(Hockey news) Just two more tickets to Paris were up for grabs on the final day of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024 in Valencia, Spain and Muscat, Oman on Sunday.

Both playoff matches produced compelling hockey with the four teams throwing everything into their last chance to achieve Olympic qualification. Ultimately it was New Zealand who emerged victorious over Pakistan in Muscat and Ireland who defeated Korea in Valencia to secure their places in Paris.

The two tournament finals were contested by four teams already assured of their Olympic places.

In the final in Muscat, world champions Germany edged out Great Britain with a late goal to claim a 1-0 win. 

And in Valencia, it was Olympic champions Belgium who prevailed 3-2 in a hard-fought showdown against hosts Spain to make it a double victory – with the Belgian women having claimed the women’s title, also against the Spanish, a day earlier.

Valencia (M)

The men’s tournament in Valencia closed out with the attention focused on the third-place playoff between Ireland and Korea where the last Olympic qualifying spot of the tournament was on the line.

Ireland absorbed tremendous pressure in a thrilling encounter. Matthew Nelson opened the scoring for the Irish with a diving penalty corner deflection after 14 minutes, and Ben Johnson added a scintillating field goal five minutes later. Sunghyun Kim pulled one back for Korea off a penalty corner soon after, only for John McKee to extend Ireland’s lead a minute later with a field goal. Junwoo Jeong narrowed the deficit for Korea from a penalty corner deflection on the stroke of half-time and the match was evenly poised on 3-2 at the break.

Shane O’Donoghue added a penalty corner goal for Ireland in the 40th minute, but Korea hit back within a minute as Jonghyun Jang netted a penalty stroke. The Koreans then applied sustained pressure to chase an equaliser and pulled off their goalkeeper with three minutes remaining in the match. But Ireland held on for the 4-3 victory to claim third place and book their ticket to Paris, while Korea’s Olympic hopes were dashed.

Irish captain and player of the match, Sean Murray, said: “I’m just lost for words. Credit to Korea – they came out and it was a horribly tough game. I’ve been on the other side of that before where we’ve lost a match for the Olympic Games and now we get to feel what it’s like to qualify and I can’t put it into words how proud I am of the team and just ecstatic.” 

Later in the evening, Belgium had the upper hand in their riveting final against Spain, but they were made to work the full 60 minutes for their victory. Luis Calzado delivered another exceptional performance in the Spanish goal, making three excellent saves in the first half alone to keep his team in the hunt. Tom Boon eventually found the net for Belgium from a penalty corner in the 23rd minute after Calzado had saved the first strike and two rebounds.

Xavier Gispert pulled Spain level with a field goal after 38 minutes, and as play ebbed and flowed it looked like matters would be decided by a shootout. But the game came alive in the 58th minute when Belgium’s Florent van Aubel deflected a sizzling cross in for a 2-1 lead, only for Pepe Cunill to respond from the restart to pull Spain level at 2-2. Nelson Onana had the final say for Belgium with a penalty corner in the 59th minute, sealing a 3-2 win for top spot in the tournament.

In the bottom half of the log, it was Egypt who came from behind twice to beat Austria 4-3 and clinch 5th place, while Japan put a dampener on Viacheslav Paziuk’s 100th cap for Ukraine by romping home 6-2 for 7th spot.

Tournament awards

Best player: Tom Boon (BEL)

Top scorer (7 goals): Tom Boon (BEL)

Best goalkeeper: Luis Calzado (ESP)

Best junior player: Yamato Kawahara (JPN)

Muscat (M)

Over in Muscat, Pakistan and New Zealand contested the third-place playoff with their Paris ambitions hanging in the balance.

New Zealand had the better of the territory and the possession against a hard-working Pakistan team, but they failed to convert their early chances and Pakistan took the lead after 18 minutes, Abu Mahmood bulleting his drag flick home. Scott Boyde equalised for the Black Sticks off a penalty corner rebound on 24 minutes, but they conceded a penalty stroke from the restart and Mahmood made no mistake in restoring Pakistan’s lead.

