MEN'S HOCKEY:Over the next week in Belfield, the men's Irish hockey team have a glorious chance to qualify for the London Olympics, writes JOHNNY WATTERSON

THERE HAS been a thread of optimism running through Ireland’s preparation for their Olympic bid beginning tomorrow against Russia.

Although the team goes into the six-team tournament ranked behind number-six side Korea and also Malaysia, the sense that the next eight days represents an historic opportunity to qualify for London 2012 seems far from misplaced.

Ireland stood toe to toe against the already qualified British team a few weeks ago and had mixed results against Belgium, Spain and Holland in warm-up games. Still, the reasons for optimism come from various sources.

Ireland already beat the Korean team last summer as well as fifth-ranked Spain in the European Championships.

Home advantage will also give Ireland an edge and matched against the lower-ranked Russia and Ukraine in the first two matches, possible momentum for going into Korea in the third game has considerable merit.

Arguably the best prepared Irish team to step onto a pitch, the build up in Spain and the UK has been intense and with mixed results but Ireland harbour few feelings of inferiority.

“This is our biggest chance yet to get to the Olympics. Last time (2008) it was a completely different team to the one we have now. We’ve improved,” says Ireland forward Eugene Magee.

“This is the one we’re all aiming for. We are still improving and hopefully we can bring a bit of form from our recent practice games.

“If we play well and get through we will be representing Ireland in the Olympics and it would create a whole new mould for Irish hockey.”

In the early years Magee saw his dream as playing hurling in the Down colours. But his appearance on the county under-18 panel shadowed an inexorable rise up the hockey ladder. He had never held a hockey stick in his hand until he went to secondary school but with hurling in his blood the transition was swift. There are few in the sport whose undimmed club loyalty lies with Banbridge Hockey Club and the hurlers of Ballela.

“Yeah, Banbridge Academy,” he says. “That’s where I started my hockey and started my career. I didn’t touch a hockey stick until I went to secondary school in Banbridge Academy. Primary school was always Gaelic football and hurling in All Saints Ballela. It’s a very small school. It’s a very small place.”

Magee is one of the “Wild Geese” of the team and plays in Belgium. Following a path well worn by former Irish players Stephen Butler, Graham Shaw, Justin Sherriff and Joe Brennan, he settled as a semi-professional with Dragons. He’s one of 12 on the squad of 18 players who are not based in Ireland.

In the 2008 Olympic Qualifier in New Zealand, three players, John Jermyn, now with C of I, Iain Lewers, who switched allegiance to Britain, and Michael Watt, in Grange HC, were the only three not playing with Irish clubs.

“This is my third year in Belgium,” says Magee. “It does help. It allows you to train more because you are semi-professional. There’s more of a focus on the hockey but at the same time Banbridge is always my home club and I’ll always go back. But with hockey being semi-professional in another country, it’s a better option to play there.”

For hockey it’s an opportunity to capture minds, as it did with Magee not too long ago. The Irish women’s team will also be hoping to qualify for London starting next weekend in Belgium. But the challenge of the Dublin tournament brings its own larger dimensions and the five players that survived from New Zealand in 2008 know all about the slim margins that finally separate teams. In Auckland Ireland missed out by one goal on goal difference for a place in the final play-off match.

“There will be science and there will be thought behind what we are doing but we will need a lot of pride and a lot of passion when we are playing,” says Magee.

“The science can tell you so much but every player has to play with a bit of heart. We’ll all need that to get through.”

OLYMPIC QUALIFIER: The lowdown

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

(Belfield, UCD)

March 10th: 12pm Malaysia v Chile; 2:30pm Ireland v Russia; 5pm Korea v Ukraine

March 11th: 12:30pm Malaysia v Russia; 3pm Ukraine v Ireland; 5:30pm Korea v Chile

March 13th: 1pm Ukraine v Malaysia; 3:30pm Russia v Chile; 6pm Ireland v Korea

March 15th: 1pm Russia v Ukraine; 3:30 Malaysia v Korea; 6pm Chile v Ireland

March 17th: 10am Korea v Russia; 12:30pm Chile v Ukraine; 3pm Ireland v Malaysia

March 18th: 11am 5th in pool v 6th in pool; 1:30pm 3rd in pool v 4th in pool; 4pm 2nd in pool v 1st in pool

WHAT IS AT STAKE?

There are three Olympic Qualifying tournaments this year. The winners of each tournament will gain direct entry to London 2012.

The first was held in New Delhi in February, which India won and they are now qualified. The Irish event is the second. To qualify for London Ireland must win. Next month Japan host the third tournament, where one more team will advance. The three competition winners join the nine teams already qualified to make up the group of 12 nations to compete in London 2012.

DO IRELAND HAVE A CHANCE?

Ireland at 16 is the third-ranked team with Korea (6) and Malaysia (13) above them. Russia is 20, Chile 26 and Ukraine 29 in the world.

HAVE IRELAND QUALIFIED FOR THE OLYMPICS BEFORE?

No, but a team was invited to play in 1908.

IS HOCKEY AN ALL-IRELAND SPORT?

Yes, although many of the players are semi-professional and play with clubs in Holland, Spain, the UK and Belgium.

TELEVISION?

Setanta will show play-offs 3 v 4 and 5 v 6 as well as delayed showing of the final. RTÉ will show the final if Ireland are involved. The FIH (International Hockey Federation) will provide live streaming of the matches on their website.

IRELAND’S SQUAD

ID Ames (Beeston), C Cargo (Reading), P Carruth (Annadale), T Cockram (Lisnagarvey), M Darling (SCHC), D Fitzgerald (Monkstown), P Gleghorn (Instonians), R Gormley (Club De Campo), C Harte (SCHC), D Harte (SCHC), J Jackson (Braxata), J Jermyn (Cork C of I), S Loughrey (Loughborough), E Magee (Dragons), G McCabe (RS Tenis), A McConnell (Hurley), I Sloan (Cookstown), M Watt (RS Tenis)