News 18 March 2014
All the news for Tuesday 18 March 2014
Australia continue relentless run
Australia continued their relentless march in defence of the Azlan Shah Cup when they hammered South Africa 7- 0 this afternoon.
It was another display of attacking hockey with superb defending as the Aussies have yet to concede a goal in the tournament.
they had defeated China 7-0 in their opening match last Friday before putting five past Canada yesterday.
South Africa were defending well and it took the world number one ranked team 30 minutes to open scoring via Trent Mitton.
and once they got their first, the goal rush began earnestly as Australia added another two by halftime, courtesy of Jamie Dywer and Nicholas Budgeon in the 34th and 35th minutes respectively.
Goals by Jamie Dywer ( 46th minute), Chris Ciriello (52nd minute), Daniel Beale ( 55th minute) and Mark Knowles (62nd minute) completed the rout.
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site
Malaysia gain crucial points
Malaysia played well in patches but still got the desired result, and more importantly the three points when they edged Canada 3-.
A win was crucial to keep alive Malaysian hopes of making the final on Sunday, especially after Korea had defeated China 3-2 to stay in the second spot with seven points, the same as Malaysia but with a better goal difference.
Malaysia will take on China on Wednesday at it is vital they win the match to stay within touching distance of table toppers Australia and Korea.
Malaysia started off with a bang as Faizal Saari connected a cross from Marhan Jalil who broke through on the right in the 4th minute.
Canada may have lacked exposure but they made it up with gritty running as they found an equaliser in the 14th minute via a penalty corner rebound by Adam Froese.
Malaysia were denied a penalty stroke in the 31st minute when Firhan Ashaari was pushed as he was lining up to take a shot after a clear run into the semi circle.
But Malaysia were not to be denied as Faizal scored from a penalty corner in the 46th minute before Ahmad Kazamirul confirmed all three points with an opportunistic goal in the 67th minute.
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site
Staying alive
AZLAN SHAH CUP: Malaysia still in the race for the final
By JUGJET SINGH
Malaysia’s Firhan Ashari (right) is challenged by Canada’s Adam Froese during their Azlan Shah Cup match yesterday. Pic by Supian Ahmad
MALAYSIA survived an early scare but still beat Canada 3-1 to keep their hopes alive of playing in the final of the Azlan Shah Cup.
Malaysia started on a super note as they attacked relentlessly in the first five minutes and were rewarded when the partnership of Marhan Jalil and Faizal Saari clicked in the fourth minute.
A solo run from Marhan was followed by a deft pass to Faizal who deflected it past goalkeeper David Carter for the lead.
There was another chance to seal the match early when Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abdul Jalil won the first penalty corner in the seventh minute but Faizal flicked it over the bar.
Canada came out of their shell and won their first penalty corner in the 15th minute and Adam Froese perfected it past goalkeeper Hafizuddin Othman for the equaliser.
Cheered on by a full gallery at the Azlan Shah Stadium, Malaysia were supposed to play much better but started collecting cards instead to give the Canadians the advantage.
First Izzat Hakimi was shown the green for rough play in the 22nd minute, then Faizal Saari was yellow carded in the 24th minute for hitting Jagdish Gill.
In the 32nd minute, Azri Hassan was yellow carded but Malaysia held on to the 1-1 score going into the dressing room.
The team again walked out of the dressing room looking confident and in the 46th minute, Malaysia won their fourth penalty corner and a dummy from Shahril Saabah saw Faizal netting his brace to give Malaysia the lead again.
Faizal and his teammates had many more chances to increase the lead but Canadian goalkeeper David played a solid second half to deny them.
However, Ahmad Kazamirul made sure the win belonged to Malaysia when he scored a field goal in the 67th minute.
Man-of-the-match was aptly awarded to Faizal.
"The Canadians always play robust and in the first half, my players got carried away and started retaliating and picked up many cards which placed the team under pressure.
"In the dressing room, I told them to keep calm and not retaliate but just play their normal game and it worked," said Malaysian coach K. Dharmaraj.
Malaysia next meet China in another must win situation tomorrow.
Meanwhile World No 1 Australia demolished South Africa 7-0 to move closer to playing in the final.
The Australians have nine points after three matches as they had whitewashed China 7-0 and Canada 6-0 in earlier matches.
New Straits Times
Malaysia stay in the hunt
STICKY SITUATION: Malaysia’s Azri Hassan (yellow jersey) tries to wriggle out of a challenge by the Canadian defenders — Pic: MARCUS PHEONG
THE national hockey team slogged to a 3-1 win over Canada to stay in the chase for a final berth of the 23rd Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Yesterday, the Canadians showed they were no pushovers as they made Malaysia sweat for three points at the end of their third match at the Azlan Shah Stadium.
National coach K. Dharmaraj later said he had expected a tough match from the Canadians.
“We were expecting the Canadians to give it all they got and I told the boys not to retaliate,” said Dharmaraj.
“I told them to stay focus and let the umpires make the decision.”
Malaysia opened accounts through Faizal Saari with the game barely fi ve minutes old when he received a pass from Marhan Muhamad Jalil.
Canada, however, were on level terms through Adam Frosese in the 15th minute.
Just a minute after the break, Faizal scored again from a penalty corner. The Malaysians were on a roll then on and kept the Canadians bogged down in their own half.
Canada goalkeeper David Carter pulled off several saves but was eventually beaten again when Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin scored in the dying minutes of the match.
In earlier matches, South Korea edged China 3-2 while Australia trounced South Africa 7-0.
The Malay Mail
Faizal to the rescue as Malaysia beat Canada
By Aftar Singh
Faizal Saari (left) getting into a challenge with Canada’s Mark Pearson during their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match in Ipoh. Faizal scored twice as Malaysia won 3-1. - SAIFUL BAHRI / The Star
IPOH: Forward Faizal Saari was Malaysia’s hero again as he scored twice in the hard-fought 3-1 win over Canada in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament on Monday.
Faizal, who scored the equaliser in the 2-2 draw against South Korea on Sunday, netted twice to give Malaysia their second win at the Azlan Shah Stadium. He was on target in the fourth and 45th minutes. Defender Kazamirul Nasruddin scored the other goal in the 67th minute.
Canada, who lost their third consecutive match, scored through a penalty corner by Adam Froese in the 15th minute.
With the win, Malaysia have seven points from three matches to lie third in the six-team tournament. They play fourth-placed China on Tuesday and defending champions and unbeaten Australia on Saturday.
It was drizzling when the match started but Malaysia started off promisingly by taking the lead after only four minutes.
From a pass by midfielder Mohd Marhan Mohd Jalil, Faizal, who also netted the winning goal in the 3-2 win over South Africa on Thursday, easily beat goalkeeper David Carter.
Three minutes later, Faizal, who was the top scorer with six goals in last year’s tournament, had the chance to increase the lead off Malaysia’s first penalty corner but he flicked wide.
The Canadians then fought back to equalise in the 15th minute off their first penalty corner. Skipper Scott Tupper’s low flick bounced off goalkeeper Mohd Hafizuddin’s pads and Froese dashed in to push the ball into goal. It was Canada’s first goal in the tournament.
