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News 08 August 2014

All the news for Friday 8 August 2014


PIA down NBP, Railways shock Wapda

LAHORE: A 52nd minute goal by Awais-ur-Rehman helped defending champions PIA earn a 2-1 win against the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) as the NBP Gold Cup Hockey Tournament started here on Thursday.

International Mohammad Zubair put PIA 1-0 ahead by scoring a field goal in the 22nd minute. But Tariq restored parity in the 39th through another field goal. However, Awais’s field goal in the 52nd minute proved the decider.

Meanwhile, Railways stunned a strong Wapda team 5-4 on penalty-strokes.

At the end of regulation time the teams were locked at 2-2 before the shootout decided the outcome of the match.

For Railways, Zeeshan scored two goals (18th minute, and penalty-stroke). Rizwan (52nd), Shaharyar (penalty-stroke) and Adeel Latif (penalty-stroke) were the other scorers for the winners.

Ijaz (23rd), Zubair Riaz (42nd), Mohammad Irfan (penalty-stroke) and Mohammad Usman (penalty-stroke) scored for Wapda.

In another match, Army overcame the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) 6-4.

Abdul Jabbar (5th, 46th), Faraz Zafar (28th, 45th), Shahid Ali Khan (44th) and Habib-ur-Rehman (53rd) scored for Army while Mudassar (26th), Saeed Shah (36th), Shahbaz (37th) and Mushtaq (48th) contributed goals for the PAF.

Shahid Iqbal Dar, NBP’s Lahore Region Head, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Meanwhile, trials to select the final line-up of Pakistan Youth team for the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, scheduled to be staged from Aug 16 to 28, will be held at Johor Town Hockey Stadium here on Friday.

Friday’s fixtures:

Army vs HEC, PAF vs Wapda, NBP vs Railways.

Dawn



Ireland set for August 3 Nations Series Against Spain and France

Ireland’s Green Army are continuing their intense hockey period with 8 matches in total taking place this August against Spain and France. The National Women’s Hockey team have trained intensely over the summer months as they keep a firm eye on the upcoming World League 2 Olympic Qualifier set for Ireland in March 2015. These matches will provide Coach Smith with an opportunity to test all squad members in a match situation, earlier he commented on the opposition “Spain have had a busy summer as they look toward hosting the World League 3 in Valencia, June 2015. They have steadily been getting better and better which was highlighted with their performance at Champions Challenge. This will also be the first time I have seen France as our programmes have not met for a few years. It will be good to match up and see them in person.”

The structure of this match series which is a set of four 3 nations series’ will allow Coach Smith to use his full squad and not be restricted to just the 18 “We will use all our squad over the eight days as we look to test each player in international competition. This will be challenging in terms of building combinations but we expect the girls to compete and rise to the occasion.”

Irish Hockey are currently offering a sale on season tickets purchased online Tournament Ticket – Adult - €20 (50% discount) “Bring a friend” – 2 Adults - €30 ( 62% discount) BOOK NOW

Green Army Squad
3 x 4 Nations Series, 13th – 24th August, UCD, Dublin

Emma Gray (GK – Hermes)
Emily Beatty (UCD)
Chloe Brown (Ards)
Audrey O’Flynn (Hermes)
Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute)
Kate Dillon (Railway Union)
Deirdre Duke (UCD)
Nikki Evans (UCD)
Megan Frazer – Captain (Holcombe HC / Ballymoney)
Shirley McCay (Old Alex)
Ayeisha Mcferran (GK) (Randalstown)
Katie Mullan (UCD)
Stella Davis (GK) (Pembroke Wanderers)
Ali Meeke (Loreto)
Yvonne O'Byrne (Cork Harelquins)
Anna O'Flanagan (UCD)
Gillian Pinder (UCD)
Emma Smyth (Railway Union)
Vanessa Surgeoner (Pegasus)
Chloe Watkins (UCD)
Hannah Matthews (Loreto)
Cliodhna Sargent (Cork Harlequins)
Nicci Daly (Holcombe HC / Loreto)
Aine Connery (Hermes)

Unavailable for selection due to study commitments: Alex Speers (Railway Union)

Ireland, Spain, Italy – 3 x 4 Nations

Series 1

    Wednesday August 13th Spain v France 19.00
    Thursday August 14th Ireland v France 19.00
    Friday August 15th Ireland v Spain 18.00

Series 2

    Saturday August 16th Spain v France 16.00
    Sunday August 17th Ireland v France 16.00
    Monday August 18 Ireland v Spain 19.00

