Sat 5 Jul, 2008
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India open campaign against Eygpt today  x5
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October 23, 2003 
Deccan Herald
> Page Views 3918
From R Satya
If the incessant rain hasn't dampened one's spirit, then one look at the line-up of the top teams assembled here for the hockey competition sure will. If the timing of the inaugural Afro-Asian Games has come in for some flak, then the absence of big names in the fray, including the host country's, has taken some sheen off the mega event.
India have rested seven key players including the mercurial Dhanraj Pillay -- who can pull large crowds by his sheer presence - while Pakistan have given a break to five of their players, including their penalty corner specialist Sohail Abbas, goal-keeper Ahmad Khan and Shabbir Hussain.
With bigger battles round the corner, the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in January and the Olympic qualifiers in Madrid in March, there is no point in risking injury in an event of this magnitude has been Pakistan's argument. Understandably so, for, when the hosts themselves have fielded a second string team, why not the others?
Whatever said and done, the India-Pakistan clash at the newly-built hockey stadium at the Gachibowli Sports Complex on Monday is sure to bring in the crowds.
Many in the organising committee are in the hope that at least that clash under lights could spark some interest in the Games which has failed to generate any, thus far.
It surely will, for any India-Pakistan clash, be it hockey, cricket or even football, has always been keenly followed. It won't be anything different here. Moreover, Pakistan will be playing on Indian soil after a gap of four years, having last played in 1999 in a test series. That could get the hockey lovers to watch the Asian giants, sans their top stars, do battle at the state of the art stadium built at a cost of approximately Rs 16 crore in record time (around 69 days).
Honours are even after two tournaments. India had won one and lost the other match in the Champions Trophy in Amstelveen two months ago and then defeated Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur after losing in the league stage. Under new skipper Dilip Tirkey, India would be keen to keep their winning run going.
Though India and Pakistan are expected to make the semifinal from Pool B, the hosts will first have to contend with the fast-improving Egypt, the African champions and one of the two teams present here who have qualified for the Athens Olympics, South Korea being the other.
India open their campaign against Egypt on the morrow and take on Nigeria -- replacements for Zimbabwe -- on Saturday before their final Pool B clash against Pakistan. Indians had a light workout late in the evening as they play all their league engagements under lights.
Korea, who recalled some of their senior players who did not do duty in the Asia Cup, are likely to make the last four grade from Pool A, while South Africa, Malaysia and Ghana will fight it out for the other spot from the group.
In the women's section, India have been clubbed in Pool A along with Kazakhstan, Ghana and African champions South Africa. Asian Games gold medallists China, Kenya, Korea and Zimbabwe.
The groupings:
Men:
Pool A: Ghana, Korea, Malaysia and South Africa.
Pool B: Egypt, India, Pakistan and Nigeria.
Women:
Pool A: Kazakhstan, India, Ghana, South Africa.
Pool B: China, Kenya, Korea and Zimbabwe.
Today's matches:
Men:
Pakistan vs Nigeria (2.00 pm); Ghana vs Korea (4.00 pm); Malaysia vs South Africa (6.00 pm); India vs Egypt (8.00 pm).
Women:
Korea vs Kenya (9.00 am); Kazakhstan vs Ghana (9.30 am); China vs Zimbabwe (11.00 am); India vs South Africa (11.30 am).
METRO
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
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Comments on this article
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Hockey Fan
10-23-2003 4:27 pm
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Seems no body is interested in Indo PAk hockey any more no postings about Afro Asian Games. For info India Beat Egypt {Olympic Qualifier already} by 5-1 and Pakistan beat Nigeria by 4-3 any body knows about any details? Get up guys make comments I miss all mails good or bad seems if every body has turned out be a Saint after all.Be a Saint if you want but discuss Indo- Pak Hockey now Ireally missevery thing.
Where is Sukh,Naeem,and lot others I donot remember names sorry.