And Malaysia lived dangerously with Canada creating a few scoring chances.
Malaysia were then reduced to 10 men in the 24th minute when Faizal was flashed a yellow card by umpire Javed Shaikh for hitting Canada’s defender Jagdish Gill in the knee.
Despite being with one man down, Malaysia had a chance to increase the lead in the 30th minute but forward Mohd Firhan Ashaari hit the shot into the side netting with only Carter to beat.
As soon as Faizal returned to the pitch, Malaysia were again one man down when midfielder Mohd Azri Hassan was sent to the sin bin for a rough tackle in the 32nd minute.
After the breather, Malaysia pushed forward and managed to take the lead through Faizal off a penalty corner goal in the 45th minute.
The 23-year-old Faizal, who was named man-of-the-match, was unlucky not to score his hat-trick in the 47th minute. From a penalty corner, he hit a low flick but was denied by the left post.
Spurred on by the crowd, Malaysia continued to surge forward and were rewarded with a third goal in the 67th minute when Kazamirul fired home a loose ball from close range.
National chief coach K. Dharmaraj said he warned his players before the match not to take the Canadians lightly.
“We played three friendly matches against Canada in Malacca last week and they played a physical and robust game. Two of my players were flashed the yellow cards for rough tackles and I reminded them during the interval of a need to stay focused and not lose their temper.
“We played much better in the second half to register a hard-fought win. It is a good morale boosting win for us,” said Dharmaraj.
The Star of Malaysia
Dwyer's brace hand Aussies third straight win
By Aftar Singh
IPOH: Striker Jamie Dwyer scored a brace to steer defending champions Australia to a 7-0 win over South Africa in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament on Monday.
It was the Australians’ third straight win following their triumphs over China (7-0) and Canada (6-0). And they have scored a whopping 20 goals and letting in none.
World champions Australia, who are gunning for their eight title in the tournament, need just a draw against South Korea tomorrow to seal a place in Sunday’s final.
For South Africa, who will feature in the World Cup Finals in The Hague in May, it was their third consecutive defeat.
Australia went on the offensive from the start, but they had to wait until the 30th minute to take the lead through Trent Mitton.
Dwyer, the five-time World Player of the Year, netted in the 34th and 46th minutes. Nicholas Budgeon (35th), Chris Ciriello (52nd), Daniel Beale (55nd) and Mark Knowles (62nd) were the other scorers.
Skipper Knowles, however, preached caution. He refused to say Australia are a sure-bet for a spot in the final.
“We still need to improve our performance. It is going to get tougher as our next two matches are against South Korea (Wednesday) and Malaysia (Saturday),” said Knowles.
In the second match of the day, two-time champions South Korea registered a hard-fought 3-2 win over China.
The Koreans grabbed the lead through Kim Seong-kyu in the 22nd minute. But China, ranked 25th in the world, shocked the Asian Cup champions by scoring two quick goals.
Zhang Zhixuan restored parity in the 32nd minute and Du Talake made it 2-1 in the 37th minute for a 2-1 lead.
The Koreans, the world No. 7, stormed back with Jang Jung-hyun converting two penalty corners in the 50th and 66th minutes to secure the Koreans’ second win.
The Star of Malaysia
100% record intact
Kookaburras beat South Africa 7-0 to maintain 100% record at Azlan Shah
Photo: sportsmediagroup.com.au
The Kookaburras maintained their 100% record in game three of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh on Monday with a resounding 7-0 win over Commonwealth Games opponents South Africa.
Despite being held deadlocked at 0-0 for the first half hour of the match, the Kookaburras took advantage of three opportunities in quick succession to go in 3-0 up at the break. Trent Mitton opened the scoring just a day after his 50th appearance for Australia before Jamie Dwyer finished a surging solo run with a powerful tomahawk into the far corner for 2-0. On the stroke of half time Nick Budgeon took his tally for the tournament to five as he netted another penalty corner. The Tasmanian has now scored in every one of the Kookaburras’ opening three matches.
In the second half, Dwyer’s unflinching commitment at the near post allowed him to steal in and sweep home for 4-0 after excellent work from fellow Athens 2004 veteran Rob Hammond down the right. Six minutes later it was 5-0 as powerful Victorian Chris Ciriello announced his return with a low penalty corner flick; his 70th international goal.
The Kookaburras were not done yet however. Daniel Beale added his name to the score sheet with quarter of an hour remaining finding the back of the net with a composed upright tomahawk to make it 6-0 before captain Mark Knowles rounded off proceedings with a thumping drive for 7-0. Goalkeeper Andrew Charter was called upon to make one excellent save to preserve the Kookaburras’ outstanding defensive record, gloving a close range shot over the top of the crossbar shortly after he had replaced Tyler Lovell.
Acknowledging that at times in the first half Australia were thwarted by dogged South African defending, Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth said, “I expected a reaction from South Africa because they had a bad match against China [South Africa lot 5-0]. We had chances to score before we did but we didn’t take them and that’s frustrating. We tried a few things on corners – it was a chance to experiment but you still want to score them.”
With the Kookaburras sitting top of the standings with nine points from a possible nine and yet to concede a goal in the competition, Charlesworth added, “You want to be in a position to get to the final and we’re in a good position but we’ve got to win one of our next two games. I would expect the games against Korea and Malaysia to be tighter.”
Queenslander Matt Gohdes missed the match with a bruised foot after being struck in Sunday’s match against Canada. X-rays showed no sign of a break.
The Kookaburras meet Korea in their next match on Thursday night. The game – set to be Liam De Young’s 300th appearance for Australia and Jake Whetton’s 50th – gets underway at 11pm AEDT / 8pm AWST.
The match will be shown live on Eurosport Australia, Foxtel channel 511.
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
Ipoh, Malaysia
KOOKABURRAS: 7 (3)
Trent Mitton 30 (F)
Jamie Dwyer 34, 46 (F, F)
Nick Budgeon 35 (PC)
Chris Ciriello 52 (PC)
Daniel Beale 55 (F)
Mark Knowles 62 (F)
SOUTH AFRICA: 0 (0)
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Kookaburras squad v South Africa
Athlete (Hometown, State) Caps/Goals
Started
Andrew Charter (GK) (Canberra, ACT) 57/0
Nick Budgeon (Hobart, TAS) 17/8
Liam De Young (Brisbane, QLD) 299/34
Jamie Dwyer (Rockhampton, QLD) 311/203
Russell Ford (Melbourne, VIC) 146/71
Rob Hammond (Townsville, QLD) 242/28
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT) 3/1
Mark Knowles (c) (Rockhampton, QLD) 227/19
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA) 51/16
Glenn Simpson (Melbourne, VIC) 102/20
Tristan White (Wollongong, NSW) 24/1
Used substitute
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD) 23/6
Chris Ciriello (Melbourne, VIC) 127/70
Tyler Lovell (GK) (Perth, WA) 17/0
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS) 202/51
Andrew Philpott (Melbourne, VIC) 12/1
Jake Whetton (Brisbane, QLD) 49/21
Did Not Play
Matt Gohdes (Rockhampton, QLD) 82/22
Standings (correct at time of publication - updated here)
1. Australia (9 points, 3 matches)
2. Korea (4 points, 2 matches)
3. Malaysia (4 points, 2 matches)
4. China (3 points, 2 matches)
5. Canada (0 points, 2 matches)
6. South Africa (0 points, 2 matches)
Kookaburras' Fixtures, Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
20 March: Kookaburras v Korea - 23:05 AEDT - 20:05 AWST - 20:05 local time
22 March: Kookaburras v Malaysia - 21:05 AEDT - 18:05 AWST - 18:05 local time
23 March: Kookaburras v Classification - TBC
Hockey Australia media release
SA men’s hockey team good in patches against world champs
JONATHAN COOK in Ipoh, Malaysia
Three goals in the last five minutes of the first half set up world number one Australia for a 7-0 win against the world’s 12th-ranked South Africa men’s hockey team at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup here Monday after the World Cup and Commonwealth Games champions had led 3-0 at half-time.