Series 3

    Tuesday August 19th Spain v France 19.00
    Wednesday August 20 Ireland v France 19.00
    Thursday August 21 Ireland v Spain 19.00

Series 4

    Friday August 22 Spain v France 17.00
    Saturday August 23 Ireland v France 15.00
    Sunday August 24th Ireland v Spain 15.00

Tickets are available to purchase online with huge discounts!   Book here

On Line Sales Only  - BOOK NOW
Tournament Ticket – Adult - €20 (50% discount)
“Bring a friend” – 2 Adults - €30 ( 62% discount)

Daily Gate price
€5 per adult/OAP/3rd level Student – all school-children are free

Irish Hockey Association media release



Fiji U18s Set for China

Arin Kumar


Lora Bukalidi in control during the Fiji U18 hockey training for the Youth Olympic Games in China this month. Picture: ATU RASEA

THE national under-18 girls hockey side to compete in the Youth Olympic Games has completed their training.

The side will depart for Nanjing, China on Monday and will break camp today.

Team coach Tai Smith said the girls had been in camp for some time now and would be given time off to spend with their families before they departed for the competition.

She said while their training in Fiji was completed, they would polish up on some areas when in China.

"We have five days before our first match we will just fine tune and polish up on some areas," Smith said.

"Also we have not confirmed any warm-up or friendly matches but we would try and negotiate one with the Uruguay side."

She said her side would face Argentina, Netherlands, South Africa and Japan in the competition.

"If we do have a warm-up match against Uruguay, then we don't want Argentina to get a wind of it because our first match is against Argentina.

"They were playing a friendly match with Uruguay.

"We saw the DVD of that match and our goalkeeper Lavenia Ratumaimuri learnt a lot from watching that game," she said.

Smith said Temo Pasemaca Tikoitoga had a niggling knee injury but was expected to recover in time for the competition.

Meanwhile, she also acknowledged the support by the Lelean Memorial School old scholars when they visited the side in camp earlier this week.

"They brought us food, gifts and spent time with us and it was a big boost to the girls.

"The girls were really moved by the gesture and it was a huge contribution towards our preparations."

The Fiji Times



Second chance unlikely for Dharmaraj

Jugjet Singh

NATIONAL chief coach K. Dharmaraj has a personal mission in the Asian Games, but the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) is not too keen to retain him.

The World Cup committee, formed after Malaysia ended winless and rock bottom in the competition at the Hague, will present their findings today. And chairman Datuk R. Yogeswaran’s report will chart Dharmaraj’s future.

The other members of the World Cup performance evaluation committee are Datuk Poon Fook Loke, Datuk Ow Soon Kooi, Rama Krishnan, M. P. Haridass, Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong, Datuk Dr Ramlan Abdul Aziz, Ariffin Ghani and Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad.

The committee only had powers to conduct fact-finding and report, but does not have powers to recommend.

Yogeswaran, who has been involved in hockey at various levels for decades, said it is a fair report compiled after interviewing officials and players involved in the World Cup and it is up to the MHC to interpret and act on the findings.

To be fair to Dharmaraj, he won accolades when he was the national juniors coach, as his charges broke new ground when they won gold in the inaugural Sultan of Johor Cup, gold in the Junior Asia Cup to qualify for the Junior World Cup where he took the boys to fourth place.

He was aptly named a 2013 Coach of the Year, but when he was elevated as the seniors coach, his world turned upside-down.

South African Paul Revington quit in a haste early this year, and Dharmaraj was promoted to the senior post -- which he accepted with open arms but the bite was bigger than he could chew.

The records show that his first ‘mistake’ was to inject a new player into the team, and also drop many established names to fit in his juniors for the Azlan Shah Cup, Champions Challenge 1, the World Cup and then the Commonwealth Games.

His reason was that it would benefit the country in the long run, but he had underestimated player-power.

Ten seniors met the MHC president weeks before the World Cup and demanded his resignation, but Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah stood his ground.

Then there was a star player who loved to break curfew and kept turning up for training reeking of the devil’s brew, and when reprimanded, he challenged the coach to sack him.

Dharmaraj’s hands were tied as the said player delivered on the pitch, but his actions were unpopular with many team-mates as they hated his arrogance and wanted him out.

This again divided the national team further, but nothing was done to close the ranks by Dharmaraj and MHC officials -- which led to a disastrous World Cup.

It was not the 4-0 defeat to Australia, which was expected, but the way the team played in their 6-2 drubbing by Belgium, 3-2 defeat to India, 5-2 defeat to Spain, and the 6-2 drubbing by South Africa.

