Games Entry At Stake For N.Z. Hockey Team

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31499, 13 October 1967, Page 17

Games Entry At Stake For N.Z. Hockey Team

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)

LONDON.

The New Zealand men’s hockey team will arrive in London today for next week’s pre-Olympic tournament to be played on the two famous cricket grounds, Lord’s and the Oval.

Thirty matches between 12 of the world’s major hockey nations will be played with the New Zealanders listed to meet Belgium, Britain, East Germany, France and Holland.

The other countries competing are India, Spain, Japan, Australia, Pakistan and West Germany.

The tournament is the third of a series arranged by the International Hockey Federation in the year preceding Olympic Games. The previous ones were in Germany, prior to the Rome Olympics and in France before the Tokyo games. First At The Oval

The New Zealanders will be the first to play at the Oval on Monday in their match against Belgium, while at Lord’s Britain will meet the world champion, India.

The Kiwis had a fine record during their warm-up matches on the Continent, concluding them with a 3-0 win over a Heidelberg select eleven on Wednesday. K. Thomson opened the scoring after 10 minutes and J. Corbett added two more goals, in the fiftieth and fiftyfirst minutes. New Zealand’s record in Germany was four wins in five matches. Commenting on the London tournament, “The Times” hockey correspondent said that the results will have a direct bearing on the final selection of the 16 countries to take part in the Olympic Games in Mexico. The four countries who reached the semi-finals at Tokyo—lndia, Pakistan, Australia and Spain—together with the host nation, Mexico, are already sure of a place.

“Some of the strongest contenders—Malaysia, Singapore, Poland and Kenya—will not be in London, but 11 visiting countries are here from the

polished, methodical but physically frail Japanese, to the rumbustious Australians.” The draw is: Lords October 16: Britain v. India; Spain v. East Germany: Australia v. Holland. October 17: Pakistan v. East Germany: Belgium v. Spain; Britain v. New Zealand. October 18: Pakistan v. Belgium; Australia v. France. October 19: India v. Australia; West Germany v. Japan. October 20: West Germany v. Holland; New Zealand v. France. October 21: India v. Pakistan; New Zealand v. Holland; Britain V. West Germany. The Oval October 16: New Zealand v. Belgium; Japan v. France; Pakistan v. West Germany. October 17: Australia v. West Germany: Holland v. Japan; India v. France. October 18: India V. Spain; Britain v. Japan. October 19: Pakistan v. Holland: East Germany v. New Zealand. October 20: Britain v. Spain; East Germany v. Belgium. October 21: Australia v. East Germany; Belgium v. Japan; France v. Spain.