“In the first 30 minutes we were defensively compact, stayed in the game, but when we caught them on the break we didn’t get the penalty corners or good enough goalshots,” said SA head coach Fabian Gregory. “The small things have such a big impact; we won the ball but didn’t play it into the right channels.”
SA successfully defended five Australian penalty corners in the first half with goalkeeper Rassie Pieterse and several defenders prominent.
Brandon Panther, his younger brother Clinton, as well as Lungile Tsolekile, Pierre de Voux and Julian Hykes got SA into good positions for no reward and legendary head coach Ric Charlesworth’s Aussie side were not to be denied when, on the 30-minute mark, Trent Mitton opened the scoring from close before superstar Jamie Dwyer made it 2-0 in the 33rd with a sublime strike.
A sixth Aussie PC in the last minute of the half (35th) saw Nicholas Budgeon go low to Pieterse’s left and the Australians’ three-strike in five minutes saw SA trailing 3-0 at the changeover.
SA replaced Pieterse with Jacques le Roux and a minute into the re-start Jonty Robinson cleared away from the goalline before the South Africans survived a goalmouth scramble.
Seven minutes into the half Clint Panther’s determination won SA’s first PC and Jethro Eustice’s disguised pass just missed a flying Robinson’s outstretched stick for what would surely have been a goal. But Dwyer swept in Rob Hammond’s pass in the 46th and at 4-0 Australia had the game in the bag.
Brandon Panther was in the mix in the strike zone but Chris Ciriello made it 5-0 from Australia’s ninth PC in the 52nd minute. With 16 minutes left (54th) Aussie Daniel Beale scored a wonder goal from nothing and from the breakaway SA captain Wade Paton brought out an equally wondrous save from keeper Andrew Charter after good combination play with De Voux down the right.
A second PC for SA, won by Ignatuis Malgraff, came and went before Taylor Dart had to be helped off after a blow to the head. In the 63rd captain Mark Knowles followed up to extend the Aussies’ lead to 7-0 before Malgraff was close at the other end.
“In vital phases we didn’t control the ball,” said Gregory. “If you make mistakes against the world’s best, you get punished but we are making progress. The level of intensity we showed was pleasing and I was impressed with the guys’ attitude.
“Some of our young players impressed. We have a few more months before the World Cup so it’s interesting to test players against the degree of pressure the world’s number one side brings. There are also a number of players not here who will come into the reckoning as we go forward.”
Going into the match SA had lost 3-2 to Malaysia and 5-0 to China while the Aussies had beaten China 7-0 and Canada 6-0.
SA meet Canada at 12.05pm (SA time) Wednesday in a match to be televised live on SuperSport.
The following matches will also be live on SuperSport: SA vs South Korea on Saturday at 2pm SA time, as well as all of Sunday’s playoff matches.
SCORERS
Australia (3) 7 (Trent Mitton 30th minute, Jamie Dwyer 33rd, 46th, Nicholas Budgeon 35th, Chris Ciriello 52nd, Daniel Beale 54th, Mark Knowles 63rd)
South Africa 0
TELEVISION TIMES AND CHANNELS
Wed 19 March 2014 South Africa v Canada 12:00 SS6HD/SS 6 / HD1A/ SS6A
Sat 22 March 2014 South Africa v South Korea 14:00 SS6HD/SS 6 / HD1A/ SS6A
Sun 23 March 2014 5th / 6th Playoff 09:30 SS7 / SS7N
Sun 23 March 2014 3rd / 4th Playoff 12:00 SS7 / SS7N
Sun 23 March 2014 Final 14:30 SS6HD/SS 6 / HD1A/ SS6A
SA Hockey Association media release
Canada Men Battle Hard in Malaysia
Host nation with feisty 3-1 over Canada in Ipoh
Celia Plottel
Game time in Malaysia was 8:00pm under the lights in Ipoh. It was Canada’s third match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Tournament and they were up against the host Nation, 11th ranked team in the world and a team gearing up for the World Cup. The hometown crowd was large and noisy with continual singing, chanting, horn blowing, drum beating and flares being set off. The atmosphere was electric.
The game was intense and aggressive right from the first whistle. Both sides had great opportunities in the first couple of minutes. Malaysia had a fast break goal in the 4th minute of play. The Canadians were unfazed and continued to press and play with confidence. Malaysia earned a penalty corner in the 7th minute but it was shot wide. A Canadian penalty corner in the 14th minute was put in the back of the net by Adam Froese on a rebound. The game was tied. The game was feisty with players fighting for every ball.
Malaysia was on the attack at the start of the second half and earned a penalty corner that was deftly batted away. Not to be outdone, just a few minutes later, Canada had a great team build-up that led to a point blank shot by Hudson Stewart but unfortunately denied by the Malaysian keeper.
There was a flurry shots on net by teams. The game was a battle with players from both teams going in hard for tackles and holding their ground when in possession. Malaysia scored on a penalty corner deflection. Undeterred the Canadians continued to battle for the ball and they were rewarded with opportunities to score. The Malaysians had a penalty corner in the 51st minute that was deflected by captain Scott Tupper, the postman on defensive penalty corners.
The Malaysians were able to put one more goal in in the final 3 minutes. The game ended with a Canadian penalty corner that they were unable to convert. The score line was 3-1 for the Malaysians but the Canadians played well.
Canada played both goalies, Dave Carter in the first half and Antoni Kindler in the second.
Anthony Farry said about the game; “ We played very well today and were very unlucky not to get a result. Both teams were evenly matched which is a real positive for us as we were facing a team going to the World Cup. Considering we are in different phases of our program, we did very well to stay in the game to the very end. We can take a lot out of this game and use our lessons learned for the rest of the tournament”.
It is a rest day tomorrow for Canada and up next is against South Africa (March 19 at 6:05pm Ipoh time). This will be a must win for Canada against another team prepping to compete at the World Cup.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Jharkhand, Haryana enter semifinals
Sunil Subbaiah
MYSORE: Jharkhand scored a 6-2 win over Maharashtra to enter the semifinals of the Hockey India Junior National Women's Hockey Championship ('A' division) at the Chamundi Vihar stadium here on Monday.
