News 10 May 2014
All the news for Saturday 10 May 2014
England Women overcome Belgium
Georgie Twigg, England Women v Belgium
England Women continued their preparations for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup when they secured a confident three-nil victory over Belgium in their latest friendly fixture at Bisham Abbey on Friday afternoon.
Two goals from Birmingham University’s Lily Owsley and one from Beeston’s Ellie Watton helped England to victory – and they also won 4-3 in a post-match penalty shuffle trial, staged to give both sides added practice and confidence.
“There are still a lot of things to improve, but we’re making progress in all areas,” said Head Coach Jason Lee afterwards. “It was satisfying to beat a good team three-nil, especially considering that they’ve just come away from playing in the champions challenge in Glasgow last week.”
England took the lead in the 13th minute when Lily Owsley was on hand to score near the baseline after the ball had been quickly switched from left to right, and she bagged a second goal – this time beating two defenders and latching onto the rebound after her initial shot had been saved.
And Ellie Watton scored their third and final goal with two minutes remaining. Good build up from Sophie Bray and Alex Danson led to Watton’s chance, which she took on the reverse stick from about ten yards out.
Belgium weren’t without their own chances; they had a shot saved off the line by Sally Walton in the first half, and hit the post in the second half, but couldn’t break through some strong defending from England.
After the hooter sounded, despite England’s win the two sides also played pre-arranged penalty shuffles. The hosts again came out on top, winning 4-3.
The two sides will meet again on Saturday in a non-capped friendly fixture.
England 3 (2)
Lily Owsley 13 34 (F F)
Ellie Watton 68 (F)
Belgium 0 (0)
England Hockey Board Media release
SA men’s hockey World Cup team named
JONATHAN COOK
HE'S BACK. Photo: STANISLAS BROCHIER
Today has been the most emotionally draining in South Africa men’s hockey team coach Fabian Gregory’s long career guiding groups of players at all levels.
In the hot seat since February, Gregory has had much to do in order to get a clear idea of who he wanted in his Hockey World Cup 2014 team – he cast his net far and wide - and Friday came the time to tell those unfortunate players who attended trials that they hadn’t made the team.
The World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands is from May 31 to June 15 so the physical and mental exertion put in by the 30-odd hopefuls over an intensive week at St Alban’s College in Pretoria has been palpable.
‘It’s been tough having to tell those who missed out on selection - and to hear the disappointment that is so apparent on hearing the news, it is hard to deal with, but generally the guys took it pretty well as I emphasised that this is not the end of the road – they come back into the selection picture for Commonwealth Games,” says Gregory while scanning the action at an U13 tournament in Durban, where his day job is director of hockey at Glenwood High School.
That said, Gregory is more than just pleased with the combination of youth and experience in the chosen 18.
“It is always difficult trying to match youth with experience but we have a nice balance and based purely on performance at camp this is the best group we have.”
A glance down the team list and one name hits you between the eyeballs – much like his vicious penalty corner drag flicks have threatened to inflict the same damage on hapless PC defenders.
Justin Reid-Ross, possessor of arguably the most powerful drag flick in the world, is back – and he has added stealth and guile to his armoury.
Reid-Ross hasn’t played for South Africa since London 2012 [Olympic Games] as he is establishing a career outside the game but had a very good second half of the season at his Dutch Hoofdklasse club, Pinoke, and has just signed for Amsterdam HC, the most high-profile club in The Netherlands.
“We welcome Justin back, he has been playing some outstanding hockey, has matured as a player and is a massive force at PCs – he is probably flicking even faster now and has added another weapon with a disguised flick, which gives him more variety [and will keep PC defenders and goalkeepers guessing],” says Gregory.
Reid-Ross’s presence also gives SA variety at PC attack time, as alongside him will be the team lynchpin, captain and central defender Austin Smith. With the team’s talismanic Smith back after a foot injury sustained in the Hockey India League, the options open considerably as far as variations are concerned.
“Austin adds so much and his influence will be important as we will focus on our defensive patterns in training games against Holland, India and four Hoofdklasse teams in the final stage later this month.”
The team jets off on May 20 after a two-day training stint in Gauteng, starting May 18, that will include an apparel presentation by kit sponsors Mr Price Sport at a World Cup Launch hosted by team co-sponsors Mugg & Bean.
