Bengaluru, Jul 10 (IANS): Former India hockey goalkeeper AB Subbaiah said he has seen a noticeable shift in the mentality of the current men's hockey team, and that unlike in the past, the side has now acquired the "habit of scoring in the dying minutes".

"I like the shift in the mentality of the current team. Nowadays, the Indian team has the habit of scoring in the dying minutes of the game whereas earlier they used to concede goals in the final period," said the two-time Olympian, who was also part of the team that won gold at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, on Friday.

"The team has an experienced defence line. Sreejesh has been consistent for many years, Harmanpreet looks confident in his drag flicks. The midfield looks solid and energetic, led ably by Manpreet Singh, and the forward line is extremely opportunistic and sharp. If the team can emulate their performances from the last two years and play to their potential in the Olympics, then I am sure that they can win a medal this time around," opined Subbaiah.

"The people of India are looking forward to a good performance from our athletes in Tokyo. I hope that both, the men's and women's hockey teams, can lead the way for the rest of the contingent."

Recalling his experiences from the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Games to stress that the Olympics remain the gold standard in competitive hockey, Subbaiah said, "No other tournament can be compared with the Olympics. The Olympics are the benchmark in the competitive hockey circle. Every team adopts a four-year cycle to their preparation because of the Olympics. This is why so many veterans retire after the Olympics, and new players are given a chance to prove themselves.

"You train for four years to compete at this stage. The top teams always have some new tricks up their sleeve which they don't reveal in any tournaments or test games before the Olympics," he said.