News 08 February 2014
All the news for Saturday 8 February 2014
Rhinos down Lancers in exciting encounter
Rhinos made the most of home advantage and controlled the greater part of the first quarter, with Jackson playing a crucial role in midfield.
FINE FINISH: Ashley Jackson (not in picture) grabbed the lead for Rhinos when he perfectly angled the ball past the 'keeper from a penalty corner. Photo: Manob Chowdhury
Defending champion Ranchi Rhinos downed neighbours Kalinga Lancers of Bhubaneswar 3-2 in an exciting Hockey India League encounter at the Astroturf Stadium here on Friday.
Rhinos, held 1-1 in their previous outing at the same venue by Mumbai Magicians, picked up their third win of the campaign thanks to goals from Ashley Jackson, captain Moritz Furste and Amon Tirkey. Lancers played well and even led 2-1 at the end of the third quarter with goals from Gonzalo Peillat and captain Kiel Brown.
Rhinos made the most of home advantage and controlled the greater part of the first quarter, with Jackson playing a crucial role in midfield.
The English drag-flicker grabbed the lead for the host when he perfectly angled the ball past Lancers’ goalkeeper Harjot Singh from a penalty corner in the fourth minute.
Jackson’s second attempt in the 12th minute, displaying fine stick work, was saved by Harjot.
Lancers regrouped in the second quarter, using the flanks well to try and break the defensive arrangement of the host. This helped them win four successive penalty corners starting from the 30th minute.
Rhinos’ defence stood strong against drag-flicker Gonzalo Peillat. But the Argentine eventually got the ball home in the 33rd minute to leave the half-time score reading 1-1.
Lancers’ decision to be more assertive paid off as they found the lead towards the end of the third quarter.
Young Lalit Upadhyay, who displayed excellent skills in attack, created the opening in the 51st minute with a smart pass which Australian Kiel Brown finished with ease.
Stung by the reverse, the defending champion hit back in the final quarter and regained its rhythm. Furste, the doughty German Olympian in midfield, restored parity in the 57th minute when he tore into the Lancers defence.
He created space on the right flank, and then scored with a fine diving effort as Tirkey crossed the ball back to the Lancers goalmouth.
Tirkey ensured the win and five points for Rhinos in the 63rd minute when he sounded the board with a cracking shot after Floris Evers set him up with a short pass.
The result: Ranchi Rhinos 3 (Ashley Jackson 4, Moritz Furste 57, Amon Tirkey 63) bt Kalinga Lancers 2 (Gonzalo Peillat 33, Kiel Brown 51).
The Hindu
Kalinga loses but not disgraced
New franchise Kalinga Lancers gave a find account of themselves before going down by narrowest of the margin at Ranchi today in the ongoing Hero Hockey India League
Great Britain's star Ashley Jackson converted first penalty corner Ranchi Rhinos got to give his side early lead but things did not progress the same fashion later, as the lowly rated but highly improving Kalinga Lancers had different idea.
The visiting side equalized 3 minutes before the hooter, after three consecutive penalty corners takes hit the charger Amit Rohidass, but when on the fourth Gonzalo Peillat replied.
A minute before the third quarter Kalinga took the lead, for the first in five matches.
Lalit showcases good stick work, entered the circle from the right flank, and then again dodged a defender with a lot of body feint before passing a short ball to Kiel Brown, who just beat charging goalkepper Francisco Cortes.
The fourtunes of the game changed in favour of the hosts when in 56th minute, captain Furste dived to his full length to connect a pass from right
Then came the turn of Amon Tikey, who turned full to effect a forehand after getting a pass from Floris Evers, who of late produced some scintillating forays into the circle.
This Amon's goal stood the remainder of eight minutes, that fetched full points for the home team, who are now third placed in the table below only Delhi Waveriders and Punjab Warriors.
For his all round display, and also for the goal that changed the course of match in favour of his side, captain Maritz Furste was declared Man of the Match.
Stick2Hockey.com
Fighting Ranchi Rhinos win at home
Arnab Lall Seal
RANCHI: Defending champions Ranchi Rhinos came from behind to beat the improving debutant team Kalinga Lancers 3-2 at the Astroturf Hockey Stadium on Friday.
Gonzalo Peillat and captain Kiel Brown scored for the Lancers while Ashley Jackson, Moritz Furste and Amon Tirkey found the net for the home side. Jackson gave the hosts a great start when he converted a penalty corner six minutes into the game. Jackson hit with a lot of power which gave goalkeeper Harjot Singh no chance.
