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All the news for Wednesday 13 August 2014

Team USA Shows Controlled Persistence to Nab Victory in Final Mexico Match

CHULA VISTA, Calif. – The U.S. Men’s National Team rounded out their six-match series against Mexico and walked off the pitch with a 3-1 victory, maintaining their streak of going undefeated in the last 12 matches.

“Today showed a controlled performance at the end of a series where we were able to dictate the speed and direction of the game,” said Head Coach Chris Clements. “All of our players contributed to the series result and today’s final match again was a step in the right direction. The team has gained some invaluable experience over the summer to date and the players have worked incredibly hard to generate the quality of play to be undefeated after 12 games. We are hungry for more and thankful for the support that we have received to date.”

Team USA started the match off very well, creating chances from the first whistle and showing that they were hungry for a victory in the final match of the series. After a controlled start, Paul Singh (Simi Valley, Calif.) found the back of the net on a penalty corner variation with a pinpoint pass from Mohan Gandhi (Ventura, Calif.) at the 20 minute mark. The momentum continued and only three minutes later, Sean Cicchi (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) carried the ball past multiple defenders, resulting in a shot that Christian Linney (San Diego, Calif.) collected the rebound and slapped past the keeper.

The possession remained in Team USA’s hands for the remainder of the half and entered the break with the most controlled half of the series being played. After the break, the U.S. continued its control in the match and forced three penalty corners which could not find the back of the cage. On the fourth corner of the second half, a variation had Will Holt (Camarillo, Calif.) flick the ball low into the left corner of the cage, putting Team USA up 3-0. Mexico was able to get on the scoreboard before the final whistle resulting in the 3-1 victory for the U.S.

The USA started the series with a 6-1 win over Mexico. The following day, the National Team created a victory of 8-0. Halfway through the series Team USA captured their third win with a score of 2-1. Wednesday the United States left the pitch victorious 5-1. Yesterday’s match saw the first draw of the series, with a score of 3-3.

USFHA media release

Stars of the future set to shine in Nanjing

16 nations will fight it out for the Hockey5s medals at the 2nd Youth Olympic Games


UP FOR GRABS: The medals at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games. (Photo: Nanjing2014.org)

After months of intense preparation and countless hours training, the finest young hockey players in the world are gearing up for what is certain to be the biggest event to date in their fledgeling sporting careers.

This weekend, the 2014 Youth Olympic Games will get under way in Nanjing, China. This hugely prestigious event gives young athletes between the ages of 15 and 18 the chance to compete across a range of sports, providing athletes with valuable experience at a major multi-sport event whilst also giving fans a glimpse of the stars of the future. Over 3,000 athletes will compete in 222 events across 28 sports, with Hockey playing a key role throughout the 13-day extravaganza.

The event in Nanjing is the second Youth Olympic Games, coming four years after the inaugural edition in Singapore. The Hockey competition was a massive success in 2010, introducing the world to a number of extraordinarily gifted individuals who would go on to achieve exceptional things over the next four years.

Two such players were members of Australia’s Youth Olympic Gold medal winning ‘class of 2010’: Jeremy Hayward and Daniel Beale. This year, Hayward played a starring role as the mighty Kookaburras triumphed at Rabobank Hockey World Cup, being named Hero Best Young Player of the tournament in the process, while Beale featured in the squad that stormed to Gold at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.  The event in Singapore also gave us a first look at Frederique Derkx and Marloes Keetels, two young women who showcased their huge potential by winning Gold with the Netherlands at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games before going on to fulfil their promise by becoming World Champions in The Hague earlier this year. 

A significant change from the Singapore 2010 event is that the tournament in Nanjing moves away from 11-a-side to Hockey5s, the eye catching, action-packed format played between teams of only five on-field players. With shorter games and a smaller pitch, Hockey5s adds a new flavour to our classic sport, with rules specifically tailored to encourage skills and trickery, generating intense and highly entertaining play. It is certain to attract plenty of attention in Nanjing, and provides the perfect platform for showcasing the future stars of the sport.

As previously announced by FIH, there will be ten teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions, with a total of 180 promising young hockey players representing 16 countries. Each competition has two representatives from Europe, Asia, Africa, Pan America and Oceania in a truly global tournament.

The men’s competition features Spain and Germany representing Europe, Bangladesh and Pakistan from Asia, Canada and Mexico from Pan America, Australia and New Zealand from Oceania, and South Africa and Zambia representing Africa. In the women’s competition hosts China are joined by Japan, South Africa, Zambia, the Netherlands, Germany, Fiji, New Zealand, Argentina and Uruguay. Pool information for the men’s and women’s tournaments in Nanjing can be found below.

 The tournament will take place at the Youth Olympic Sports Park Hockey Centre, a cracking new facility that was constructed especially for the Nanjing Games. The action begins on Sunday 17th August at 1600 (UTC / GMT +8), when the men of Spain take on Bangladesh in Pool A.

