News 14 August 2014
All the news for Thursday 14 August 2014
A brave new world awaits
S. Thyagarajan
Competitive hockey entered a revolutionary phase when synthetic pitches came into vogue after the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976.
Very few sports probably have gone through such a stunning metamorphosis as hockey in the last four decades in relation to rules, equipment, colour of balls, pitches and on-field communications.
It is again on the threshold of a transformation. This is in regard to the new format from September 1, more accurately, with the Asian Games at Incheon.
The system of four quarters of 15 minutes each with a two-minute break at the end of the first and third session is not a new concept. This was experimented here in some events. “It is a change from the point of entertainment, but we have to wait and see the advantages in the long run,” said former Olympian and coach V. Baskaran.
The Moscow Games gold medallist feels splitting the match into four parts might impede the tempo, especially when a team is leading 2-0 and going all out for the third. A break at this point, even if it is for two minutes, is likely to affect the rhythm. He is anxious to know how well the national team is gearing up to meet the challenges in the new system under the Aussie coach Terry Walsh. The Aussies have been playing this format for a while in local competitions.
B.P. Govinda, former Olympian and currently chairman of the national selection committee, gives the new format a thumbs-up. His reading is that the time-out between the quarters will help the players to catch their breath. It will afford coaches time to revise the strategy for the next session. He feels with the playing time clipped by 10 minutes from 70 to 60 both the players and coaches stand to benefit more.
Former international umpire, Md. Muneer, agrees with Govinda. He views the format to be more interesting for spectators and TV audience, apart from providing a breather for the umpires and table officials. He believes technical supervision will become more professional.
R.V. Raghu Prasad, umpire in the world panel, says that the format will improve the pace of play compelling umpires to be fitter and concentrate more on the flow. He is unable to comprehend the reason for confining a match to 60 minutes. However, he is sceptical whether the two-minute break can contribute substantially to commercial promotion.
But the FIH on curtailment of 10 minutes says the additional time-outs for penalty corners ensure that the new 60-minute format is primarily actual playing time and eliminates the dead time associated with penalty corner set up while allowing for goal celebrations.
What eventually matters is the consensus in the FIH. Leandro Negre, President, FIH, said while announcing the change, “the decision demonstrates our commitment to fan engagement. With the additional breaks, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy more replays and be more engaged with the event whether in the stadium or watching from afar.”
For the hockey fraternity a brave new world is waiting for the dawn.
The Hindu
PHF announces squad for Asian Games
By Kashif Abbasi
“We have selected a balanced team and I hope this team will produce better results,” PHF secretary Rana Mujahid said. — Photo by Reuters
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Wednesday announced an 18-member squad for the 17th Asian Games, slated to begin in Incheon, South Korea, on Sept 19.
The national selection committee, headed by Islahuddin Siddiqui and comprising Olympian Khalid Bashir and Musaddiq Hussain, after conducting final trials announced the squad at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium here.
Head coach Shahnaz Sheikh was also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Islahuddin said the squad was finalised purely on merit.
“We considered all aspects like physical fitness, performance during the camp and other training sessions before finalising the players,” he said. To a query, he said the PHF was trying to make Europe tour before participating at the Asian Games.
He said: “The same squad will go to Europe if we undertake the tour to Europe.”
He said the PHF will announce names of captain and vice captain in next few days.
Meanwhile, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid told Dawn that Mohammad Imran and Shafqat Rasool would likely to be captain and vice captain of the squad.
Talking about the proposed Europe tour, he said the tour was not confirmed but efforts were being made for it.
“Our talks are underway with several European teams as well as with India and Malaysia,” he said, adding that Pakistan could also play an Asian country if European tour did not get materialised.
He added that all the 18 names had been forwarded to the National Olympic Committee for the Asian Games.
“However, we will reduce the names before leaving for Incheon,” he said.
Mujahid further said the PHF didn’t interfere in selection committee’s work and provided them free environment to select players.
“We have selected a balanced team and I hope this team will produce better results,” he concluded.
