News 11 June 2014
All the news for Wednesday 11 June 2014
Top teams book place in the semi-finals
Semi-final schedule for Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 announced
(Photo: Grant Treeby/Treebyimages)
Following 60 pool-play matches, eight men’s and women’s teams have advanced to the semi-finals of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 in The Hague, Netherlands. After 10 days of competition the Netherlands and Australia men have topped their respective pools to cross over with runner-ups England and Argentina. The remaining teams in each pool will cross-over for final standings including Germany and Belgium battling for 5th/6th and Spain and New Zealand vying for 7th/8th.
For the women, the Netherlands will play Argentina, while Australia will face the United States. The United States entered the tournament ranked 10th but topped their pool, going undefeated for all five pool-play games. New Zealand and China will compete for 5/6th place and Korea and Germany will play for 7/8th. Surprisingly, the No. 3-ranked England will play for 11/12th against Belgium after finishing at the bottom of Pool B.
The semi-finals will take place on the 12th and 13th of June. The women’s final is scheduled for 15:15 CET on 14 June and the men’s will be at 15:15 CET on 15 June, both at Kyocera Stadium. By the end of the tournament, 76 matches over 14 days will have taken place at Kyocera and Greenfields Stadiums.
Thursday 12 June
16:00 Women Semi-final 1: USA v Australia (Kyocera Stadium)
19:45 Women Semi-final 2: Netherlands v Argentina (Kyocera Stadium)
Friday 13 June
15:15 Men Semi-final 1: Netherlands v England (Kyocera Stadium)
18:00 Men Semi-final 1: Australia v Argentina (Kyocera Stadium)
For a full match schedule visit: Rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com
FIH site
Los Leones make history, Germany hit Korea for six, Netherlands overcome Black Sticks defence
Argentina through to semi-finals after high five against the Lads, Germany dropped Korea 6-1
(Photo: Van Berkum Fotografie)
On the final day of pool play where all of the final qualification games will be decided, Argentina booked their ticket to the semi-finals after a 5-1 win over South Africa. Gonzalo Peillat continued his scoring terror with two more, while Lucas Vila also added two to the sheet. Also competing today in Pool B are Germany and Korea (13:00 CET), as well as New Zealand and the Netherlands (19:45 CET).
POOL STANDINGS
MEN Pool B: Argentina v South Africa 5-1 (2-0)
Argentina made history when they beat South Africa 5-1 to qualify for the semi-finals of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup. Los Leones have never qualified for the semi-finals of a senior major tournament in their 121 year history, so this was a special moment for Carlos Retegui and his men.
South Africa had chances, notably in the early stages of the second half, when Justin Reid-Ross was unlucky not to see his cracking shot beat Juan Vivaldi in the Argentine goal. But really this was South American party-time as the men in blue and white scored five goals, displayed outrageous skills and flirted with self-destruction when they were reduced to nine men on the pitch for several minutes during the second period of play.
Read more...
MEN Pool B: Germany v Korea 6-1 (3-0)
Germany ended their Pool B campaign in positive fashion by claiming a 6-1 victory over Korea, although it proved to be only a small consolation to the fact that the Olympic Champions have missed out on the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1971.
Argentina's 5-1 triumph against South Africa earlier in the day killed off any hopes of Max Mueller's men claiming a top two finish in Pool B, ensuring that Los Leones join host nation the Netherlands in the semis. The best Germany can now hope for is a 5th place finish, which would equal the position that they achieved at the 1971 World Cup in Barcelona, Spain.
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MEN Pool B: New Zealand v Netherlands 1-1 (1-0)
A big performance from the Black Sticks put the Netherlands under pressure and held them to a 1-1 draw in the final pool match of this Rabobank Hockey World Cup. The result means that the Netherlands will be playing England in the Kyocera Stadium on Friday night, while New Zealand will be playing Spain for 7/8 place. For the Netherlands, this means they are unbeaten in their pool and finish one point ahead of Argentina. New Zealand, who came into the tournament with high expectations of a top six finish will be disappointed that they have failed to reach that target.
Read more...
For more results, schedule, highlights and more visit the event website at Rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com
FIH site
USA, Argentina book semi-final spots
USA take top of Pool B, Argentina down China to book semi-final spot, England earns first win
(Photo: Willem Vernes)
It is final the day of pool play and the USA have gone undefeated rounding out their matches with a 4-2 win over South Africa. Their fate in the semi-finals will be decided tonight as Argentina play China (17:30 CET), while England has found their first win, 3-1, over Germany.
POOL STANDINGS
WOMEN Pool B: USA v South Africa 4-2 (1-0)
Much was resting on this game, with South Africa desperate to finish the pool round in fifth place or higher to give themselves a chance to contest positions well above their current FIH World Ranking (12). The USA, by contrast, were seeking three points to cement their place at the top of the table and put pressure on Argentina in the later pool B game this afternoon. Whoever finishes second in the pool will face the Netherlands, while the pool winner will face Australia.
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WOMEN Pool B: Germany v England 1-3 (0-0)
The pool match between England and Germany had the hallmark of a game in which both teams knew they were only playing for pride and didn't want to take chances that might see them concede a goal. The first half was a turgid affair with both teams defending hard and showing very little innovation or attacking ambition. There were only a handful of shots from either team and these were dealt with well by both goalkeepers, Germany's Barbara Vogel and England's Maddie Hinch.
Read more...
WOMEN Pool B: Argentina v China 1-1 (1-0)
Carlos Retegui created a remarkable moment of history by guiding two international teams to the semi-final stages at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup, with Argentina's women claiming a place in the last four only hours after the men had achieved exactly the same thing. Las Leonas reached the semi-finals of the women's competition thanks to a 1-1 draw with China, a result which guaranteed a second place finish behind USA, the surprise winners of Pool B in the final match of the tournament to be played at the wonderful GreenFields Stadium here in The Hague. All remaining World Cup matches will take place in the 15,000 seater Kyocera Stadium.
Read more...
For more results, schedule, highlights and more visit the event website at Rabobankhockeyworldcup2014.com
FIH site
SA winless on final day of Group B matches
JONATHAN COOK in The Hague
Clint Panther (right) is congratulated by Tuesday's Test match centurion, South Africa striker Julian Hykes, after scoring a brilliant goal against Argentina in the men's Group B match at Hockey World Cup 2014 in The Hague, Holland.Photo: STANISLAS BROCHIER
There was cause for concern in the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team when England led Germany 3-0 in the penultimate Group B match at World Cup 2014 in The Hague, Holland Tuesday.
