Hamburg (12 June, 2016): World No 2 Argentina defeated Germany 2-0 in the final of the Four-Nation Women’s Invitational Tournament at the Hamburger Polo Club in Hamburg on Sunday.
Watched by an estimated 900 spectators, the Germans, coached by Jamilon Mulders and ranked eighth in the FIH World Rankings, ended up second ahead of China and Korea. Argentine goalkeeper Belen Succi was voted the best goalkeeper of the tournament while German playmaker Anne Schröder was adjudged best player.
The Chinese, ranked fifth in the world, edged their Asian neighbours Korea 1-0 in an intense match to finish in third position. Xiao Sun scored China’s solitary goal in the 13 minute against the ninth ranked Koreans.
In the preliminary round, Argentina defeated Korea and China 1–0 and 3-1 respectively while the Germans edged China 2-0 and followed up with a 3-1 win over the Koreans.
The Chinese women national team, also known as ‘Snow Lotus’, and Koreans are gearing up for the Olympic Games in the Brazilian city of Rio in August while the Four-Nation Women’s tournament in Hamburg serves as a platform to gauge Argentina’s Las Leonas ‘and Germany’s preparation for the Women’s Champions Trophy from June 18-26 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
In the Rio Olympic Games, China and Korea are drawn in Pool A alongside Netherlands,
New Zealand, Germany and Spain while Pool B consist of Argentina, Australia, Great Britain (6), United States, Japan (ranked 10) and India (13).
For the record, China won silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, as well as bronze at the 2002 World Cup in Perth, Australia and followed up by winning the Champions Trophy the same year.
The Koreans won silver medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. They also won gold medal at the 1989 Hockey Champions Trophy and a bronze medal at the 1990 Women’s World Cup by defeating England 3-2 in Sydney, Australia.
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