Tokyo Olympics: GB's Sam Ward in dream Olympic return after career-threatening injury
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Tokyo Olympics: Team GB beat South Africa 3-1 in hockey opener
Tokyo Olympic Games on the BBC |
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Dates: 23 July-8 August Time in Tokyo: BST +8 |
Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button and online; Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sports Extra and Sounds; live text and video clips on BBC Sport website and app. |
Great Britain's Sam Ward made a dream return to Olympic action as his side won their men's hockey Pool B opener against South Africa.
Ward opened the scoring in Tokyo, 20 months after suffering a serious eye injury which threatened his career.
The 30-year-old struck from a penalty corner after just two minutes.
Matt Guise-Brown levelled from another penalty corner a minute later but second-half goals from Liam Ansell and Jack Waller gave GB a winning start.
With tough games against Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands to come, Danny Kerry's side needed a good display against one of the two Pool B teams ranked lower than them to boost their quarter-final hopes.
And while Great Britain were tested by their opponents early on, South Africa's ill-discipline cost them as the game went on.
Kerry's side next face Canada on Monday.
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