World number three England needed to beat world six Germany by four clear goals in order to edge SA into the 11th/12th place playoff for final classification in the four-yearly showpiece but the Germans managed to pull a goal back, and the 3-1 final score ensured that the SA girls who are ranked 11th in the world will definitely finish the tournament higher than their world ranking would suggest.
SA will now meet world nine Japan at 10am in the ninth/10th place playoff Friday, the same Japanese who the South Africans were most unfortunate to lose to in the London 2012 Olympics in the same battle for ninth spot.
In their match earlier, SA again won the general statistics count but lost the match in the stat that really counts, goals for and against, in being defeated 4-2 by surprise tournament packages the USA, who are unbeaten and certain of a semi-final berth on Thursday.
Equal goal shots, more penalty corners and similar entries into the scoring zone mattered little in the final analysis as USA punished SA defensive errors.
The thrilling match saw USA go into half-time 1-0 up with Caroline Nichols converting from the penalty spot. SA hit back after the changeover when captain Marsha Cox rounded off a fine counter-attack but the Americans were immediately back in front through Katie Reinprecht following a penalty corner. Then USA skipper Lauren Crandall nailed another goal from the penalty spot for the north Americans to go back in front by a two-goal margin.
SA pulled one back when Lisa Deetlefs slapped in a PC but USA again restored their two-goal advantage 14 minutes from time from a PC that was slotted home by Rachel Dawson for the 4-2 final score.
Meanwhile, the SA men’s side will play for 11th and 12th place - in keeping with their eventual 11th place win over India at London 2012 - in the 1.30pm match Thursday. The SA men will tackle Group A’s sixth-placed Malaysia.
There were some promising moments for the SA men in the second half against World Cup 2014 semi-final qualifiers Argentina, but the south Americans’ superior ability to connect with each other was crucial in their 5-1 win, this after leading 2-0 at the break.
University of Johannesburg student Clint Panther scored a superb individual goal for SA to pull the score back to 3-1 with 13 minutes left but the classy Argentines found another gear to knock in two more goals by the final whistle.
World Cup leading goalscorer Gonzalo Peillat netted a brace, as did Lucas Vila, who scored two breathtaking goals from field play, while Argentina’s other successful strike came from Joaquin Menini.
SA Hockey Association media release
Argentina whip S. Africa to reach first semis
By S. Ramaguru
Argentina player Lucas Vila celebrates after scoring to put his side 3-0 up against South Africa during a group stage match in the Hockey World Cup. The Pan American champions won 5-1. - EPA
THE HAGUE: Argentina qualified for their first-ever hockey World Cup semi-finals when they whipped South Africa 5-1 in their final Group B match at the Kyocera Stadium in The Hague, Holland.
The win on Tuesday gave the Argentinians 12 points from five matches to join hosts and leaders Holland in the last four from the group.
The Pan American champions will play title holders Australia in the semi-finals on Friday. Holland and England will contest the other semi-final.
With the defeat, South Africa finished last in the group with only a point to show. The African champions will take on pointless Malaysia in the 11th placing playoff on Thursday.
Joaquin Menini set Argentina on the way to victory with a 20th minute goal. Penalty corner specialist Gonzalo Peilliat netted twice in the 25th and 61st minutes to put himself as the front-runner for the top scorer award with nine goals. Lucas Rey also scored a brace, in the 49th and 63rd minutes.
The South Africans replied through Clinton Panther in the 57th minute.
Rey said Argentina deserved their place in the last four.
“The team are working well together. There are ample experienced players and we also have the right tactics. We have a great penalty corner flicker in Gonzalo and that gives us a lot of confidence.
“It is great to make the semi-finals for the first time.
“We hope to go further and finish in the best possible position at the end of the tournament,” he added.
The Star of Malaysia
Argentina thrashes S Africa to reach hockey World Cup semi-finals
Argentina’s men thrashed South Africa 5-1 at the hockey World Cup in The Hague Tuesday to guarantee a place in the semi-finals of the competition.
The convincing victory put Argentina top of group B though they could yet slip down to second place should the Netherlands avoid defeat against New Zealand later.
Australia and England have already reached the semi-finals having finished first and second in group A.
Argentina were dominant throughout the contest and established a half time lead with goals from Joaquin Menini and Gonzalo Peillat. A superb backhand goal from Lucas Vila made it 3-0 and though Clinton Panther reduced the deficit, Peillat and Vila each completed their doubles to ensure a comfortable win.
Germany play South Korea in the men’s competition later Tuesday while in the women’s tournament there is the United States v South Africa, Germany v England and Argentina v China.
The Hindu
USA tops pool B with 4-2 win over South Africa, will face Australia in semifinal
By Jawwad Qamar
After a tentative start, United States women prevailed over South Africa 4-2 on Tuesday to advance into the semifinals at the World Cup in The Hague, thus ending a long drought of 20 years.
Last minute of the first half saw Melissa Gonzalez’s penetration into the South African circle earn the first penalty corner for the US. The ensuing penalty corner attempt by Rachel Dawson inside the left post found the left foot of Celia Evans on the goal line for a penalty stroke whistle. Caroline Nichols easily put the ball in for a 1-0 lead heading into the break.
South Africa started the second half with a sense of urgency and captain Marsha Cox levelled the score by taping in a long ball from Kathleen Taylor in the first minute of resumption. However, this was short lived as Kathleen Sharkey earned her team’s second penalty corner three minutes later and Katie Reinprecht dove in from the right to deflect the ball in low of a Nichols try giving the lead back to USA 2-1.
The always dangerous Katie O'Donnell followed soon gaining a second penalty stroke for the Americans on an interception and attack and this time captain Lauren Crandall got into the act sending a low ball to the right of the South African keeper Anelle van Deventer for a two goal cushion at 3-1 in the 45 minute. South Africa came right back as Dirkie Chamberlain’s hard work garnered a fourth penalty corner for her team and Lisa-Marie Deetlefs’ slap shot went through Jackie Kintzer’s legs for a 3-2 score.
In the 56th minute mark Paige Selenski received a cut above and below the left eye from South African Quanita Bobbs’ raised ball inside the circle and on the resulting third penalty corner for USA, Rachel Dawson closed out the scoring sending a direct flick low to the left of the net for a 4-2 score.
Later, there was more good news for USA as their South American rivals and defending world champion, Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by China ensuring a top pool B finish for the American and thus avoiding World Number 1, the Netherlands, in the semifinals. USA will face Australia in the first semifinal on Thursday while the second semifinal will see a rematch of the 2010 final between the host side the Netherlands and Argentina.