Squad:
Amjad Butt, Imran Butt, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan, Amir Shahzad, Hamad Shakeel Butt, Mohammad Touseeq, Farid Ahmed, Rashid Mahmood, Rizwan junior, Kashif Shah, Mohammad Waqas, Umar Bhutta, Shahfqat Rasool, Abdul Haseem Khan, Mohammad Dilbar, Shakeel Abbasi and Rizwan senior.
Dawn
Final squad for Asian Games announced
KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) announced an 18-member squad for the forthcoming Asian Games that are scheduled to run from September 19 to October 4 in Incheon, South Korea.
The national selection committee – headed by Islahuddin Siddiqui along with chief coach Shahnaz Sheikh, members Arshad Ali, Ayaz Mahmood, Khalid Bashir and Musaddiq Hussain – observed the trials and selected the final squad.
The line-up comprises goalkeepers Imran Butt and Amjad Ali, Muhammad Imran (captain), Muhammad Irfan and Aamir Shehzad, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Tousiq, Fareed Ahmed, Rashid Mahmood, Muhammad Rizwan Jr and Syed Kashif Shah.
The forwards in the squad are Muhammad Waqas Sharif, M Umar Bhutta, Shafqat Rasool (vice-captain), Abdul Haseem Khan, Muhammad Dilber, Shakeel Abbasi and Muhammad Rizwan Senior.
Meanwhile, nine standby players were also selected.
The Express Tribune
Islahuddin takes hours to announce hockey squad for Europe tour
Mohsin Ali
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui announced 18-member national squad for the tour for Europe starting from September 1-10, after witnessing the trials here at Naseer Bunda International Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.
Khalid Bashir and Musaddiq Hussain accompanied Islah, while other two members of selection committee Arshad Ali Ch Ayaz Mahmood were not present on the occasion. Arshad is in UK, while Ayaz was in Karachi while head coach Shahnaz Sheikh was also present on the occasion.
Talking to the reporters, Islahuddin said: “I have talked to the PHF president Ch Akhtar Rasool and Ayaz and the team is announced purely on merit keeping in mind their physical fitness and performance during the last three months or so.”
“Eight players are selected for the Europe tour. We have to further cut two players as we have to field 16-member squad for the Asian Games. We will assert players’ performance during the Spain tour and then announce the final 16-member squad for the Asian Games,” he added.
He said the players had not played any international hockey for the last 10 months or so, as were out of the world cup and didn't take part in Commonwealth Games as well while on the other hand, Korea, Malaysia and India are playing regular international hockey besides taking part in high-profile events. “It is our wish and sincere prayers that green shirts defend their Asian Games title and perform accordingly, but one must be realistic and the ground reality is that it will take at least four years to take Pakistan hockey back to victory stand.”
“It is my humble request to Prime Minister Mian M Nawaz Sharif, who is also the patron of PHF, to spare some time for the federation and listen to our genuine demands, provide players with jobs and allocate special funds for the federation. The school and club hockey revival is the need of the hour, as long as these areas are not addressed. It will be very difficult to find fresh talent and it is true the selected squad is based on same old players, who are representing the country for the last several years, but we can't include junior players at least for the time being as we have to depend on seniors to produce results for the time being,” Islah added.
“The PHF will announce the name of the captain and vice captain and tour management committee soon. But I think Imran Senior will be the skipper, while Shafqat Rasool or Shakeel Abbasi can be named as his deputy,” he disclosed.
When asked about did he take instructions from the PHF president for finalizing the names of the squad,” he replied: “Yes, it was purely the selection committee's decision, while president was just informed about the final squad.”
When asked about why did it take the selectors more than an hour to announce the squad and why he kept on taking instructions from PHF president and he made changes on the directives, Islah said: “No, neither I change any name nor I took any instructions. I am sorry journalists had to wait, but I was sharing details with Ayaz and the president. They fully endorsed the squad finalized by the selection committee and we also took advice from head coach Shahnaz Sheikh.”
When this scribe asked Shahnaz why goalkeeper Imran Shah left the squad in the morning, Shahnaz replied: “Imran informed about his mother’s illness and took permission from him. It is rubbishing that Imran has serious differences with him.” When asked why was he not selected in the squad, Shahnaz replied: “He was not present during the trials.”
