News 04 April 2014
All the news for Friday 4 April 2013
Hawke’s Bay Festival of Hockey streaming live!
Hockey New Zealand has confirmed live streaming for all Black Sticks games from the Hawke's Bay Festival of Hockey.
The six-team tournament runs from 5-13 April.
The tournament is important preparation for the Hockey World Cup, with the Black Sticks coming off a series win over China in Taupo.
All Black Sticks games will be streamed live on the Hockey New Zealand website, with replays also available after the games through the link below.
CLICK HERE for the live streaming page
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Please note that Hockey Australia will be streaming the Australian games CLICK HERE for their streaming page
HI announces women's hockey team for FIH Champions Challenge
NEW DELHI: Forwards Navneet Kaur and Neha Goyal have been included for the first time in the 18-member Indian women's hockey squad, led by midfielder Ritu Rani, for the FIH Champions Challenge 1 to be held from April 27 - May 4.
Midfielder Chanchan Devi will be the vice-captain for the eight-nation tournament to be played at Glasgow, Scotland.
India are placed in Pool A with Korea, Belgium and the host Scotland while USA, South Africa, Spain and Ireland are placed in Pool B.
India will take on Korea in their opening match on April 27.
The team will depart for Ireland on April 10 to play a three-match Test series against their national side to acclimatise ahead of the Champions Challenge 1.
Hockey India selectors B P Govinda, Mamta Kharab Dahiya and Surinder Kaur alongwith Roelant Oltmans, Director High Performance, Neil Hawgood, chief coach women team and Scientific Advisor Matthew Tredrea selected 18 players and seven standbys on the basis of selection trials conducted at NSNIS Patiala on March 27.
The senior women's team is currently camping at NSNIS, Patiala, since March 24.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Yogita Bali, Savita
Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Deepika, Sunita Lakra, Kirandeep Kaur, Namita Toppo, Monika Malik
Midfielders: Sushila Chanu, Ritu Rani, Lily Chanu, Chanchan Devi, Soundarya Yendala
Forwards: Anuradha Devi, Poonam Rani, Vandana Katariya, Navneet Kaur, Neha Goyal.
The Times of India
Gurbaj, Mujtaba return; Sandeep ignored for European tour
Gurbaj Singh and Danish Mujtaba made a comeback to India's 21-member men's hockey team for this month's preparatory tour to Europe ahead of the World Cup.
New Delhi: Experienced Gurbaj Singh and Danish Mujtaba on Friday made a comeback to India's 21-member men's hockey team for this month's preparatory tour to Europe ahead of the FIH World Cup to be held at The Hague, Netherlands from May 31 to June 15.
Gurbaj, one of three senior players including Sandeep Singh and Vikran Kanth who were called back to the national camp by chief coach Terry Walsh, last wore the India colours in the country's forgettable 12th place finish at the 2012 London Olympics.
Since then he was given a cold shoulder by the national selectors but right-half Gurbaj fought against all odds to regain his place in the national team with his brilliant passing and tireless work that played a key role in securing the Hero Hockey India League 2 crown for Delhi Waveriders this year.
Mujtaba, a talented midfielder, also returned to the side, to be captained by Sardar Singh, after being laid low for nearly 10 months due to a serious injury in his right knee that needed a surgery.
However, ace drag-flicker and former captain Sandeep, who was the top-scorer of HIL this year, did not find a place in the side.
Forwards Ramandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh also returned to the side after sitting out of the Hero Hockey World League Final which was held here in January this year.
Defender Gurinder Singh, midfielder Devindar Walmiki and striker Lalit Upadhyay are three new names in the 21-member squad.
Among other notable absentees are defender Amit Rohidas, midfielder MB Aiyappa, Affan Yousuf and injured Mandeep Singh.
While Sardar will lead the side, drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh has been named his deputy for the European tour where India will play five build-up games in The Hague, Netherlands from April 9-19.