USA women won a bronze medal at the Dublin World Cup in 1994, but more recently, failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and in the 2012 London Olympics finished last. So far it’s been a remarkable turnaround by the Craig Parnham coached team. And, at this stage, they’re capable of surprising the Australians and move on to play for the cup.
Fieldhockey.com
USA women top pool to set up semifinal with Australia
THE HAGUE (The Netherlands): The United States set up a semifinal encounter with Australia after registering a 4-2 victory over South Africa in the Women's Hockey World Cup.
The USA, making the semifinals for only the second time in World Cup history, finished with 13 points from five matches in Group A.
Defending champions Argentina were pushed to the second spot with 11 points.
Argentina, seeking their third title in four World Cups, will meet reigning Olympic champions The Netherlands in the other semifinal.
Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by China in the last league fixture. The Chinese defence frustrated Argentina, whose strikers made repeated forays into the scoring zone only to falter.
Carla Rebecchi opened the scoring for Argentina in the 24th minute, but failed to add any more goals, while China shot back to equalise with a field goal from Peng Yang in the 58th minute.
USA had to wait until the 35th minute to open the account with the first goal coming seconds before half-time through Caroline Nichols.
Captain Marsha Cox equalised for South Africa in the first minute of the second session, but the USA surged ahead with goals from Katie Reinprecht (39th minute) and captain Lauren Crandall (45th).
Lisa-Marie Deetlefs pulsed a goal back for South Africa in the 47th minute before Rachel Dawson sealed the game for USA with a penalty corner conversion in the 56th.
In another match in Group B, Olympic bronze medallists England posted their first victory after four defeats when they defeated Germany 3-1. The win could not lift England from the bottom place among six teams in the group.
The Times of India
Argentina men create history, enter maiden World Cup semifinal
THE HAGUE (Netherlands): Argentina made their maiden appearance in the men's hockey World Cup semifinals after posting a comprehensive 5-1 victory over South Africa at the Kyocera Stadium on Tuesday.
Argentina's victory, their fourth in five outings, gives them 12 points and ousts Olympic champions Germany from the semifinal race.
Germany, who later play South Korea in their last match, have six points from four matches after suffering identical 01 defeats against Argentina and hosts The Netherlands.
Olympic silver medalists The Netherlands were the first to secure passage into the semifinals from Group B with four straight wins.
This is only the second time in World Cup history that the Germans have not advanced to the semifinals. The only previous occasion was in the inaugural World Cup in 1971 when Kenya made the semifinals at the expense of West Germany.
Argentina, placed 11 in the world rankings, continued their robust game to seal their first-ever semifinal with Gonzago Peillat and Lucas Vila scoring two goals each after Joaquin Menini opened the scoring in the 20th minute.
South Africa's lone goal came from the sticks of Clinton Panther, but Argentina had by then done enough to secure entry into the semifinals.
Argentina's previous best finish in the men's World Cup was sixth position they secured in the 1986 and 2002 World Cups.
The Times of India
Black Sticks Men snap Dutch winning streak
Simon Child scored the equaliser. Photo courtesy Dirk Markgraf, www.265-images.com
The Black Sticks Men ended the Netherlands’ winning streak with a scintillating 1-1 draw in their final pool game at the Hockey World Cup.
It was the Kiwis’ most complete game so far with an outstanding defensive effort limiting the usually lethal Dutch to just one goal and very few chances.
Down one goal at halftime, striker Simon Child scored the goal of the tournament with eight minutes remaining when he beat four defenders before pivoting and slamming the ball through traffic and past the keeper to equalise.
The Black Sticks were given a standing ovation from a stadium full of 15,000 Netherlands fans during their warm down lap after the final whistle.
The draw leaves the Kiwis fourth in their pool on seven points with two wins, a draw and two losses, and they will now play off for 7th/8th against Spain on Sunday at 6.00pm (NZ time).
Head coach Colin Batch said the team came together and played a strong game that will give them momentum going into their final match.
“We played a good defensive game at the start to try and establish ourselves and I think we achieved that. We grew and got better and better throughout the match,” he said.
“We had good possession and got a nice goal at the end there which was well deserved, so a lot of positives come out of this for us.
“The equation for the semi finals wasn’t good for us coming into this game and even if we had won we would’ve finished fourth so it was pleasing to see the guys get up and play well.”
The Black Sticks started with desire and created a chance in just the second minute when Marcus Child earned a penalty corner, but Andy Hayward’s drag flick was well saved by Dutch keeper Jaap Stockmann.
Cheered on by a sea of Oranje fans, the Dutch were swift to respond and opened the scoring in the eight minute thanks to a Valentin Verga reverse shot into goal.
Following the goal New Zealand’s defence tightened up and played with purpose as captain Dean Couzins marshalled his players superbly.
The Netherlands forwards grew in frustration as the Black Sticks pushed harder and harder, before Child scored the equaliser inside the final 10 minutes.
While the men play on Sunday, the Black Sticks Women go up against China in the 5th/6th classification playoff on Saturday night at 8.15pm (NZ time) to try and finish their tournament on a positive note.
The World Cup semi finals are now set with Netherlands vs England and Australia vs Argentina on the men’s side of the draw, and Netherlands vs Argentina and Australia vs USA for the women.
BLACK STICKS 1: (Simon Child)
NETHERLANDS 1: (Valentin Verga)
Halftime: Netherlands 1-0
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Child earns Dutch draw
By David Leggat
Simon Child's brilliant goal earned New Zealand a draw against the Netherlands. Photo / File
A brilliant individual goal by striker Simon Child earned New Zealand a 1-1 draw with hosts the Netherlands in their final men's World Cup pool B game in The Hague today.
The Dutch had taken a first-half lead through a sharp reverse stick shot by Valentin Verga, helped by sloppy marking, after eight minutes.
However New Zealand toiled hard, created chances and were richly rewarded when Child went on a 30m run, swerved past four Dutch tacklers before spinning and slapping a shot past Dutch goalkeeper Jaap Stockman.
New Zealand had three penalty corners but drag flick maestro Andy Hayward was thwarted on each occasion by the impressive Stockman.
The world No 3 Dutch also had three opportunities from the set piece, but were unable to convert.
Goalkeeper Hamish McGregor marshaled a resolute New Zealand defence, and Child gave the sixth-ranked Black Sticks an immensely satisfying result.
Olympic champions Germany tonked Korea 6-1 but missed out on the last four.
Child was pleased with his effort but felt New Zealand's overall performance at the cup had been below what they had hoped for. The 3-1 loss to semifinalists Argentina had damaged their hopes, he admitted.
