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Hockey teams of New Zealand, Spain called to 2016 Olympics

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Hockey, New Zealand, Spain 2016 Olympics, New Zealand, International Hockey Federation, Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Lausanne: Spain women’s team and New Zealand men’s team have been invited by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to take part in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

“This decision is in line with the official FIH qualification system for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad — Rio 2016, section F, which states that if an allocated quota place is declined by the NOC, the quota place will be reallocated to the next highest placed team from the Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-Finals not already qualified,” FIH said in a statement.

After South Africa men and women won the African Hockey Championships back in November, both teams were invited to participate in the Rio 2016 Olympics in line with the FIH qualification system. However, Sascoc decided to reject their invitations. It said that the teams should have qualified from international competitions, instead from the continental championships.

Following an appeal by the FIH on behalf of the South African Hockey Association to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the IOC Executive Board stated that, under the terms of the Olympic Charter, all parties must respect the integrity and authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) for representation of their respective countries and selection of their athletes and teams at the Olympic Games.

Consequently, invitation letters have now been sent to the respective NOCs inviting Spain women and New Zealand men to participate in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

To date, 11 men’s and 11 women’s teams have officially qualified through the FIH qualification system.

In the men’s Olympic hockey event, nations that have already qualified include Oceania champions Australia, Asian Games champions India, Argentina as Pan Am Games champions, the Netherlands as European champions and Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Canada, Spain and Ireland through the HWL Semi-Finals.

Brazil men also confirmed their place at Rio 2016 after satisfying the host nation participation criteria established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and FIH.

In the women’s Olympic hockey event, the following nations have qualified: Australia as Oceania champions, South Korea as Asian Games champions, the United States as Pan Am Games champions, Great Britain as European champions (qualification through England’s victory at the EuroHockey Championships 2015) and China, Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands, New Zealand, India and Japan through the HWL Semi-Finals.

Should both Spain and New Zealand accept their invitations, this will complete the 12 team line-ups for next year’s men’s and women’s Olympic hockey events.

 

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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia

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The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.

Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.

Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”

Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.

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