Lancers equalized in the closing minutes of the second quarter. Mandeep Antil earned the visitors their first penalty corner and Peillat slotted it home. The home fans were stunned when Lancers skipper Brown scored from close range to make it 2-1.
Lalit Upadhyay showed great skills inside the D and passed on to Brown who beat Francisco Cortes with ease. With 14 minutes left on the clock, Rhinos skipper Furste scored with a blinder to help the home side stage a comeback into the match. Furste ran through the Lancers defence and dived full-stretch to deflect Amon Tirkey's cross into the net.
With time running out, both the teams went all out but it was Ranchi who celebrated as Amon scored with just eight minutes to go.
The Times of India
UP Wizards host Delhi Waveriders in a battle of equals
LUCKNOW: Leaders Delhi Waveriders will look to consolidate their numero uno position in the points table when they face an evenly-matched Uttar Pradesh Wizards in an away league match of the second Hero Hockey India League at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, on Saturday.
The Waveriders are presently atop the standings with 24 points from seven games, while the Wizards find themselves in the third spot with 15 points from five matches.
For both the teams a win on Saturday has great significance. While a victory will strengthen Waveriders position in the standings, for Wizards a victory on Saturday means they jump to the second spot ahead of Jaypee Punjab Warriors (18 points).
Going by the paper and their head-to-head record in the previous encounter this year, there is hardly anything to differentiate between the Waveriders and Wizards.
In the previous meeting at New Delhi, the Waveriders and Wizards settled for a 1-1 draw, a fair result going by the strenghts and weaknesses of both the teams.
But come Saturday, both the sides will itching to get one better of the other.
And with debutants Kalinga Lancers and Dabur Mumbai Magicians getting better with every game, it would be risky for both Waveriders and Wizards to their semifinal berths for granted in the six-team event.
Waveriders coach Cedric D'souza too agreed that it will an exciting encounter as both the teams are equal on paper.
"We don't see it as an easy game tomorrow against the Uttar Pradesh Wizards. The match with them is evenly balanced and it will be a tough match to play. The team who plays good and doesn't allow the pressure to take over will emerge as the winner," he said.
The Delhi outfit skipper Sardar Singh added: "Our last game against the Uttar Pradesh Wizards was a draw. We need to improve our game against them, with special focus on mid field. We need to use our combination well and also put emphasis on man-to-man marking."
UP Wizards coach Roelant Oltmans too expects a tough fighting game against Waveriders on Saturday, just like their previous outing.
"We had a very close game with Delhi Waveriders in Delhi. We expect to have a same type of game. We need to play a well-balanced game. We are playing with them on our home ground and we hope to play some entertaining game," he said.
Wizards captain VR Raghunath said the hosts need to utilise their chances on Saturday.
The Times of India
Warriors wary of resurgent Mumbai
Shailendra Awasthi
MUMBAI: They may have beaten Mumbai Magicians comprehensively in their previous encounter at Mohali last month, but the Punjab Warriors are not taking their bottom-placed opponents lightly when they meet again in the return leg at the Mahindra Stadium on Saturday.
"The Mumbai outfit has shown a lot of improvement which is evident from their better display in last two matches," said Warriors coach Barry Dancer after a training session on Friday.
"They are desperate for a win therefore we cannot afford to take them lightly," added Dancer.
The Mumbai outfit is at the bottom of the six-team league with just six points to their credit after having lost four matches and drawn one.
The Times of India
Coaches and captain speak as today hosts two matches
PUNJAB WARRIORS Vs MUMBAI MAGICIANS
Barry Dancer, Jaypee Punjab Warriors: “We've had a bit of break after our last game against Uttar Pradesh Wizards, therefore it'll be a challenge for us to regain the same intensity as we had in the first part of the tournament. The match against the Mumbai Magicians cannot be taken lightly as they have been showing great team work in the last few matches.” Captain Jamie Dwyer of JPW: “We've always done well against Mumbai Magicians and we'll try to keep our good run against them. Everyone in the team is rejuvenated after getting few days rest in Mumbai and we hope to have a good game against them.”
MK Kaushik, Dabur Mumbai Magicians' coach: “Tomorrow’s match is crucial and we have to play to win the match. We will try and overcome the areas that we have been lacking in and improve ourselves tomorrow”.
Captain Glenn Turner, Dabur Mumbai Magicians: “The team has performed well in the last couple of games. Our strategy will be to be focused in the game tomorrow and finish off well. In the last game we missed a lot of opportunities and we are working hard to overcome those mistakes and perform better in our upcoming games”.