''It's always nice to score goals on the big stage so I was really pleased about that," the Auckland attacker said.
''It was a fantastic game for us, a great atmosphere and Holland are a fantastic team.
''But we were a little bit disappointed in the Argentina game. We had targed that as a must win."
Child felt the Black Sticks had struggled to put together a consistent run of form over the course of their five round robin games.
New Zealand will play Spain for seventh on Sunday night (NZT) while the women's Black Sticks will play China - at No 7 ranked two places lower than the Kiwi women - for fifth spot on Saturday night (NZT).
The Netherlands finished top of the group despite the draw and will now face fourth-ranked England in the semifinals. The other semifinal will be between world No 1 Australia and 11th-ranked Argentina, who confirmed their place with a 5-1 win over South Africa.
The women's semifinals will have the top-ranked Dutch against Argentina, and Australia against surprise packages the United States.
The New Zealand Herald
Black Sticks draw with Dutch World Cup host
MATT RICHENS
TOP STRIKER: Simon Child has played 205 tests for the Black Sticks. JASON OXENHAM/ Fairfax NZ
A sensational Simon Child lone effort has helped New Zealand do something no other team has done at the Hockey World Cup - take a point off the home side.
Child scored with seven minutes to play in The Hague this morning to draw 1-1 with the world No 2 Dutch.
The New Zealand-Netherlands match was the last pool game of the tournament and before the match, both the Dutch men's and women's teams had won all of their games.
The home side had earlier gone ahead in the eighth minute through Valentin Verga, though the Black Sticks stayed in touch throughout.
New Zealand's semifinal hopes were already over courtesy of losses to Argentina and Germany, and regardless of the outcome of this morning's encounter they were already set to play Spain in Saturday night's playoff for seventh and eighth.
All they could do was affect who the Dutch played in the semifinals.
An upset win against the Dutch would have left the home side with a semifinal date against world No 1 Australia.
Instead they would go into their semifinal as favourites against the No 4 ranked English while Argentina (No 11) would take on Australia in the other.
It was the Kiwis' best performance of the tournament and despite going behind early, never looked out of the match.
The Dutch found the back of the New Zealand net for a second time late in the first half.
New Zealand asked for a review which initially looked inconclusive, but the television umpire ruled the ball had come off a Dutch foot and the goal was disallowed.
Andy Hayward had already scored six goals from penalty corners at the tournament, but was unable to find the back of the net from either of the side's first half short corners or their second half effort.
He did force Dutch goalie Jaap Stockmann into two handy saves.
Then up stepped Child.
Playing his 205th test, Child received the ball in midfield, calmly waltzed into the Dutch circle beating three players before swivelling and slamming a shot past Stockmann to level the match.
SCOREBOARD
Netherlands 1 (Valentin Verga) New Zealand 1 (Simon Child) HT: 1-0.
Stuff
England finish bottom of pool despite victory against Germany
England women celebrate their third goal against Germany at the Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014 - Photo by Ady Kerry
England registered their first win at the Rabobank World Cup with a 3-1 victory over Germany in their final Pool B match. The three points however weren’t enough to lift England off the bottom of the pool standings which means that Jason Lee’s side will have to battle it out for 11th place on Thursday against Belgium.
The women’s World Cup Semi Finals take place on Thursday with host nation the Netherlands facing Argentina [the top two sides in the world] and the USA against Australia.
Before the game birthday girl Sally Walton received flowers from Performance Director Danny Kerry to mark her 150th England & GB appearance.
After the game England goal scorer Susie Gilbert said: “It was the win we’ve been looking for throughout the tournament. We’ve obviously been bitterly disappointed throughout the last ten days so it’s nice to get that win finally. We focus on the task in hand now. We’ll recover well tomorrow and focus on Belgium. We need to play with no fear going forwards and defend diligently like we did in that game."
The first half of the game was a cagey affair as both sides took some time to settle. A penalty corner for Germany halfway through the first half threatened to unbalance the scores, but the hit was sent above the backboard. With only a handful of other half chances the sides went into the break goal-less.
Everything changed in the second half, as England started to play with more confidence and their attacking play was more effective. The breakthrough came nine minutes into the half as Hannah Macleod span the ball around German keeper Barbara Vogel to give England a 1-0 lead. Five minutes later England doubled their advantage as Susie Gilbert fired a shot from the top of the circle which was deflected by a German defender into the goal.
In the 55th minute Susannah Townsend made it 3-0 to England; the midfielder got away from Hannah Kruger outside Germany’s circle and rifled a shot straight through Vogel. Germany pulled a goal back a minute later through Kruger, but England saw the game out to seal the 3-1 victory and earn their first points at the tournament.
Click here to find out squad and caps information and to see the other results at the tournament.
England Head Coach Jason Lee also had this to say after the game: "The problem in the opening games for us was that we tried to play open, attacking hockey. When we didn’t take our chances it made it very difficult for us to pick up the wins we needed. When you play that way you leave yourselves open to conceding goals, so if you are unable to take your chances, you lose games.”
“Against Argentina and again today, we went back to basics and closed the games down. We were much more compact and much tighter which gave us a chance. We were a bit unlucky against Argentina but today we put away our chances and were much more difficult to break down, meaning we picked up the win. I’m pleased for the girls, but not pleased with how things have gone overall.”
England women’s 11th/12th play-off will be on Thursday at 1000 (BST). England men’s next game will be on Friday in the Semi Final of the World Cup at either 1415 or 1700 BST.
GERMANY 1 (0)
Hannah Kruger 56 (PC)
ENGLAND 3 (0)
Hannah Macleod 44 (FG)
Susie Gilbert 49 (FG)
Susannah Townsend 55 (FG)
England Hockey Board Media release
Dutch set up semis with England, Argentina take on Australia
THE HAGUE (The Netherlands): Olympic silver medallist The Netherlands have set up a semifinal encounter with England in the men's hockey World Cup.
The Netherlands played out a 1-1 draw with New Zealand in their last league fixture but still topped Group B with 13 points from five outings.
Argentina, who earned their maiden men's World Cup semifinals with a 5-1 drubbing of South Africa, finished second in the group with 12 points, ousting reigning Olympic champions Germany from the semifinal race.
In the semifinals, three-time champions The Netherlands will take on England, while Argentina will meet defending champions Australia on Friday.
Velantin Verga gave Netherlands the lead against New Zealand with an opportunistic strike in the eighth minute, but the Dutch did not put too much energy into the game thereafter. They wanted to avoid any injuries ahead of the semifinals.
