SEOUL: Reuter: Hockey Giants Pakistan and India were forced aside in the battle for semifinal places in the Olympic Men’s Tournament on Monday ~the first time no Asian side has reached the last four since India entered the competition in 1928.
Holders Pakistan and eight times champions India both failed to force the draw they needed in their final group matches. Pakistan crashed 20 against the Netherlands in group A and India lost 30 to Britain in group B.
‘West Germany, 1984 Los Angeles games silver medalists, thrashed the Soviet Union 60 and face the Dutch for a place in the final, Australia, unbeaten in group A, take on Britain. Both games are on Wednesday.
It is the second major tournament in which Pakistan and India have failed —they finished 11th and 12th in the 1986 world cup.
Brigadier Manzoor Atif, the former Pakistan Captain and Manager, said: “The main reason for the failure of India and Pakistan is their lack of artificial pitches. Netherlands have 100 times more artificial surfaces.”
Pakistan, playing with only four forwards, was beaten by two penalty comer goals by Floris Bovelander. He became joint top scorer in the tournament with Australia’s Mark Hager on seven goals.
Second half goals from Paul Barber, ‘Sean Kerly and Jon Potter sunk India.
Australia, top seeds and world cup holders, managed only a 10 victory over Spain in an ill-tempered match. Nine players were cautioned and two from each side given temporary suspensions. The dismisses quartet were: Graham Reid and Jay Stacy of Australia and Innacio Escude and goalkeeper Santiago Grau of Spain.
Hockey rules were broken when Spain were allowed to play without a goalkeeper for the last two and a half minutes following Grau’s dismissal for jostling Stacy, who ‘appeared to play the ball after the whistle.
Earlier, Stacy scored Australia’s winner with a perfectly judged flick shot at a 52nd minute penalty comer.
West Germany recorded their 17th successive triumph over the Soviet Union. It was also by the biggest margin. SEOUL: Two Africans, still novices in their events, stole the glory on the fourth day of the Seoul Olympic Athletics competition on Monday.
Kenya’s Paul Ereng outs printed Brazil’s defending Champion Joaquin Cruz to win the men’s 800 metres then Moroccan Moulay Boutaib made no contest of the 10,000 metres,
Their victories showed yet again the astonishing depth of talent on the African ‘continent.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 30, 1988