Joining Jharkhand in the last four were defending champions Haryana, who outclassed Rajasthan 14-0.
Rajani Soreng slammed a hat-trick (4th, 12th and 18th minutes) before Ranjeeta Minz (21), Kanti Pradhan (29) and Nomita Xalxo (50) completed the rout for Jharkhand.
Puja Shinde (28th) and Aishwarya Chavan (49th) were the scorers for Maharashtra. Maharashtra, who were at the receiving end throughout the first half, showed aggression in the second half but failed to breach the tough Jharkhand defence.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh defeated Bengal 9-0 to complete their league formalities.
Results: Jharkhand: 6 (Rajani Soreng 4, 12 & 18; Ranjeeta Minz 21; Kanti Pradhan 29; Nomita Xalxo 50) bt Maharashtra: 2 (Puja Shinde 28; Aishwarya Chavan 49); Uttar Pradesh: 9 (Shreya Singh 17, 51 & 55; Sonal Tiwari 37, 57 & 60; Chand Khan 48; Sonam 59; Priyanka Gautam 67) bt Bengal: 0; Haryana: 14 (Reet 9, 13, 43 & 69; Neha Goyal 14 & 68; Narinder Kaur 15 & 26; Jyoti Gupta 24, 37 & 41; Hardeep Kaur 30 & 63; Devika Sen 32) bt Rajasthan: 0; SAI: 7 (Manisha 45, 50, 64 & 69; Anjali Gautam 6 & 8; Sangeeta Rose Kullu 37) bt Tamil Nadu: 0.
Senior Men's:
Pool 'A': AIU: 7 (Harasahib Singh 2, 15, 67; Satinder Dalal 24, 44; Gagandeep Singh 57, 60) bt AP: 1 (Naga Srinu 6); AISPB: 3 (Osaf Ur Rehman 10; Gaganpreet Singh 23; Shivendra Singh 36) bt SSCB: 0;
Pool 'B': CAG: 7 (Balwinder Singh 3; Azam Baig 9; Dyan Singh 23; Siddharth Shanker 30; Chinnaappa Rao 55; Darshan DS 57; Imran Khan 60) bt MP: 0; Punjab: 4 (Gurvinder Singh 11; Lovepreet Singh 46; Rajpal Singh 51; Harpreet Singh 62) bt SAI: 0.
Pool 'C': Odisha: 4 (Dilip Toppo 17; Joseph Toppo 44; Rajin Kandula 52; Pawan Malik 68) bt Bhopal: 0.
The Times of India
AIU beat Andhra Pradesh 7-1in men's hockey nationals
LUCKNOW: The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) thrashed Andhra Pradesh 7-1, while Air India Sports Promotion Board (AISPB) beat Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) 3-0 in Pool A matches of the fourth Hockey India Senior Men National Championship on Monday.
In the opening match of Pool A, Harasahib Singh (2nd, 15th, 67th minutes) scored a hat-trikc, while Satinder Dalal (24th, 44th) and Gagandeep Singh (57th, 60th) found the net twice each For AIU. For Andhra Pradesh Naga Srinu (6th) scored the consolation goal.
In the second game of Pool A, AISPB rode on goals from Osaf Ur Rehman (10th), Gaganpreet Singh (23rd) and Shivendra Singh (36th) to get ther better of SSCB.
The Pool B too witnessed one-sided encounters as Comptoller & Auditor General of India crushed Madhya Pradesh 7-0, while Punjab beat Sports Authority of India (SAI) 4-0.
For Comptoller & Auditor General of India, Balwinder Singh (3rd), Azam Baig (9th), Dyan Singh (23rd), Siddharth Shanker (30th), Chinnaappa Rao (55th), Darshan D S (57th) and Imran Khan (60th) scored a goal each.
Punjab's goals in their win over SAI came from the sticks of Gurvinder Singh (11th), Lovepreet Singh (46th), Rajpal Singh (51st) and Harpreet Singh (62nd).
The Times of India
Brig Manzoor Hussain Atif Memorial Hockey Tournament : PIA to clash with WAPDA B in final
LAHORE: WAPDA B and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) qualified for the final Brig Manzoor Hussain Atif Memorial Hockey Tournament after winning their respective semifinals at Sargodha Hockey Stadium on Monday. The final will be played on March 19 (Wednesday). In the first semifinal, WAPDA B defeated WAPDA A 3-2 after an exciting encounter while PIA downed National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) 7-6 in sudden death stage of a penalty shoot out in the second semifinal.
In the 6th minute, WAPDA A forwards made a smart move which baffled their opponents and earned a beautiful field goal through Tassawar Abbas. WAPDA B did not sit back and pressed hard for the equalizer and succeeded in the 31st minute when their captain Irfan dodged the defenders and leveled the score with an excellent deflection. WAPDA A kept up the pressure on WAPDA B citadel and their efforts bore fruit as they scored their second goal through Muhammad Usman in the 50th minute to take 2-1 lead. But their joy was short-lived as in the 55th minute Mohammad Waseem of WAPDA B astounded the opponents with a fierce hit from inside the circle which passed through the goalkeeper. At 2-2 draw the match entered in a very exciting stage and both teams went all out to win the match. But luck favoured WAPDA (B) which got a penalty corner in the last minute of the match and Waseem made no mistake.
The second semifinal was full of thrills and action which was decided on penalty shoots. Both teams demonstrated remarkable stick-work and made numerous aggressive attacks and counter attacks. Both teams made aggressive moves that set the pace of the match. NBP got two back to back penalty corners in the 25th minute and they took lead through Tousiq Arshad whose well calculated hard push touched the bar of the post while the goalkeeper was not expecting at all. PIA’s Ahsanullah equalized the score with a 41st minute goal on penalty corner. Both teams scored one goal each in the second half. Akhtar Ali scored a beautiful goal in the 68th minute for NBP while two minutes later PIA’s Afsar Yaqoob equalized the score. The match entered into the penalty shoot out stage in which both teams wasted one chance apiece. The match was 6-6 draw and finally settled in the sudden death stage where NBP’s Tousiq Arshad faltered while PIA’s Muhammad Zubair made no mistake.
The Daily Times
Wapda-B set Memorial Hockey final clash with PIA
LAHORE - Wapda-B and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will clash in the final of the 1st Brigadier (r) Manzoor Hussain Atif Memorial Hockey Tournament at the Sargodha Hockey Stadium tomorrow (Wednesday).
Wapda-B defeated Wapda-A 3-2 in an exciting first semi-final to qualify for the final while in the second semifinal, PIA beat NBP 7-6 in a nail-biting contest, according to information made available here on Monday.
In the first semi-final, Wapda-A and Wapda-B started the match on a very positive note. In the sixth minute, Wapda-A forwards made a smart move which baffled their opponents and earned a beautiful field goal through local boy Tassawar Abbas. Wapda-B did not sit back and pressed hard for the equalizer and succeeded in the 31st minute when their captain Irfan dodged the defenders and leveled the score. Wapda-A kept up the pressure on the Wapda-B’s citadel and their efforts bore fruit as they scored their second goal through M Usman in the 50th minute to take 2-1 lead. But their joy was short-lived as in the 55th minute Waseem of Wapda-B astounded the opponents with a fierce hit.