DELHI WAVERIDERS Vs UTTAR PRADESH WIZARDS
Head Coach of Delhi Waveriders, Cedric D’Souza: “We don’t see it as an easy game against the Uttar Pradesh Wizards. The match with them is evenly balanced and it will be a tough match to play. The best team who plays good, doesn’t allow the pressure to take over will emerge the winner”.
Captain Sardar Singh: “Our last game against the Uttar Pradesh Wizards was a draw. We need to improve our game against them, with special focus on mid field. We need to use our combination well and also put emphasis on man to man marking. We have to play well in the next to game and we will be through to Semi Finals”.
Roelant Oltmans, UP Wizards coach: “We had a very close game with Delhi Wave Riders in Delhi. We expect to have a same type of game. We need to play a well-balanced game. We are playing with them on our home ground and we hope to play some entertaining game and make the crowd experience a fantastic game”.
Captain V.R Raghunath: “We are looking forward to a great match tomorrow. We should utilize all the chances that we get during the game. We had a good game with Delhi Wave Riders in Delhi and now we are playing them in our home ground and we hope to have a thrilling contest”.
Stick2Hockey.com
Our focus is semifinals, says Sardar of Delhi Waveriders
Tazeen Qureshy
Delhi Waveriders top the table after 15 matches have been played out, in the 12 days that had gone by in the Hero Hockey India League
Yes, Delhi Waveriders got a new co-owner John Abraham, and doubled their popularity this year. However, in terms of the game results, they are lagging behind compared to their performance last year.
All seems not to be going well for Delhi despite retaining their top position in the points table with 24 points after playing their 7 matches.
Last year, Delhi had won all their league matches and thus fittingly got the epithet “unbeatable” team in the league. However, things have changed this year as the team has already lost two matches, one against Ranchi Rhinos, and the other against Punjab Warriors besides drawing one with Uttar Pradesh Wizards.
Agreed Captain Sardar Singh, “Compared to previous year, this year we are slowly entering into the game. Combination has been a little problem but we are improving gradually. Our focus is on the semi-final and hopefully we deliver accordingly.”
In fact, Delhi is now working out on different combinations which can gift them fitting results. “We are making some changes. For example, Andreas Mir Bel is attacking from left flank. He is a good player and creates good opportunities. So, our aim is to improve before the semi-finals,” Sardar added.
But Coach Cedric D Souza believes the other way round. “There is no problem with Delhi team. Rather the other teams have improved. After so many matches, the teams are now gelling well, their combination is coming up and hence the performance is getting stronger.”
Stick2Hockey.com
Midway through, HIL meanders towards mediocrity
K. Arumugam
Fifteen matches have been held, almost one or two matches in each host city, all matches telecast Live, quality of which has shown a leap, matches have been won and lost, but the impression one gets right now is not all rosy.
If quality of contest is what it means, what it counts, its on wane, from spectacle point of view, statistical discourse and by all means.
The HHIL this year started with a great match between Delhi Waveriders and Punjab Warriors at the picturesque Mohali stadium, with an eye-catching opening ceremony and what followed was a good contest, where a twin strike of Jason Wilson gave the visitors a great start.
But if you look at the last five matches, three were drawn, other two produced just 4,5 goals in all.
Stick2Hockey.com
CM’s grant oxygen for cash-strapped PHF
LAHORE - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary and former Olympian Rana Mujahid Thursday said that a grant of Rs 100 million announced by the Punjab government would serve as oxygen for cash-strapped federation which required Rs 500 million per year to its activity programme.
Speaking at the press conference held here at National Hockey Stadium, Rana said: "We are thankful to the Punjab Chief Minister Mian M Shahbaz Sharif for lending support to the PHF at a time when its kitty is almost empty and it has become hard to send the teams abroad for taking part in international tournaments.”
He said the Punjab CM had also set up a committee headed by Provincial Minister for Sports Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan for the revival of the game at grassroots level as well as in the educational institutions.
He said that the committee would work in close coordination with the PHF for ensuring steps for the revival and development of the game by suggesting ways and means by taking into consideration the proposal of the former Olympians.
"With the announcement of grant by the Punjab CM, we are confident that our team will be able to participate in the next month's Azlan Shah Cup being played in Malaysia.”
“The grant is a ray of hope for us and we are optimistic that the federal government will also extend financial support to lift the national hockey federation out of financial crunch,” he added.
