Hockey champions Australia want to sign off in style
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Australia hope to round off a remarkable year in which they won a record-equaling ninth Champions Trophy and regained the number one ranking by defending their men's Olympic crown in Beijing.
The Kookaburras thrashed Spain 4-1 in the Champions Trophy final in Rotterdam in June to leapfrog Germany to the top of the rankings and emerge as the side to beat when hockey celebrates 100 years at the Games.
Jamie Dwyer, whose goal in extra time against the Dutch gave Australia their first men's Olympic gold, will spearhead the side's campaign. Dwyer, 28, heads a team containing eight Athens gold medalists.
Australia's women squeezed into the Games as the second-ranked Oceania team behind New Zealand. Three times Olympic champions, the Hockeyroos finished fifth behind winners Germany in Athens.
The Australian men are drawn in the easier half of the 12-team competition, where the top two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals, and will profit from the absence of Argentina and eight-times winners India.
Their group comprises Netherlands, the losing 2004 finalists, former champions Pakistan and Britain, plus Canada and South Africa.
The other group contains former champions Germany, Spain, Korea, New Zealand, Belgium and hosts China.
BEIJING BERTH
World champions Germany secured their Beijing berth through the final qualifying tournament in Gifu in April when they pumped in 34 goals in six matches without conceding.
The Athens bronze medalists finished fifth in the recent Champions Trophy, although striker Florian Keller was top scorer with seven goals. The Netherlands, ranked third in the world, have a strong defense and potent penalty corner set moves.
Korea made the cut as Asian Games champions but India failed to qualify for the first time since sending their debut team in 1928.
In women's hockey, Argentina, bronze medalists in 2004, will gun for their maiden Olympic crown after crushing top-ranked Germany 6-2 in the Champions Trophy final on the back of Alejandra Gulla's hat-trick.
Argentina are grouped with Germany, who possess an experienced midfield and a potent strike force, Japan, New Zealand, Britain and the United States.
Top-ranked Netherlands faces Australia, China, Spain, South Korea and South Africa in the other group.
(Editing by Robert Woodward)
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