It is pertinent to mention here that all the claims of the federation and the chief selector regarding the selection committee is fully powerful in announcing the squad looked completely null and void as Islah looked confused, under pressure and just followed the directives of the PHF president Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool. Despite journalists strong protests, as they had to wait for more than two hours to get the names of the squad, Islah didn't bother to disconnect mobile call, several requests were made to head coach Shahnaz Sheikh to ask Islah to announce the squad, but Shahnaz looked completely helpless.
The 18-member squad for European tour includes Imran Butt, Amjed Ali, M Imran, M Irfan, Kashif Shah, Aamir Shahzad, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Tauseeq Ahmed, Fareed Ahmed, Rashid Mehmood, Rizwan Junior, Waqas Sharif, Umar Bhutta, Shafqat Rasool, Haseem Khan, M Dilber, Shakeel Abbasi and Rizwan Senior.
The nine-member standby squad includes Mazhar Abbas, Zahid Ullah, Tasawar Abbas, Faisal Qadir, Zohaib Ashraf, Arsalan Qadir, Rana Umair, Rizwan Ali and Kashif Ali.
The camp will be shifted to Lahore on 16th, while team will practice at Naseer Bunda Stadium today (Thursday). The national team will play Independence Day match against Pakistan Whites on August 17 at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore.
The Nation
Four World Cuppers dropped for Asian Games
By S. Ramaguru
Forward Ismail Abu who played in the World Cup has been left out from the Asian Games squad. - filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: Four hockey players from the World Cup squad are out of the reckoning for the Asian Games.
They are Faizal Saari, Ramadan Rosli and Ismail Abu while forward Hafifihafiz Hanafi is left out due to injury.
Newly appointed interim coach A. Arulselvaraj named his shortlist of 20 players for the final phase of training on Wednesday.
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) will drop four players from the list prior to the Games. Each team are allowed 16 players for the Incheon Games.
Arulselvaraj has named three goalkeepers in the shortlist and if he decides to take only one goalkeeper then only two field players will be dropped from the list.
Players from the Commonwealth Games squad who have made the shortlist are defender Baljit Singh, Izwan Firdaus, Meor Azuan, Hafizuddin Othman and Norhizzat Sumantri.
Arulselvaraj said that he needs more time with the players to decide on his final 16.
“There are options for us like taking only one goalkeeper. I have narrowed down the players and I will now concentrate on these batch,” he said. Time is short and as such we are looking at all options available. I will try and fit in some matches to give the players a chance to work on their combinations.”
Arulselvaraj took over from K. Dharmaraj who had handled the senior team for the last four assignments. But issues in the team forced the MHC to replace the entire team management with a new set of officials.
The other players who have been dropped will be allowed to play in the Razak Cup tournament which starts in Kuantan on Friday.
The Star of Malaysia
Tengku Abdullah brings out the big stick
By Graig Nunis
Azmi (right) and Manjit (inset) will be issued show cause letters for their comments regarding the national team. — File picture
PETALING JAYA — Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Tengku Abdullah Shah will begin his clean-up of the sport by issuing show cause letters to two senior officials.
Tengku Abdullah, who was kept in the dark about the alleged mutiny in the national team, has asked senior vice president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad and vice president-cum-coaching committee chairman Majid Manjit Abdullah to explain their outbursts in the media regarding the national team’s performances as this has brought “disrepute” to MHC.
On Monday, Tengku Abdullah acknowledged “player power” played a part in Malaysia’s poor performances at the World Cup and Commonwealth Games.
This led to K. Dharmaraj being “rested” as coach for the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from September 19-October 4.
The president had also warned he would not hesitate to pull the team out of the Asian Games if the players don’t buck up and promised to weed out the bad hats — be they players or officials.
“Yes, I can confirm the two of them will be given show cause letters,” said MHC secretary-general Datuk Mohamed Johari Abdul Aziz.
“They have been making comments which reflect poorly on the association. I must stress that this is not like football’s infamous Article 88, which prohibits officials from criticising the national team and could lead to suspensions.
“We just want them to be careful when making statements which could make MHC look bad. If they have grouses, they should use the proper channels.”