The squad has two goalkeepers in experienced PR Sreejesh and young Harjot Singh.
The squad was handpicked by Hockey India selectors BP Govinda, Syed Ali and RP Singh along with Roelant Oltmans, Director High Performance and chief coach Terry Walsh on the basis of the selection trials conducted at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on March 20 and 21.
The squad will depart for The Netherlands on April 9 where it will play five preparatory games, including two against the national team of The Netherlands and one against Belgium.
India will start their tour with a game against Dutch national club Leiden on April 11, followed by matches against another club side HGC (April 14), Belgium (April 15) and The Netherlands (April 17 and 19).
Squad:
Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, HarjotSingh.
Defenders: Birendra Lakra, Rupinder Pal Singh (vice-captain), VR Raghunath, Kothajit Singh, Gurinder Singh, Gurbaj Singh.
Midfielders: Sardar Singh (captain), SK Uthappa, Dharamvir Singh, Manpreet Singh, Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, Danish Mujtaba, Devindar Walmiki.
Forwards: SV Sunil, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Yuvraj Walmiki, Lalit Upadhyay.
IBNLive
Self belief will be key to India's success in WC: Walsh
NEW DELHI: Self belief will be key to India's success in the Hockey World Cup to be held at The Hague, Netherlands from May 31 to June 15, chief coach Terry Walsh said on Thursday.
India's chief coach Walsh expressed satisfaction about his wards preparations for the World Cup and said "building a strong self belief" is vital for showcasing a good performance in the mega-event.
"We are going good with the practice sessions and the boys have been showing good set of skills. The boys are really excited as playing the World Cup will be a huge opportunity," Walsh said after a practice session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
"We are also trying to understand the scenario which would be there so that we are well prepared. The players are all good and are working with great enthusiasm also helping each other in the game showcasing excellent team spirit.
"But building a strong self belief is very essential to play a good game and we are working on that," he emphasized.
Walsh's deputy and India's newly-appointed assistant coach Jude Felix said penalty corner conversion is an area they team management is giving special emphasis on.
"In order to present a good game the players are working on specific set of skills like goal scoring and penalties. Though certain things have changed in the game, we are trying to bring back the old skill sets as well which may take the team towards good results," he said.
"Penalty corners are difficult to score these days, but we are trying to figure out solutions for the same," Felix added.
India captain Sardar Singh the team's preparation for the quadrennial event was going on the right direction.
"We are focusing on the fitness as well as basics like defence and footwork to excel in the game. With each session, the young players are getting better. All the players in the team are skillful, we just need to utilise them in the right manner," he said.
"Our coach has been working towards making us all ready for the World Cup. He has observed us closely during the Hero Hockey India League and training individual players accordingly."
The Times of India
Big wins for SAI, Odisha in Junior Hockey Nationals
Sports Authority of India and Odisha completed their league engagements with emphatic victories as the final set of pool matches of the Hockey India-junior National men’s championship came to an end at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Thursday.
Odisha blanked Mumbai 4-0 in a Pool B match and SAI thumped Bhopal 5-0 in the last match (Pool D) of the day. Odisha and SAI will now clash in the second semifinal and Punjab will face Haryana in the first last four match.
Sanjit Toppo opened the account for Odisha in the very first minute through a penalty corner. Anand Lakra made it 2-0 with four minutes remaining for the first half. Odisha slowed down the tempo in the second half but still scored two more goals through Joseph Toppo and Anuranjan Tirkey.
SAI played aggressively in the first half scoring two goals. Though Bhopal gave a better account in the second half, it still fell short.
The results:
Pool B: HP 4 (Harminjeet Singh, Abishek, Badal Choudhary 2) bt Karnataka 3 (S.A. Anjaneya, Jagath Nanchappa 2); Odisha 4 (Sanjit Toppo, Anand Lakra, Joseph Toppo, Anuranjan Tirkey) bt Mumbai 0.
