The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : Spain wins Champions Trophy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 13, 2004

Sport

Sport - Hockey

Spain wins Champions Trophy

LAHORE, DEC. 12. Santiago Freixa celebrated his young player of the year award with two goals on Sunday as Spain defeated defending champion, The Netherlands, 4-2 to claim its first Champions Trophy.

Pakistan clinched the bronze medal, beating India 3-2, while Germany relegated New Zealand from next year's Champions Trophy in Chennai, India, when it finished fifth with a 2-1 win.

Spain, which had not reached the final of the Champions Trophy in its previous 13 attempts, went to halftime with a 1-0 lead when Pau Quemeda converted first penalty corner in the 18th minute.

The Netherlands came back hard in the second half when tournament's joint top scorers Taeke Taekma and Karel Klaver scored their seventh goals in the 42nd and 60th minutes respectively.

Freixa, rammed in Spain's second goal off a 51st minute short corner and then took his time before pushing in Spain's fourth goal nine minutes from fulltime. However, Freixa was guilty of missing penalty stroke in the last minute.

Victor Sojo came up with a field goal in the 57th minute when he pushed the ball past experienced goalkeeper Guus Vogels.

Pakistan prevails

Earlier, India's Sandeep Singh, who scored India's goals off short corners, wasted a penalty corner two minutes from full time as Pakistan hung on to record its 12th win of the year against its arch-rival in the playoff.

India took an early lead when Sandeep converted a second minute short corner with a head-high push into the right corner.

However, two minutes later, Sohail Abbas, who later announced his retirement along with his captain, Wasim Ahmed, scored his sixth goal of the tournament off Pakistan's first penalty corner.

Rehan Butt neatly deflected Shakeel Abbasi's hard reverse flick in the 27th minute to give Pakistan 2-1 lead at halftime.

Mudassar Ali Khan deflected the ball past goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza in the 54th minute off an indirect attempt from the 7th penalty corner.

Abbas, Ahmed retire

Ahmed, 28, played 258 internationals as midfielder and scored five goals. Abbas, also 28, broke Holland's Paul Litjens' record of 267 goals last month during the Test series against India, and scored six goals in the Champions Trophy to end up with 274 goals from 222 international games.

Earlier, Germany edged out New Zealand 2-1 in a fifth place playoff and qualified for next year's Champions Trophy.

Florian Keller's netted Germany's two goals while Bevan Hari got the consolation goal for New Zealand. — AP

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