New Zealand striker Simon Childs weaved his way past three defenders to sent a firm shot past goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann for the equaliser seven minute from the hooter. Germany, having failed to make the semifinals for only the second time in World Cup history, hammered South Korea 6-1 in their last league fixture.
Germany finished with nine points and paid the penalty for suffering identical 1-0 defeat by The Netherlands and Argentina.
The only previous occasion that the Germans were not in the semifinals was in the inaugural World Cup in 1971 when Kenya made the semifinals at the expense of West Germany.
Argentina's previous best finish in the men's World Cup was the sixth position they got in the 1986 and 2002 World Cups.
Argentina, placed No. 11 in the world rankings, continued their robust game to seal their first-ever semifinal with Gonzago Peillat and Lucas Vila scoring two goals each after Joaquin Menini opened the scoring in the 20th minute. South Africa's lone goal came from Clinton Panther, but Argentina had by then done enough to secure entry in the semifinals.
The Times of India
Nothing to show for Kumar's efforts
By S. Ramaguru
Filepic of S. Kumar and backup goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin. Despite Kumar's efforts in goal, Malaysia have been winless losing all five group matches.
THE HAGUE: S. Kumar is Malaysia’s only consistent performer in the hockey World Cup in The Hague, Holland. There is, however, no joy for the 31-year-old goalkeeper.
Despite his heroics, Kumar was not able to stop Malaysia from losing all their five Group A matches.
“Yes, it is a big disappointment for me and the team. We had wanted to make an impression and really felt that there was a chance in some of the matches. Unfortunately, our performance was not up to the mark. We didn’t really play well at all,” moaned Kumar.
The Malaysians kicked off their campaign with a 0-4 loss to defending champions Australia. Further defeats to Belgium (2-5), England (0-2), India (1-3) and Spain (2-5) ended Malaysia’s hopes of a top-10 finish.
Malaysia will now play for 11th place against South Africa or South Korea on Thursday.
For Kumar, he doesn’t want to finish last in the tournament.
“It is time for us to put up a stronger showing and try and win the match.
“Our worst performance in the World Cup is 11th in the 1998 edition. I don’t want this team to be remembered for finishing worse than that.
“We must win at all costs,” he said.
Kumar admitted that his game was also not up to his own standards.
“I am playing below par as well, but I managed to stop quite a number of sure goals. I had hoped that those saves would help the team, but the efforts did not help.”
Kumar is among the 17 Malaysians making their debut in the tournament. Goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin is the only player with World Cup experience. Kumar, however, has kept Roslan out of the games here with his good showing.
Kumar blamed Malaysia’s poor showing to the lack of World Cup experience.
“We have been trying real hard, but the World Cup is different from the other tournaments.
“If you look at our matches we have had good chances to score. Unfortunately, luck was not with us in some of the matches.
“We also don’t have the experience, but I am sure we will learn from this outing,” he added.
The Star of Malaysia
Dutch crowd will be out to get us, says England captain Barry Middleton
England captain hopes to use knowledge of five seasons playing in The Hague to good effect when side face Holland in semi-finals
By Rod Gilmour, in The Hague
Thriller: England edged their contest with Belgium 3-2 to reach the semi-finals Photo: EPA
Barry Middleton, the England men’s captain, will aim to impart his knowledge of playing Dutch hockey on a “fast-learning” side when he leads them out for an expected World Cup semi-final date with Holland on Friday.
England and Holland, the two countries who put in bids to stage the 13th World Cup, will meet at the Kyocera Stadium after Bobby Crutchley’s side won a thrilling 3-2 encounter against Belgium on Monday night here.
Middleton, 30, spent five seasons in The Hague playing for club side HGC before moving back to join Kent side Holcombe on a three-year deal last season, and England's talisman admitted that most of his side will experience for the first time, the intense atmosphere drummed up by the fervent Dutch support.
“As soon as the bidding went down to us or Holland to host this championship, I would have loved it to be in England,” said Middleton. “When I heard it was in The Hague, with my history here I had a smile on my face.
“We said that we didn’t just want to come and play in The Hague. We wanted to come and do something special – and in a full stadium.
“Friday will be something different. It will be completely different from London. The crowd will be out to get us.”
After a group stage campaign which saw them teetering on the brink of elimination, England summoned all their resolve to beat a fast-paced Belgium side.
Middleton, Ashley Jackson and Nick Catlin were superb in midfield, George Pinner was a towering presence in goal, while England’s defence dealt with waves of attacks.
After Iain Lewers flicked home the winning penalty stroke with four minutes’ remaining, Middleton admitted that the Dutch were beatable – despite the see of orange and boisterous, passionate support which will be offered to the Dutch.
He said: “This group is learning so fast and we believe we can put a plan together to beat Holland. We will find a way."
Referring to GB’s 9-2 hammering to Holland at London 2012, Middleton added: “A few of us have been here before. I said to the guys that it is in the past now. We want to make our own bit of history where we don’t keep getting asked the question two years down the line.”
Belgium’s shape meant that England had to defend for long periods, but Jackson, who also played with Middleton at HGC, said that there was “total belief” throughout the team as they looked to atone for their 5-0 defeat to Australia.
“We did exactly what we needed to do, no more, no less,” said Jackson, who made his 100th appearance for England alongside Adam Dixon against Belgium. “We had a bad game against Australia but it was always going to come down to this.
“The tournament starts from here and there is no better setting to put wrong what happened a few years ago.
“I don’t think the 9-2 will ever happen again in world hockey.”
The Telegraph
India to play South Korea for ninth position in hockey WC
THE HAGUE (Netherlands): India will be seeking to overcome Asian champions South Korea in the play-off for the ninth position in the ongoing men's hockey World Cup, after they failed to improve upon their eighth-place finish in the last (2010) edition at New Delhi.
South Korea finished fifth in Group B after suffering a 1-6 loss against 2012 Olympic champions Germany in their last league match on Tuesday. The Koreans suffered four defeats and managed to earn just one point from a draw with South Africa, who finished at the bottom of the pool.
After losing their first two matches by conceding late goals, India were relegated to the fifth position in Group A. The Indians managed just one victory and a draw in five outings.
England, to whom India conceded a 69th-minute match-winner after squandering several chances at the other end, have progressed to the semifinals after registering 3-2 win over Belgium on Monday.
India will seek to avenge their loss to the Koreans in the Asia Cup final, and ensure that they slip just one spot from the 2010 World Cup.
Like India, the Koreans too suffered from conceding late goals in their preliminary league outings.