Pool D: Maharashtra 6 (Razik Shaikh, Shubham Thakur, Mithilesh Kumar, Sumit Kumar 2, Laxman Kare) bt Chhattisgarh 5 (Wasiullah Khan 2, Akash Tamrakar, Raja Khan, Kartik Yadav); SAI 5 (Navdeep Singh, Ajay Yadav, Ajit Ku Pandey 2, Pawan Rajbhar) bt Bhopal 0.
The Hindu
Wapda win National Women\'s hockey title
LAHORE - Wapda lifted the 28th National Women's Hockey Championship title for the fourth time in a row when they defeated Pakistan Railways 2-0 in the final at Hockey Club of Pakistan on Thursday.
According to information made available here on Thursday, Forward Marian Sabir netted the opener in 23rd minute and Ambreen Arshad blasted the second in 63rd minute to give Wapda resounding victory. In lackluster final, Wapda, enjoying the services of several internationals, dominated the match from the start to finish. In the third position playoff, Army hammered Punjab Colors 9-1. Shamshad Bashir blasted as many as five goals while Shaheen Malik netted two.
Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada was chief guest at the occasion and gave away the winning trophy to Wapda captain Amna Mir while Afshan Mumtaz received the runners-up trophy. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Women Wing president Khushbakht Shujaat, Olympians Islahuddin Siddiqui, Iftikhar Syed, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid and other officials were also present on the occasion.
The Nation
IHL Finals - This Weekend Banbridge HC
It all comes down to this weekend to see who will be crowned with the glory of being the best club in Ireland as the Irish hockey League semi-finals and finals take place this Saturday & Sunday at Banbridge Hockey Club.
After five back to back weekends of Irish Hockey League pool action the top two teams emerging from Pool A & Pool B face each other in cross over semi-finals for a knock out stage this Saturday and the finals on Sunday.
The first semi-finals on Saturday 5th is on the women’s side where Loreto and UCD go head to head at 10.30am before last year’s champions Railway Union face Ulster rivals Pegasus at 12.30. The men’s semi-finals kicks off with Monkstown v Three Rock Rovers before the final game of the day sees Lisnagarvey and Banbridge battle it out for a spot in the final . Finals take place on Sunday 13.30 for the women and 16.00 for the men. Finals Webpage
SEMI FINALS
Saturday 5th April
10.30am (Ladies) Loreto v UCD
12.30pm (Ladies) Railway Union v Pegasus
15.00pm (Men’s) Monkstown v Three Rock Rovers
17.00pm (Men’s) Lisnagarvey v Banbridge
FINALS
Sunday 6th April
13.30 Women's Final
16.00 Men's Final
Irish Hockey Association media release
Shahril vying with seven others for Champions Challenge spot
By Aftar Singh
Mohd Shahril Saabah (right) in a file photo. He hopes to play in the Champions Challenge I so that he will be picked for the World Cup and Olympic squads.
KUALA LUMPUR: Forward Mohd Shahril Saabah wants a regular spot on the national hockey team after proving himself at last month’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with three goals.
The 20-year-old player from Kuala Lumpur, who is also good with his penalty corner drag flicks, scored two goals from penalty corners and one field goal at the Ipoh meet.
Shahril, who also scored three goals in the Junior World Cup in New Delhi last December to help Malaysia finish a creditable fourth place, said that he could not ask for a better start to his hockey career with the national senior team.
“I am more than pleased with my performance as I did well to score three goals in seven matches in Ipoh,” said Shahril.
With a full-time spot on the national team to aim for, Shahril is determined to train harder and give his best in the six friendly matches against China (April 9-20) to win a place in the Champions Challenge I tournament in Kuantan (April 26-May 4).
Unfortunately, standing in his way are seven other forwards who also want a spot on the team – Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Faizal Saari, Mohd Firhan Ashaari, Mohd Rashid Baharom, Izwan Firdaus, S. Selvaraju and Ismail Abu.