You can keep up to speed on all of the action from the 2014 Youth Olympic Games on the official event website - www.nanjing2014.org, with hockey specific info available by clicking here. To learn more about the Youth Olympic Games, click here.

2nd Youth Olympic Games
17-27 August 2014
Nanjing, China.

FIH site

Women’s development tour

Australian development squad starts Chinese leg of Asian tour



The Australian women's development squad has begun its tour to China and Japan having landed in China on Monday.

After arriving in Japan next Wednesday (20 August), the team will play six matches in nine days with five contests against Japan and one match against Coca-Cola West Red Sparks.

You can follow the team's progress via news articles on the Hockey Australia website throughout the tour.

In July, a squad of 20 athletes was announced for the tour, which is supported by the Australian Junior Commonwealth Games Squad (AJCGS) program. The group was selected from the National Development Squad, National Junior Squad and National Training Centres.

The tour will provide valuable competitive international experience to the next generation of potential Hockeyroos with China ranked fifth in the International Hockey Federation’s world rankings and Japan tenth.

In a further example of top athletes making the exciting move into coaching, Nicole Arrold (2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist) has joined the coaching staff for the tour as an assistant to National Junior Coach Craig Victory, alongside Mark Hickman (Hockey Australia Women’s High Performance Program). Sandy Pisani (South Australia) is the Team Manager, Kylie Thomas (Victorian Institute of Sport) is the Analyst and Matt Turnbull (private practice) is the team's tour physio.

China leg of the tour
13 August: Match 1 v China (16:00 local time)
15 August: Match 2 v China (10:00 local time)
16 August: Match 3 v China (16:00 local time)
18 August: Match 4 v China (10:00 local time)
19 August: Match 5 v China (16:00 local time)
Japan leg of the tour
21 August: Match 1 v Japan (17:00 local time)
22 August: Match 2 v Japan (10:00 local time)
25 August: Match 3 v Coca-Cola West Red Sparks (17:30 local time)
27 August: Match 4 v Japan (10:45 local time)
29 August: Match 5 v Japan (15:00 local time)
30 August: Match 6 v Japan (15 :00 local time)

Athletes (alphabetical order by state)  
Tamsin Bunt (Aylmerton, NSW)
Mariah Williams (Teralba, NSW)
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW)
Elizabeth Duguid (Darwin, NT)
Murphy Allendorf (Mount Gravatt, QLD)
Jacqui Day (Mountain Creek, QLD)
Kirstin Dwyer (Mackay, QLD)
Ashlea Fey (Sunshine Coast, QLD)
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, QLD)
Jordyn Holzberger (Ipswich, QLD)
Stephanie Kershaw (Townsville, QLD)
Kazzia Lammon (Brisbane, QLD)
Audrey Smith (Wynnum, QLD)
Gabrielle Nance (Adelaide, SA)
Samantha Snow (Blackburn, VIC)
Kate Denning (South Perth, WA)
Kyra Flynn (Hillarys, WA)
Kathryn Slattery (Como, WA)
Penny Squibb (Tambellup, WA)
Katy Symons (Attadale, WA)                  

Reserves (alphabetical order by state)                 
Jocelyn Bartram (Albury, NSW)
Kyah Gray (Bomaderry, NSW)
Kristina Bates (Melbourne, VIC)

Hockey Australia media release

Malaysian Quartet out of Asian Games

By AJITPAL SINGH

FORWARD Faizal Saari, Hafifi Hafiz, Ismail Abu and Kevin Lim were left out as newly appointed national hockey coach A. Arulselvaraj named his 20-member training squad yesterday for next month’s Incheon Asian Games.

Arulselvaraj, who will be assisted by Tai Beng Hai, retained 14 members from the team that finished last in the World Cup in May. Nine members from the training squad were also part of the Commonwealth Games team.

Faizal is taking a break from international hockey while Hafifi and Ismail quit the team after the World Cup. As for Kevin, the German-born who played in Glasgow was not selected.

Shahril Saabah will be groomed to take over Faizal’s responsibility as the team’s main forward.

“I will trim down the squad to 16 players for the Asian Games. I may opt to take only one goalkeeper to Incheon depending on the progress of the players in training,” said Arulselvaraj yesterday.

“I spoke to Faizal yesterday (Monday) about returning to the team but he said he would think about it first. I only need players, who still have the passion and are motivated to play for the country.

“I’ve named my training squad and there will be no late inclusions. As for Kevin, I haven’t had the chance to assess him yet.”

The trainees will likely head to Port Dickson today for a short camp before resuming training next week. The team will tentatively head to Incheon for a week-long training stint on Aug 20.

“We want to acclimatise with the conditions in Incheon. However, the trip is still tentative but I’ve written to our Korean counterparts for approval and friendly matches.

“My team may also play friendly matches with teams who are preparing for upcoming local tournaments.”

