Kookaburras to face India in Semi-Final

The Kookaburras, including Western Australian Institute of Sport trio Tyler Lovell, Kiel Brown and Aran Zalewski, will face the hosts India in the quarter-final of the World League Finals in New Delhi on Wednesday night.

The last eight match-up was confirmed after the Australian men beat Argentina 6-1 to top Pool B while India finished bottom of Pool A despite a 3-3 draw with Olympic champions Germany on Monday.  

Commenting on the impact his less experienced players including Zalewski, head coach Ric Charlesworth added: “I believe we have a good deep squad and I’m pleased when the younger ones do well. Beale, Zalewski, White and people like that are very new and are doing fine.”

The match – the 101st between two of international hockey’s most decorated teams – will pit India’s Australian Head Coach Terry Walsh against Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth, who has also coached in India in the Hockey India League and who acted as technical advisor to the Indian national teams in 2008. 

The two sides last met at the same stage of the World League Semi-Final tournament in Rotterdam in June when the Kookaburras ran out 5-1 winners.

– Hockey Australia