Rashid, 22, also made his debut at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, scoring two field goals.
Shahril knows getting picked for the Kuantan tournament will be a challenge.
“Players like Izwan, Selvaraju and Ismail, who did not feature in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, will definitely be going all out to fight for a place in Kuantan,” said Shahril.
He has the same dream as everyone else in the training squad – of playing in next month’s World Cup (in The Hague) and also at the Olympics, and the only way there is via the Champions Challenge I.
In the Kuantan tournament, Malaysia are drawn in Group B with Asia Cup champions South Korea, Canada and France, while top-ranked New Zealand are drawn together with Japan, Ireland and Poland in Group A.
The Star of Malaysia
Scotland Senior Women begin full-time training thanks to sportscotland Athlete Personal Awards
sportscotland Director of High Performance Mike Whittingham and Scottish Hockey Chief Executive David Sweetman welcome Scotland Senior Women to the Glasgow National Hockey Centre for the first day of full-time training thanks to SAPA investment by sportscotland. Photo Credit: Jell Holmes.
Scotland Senior Women’s journey on the ‘Road to Glasgow’ and the Commonwealth Games kicked off today when the squad gathered for their first day of full-time training at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.
Scotland’s high performance athletes across 17 different sports with the potential to deliver a podium finish at this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have been boosted with the news that they are among the recipients of individual sportscotland Athlete Personal Awards (SAPAs).
The £90,000 award to the women’s hockey team is allowing the squad to train full-time from today right through until the Commonwealth Games in July.
Speaking at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre, where the awards were announced, Director of High Performance at sportscotland Mike Whittingham said:
“The sportscotland Athlete Personal Awards can make the difference to our athletes vying for a place on the podium, and it’s great to be able to boost the Glasgow Games prospects of 67 individual Team Scotland athletes plus those involved in the sports receiving team awards.
sportscotland Director of High Performance Mike Whittingham and Scotland Senior Women Captain Linda Clement. Photo Credit: Jeff Holmes
“Some of our athletes are already on UK-funded world-class programmes and require a ‘top-up’, while others are in the early stages of their high performance career and need that additional support to help them train and compete at the right level as they approach competition.
“SAPAs help ensure that Scottish athletes have the time to be fully focussed and concentrate on important areas such as recovery and injury prevention. It is challenging to achieve success on the word stage and meticulous preparation is an essential ingredient.
“Through the SAPA scheme, we have now invested well over a million pounds in over 100 individual athletes plus those in teams receiving awards. Using a mixture of Lottery and Scottish Government funding, we are building a world-class system for high performance athletes in Scotland – a vital component of delivering the sporting legacy from hosting the Commonwealth Games.
“The Commonwealth Games is just round the corner and athletes are approaching the home straight knowing they have the support of their governing bodies and world-class support from the sportscotland institute of sport’s team of coaches, scientists, and experts.”
Scotland Vice-Captain Catriona Ralph said:
“This award gives the team the best opportunity to perform at our very best at the Commonwealth Games. In allowing us to train full-time, and the provision of first-class support services through sportscotland, we are able to focus entirely on our hockey and on representing Scotland as best we can.”
L-R; Scotland Senior Women Vice-Captain Cat Ralph, Scottish Hockey Chief Executive David Sweetman, Scotland Senior Women Captain Linda Clement, sportscotland Director of High Performance Mike Whittingham, Scotland Senior Women Vice-Captain Leigh Fawcett. Photo Credit: Jeff Holmes
Minister for Sport and Commonwealth Games Shona Robison added:
“Team Scotland are anticipating their most successful Commonwealth Games ever. The flexibility provided by the sportscotland Athlete Personal Awards delivers an advantage during Scotland’s preparations for the Games.
