Hyderabad, Oct 19, 2007 (WAM) -- Greece defeated the United Arab Emirates 34-33 in a needle match for the 5-8 placings at the 4th Military World Games at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday morning.

After finishing fourth in the Group B, UAE faced the number three team from Group A and kept level with the European outfit till the final minute. But impatient finish and the frustrated reaction by Ibrahim Mubarak Al Mazam left the UAE a man short in defence.

The UAE displayed a spirited performance though, drawing applause from the largely Indian audience at the stadium.

The Greeks took full advantage of the numerical superiority, scoring the winner with three seconds remaining to claim victory. Greece will now play for fifth spot against Watar who defeated India 35-27.

UAE and the home side face-off on Saturday for the seventh position.

WAM XC/GL/SA