Asked about Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin’s comments that it was “inappropriate to replace Dharmaraj as coach so close to the Asian Games”, Johari reasoned that it was done for the good of the team.
“The MHC council deliberated at length before deciding on resting Dharmaraj. We looked at many factors before deciding to appoint Arul (Selvaraj) as the interim coach,” explained Johari.
“Arul was with the team for 18 months as the assistant to Paul Revington and knows the players well. We are confident he can help us for the Asian Games.
“Individually, we have some skilful players, but they have not been playing as a team. We need to sort that out.
“We named a squad of 20 today (yesterday) and they will go to Port Dickson for a team building exercise.”
Johari added Tengku Abdullah will meet the players after they return from Port Dickson to thrash out any outstanding matters.
Malay Mail
Koshy in shock resignation
By Jugjet Singh
KUALA Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) president George Koshy sent in a shock resignation letter yesterday.
After having served for six years as president, Koshy’s decision came on the back of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation’s move to replace him with Tai Beng Hai as team manager to the Asian Games in September.
“My work commitments has been increasing and I cannot find enough time to devote my time as president of KLHA," said Koshy.
“I have informed the KLHA council numerous times that I do not intend to seek re-election in the AGM which is scheduled for early next year.
“This will give KLHA time to find a replacement.”
When asked if his decision had anything to do with MHC naming Beng Hai as manager for the Commonwealth and Asian Games, Koshy said: “Not at all, for they have taken a load off my shoulder by naming another manager.
“I had my ups and downs with the national team (which he had managed since 2009), enjoyed every moment and am so damn happy we finally made the World Cup, which is a small step to moving back into the mainstream of the hockey world but I guess making it to the Olympics during my term was not meant to be .
“I wish them well in the forthcoming Asian Games,” said Koshy who was not even told earlier by MHC about him being replaced as national team manager for the Asian Games.
The KLHA council is expected to meet next Monday and is said to be bent on rejecting his resignation.
But Koshy is adamant. “My time is up and let someone else take KL hockey to greater heights,” he said.
New Straits Times
KLHA president George Koshy calls it quits
By S. Ramaguru
George Koshy (left) has stepped down as the KLHA president after he was removed as the national team's team manager. - filepic
PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) were dealt a major blow with the resignation of their president George Koshy.
The surprise decision by Koshy, who had served for six years, comes in the wake of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) council’s move to replace him as team manager to the Incheon Asian Games in September.
Koshy when contacted on Wednesday confirmed he has stepped down as the president.
“My work commitments have been increasing and I cannot find the time to devote to my duties with the KLHA,” said Koshy.
“I had already informed them numerous times that I do not intend to seek re-election in the forthcoming AGM next year. This will give them time to find someone else to take over the mantle.”
When asked if his decision had anything to do with the MHC’s decision to replace him, Koshy said that they have in fact taken a load off his shoulders.
“I had my ups and downs with the national team since being the manager in 2009. I enjoyed every moment and very happy we finally made the World Cup. But I guess playing in the Olympics during my term was not meant to be.
“I wish them well in the forthcoming Asian Games”.
Koshy is adamant that he wants to leave even if the KLHA council reject his resignation.
“My time is up. Let someone else take KL hockey to greater heights.”
The Star of Malaysia
SA men's hockey Achilles heel
by Jonathan Cook
A group of SA players with England Hockey mascot Jasper at the recent Investec Cup in London. Photo by: Ady Kerry
HOCKEY, like most sports, relies almost entirely on time out in the middle for a team to even begin to work together as a finely-tuned unit. The weight of the through-ball requires the midfielder to have a very good idea of the speed of his striker, a little too hard and the game-breaking pass might go over the baseline or be cut off by a defender … these are the nuances that make the difference between winning and losing amongst elite nations in world hockey. And just like the serious cricketer, extended time spent in the middle is worth dozens of net practices, throw-downs and bowling at a single stump or trying to deliver the ball onto a handkerchief on a good length.
