Agency :
The Netherlands secured an easy victory over South Africa in women’s hockey in hot, blustery conditions at the Tokyo Olympics on Wednesday, while Britain defeated India and Spain won even as their head coach Adrian Lock remained in Covid-19 quarantine.
The Dutch women’s team led by a goal at half-time, striker Frederique Matla having scored after picking up a pass by Lidewij Welten from the left side of the striking circle.
The Dutch side motored through the second half, netting a further four goals in a comfortable 5-0 win. The in-form Dutch women remain undefeated in Tokyo, scoring a total of 14 goals and conceding only one in their three matches so far. “There are always areas every game where we can improve,” said Eva de Goede, playing her fourth Olympics in Tokyo.
“We scored a lot of goals but if you consider the number of opportunities we created, it’s actually not that many … Penalty corners can also be handled better.”
With temperatures rising as the game progressed, officials had extended the break time between the third and fourth quarters to four minutes from the usual two to give both sides ample opportunity to cool down.
Spain secured their first triumph of the Tokyo Olympics following a tense match with New Zealand, beating the Black Sticks 2-1.
Spanish captain Maria Lopez Garcia said the team’s first win at these Olympics was important, and the side celebrated by taking a team picture on the pitch after the match.
“Now we have more confidence than before,” Lopez Garcia said. “It’s a step (up) for the rest of the games.”
