Full steam ahead to the Paris Olympics for the men’s Black Sticks hockey team.
The Black Sticks clinched their spot at the Olympics, after winning the third-place playoff against Pakistan 3-2 at the last-chance qualifying tournament in Oman.
New Zealand trailed 2-1 at three-quarter time, but final quarter goals to Hugo Inglis and then Scott Boyde put the Black Sticks ahead. The two goals came in the final eight minutes as the nervy Black Sticks denied Pakistan.
The women’s side last week failed to qualify. The men’s side finished ninth at the Tokyo Olympics, failing to reach the knockout phase.