The Times of India
India cracked even before Oz attacked
Rajpal Singh
Against Australia, Dharamvir Singh (right) was better than his teammates, though he wasn’t good, says the writer
India started the match nervously, which played into the hands of the forward-pressing Australians. AFP
The result against Australia was expected but the way the Indian team started the match was really poor. They began nervously and it seemed they went into the match with a fear of Australia.
Straightaway, you could see that Sardar Singh was playing in a defensive position and not in his usual centre-half position. He knew that Australia put a lot of pressure on the opposition’s centre-half. That showed that India were already under pressure, mentally, even before the Australians started putting pressure with their daunting forward-press.
The first goal came after a horrible mistake by Sardar. A player who has more than 150 India caps, Sardar should have known better than to play a parallel pass.
India gave away too many soft penalty corners throughout the match. And Australia made use of the first three opportunities, as is expected from the world No. 1.
India played better in the second half but by that time the match was over and Australia had lost three players due to injury. But the huge difference between the two teams was clear. Even our good players seem ordinary against Australia.
Though India played with a lot more purpose in the second half, there is not much to say about any player’s performance. Dharamvir Singh was better than the others, but not good.
The only player who was excellent and has been throughout the tournament was goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. It says something about a team when its best player is the goalkeeper.
Expectedly, India got no penalty corners. Even if they had, with the form Rupinder Pal Singh and VR Raghunath are in, it’s likely that India would not have scored.
Why is India using two penalty-corner specialists? The other teams have one specialist, and even that player is good in his position. Both Rupinder and Raghunath are not even great defenders. Why not develop one of the other players into a defender?
India will play South Korea for the 9th position on Saturday. The match is inconsequential but, as I had written about the win over Malaysia, a win over Korea will give India great confidence if the two teams meet in the Asian Games. India should win the match, seeing that Korea have not been in the best of forms. It will be interesting to see how India tackle Korea, who like to sit back and play on the counter.
India can play with a full press strategy and risk opening up to Korea’s counter attacks or sit back and play on the counter.
The writer is a former India captain
The Tribune
Change evident in Indian hockey: Charlesworth
Ric Charlesworth. File photo
Australia’s famed coach Ric Charlesworth feels Indian hockey is making progress, but it would be a while before the country can return to the podium.
“I think India is making progress. From what I see, there is some purpose in their game,” says Charlesworth, coach of the Australian team that is seeking to win their second successive men’s World Cup title.
“India needs to work on the structure. The country has one billion people. If they can develop hockey talent the world should look out,” said Charlesworth.
India finished fifth in the six-team preliminary Group A, winning just one match and drawing one from their five outings. The fifth-place finish meant India will not be able to improve or retain their eight position of the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi.
India, who were ranked No. 8 coming into the World Cup, will play for the ninth position play—off with Asian champions South Korea on June 14.
Charlesworth feels India should focus on improving their world ranking, as that would inspire confidence in the players and the fans.
“India should look to climb up the rankings, and they can do so if they stick to a plan,” said Charlesworth, who had a coaching stint in India, but left disgruntled after a rift with the administrators.
But he returned last year as coach of Mumbai Magicians franchise team in the Hockey India League.
“Compared to the time when I was in India, the administration there is well-settled,” said Charlesworth, emphasizing the need for a stable administration for the sport’s revival.
“Hockey India League has given the Indian players an opportunity to play alongside the best talent in the world.
This is bound to make them better players,” says Charlesworth.
Charlesworth already has the distinction of having won the men’s World Cup both as captain (in 1986) and as coach (in 2010).
Charlesworth returned to Australia after short stints in New Zealand and India, to take over the men’s team and saw them win the Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medals in 2006.
But the Charlesworth—trained Australian team failed to win the 2012 Olympic Games, where the Germany defeated them in the semifinals.
In his previous stint with Australian hockey, Charlesworth was coach of the Australian women’s team that went on to stay as the world No. 1 for a long time.
The Australian team now wants to win the 2014 World Cup title as a farewell present to Charlesworth for whom this will be the last World Cup. He will retire from coaching after the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Charlesworth says India needs to be patient as the benefits will come only from a long—drawn program.
“It’s got to be long-term planning. Let’s not look at one, two or three years,” he says.
“Let’s look at five, 10 or 15 years for transformation of Indian hockey. If the country sticks to a plan, it should happen,” asserts Charlesworth.
The Hindu
Men’s Over-40 Masters Squad Earns Victory in First Round of Crossovers
The USA men's over-40 masters team used an offensive barrage in the second half to open up a tight game and earn a 6-2 victory over Ghana as the teams began crossovers in Rotterdam. Paced by five goals from 1996 Olympians Ahmed Elmaghraby (Ledgewood, Ill.) and Ben Maruquin (Ventura, Calif.), the USA scored four in the second half and held Ghana off the board for the final 44 minutes of the game to take the three points.
Ghana opened the scoring with a goal off a breakaway in the second minute, but the Americans quickly responded as Elmaghraby scored off a penalty corner rebound to tie the game five minutes later. The USA went up 2-1 as Maruquin scored on a direct corner shot off assists from Paul Lewis (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Alvaro Salcedo (Baltimore, Md.) in the 12th minute, but another breakaway goal from the Black Stars four minutes later tied the game, and the teams went into the break 2-2.
The Americans took the lead for good in the 42nd minute as Maruquin again scored on a corner, with Lewis and Salcedo providing the helpers. The USA took a two-goal lead two minutes later as Elmaghraby flicked a short option pass from Maruquin on a corner to the roof of the cage.
A pair of goals four minutes apart sealed the victory for the USA, as Salcedo slotted a ball into the boards in the 55th minute and Elmaghraby completed the hat trick four minutes later as he stuck home a goal off an attack up the right side for a 6-2 lead that would be the final result.
The American defense held strong and only allowed eight shots on goal. Steve Wagner (Philadelphia, Pa.) made six saves on the day to keep the Americans in the contest.
The USA returns to action tomorrow at 9:00 as they face Italy.
USFHA media release
Manzoor Jr blasts Islah, PHF for Masters Cup humiliation
LAHORE: Former Olympian and captain Manzoor Junior has slammed the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and its chief selector Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqi for fielding a depleted national veteran team in the ongoing Masters Cup in Rotterdam, Holland, which fared poorly to earn a bad name for the country and its hockey.
Pakistan hockey faced the embarrassing situation when the veteran team was pulled out of the Masters Cup after tasting a humiliating 24-1 defeat in the opening match against lowly-rated South Africa. As Pakistan were playing with just nine players because others could not reach Holland on time, the organisers of the event expelled Pakistan from the event.
