The first game against South Africa at the Beijing Olympics is the most important and difficult one for the Netherlands, said the Dutch women's hockey coach Marc Lammers on Thursday.

The Netherlands, ranked No. 1 in the world, will first play the 11th-ranked South Africa in the preliminary round.

Though South Africa is the lowest-ranked team in the group, Lammers considered the first game as the most important and difficult one. "Because we have yet got used to the high temperature and heat here," he told Xinhua. "It is cool and rainy in the Netherlands now. Anyway if we want to go to the last game, we must win the first."

The Netherlands claimed both titles in 2006 World Cup and 2007 Champions Trophy and finished second at the Athens Olympics. Lammers said their goal in Beijing is to win a medal.

The coach noted Germany, the Athens Olympic champion and world No. 3, and Argentina, the 2008 Champions Trophy titlists and world No. 2, are their biggest rivals, as well as hosts China, who finished fourth in Athens.

"Germany and Argentina have lots of experience. China play at home, and the crowd are all Chinese."

The 39-year-old has been training the Dutch women's team for eight years. He began his coaching career when he was 25 with the Spanish women's team.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2008)