The PHF official said they had submitted a report to Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry requesting them to provide adequate financial help to the PHF which needs Rs 500 million per year to hold its activities.
"We have also prepared its annual budget and submitted it to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and requested them to provide necessary funds for the participation of teams in the international tournaments abroad besides, functioning of hockey academies across the country and organisation of hockey tournaments at home," he asserted. He said the PHF wanted to send its team to feature in the Asian Games being held in South Korea later this year and it would follow the direction of IPC Ministry because of dispute in the national Olympic committee where two groups existed.
To a query, he replied: “Pakistan and India hockey federations have a mutual stance to revive bilateral hockey series between the two countries. Both the federations are agreed on this issue and now it is between the two governments to give final approval and we are confident of a positive outcome in due course of time.”
The Nation
Cracker on the cards
SHOWDOWN: UniKL, Thunderbolts clash set to decide champions
By JUGJET SINGH
UNIKL Young Guns were late bloomers, as they only powered ahead in the second half to beat SSTMI Juniors 6-0 in Division One of the Junior Hockey League at the National Hockey Stadium yesterday.
And at the Malacca Stadium, SSTMI Thunderbolts beat Malacca High School 7-2 to set up a mouth watering duel today.
UniKL and Thunderbolts square off today in what could be the Division One title showdown.
"We wasted many penalty corners, but the boys made up with field goals in the second half, and I expect my strikers to deliver again when we play Thunderbolts tomorrow (today)," said UniKL coach Rodhanizam Radzi.
Defending champions Thunderbolts, however, were dealt a severe blow as their penalty corner ace Najmi Farizal will
not be able to play against UniKL today as he picked up a yellow card against Malacca High School.
"Najmi scored a hat-trick against Malacca, but in his attempt to win the match for us, he picked up his second yellow card of the tournament and will serve his suspension when we play UniKL.
"This (UniKL match) could well decide the Division One title, and even though we will be without our main penalty corner flicker, I still have faith in my players to deliver three points," said Thunderbolts coach Wan Roslan Rahman.
The Thunderbolts goals were scored by Sufi Ismat (fourth), Nik Aiman Rozemi (12th), M. Saravanan (25th), Najmi Farizal (38th, 61st, 67th) and Najib Hassan (45th).
The Malacca scorers were Amirul Hakim (21st) and Haniff Razak (49th).
As for UniKL, their goals were scored by Mohamed Shafirrul Akmal (27th), Zizi Azwan Hassan (30th), Rahimi (45th, 55th, 64th) and Hafif Elkan (67th).
Results -- Division One: Malacca High Schhool 2 SSTMI Thunderbolts 7, UniKL Young Guns 6 SSTMI Juniors 0.
Division Two A: Syed Hassan 4 MSSP-USM 1, STAR 1 Nur Insafi 3.
Division Two B: KLSS Juniors 6 Larut Matang 2, MSS Pahang 13 Permatang Juniors 1, Padang Midin 4 1MAS Perak 0.
Division Two C: SM Tunku Besar 1 BJSS Juniors 1.
Today -- Division One: UniKL Young Guns v SSTMI Thunderbolts (5pm, Bukit Jalil, Pitch II), Malacca High School v SSTMI Juniors (5pm, Malacca Stadium).
Division Two A: Matri v MSSp-USM (5pm, Kuala Perlis), STAR v PHKS (5pm, Azlan Shah Stadium).
Division Two B: Felda Temerloh v Permatang Juniors (5pm, Temerloh).
Division Two C: SM Tunku Besar v BJSS (5pm, Seremban II).
New Straits Times
Bittersweet day for Thunderbolt’s Mohd Najmi
By Aftar Singh
SSTMI Juniors' Muhammad Luqman Hakim Mohamad Asri (left) and UniKL's Rafizul Ezry Mustafa tussle for the ball during their Malaysian Junior Hockey League Division One match at National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Feb 7, 2014. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Najmi Farizal Jazlan was the hero and the villain after helping Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt to a 7-2 win over Malacca High School in a Division One match of the MHC-Milo-NSC Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) at the Bukit Serendit Hockey Stadium in Malacca.
Najmi fired a hat-trick of penalty corner goals as Thunderbolt bagged their fourth straight win to stay at the top of the standings – and take a step closer to retaining the title. They still have two matches left to play – against Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) at National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday and KLSS-KLHC next weekend.
Najmi, who was on target in the 38th, 61st and 67th minutes, however, won’t play in the crucial tie against former champions UniKL after receiving his second yellow card in the match against Malacca High School.