“Had the PHF and the chief selector, Islahuddin, fielded a strong team for this event, they would have earned honour for the country by winning the Masters Cup and restore the pride of the national game after Pakistan senior team had failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first ever time,” Manzoor told Dawn.
“But what has happened in Holland is extremely humiliating for the whole country and the PHF,” lamented Manzoor. “An inquiry should be conducted into the whole saga and who is responsible for this embarrassment.”
Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir, Shahid Ali Khan, Rahim Khan, Qamar Ibrahim and Shabaz Ahmed Senior failed to join the team while Khawaja Junaid and Tahir Zaman were not allowed by the FIH to take part in the Masters Cup because they were in Holland to attend a coaching course.
To begin with, Pakistan went about the tour in a strange manner when the trials were held in a clandestine manner and little known hockey players like Arif Siddiqi, Laiq Ahmed Lashari, Naeem Usmani, Anwar Farooqui, Azam Khan and Mohammad Yousuf were included in the team.
“I believe Islah has picked the entire team on his personal likes and dislikes otherwise myself along with Hanif Khan, Samiullah, Kaleemullah, Hasan Sardar, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Rasheed-ul-Hasan and many others could have been called for the trials to pick the best team of Pakistan veterans,” he contended.
Manzoor said Islah and PHF both took the event lightly and made it a joy ride. “If the PHF and Islah had taken the event seriously and put up a good show there, it would have strengththened Pakistan hockey,” he said.
“I would like to appeal to the patron of the PHF to hold an inquiry into the case and hold those people accountable whose actions have defamed the country,” he said.
Dawn
Indian eves beat Malaysia 2-0 in second hockey Test
KUALA LUMPUR: India women's hockey team struck twice in the opening half to register a 2-0 victory over hosts Malaysia in the second encounter of the six-match Test series here today.
With today's win, India take a 2-0 lead in the series, organised as a preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The Indian eves had earlier thrashed Malaysia 5-0 in the opening Test yesterday.
India opened the scoring in the 10th minute through a field goal by Anuradha Devi.
The Indian girls doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Poonam Rani scored another brilliant field goal to take a 2-0 lead at the halftime.
After the crossover, Malaysia tried hard to make a comeback but they failed to utilise their chances as the Indian goalkeeper made as many as four good saves to deny the hosts.
Commenting on the match, India captain Ritu Rani said: "It is our second consecutive win against Malaysia and the team is motivated. I think we should have scored more goals in this match and our defenders again played well. The confidence level of the team is at all-time high and we look forward to win the remaining four games with bigger margins."
The third Test of the series between India and Malaysia is scheduled for Thursday.
The Times of India
European Club Championship Success
A successful weekend for Irish clubs in Europe!
Four wins from four for Monkstown HC saw them claim 1st place at the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy. Playing in Cagliari (ITA), they overcame Ukrainian side HC OKS-SHVSM by 2-0 to take the gold medal.
Banbridge HC won gold in the EuroHockey Club Champions Challenge 1 in dramatic fashion, beating Akkord HC 6-3 in the final having won all their pool games. This secures promotion to the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy 2015.
Loreto Hockey Club competed in the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy in Leicester and took away a Bronze medal following a dramatic final match against C.H. SPV Complutense. Following a 1-1 draw in normal time, Loreto got the better of the Spanish side in the penalty shoot-out, winning 3-2.
Massive congratulations to all players, coaches and managers involved, this is a fantastic achievement for our Irish Clubs in Europe.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Grange and Clydesdale Western safe in Europe whilst Grove go down
An exciting weekend for three Scottish National League 1 sides, Grange men and Milne Craig Clydesdale Western secured safety in Europe but sadly Grove Menzieshill ladies were relegated to Division II.
Despite the 35 degree heat Scottish Cup champions had some great performances in Europe helping them stay up in the Club Championships I division.
The first day saw Grange start strong scoring all four goals in the first half defeating Welsh side Whitchurch 4-0. With confidence flowing Grange came from 2-1 down to beat Italian side BRA, 3-2.
Third game for the Edinburgh based side was a lot tougher, they faced Ukrainian side OKS and after they scored in the first few minutes of play they dominated play, Grange losing 7-0.
Grange men team
In the Women’s Club Championship I featured two Scottish teams, Dundee based side Grove Menzieshill and Glasgow based side Milne Craig Clydesdale Western both without many of their experienced players due to being on International duty.
Sadly Grove Menzieshill finished bottom and have been relegated to division II. They started with a 1-1 draw with fellow Scottish rivals Clydesdale Western, after being 1-0 up at half time.
Grove then lost to HC Ritm-Azot Grodno 5-1, despite strong possession throughout they could not break through the Belarus defence. Next up was a nail biting match against Royal Wellington, losing 4-2.
In the playoff match it was all to play for but SK Slavia Praha just beat them to it with two early goals in the second half, Grove couldn’t quite come back despite Sarah Jamieson scoring a late goal. Grove couldn’t quite push for another leaving them relegated to Club Championship II.
Clydesdale Western finished in joint fifth position, the young Glaswegian side stepped up with majority of the side debuts in Europe.
Following the draw with Grove, the Titwood outfitters went up against Royal Wellington, which proved to be an end to end match finishing all level at 3-3. Westerns final group match saw a 5-0 loss to HC Ritm-Azot Grodno who progressed to the EuroHockey Club Trophy next year.
Clydesdale Women
Scottish Hockey Union media release
MHC election on backburner
PETALING JAYA — The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) could defer their election to the end of the year.
It was understood the election would be held just after the ongoing World Cup at The Hague, Holland but MHC secretary Datuk Johari Abdul Aziz said it would not be soon.
Johari told Mailsport the previous term ended on May 31 but there were still constitutional matters to be sorted.
“We are in the midst of drawing a new constitution where some changes would be made to the composition of the office bearers,” said Johari.
In March, MHC president Tengku Abdullah Ahmad Shah proposed major changes to the constitution after chairing an executive council meeting in Kuantan. The changes are still pending approval from the Emergency General Meeting.
Under the proposed constitution, office bearers to be elected are the president, deputy president and seven vice-presidents. There would also be two independent members and 10 members from the 16 affiliates.
Malay Mail
More questions than answers over Dutch treat
PETALING JAYA — While some Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) officials are enjoying a paid holiday in The Hague, Holland, where the World Cup is being held, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) secretary V. Rajamanickam is wondering how he was left out of the trip.
