Lucknow, India, Reuter: Traditional rivals India and Pakistan will use the India Gandhi hockey tournament starting in Lucknow on Friday to assess their form for the Seoul Olympics.
The nine day tournament will also give South Korea and the Soviet Union a chance to test their squads before the Seoul Games, while Spain has rested its first team and sent its second squad.
Pakistan will field the new team of youngsters who won the world junior championships at Karachi last week, Pakistan finished second last in the world cup last year.
India, which finished last in. the World Cup, will also use the tournament to assess Its squad which stayed away from most international competitions after a poor performance at the Seoul Asian Games in 1986,
India managed to squeeze into the Olympics on the strength of a third place at the Asian Games, where South Korea upset Pakistan to claim the gold.
But South Korea has done little since then, unlike the Soviet Union, which Is fielding a side which finished fourth in the last world cup.
The other teams in the competition are Malaysia, Kenya and New Zealand.
LUCKNOW: Former World champions Pakistan struck form late In the match to thrash Kenya 51, while the Soviet Union overcame South Korea 20 In group Matches at the Indira Gandhi Hockey Tournament on Saturday.
Pakistan was being held 11 until the 53rd minute but then took complete command.
LUCKNOW, India: The Soviet Union advanced to the semifinals while South Korea edged out India in group matches in the Indira Gandhi Hockey Tournament. The Soviet Union clinched a berth in the final four by beating Malaysia 2.0 Serget Pleshkov scored twice.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 15, 1988