He faces a one-match suspension for collecting eight demerit points.
Mohd Sufi Ismat Rohulamin (4th), Nik Mohd Aiman Nik Rozemi (12th), M. Saravanan (25th) and Mohd Najib Abu Hassan (45th) netted the other goals for Thunderbolt.
Amirul Hakim Nazaruddin (21st) and Mohd Hannif Abdul Razak (49th) replied for Malacca High School.
UniKL kept pace with Thunderbolt by outplaying Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Juniors 6-0 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil for their third consecutive win.
The university team have nine points from three matches and must beat defending champions Thunderbolt to stay in contention for the league title.
UniKL’s Mohd Rahimi Iskandar also had a hat-trick – scoring in the 45th, 55th and 64th.
Mohd Shafirrul Akmal (27th), Zizi Azwan Hassan (30th) and Hafif Elkan (67th) were the other UniKL scorers.
Thunderbolt coach Wan Roslan Wan Abdul Rahman was furious with Najmi for collecting his second yellow card.
“We need his services badly as he has been scoring regularly. Without him, it will be difficult to score from penalty corner setpieces.
“But we have been double champions for the last three years ... so, I have faith in the other players to give their best and win our fourth consecutive title,” said Wan Roslan.
UniKL coach Rodhanizam Mat Radzi rued the missed penalty corner attempts, “although the boys made up for it with field goals in the second half”.
“I expect my forwards to deliver again when we play Thunderbolt tomorrow. It will be do-or-die for us as we must collect full points to stay on track for the league title.
“We have been playing second field against them for the last three years but, this time, I’m confident we can turn the tables on them,” said Rodhanizam.
The Star of Malaysia
On the road and working for the big events
By David Leggat
Black Sticks attacker Petrea Webster is taking time off teaching to focus on her busy hockey schedule. Photo / Sarah Ivey
Few sports get as many opportunities for international travel and competition as hockey.
The women's Black Sticks squad are in San Diego for a series of internationals against Britain and the United States next week.
Then there's a six-nation tournament in Hawkes Bay in April, followed by the World Cup in The Hague in May-June, and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow a few weeks later.
So it's all go, and for the players there's an imperative in the American trip - show coach Mark Hager he needs you for the big events coming up.
For versatile attacker Petrea Webster the amount of time hockey will occupy this year has meant taking three terms off her job as a teacher at North Shore's Carmel College.
The school have been supportive and Webster is a thoroughly determined type.
"I really, really hate losing," she laughs.
Since her debut three years ago, Webster has clocked up 47 caps and at 25 is becoming established as a key figure in the team.
She began playing at 5, and is making serious headway since joining the Black Sticks national group.
"It's developed my understanding of the game and position wise I'm a little more adaptable," she said.
"I can play two positions [midfield and striker] which is good. I've grown in that way and in confidence and physical presence.
"Something that's really big under Mark Hager is perseverance and I've got better at that."
The North Shore player began as a striker and has been moved into a midfield role which she's relishing.
Hager likes her speed and ability to make life uncomfortable for the opposition.
"She's quick, tenacious and an annoying player for opponents because she never gives up and chases hard," Hager said.
"She's made good gains in the last few years."
At the World League final last month, the New Zealand men reached their first top tier final since winning gold at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, and as a result are now No 5 in the rankings.
The women's team, ranked seventh, are out to climb back up the rankings too.
Hager wants to leave no stone unturned in his search for the right blend to take to the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
There are new faces in San Diego, notably debutant Jordan Grant and the returning Jenny Storey from Canterbury.
With quality players Katie Glynn, Krystal Forgesson and Stacey Michelsen missing the trip through injury, the door is open.
The New Zealand Herald
US Mens National Team Athletes to contend against University of British Columbia
Men’s National Team athletes have scheduled matches against the University of British Columbia (UBC) for U.S. domestically-based players to increase their exposure to competition, supplementing the training within the Centralized Training Program and Remote training locations within the USA. The matches will take place at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Cali. from February 17 – 21.
This development squad is made up of veteran national team players such as Ian Scally (Thousand Oaks, CA), Kevin Barber (Camarillo, CA) and young hopefuls such as Austin Groeneveld (Jenkintown, PA), Tom McCarthy (East Windsor, CT) and Ajaypal Singh (Hayward, CA).
“We are excited for the matches against UBC which will be a great test for this group,” said Men’s National Head Coach Chris Clements.
