Hopes shattered, India play for pride

New Delhi ,March 7: The South Africans arrived for the 12th Hockey World Cup here with a single idea in mind. “We do not wish to finish last like in 2006,” skipper Austin Smith had remarked on the day of their arrival.

Eight days into the tournament, the Proteas have already sent out warning signals. They gave a tough fight to England — before losing 4-6 — and stunned four-time champions Pakistan 4-3 on Saturday.
South Africa face India on Monday, in what is the last encounter for both teams in Pool B.

For Jose Brasa and his boys, this is a last opportunity to make amends. INdia have sparkled occasionally, but haven’t been able to produce the results expected of them. Monday’s tie is a perfect opportunity for the hosts to aim for the 5th to 8th place finish, something that they haven’t been able to do in the last decade.

A top-eight finish will give India’s ranking a big push, and also a chance to compete with the best in the world, since most FIH events cover the top eight ranked nations.

Said Brasa, “Lack of matches before the World Cup has hurt the team bad. I know we have to be content with what we have, but a few competitive matches would have helped our cause. Now we are eyeing a finish in the top eight.”

On paper, India are far superior to their opponents in every department. The threat though, lies in the Proteas’ unpredictability. The Smith-led team do not have the agility of the Australians or Spain’s sharpness, but are a bunch who are eager to make their mark. Said Smith after the game against Pakistan, “We showed a lot of character today. Finally, things are falling in place. And we hope to play in the same vein against India. They will be tougher than Pakistan though.”

South Africa coach Gregg Clark is charged with the task of returning South Africa to respectability. They have finished last and second to last in the previous two World Cups. “The boys were hungry after losing three games and you could see it in their body language yesterday. They wanted to win,” said Clark. The bunch are now eyeing a repeat of Saturday’s show against India.

Not ranked among the world’s top 12 teams, South Africa rely on a few individual players, who have stood out for them in the past. One of those men is central defender Smith, who was included in the FIH’s All-Star Team for 2009. Lloyd Madsen stands out in the midfield region, while Marvin Harper and Ian Haley have shown resolve up front.

Harpreet Kaur Lamba