At 2-2 draw, the match entered in a very exciting stage and both teams went all out to win the match. But luck favoured Wapda-B which got a penalty corner in the last minute of the match and Waseem made no mistake. The second semifinal between national champion NBP and PIA was full of thrill and action which was decided on penalty shoots. The Banker got two back-to-back penalty corners in the 25th minute and they took lead through Tousiq Arshad. PIA’s Ahsanullah equalized the score with a 41st minute goal on penalty corner. Both the team scored one goal each in the second half.
Akhtar Ali scored a goal in the 68th minute for NBP while two minutes later, PIA’s Afsar Yaqoob equalized it. The match entered into the penalty shoots stage where both the teams wasted one chance apiece.
The match was 6-6 draw and finally settled in the sudden death stage where Bankers’ Tousiq Arshad faltered while PIA’s M Zubair made no mistake and helped his team score victory.
The Nation
Islah vows to help PHF revive hockey
LAHORE - Former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui has vowed to collectively work with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to bring back past hockey glory. Talking to media at the Sargodha Hockey Stadium on Monday, Islah said that former Olympians had no personal differences with the PHF. “All we demanded that the federation should cater to our suggestions to save the national game. I, along with other ex-Olympians, have a fruitful meeting with the PHF management led by PHF chief Akhtar Rasool in which we have decided to work together to uplift the standard of Pakistan hockey. We have presented certain suggestions which the PHF has assured us to be properly implemented,” Islah added. He also lauded the PHF for holding a national level event after the name of late Brig (r) Manzoor Hussain Atif.
The Nation
Tahir Zaman laments hockey ‘standstill’
The lack of funds in the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) coffers has halted the game for the players. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI: It has been over four months since the national players participated in competitive hockey — the 2013 Asian Champions Trophy, in which they triumphed in Japan last November, has been their most recent assignment.
The lack of funds in the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) coffers has halted the game for the players.
According to PHF officials, a delay in the promised grant of Rs100 million by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has brought the national sport to a ‘standstill’.
Tahir Zaman, Pakistan’s head coach and PHF’s coaching consultant rued the state, demanding an immediate solution.
“The present situation is possibly the worst ever for our hockey,” Zaman told The Express Tribune.
“Our players are just confined to individual training and rare domestic events for the last few months, which is not enough for them.
“The players had time after the Asian Champions Trophy and an extensive training camp could have been helpful in honing their skills.
“We sought the schedule of the training camp for the players, but we were told that the PHF did not have enough funds to run the camp.”
Zaman, an Olympian and a certified coach, feels that the current situation was hurting the junior players.
“It’s damaging for upcoming players. They must start their preparations now if they are to do well in the Junior World Cup after two years.”
Former Olympians ready to work with PHF
The PHF and Olympians have expressed their resolve to work together for the betterment of hockey following a meeting on Sunday.
The meeting was headed by Akhtar Rasool, while Shahnaz Sheikh and Islahuddin Siddiqui who are against the current set-up, were also in attendance.
Islah said the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and the PHF agreed to accept their suggestions.
“The game’s interest is a priority for all the stakeholders,” said Islah. “We are hopeful of an improvement in hockey through combined efforts.”
The Express Tribune
Students tarnish Grove Menzieshill unbeaten record
Aberdeen Asset Management Women’s National League Division 1
It may be near the end of the season but the drama hasn’t stopped as Edinburgh University students have tarnished Grove Menzieshill undefeated run with a 3-1 win over the top of the table side. Despite being 1-0 early on the students picked up the performance and soon went ahead after half time.
Third place Milne Craig Clydesdale Western finished their league with a very solid win away to Grange EL who have had a troubling season.
Fourth place Dundee Wanderers won 5-2 over Watsonians whilst GHK managed to hold CALA Edinburgh to a 1-1 draw. Western Wildcats put in a strong performance to beat fifth place Glynhill Kelburne which will give them confidence going into this evening's game against GHK at Glasgow National Hockey Centre.
Hillhead ladies were crowned Aberdeen Asset Management Women’s National League Division 2 Champions as they won 4-1 over Glasgow University. It was a close call as second place AAM Merlins Gordonains just sit one point behind the Jordonhill outfit.
Haddington who face relegation lost 4-2 to Erskine Stewart Melville FP whilst Borders Fjordhus Reivers moved up to finish fifth as the put in a stomping win of 6-0 over Granite City Wanderers.
Aberdeen Asset Management Women’s National League Division 3
After winning the league last weekend University of St Andrews continued their celebrations with a tough 2-1 win over fellow students Stirling University. It wasn’t all good for some student teams this weekend as bottom side University of Strathclyde lost both their matches over the weekend. First losing 3-1 to sixth place Ayr, followed by another 3-1 loss to Aberdeen Ladies. The Glasgow based students have only secured one win so far this season but will be aiming to improve so they can finish this troubling season on a high.
Championship League
Division 1
A good weekend for Milne Craig Clydesdale Western as both side took points away at the weekend. Milne Craig Clydesdale II won 3 -0 against Grove Menzieshill A which leaves them top of the division, whilst Milne Craig Clydesdale Western III drew 3-3 with Glasgow Accies.
Division 2
Edinburgh University III knock Stirling Wanders off the top spot as they won 9-0 over Kelburne.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Henry’s double leads Paragon past Dames
Nigel Simon
Notre Dame’s Lorraine Ferguson, right, stoops low to put in a tackle on Paragon’s Zene Henry during their T&T Hockey Board Women’s Championship Division match at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Saturday. Henry scored twice in her team’s 4–1 win over the two-time defending champions. Photo: Anthony Harris
Zene Henry scored a goal in each half as Paragon whipped defending T&T Hockey Board Women’s Championship Division holders, Notre Dame, 4–1 match at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Saturday.
Going into the clash, Notre Dame, the two-time reigning champions led the table with seven points after two wins and a 3–3 draw with Shandy Carib Magnolias in their last outing.
Paragon was a point behind in second spot with six points and a match in hand, and from early on it signaled its intention for a third win on the trot when Felicia King scored the opener in the eighth minute before Henry doubled the advantage a minute before the half-time interval for a 2–0 scoreline.
Eight minutes after the resumption, Patrina Brathwaite cut the lead in half for the Dames but in the 51st Henry got her second to restore her team’s two-goal cushion at 3–1 before captain Alanna Lewis sealed all three points with a field goal, six minutes later.
Paragon now leads with maximum nine points from three matches, two ahead of the Dames who have played a match more.
National duo, Ishmael Campbell of Notre Dame and Paragon’s Akim Toussaint both scored hat-trick in their teams 5–5 draw in the Men’s Championship Division.
Campbell fired Notre Dame ahead in the 15th minute and got a second a minute later as the Dames took command early only for Toussaint to pull one back for Paragon in the 28th.
On the resumption, Paragon was quick to settle and stormed into a 3–2 lead via a quick double from Barry Clarke in the 46th and 49th to stun the Dames.
