India eves must learn to value possession against NZ: Coach

Antwerp (Belgium): Indian women's hockey coach Mathias Ahrens on Monday said that the team should not only maximise its ball possession but also convert it into goals when they take on New Zealand in a pool match of the World League Semifinals here tomorrow.

India, who suffered a 0-1 loss to hosts Belgium in their first Group B outing, have a lot at stake and only an improved show can revive their chances of qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"We must value the possession after working hard to earn it," said Ahrens, who only recently took up the assignment with the Indian women's team.

"The loss in the first match was disappointing, but we take a lot of positives into the next game," he added.

The coach insisted that the girls failed to grab their chances in the last outing. "The players can do much better. I think fitness wise they were up to the challenge and they worked hard in the field. We should have made the possession count. We had our chances, but could not convert them into goals," said Ahrens.

It would be an uphill task for India against world No. 4 New Zealand, who started this tournament with a 12-0 thumping of Poland on Saturday. The Black Sticks had prevailed 4-1 over India in their last encounter also during the recent Hawke's Bay Cup in New Zealand.

But Ahrens said that the "Indian eves should belief in their ability". 

Belgium's victory over India could help them avoid World champions -- The Netherlands -- in the quarterfinals, but Ahrens is confident that the Indian eves would get a chance to redeem themselves this tournament.

Three teams from each of the World League Semifinals are assured an entry to the Olympics, but some teams outside the semifinals could also qualify for the Olympics. The crucial factor in the World League is to secure an easy quarterfinal, and India have not helped their cause by losing the first tie to Belgium.

But Ahrens said there was a lot still left for India in this tournament, implying that his wards could still aspire for a fifth-place finish if they show some sparkle. At world no. 13, India could still fancy their chances of making it to the 12-nation Olympic lineup, where five spots are reserved for winners of continental competitions.

Six other slots are confirmed for the top three teams from the two World League Semifinals. Some duplication of continental winners with the qualifiers from the World League Semifinals would open up more spots that could even go down to teams that do not make the last four of the Antwerp event.