February 02, 2008	Saturday	Muharram 23, 1429

AUCKLAND, Feb 1: Olympic field hockey regulars Argentina and New Zealand face a desperate last chance bid to reach Beijing in a winner-takes-all qualifying tournament starting here on Saturday.

The two have the best credentials in the six-team tournament, having played in nine Olympics, with New Zealand the 1976 gold medallists, but both failed to secure a Beijing berth during the regular qualifying rounds.

The tournament offers one Olympic spot to the winner. The New Zealand players, averaging an impressive 100 Tests each, go into the tournament fresh from series wins over Chile and Japan last month and a drawn series against world No 2 Australia in Australia last November.

Argentina, the second most experienced side with an average of 79 caps, were expected to have little trouble booking their ticket to Beijing until they were upset by Canada in the final of last July’s Pan American Games.

Led by Mario Almada, 32, who has played 223 times for his country, Argentina are currently ranked seventh in the world, the highest seeding of the six teams in the tournament.

New Zealand are ranked No 10, followed by France (16), Ireland (19), Trinidad and Tobago (24) and the United States (27). New Zealand and Argentina are set to clash next Wednesday in round-robin play.—AFP