Campbell then completed his hat-trick in the 51st to draw his team level, but within two minutes Toussaint got his second to give his team a 4–3 cushion.
The see-saw encounter then swung back in the Dames favour with Shaquille Daniel netted two goals within the space of two minutes, in the 62nd and 64th for a 5–4 lead, but with three minutes left on the clock Toussaint snatched a late equaliser for his team.
Over in Tobago, host club Paradise was awarded a default victory over Petrotrin who failed to make the journey to the sister-isle for both their Championship Division clash as well as their Trinity Men encounter. It was the first loss for the Oilmen in three matches to remain on four points.
Results
Wednesday
Mixed Veterans
Carib 3 (Kern Ramsammy, Robert Ramsammy, Jason Pilgrim) vs Police 1 (Roger Chin)
Friday:
Trinity Men:
QPCC 3 vs Police 0 – By default
Mixed Veterans:
Fatima 20 (Laurence Mc Master 5th, 7th, 12th, 32nd, 56th, 61st, 63rd, Colin Young 6th, 9th, 26th, 35th, 52nd, 55th, 66th, Cristina Abreu 13th, 23rd, 43rd, Rolph Young 30th, 59th, Sean Nieves 41st) vs Shape 4 (Nolan Sampson 22nd, 31st, 48th, Marlon Granderson 11th)
Saturday:
Trinity Women:
Harvard Checkers 2 (Fiona Le Blanc 44th, Jeannette Clarke 67th) vs Paradise 0
Under-19 Boys:
Notre Dame 3 vs QPCC 0 – By default
Courts Malvern 18 (Tariq Marcano 1st, 8th, 24th, 57th, 62nd, Teague Marcano 10th, 17th, 19th, 28th, 54th, Kristien Emmanuel 13th, 16th, 27th, 36th, 64th, Jacques Poon-Lewis 4th, 11th, 40th) vs Carib 0
Trinity Women:
Courts Malvern 3 (Mia Mitchell 24th, 42nd, Krizia Layne 28th) vs Police 3 (Marissa Jack 62nd, 65th, Michelle Edwards 60th)
Trinity Men:
Courts Malvern 6 (Johnathan Warren 43rd, 57th, 65th, Ada Alexander 5th, 12th, Joshua De Four 35th) vs Police 0
Paradise 3 vs Petrotrin 0 – By Default
Women’s Championship:
Paragon 4 (Zene Henry 34th, 51st, Felicia King 8th, Alanna Lewis 57th) vs Notre Dame 1 (Patrina Brathwaite 43rd)
Men’s Championship:
Paragon 5 (Akim Toussaint 28th, 53rd, 67th, Barry Clarke 46th, 49th) vs Notre Dame 5 (Ishmael Campbell 15th, 16th, 51st, Shaquille Daniel 62nd, 64th)
Paradise 3 vs Petrotrin 0 – By Default
The Trinidad Guardian
Malvern men, women enjoy winning weekend
Celebration time....as Paragon players Keima Gardiner, left, Pauline Joseph, Felicia King, Alanna Lewis and Danielle Thompson celebrate a goal against defending champions, Notre Dame in the T&T Hockey Board’s Women's Championship Division at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, on Saturday. Photo: Anthony Harris
It was a good weekend for Courts Malvern as both their men’s and women’s teams were victorious in their T&T Hockey Board‘s Championship Division at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, on Sunday.
In the Women's Championship, national forward Krizia Layne got the decisive item in Malverns 2-1 victory over Ventures.
Former national player, Lisa Hernadez had given the Malvernites the lead on the stroke of half-time only for another ex-T&T captain, Cristina Abreu to reply for Ventures nine minutes after the break. Layne netted the winner in the 46th minute of the 70-minute contest.
It was the second win for Malvern from three to move to six points, three behind unbeaten Paragon, while defending champions Notre Dame are second with seven points.
Malvern had much more of an uphill battle in the Men's Championship Division as they needed a goal each from former T&T standout Anthony Marcano and his nephew Tariq Marcano, the son of Lisa Hernandez to secure a come-from-behind win against Fatima.
Fatima, which had already surprise last year's league runner-up Paragon 2-1 this season took a 12th minute lead through its national player, Andrew Vieira which it held until the interval.
However, 11 minutes after the restart, Marcano (Anthony) got Malvern level and with a minute left on the clock, Tariq scored from a penalty-corner set play to earn his team full points, their second such result after three defeats to start the season.
There were two other matches on the day, with Queen's Park and Paragon registering lopsided triumphs in the Trinity Men and Under-19 Girls’ Divisions respectively.
The Parkites led by beaver-tricks from Dominic Young and Jarryon Paul clobbered Carib 12-0 while Felicia King had a handful in Paragon’s 8-0 mauling of Raiders.
Results
Sunday
Under-19 Girls
Paragon 8 (Felicia King 4th, 10th, 15th, 27th, 69th, Mariah Boucaud 29th, 44th, Therese Sobers 25th) vs Raiders 0
Trinity Men:
QPCC 12 (Dominic Young 5th, 34th, 54th, 58th, Jarryon Paul 28th, 53rd, 53rd, 68th, Mark Ayen 25th, Zacharry Clarke 40th, Raphael Govia 61st, Kadeem Fortune 67th) vs Carib 0
Women's Championship:
Courts Malvern 2 (Lisa Hernandez 35th, Krizia Layne 46th) vs Ventures 1 (Cristina Abreu 44th)
Men's Championship:
Courts Malvern 2 (Anthony Marcano 46th, Tariq Marcano 69th) vs Fatima 1 (Andrew Vieira 12th)
Fixtures:
Today:
Trinity Men: QPCC vs Malvern, 8 pm
Tomorrow:
Mixed Veterans: Fatima vs Police, 8 pm
Friday:
Trinity Women: Notre Dame vs Police, 7 pm
Mixed Veterans: QPCC vs Police, 8.30 pm
The Trinidad Guardian
Orange eye record 16th league title in hockey
By ELIZABETH MBURUGU
Orange’s Jackline Jow (left) vies for the ball against Vikings’ Jecinter Nthenya during their Kenya Hockey Union Women’s Premier League match at City Park Stadium, [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE/ STANDARD]
Champions Orange Telkom are headed for their 16th women hockey league title.
The champs have maintained a 10 per cent record picking 10 wins out of 10 matches played and conceding just one goal in their league campaign.
At the weekend they routed Mombasa Sports Club (MSC) ladies 11-0 at City Park Stadium. Telkom Coach Jos Openda told FeverPitch his charges are focusing on the Africa Club Championships.
“The continental tourney is just months away and we use the league matches to gauge ourselves so we have to play like we are competing in the Africa Cup competition,” he said. “It is not going to be an easy task for us to retain the Africa title, so we can’t take chances.”
Orange top the log with 30 points, United States International University (USIU) Spartans are second with 27 points. The Spartans have a chance to level points with Orange as they take on Africa Club Championships silver medalists Strathmore Scorpions in a midweek encounter on Thursday at City Park Stadium.
