Hockey: World Cup goal is for top-four finish

Tauranga's Andy Hayward is in the Mount training with the Black Sticks in January in preparation for their eighth World Cup tournament. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

New Zealand's failure to carry good early form through to the business end of major hockey tournaments has too often dashed any medal hopes.

Now, heading into their eighth World Cup, Hockey New Zealand's director Ramesh Patel is looking for better.

"Our performance goal this time is a medal, or at least a top-four finish with top six seen as an absolute minimum," said Patel, who last year stepped down from his long-held chief executive role to manage the high performance programme and oversee coaching development.

"In qualifying for the Commonwealth Games, World Cup and Champions Trophy, the men met our targets, but now we want them to go on and achieve their best placing at a World Cup."

Four years ago in Monchengladbach, Germany, New Zealand began strongly. After three games they were unbeaten, and led their pool, following wins over Argentina (3-0) and Japan (1-0) and a 4-4 draw with Pakistan.

They then lost to Spain (3-1) and Australia (7-1) to drop out of medal contention, going on on to lose 5th-8th classification matches to take their eventual eighth placing.

It was a similar situation two years ago at the Beijing Olympics where they won two and drew one of their first four games (losing only to Spain 1-0) and eventually finishing seventh.

"The encouraging thing is that in 2009 they finished tournaments off winning both the World Cup qualifier and then the Champions Challenge to win through to the Champions Trophy," said Patel.

As a previous World Cup player, in India in 1982 when New Zealand finished seventh, Patel, born in New Zealand of Indian parents, said if he was a player in the current squad he would go to New Delhi.

"But, having said that, as a parent and an administrator I might think differently. No sports administrator likes things like this and you have to wonder where the players' minds are at at present.

"I have spoken to [team manager] Kevin Marr and he seems assured that the environment is safe and secure.

"There is, as you would expect, added security screening and checks but we have to remember these are international athletes who are well-prepared for such contingencies."

Patel is due in New Delhi next Friday in time to watch the Black Sticks' third game against Korea. By then he is hoping they have already picked up at least four of the six points at stake in the first two games.

Coach Shane McLeod has targeted the first-up clash with Canada (Tuesday morning NZ time) as "must-win".

Patel sees that as a good opener and feels the players will also back themselves against the Dutch two days later.

The Netherlands can call on a wealth of experience with a total of 2160 international caps between the 18 players. Five of the Dutch have played 200 or more times for their country.

New Zealand have captain Phil Burrows (235), Ryan Archibald (234), Blair Hopping (210) and Dean Couzins (198). This quartet, along with goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex who will reach 100 caps, as will Shea McAleese, are certain to play key roles.

Patel holds high hopes but again comes back to the need to start strongly.

"If they can pick up those early points and go into the game against Germany without having to win to make the top four would be ideal," said Patel. "It won't be easy but given their form in 2009 we have to have a chance."