By Lisa Meyer
From the desk of Matt Luckett
Competing at the collegiate level requires hard work, training, and continuous improvement.
Come August, field hockey players will have the opportunity to watch and learn from those who compete outside the realm of colleges and universities, as top players from across the globe will gather in Beijing, China to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. As China builds new stomping grounds and stadiums for athletes to perform, teams like the New Zealand Black Sticks have been busy building their team to make an appearance at the coveted games. Many countries have the chance to show their skill in Beijing, but first, they have to win one of three qualifying tournaments.
Most recently, from February 2 to February 10, six hockey teams battled in Auckland, New Zealand for an Olympic qualifying slot. In the final match, it was the Black Sticks who flicked, hit and scooped their way to the top after beating Argentina in a three to two golden goal victory in extra minutes. Their defeat eliminated the Argentines from the Olympics for the first time in 24 years. Also eliminated from the first qualifier were Ireland, France, the United States, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The event in Auckland is the first of the three Olympic qualifying tournaments for field hockey. The second qualifier will take place from March 1st to March 9th in Santiago, Chile, and the third, a month later in Gifu, Japan from April 5th to April 13th. Once the second and third qualifier have taken place, two teams will join the Black Sticks in advancing to the Olympics where they will be placed in the 12-team Olympic competition on August 22nd and 23rd with China, South Korea, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Belarus, Pakistan, Australia, and the Netherlands.
Just as countries have for years, these teams will follow Olympic tradition and compete for a gold medal. When field hockey was introduced to the Olympics, India took the games by storm, dominating the field by winning 30 consecutive games and six gold medals over time. The sport itself dates back 1200 years before the Ancient Olympics but didn’t make its Olympic appearance until 1908, and even then, didn’t become a consistent Olympic sport until 1928, when India started their streak. This year, hockey teams have raised the competitive bar.
sources:
http://afp.google.com
http://universalsports.nbcsports.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://en.beijing2008.cn/cptvenues/sports/hockey/index.shtml