SA WORLD CUP TEAM
Goalkeepers: Rassie Pieterse (Southern Gauteng); Gowan Jones (KZN Coastal Raiders)
Defenders: Rhett Halkett, Austin Smith (capt), Dylan Swanepoel (all Western Province); Jethro Eustice (Southern Gauteng); Justin Reid-Ross, Lloyd Madsen (both Northern Blues)
Midfielders: Wade Paton, Taine Paton, Tim Drummond (all KZN Coastal Raiders); Clint Panther (Southern Gauteng), Jonty Robinson (Northern Blues)
Strikers: Julian Hykes (Southern Gauteng), Lungi Tsolekile, Lloyd Norris-Jones, Pierre de Voux (all Western Province); Ignatuis Malgraff (Eastern Province)
SA Hockey Association media release
Red Lions are hungry for success
Belgium coach Mark Lammers talks about his team's build-up to the Rabobank Hockey World Cup.
Sarah Juggins
Belgium's preparations for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup took a bit of a battering due to the Euro Hockey League, which saw most of the players in the national men's side on club duty for six weeks, said coach Mark Lammers as he spoke about his team's build-up. "I don't like those periods, because I don't get to see much of the players. Now we only have a few weeks until the World Cup and that is not enough."
"The players are tired after the domestic season and it is a fine balancing act to get the training right. We use heart rate monitors and other measurements, so the medical staff can tell the coach what the players can and cannot do."
"We have to look at our tactics and make sure that all the players are working to our strategy, not the strategy that they have played at their clubs."
"Australia is number one in our group, then England, Spain and Belgium are all about the same standard. I think it will be these three teams fighting for second place. Spain have skilful and physical players, with a few more weeks of preparation they will have a good team."
" We have a young team, the average is 22.6 years. We have a lot of improvement to make, but when you have a young team there is always the chance that you are going to have a player who will prove to be a real surprise package. It is exciting."
"As a coach you always have to stay open to new ideas. I was coach to Spanish women and the Dutch and I have learnt as I have gone along to use the people who are around me. In fact there are people in my team who know a lot more than I do."
When it comes to coaching men and women, Mark says that with women you need to talk to players on an individual basis, whereas the men are more likely to respond to group instructions. He also says that men tend to think about their individual performance while women tend to think more about the team and their role within it.
"This can be a problem, I say 'you have to be there for the team' but if you leave a man out of the team he is angry; the women are more likely to understand that it is a decision for the good of the team."
"If we come fourth I will be a little disappointed. We want to win a medal, but I always say that you will not win a medal if you don't focus on the game that is coming up. We cannot think about the final as soon as we win our first game. But we have won against all the big teams in the past few years. So we can win everything, but we can also lose everything. The beauty of this team is that they haven't won a big tournament so they are hungry.
FIH site
Hockey Park construction on pace
No shortage of spectacular entertainment and activity at Rabobank Hockey World Cup
(Photo: Koen Suyk)
Since last Sunday’s official hand-over of Kyocera Stadium, construction has started to lay the artificial turf of the main pitch. Outside the area and between the two fields, the hockey park is coming along nicely – quickly filling up with space for a mini city that will include restaurants, shops, lounge areas and small pitches.
The stadiums are nearing completion for the 15-day and 76-game event. Last week the grass football pitch was removed so the official GreenFields TX World Cup artificial turf could be laid. Progress has been slowed slightly by the heavy rain but work is still on target to be completed well before May 19. From that date, the pitch will be available for the World Cup teams to train on. The Kyocera Stadium is also being adapted for hockey to include an additional dugout for officials, while the stands are being modified for hockey fans.
Finishing touches to the perimeter signage is all that is left for the second pitch, GreenFields Stadium, and all is looking on track to be ready for the best hockey celebration of the year!
Photo Credit: Koen Suy
FIH site
Up close with female candidates of the FIH’s Athletes’ Committee elections
A closer look at six of the 21 candidates that are up for nomination for the FIH Athletes’ Committee elections
(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
In early April the FIH announced the candidates for the first-ever FIH Athletes’ Committee elections set to take place during this year’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup in the Hague, Netherlands. Over five days, athletes will have the opportunity to elect two women and two men, making of four of the total eight seats, of the FIH Athlete’s Committee. The remaining four seats will be appointed by the FIH Executive Board in March 2015.