Close call
Sliders are third with 22 points while Strathmore Scorpions are fourth with 21 points. MSC move one place up to fifth with 21 points following the 1-0 victory over Mount Kenya University’s Slixers on Saturday.
Nakuru Sikh are coming closer to realising their premier league promotion dream as they are now 10 points clear of second placed Wazalendo Youth in the Division One League.
Sikh benefitted from a walkover awarded to them against Mombasa Institute (MI) who failed to honour their match on Saturday. Thika rovers are also beneficiaries of MI’s failure to travel as the secured five goals and three points without breaking a sweat.
Sikh are at the summit with 37 points with Wazalendo Youth coming in second with 27 points. Kenyatta University are third with 24 points while Parklands Sports club are fourth with 23 points. Debutants Bay Club of Kisumu completes the top five with 22 points from nine matches.
Kenya Police are back at the top of the KHU Premier League table following their one-all draw with defending champions Nairobi Simba in a midweek encounter. Police are tied on 25 points with Kisumu Simba also favourites for this season’s title.
The Standard Online
Tanzania: Hockey Hunts for Women Players
THE national women's hockey team head coach, Valentina Quaranta, has launched a special campaign to hunt for talented women in various schools and institutions to offset the shortage of such players in the country.
The Italian tactician said in an interview with one FM radio station in Dar es Salaam over the weekend that the sport is currently facing inadequate amount of women's hockey player and in a bid to solve the problem she and the Tanzania Hockey Association (THA) have launched a special campaign in search of talent.
Quaranta said the search has started in school where they are looking for talented girls as there are few ladies playing hockey in the country compared to men.
"We've already introduced the campaign at Makongo Secondary School and it will spread to other schools and institutions such as Tanzania Prisons which are already engaged in the sport," she said.
Despite being unpopular in the country, which is ranked 46th in the world, she said hockey is facing various problems such as poor infrastructure, inadequate players and sports gear.
Meanwhile, the Mapinduzi Hockey Cup 2014 earlier set for March 14-16 this year at the Lugalo Barracks ground in Dar es Salaam will now be held from March 21-23 at the same venue.
The three-day event is expected to attract teams from both Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar. Potential teams for the event are defending champions Dar Khalsa, Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF), Moshi Khalsa, Magereza, Zanzibar Highlanders, Kili Vijana, Dar Institute, El-Hilal, Arusha Tiger and Ngome.
The event aims at getting the 2014 national hockey club champions, who will represent the country in international assignments.
AllAfrica.com
U18 girls qualify for youth Olympics
Arin Kumar
THE Fiji Hockey Federation (FHF) is over the moon that the national under-18 girls team has qualified for the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Nanjing, China, in August.
FHF president Dr Robin Mitchell said their performance at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) qualification tournament in Port Vila, Vanuatu last week was very good.
Fiji finished in second place behind New Zealand, but both finalists qualify for the YOG.
"We are very pleased that the U18 girls managed to qualify for the 2014 YOG," he said.
"This is quite an historic event because Fiji women's hockey and Fiji men's rugby 7s will be the first teams from Fiji taking part in an Olympic Games, since Fiji joined the Olympic Movement at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games."
He said it took a huge effort from the players to give a good performance because of the different type of turf in Vanuatu.
"The turf is a new synthetic surface which is not filled with sand or requires watering like the National Hockey Centre, making it a more bouncy surface than they're used to.
"In the new five-a-side format, the whole field is enclosed by what looks like a four inch board, so the tactics are similar to Indoor hockey which we haven't played in Fiji for about 20 years."
The Fiji Times
USA Field Hockey introduces Olympic Youth Camps coming this summer
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Field Hockey is excited to announce the instatement of Olympic Youth Camps (OYC) this summer as we continue to grow the game and offer additional playing opportunities to all athletes. Following the success of youth programs like FUNdamental Field Hockey, Olympic Youth Camps will provide a week-long training with Team USA athletes across the country. The camps will provide field hockey training, fun and an opportunity to learn from Women’s and Men’s National Team members.
The camps are offered to boys and girls, ages 7-13. Camp locations and registration will be available in the next month. Each camper will have an opportunity to learn skills from the country’s very best while having fun in the traditional day camp structure.
“The Olympic Youth Camp program will be a great way to garner interest in our sport from the ground up,” said Women’s National Team athlete Jamie Montgomery. “It is also an exciting opportunity for members of Team USA to interact with future field hockey players. Hopefully we'll be able to generate more excitement about the sport that we all love.”
The Olympic Youth Camps will also serve as an additional avenue into USA Field Hockey’s Futures program for athletes who are eligible.
For more information and camp dates and locations, please visit www.usafieldhockey.com.
USFHA media release
Dutch hockey legend selected as role model for Youth Olympic Games
Teun de Nooijer is to be one of 37 athletes chosen to be role models for tomorrow's sports stars
(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
Double Olympic gold medallist and hockey legend Teun de Nooijer has been selected as hockey's Athlete Role Model (ARM) for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games, which are taking place 16-28 August in Nanjing, China. Teun is one of 37 ARMs chosen by The International Olympic Committee (IOC) from a list of athletes nominated by the 28 International Federations whose sports will feature at Nanjing 2014.
The Dutch superstar, who represented the Netherlands a record-breaking 453 times, is one of many legendary names from the world of sport, including Olympic and world champions. In Nanjing, they will play a key role in supporting, mentoring and offering advice to the 3,800 young athletes who will be participating in the Games. Also on the list will be ARMs from the world of rugby sevens and golf, sports which will make their YOG debuts at Nanjing 2014, before appearing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Teun and his fellow ARMs will be accessible to the athletes both in the Youth Olympic Village and during a series of educational activities and workshops that will focus on areas such as skills development, how to lead healthy lifestyles, environment and social responsibility and Olympism.
FIH Media release
Another feather in the cap of Teun de Nooijer
Double Olympic hero Teun de Nooijer chosen as role model
Contemporary and modern hockey's most admired star Tuen de Nooijer of The Netherlands, is now a global sport icon, after he has been selected among the 37 Athlete Role Model by the International Olympic Committee.
Double Olympic gold medallist and hockey legend Teun de Nooijer has been selected as hockey's Athlete Role Model (ARM) for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games (16-28 August in Nanjing, China). Teun is one of 37 ARMs chosen by The International Olympic Committee (IOC) from a list of athletes nominated by the 28 International Federations whose sports will feature at Nanjing 2014.
The Dutch superstar, who represented the Netherlands a record-breaking 453 times, is one of many legendary names from the world of sport, including Olympic and world champions. In Nanjing, they will play a key role in supporting, mentoring and offering advice to the 3,800 young athletes who will be participating in the Games. Also on the list will be ARMs from the world of rugby sevens and golf, sports which will make their YOG debuts at Nanjing 2014, before appearing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Teun and his fellow ARMs will be accessible to the athletes both in the Youth Olympic Village and during a series of educational activities and workshops that will focus on areas such as skills development, how to lead healthy lifestyles, environment and social responsibility and Olympism.