Arulselvaraj, who replaced K. Dharmaraj on Monday, is eager to prepare his team comprehensively after back-to-back failures in the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. The Asian Games gold medallists will qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

The squad: S. Kumar, Roslan Jamaluddin, Hafizuddin Othman, Norhizzat Sumantri, Marhan Jalil, Fitri Saari, Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin, Shahrun Nabil Abdullah, Shukri Mutalib, Firhan Ashaari, Azlan Misron, Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor, Faiz Helmi Jali, Meor Muhd Azuan Hasan, Baljit Singh, Tengku Ahmad Tajudin Abdul Jalil, Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin, Shahril Saabah, Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin, Razie Rahim.

New Straits Times

Khairy unhappy over Dharmaraj episode

By Fadhli Ishak

SPORTS Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has chided the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) for the way it sidelined coach K. Dharmaraj from the Incheon Asian Games on Sept 19 to Oct 4.

Khairy said he had no choice but to accept the move to replace Dharmaraj with Arul Selvaraj as interim coach and Tai Beng Hai as manager-cum-assistant coach but he made it clear he was not happy with the decision being made so close to the Asian Games.

The minister also claimed that information had been withheld from MHC president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah by certain people within the association which in turn had led to the switch in coaches.

“I have to accept this decision although his (Dharmaraj) salary is paid by my ministry. I have been told they are looking for a foreigner as a permanent replacement,” said Khairy.

“I spoke to the president yesterday (Monday) and told him that to find yourself in a situation changing your chief coach 40 days before the Asian Games is not the ideal state of affairs.

“I told him that I think they (officials) have been concealing things from you and it has resulted in this.

“From what I see, MHC officials have not been reporting the real situation and as a result he (Tengku Abdullah) has been forced to take matters into his own hands and make a unsuitable decision considering the time frame involved.

“The report presented yesterday stated that there were issues that not only happened at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games but even before that.

“There have also been reports of players not respecting him (Dharmaraj) and him having the wrong approach.

“If the problems were there before, corrective action should have been taken.

“You know that there was no target set for the Commonwealth Games but you use it to fire him. Whoever it is (behind this), and I know who they are, really need to answer for this.”

Khairy acknowledged that Dharmaraj should be made accountable for the team’s performances but expressed his disappointment with how MHC has managed its affairs.

“Dharmaraj may have to go based on his performances but this is poor planning. Poor planning that should not be replicated at other national sports associations.

“After the Commonwealth Games, there has been a lot of finger pointing and I have said the ultimate responsibility is with me but I have to crack the whip.

“I am not on the field, I am not making operational decisions and I do not want to be making operational decisions.

“But I have to now because this is the sort of management and planning that is happening today.”

Under Dharmaraj, the national team ended last of the 12 teams in the World Cup without a single win or draw to show.

The team then hit another low at the Commonwealth Games when they were beaten 4-2 by Trinidad and Tobago, giving the latter their first win at the Games since hockey was included in the 1998 edition in Kuala Lumpur.

New Straits Times

Khairy unhappy with MHC for Dharma's removal

By Lim Teik Huat


K. Dharmaraj was replaced by A. Arulselvaraj after a poor showing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. - filepic
   
KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin took to task the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC)’s decision to replace their national coach.
 
Khairy questioned the timing to replace K. Dharmaraj on Monday as the Incheon Asian Games will start next month (Sept 19-Oct 4). A. Arulselvaraj, the Project 2016 coach, has taken over as the interim coach for the Games.

“To change the coach 40 days before the Asian Games is not an ideal state of affairs,” Khairy said on Tuesday as he presided at the flag-handing ceremony for the Youth Olympics starting in Nanjing this weekend.
 
“It is an example of poor planning. The MHC committee may be concealing certain things and did not reveal it to president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah when they made the recommendations.”

Khairy also questioned why the performance at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow was used as the main reason to relieve the coach.

In Glasgow, Malaysia finished seventh and also lost 4-2 to minnows Trinidad and Tobago in a group match.
 
The hockey squad also performed badly at the World Cup, finishing last in the 12-team tournament in Holland in June.
 
“The Commonwealth Games was not the target but this should not be used as justification to fire him. The decision-making process is wrong,” added Khairy, who also hinted on a possible audit of the current four-year programme planning for multi-Games in light of Malaysia’s six-gold medal performance in Glasgow, one short of the targeted haul of seven.
 
“We have to get things right for the next Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the 2019 Asian Games.
 
“The level of planning and execution we have in place are not good enough.
 
“That is why we estimated we were only good for not more than eight golds in Glasgow although we came back with 12 from New Delhi.
 
“We are just being realistic, imagine if we had put 10 or 12 gold medals. There are just no returns based on investment and possibly, I may order an audit after getting feedback but it has to be independent.
 
“It cannot involve us (national sports associations, Olympic Council of Malaysia or National Sports Council) as we are stakeholders.”

The Star of Malaysia

Arul Saviour-raj?

By Graig Nunis


Tengku Abdullah Shah (third from left) announcing the decision to appoint Arul as the interim coach. — Picture by Razak Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR — Former Malaysian international Arul Selvaraj has been cast as the saviour of Malaysian hockey after being appointed interim coach of the national team for the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from September 19-October 4.