The 21 candidates include six women who represent all five continents and they are Marsha Cox (RSA), Rachel Dawson (USA), Sanaz Heidari (IRI), Anne Panter (ENG), Beth Smith (NZL) and Yimeng Zhang (CHN). The successful candidates will be announced on 12 June.
Nomination itself is an honour as this week we take a closer look at these impressive hockey women, who not only impress and lead on the pitch but are highly active and engaged outside of game time.
| Female Candidates | Click here to view the Athletes' Committee webpage |
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Marsha Cox | Twitter: @marcham8 Instagram: @marcham8 Country: South Africa With over 330 international caps in her back pocket, Marsha Cox (nee Marescia), is the highest capped athlete in South Africa across all sports codes. The central midfielder and long-time team captain has been named South Africa Hockey Association Player of the Year on four accounts and was honoured as an FIH All-Star in 2007, 2009 and 2010. Marsha was also a four-year member of the SASCOC Athletes Commission and is currently based in Holland, playing for Rotterdam Hockey Club. Marsha is a two-time Olympian and is set to appear in her third World Cup. |
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Rachel Dawson | Twitter : @racheldawson8 Instagram : @racheldawson8 Country: United States of America In 2006 Rachel Dawson was a nominee for Young Player of the Year and since then the American defender has never looked back. With over 220 international caps and two Olympic appearances, Rachel has been a force to be reckoned with. The penalty corner specialist is also well-known for her clever writing skills appearing regularly in online blogs for American Hockey and athletic publications such as espnW and FH Life. Dawson was pivotal in the start-up of the first Post-Collegiate Field Hockey Tournament in the USA, the Harrow Cup, and was a participant in Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign hosted at the White House in 2013. Despite her spare time being scarce, Rachel also has found time to coach in a variety of youth and University programs. |
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Sanaz Heidari Country : Iran Sanaz Heidari has an opportunity to become the first candidate representing Iran on the FIH Athlete’s Committee. Sanaz has primarily spent her years competing in indoor hockey and has competed for Iran the past four years. The defender helped Iran to a 3rd place finish in the 2nd Asian Indoor Cup and a 4th place finish in the 3rd Asian Indoor Cup. Sanaz holds a Masters degree in English from Azad University in Kerman, Tehran and is currently working as a teacher at an English institute. |
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Anne Panter | Twitter: @anniepanter Facebook: AnnepanterFBHockey Country: England After retiring in early 2014, Anne Panter amassed 108 caps for GB with her most recent achievement being the bronze-medal win at the 2012 London Olympics. First debuting on the international stage at the age of 18, Anne was integral part of the national side for a decade, winning two European Championship bronze medals and a silver at the 2012 Champions Trophy. Anne currently holds a Bachelors of Science in Math and Economics from the University of Nottingham and works as a trader with Goldman Sachs. |
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Beth Smith | Twitter: @beth_smith15 Country: New Zealand After seven years back-stopping the New Zealand Blacksticks, goalkeeper Beth Smith is one of the most decorated female candidates on the list. Beth retired in 2010 from the international stage after appearing in back-to-back Olympic games in Athens and Beijing, as well as two Commonwealth Games, three Champions Trophy’s and the World Cup in 2010. With Beth in goal, New Zealand earned a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which brought her closer to her finale of 105 international caps. On the side, Beth was a part of a number of important programs including the New Zealand Hockey Players Association, the Konica Minolta MVP Programme, Outward Bound and the Sport Wellington Student Ambassador program. Beth is even more impressive in she practised as a barrister and solicitor in New Zealand. Beth currently resides in Dublin and recently celebrated becoming a mom in March 2014. |
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Yimeng Zhang Country: China With 160 international appearances under her belt, Yimeng Zhang is one of the most decorated goalkeepers for China’s hockey team. With a career spanning 2003-2013, Yimeng has competed in three Olympic Games and three Champions Trophy events, with China’s best finish being a silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In 2009, Yimeng was named the Best Goalkeeper at the Asia Cup and has been a part of her team’s top-3 finish in three China National Games. Yimeng currently holds a Master’s degree, which she earned at Chengdu Institute of Sport in Chengdu, China. |
About the FIH Athletes’ Committee
Each National Association was given the opportunity to nominate one past or present athlete who, if elected, would meet the goals of the committee. The committee is set to represent the views of the athletes within the FIH, protect their interests and uphold their rights and obligations. The group will also serve as a link between the active athletes and the FIH, as well as to help raise awareness and educate athletes on topics of direct concern.
