Australia will be a team to beat at Olympic's men hockey competition

Rio de Janeiro:  The Olympic hockey competition springs into action as world number two the Netherlands take on Pan American champions Argentina ranked seventh  at Rio’s purpose built  Deodoro Olympic Park  here tomorrow. Twelve men and women teams who qualified through the Hockey World League and Continental Championships have been divided into two Pools. Germany might be the twice defending Olympic champions but top-ranked Australia will be the team to beat at Rio. Since 1992 Australia have won a medal at every Olympic tournament and the World Cup winners will be the favourites to clinch what would be only their second gold medal. The Kookaburras, who recently beat India in a penalty shootout in the Champions Trophy final, only managed a bronze four years ago in London despite being  overwhelming favourites. Their London heartbreak triggered a lot of soul searching from the men in gold and green. Mark Knowles and Jamie Dwyer, a five-time International Hockey Federation player of the year, provide Australia with a wealth of experience since these will be their fourth Games. Coach Graham Reid has also included the tried and tested Eddie Ockenden, Simon Orchard, Mathew Swann, Chris Ciriello and  Glen Turner. Germany, who triumphed in Beijing and London, are ranked third in the world. The squad chosen by head coach Valentin Altenburg contains seven Olympic  gold medallists from London, Moritz Furste, Martin Haner, Oliver Korn, Florian Fuchs, Oscar Deecke and Christopher Wesley. The calibrated and clinical Germans have more firepower with the inclusion of 2013 FIH young player of the year Christopher Ruhr besides reliable goalkeeper Nicolas Jacobi. Current European champions and Olympic gold medallists from 1996 and 2000, the Netherlands has a squad containing a glittering array of world class talent. Their leading light is 2015 FIH Hockey Stars Player of the Year Robert van der Horst, while rapid striker Jeroen Hertzberger, skillful playmaker Billy Bakker, powerhouse defender turned penalty corner expert Mink van der Weerden and goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann are all hugely influential figures. In-form and with plenty of firepower, the silver medallists from London 2012 are genuine contenders for the gold medal. Over the past two years, 2015 Pan American Games winners Argentina have developed into a side that can challenge the very best in the world. They have already sounded the bugle when they overwhelmed Australia 3-0 in a practice match here. Head Coach and former Argentina international Carlos “Chapa” Retegui – the man who, remarkably, guided both the men and the women’s national sides to  bronze medals at the 2014 Hockey World Cup – is overseeing
 the revolution, helping Los Leones (The Lions) to realise their massive potential. Key players include veteran captain Matias Paredes, defender Pedro Ibarra and creative genius Lucas Vila, although it is drag-flicking defender Gonzalo Peillat who often grabs the headlines and goalkeeper Juan Manuel Vivaldi. The competition will be played on the four quarters of fifteen minutes each format with the top four teams of each Pool advancing to the quarter final playoffs. The blue synthetic pitch with unique green runoff combination and yellow ball lends a distinct Brazilian flavour with the optimised surface using the latest technology texturised monofilament fibres for enhanced play characteristics, softer fibres for better underfoot feel and superior water retention.