“We have been able to help give both elite individuals and teams, like the women’s hockey squad, the resources to help them step up their training to fulfil their potential on the world stage. I am looking forward to seeing the players on the pitch, aiming for their best results yet, in what will be the best Commonwealth Games ever.”
Jon Doig, Chief Executive of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said:
“I am delighted with the continued support for Commonwealth Games athletes in this latest round of SAPAs.
“We have been working closely with sportscotland to ensure that Scottish athletes have the necessary support in place to give them every opportunity to excel at the Games. Coupled with the excellent support services provided by the institute, today’s athlete personal awards will enable athletes to focus on delivering the performance of their lives at Glasgow 2014 this summer.”
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Golden girls past and present
Ellen Hoog and Janneke Schopman talk about the Rabobank Hockey World Cup and explain just why the Netherlands are so good
Ellen Hoog and Janneke Schopman both have a cabinet full of medals with a distinctly golden hue. But while Ellen will be hoping that the Netherlands bring home gold again in the Hague this year, Janneke's loyalties will be split. The former Dutch star was a pivotal part of the Netherlands team from 2000 to 2010. She played in three Hockey World Cups, and has won a World Cup Gold medal, an Olympic Gold and a clutch of Champions Trophy golds. She is now assistant coach to the USA hockey team and will be hoping her winner's aura can spread to her players. But, she will always treasure the memories she has of winning medals as part of the successful Netherlands hockey team.
For current Netherlands star, Ellen, the thought of playing in front of a home crowd has made this an extra special year of hockey. Like Janeke, she is playing for a Dutch team that has hit a rich seam of consistency, with back to back Olympic gold medals, and and there is little doubt that Ellen and co will be favourites to lift their seventh World Cup.
With just under two months to go before the start of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup we spoke to Janneke and Ellen about their own World Cup memories and their expectations for this year's event.
FIH: What are your own favourite memories from the World Cup?
JS: In 2002 I played my first World Cup in Perth, and only then I realised how special a tournament the World Cup is. My favourite memories are scoring a field goal in the opening game and the atmosphere in Perth overall. In Madrid, in 2006, it was made even more special because all my family and a lot of friends were there. Away from the pitch, some of my favourite memories are of chilling and chatting with my teammates or watching Gooische Vrouwen in our own Holland House. My last World Cup in Argentina was special because of the intensity. My favourite memory is winning the semi-final after being 1-0 down. A lot of people already thought we were done, but we came back and won on penalty strokes.
FIH: Can you describe what it is like to wear the orange kit and represent your country?
EH: Of course I’m really proud to wear the orange kit! I can’t describe the feeling, but every match is special for me. I think it’s always an honour to play for your nation. I’m lucky to be born in a country where my favourite sport is popular and from a high level. This gives me the change to compete on the highest international level and play with some of the best players in the world.
FIH: How are you hoping to use your experiences to best effect when preparing the USA team for the World Cup?
JS: As a player, the most important thing is that you can play your best hockey when it counts. Because I had the experience myself, I know there is a lot of pressure to perform. But it is also important that players feel comfortable – it is important to recognise what players like, dislike and what is necessary for them to be ready for each game. I hope I can help the team to be prepared in the best way they can be.
FIH: What qualities do Dutch players have that make them so consistently good?
JS: We were a team, where each individual had their own qualities and value for the team. Everyone played their vital part, no more but also not less. Also I think we had open communication and it didn’t matter who scored as long as we won.
EH: Hockey in the Netherlands is a very popular sport, especially for women. Children start playing hockey here when they’re around six years old. We have a good education system with strong youth leagues. This prepares the talents for playing for the national team. And our domestic league is a world-class level.
FIH: What qualities do you see in the US team today?
JS: I see a lot of determination. The girls work hard and are continuously busy improving themselves and the team. The team is working to develop a strong culture and identity. I have watched video footage of the team from their recent performances. There are some obvious strengths and some exciting opportunities to work on certain areas to improve and be even better.