The members of the Athletes’ Committee will serve as a consultative body and will make recommendations to the FIH Executive Board, FIH Committees, Advisory Panels and other bodies. Their roles will also cover seeking and providing feedback to the FIH on behalf of all athletes, whilst developing and promoting resources and initiatives to athletes such as health and welfare, anti-doping, social media, our need to create stars to attract new fans, career preparation and management. The Committee will also play a central role in liaising with the Athletes’ Commission of the IOC and other sporting organisations to enable the sharing of information and research and ultimately developing the game of hockey.
Current members of the Athletes’ Committee who are also on the recently-announced candidate list include Beth Smith (NZL), Henri Lhomme (FRA), Liam de Young (AUS) and Scott Sandison (CAN). Click here to view the Athletes' Committee webpage
FIH site
Final sprint for Commonwealth Games tickets is on
Last ticket launch for the 2014 games in Glasgow, Scotland is on May 12
From 24 July to 3 August the Glasgow National Hockey Centre will feature 20 teams for the XX Commonwealth Games. Over the 11-day tournament, 48 games will be played from which one women’s and one men’s champion will be crowned. Hockey fans have one last chance to grab tickets and flock to Scotland for this summer’s biggest multi-sport games.
Today it was announced that more than 100,000 extra tickets across all 17 sports and the opening and closing ceremonies will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from 10 am on Monday 12th May. Ticket prices remain unchanged, starting from just £15 for adults and £7.50 for concessions (under-16s and over-60s).
Following the finalisation of venue layouts and seating plans, plus the release of contingency seats, there are now more opportunities than ever to catch some of the world’s best in action. Entertainment values are guaranteed to be high with Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa and the Malaysian men entering the Commonwealth Games fresh off the Rabobank Hockey World Cup competition.
Whether you’re a last minute booker not wanting to miss out on what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, or someone who wants to fill their existing Games schedule with some extra tickets, this is the last big chance to get your hands on tickets for every sport and ceremony.
Tickets will be sold online via the Glasgow 2014 Ticketing website tickets.glasgow2014.com or via the Glasgow 2014 Ticket Hotline 0844 826 2014 (Option 1), open 24 hours a day. Calls cost 5p per minute from a BT landline. Other networks may vary.
Related Links:
Glasgow 2014 HOCKEY
HOCKEY FULL SCHEDULE
Participating Teams:
WOMEN: Australia, Canada, England, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales
MEN: Australia, Canada, England, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales
FIH site
Blyth & Knowles scoop awards
National team captains recognised for their 2013 efforts with top accolades
Photo credit: Dan Carson/DC Images
Australian National team captains Madonna Blyth and Mark Knowles (above with Ric Charlesworth) scooped the top prizes at a World Cup send-off event in Perth on Friday as they were respectively named Hockeyroos and Kookaburras Player of the Year for 2013.
The event, which was attended by athletes, coaches and staff, friends and family, guests, sponsors and the media, officially recognised the two 18-athlete squads selected to compete at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup in The Hague.
Ashleigh Nelson and Russell Ford were also presented with trophies recognising their achievements as the two teams’ leading goal scorers in 2013. Both Nelson, from Western Australia, and Ford, from Victoria, netted 20 times.
With performances voted on by their peers and coaches after every match last year, Blyth and Knowles took top place in the polls for the teams’ top players.
Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens and Kookaburras Head Coach Ric Charlesworth each presented their teams to the assembled guests with the captains in turn presenting major sponsors Ausdrill and Fortescue with signed World Cup flags.
The Hockeyroos depart this week for Europe where they’ll play a tri-nations tournament in Bremen against Germany, England and Japan before a game against Belgium sets them up for the start of the World Cup.
The Kookaburras leave Australia a week later and will travel to England for two Tests before they open the World Cup against Malaysia on Saturday, 31 May.