Arul will assume his position with immediate eff ect as national coach K. Dharmaraj has been “rested” by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) due to “poor results”.

And, although MHC president Tengku Abdullah Shah has downgraded the team’s target from gold to “at least reaching the final”, Arul said he is confi dent they can win the title.

“It is just an interim position as I’m still in charge of the national juniors,” said Arul, who was the assistant to former national coach Paul Revington.

“I know the players well from my time with Paul and I believe we have what it takes to win the gold medal.

“Winning gold is important as that guarantees us a place in the Rio Olympics.” Arul added his fi rst task will be to select 18-19 players and take them away from Kuala Lumpur for team bonding.

“We are only allowed 16 players for the Asian Games that is why I will settle on 18-19 players as I need some reserves before making my fi nal decision,” said Arul, who is in the dark over the fi tness of several players. “I’ve heard some of them are injured as well so it is important I speak to them as soon as possible.

“I want to sit down with the players and rebuild their confi dence. Some of the players looked shatterered by the criticism of fi nishing last in the World Cup and also losing to Trinidad and Tobago in the Commonwealth Games.”

He added: “It is an uphill task to win the gold, but not an impossible one. It can happen if everyone is on the same page.

“Why do I say we can win the title? Based on the World Cup, Malaysia were 12th but the other Asian teams, India and South Korea, fi nished ninth and 10th.

“The gap in standard is not that wide.” Arul has less than 40 days before Malaysia play their fi rst match in Incheon and said it will not be a problem as the players have bee training together for a long time. “All they need is some fi ne-tuning,” he said bravely.

Malay Mail

I’ll be back, says defiant Dharmaraj

PETALING JAYA — K. Dharmaraj is confident he will return as coach of the national hockey team one day.

Dharmaraj was informed by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) yesterday that he has been “rested” due to “poor results”.

This comes after the national team failed to win a single game at the World Cup in the Hague (May 31-June 15) and Malaysia’s seventh place finish at the Commonwealth Games (July 23-August 3).

Although the mixed team – made up of juniors, fringe senior squad members and senior players returning from injury – sent to Glasgow, Scotland, finished higher than the fi rst team who fi nished eighth at the last Games in New Delhi in 2010, many were unhappy Malaysia lost 4-2 to Trinidad and Tobago in a group match.

“I accept the decision and would like to thank the MHC president (Tengku Abdullah Shah) for trusting me to take charge since January,” said Dharmaraj, who was promoted to the hot seat from his position as the national juniors coach when South African Paul Revington quit.

“Although I’m rested, I believe I will be back at the helm in the future. I do not doubt my ability and perhaps the timing of my appointment was not right.

“I will accept any other position as I enjoy development work.”

Asked if he was willing to accept an assistant’s role once a new foreign coach is found, Dharmaraj said: “Of course. I wouldn’t mind working with a foreign coach as I still have a lot to learn.

“The original plan was for me to assist Paul for a year or two, but I was fasttracked into the main job when he decided to quit,” explained Dharmaraj.

The Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club coach also praised the appointment of Arul Selvaraj and Tai Beng Hai as the interim coach and manager respectively for the Asian Games.

Arul, was Revington’s assistant in the Irish national team, while Beng Hai, a former national coach, has been in the MHC set-up for several years.

Malay Mail

Crack the whip, sir

By Graig Nunis


Tengku Abdullah must punish those responsible for Malaysia’s failures. — Picture by Razak Ghazali

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Tengku Abdullah Shah must take stern action after admitting there are problems in the national team — or be labelled a lame duck.

In relieving K. Dharmaraj as coach following “poor results”, Tengku Abdullah said the players were also to blame for not going all out in several tournaments. He warned that MHC would not hesitate to pull the team out of the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from September 19-October 4 if they didn’t change their attitude.

As for Dharmaraj, he is likely to return to working with the juniors as Tengku Abdullah wants to hire a foreign coach.

“I will speak to the players to find out why they are so negative. If they don’t change, I don’t see why we should send them to the Asian Games,” said Tengku Abdullah, who nonetheless, appointed Arul Selvaraj as interim coach for the Asian Games.

“Arul is the interim coach, but whether we go to South Korea or not depends on the players.

“We have also changed our target from winning a gold medal to reaching the final.”

Asked if the reason for the poor results at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games was because the players were not serious, Tengku Abdullah replied: “A lot of factors. You have to ask the players and the coach that.”

Mailsport had highlighted several times about the division within the hockey team but, when spoken to, every MHC official denied that was the case.

Was Tengku Abdullah made aware of these allegations earlier or were the offi cials hiding the truth from him?

If he was not told, then Tengku Abdullah must fi nd out why as at the end of the day, he is the man who will carry the can if or when Malaysia fail.

The president also revealed the team’s proposed trip to Holland had been called off, before adding: “I would like to thank Dharmaraj for his services and will speak to the National Sports Council about his future as he has signed a contract with them.”

