Ipoh: Indian hockey team's newly appointed chief coach Paul van Ass wants to start his team's preparation for next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in right earnest with a good show in the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament.
"Every chance that you get to play against international opponents, you should should embrace it and take seriously," Van Ass told PTI on the eve of his side's tournament opener against South Korea at the Azlan Shah Stadium, on Sunday.
"The good part is we have already qualified for the Olympics. From that account, there is no pressure, but it is very important tournament for us keeping in mind the preparation for the Olympics, next year.
"This tournament is just the beginning of our preparation for the 2016 Olympics. I just want to get a feel of my team and they want to feel what I can do and as to what changes I can bring about. But we will take every match very seriously, otherwise the information which you procure out of them doesn't turn out to be realistic," the Dutchman said.
Van Ass, who replaced Australian Terry Walsh as India's chief coach barely three weeks ago, said the Azlan Shah Cup will give his side a chance to test themselves against higher-ranked opponents.
"There are three teams who are ranked higher than us. So it is a very nice opportunity for us to see how we play against those teams. Do we really have a chance? Is it possible for us to fix problems that arise? For me, that is going to be valuable information," he said.
The Azlan Shah Cup is Van Ass' first assignment with the Indian team and expectedly all eyes would be on him, but the Dutchman is hardly bothered by that.
"I don't feel any kind of pressure. Pressure is something people create. I am totally in control of the team. I do just what I think we have to do," he said.
Stating that world champions and title holders Australia is the team to beat in this tournament, Van Ass warned his opponents not to underestimate India.
Australia obviously, may be New Zealand (are favorites) but don't forget us," the India coach said.
He also said that the hot and humid conditions can be a cause of concern for all the participating teams.
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