Coping with the huge jet lag following the 24-hour flight from Bangalore to Santiago is the biggest hurdle for the Indian team which arrived here five days prior to the start of the world hockey Olympic qualifier for men scheduled to be held from March 1 to 9.

“We had anticipated such a scenario in view of the really long flight halfway around the world and different time zones. The players are still in the process of recovering from the jet lag although we have already got into a routine of training and practice,” said chief coach Joaquim Carvalho.

Speaking to PTI here, he felt the flight route could have been planned in a better manner. The team arrived here from Bangalore with lengthy stop-overs in Mumbai, Johannesburg and Sao Paulo.

“Anyway, all that is behind us and our focus is now totally on the tournament which I expect to be a hard-fought one as there is only one spot up for grabs,” he said referring to the fact that six teams would be competing for the lone slot available for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “The sooner we get over the jet lag the better. Right now, the players are sleeping it off in between training sessions. I am happy we came here a few days in advance.” Skipper Prabodh Tirkey expressed happiness over the pitch and felt that it would suit the Indian players.

“It is fast and very even with no bad bounce. In many ways, it is similar to the pitch we practiced on in Bangalore during our training camp. The ball travels well and it should suit our style of play,” Tirkey opined. Incidentally, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) opted for the team to stay in a different lodging than the official team hotel, the Santiago Sheraton.