No pain, just gain for Spain..

With South Africa's defeat in the Semi-Final of the Champions Challenge against India, they have failed to meet SASCOC's criteria for automatic qualification to the Olympic Games. Like the women's team they give up their automatic qualification berth from winning the Africa Cup and must now go through the Olympic Qualifier process to qualify. This means that Spain as the highest ranked nation not already qualified will take up South Africa's automatic qualification berth.
SASCOC have determined that despite the FIH and the IOC recognising the Africa Cup as an official qualification route to the Olympic Games, they do not feel the tournament is of high enough a standard to be regarded as a true Qualifier. They set the Men's and Women's team the additional goal of reaching the final of a World Level event, the Champions Challenge, for SASCOC to send them to the Olympic Games. THe Women lost their Quarter-final to Spain on a Golden Goal and the Men have lost their Semi-final to India meaning neither team reached the objective.
The South African Hockey Association realising there was one more World Level event before the Olympics, the Olympic Qualifiers, proposed that South Africa give up their automatic berth and go through the Olympic Qualifying process. This proposal was accepted by the FIH and the IOC and finally by SASCOC.
SASCOC's stance has angered the African Hockey Federation who feel it degrades hockey throughout the continent and have been heard to mutter they will not invite South Africa to any further African events. If this does happen, SASCOC, instead of carrying out their mandate to promote sport in South Africa will effectively banish hockey into the wilderness.

No medal, just another Challenge I spot

MALAYSIA ended their campaign spot on the fifth target set for them by the Malaysian Hockey Federation, when they beat Poland 3-0 in the Champions Challenge I in Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday.
And it came with a guarantee to play in the next Champions Challenge I, and a move up from their 14th spot when the next world rankings are updated.
It was a bit of consolation, as Malaysia showed that they can play possession hockey, but Poland were never in the match and looked like they were just waiting for the final hooter to end their misery.
Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin started the winning touch with a field goal in the 18th minute, and Faizal Saari made it 2-0 in the 29th minute to take his tournament tally to three goals.
Tengku then doused the Poles fight-back with a deft touch off an Azlan Misron pass in the 47th minute, and took his tally to five goals in Africa.
In the group stages, Malaysia lost 3-1 to Canada, drew 2-2 with Japan and lost 5-2 to Argentina.
However, it was a heartbreak for them in the quarter- finals, where they took a 4-2 lead, but crumbled to lose 5-4 to India off a golden goal.
In the seventh-eighth placing match, Japan overwhelmed Canada 7-2, to show that they are serious contenders for the Olympic Qualifiers which they will host in Kakamigahara in April.
RESULTS: Final -- India x Belgium x (10.30pm start); Third-Fourth: South Africa x Argentina x (8pm start); Fifth Sixth: Malaysia 3 Poland 0; Seventh-Eighth: Japan 7 Canada 2.