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Belgium hold New Zealand

Source: PTI
March 06, 2004 19:01 IST
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Pony-tailed Patrice Houssein scored twice, including a late equalizer in the last minute, to help Belgium hold New Zealand 2-2 in a Pool B game on the men's Olympic hockey qualifying tournament in Madrid on Saturday.

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In a match that was of more than passing interest to the Indian team, New Zealand scored through Hayden Shaw in the 19th minute from a penalty-corner and Patrick Burrows (25th), who drove home a Wayne McIndoe pass.

But the Kiwis, who led 2-1 at the break, caved in under tremendous pressure during the last 20 minutes to come away with just one point that took their tally to seven from three outings.

The Belgium team, which had held India to a 1-1 draw in their opening encounter, was brought back in the reckoning by the hard-working Houssein, who made full use of the opponent's lapses to find the net in the 18th and 69th minutes.

In fact, Belgium could even have won the game but for the sitters they wasted in the second-half.

The Kiwis, gold medallists at the 1976 Games and hoping to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since 1992, dominated much of the first-half, but after going 2-1 up, failed to sustain the momentum.

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