AUKLAND, March 27: World champions Germany and world No. 4 Pakistan are top two seeds in men's Pool A hockey for XXVIII Athens Olympic Games. The pool also includes South Korea, Great Britain, Spain and Egypt.

Australia have been drawn with dual-Olympic champions, the Netherlands, along with India, Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa in Pool B for XXVIII Olympic Games.

The allocations were approved at FIH Executive Board meeting Thursday in Auckland, with Australia seeded second in their pool behind the Dutch, who are reigning two-time Olympic gold medalists.

Australia play two of their Pool B opponents next month, when India and South Africa travel to Australia for a pair of four-nations tournament in Canberra and Sydney. The tournament will also include Malaysia.

They will then play another Pool B opponent - New Zealand - in a three-Test series in Cairns in July in their final matches before Olympic Games begins in Athens on 13 August.

The final draw for the men's Olympic Games competition is yet to be finalised.

The make-up of two pools in the women's competition will be decided after the fifth place playoff at Women's Olympic Qualifier in Auckland on Sunday.

Pools for XXVIII Olympic Games

Men:

Pool A: Germany, Pakistan, Korea, Great Britain, Spain, Egypt

Pool B: Netherlands, Australia, India, Argentina, New Zealand, South Africa.-PPI