Boom time for Europe, drought for Asia

Their 3-2 defeat of Spain in a repeat of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics final reiterated the harsh truth that artistry and flair of Asian hockey exemplified by India and Pakistan were further being marginalised at the game’s highest echelons.

Australia, the only country to blend the Asian flavour with European effectiveness, retained the women’s title as expected by denying the Dutch a double, but their men’s 2-6 thrashing by the Dutch in the semifinal and Germany pushing them to fourth sounded the death knell for the Asian style.

Indian men dashed all hopes raised bytheir junior World Cup silver medal at Milton Keynes last year in finishing ninth while Pakistan, the holders, saw their semifinal hopes dashed by Spain and ended up fifth, as India did at Sydney in 1994.

The Indian women showed better fighting spirit than their men though they could bring up only the rear.

European domination was crushing with the Dutch beating Spain in a final of hard-hitting and dour defence.

Their remarkable comeback after Germany thrashed them in their pool game and recovery from 0-2 to win in the final was a fitting finale in the Dutch association’s centenary year.

India, a blend of veterans and juniors, were expected to acquit themselves well here, the only chink in the defence looked to be young goalkeepers Jude Menezes and Jagdish Ponnappa, preferred over seasoned AB Subbaiah.

But suspect fitness of key players, the mercurial forward and skipper Dhanraj Pillay and young striker Rajiv Mishra who was omitted from the squad of 16 after reaching here as he had not recoveredfrom a knee arthroscopy, deprived the team of an assured striker.

The team lacked discipline, never applying its mind while playing and umpteen easy scoring chances were frittered away.