Hockey: Wish-list for games build-up

By Terry Maddaford

A new user-pays policy for international play has led the New Zealand Hockey Federation to draw up a $600,000 wish-list in the build-up to next year's Olympics and a possible second medal for the sport.

In making funding submissions to the New Zealand Sports Foundation, hockey chiefs have made cases for both the men's and women's teams, even allowing that the women, ranked fifth in the world, rate the better medal chance.

Determined to make the most of the women's top-five world ranking, the federation has scheduled three tests against India, in Levin and Wellington on August 26, 28 and 29.

This will lead in to the three Oceania Cup matches against Australia on September 8, 11 and 12, with the first in Dunedin, and the others at the Olympic venue in Sydney.

Victory for New Zealand would give them direct entry to the Olympics. A loss would send them to England for March's Olympic qualifier where up to 12 teams will chase five of 10 remaining Olympic spots.

There will be a three-test series against China here in late September.

The women have also been invited to a four-team tournament in Argentina in January but no decision has been made on whether they will play. The federation will be paying to send the team to June's Champions Trophy in Amsterdam.

National coach Jan Borren is expected to name a train-on squad of around 22 to 25 players after the game in September.

The men, now ranked 10th, up three places in a year, have played 13 tests since March, and could have further home internationals in September-October before playing a test series here against Britain in January.

They will play their Olympic qualifying tournament in Japan in March.