KARACHI, Sept 30: Pakistan has dropped to fifth position in the World Hockey Team Rankings after the latest list issued by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday.

The Pakistanis slipped one place down and were overtaken by Champions Trophy winners Spain who are now placed fourth.

Australia is back on the top of rankings having reclaimed the number one spot first attained after their maiden Olympic gold medal in Athens last year.

The change at the top of the men’s rankings was a result of Germany’s failure to defend their European Nations Cup title in Leipzig earlier this month.

Under the four-year cycle used to calculate rankings points, Germany dropped two places to third after their bronze-medal finish behind Spain and The Netherlands in Leipzig.

The Netherlands has taken Germany’s place at number two and are 100 rankings points behind Australia.

Spain was the biggest improver on the men’s table in the latest rankings calculations, with their European Nations Cup win elevating them two places to fourth ahead of Pakistan and India, who dropped one place each respectively.

Australia, The Netherlands and Germany will resume their contest for top position at the Champions Trophy in Chennai later this year. Spain are the biggest threat to breaking the stranglehold of the established top three and will apply pressure if they can successfully defend their Champions Trophy title.

Elsewhere in the rankings, Belgium advanced two places after its fourth place at the European Nations Cup, while Malaysia continue their drop and now sit at 14th.

In the women’s rankings, Olympic champions Germany continued their rise and are now third after a silver medal at the European championship in Dublin.

Germany’s rise up the women’s rankings has been at the expense of Australia and China, who drop one spot to fourth and fifth respectively. The top two spots remain the same, with Netherlands and Argentina fighting a close battle for first place.

Japan moved into seventh with Korea falling to ninth. However Korea will again move up the rankings after the women’s Samsung Hockey Champions Trophy in Canberra in early December, with this tournament carrying the most rankings points for the year.

Lower down the list, Azerbaijan and Italy have broken into top 20 following their results at the European Nations Championship.

Before the Champions Trophy tournaments however, there will be an opportunity for the rankings to change further with the Africa Cup of Nations and the Oceania Cup (for men and women) to be contested in October and November. These tournaments will also serve as qualifying events for the men’s BDO Hockey World Cup and women’s Samsung Hockey World Cup next year.

Men: Top 10 1. Australia 1619 points 2. Netherlands 1568 3. Germany 1509 4. Spain 1423 5. Pakistan 1363 6. India 1315 7. Korea 1220 8. Argentina 1080 9. New Zealand 1058 10. England 948

Women: Top 10 1. Netherlands 1694 points 2. Argentina 1646 3. Germany 1565 4. Australia 1523 5. China 1454 6. New Zealand 1276 7. Japan 1053 8. England 1025 9. Korea 1003 10. Spain 940.—PPI