August 7, 2016 will be a red-letter day for Indian womens hockey -- the teams match against Japan will mark their first time at the Olympics since the 1980 edition in Moscow. But expect no miracles from the side that will be ranked lowest in their pool at 13. Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, Japan and USA have all improved significantly in recent years. The Argentines recently avenged their 2012 Olympic final defeat to the Netherlands in the Champions Trophy final in London.The key thing for India is that they can dominate matches in chunks, and when they do that they tend to play free-flowing hockey and score lots of goals. If such a trend can be established against Japan -- in their least-challenging pool fixture, at least on paper -- then the likes of Rani Rampal, Poonam Rani and Vandana Katariya could have a major influence in the later matches.The teamGoalkeeper: Savita PuniaDefenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Deepika Thakur (vice-captain), Namita Toppo, Sunita Lakra, Sushila Chanu (captain)Midfielders: Navjot Kaur, Monika Malik, Renuka Yadav, Lilima MinzForwards: Anuradha Devi, Poonam Rani, Vandana Kataria, Rani Rampal, Nikki Pradhan, Preeti DubeyOn standby: Rajani Etimarpu, H Lalruat FeliThe key datesAugust 6-19How they got thereThe Indian womens team qualified for the Olympics by finishing fifth in the Antwerp leg of the Hockey World League semi-finals.What they sayNeil Hawgood (chief coach):?This is the first time this team is going to experience the aura of being at the Olympics. It is a big moment for all of them. Each athlete in the team is both physically and mentally strong for the task ahead of us.Sushila Chanu:?While this is the happiest moment for us to be a part of the Olympics for the first time, there is an equal amount of responsibility.ExtrasIndias womens team has qualified for the Olympics after a 36-year gap. They had previously competed in 1980, which was the first year that womens hockey was played at the Games.?Indias track record* India finished fourth out of six teams in the 1980 Olympics -- the only edition they had qualified for before Rio. Jacob Trouba Jersey .J. -- Seven games into a disappointing season, New York Giants defensive catalyst Jason Pierre-Paul is getting the feeling hes back. Kyle Connor Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. http://www.authenticjetsshopnhl.com/mark-scheifele-jersey/ . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. Teemu Selanne Jersey . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. Thomas Steen Jersey . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. A-League clubs resume competitive football in the FFA Cup and theyre promising to be just that - competitive.Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners have potentially slippery Cup round of 32 encounters in the form of grassroots clubs, while Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix face each other in Sydneys Campbelltown.City, who face WA National Premier League side Floreat Athena in Perth, know the dangers of playing a hungry lower league side.It took a 94th-minute Aaron Mooy goal against Edgeworth Eagles to send City through to the round of 16 last year, and coach John van t Schip wants a more straightforward success on Tuesday night.They will give everything they have. We have to be focused on our own game and gameplan, he said.Were more than pleased with this competition and we want to get further.Corey Gameiro (knee) and new signing Neil Kilkenny (foot) are absences for City.Van t Schip said Kilkenny would resume training this week after the minor issue.The Mariners arent taking their trip to Green Gully, in Melbournes north-west lightly, Central Coast captain Nick Montgomery expecting a tough test.They will be strong and were preparing for a battle, he told the clubs website.If you go there with the wrong attitude in one of these games youre going tto get turned over and thats something we cant afford to do.ddddddddddddWere chomping at the bit for this game. Its a competitive game early in our pre-season and were delighted to be preparing for it.The Wanderers remain the only A-League club to date to have lost to a state league club - Adelaide City in 2014 - and perhaps for that reason coach Tony Popovic said he was happy to face Wellington.Its good to have the A-League side first up and Im sure the players are looking forward to it, Popovic said.Western Sydney defeated Brisbane 2-1 in a closed-doors friendly last Friday but Popovic