India take on Malaysia in opener

NEW DELHI, JAN 20: Asian Games champions India will take on Commonwealth Games runners up, Malaysia, in their opening match of the five n...

NEW DELHI, JAN 20: Asian Games champions India will take on Commonwealth Games runners up, Malaysia, in their opening match of the five nation Akhbar el Yom International Hockey Tournament to be held at Cairo from February 2 to 9.

The other teams taking part in the tournament are Pan American champions Canada, Kenya and hosts Egypt.

Canada had beaten India 4-1 in the last World Cup at Utrecht in May 1998 to claim the eighth spot in which India had finished ninth.

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Egypt and Kenya played their last major global international competition at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

India is sending a developmental’ squad for this tournament, comprising mostly of youngsters in a build-up exercise for the 2000 Olympics at Sydney. This will also form the nucleus for the 2001 Junior World Cup squad, the venue of which is to be announced in next FIH meeting to be held at Dubai in early March during the six nation tourney. India along with World champion Holland, European Cup winner Germany, Australia, Pakistan andOlympic silver medallist Spain will be taking part in the week-long Gulf tournament.

SCHEDULE (IST)

Feb 2: Canada vs Kenya (2030 hrs), Egypt vs Malaysia (2330 hrs); Feb 3: India vs Malaysia (2030 hrs), Egypt vs Canada (2230 hrs); Feb 5: India vs Canada (2030 hrs), Egypt vs Kenya (2230 hrs); Feb 6: India vs Kenya (2030 hrs), Canada vs Malaysia (2230 hrs); Feb 7: India vs Egypt (2030 hrs), Kenya vs Malaysia (2230 hrs); Feb 9: Final (2230 hrs).