympic medal," said another fullback Sylvanus Dungdung, one of the stalwarts that fetched gold medal for India in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.