“He stepped in when (former coach Paul) Revington quit abruptly and did the job to the best of his abilities.

“We will find a place for him in MHC.” But fi rst, Tengku Abdullah must put the players in their place or there will be more disappointment in Incheon.

Malay Mail

Koshy quits as KLHA President

Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association were dealt a bitter blow as their president George Koshy resigned yesterday.

Having served the association for six years as President, the decision by Koshy comes in wake of the MHC Council decision to replace him as the team manager to the Asian Games in September.

Koshy when contacted confirmed the fact that he has decided to step down as the KLHA president.

"My work commitments has been increasing and I cannot find enough time to devote to my duties as President of KLHA," said Koshy.

"I had already informed the KLHA numerous times that I do not intend to seek re-election in the forthcoming AGM which is scheduled for early next year.

"This will give KLHA time to find someone else to take over the mantle."

When asked if his decision had anything to do with the MHC decision to replace him as the national team manager, Koshy had this to say.

"Not at all for they have taken a load of my shoulder by naming another manager.

"I had my up's and downs with the national team which I managed since 2009, enjoyed every moment and am  so damn happy we finally made the World Cup, which a small step to moving back to the mainstream of the hockey world but guess making  to the Olympics during my term was not meant to be .

"I wish them well in the forthcoming Asian Games."

While Koshy would not say it, the fact was obvious that the man who provided a new dimension In managing hockey teams was not even told prior to him being replaced as national team manager for the Asian Games.

The KLHA council who are expected to meet next Monday are said to be bent on rejecting the resignation.

But Koshy is adamant that he wants to leave.

"My time is up and let someone else take KL hockey to greater heights," were the parting words of Koshy.

Malaysian Hockey blogspot

Trials to select hockey team today

Mohsin Ali

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Olympian Rana Mujahid has said that the trials to select national team for Asian Games and tour of Spain will be conducted today (Wednesday) here at Naseer Bunda Stadium.

Talking to The Nation on Tuesday, Mujahid said that the national selection committee headed by Islahuddin Siddiqui along with chief coach Shahnaz Sheikh, members Arshad Ali Chaudhry, Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir and Musaddiq Hussain would witness the trials and select the final squad. “The central contracts for players and selection committee including coaches and others will be awarded as soon as we receive the special grant from the Prime Minister.”

He categorically denied that the grant was reduced to Rs 5 million instead of Rs 500 million. “There is no truth in such rumours that amount is slashed. The matter of the fact is that the summary is lying on the table of the PM and it is now up to him whether he slash anything or approve the entire amount.”

“The hockey camp will be shifted to Lahore from August 15. An exhibition match between Pakistan Greens and Pakistan Whites will be held on August 17 to mark the Independence Day. The camp will continue till August 31. The national team will depart to Spain to play practice matches on September 1 and return on Sep 10 before leaving for Korea to defend their title,” he stated.

“We are striving hard to arrange maximum matches in Spain and nearby countries. We are prepared to play matches even against the club sides, as it will provide much-needed exposure to our team and players. I will not come to Islamabad, as it is the provocative of chief selector and coach to decide what team they select, we will fully endorse the selected squad,” Rana said.

Meanwhile, the sources in Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have confirmed to this scribe that hockey camp is shifted to Lahore just to accommodate table tennis teams from South Asian countries, who are coming to participate in the South Asian Table Tennis Championship. As this scribe had already mentioned in the earlier story that the parallel table tennis federation, who had full backing of IPC Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, had demanded the PSB to allocate at least 50 air conditioned rooms for the visiting international teams.

The Nation

Pakistan to name hockey squad for Asian Games today

ISLAMABAD: The trials to select a final squad for the 17th Incheon Asian Games will be held at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday (today). The national selection committee - headed by Islahuddin Siddiqui along with chief coach Shahnaz Sheikh, members Arshad Ali Chawdhry, Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir and Musaddiq Hussain - will watch the trials and select the final squad. The captain of the national team will be announced by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). Chief selector Islahuddin said Tuesday that form, fitness and pure merit would be the criteria for selection of the Pakistan hockey team for Asian Games and other coming tours.

“The selection committee in consultations with chief coach Shahnaz and the PHF will be making endeavours to select the best possible combination,” he added. “There will be no preferences in selection for us for seniors and juniors and we will be going for the best combination,” he maintained. Islahuddin said objective was to put national hockey back on the track. “But it a gigantic task and it requires long-term planning and process,” added the former Pakistan captain and Olympian. He said he was in constant touch with Shahnaz and getting regular updates on the performances of the players in the training camp. He said PHF chief Akhtar Rasool, secretary general Rana Mujahid and Shahnaz were very keen to make their contribution in improving Pakistan hockey. “To be frank despite Asian Games champions we are starting from zero, it will take few years to make Pakistan heroes once again.” He said he knew the performances of the Pakistan team players and Shahnaz’s recommendations would be prime importance for the selection committee.

