Netherlands play hockey from different planet; Asians satisfied with spying missionsJUNE 6: `Hockey from another planet'! That was the promise the Dutch players made to their fans before the start of the Champions Trophy. A week of scintillating stickwork and dazzling drag flicks in Amstelveen, and the orange armies - both men's and women's - indeed look invincible.Amazing, because the Dutch women broke the stranglehold of Rick Charleworth's `Hockeyroos' - the Australian women's team were unbeaten since 1993. Charlesworth did have something to say about the umpiring, but the Aussies would be a worried lot now as they prepare for sports' mega show in their backyard, Down Under.The Dutch men - defending World and Olympic champions - were anyway the favourites. In comparison to the dull, defensive Germans - whom they beat in the final - they play with a rare flair and their midfield patterns are simply breathtaking. They have an array of drag flickers to choose from during penalty corner setpieces; if Bram Lomans doesn't get you, Jeroen Delmee will. Combine it with their flowing forwardline led by Stephen Veen, and you have an exlosive combination.For Indian fans, what rankled most was the fact that their team was, yet again, not good enough to battle it out among the Elite Six. The turnaround scripted by Pargat Singh against Germany during the 1986 Champions Trophy is today, merely a midsummer night's dream.For that matter, even Pakistan - who conceived the idea of this annual hockey bonanza - would be smarting. Having failed to qualify, they were reduced to sending three observers, including their manager Islahuddin Siddiqui to Dutch land. Sadly, the sub-continent's magicians were forced to be satisfied with their `spying missions'.India too had their representative there, armed with a video camera. After reports that the two national coaches, Vasudevan Baskaran and Harinder Singh, would be travelling to Amstelveen, the onus fell on the junior team's coach, CR Kumar, to do the needful. Kumar, who went to attend a high performance training clinic, stayed on for the tournament. Smart thinking on part of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), but wonder what Baskaran and Harinder have to say about it.Even as the curtains came down on the Champions Trophy, came the confirmation that the South African men's team has been ruled out of the Olympic Games for being ``too white''. All but seven of the men's team of 30 are white.Argentina would probably be rejoicing, getting the berth by default, but what about the hard work put in by a team that is trying to rebuild after staying away so long from the limelight during the `apartheid years'?The other reason cited by the South African Olympic committee (NOCSA) is that their team is not good enough to finish among top nine, but are the Olympic Games all about winning?
