Karachi: The Indian team today (Apr 29, 2004) received a shot in the arm when the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) secretary Tan Sri Dato'Seri Alagendra said the country had the potential to bring Olympic glory back to Asia.

Alagendra said the three top sides in the continent - India, Pakistan and South Korea - have been training and preparing hard for the event and all have a chance of winning the title in Olympics, starting in August.

"We are confident that one of the three men's team - India, Pakistan and South Korea - can bring the Olympic glory back to Asia and are ready to take the Europeans head on," said Alagendra after AHF's 40th Council meeting in Karachi.

The AHF meeting was held on the sidelines of the 10-nation fifth junior Asia Cup currently being held in Karachi.

Pakistan was the last Asian country to win an Olympic title in 1984 while Korea finished runners-up to the Netherlands in the Sydney Olympic four years ago.

Netherlands has won the last two Olympic titles in Atlanta 1996 and Sydney in 2000.

"Malaysia has missed out, but we have India who has won eight Olympic titles, Pakistan with three Olympic golds and South Korea who has been doing well at international level in the last 10 years," said the AHF secretary.