The Daily Times

‘Form, fitness and merit criteria for Asiad selection’

KARACHI: Chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui emphasised that form, fitness and pure merit will be the criteria for the selection of the Pakistan hockey team for the Asian Games and other upcoming tours.

“The selection committee, in consultation with chief coach Shahnaz Shaikh and Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), will try to select the best possible combination,” Islah said in an interview on Tuesday following his return from the US.

“There will be no preferential selections and we would be going for the best combination. Our objective is to put national hockey back on the track. But it is a gigantic task and requires long-term planning,” the former Pakistan captain added.

One-day trials will be held in Rawalpindi on Wednesday to select a 16- or 18-member squad.

Other members of the selection committee are Arshad Chaudhry, Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir and Mussaddiq Hussain.

Islah added that he was in touch with Shahnaz and was receiving regular updates on the performances of the players in the training camp during his trip to the US.

He said PHF chief Akhtar Rasool, secretary Rana Mujahid and Shahnaz are keen to make their contributions in improving the team.

“Despite being the defending champions at the Games [in South Korean city of Incheon from September], we are starting from zero, it will take few years to make them heroes,” he said.

Dawn

PIA, PAF and NBP score victories



LAHORE: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) registered victories on the fifth day of the ongoing All Pakistan NBP Hockey Tournament at the National Hockey Stadium here on Tuesday. PIA beat Higher Education (HEC) 3-1, PAF beat Pakistan Railways 3-2 and NBP beat Pakistan Army 3-1.

In the first match, PIA launched an aggressive attack in the second minute of the contest and earned a penalty corner that Ehsanullah successfully converted to give his team lead. However, HEC defenders checked their attacks in the second session. In the third session, the HEC forwards made an aggressive move and Kamran Maqsood levelled the score with a beautiful field goal in the 38th minute. PIA’s Atif Mustafa scored a field goal in the 44th minute to give his team lead and in the 55th minute Mohammad Zubair’s field goal sealed the fate of their rivals. Mohammad Sohail and Shahid Pervaiz supervised the match.

Railways were unfortunate to face defeat against PAF in the second match of the day. The Railways forwards made a number of attacks with the start of the match. In the 13th minute, Haseeb, Rizwan and Zeeshan made a move and entered the D where Aleem scored the first goal for his team on a pass. Only two minutes later, another move by Zeeshan and Adnan created an opportunity for Arsalan to score the second goal for Railways. But Railways lost initiative after taking two-nil lead and faltered in their moves and defense. In the last minute of the second sessions PAF’s Usman Sami scored his first goal (30th minute) and in the 34th minute Shahbaz;s field goal levelled the score 2-2. In the 54th minute Usman again struck a beautiful field goal (his second) to take the score 3-2 which remained intact till the final whistle. Railways forwards made a very good move in the 57th minute through Kamran and Zeeshan but Arsalan failed to net the ball. Kamran Sharif and Mohammad Afsaar were the field umpires.

In the last match of the day, NBP took lead in the 18th minute through Mohammad Attique who successfully converted a penalty corner. Army bounced back ferociously to level the score in the 19th minute through Abdul Jabbar. The match entered into a very interesting stage in the third session during which both teams tried hard to take possession of the ball and take lead. The crowd enjoyed every moment of the match. NBP launched a very calculated onslaught to salvage their image. Their forwards found gaps and made combined moves amid short passes to score two goals in the 58th (Akhtar Ali) and 59th minutes (Mohammad Faizan). Rana Liaqat and Hamza supervised the match. Wednesday (today) is the rest day.

Tomorrow’s fixtures:
HEC vs PAF
Army vs Railways
PIA vs WAPDA

The Daily Times

Victories for PIA, PAF and NBP

LAHORE: Reigning champions PIA, Pakistan Air Force and National Bank of Pakistan have registered victories on the fifth day of the ongoing All-Pakistan NBP Hockey tournament at the National Hockey Stadium here on Tuesday.

PIA beat HEC 3-1 while PAF earned 3-2 win against Railways with the NBP outplaying Army 3-1.

PIA started in a stormy fashion as they earned a penalty corner in the second minute which was successfully converted by Ehsanullah to give his team 1-0 lead. No goal was scored in the second quarter as in the third one the HEC forwards made an aggressive move with Kamran Maqsood leveling the score with a beautiful field goal in the 38th minute.

However, PIA showed dominance as their Atif Mustafa scored a field goal in the 44th minute and in the 55th minute Mohammed Zubair’s field goal completed the victory for the PIA.

In the second match, Pakistan Railways’ Aleem scored the first goal in the 13th minute. Two minutes later Arsalan made it 2-0. But the PAF bounced back scoring three goals in a row to turn defeat into win. Usman Sami (30th), Shahbaz (34th) leveled the score 2-2. In the 54th minute, Usman slammed in his second goal which proved the winner.

NBP took lead in the 18th minute through Attique who successfully converted a penalty corner. Army retaliated to level the score in the 19th minute as Abdul Jabbar struck a field goal. NBP scored back to back goals through Akhtar Ali (58th) and Faizan (59th) to complete the tally.