There was something wrong, there was no drive, no determination, and no exchanges among certain players which led the hockey-loving public to suspect that all was not well in the kingdom of Dharmaraj.

And when Dharmaraj’s men lost 4-2 to Trinidad and Tobago in the Commonwealth Games, it was the last straw, and many fans twisted their tongues trying to fathom what is happening to Malaysian hockey.

With just 45 days to the Asian Games, which offer the champions direct entry into the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the coach has made a compassionate plea to the MHC to retain him for the Europe Tour, and then his last hurrah at the “O.K. Corral” in Incheon, South Korea.

The MHC will be damned if it allows, and damned if it doesn’t entertain Dharmaraj’s request as time does not favour a change of pilots while flying over a war zone.

The decision is in the hands of MHC after the World Cup report is read today but this scribe feels it would be wise if the MHC can mediate to close ranks between the dissatisfied players and the 2013 Coach of the Year.

After all, we have beaten South Korea, India and Pakistan before and let’s close ranks to turn the 2010 Asian Games silver medal into glittering gold with one last hurrah for Dharmaraj.

New Straits Times



Comeback men a boost for Indian team

Indervir Grewal

 

Gurwinder Chandi and Danish Mujtaba, who made a comeback after long injury lay-outs, provided the experience in attack. File

Chandigarh - The 4-0 loss to Australia in the final was not surprising but the anticlimactic manner in which India went down was disheartening.

Not many would have bet against Australia, whose unwavering and unabashed thirst for goals has earned them the reputation of being the deadliest team in the recent past. And everyone expected the world champions to come out at their attacking best. But oddly it wasn’t so. The Aussies started slow. Maybe, they were a bit overconfident that the goals would eventually come. And the goals always come; when Australia play, goals are imminent — they scored six goals in the World Cup final. But, maybe, they were a bit cautious of the Indian team which had come through after a surprisingly fiery performance against New Zealand in the semifinal.

Having faced a tough fight from the Indians in the pool match, the defending champions didn’t want an unpleasant surprise. And, understandably, the occasion warranted such an approach. Australia, who played a different (younger) team from the World Cup, were organized in defence but reserved in attack. They controlled the game by slowing it down to a pace which was unsettling for the Indians.

India on their part did not play like worthy challengers. Everything they had done right in the previous matches, they forgot, which showed their inconsistency.

It made the final a miserable affair. But Australia didn’t mind. And the Indians shouldn’t be too disappointed. The hockey event at the CWG isn’t the most competitive of tournaments but it did show that the team is on the right track towards a medal at the Asian Games.

Experience in attack

In the modern game, the role of the forwards is not limited to scoring goals. Their contribution in defence is an equally important part of a team’s strategy. Forwards are the first line of defence and their positioning — to block through passes and deny free space to the opposition — is an essential factor in defending well.

At the World Cup in The Hague, the young forwards not only failed with their offensive duties but also with the defensive duties.

Failing to keep possession at crucial moments was another aspect that let India down at the World Cup. The late goal against Belgium was conceded after a forward was dispossessed at the halfway line.

At the Commonealth Games, though, it was a different scenario upfront. Along with Ramandeep Singh and Nikkin Thimmaiah, who had to return from The Hague due to injuries, two experienced forwards made a comeback after a long absence — Gurwinder Chandi and Danish Mujtaba.

With them, the stability at the front returned. Thimmaiah brought a shot of sheer pace along with his knack for getting into good positions. Ramandeep, who had been touted as the next potentially great playmaker for India after the Asia Cup last year, showed great understanding with his fellow strikers. He was also the most successful in front of goal among all the forwards, showing a keen sense for scoring goals. His deflection-equaliser against New Zealand was one of the best goals of the tournament.

The linkmen

At the World Cup, there was a disconnect between the midfield and the forward-line. Sunil, who is a natural winger, tried to play the linkman but failed. Because the forwards were losing the ball too often, the Indian defence was susceptible to counter-attacks.

Therefore, attacking midfielders such as Sardar Singh, Dharamvir Singh, Manpreet Singh and Gurbaj Singh were too busy helping out in defence and were wary going forward.

Chandi and Mujtaba, though still lacking match fitness and temperament, proved most beneficial for the team at the CWG. The two received the ball in their own half, releasing the pressure on the defence from the high press of teams like Australia, and linked up with the other forwards. The cohesive play, with a prominence of short return-passing, helped retain possession and enabled midfielders Gurbaj and Dharamvir to drive forward through overlapping runs.

