A rare win over Pakistan has boosted the New Zealand men's hockey team's confidence that they are on track in their preparations for the Beijing Olympics.
Coach Shane McLeod yesterday said the 2-1 victory to claim third place at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament in Malaysia wasa good indicator for the Black Sticks.
"The result just helps our resolve over what we're doing," he said from Ipoh. "It's only the second time in our history that we've beaten Pakistan so that's a milestone for us as well."
Their previous success came at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Pakistan, who at No 6 are ranked four places higher than New Zealand, had beaten the Black Sticks 6-3 during round robin play in the seven-nation event.
In the playoff match, they struck first through Rehan Butt in the 17th minute. The Black Sticks tied the scores three minutes later through Simon Child, who produced an unstoppable drive for his fourth goal of the tournament.
The contest opened out in the second half and Gareth Brooks put New Zealand ahead in the 47th minute with a neat reverse strike.
Pakistan, who are also preparing for the Olympics, pressed for an equaliser, but the New Zealand defence, with goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex in solid form, proved up to the task.
Argentina took first place by beating India 2-1 in a final featuring two nations who failed to qualify for Beijing.
The New Zealanders had gone into the tournament without any leadup games and had also mixed in some solid training to test their performance in high humidity and under fatigue.
As well, they were without their most experienced player, 203-test midfielder Ryan Archibald, who was sidelined due to a shoulder injury.
The Black Sticks head back overseas next month for a three-week European tour involving a number of "friendly" internationals.
That touring squad are expected to be named next week.