Hockey Australia media release
Q&A with U.S. Women's National Coach Craig Parnham
Parnham's take on achieving gold and glory and what's next
Coming off of the U.S. Women's National Squad's exciting 2014 Champions Challenge victory last week, we caught up with Head Coach Craig Parnham to get his insight on the tournament, the squad and what it means for the future of Team USA.
USA Field Hockey: What forms of preparation did the athletes take on and off the pitch to feel prepared and confident going into Champions Challenge?
CP: The athletes are full-time centralized at The Home of Hockey in Lancaster, Pa. In other words, they train together day in, day out. Their daily and weekly routines have been in place for sometime now. It is closer to a full-time job than a typical training schedule. Of course, it features all you would expect, from the on-pitch technical and tactical work to the off-pitch skills, such as sports psychology, nutrition, strength and conditioning and all of the medical support. Confidence comes from knowing you have prepared throughly, and the players have been very diligent over the past months.
USA Field Hockey: What role did the move to Spooky Nook Sports/Home of Hockey play in that preparation?
CP: Spooky Nook provides a terrific venue to train at. We are very fortunate to have our own dedicated area; a customized gym and medical area located adjacent to the two water based pitches makes for a highly integrated approach to our routine.
USA Field Hockey: How did players respond physically and mentally during the week?
CP: The players responded well. We have a number of different ways we can test or monitor the work and importantly the physical load they are enduring. This is vital so that we know when to push and when to rest the group. Mentally, tournaments can be challenging as the players can have long periods of downtime between games and need to strike the balance of occupying their minds and match preparation with mentally escaping and relaxing. However, they are very good at watching video and reviewing their performances and looking ahead to our opponents.
USA Field Hockey: What challenges did the team have to overcome in Scotland?
CP: Nothing too stressful, the event was very well run, the fire alarm just before the start of the final was interesting, it was a first for many of us.
USA Field Hockey: What were the key moments on and off the field?
CP: Key moments off the field tend to come in meetings. This is where much of the learning can take place, we have a very good creative, problem solving group who all contribute well in team meetings.
USA Field Hockey: What were your feelings during the Final and upon winning?
CP: It was of course pleasing to reach the final and great for the team to finish the tournament with a win – the players are working hard in training and its nice for them to see the benefits. It doesn’t always work like that, anything can happen in a tournament situation in one off match.
USA Field Hockey: What does this Champions Challenge win mean?
CP: Winning the Champions Challenge is important as it qualifies us for the Champions Trophy in 2016, which includes the top 6 ranked teams in the world. This is a milestone moment for the program. It is key that we play against the best in the world as our ambition is to compete and win at the highest level. This means we have to be in the habit of competing at that level and the Champions Trophy offers us this opportunity.
USA Field Hockey: What role did the pipeline of Futures and Junior High Performance play? As well as the club, high school and NCAA coaches?
CP: The next aspiring hockey players in the USA will come through the pipeline. It is critical to the nation’s success that we continue to engage with and have the support of all the dedicated coaches, parents, officials throughout a player’s early development, right from young kids playing in school through to those at college. The time and commitment from all of the coaches and mentors is invaluable. We have to continually value the link from grassroots through to international level and recognize all those involved in the journey.
USA Field Hockey: When can younger athletes next meet the Champion Women’s National Team players?
CP: Part of being a member of the Women’s National Team is to give back to the hockey community. All of the players in the squad will be taking part in the Olympic Youth Camps that are taking place around the country during the week of July 28th. This is a great opportunity for young players to meet and be coached by our top players.
USFHA media release
PHF gets a month’s extension to submit names
LAHORE: It is not yet clear if Pakistan will be defending it’s title at the Asian Games but the Olympic council of Asia (OCA) has given a lifeline to Pakistan hockey by extending the last date for the entry of the team by a month.
The relaxation has been given on the request of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA).
The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) can now send its entry by the end of May and confirm its participation, otherwise the Pakistan team will face the same situation as it did in the Common Wealth Games.
The PHF had earlier sent an incomplete list of players to the POA.
The News International
Shahnaz confident of team progress
Kashif Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided to include four more probables in the ongoing six-week training camp set up here at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium for preparation of the upcoming Asian Games.
