Blame yourself, umpires' chairman tells India

MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India have been told to stop pointing the finger at umpires after failing to qualify for the Olympic hockey tournament.

The umpires' chairman of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) ordered India to worry instead about finding a strategy to improve.

Eight-times champions India blamed umpiring for their shock failure to reach qualify for the Olympics in August after losing in the final of the qualifying tournament in Chile.

"Blaming umpires is a weakness, and using those tactics will never bring a victory or qualification. It is just an easy way out," FIH umpires' chairman Peter von Reth told the Times of India on Thursday.

"Look at your own performance and find a strategy to improve."

India, who have never missed an Olympics since they sent their first team in 1928, lost 2-0 to Britain in the final of the qualifying tournament earlier this month. Only the winners advanced to the 12-team event in Beijing this August.

National coach Joaquim Carvalho blamed the quality of umpiring in the final for the debacle as the team's elimination triggered dismay across the country.

"Unfortunately some of the reactions in the media are focused on the umpiring, which I feel cannot be the reason for a team not qualifying for the Olympics," Von Reth said.

"At the 2006 Asian Games, India had an opportunity to qualify directly and there they missed out even when there were three spots available.

"Although we didn't get the telecast in The Netherlands, it proved that Great Britain in Santiago was at the winning end of two matches against India," he added, referring to the result in the league phase.

"So instead of pointing fingers at the umpires, I think all should admit that Great Britain were the better team." (Reporting by Sanjay Rajan; Editing by Alastair Himmer)