Wednesday’s fixtures:

HEC vs PAF, ARMY vs Railways, PIA vs WAPDA.

Dawn

No Olympic hockey gold for Pakistan since 1984

By Mohammad Yaqoob


In years to come, the situation for Pakistan hockey deteriorated as they started returning to the country with empty hands from the Olympics. — File photo

With no significant hopes for revival of the game of hockey in Pakistan around the corner, the day of August 11, when Pakistan clinched the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, passed quietly.

It was the day when the green-shirts, led by Manzoor Junior, overcame West Germany 2-1 in the final.

After that achievement, the lone major success which Pakistan witnessed at the Olympics was on August 8, 1992 when they beat the Netherlands 4-3 for the bronze medal in Spain.

In years to come, the situation for Pakistan hockey deteriorated as they started returning to the country with empty hands from the Olympics, despite the fact the government was pumping in millions of rupees.

Teams from Europe and Australia started rising and continued dominating the world of hockey, whereas Pakistan and other Asian countries, including India, South Korea and Malaysia, failed to break their supremacy.

Pakistan, once a force to be reckoned in the world of hockey, due to its distinguished past record won gold medals at 1960, 1968 and 1984 Olympics, and as many silver at 1956, 1964 and 1972 editions, besides two bronze medals at 1976 and 1992 editions.

Having won the World Cups four times in 1971, 78, 82 and 1994, and silver in 1975 and 1990, Pakistan were also a dominating force in the Champions Trophy, winning it in 1978, 80 and 94.

Pakistan also bagged silver at the Champions Trophy in 1983, 84, 88, 91, 96 and 1998, besides bronze in 1986, 1992, 95, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2012.

When contacted, then captain Manzoor Junior said winning the gold medal at Los Angeles was a dream for them.

“I had never thought at that time that Pakistan will not be able to win the gold medal in next 30 years because we were considered a significant force at that time,” he said.

He added sincere efforts were needed by every stakeholder, including the government and the PHF, to revive the game of hockey in the country.

Manzoor said though the European teams had become major force, they were not unbeatable.

The former captain said Pakistan possessed great potential in this game but there was a need to adopt a comprehensive plan to revamp the declining sport and for that purpose everyone should work selflessly.

He said right people should be chosen to run the sport, otherwise, it would remain a dream to get the lost glory back.

Manzoor said his team at that time was blessed with skill and experience which the current lot lacked and the PHF had to work very hard if it was sincere in making hockey popular in the country again.

Meanwhile, another member of the winning squad, Hanif Khan, said their side was experienced, technically sound and had the winning spirit.

He said no one was expecting in 1986 that Pakistan would win the gold medal but they impressed everyone with their performance.

Hanif disclosed that soon after winning the 1986 Olympics, seven players were shown the door which created vacuum in the side.

He said there was no need to establish academies, instead the PHF should promote club hockey and it had to bring major changes at the domestic level to improve the infrastructure.

PHF president Akhtar Rasool Chaudhry could not be contacted despite several attempts.

Dawn

Let's get technical


(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)

For a sport that is thousands of years old, hockey really is leading the way in sports development. Whether we are talking about training, equipment or skills, hockey is always looking to push the boundaries. So much so, that other sports are looking our way for innovation and ideas.

For the next week we will be looking at some of the ways that hockey is developing. We hear from George Pinner, one of the best goalkeepers in the world about how a few inches of foam stands between him and a ball travelling at 100 miles an hour; a top sports university is radically changing how coaches use statistics; the use of video technology has transformed how hockey is officiated; and hockey sticks… can they get any more high tech? Take a trip into the future with FIH's Hockey Tech Uncovered!

FIH site

Recommendation to confer Bharat Ratna on Dhyan Chand


Getty Images

Recommendations have been received for conferring the Bharat Ratna on hockey great Major Dhyan Chand and they have been forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office, Lok Sabha was informed today.

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country and is awarded in recognition of exceptional service or performance of highest order in fields of human behaviour. "Although no formal recommendations for Bharat Ratna are necessary, the recommendations have have been received for Bharat Ratna to Late Major Dhyan Chand from several quarters.

These recommendations have been forwarded to the Prime Minister's Office," Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said in reply to a written query in Lok Sabha. Recently, speculation has been rife that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and hockey legend Dhyan Chand may get the coveted award this year.

The speculation has been fuelled by the home ministry placing an order of five Bharat Ratna medallions. The recent recipients of the award include cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar and renowned scientist CNR Rao.

DNA

Dhyan Chand deserved Bharat Ratna last year itself: Ex-hockey player Aslam Sher Khan



Former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan has said that Dhyan Chand should have been awarded the Bharat Ratna instead of Sachin last year.

Former hockey player Aslam Sher Khan said, "Indian hockey teams that participated in the Olympics of 1928, 1932 and 1936 laid the basis for identity of Indian hockey".