Athletes at the Youth Olympic Games will get to engage in conversations with the ARMs throughout the Games. They will be behind the scenes during competition and will also be available for informal chats in the ARM lounge that will be open to all participants. The athletes can also learn valuable lessons from the ARMs during “Chat with Champions” sessions, which will also be accessible to people around the world on the IOC’s digital platforms. Fans of the YOG, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to put their questions directly to the ARMs during informal chat sessions on the IOC’s social media channels.
The main goal behind making the ARMs as accessible as possible is so they can share their experiences and inspire the young athletes to be the best they can be both on and off the field of play.
Teun de Nooijer is an excellent choice for the role. He won Olympic Gold in 1996 and 2000 and was a World Cup winner in 1998. He was voted FIH player of the year in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and since his retirement from international hockey, after winning silver at the 2012 Olympics, he has been involved with coaching at his club Bloemendaal and running the Teun de Nooijer Academy, which helps people in both business and sport achieve their potential.
Besides his jinking runs and stunning goals, Teun's other trademark was the number 14 shirt he always wore when playing for the Netherlands. Worn in honour of Dutch footballing legend Johan Cruyff, it was one sporting hero's homage to another. Following his international retirement, Teun was named a Knight in the Order of Orange Nassau, an honour bestowed by the Dutch royal family.
Claudia Bokel, Chair of the IOC Athletes’ Commission and Olympic silver medallist in fencing, said: “The Athlete Role Model programme is a really unique element of the Youth Olympic Games. The ARMs have so much valuable information to pass on to the younger generation. They will really inspire and empower the athletes long after the Games conclude to not only be great ‘Youth Olympians’, but to share the skills and values learnt at the YOG with their communities and peers.”
Stick2Hockey.com
Hockey legend De Nooijer role model for Youth Olympics
LAUSANNE: Double Olympic gold medallist and hockey legend Teun de Nooijer has been selected along with 36 others as Athlete Role Model (ARM) for the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG) that will be held in Nanjing, China, August 16-28.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected the athletes after receiving nominations from 28 international federations whose sports will feature at Nanjing 2014. These role models will play a key role in supporting, mentoring and offering advice to the 3,800 young athletes who will be participating in the Games.
The Dutch superstar, who represented the Netherlands a record 453 times, is one of many legendary names from the world of sport, including Olympic and world champions.
Also on the list will be ARMs from the world of rugby sevens and golf, sports which will make their YOG debuts at Nanjing 2014, before appearing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
De Nooijer and his fellow ARMs will be accessible to the athletes both in the Youth Olympic Village and during a series of educational activities and workshops that will focus on areas such as skills development, how to lead healthy lifestyles, environment and social responsibility and Olympism.
De Nooijer won Olympic gold in 1996 and 2000 and was a World Cup winner in 1998. He was voted International Hockey Federation (FIH) player of the year in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Since his retirement after winning silver at the 2012 Olympics, he has been involved with coaching at his club Bloemendaal and running the Teun de Nooijer Academy, which helps people in both business and sport achieve their potential.
The Times of India
We’re not broke, say MHC
by Vijhay Vick
THE Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) have refused to shed light on their financial standing despite not paying their dues for three months.
MHC treasurer Datuk N. Radhakrishnan said yesterday the national body were not broke but refused to divulge further information when asked why National Sports Council (NSC) director general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong had claimed MHC were facing “financial constraints”.
Last Thursday, Mailsport had questioned MHC’s financial status after checks with junior hockey league (MJHL) teams and state affiliates revealed they have not been receiving the MJHL prize money and subsidies to participate in various tournaments since October.
It is learnt the national junior and senior teams had not received their bonuses for last year’s Junior World Cup and Sea Games respectively.
To date, MHC have refused to entertain any question pertaining to the non-payment.
“After going through the accounts, I can confirm we are not broke. I will write to the states after consulting MHC president Tengku Abdullah Shah. Please wait for an official statement,” said Radhakrishnan.
Participating teams in last year’s national Under-14 (November), national Veterans (November), national Under-21 (December) tournaments and the recent MJHL have yet to receive the RM3,000 subsidy each.
It is pertinent to ask whether the teams participating in the national Under-16 tournament in Perlis on March 22-31 would face the same problem.
Also, the prize monies for the MJHL (both league and cup) have yet to be paid.
As for the national juniors, they are entitled to RM1,000 for each of the four wins they recorded at the Junior World Cup in New Delhi in December and an extra undisclosed incentive for finishing fourth, matching Malaysia’s previous best achievement in 28 years.
The Malay Mail
Where is the money, MHC?
Haresh Deol
LET’S look at the facts.
The National Sports Council director-general Datuk Zolkples Embong was quoted saying: “Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) have many programmes but are facing financial constraints.”
MHC secretary Datuk Johari Abdul Aziz had then said: “I don’t think there is a financial crisis but I have to check with the relevant officials.”
MHC treasurer Datuk N. Radhakrishnan said: “After going through the accounts, I can confirm we are not broke.”
So what’s the story?
The only thing consistent is all three quoted had the title ‘Datuk’ in front of their names. Period.
While some continue to debate if MHC is in the red or otherwise, the reality remains that hockey players and teams have not received subsidies, prize monies and incentives promised to them since last year.
This include those who participated in the Raja Noorashikin Cup last October, the national Under-14 and national veterans tournaments a month later and the national Under-21 competition in December.
The sum owed is said to be over RM200,000.
Even teams who played in the recent Malaysia Junior Hockey League have not received their subsidies and prize money.
Mailsport’s journalist Vijhay Vick had reported that even the national junior and senior teams had not received their bonuses for last year’s Junior World Cup and SEA Games respectively.
For the record, the national juniors were placed fourth in the world meet — matching the nation’s previous best achievement 28 years ago.
It was natural to speak to several key people within the fraternity. Typically, all were willing to share their views with the exception their names would not be published.
“I don’t think MHC is broke but they need to pioritise their expenditure to ensure they would not run into financial woes in time to come,” said an official.
“The incentive scheme has placed MHC in a peculiar position. While it is noble for them to offer monetary rewards to outstanding players, it will also result in higher expenditure. Things are not cheap these days.”
Another official said: “Yes, the players of the various age group tournaments have not received their subsidies. I bet those participating in the upcoming national Under-16 meet would face the same predicament.”
The Under-16 tourney will be held from March 22-31 in Perlis.
Several others, while trying their very best to defend MHC, concurred promises met should be kept.
“The money will eventually come. We just have to be patient about it. It’s been the norm,” said a veteran official.
In any professional set-up, it is not the norm for teams or clubs to wait for months before money is paid. Finances need to be planned in advance.
MHC ought to also be transparent with its affiliates and stakeholders. They should not be kept in the dark and should know when the monies will be channelled to them.
National bodies and even government agencies, in general, ought to realise they are not a Sdn Bhd where they can simply brush off questions posed by saying “it’s none of your business”. Tax-payers money is involved, directly or indirectly, while the athletes and fans are the biggest stake-holders.
If MHC is indeed not broke, then they should pay up on time. They need to get their act right and only then the state affiliates will follow suit.
Professionalism has to start somewhere. For MHC, it’s about managing their finances right.
The Malay Mail