And this is where the SA men’s hockey team fall down. Already a nation in the top 12 of a fiercely competitive pecking order amongst the best 15 to 20 countries in world hockey, it is the Achilles heel holding the lads in green and gold back from making meaningful progress from bottom four in the sport’s Majors, the 12-team World Cup and Olympic Games into the middle four and eventually the business end as medal contenders.
The men’s event at the lower-profile (in hockey terms) yet equally important Commonwealth Games offered an insight into the team’s problems, that fine line, the slenderest of margins, between toppling the best and ending amongst the also-rans yet again.
The key CG match in Glasgow last week was against world number nine India – a hugely improved side now that Aussie legend Terry Walsh is in charge – it was the clash that captain Austin Smith’s SA lads had pinpointed long before the tournament as pivotal to their path to the semi-finals and with it the chance of a medal.
Plotting their way successfully through this vital Pool A match, essentially a quarter-final, would also have signified a milestone in the team’s progress. However, a poor first half highlighted the gulf between a well-oiled team and one still feeling its way and the upshot was a 5-2 victory for the fabulously skilled men from the sub-continent.
Those nuances, the innate understanding between players in the three lines – defence, midfield and upfront – and the crossover amongst those lines, the delicately weighted pass of supremely talented SA midfielder Clint Panther and lightning quick striker Julian Hykes, those nuances were primarily on India’s side. What South Africa have in abundance is a fighting spirit that all-but transcends adversity, yet the gap between the Indians (never mind the all-conquering Australians) is still too wide to expect success from heart alone.
To be fair, SA were dealt a massive blow when key defender Andrew Cronje and experienced midfielder Jonty Robinson were blown out of the Glasgow tournament very early through injury, yet that is not the core of the matter.
Time spent in the middle, through plenty of “nothing” Test matches where only pride is at stake, is makes for success at the top. Medals will never come at global hockey showpieces when SA only get together a fortnight or so in advance while full-time opponents have been preparing for months – even years in advance.
Playing in plenty of “nothing” Test matches, allied with weeks and even more weeks of training camps, irons out the kinks and makes for a genuine medal contender. But that takes money, five or six million rand a year at least.
Where is it going to come from?
Do It Now
To win medals things need to change in SA hockey
Eunice Visagie
Lenise Marais, Marsha Cox and Lisa Deetlefs Photos by: Wessel Oosthuizen
So close, but yet so far. This will remain the harsh reality for South African hockey without proper sponsorship and on an amateur level, while more and more international teams are becoming professional or semi-professional.
At the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, the SA men’s team finished fifth and the women fourth. The same as in 2010.
The men won the fifth place play-off match against Canada, while the women lost to England in the bronze medal match. Afterwards both captains – Austin Smith and Marcia Cox – made it clear that South Africa can’t, in current circumstances, compete with the professional teams of world hockey.
Comments Smith, "We did win the must-win games against Scotland and Wales. We once again learnt a lot and noticed the big difference between the professional and amateur teams. We struggle in the pressure matches. Looking forward and beyond these Commonwealth Games, a lot of work needs to be done. I think it shows how far behind these top nations we are and it’s going to be hard to close the gap. It also shows what challenges there are for hockey as a federation."
Cox added, "The harsh reality is that we were in the game with 15 minutes to go against New Zealand in the semi-final. The difference – as was proven in those last 15 minutes – is that they’re a professional unit and we struggle for financial support. We try to stay positive in the build-up, but we only get together as a squad close to these tournaments, while the likes of New Zealand are together most of the time. Until things start changing, results like these at the big tournaments will stay the same."
While the women had a somewhat easier draw to the semi-finals, the men had their work cut out for them. Cox and her team started their campaign with a 16-0 romping of Trinidad and Tobago, which helped to secure a place in the play-offs. They only had to draw with India in the last game to make sure of a semi-final against New Zealand. The men had Australia and India in their group, both professional teams. Smith and his men had to beat India for a place in the semi-finals.
Lloyd Norris-Jones. Photos by: Wessel Oosthuizen
The men’s coach, Fabian Gregory, also said that it is unfair to expect the amateur teams to compete with fully professional set-ups. "We made it difficult for ourselves against India. We need to move forward more and create more opportunities because we have fantastic strikers and midfielders. We have to risk more, I think. I have one big concern and that is our penalty corner defense. We have to be honest and say we are not ready to challenge big teams like Australia. We need more time together to become a better unit," said Gregory.