He said, "The world started calling Dhyan Chand "the wizard of hockey" after the 1936 Olympics. My father Ahmed Sher Khan played with Dhyan Chand in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and won the gold medal".

"When the previous government decided that the Bharat Ratna can be given to sports persons, Major Dhyan Chand should have been the first person to be awarded," he said.

He also said, "Last year, government was in a haste to award Bharat Ratna to Sachin Tendulkar. Awarding Bharat Ratna to Sachin was injustice to those sports persons who came from poor backgrounds and achieved a great deal.

DNA

Bharat Ratna Debate: All you need to know about hockey great Dhyan Chand

by FP Sports


Fans of Dhyan Chand show their support. AFP

Dhyan Chand is inarguably the greatest hockey players who ever lived. For those who prefer cricket, think of him as hockey’s Don Bradman, someone so far ahead of the rest that comparisons are meaningless.

The pair even came across each other in Adelaide in 1935, when the Indian hockey team was touring Australia. After watching Dhyan Chand play, the Don was reportedly impressed enough to say: “He scores goals like runs in cricket."

Here are a few facts and legends about Dhyan Chand that you ought to know.

- He was born on August 29, 1905 near the banks of the Ganga in Allahabad. His birth name was Dhyan Singh. According to his son, Ashok Kumar, his father’s first coach was so struck by Singh’s burgeoning hockey skills that he proclaimed the young man would one day shine like a "chand" [moon]. The comparison stuck and Dhyan Singh would go down in history as Dhyan Chand.

- Dhyan Chand’s father, Sameshwar Dutt Singh, was a solider in the Indian Army it was on joining the army at the age of 16 in 1922 that Chand took up hockey.

- Dhyan Chand won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in hockey between 1928 and 1936.

- During the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Adolf Hitler walked out of the hockey final because Chand was single-handedly destroying Germany. India had trailed 0-1 at half-time but would go on to score eight goals in the second half, six of them by Chand, to rout the hosts. Hitler later offered to make Lance 'Naik' Chand a Colonel if he moved to Germany, an offer that was politely turned down.

- Dhyan Chand was a prolific scorer of goals. In 1932, India scored 338 goals in 37 matches. Dhyan Chand scored 133 of them. He scored over 1,000 goals in his career.

- He had the highest standards on the field. When Dhyan Chand was 42 and semi-retired, he agreed to go on a tour of East Africa with a young Indian team. In one particular game, he played KD Singh Babu through on goal with a typically brilliant pass, but inexplicably turned around and walked away without watching to see if Babu scored or not. When Babu later asked him about it, Chand said: "If you could not get a goal from that you did not deserve to be on my team."

- There is a sports club in Vienna which boasts a statue of Chand bearing four arms and four hockey sticks to illustrate just how magical his skills were.

- How superior Chand was to his contempories was explained by fellow Olympic gold medallist Keshav Dutt: "His real talent lay above his shoulders. His was easily the hockey brain of the century. He could see a field the way a chess player sees the board. He knew where his teammates were, and more importantly where his opponents were - without looking. It was almost psychic.

“He treated everybody as pieces on a board meant for his use. He'd know from his own movement how the defense was forming, and where the gaps were. In other words, he was the only imponderable, everybody else fell in predictable patterns around him."

- Beyond hockey, Chand’s hobbies were hunting, fishing and cooking.

- He retired from the army at the age of 51 and the rank of Major.

- Chand’s retired to Jhansi and coached for a short while but by his own account, his last years were less than comfortable. He was not well off and felt ignored by the country to which he had given so much joy. According to his son Ashok, he was shockingly turned away from a hockey tournament in Ahmedabad because the organisers did not know who he was.

- Chand died almost penniless in 3 December, 1979 at AIIMS in New Delhi after developing liver cancer. He was originally placed in the general ward as no one at the hospital knew who he was. According to Rohit Brijnath, “a journalist's article eventually got him moved to a special room, but that public memory had to be jogged tells its own story”.

Firstpost

Gurmail finally gets award after applying for 9 yrs

Rachna Khaira


Gurmail Singh

Jalandhar - For former hockey player Gurmail Singh, the wait is finally over. The former India right-half's name has been recommended for this year's Dhyan Chand Award by the Ministry of Sports and Cultural Affairs. Gurmail, who was part of the team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, had been applying for the lifetime achievement award for the last nine years.

The Arjuna awardee said that only because the government decided to make the selection on the basis of points from this year onwards, his name was nominated for the award.

"As the new system has become more transparent and prevents favouritism, my name appeared in the first list. Otherwise I could have missed the honour this time too," said Gurmail, who is a Superintendent of Police with the Punjab Police. Talking about the current situation of the Indian team, Gurmail said that he did not believe in the idea of hiring foreign coaches.

He added that the government should start taking advantage of the expertise and the experience of the veteran Indian players. “We know our boys best and can provide them with the best training. The government spends a lot of money on hiring foreign coaches; the same amount could be spent on upgrading the infrastructure and on the welfare of the Indian players," he added.

The Tribune