The New Zealanders looked to be in trouble until deep into the second half when Hugo Inglis tapped one in to level the scores after 52 minutes. Boyde then bagged his second of the match with a field goal just two minutes from time to secure a dramatic 3-2 win, and with that the final Olympic berth of the tournament. 

Speaking after the match an elated New Zealand captain, Nic Woods, said: “It’s honestly crazy. All credit to the Pakistan boys today – they played out of their skin. So much of a challenge there and they played such a surreal game. For us, it’s been a hard 12 months, we’ve worked very hard to get to this place and we’re ecstatic to be in the Olympics.”

In the final, Germany emerged as deserved winners against Great Britain, controlling the match for extended periods. Goalkeepers James Mazarelo and Oliver Payne delivered sterling performances for GB to deny the Germans a goal until an action-packed fourth quarter. Germany played the match with half a bench due to injuries sustained through the tournament and when they received a green card in the 46th minute, GB looked to overrun them with their fresher legs.

However, the British side failed to score from four penalty corners before Martin Zwicker put Germany ahead with a penalty corner rebound in the 56th minute. The Germans then defended magnificently to deny GB a goal from a further five penalty corners in the final minute and wrap up the 1-0 win. While Germany topped the podium and GB achieved what they came for in terms of Olympic qualification, the British side will look for a dramatic improvement in their penalty corner routine before they head to Paris.

Both matches for the lower placings had to be decided by shootouts, Malaysia beating Canada for 5th place after their scores were locked 0-0 in regulation time, and Chile sneaking home against China for 7th place after the match ended 3-3 in regulation time.

Tournament awards

Best player: Sam Ward (GBR)

Top scorer (8 goals): Sam Ward (GBR)

Best goalkeeper: Hafizuddin Othman (MAS)

Best junior player: Charlie Morrison (NZL)

For more information about the qualifiers and the upcoming Olympic Games Paris 2024, visit Olympics.Hockey. 

FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2024

Valencia, Spain – 21 January

Result Match 17 (M)

Japan 6 – 2 Ukraine

Player of the match: Seren Tanaka (JPN)

Umpires: Nick Bennett (ENG), Rawi Anbananthan (MAS)

Result Match 18 (M)

Egypt 4 – 3 Austria

Player of the match: Mahmoud Mamdouh (EGY)

Umpires: Tim Meissner (GER), Ilanggo Kanabathu (MAS) 

Result Match 19 (M)

Ireland 4 – 3 Korea

Player of the match: Sean Murray (IRL)

Umpires: Michiel Otten (NED), Ben Goentgen (GER)

Result Match 20 (M)

Spain 2 – 3 Belgium

Player of the match: Victor Wegnez (BEL)

Umpires: Zeke Newman (AUS), David Tomlinson (NZL)

Muscat, Oman – 21 January 

Result Match 17 (M)

China 3 – 3 Chile (SO: 4 – 5)

Player of the match: Raimundo Valenzuela (CHI)

Umpires: Sean Edwards (ENG), Darren Hubach (RSA)

Result Match 18 (M)

Canada 0 – 0 Malaysia (SO: 1 – 3)

Player of the match: Hafizuddin Othman (MAS)

Umpires: Paul Walker (ENG), Ahmed Elsayed (EGY)

Result Match 19 (M)

New Zealand 3 – 2 Pakistan

Player of the match: Scott Boyde (NZL)

Umpires: Sean Rapaport (RSA), Gabriel Labate (ARG)

Result Match 20 (M)

Great Britain 0 – 1 Germany

Player of the match: Justus Weigand (GER)

Umpires: Tyler Klenk (CAN), Hideki Kinoshita (JPN)

Also read: Pak hockey team fails to qualify for Olympics, former players say it’s depressing