Former Olympian and head coach Shahnaz Sheikh told Dawn that the new probables included fullback Kashif Shah, fullback Amir Shahzad, centre-half Hamad Butt and goalkeeper Amin Yousuf.
He said both Kashif and Amir were part of the national team which won the final at the last Asian Games while Hamad and goalkeeper Amin have represented the country in the Junior World Cup.
Meanwhile, a source said that names of another goalkeeper Khurram Ali from Gojra and Faisal Qadir were also under consideration.
“Yes, after finalising four names, I forwarded them to PHF. Now they will approach the players to join training camp,” Shahnaz said. He added the PHF was in touch with the players who were likely to join the camp in the next couple of days in place of those five players who had not been able to join the training camp so far due to various reasons.
Those who have not been able to attend the training camp so far include goalkeeper Imran Butt, who is going through different medical tests, youngster Bilal Ahmed who left the camp due to family issues, Ali Shan who is carrying a hamstring injury and Khalid Bhatti who is also fighting with illness.
In the upcoming Asian Games, which are going to commence from Sept 19 in Incheon, South Korea, the Greenshirts will defend their title they won four years back.
Speaking about the ongoing training session, Shahnaz said: “All players are doing their best and so far their response is excellent.”
Shahnaz added that during the first five days of the camp the players were provided training on new lines.
“During training I’m focusing on zonal play and other new techniques,” the head coach said. To a query, he said that earlier national hockey was revolving around 40 national players but now the PHF was considering hundreds of the players to select the best lot.
“This is the first time we have invited around 37 players in training camp,” said Shahnaz. “I have at least three players for each position. So we will finalise a team which will be a mix of old and young players.”
Dawn
Paragon slips past Malvern
Nigel Simon
Kiel Murray and Kelon Skerritt were both on target as Paragon picked up only its second win of the season, 2-1 over Courts Malvern in the T&T Hockey Board Men’s Championship Division at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, on Wednesday.
Murray opened the scoring in the 29th minute for a his team to take a 1-0 lead into the half, while Skerritt made it 2-0 ten minutes into the second-half, before national youth team forward Tariq Marcano pulled a goal back for Malvern in the 56th, but it was not enough.
With the win, Paragon improved to eight points from nine matches, 11 adrift of leaders Notre Dame which has a match in hand, while second placed Queen’s Park has 18 points from seven matches.
Third on the table is four-time defending champions Petrotrin with 13 points from eight matches, while Malvern stayed fourth with nine points from eight matches.
The race for the title in the Women’s Championship is also a close one with Paragon at the top with 13 points from six matches, two more than Shandy Carib Magnolias and two-time defending champions Notre Dame, which has played a match more.
T&THB results
Monday:
Mixed Veterans
Defence Force 5 (Kirth Davis 2, Nicholas Wren, Nicholas Wren, Brian Burrows) vs Police 3 (Suzette Pierre, Glennon Foncette, Nigel Carthy)
Wednesday
Men’s Championship:
Paragon 2 (Kiel Murray 29th, Kelon Skerritt 43rd) vs Malvern 1 (Tariq Marcano 56th)
Friday’s fixtures
Trinity Women: Notre Dame vs Courts Malvern, 7 pm
Men’s Championship: Fatima vs Defence Force, 8.30 pm
The Trinidad Guardian
Sub-junior National hockey tourney to take off in Vadodara
Tushar Tere
VADODARA: The 4th sub junior boys hockey national tournament will take off in Vadodara on Saturday morning at Kala Bhavan Ground and Baroda High School ONGC ground. Royal scion Samarjitsinh Gaekwad will inaugurate the tournament that is being held for the first time in Gujarat.
Over 450 boys from 21 states from the country will participate in the tournament that has been organized by Hockey India (HI). The tournament is expected to draw big crowds in the city that is home to many national hockey players.
Players from states like Bihar, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Hyderabad, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Tripura and Gujarat are participating in the tournament.
The games will be held at Kala Bhavan hockey ground, SRP grounds and hockey ground of M S University. Baroda High School ONGC has agreed to provide lodging, food and transport facilities for the tourney.
"If such big tournaments are held in Gujarat then the local players can learn a lot and pick up hockey playing skills. Organizing such events can also help revive the sport in our state," said Nilesh Patel, chairman of the tournament.
The Times of India