This competitive environment with a development squad provides a stepping stone towards full international matches with the senior team in the future. Senior players will share their expertise and knowledge to develop the younger players providing guidance on and off the field. This process is critical to player development as in the heat of battle at major tournaments is not the place to transition an up and coming player.
Game schedule:
Monday, February 17 @ 2 p.m. PST
Tuesday, February 18 @ 2 p.m. PST
Thursday, February 20 @ 9:30 a.m. PST
Friday, February 21 @ 9:30 a.m. PST
USFHA media release
US Clubs look ahead to JPIL championship play
One round of pool play remains in the 2014 Under-16 and Under-19 Junior Premier Indoor League. Erin Shanahan of The Gaels FHC remains the leading scorer for the Under-19 division while Fusine Govaert of FC United moved into the top spot for the Under-16 division. In both divisions, Xcalibur as a team has the netted the most goals.
February 17 marks the final day of pool play for the two divisions. Clubs will battle it out at the Sportsplex in Pottstown, Pa. for the highest seeding possible heading into playoffs. The top four Under-19 and Under-16 clubs will continue on to keep fighting for the championship.
Xcalibur hopes to make a hat trick out of league championships while High Styx FH intends to defend its 2013 championship. Last year Xcalibur was crowned Under-19 Champions and High Styx earned the title of Under-16 victors.
In the Under-14 division, clubs ranked 9-16 finished their competition for the season. Total Dutch finished strong in the ranking pool with a record of 7-0 to end in the 9th spot.
In the Championship Pool, Philly Hockey Club and High Styx FH are tied with seven points a-piece, followed by CNY and Mystx United. With most of the teams ranked 1-5 having yet to play each other, February 22 is sure to be an exciting day of hockey as the top 8 ranked teams fight to claim the first Under-14 Princess Junior Premier Indoor League title at the Marple Sports. Arena.
Final rankings in the league are crucial not only for bragging rights, but as a deciding factor for invitations to compete at the 2015 Princess Junior Premier Indoor League.
USFHA media release
Police for hockey KO double Saturday
Ghana's hockey champions, Trustees of SSNIT, after a rather disappointing fifth-place at the recently-held Africa Hockey Club Championship in Uganda, have been presented with an opportunity to redeem their image against Police on Saturday in the men’s final of the Beige Capital Knockout clash at the National Hockey Stadium in Accra.
Despite their apparent phobia for laurels at the international stage, Trustees, who could best be described as ‘local champions’ are expected to get their rhythm right on their favourite home turf against a rather difficult side, Ghana Police Service, who were by far the best team last season.
Indeed, but for ill- luck the Police teams (male and female) should have won the league with ease but surrendered to Trustees and Ghana Revenue Authority (CEPS), respectively.
And Saturday may just be the right time for Police to pick the ultimate silverware to show to their employers and to etch their names on the country’s hockey history. Indeed, the story should not be any different from their ladies who have a date with GRA (CEPS), bronze medalists at the Africa championship.
From skipper Nafisa Umaru through to Martha Safoah, the Police have the best of arsenals to surmount any challenge and only the gods can stop them on Saturday.
But before the two crunch finals, NDK Financiers and SAPHOLDA are expected to rekindle their recent rivalry in the seniors’ final while Legonites and Real Ambassadors engage each other in the junior final.
The hockey knockout competition has been off the calendar for the past four years due to lack of sponsorship until Beige Capital came through for them last year.
GhanaWeb
Midland success in Scotland's indoor inter-district events
Midland District were the winners in both U18 Boys and Girls Indoor Inter-District events last weekend.
Despite being held to a 4-4 draw by West District, wins over East (5-3), South (5-3), North District (5-1) sides were enough to ensure that Midland topped the standings in the girls’ event on Saturday.
On Sunday, an unbeaten Midland side ran out winners ahead of East and West in the boys’ event. Results against East (4-2, 4-2), plus a win (4-1) and draw (2-2) against West ensured a successful outcome.
Congratulations to all the players involved.
U18 Girls Inter-District
East 3-5 Midland
North 2-9 South
West 4-5 East
South 3-5 Midland
West 10-1 North
East 8-3 South
Midland 4-4 West
North 4-9 East
South 7-4 West
Midland 5 -1 North
1. Midland
2. East
3. South
4. West
5. North
U18 Boys Inter-District
Midland 4-2 East
West 3-5 East
Midland 2-2 West
Midland 4-2 East
East 2-2 West
Midland 4-1 West
1. Midland
2. East
3. West
Scottish Hockey Union media release