Olympic qualifying draw made

HOCKEY:The Irish men's and women's teams now know the challenge that lies ahead of them if they are to qualify for next year's Olympic Games after the International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the draw for the qualifying tournaments yesterday.

The women, ranked 14th in the world, are the second seeds in their tournament, behind Korea (9), which will be staged in Victoria, Canada, from April 26th to May 4th next year. Italy (19), Canada (23), Malaysia (25) and Cuba (34) complete the line-up, with only the winners going through to the Olympic Games.

The Irish men have a more formidable task, seeded fourth in their tournament behind Argentina (7), New Zealand (10) and France (16) - Ireland are ranked 19th in the world. The tournament will be held in Auckland from February 2nd-10th.

At home, the Leinster women's first division campaign gets under way tomorrow with several of the clubs being led by new coaches, among them Hermes, who have appointed former captain Fiona Manning.

Hermes, who open against Three Rock at Grange Road, have lost three former internationals to retirement, Mary Logue, Caitriona Carey and Nicky King, while Molly Powers has returned to the US.

Arul Anthoni, the former Malaysian international (83 caps), has taken charge of Old Alexandra, and he will come up against another coach new to women's Leinster hockey when his team play Railway Union tomorrow: Mike McKinnon, the Irish under-18 coach.

WOMEN'S LEINSTER LEAGUE - Division One - Tomorrow: Three Rock v Hermes, Grange Road, 1.0; Loreto v Genesis, Beaufort, 1.30; Railway Union v Old Alexandra, Sandymount, 1.30; Corinthian v Pembroke Wanderers, Whitechurch, 3.0.

MEN - Tomorrow - Neville Cup - First round: Monkstown v Naas, Rathdown, 1.30. Quarter-finals: UCD v Three Rock Rovers, Belfield, 1.0; Pembroke Wanderers v Bray, Serpentine Avenue, 2.0; Corinthians v Glenanne, Whitechurch Park, 1.0.