FIH: How have the Dutch preparations for this event gone so far - should all the other teams be worried?
EH: Haha, of course the other teams should be worried! No seriously, we are preparing ourselves really well. The staff and group of athletes we are working with, are all really professional and dedicated.
FIH site
Sikhs galore at Buenos Aires
by Dil Bahra
Hockey World Cup, Buenos Aires, 1978
In our series of the impact Sikhs have had at men’s hockey world cups, we look at the fourth world cup held in 1978.
The Fourth Men’s Hockey World Cup was held at Campo del Polo grounds, Buenos Aires, Argentina from 18 March – 1 April 1978.
Fourteen nations competed and were divided into two pools of seven as follows. Pool A: Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, India and Poland.
Pool B: Argentina, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Pakistan and Spain.
Hardial Singh Kular of Kenya was a Judge at the world cup.
The Canadian team included four Sikhs - Bubli Chohan, who was born in Ludhiana and moved with his family to Canada in 1962. Bubli, who earned his first international cap when he represented Canada against Pakistan in New Zealand in 1974, had played at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games. Sarbjit Singh Dusang, born in Powandara, Punjab had also represented Canada at the Montreal Olympics. Parmjit Singh Bahia, born in Kukar, Punjab and Mohinder Pal Singh were the other Sikh players in the Canadian team.
The highlight of Canada’s appearance at her first world cup was their historical 3 – 1 victory in Pool A match over the world cup holders, India. During the tournament Bubli Chohan scored field goals against Belgium and Poland.
Canada Team: Sarbjit Singh Dusang; Julian Austin; Alan Herbrirk (Capt); Dave Bisset; Mohinder Pal Singh; Paramjit Singh Bahia; Peter Motzek; Doug Pready; Hash Kanjee; Satinder Singh Chohan; Fred Hoos; Antonie Schouten; Reg Plummer; Howard Fernandes; Mike Mouat; Kelvin Wood.
Manager: Victor Warrant; Coach: John McBryde.
England Team 1978. Photo: Bernie Cotton collection
Sutinder Khehar standing 1st left back row, Balwant Saini standing 3rd left back row
England had two Sikhs in their team - Sutinder (Suti) Singh Khehar and Balwant (Bal) Singh Saini. Suti, born in Nairobi, Kenya emigrated to the UK in 1971 and won his first international cap in 1974 when he played for England against West Germany at Lords, London. Bal, born in Kisumu, Kenya, won his first England cap in 1977 when he played against West Germany at Lords, London, scoring a spectacular goal on his debut. Both Suti and Bal played for Slough Hockey Club, who had won the National Club Championship in 1977.
England Team: Ian Taylor; Paul Barber; David Whitaker; Peter Freitag; Bernard Cotton (capt); Rui Saldanha; Ian Thomson; Sutinder Singh Khehar; Ian Stuart; McGinn; Alistair Kirk McGinn; Norman Hughes; Roly Brookeman; Balwant Singh Saini; Stephen William Long; John Andrew Hurst; Robert William Smith.
Manager: Anthony Ekins; Coach: Trevor Clarke.
The Malaysian team had three Sikhs in their side - Mohinder Singh Amar who had represented Malaysia at the Montreal Olympic Games and earned his first international cap in 1973, Avtar Singh Gill who had also played at the Montreal Olympic Games and Updesh Singh Gill.
Avtar scored a penalty stroke and a penalty corner in the match against Ireland, a penalty stroke in the match against Canada and a goal in the match against Italy.
Malaysia Team: Azrai Md. Zain; Zulkifli Bin Abbas; Brian Sta Maria; N Srishanmuganathan; Seong Foo Keat; R Ramakrishnan (Capt); Mohinder Singh Amar; Seng Tam Kum; K Balasingham; K Rajan; Kooi Ow Soon; Loke Poon Fook; R Utamarajah; Avtar Singh Gill; Spender Oliveiro Lennar; Updesh Singh Gill.