Even defenders Birendra Lakra, Rupinderpal Singh and VR Raghunath felt comfortable enough to move forward, sometimes even up to the opposition’s striking circle. With more men going forward, the team got more control in the midfield — dominating possession, winning the fifty-fifty balls and intercepting the dangerous passes.

It was a big factor in the team’s win over New Zealand. But the performance in the final showed that India still lack the consistency needed to win big tournaments like the Asian Games.

The Tribune



Jayalalithaa announces Rs 30 lakh award for Rupinder Singh

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday congratulated hockey player Rupinder Singh for Indian team's silver-winning performance in the just concluded Commonwealth Games at Glasgow and announced a cash incentive of Rs 30 lakh for him.

She said that he had done the country and Tamil Nadu proud as the team clinched silver in the final.

"As you are aware, I had announced the enhancement of financial reward for sportspersons winning a Commonwealth Silver Medal to Rs 30 lakh in December 2011. You will now be eligible to receive this cash incentive. I congratulate you and all those who have contributed to your success and wish you many more such laurels on behalf of the country and Tamil Nadu in future," she said in a letter to Singh.

The Times of India



Fond farewell for UHC's Nevado, Breitenstein and Falcke

UHC Hamburg will bid farewell to three of their favourite sons on August 17 as Mo Falcke, Patrick Breitenstein and Carlos Nevado step away from their panel for the 2014/15 season following glittering careers with the club.

The trio end their top level careers due to work commitments having played integral parts in UHC's run to three Euro Hockey League titles and one runners-up place in their four entries to the competition to date.

Nevado, a World Cup winner in 2006 and Olympic gold medalist in 2008 has decided to move to Hamburger Polo club - along with Matthias Witthaus - in the German fourth tier to reduce his level of intensive training and the long travel time involved with playing in the Bundesliga. He steps back to focus on his job with PwC as a management consultant.

Breitenstein, now 33, is UHC's highest scorer in the EHL, netting 17 times - 15 corners, two penalty strokes - in his career, memorably scoring twice in the 2010 final in Amstelveen to win the title ahead of Rotterdam. Previously, his job has seen him miss part of the German season with a placement in Hong Kong.

The club will host a small tournament for friends, supporters and family from 4pm on August 17 to pay tribute to the players and their contributions to their success.

Euro Hockey League media release



Kampala Hockey Club plays Kiji Vijana in Tanzania’s Cup opener

Written by Michael Mugote Bryson


Kampala Hockey Club plays Kiji Vijana in Tanzania’s Cup opener. Courtesy photo

The 15th Edition of Tanzania’s Phoenix Hockey Championship kicks off tomorrow Friday in capital Dar es Salaam with 12 teams from East Africa region.

Uganda’s representative Kampala Hockey Club (KHC), who is in group B, will start off with Kili Vijana HC in the evening, before ending the group stage on Saturday against Mvita XI HC.

KHC who were flagged off on Monday at Lugogo with an 18man contingent (led by Emma Ewucho) travelled by bus and reached Dar es Salaam city on Wednesday.

Ronald Kawalya (coach player) is expected to look on Captain Sam Mwesigwa, Albert Kimumwe, Michael Mafabi and Norman Gabula in quench for victory.

A win from Kiri Vijana HC and at least a draw against Mvita XI HC, will see KHC through to semifinals that will be played on Sunday morning.

Kenya Police, Tanzania Police and Moshi HC teams are seeded in Pool A, a group of death while Lusaka Tigers from Zambia, Zanzibar hockey team and Twigas are seeded in Pool D. On the other hand, Pool C has Moshi HC, Elhilal HC and Dar es Salaam University HC.

KHC’s team that traveled has Emma Ewucho (head of delegation), Ronald Kawalya (Coach), Sam Mwesigwa (Captain) George Ntegeka, Richard Semogerere, Wyclif Bulwanya and Jonathan Mubiru.  Others include; Henry Kafuuma, Derrick Ringtho, Stanly Tamale, Norman Gabula, Sadik Akii and Faustine Ojangole. Other players also include; Albert Kimumwe, Micheal Mafabi, Lazarus Onyu and Joshua Gumisiriza.

Phoenix Hockey Cup selected Fixtures
Kampala Hocky Club vs Kili Vijana (Friday 3:30pm)
Kampala Hocky Club vs Mvita XI (Saturday 3:30pm)

2014 PHOENIX HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP GROUPS
Pool A
•Kenya Police
•TPDF
•Tanzania Police

Pool B
•KHC
•Mvita XI
•Kili Vijana

Pool C
•Moshi
•Elhilal
•Dsm university

Pool D
•Lusaka Tigers
•Zanzibar
•Twigas

Kawowo Sports

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