Rajamanickam was supposed to be on the flight to Amsterdam and return on June 18 claimed he did not know anything about it until he received a call asking why he wasn’t at the airport on Sunday.
“I did not receive any itinerary and presumed I was not selected, but MHC vice president M. Gobinathan called me from the airport, asking why I did not turn up.
“I checked my emails to see it I missed it but there wasn’t any. Trips like this should be cordinated properly,” said Rajamanickam The mysterious way the trip was organised — the officials received the ticket and information via an email from a travel agency — had led to many questioning if it was a way to buy votes ahead of the MHC elections which must be held this year. There was no mention about accommodation or match tickets in the email.
MHC vice-president Majid Manjit Abdullah, said the flight tickets were pay for by MHC president Tengku Abdullah Ahmad Shah and had nothing to do with buying votes.
Questions also arose as to why the trip was privately arranged instead of going through the national body. Similar arrangements were also made when officials went for the Junior World Cup in New Delhi last year.
MHC secretary Datuk Johari Abdul Aziz confirmed the secretariat had nothing to do with the trip but refused to comment futher.
Former MHC general manager Maninderjit Singh was surprised when told about the way the trip was organised.
He said when Tengku Abdullah paid for a similar trip to Dublin for the Olympic qualifiers in 2012, all bookings were paid via the national body.
“Everything was sorted through MHC and was minuted, with detailed financial records kept for accountability reasons,” said Maninderjit, or Mike to his friends.
“State affiliates were also asked to nominate their representative to Ireland to eliminate accusations of favouritism. We liased with our Irish counterparts for easier facilitation in Dublin.”
Malay Mail
NZ Hockey teams announced for 2014 Youth Olympics
The New Zealand men’s and women’s hockey teams have been announced for the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China from 16-28 August 2014.
Nine players have been named in each side, with the tournament to follow the new Hockey5 format introduced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
With only five players on the field, side boards and no penalty corners, the game is fast and exciting while also making it more viable for smaller countries to compete.
Both the New Zealand teams enjoyed the new format and won their respective qualifying tournaments held in Vanuatu in March this year.
“It became very clear in Vanuatu the type of player that we are looking for and the style of game we want to play - we want players with speed, with an attacking ability and flair. Having played in Vanuatu we now have a better understanding of the format,” said men’s coach Dave Kosoof.
The Youth Olympics allow only nine players per team rather than the ten selected for the Qualifiers. There have been three changes to the men’s side since Vanuatu. David Brydon joins the team having been unavailable for the Qualifier, while Robbie Capizzi and Hayden Phillips are new additions to the side. The women’s team remains unchanged.
Women’s coach Caryn Paewai says the focus for her side is having a clear game strategy that all players understand, and ensuring players are as fit and as fast as they can be.
“At the moment players are concentrating on the upcoming U18 National Tournament, and then following that there will be a very specific training programme for players to follow,” said Paewai.
Both Paewai and Kosoof say one of the real learnings from a Youth Olympics is not only what happens on-field but also the experience that the players have from being part of a multi-sport event.
“It will be an opportunity of a lifetime for these players. The organisers do try and replicate the real thing and give athletes a taste of what an Olympics is like which is great. To enjoy the whole event experience, you want to perform to your best on the field which is our aim,” said Kosoof.
The qualified teams and draw is not yet confirmed. There will be ten nations competing, with two pools of five nations in each.
New Zealand Youth Olympic Hockey Teams
Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, 16 – 28 August 2014
Boys
David Brydon, Canterbury, 17
Robbie Capizzi, North Harbour, 17
Fynn Edwards, (GK) North Harbour, 18
Richmond Lum, Auckland, 18
Dominic Newman, Canterbury, 17
Hayden Phillips, Central, 16
Aidan Sarikaya, Midlands, 17
Dylan Thomas, Central, 18
Mackenzie Wilcox, Central, 17
Non-Travelling Reserves
Ethan Martin, Midlands
Joseph Robertson, Capital
Bryan Schofield, Canterbury
Girls
Isla Bint (GK), Auckland, 16
Frances Davies, Midlands, 17
Ella Hyatt-Brown, North Harbour, 16
Bridget Kiddle, Capital, 17
Su Arn Kwek, Auckland, 18
Tyler Lench, Auckland, 17
Catherine Tinning, Canterbury, 18
Casey-Mae Waddell, Central, 17
Tayla White, Auckland, 17
Non-Travelling Reserves
Amelia Marlow, Auckland
Amy Robinson, Midlands
Lilliana Wiles, Capital
Team Management
Dave Kosoof, Head Coach (Boys)
Lincoln Churchill, Assistant Coach (Boys)
Caryn Paewai, Head Coach (Girls)
Verity Sharland, Assistant Coach (Girls)
Robyn Neil, Manager
Facts about the Youth Olympics and Hockey5:
• All hockey games at the Youth Olympics will be played at the Hockey Field at the Youth Olympic Sports Park from 17 to 27 August, 2014. For the schedule click here.
• Hockey’s ten-team tournament for both men and women will consist of two national teams per continent.
• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) were encouraged by the IOC to implement an alternative game for the Youth Olympics based on a smaller number of players with simplified rules. The FIH went through a process of consultation with FIH committees and expert panels as well as industry experts in developing this game. Hockey5s is a new initiative which FIH will be reviewing and developing in the next few years.
• The vision of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) is to inspire young people around the world to participate in sport and adopt and live by the Olympic values; it enables them to participate in a high performance sporting event in the spirit of cultural exchange and education. It is also an opportunity for innovation in the dynamic world created by the younger generation.
• To be eligible to participate in the Youth Olympic Games, athletes must have been born between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1999.
• 180 athletes will compete in the hockey tournament. There are 222 events in 28 sports. 3,808 athletes from 204 nations/regions are expected to participate in the Games.
The Hockey5 format at the Youth Olympics is as follows:
At the conclusion of pool play:
a. The top 4 teams in each pool will play quarter-finals in accordance with FIH Tournament Regulations for Hockey5s
b. The 5th teams in each pool will play off to determine 9th and 10th place.
After the quarter-finals:
a. The winners will play semi-finals in accordance with the FIH Tournament Regulations for Hockey5s
b. The losers will play classification matches to determine 5th – 8th place; the winners of these matches play off to determine 5th and 6th place and the losers 7th and 8th place.
c) The winners of the semi-finals play for the gold and silver medal (1st and 2nd place) and the losers of the semi-finals play for 3rd place.
For more information on the Hockey5 rules, click here.
Hockey New Zealand Media release