Manager: P Alagendra; Coach: Chye Moroh
India, the reigning world champions, included four Sikhs in their team which was also managed by a Sikh – Kartar Singh. Varinder Singh had played at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games where India won the Bronze medal and Montreal 1976 Olympic Games. Varinder Singh had also played at the 2nd World Cup in Amstelveen where India won the Silver medal and at Kuala Lumpur where India won Gold. Baldev Singh had also played at Montreal and was a member of India’s team that won the Bronze medal at the first World cup in Barcelona in 1971 and Silver in the second world cup in Amstelveen in 1973. Surinder Singh Sodhi and Sukhbir Singh Grewal were the other Sikh players in the Indian squad.
India Team: V J Phillips (Capt); Sait; Syed Ali; Ashok Kumar; Olympio Fernandes; Baldev Singh; M Fredricks; Robert Clandius; Surinder Singh Sodhi; Zafar Iqbal; John Kerketta; V Bhaskaran; Gopal Bhengra; Dung Dung; Vincent Lakra; Sukhbir Singh Grewal; Varinder Singh.
Manager: Kartar Singh; Coach: R S Gentle
Final standings were 1. Pakistan; 2. Netherlands; 3. Australia; 4. West Germany; 5. Spain; 7. England; 8. Argentina; 9. Poland; 10. Malaysia; 11. Canada; 12. Ireland; 13. Italy; 14. Belgium.
Next week: 5th World Cup.
www.sikhsinhockey.com
T&T gets 2nd female Grade 1 hockey umpire
Just over a year after being promoted to the International Hockey Federation's (FIH) Promising Grade I Umpire's list, T&T's Ayanna Mc Clean achieved that objective yesterday becoming only the second woman in the country to attain the prestigious status.
T&T's first FIH Grade 1 female umpire is Ayanna's mother Cherill Mc Clean.
Ayanna received news of her upgrade from chairman of the FIH's Umpiring Committee Ermanno Silvano yesterday.
Silvano said Mc Clean's promotion followed performances and the overall mark she achieved at the South American Odesur Games in Santiago, Chile, last month and took into account her tournaments in 2013.
The former national hockey player has been appointed to umpire at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23-August 3.
McClean, a district sales manager at Coca-Cola Enterprises, New York, was honoured for her 50th international match at the Women's Pan American Cup tournament, during the match between Mexico and Chile on September 25, 2013.
She was promoted to the Outdoor Promising List Grade I of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in March, 2013. The list comprises umpires who, at their recent tournaments, have shown the potential to officiate at FIH Grade 1 level.
McClean, who holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, is a past pupil and hockey captain of South East Port-of-Spain Secondary School.
She obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Economics from Hofstra University in the USA, and also captained Hofstra's field hockey team. She is a member of Ventures Hockey Club.
The Trinidad Guardian
Shape, Mucurapo Girls ‘B’ cop Easter hockey crowns
Shape and Mucurapo Girls’ RC “B” were crowned champions of the Under-13 Division of the Easter Youth Hockey Tournament hosted by the T&T Hockey Board at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, on Wednesday.
In the boys final, Shape got the better of St Mary’s College 1-0 in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
Shape reached the final after it avenged a round-robin loss to Futuristik with a 2-0 win while St Mary’s slipped past Arima Centenary.
Futuristik took third after beating Arima Centenary 2-1 in their playoff.
Earlier on in the round-robin stage, St Mary’s ended top of the four-team standings with seven points after beating Futuristik 2-0 and Arima Centenary 4-0 followed by a 0-0 draw with Shape.
Futuristik was second after it rebounded with victories over Shape 2-0 and Arima Centenary 1-0 while Shape blanked Arima 2-0 when they met.
In the girls’ final, Mucurapo B edged Harvard Checkers 1-0.
