Hockey: Hockey men face day of reckoning

WELLINGTON - The New Zealand men's hockey team open their Olympic games qualification bid in Japan today, confident that a recent string of frustrating results can spur them on to Sydney.

Although New Zealand returned winless from the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia last month, coach Robin Wilson said the team were capable of making the top six at the 12-nation tournament in Osaka and booking a trip across the Tasman in September.

New Zealand finished sixth from seven nations at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and are likely to face three of the teams they could not beat in Kuala Lumpur -- South Korea, Pakistan and Malaysia.

Wilson said: "They played well enough in KL but they didn't get the results. We have to move on from that and I'm sure we're close to getting results."

New Zealand, ranked 10th in the world, are drawn in pool A with Belgium, Great Britain, Japan, Korea and Poland.

They had a bye on the first day of action yesterday but were still at the venue casting a critical eye over the British, who they play today.

The Kiwis should be familiar with the British, having hosted them in a three-test series in January. The British won the first two internationals 6-2 and 6-3 before New Zealand fought back to draw the third, 4-4.

Following today's game, New Zealand play Belgium tomorrow, Japan on Monday and Korea on Wednesday before ending their pool play against Poland next Thursday. The tournament ends on March 20.

New Zealand: Scott Anderson (capt), Paul Woolford, Brett Leaver, Craig Russ, Simon Towns, Ryan Archibald, Greg Russ, Bevan Hari (Auckland), Andrew Timlin, Andrew Hastie, Craig Reynolds (Canterbury), Wayne McIndoe, Mitesh Patel, Umesh Parag, Phillip Burrows (Wellington), Darren Smith (North Harbour), Hymie Gill (Otago).

- NZPA