After 2 days of swashbuckling action, Uruguay became the first-ever winners of the FIH Hockey5s event on Sunday in Lausanne.
Uruguay won every match they played at the event and overcame hosts Switzerland in the women’s final to become the champions.
Overcast conditions in Lausanne proved to be a foreshadowing of the day to come as it rained goals throughout the day with teams getting more familiar with the format of the game and the tactics best suited to prevail in it.
Uruguay won their 3rd and 4th match of the pool stage against South Africa and Poland to go 4 for 4 and finish top of the table with comfortable ease. However, the 2nd final spot was up for grabs for all the other 4 teams.
Hosts Switzerland who started the day in the 2nd place lost their opening encounter to India and had to rely on other results to make it to the finals. India and South Africa played the final pool stage game and after a thrilling 4-4 draw, it was the Swiss fairytale that continued to the final.
The women’s final started off with an early goal from the home team on the back of a booming crowd that certainly believed in their team.
But Uruguay showed no nerves and went about their business in the calmest of manners and within 5 minutes of going behind they had not only restored parity, but also found a second and third goal to take a comfortable 2 goal lead into the half time.
Skipper Manuela Vilar found the goal twice and Teresa Viana, who finished as the Top Goal Scorer and Best Player overall, found the third.
The second of the game was a clinic in game management from Uruguay as they bossed possession and killed off any hopes of a Swiss comeback to win the finals by a 3-1 margin, becoming the inaugural champions of the FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022.
Awards — Best Goalkeeper: Ursina Fazis (SUI), Best Player: Teresa Viana (URU), and Top Scorer: Teresa Viana (URU).
While India who started the event as favourites in the men’s event, lived up to the billing prevailing over Poland to become the inaugural champions. (ANI)
