India, Pakistan set for explosive grudge match
Saturday, 13 November 2010
GUANGZHOU, Nov 12 (AFP): Bitter rivals India and Pakistan are gearing for an intriguing slugfest as South Korea and China chase a hat-trick of titles in the Asian Games field hockey.
With a ticket to the London Olympics at stake -- the men's and women's champions get a direct entry for 2012 -- the competition will be intense at the Aoti Hockey Centre from Saturday.
The remaining teams face a hazardous qualification system that saw eight-time Olympic champions India miss out on the 2008 Beijing Games for the first time.
India failed to win a medal at the Doha Asiad four years ago when they drew with South Korea 1-1 in a league match they had to win to advance to the semi-finals.
The Koreans went on to win a second successive gold medal with a 3-1 win over surprise finalists China, who knocked out Pakistan in the semi-finals.
"We don't want Doha to happen again," Indian coach Harendra Singh told AFP. "It is important to win the title here, but we will take it match by match.
India, under their Spanish chief coach Jose Brasa, were the best Asian team at last month's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi where they secured second place behind world champions Australia.
With a ticket to the London Olympics at stake -- the men's and women's champions get a direct entry for 2012 -- the competition will be intense at the Aoti Hockey Centre from Saturday.
The remaining teams face a hazardous qualification system that saw eight-time Olympic champions India miss out on the 2008 Beijing Games for the first time.
India failed to win a medal at the Doha Asiad four years ago when they drew with South Korea 1-1 in a league match they had to win to advance to the semi-finals.
The Koreans went on to win a second successive gold medal with a 3-1 win over surprise finalists China, who knocked out Pakistan in the semi-finals.
"We don't want Doha to happen again," Indian coach Harendra Singh told AFP. "It is important to win the title here, but we will take it match by match.
India, under their Spanish chief coach Jose Brasa, were the best Asian team at last month's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi where they secured second place behind world champions Australia.