New Zealand women's hockey aims top four at Beijing Olympics

New Zealand women's hockey aims top four at Beijing Olympics

The New Zealand women's hockey team set sights on a top four at the upcoming Beijing Olympics, the 58-year-old head coach Kevin Towns said here Saturday.

"I believe we are good enough to play into the semifinals," Towns told Xinhua at the training field. "If we play well and win the first two places in the pool, we will have a chance to get a medal."

New Zealand, ranked eighth in the world, will face in the pool the second-ranked Argentina and defending gold medallist Germany, whom Towns considered as their arch rivals and the favorites for the Olympic title.

"Japan, Great Britain and the United States are also good. Every team in the pool have a chance," noted the coach.

Japan, ranked fifth in the world, finished fifth at both the 2006 World Cup and the 2007 Champions Trophy.

The New Zealand women's team had trained in Hong Kong for ten days before arriving in Beijing on Wednesday.

"We trained in very harsh conditions, because Hong Kong is much more hotter than Beijing," said Towns.

During their training here on Thursday, New Zealand played a warm-up with host China but lost 3-1.

The Kiwis will play the opening match with the Japanese on Aug. 10.


GB star Danson in fitness battle
Alex Danson
Danson is the women's team most prolific scorer

Great Britain women's forward Alex Danson faces a race against time to be fit for the start of the Olympic Games.

Danson, 23, hurt her right ankle during a practice match against New Zealand on Monday and scans have revealed she has suffered a grade one ligament strain.

The British team says the injury will take between seven and 10 days to heal - with the first match 11 days away.

"This is the best possible outcome for Alex under the circumstances," said a team statement.

"With the first match now 11 days away, Alex will continue treatment here at the training camp in Macau and remain part of the women's hockey squad."


Teams are holding back, not doing set pieces and not putting their foot on the gas

Danny Kerry
GB women's hockey coach
Britain, who beat New Zealand 2-0 in Monday's warm-up game, begin their quest for gold with a Pool A match against defending Olympic champions Germany on 10 August.

Head coach Danny Kerry said being without the services of Danson "would be a bit like losing Wayne Rooney just before a tournament".

He added: "She's our highest outfield goalscorer. She was just running and went over on her ankle."

Kerry also felt compelled to defend the decision to play warm-up matches in Hong Kong just under two weeks before Britain's first match.


606: DEBATE
Who will win Olympic gold?

"We have to play games," said Kerry. "We can't come here for three-and-a-half weeks and then play the first game (at the Olympics) without playing."

Britain's women won bronze in Barcelona 16 years ago, but despite victories over Germany, Holland and Argentina during their Olympic build-up, Kerry played down suggestions that the current side could emulate the 1992 team.

"Those matches prior to the Games are just smoke and mirrors," he said.

"Teams are holding back, not doing set pieces and not putting their foot on the gas. It's nice to win them but the girls are experienced enough to know they're meaningless until the main event."