Hockey: Olympic spots will be decided at Auckland games

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The national women's hockey team did the International Hockey Federation a favour by losing the three-test Oceania Olympic qualifying series to Australia in May.

Last year, Auckland was awarded the hosting rights for the international Olympic qualifying tournament, comprising 10 teams from around the world, and has been preparing for it ever since.

FIH events manager Dennis Meredith said it would have been a disaster if New Zealand had qualified for the Olympics through the Oceania series. This is because the host nation must play in the international qualifying tournament.

"To relocate the tournament at this stage would have been very difficult. We did not have a back-up.

"It is quite obvious the organisation has been under way here for some time.

"It is one of the best pre-tournament organisations we have seen," said Meredith, part of an FIH delegation here to check progress for the tournament that will be played at Lloyd Elsmore Park next March.

"We are here to see what assistance we can give.

"The last thing we want is to see associations left in debt after hosting such events. We now have global sponsors, including BDO and Rabobank, who provide funding."

NZ Hockey Federation chief Ramesh Patel welcomes the assistance from the international body.

"We had some support when we hosted the same tournament in 1991, but not to the degree we have this time. Things are better organised. There are not the surprises we might have had in the past."

New Zealand won the hosting rights ahead of Madrid (where the men's Olympic qualifier will be played), after two other likely hosts had been eliminated.

The bid document used by the NZHF is now seen as a model. The federation had support from Television New Zealand, the Manukau City Council and Tourism NZ.

The Olympic qualifying tournaments are rated the fourth most important on the international list behind the Olympic Games, World Cup and Champions Trophy.

Organisers do not yet know how many countries will qualify for Athens from Auckland.

As hosts, Greece would have in the past been granted an automatic spot. But with their standard not high enough to rate a top-10 ranking, the Greeks must come to Auckland to play the lowest-ranked team of 10.

That three-match series, likely to be against Russia, will be played before the tournament.

If Greece win, they will go home assured of their place in the Olympics and the 10 teams will then play for places. If Greece do not win, five Olympic spots will be at stake.

By the end of October organisers will know which countries are coming and which have already booked their places in the Athens sun as winners of their regional tournaments.

Temporary seating will be erected to cater for crowds of up to 5000. Premium seats will go on sale in the next week or two.

Patel says there will be a volunteer base of 100 to ensure the smooth running of the most important tournament to be held here since 1991, when NZ scored a stirring win over South Korea to book their place at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.