India disappoints

MILTON KEYNES, MARCH 29. India ended its campaign in the women's Olympics hockey qualifying tournament without a single point, going down 1-2 to the United States of America in its final league match here on Wednesday.

The indians, who led 1-0 at half-time thanks to a 31st-minute Jyoti Sunita Kullu strike, failed to press home the advantage as U.S. came back strongly to score twice through Cindy Werley (48th minute) and captain Tracey Fuchs (66th minute).

India lost 1-3 to Spain, 0-1 to Ireland and 0-4 to formidable Germany in its other group a engagements.

Goals from Fanny Rinne and veteran Britta Becker enabled Germany to become the first team to book its trip to Sydney for the Olympic Games.

The Germans won 2-1 against Ireland in the qualifying tournament here to assure themselves of a top-two finish in group A and automatic qualification.

In the other group A match USA held Spain 2-2, and in group B matches New Zealand beat Britain 1-0 and China beat Japan 1-0.

Rinne opened the scoring in the seventh minute and although the tenacious Irish levelled four minutes before the break through Karen O'Brien, Germany added its second goal early in the second half to win the match.

New Zealand wing Mandy Smith's goal following a penalty corner gave her side a 1-0 win over Britain in pool B - a huge setback to the home team's hopes of capturing an automatic qualifying place in Sydney.

Outplayed for most of the first half, Britain went behind two minutes before half-time when Smith pounced on a rebound from captain Anna Lawrence's shot and beat goalkeeper Hilary Rose from close range. In the other pool B match, China beat Japan 1-0.

- PTI/AFP

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