Tokyo Olympics Hockey: Fracas in heat as Argentina and Spain go head-to-head

From the ‘Euro Disney’ feel of the athletes’ village to pitch tempers in the Olympic cauldron. The mercury wasn’t the only thing rising in Spain and Argentina’s men’s Pool A opening clash at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – hockey’s old guard got heated too.

When Spanish forward David Alegre went down with cramp at the death, Argentine 2016 gold medallist Lucas Rossi used his stick to prod his fallen opponent, prompting a bad-tempered fracas as the players also contended with energy-sapping heat in the 1-1 draw.

Defender Rossi’s meltdown was all the more bizarre considering his teammate Matias Rey was helping Alegre at the time before Spaniard Xavier Lleonart angrily ushered Rossi, 36, away and remonstrated with officials.