Thanks for reading mine
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Hockey Fan
10-23-2003 4:40 pm
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India Beat Egypt and PAk beat Nigeria
I found something on Hindustan Times
India downs Egypt 5-1; Pakistan survives a scare against Nigeria
Associated Press
Hyderabad, October 23
Asia Cup winner India outplayed African champion Egypt 5-1, while underdog Nigeria gave former Olympic and World Cup titlist Pakistan a scare before losing 4-3 Thursday in men's field hockey Pool B matches at the Afro-Asian Games.
In Pool A games, South Korea overcame Ghana 3-0 and South Africa was held to a 1-1 draw by Malaysia.
Indian strikers Prabhjot Singh, Gagan Ajit Singh and Deepak Thakur gave the Egyptian defense a hard time as they shared the five goals to set off celebrations among the partisan home crowd.
Prabhjot Singh opened the scoring off Thakur's pass in the fourth minute, but Egypt's hard-tackling defenders denied India another goal until halftime.
Open play strikes by Thakur (38th minute) and Gagan Ajit Singh (45th) gave India a three-goal lead before Egypt pulled one back through Mohammed Gamal (53rd), who took a pass from Wajid Mostafa into the scoring zone.
The Egyptian rally was spiked by Prabhjot Singh's second goal, which came off Vikaram Pillay's pass in the 57th minute, and Gagan Ajit Singh rounded off the scoring one minute from the end.
In the other Pool B match, Pakistan held off a Nigeria rally in the second half when Salim Khalid broke a 3-3 tie with his second goal, four minutes from the end.
Pakistan, winner of three Olympic gold medals and four World Cup titles, was rattled by Nigeria's fast-running strikers. Pakistan's coach Tahir Zaman said the bouncy pitch did not suit its game, but complacency nearly cost it some valuable points.
"We had some anxious moments, maybe our players were a bit complacent. I'm glad we came through this game with the maximum three points," Zaman said.
"Nigeria were very aggressive. We had no idea about their game since this was the first time we played them," he said.
Pakistan opened its account through Ali Ghazanfar's penalty corner conversion in the fourth minute.
Nigeria equalized through Auwolo Lamido, whose rasping shot struck the crossbar and dropped down. South Korean umpire Jang Jung-min blew for a goal even as Pakistan defenders protested that the ball never crossed the goal-line.
Ali Raza converted a 26th-minute penalty corner and Khalid deflected Ghazanfar's diagonal cross into the boards to give Pakistan a 3-1 lead at the interval.
Nigeria, which finished fourth in this month's All-Africa Games, began its rally when Pakistan defenders seemed to be tiring midway through the second session.
Nuhu Jatau scored Nigeria's second goal in the 52nd minute after the defenders were wrong-footed by a dodge from Sunday Ogodogu.
Ogodogu was again in the picture 13 minutes later when his stinging shot sounded the boards for Nigeria's equalizer after a solo run on the right flank.
Nigeria's enthusiasm was dashed by Khalid's strike on a long pass that caught the defenders by surprise.
In Pool A, South Korea, silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics, benefited from Woon Koon-yeo's brace in a fast-paced contest. Young Sik-yoon made the first strike in the 27th minute before Woon got scored twice in the space of six minutes.
South Africa, silver medalist in this month's All-Africa Games, had Malaysia struggling when Craig Fulton drew first blood in the 39th minute.
Nor Azlan Raheem rescued Malaysia with his 57th-minute goal off a Jiwa Mohan pass.
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Sukh
10-24-2003 1:27 am
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India were very impressive in tehir win. I watched the game.
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Charles Farias
10-24-2003 1:37 am
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AAG hockey news
I thank the first gentleman for highlighting the matter and the second for giving the details.
Egypt are the African Champions and beating them 5-1 is a pretty good show.
Keep it up boys.
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Sukh
10-24-2003 7:36 am
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Hi Hockey Fan,
I followed the results on:
www.khel.com
First of all, brilliant performance from Nigeria. Maybe Pakistan will get their act together later on.
India seem to be playing their best XI available. They don't seem to have scored off PCs.
There does seem to be a general lack of interest about the AAG in the Indian media.
We would appreciate comments from anyone who has watched the games.
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