Commonwealth Games: Hockey sides face pressure

Simon Child will be in India after pulling out of a World Cup event in New Delhi earlier this year. Photo / Northern Advocate

No sport goes to Delhi under as much pressure as the men's and women's hockey teams.

Neither the men nor women have won Commonwealth gold. The men came closest in Manchester 2002, winning silver, while the women won bronze in Kuala Lumpur four years earlier.

It is fair to say that both teams have disappointed at Games, whether they be Commonwealth or Olympic. The men might have won a famous gold in Montreal, but that was 34 years ago.

With hockey one of those sports that relies on good results to boost their slice of Sparc's contestable funding pie, the flagship teams carry an awful lot of responsibility for the overall wellbeing of their sport.

With none of the top four world-ranked teams competing, the women's pursuit of gold looks slightly easier. They are ranked seventh in the world and sit just behind favourites England (5th) and Australia (6th).

The men look to be playing for silver only, so dominant have Australia been in recent years. New Zealand have by far the easier pool, with England the top-ranked side. Canada and South Africa are also dangerous, but Trinidad and Tobago should cause few issues.

Compared to Pool A, which houses Australia, Pakistan, India, Malaysia and Scotland, it is far friendlier.

The key is to finish first in pool play, thus avoiding a probable semifinal match-up with Australia.

The men will be without the experienced duo of Ryan Archibald and Blair Hopping, both of whom made themselves unavailable for selection due to personal reasons. Striker Simon Child, who pulled out of a world cup event in Delhi earlier this year, will be at the Games.

Like the men, the key for the women will be to beat England in pool play and avoid a probable semifinal with Australia.