Indian hockey team can win a medal at Tokyo Olympics 2020, says Dilip Tirkey

Indian hockey lovers would resonate with Dilip Tirkey as a defender par excellence. The Odisha player always had something up his sleeve to motivate the team when the chips were down. A livewire on the field, Dilip Tirkey was also a good reader of the game.

Dilip Tirkey has represented India in three Olympics – at Atlanta in 1996, Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004.

While a first is always special, Dilip Tirkey reminisced about the time he walked out on the turf at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

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"Every athlete has a dream of becoming an Olympian and I got a chance of playing in the Olympics for the first time in 1996. We had some big players in our team at that time such as our Captain Pargat Singh Powar. I was very excited to play in the Olympics,” the defender told Hockey India.

Dilip Tirkey (PC: Dilip Tirkey)

As it was the first time Dilip Tirkey was playing at the Olympics, he made sure to soak into the atmosphere it had offered.

"There were many exciting moments for us at the 1996 Olympics. Tennis star Leander Paes also made history in the Olympics by winning a Bronze Medal. It was India's first Olympics in an individual event in a long time. We got to see the US President Bill Clinton as well, who visited the Olympic Village. I went to watch the athletics and football events at the Olympics as well,” he said.

At the Atlanta Olympics, India finished a dismal eighth after losing their last classification match to Great Britain. India had earlier finished third in the preliminary rounds, finishing behind Spain and Germany.

Dilip Tirkey's biggest regret - 2000 Olympics

In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, India did not manage to qualify for the semifinals and finished seventh after a 2–3 loss to England in the classification match.

A draw against Poland rubbed salt on India’s wounds as they finished third in the group behind Australia and South Korea. Dilip Tirkey mentions it as a biggest regret as a player and for the Indian team.

Incidentally, the only goal for India came from Dilip Tirkey in the 53rd minute.

He said:

"We performed very well in the league stages of the 2000 Olympics. We played well against Argentina, Australia, and Spain and we needed to defeat Poland to qualify for the semifinals, but we couldn't do it."

Tirkey went on to explain what happened in the match against Poland. He said:

"The match against Poland got so difficult for us and it ended in a 1-1 draw in the end. We were leading 1-0 after I scored in the 53rd minute but Poland managed to score in the last few moments of the match. If we had beaten Poland, then we could have qualified for the semi-finals and after that anything could have happened. The draw against Poland has remained a sad memory for us."

The Indian hockey team will commence their Tokyo Olympics 2020 journey when they meet New Zealand on July 24. Dilip Tirkey has high expectations out of the Indian team this time.

"I have great expectations from the current team. I think there is a lot of quality in the side, and they have a good chance of finishing on the podium at Tokyo. I would like to wish the team all the very best and I hope that they do well in the Olympics this year," the former Indian captain said.

Watch: Olympics Explained: Can India end 41-year Medal drought in Hockey?

Off the field, Dilip Tirkey has been instrumental in popularizing the sport and acting as a role model for future stars. Amit Rohidas, who hails from the same village of Sundargarh as Dilip Tirkey, said the former captain has been an inspiration for many.

“He (Dilip Tirkey) has inspired many from my village to look at Hockey as an engine of change. From where I belong, Hockey is not only a sporting discipline but a vehicle for socio-economic growth. I have become the first non-tribal hockey Olympian from the state of Odisha,” Amit, who has 97 caps, said.