New Delhi, June 29: The Indian hockey team's build-up to the Athens Olympic Games received a shot in the arm today as it won a four-nation hockey tournament in Hamburg after beating Spain 4-2 in its last match.
India, who won two of their three matches while losing the other, finished the tournament on six points, one ahead of world champions Germany.

Germany, whose only victory in the tournament came against India yesterday, played out their second draw of the tournament today, a 4-4 result against Argentina in the last match of the event, according to information received here.
India's triumph in the tournament comes on the back of a successful tour of Australia earlier this month for a two-leg event, of which India won one and finished runners-up in the other.

An ecstatic coach Rajinder Singh said the victory in the tournament showed that the team was on the right path and hoped that the momentum would continue till the Athens Olympic Games next year.

"It has really been a fabulous performance by our boys in this tournament. We played extremely well in all the three matches, even in the 3-2 loss against the world champions," Rajinder Singh told a news agency.
"The performance in this tournament has shown that our boys are on the right track. We have been experimenting with our strategies and they have paid off.

"The boys have been doing well consistently and I am sure they will carry on the good work not only in the champions trophy next month and but till the Athens Olympic Games next year," he said.

Bureau Report