Canada back in men's hockey at Olympics,agonising wait for India

New Delhi, July 26 (UNI) After failing to qualify for the last edition of the Games, Canada's men hockey team is back in the Olympics.

The Canadians qualified for the Beijing Olympics by defeating Argentina on penalty strokes in a dramatic final of the Pan American Games.

But it is a agonising wait for India. The former champions will have to wait till next February-March when the qualifiers for the three remaining spots will be played.

India will have to win the qualifier in which they will be playing to book their berth for the Beijing Games.

The qualifiers are to held in Japan, New Zealand and Chile, and FIH will decide which country will play in which qualifing tournament as per the rankings.

The same rule applies to Indian women's hockey team also.

The newly crowned Pan American Champion was not the only team that gained 2008 Olympic Games participation this week. The women's team of Argentina booked its Beijing ticket by defeating the US in the Pan Am Games final.

In Africa, both the men's and women's team of South Africa were the best in the African Olympic Qualifier and are also scheduled to compete in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Five teams are qualified for the Men's Hockey Tournament of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: China, Korea, Pakistan, South Africa and Canada.

The remaining seven vacancies will go to the first three in the EuroHockey Nations Championships (18-26 August in Manchester, UK), the winner of the Oceania Cup (10-17 September in Buderim, Australia) and the three winners of the World Hockey Olympic Qualifiers to be played in February-March.

Four teams scheduled to participate in the Women's Hockey Tournament of the Beijing Olympics at this stage are China, Japan, South Africa and Argentina.

The remaining eight vacancies will go to the first three in the EuroHockey Nations Championships (18-26 August in Manchester, UK), the winner and runner-up of the Oceania Cup (10-17 September in Buderim, Australia) and the three winners of the WorldHockey Olympic Qualifiers to be played early next year.

UNI