This after Mucurapo B blanked Arima Centenary 2-0 in their semifinal while Harvard Checkers upstaged Mucurapo A 1-0 via a penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 draw.
And in the third place playoff, Arima Centenary also defeated Mucurapo A 1-0 in a penalty shoot-out after a 0-0 tie.
In the four-team round-robin series, Mucurapo A and Mucurapo B both ended with five points at the top of the table.
However, Mucurapo A which thrashed Harvard Checkers 4-0 before drawing with Mucurapo B (0-0) and Arima Centenary (1-1) were adjudged winners due to a better goal-difference.
Mucurapo B edged Harvard Checkers 1-0 and played to a 1-1 draw with Arima Centenary in its two other matches while Arima Centenary and Harvard Checkers drew goalless.
The Trinidad Guardian
Saints FHC is First Team Qualified for 2014 US National Club Championship
The Saints FHC Under-19 team went undefeated (5-0) and only gave up 2 goals this past weekend, March 29-30, at the Region 8 Club Championship tournament. Winning the tournament, Saints FHC is the first team to qualify for the 2014 National Club Championship.
This past weekend was the first qualifier for the 2014 National Club Championship and the conditions were unusually cold and blustery for this time of year in southern Virginia. A total of six teams participated in the tournament, mostly from Virginia and the Carolinas. One team did travel from as far as Florida to compete for Region 8’s slot.
Congratulations to the Saints FHC and best of luck to the remaining regions on their quest to qualify for the National Club Championship!
USFHA media release
Hockey moves North
Arin Kumar
THE Fiji Hockey Federation is confident the sport will prosper in the Northern Division.
Federation development officer Tai Smith went to Labasa early this week to spread the hockey gospel.
She said the initiative was made possible through a grant from the Australian Sports Program.
"Teachers from St Mary's Primary School, Holy Family primary and secondary schools, Labasa Primary School and Labasa Sangam Primary School took part in the Oceania Sports Education Program facilitated by Albert Miller," Smith said.
"The teachers responded well to the course and were extremely eager to take on hockey in their schools.
"The abbreviated code of hockey — 5s hockey — has been suggested as the way to start the game with a view to moving on to the full 11-a-side game."
Smith said all participating schools were given 12 sticks and a ball to get the game going.
She said the interest was there and all it needed was a push in the right direction.
The Fiji Times
FIH announces Loughborough University as Innovation Partner
Photo: (c) Plumb Images
4th April 2014: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced today Loughborough University as its official Innovation Partner. The partnership will deliver significant added value to the FIH as well as driving innovation in the sport of hockey. The FIH will look to utilise the significant expertise and resource of Loughborough University to proactively driver its strategic objectives and expand its delivery capability. The announcement of this partnership puts the FIH at the forefront of pioneering leaders in this field as the only International Federation to have a dedicated Innovation Centre.
A key project of the partnership will be to work towards the development of a new and dynamic, entertainment-focussed complementary game designed to help hockey reach new markets.
The highly-acclaimed School of Business and Economics will also be a key contributor and will assist the FIH to develop a strategic ten-year plan that will run from 2014 to 2024. Today’s announcement follows from the FIH’s recent decision to change the game from two halves to four quarters, a move which will improve the quality and flow of the game in time for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather said, “We are delighted to enter into this Innovation Partnership with such a well-respected and talented organisation. I have been incredibly impressed by the scale and standard of design innovation and insight research on offer, matched by the high levels of staff dedication and talent. I am really looking forward to working with Loughborough University to develop our sport to reach more people.”
Loughborough University will provide expertise from their Sports Development Centre; Sport Technology Institute; School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences; School of Business and Economics, as well as their Design School to help the FIH improve hockey for both players and fans. Loughborough University is renowned for sport. Much of this reputation has been built on academic excellence, delivering on research and innovation with an extensive range of sporting bodies including Olympic and Paralympic committees, commercial brands, national governing bodies and international federations.
FIH site