HOCKEY | France tops the group, condemns Australia to minor placings

Australia arrived astatine the FIH inferior men’s hockey World Cup with precocious hopes and ambitious targets. Instead, it finds itself playing for 9th–16th places — its worst decorativeness successful 12 appearances astatine the event.

Despite a 3-1 triumph implicit South Korea astatine the SDAT–Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium connected Tuesday that took its tally to six points successful Pool F, the 1997 champion was undone by an inferior extremity quality (-1) compared to different second-placed teams crossed the groups.

South Korea stretched Australia successful each quarter, and the dense downpour made things hard for some sides, particularly during punishment country routines

Earlier, France, a two-time runner-up, clinched its 3rd consecutive triumph — a gritty 3-2 effect implicit debutant Bangladesh — to apical the excavation and corroborate Australia’s exit.

The mode of France’s triumph implicit Australia the different day, gave the content that it would rout Bangladesh. But the debutant had different plans, arsenic it fought hard, defended good and attacked truly good successful patches. Bangladesh’s show successful the contention amazed many, and it deserves each accolades coming its way.

Australia’s caput manager Jay Stacy did not fell his disappointment. “It’s evidently not the run we wanted. We came present aiming to triumph the tournament, but things didn’t unfold arsenic expected.

“We person a beardown pathways programme backmost home, but we didn’t bid unneurotic earlier coming here. Ours was a antithetic squad from the 1 that won the Sultan of Johor Cup this October. We’re ever trying to germinate and springiness players opportunities,” helium said.

Stacy had words of praise for Bangladesh. “They troubled a batch of teams, including us. And their subordinate Amirul Islam is not conscionable a bully drag-clicker, but a bully defender too.”

Chennai volition big the quarterfinals and the 9th-16th spot playoffs, portion Madurai volition organise the 17th-24th spot classification rounds. There are nary matches connected Wednesday astatine some the venues.

The results: Pool-F: France 3 (Tom Gaillard 6, Gabin Lorrazuri 31, James Liddiard 37) bt Bangladesh 2 (Md. Abdullah 27, Amirul Islam 54); Australia 3 (Duncan Jackson 16, Ian Grobbelaar 34, Daykin Stanger 52) bt South Korea 1 (Seunghan Son 20).