The lack of financial support is a big problem. And even though Cox’s team is not professional, the fact that they have a proper team sponsor does make a big difference. Not only does it show on the field of play but also in the stats. The South African women’s team finished 11th at the World Cup and played for a medal at the Commonwealth Games. The men finished 12th at the World Cup and 5th at the Commonwealth Games. The women’s team played the game against India with a total of 1,930 caps between them. Cox is the most capped player ever, with almost 350 matches for her country. The 26-year-old Lisa-Marie Deetlefs played her 200th match for South Africa during the Games. Most of the players have played 100 games or more. This shows that the women are getting so much more exposure and game time to work on their international game.
The men’s captain, Smith, has yet to reach the 150 mark, while the most experienced players in the team are just over 100 games. There's no doubt that the men play much less than the women and the reason is simple: Money. To be better, South Africa needs to play more international hockey, but players can't be expected to pay for tours and tournaments out of their own pockets.
Just before the Commonwealth Games, the South African Minister of Sport, Fikile Mbalula, said he would be meeting with the South African Hockey Federation to discuss the possibility of a professional hockey league in South Africa. This was tweeted and re-tweeted hundreds of times. Since then there has been nothing following this statement and queries to the Department of Sport have gone unanswered until now. When players were asked what they think of the statement, they said it is very much needed, but only when it becomes a reality will it mean anything.
Do It Now
Hockey India questions Arjuna Awards selection committee
Hockey India (HI) on Wednesday blasted the Kapil Dev-led Arjuna Awards selection committee after none of the seven players it had recommended were chosen for the prestigious award.
The seven players were Joydeep Kaur and Ritu Rani from the women’s team; Dharamvir Singh, V.R. Raghunath, Tushar Khandker, Bharat Chetri and Shivendra Singh from men’s hockey.
“Out of 15 Arjuna Award winners five are from one state only. Is it a co-incidence or a professionally managed coup by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Sports Ministry. I will not name the athletes since they should be respected for what they have been rewarded with,” said Batra.
Batra also questioned the conflict of interest in the committee, especially commentator Anupam Ghulati, who is a former employee of HI.
“Is it known to the committee Anupam Ghulati who was member of this committee was an ex-employee of Hockey India and was asked to leave Hockey India in a bad taste? Did he recuse himself when hockey was discussed,” said Batra.
The HI Secretary General said it was Ghulati who told the committee that hockey should not considered since there were no results in the last four years.
Batra also revealed that Ghulati was forced to resign by HI after he had shortlisted 30 probables for the 2012 London Olympics on his own and forwarded it to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Batra said the seven hockey players have been cheated by the Sports Ministry and the SAI.
“Since the government of India has cheated the seven players of their rightful place in getting at least one award, we Hockey India will give them Rs.2 lakh each,” he said.
The Hindu
Cuba's hockey ambitions
A visit to the Caribbean island demonstrated to President that Cuba means business
Leandro Negre paid tribute to Cuban hockey's aspirations after a recent visit to the Caribbean island. Leandro joined Alberto (Coco) Budeisky, President of Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF), where he met with many of the people responsible for driving Cuban hockey forwards. The purpose of the trip was two-fold: to discuss the Cuban Federation's ambitions and plans for hockey in the future; and to inspect two new pitches – one sand-filled and the other water-based – that have received financial support from FIH.
The president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) visited the island's capital Havana, where he met with José Ramón Fernández (President of Cuban Olympic Committee) and Julio Cristian Jiménez Molina (President of INDER). The meeting provided the opportunity for interesting and meaningful discussions about hockey development and the future of the sport in Cuba.
Leandro and Coco then travelled to Ciego de Ávila province together with Alex Hernández Gómez (President of Cuban Federation) and Andrés Zirulnikoff (Forbex expert), where they were welcomed by governmental and sports dignitaries of the province, and witnessed the final arrangements for the new artificial sand pitch being built in the venue close to “Sala Multifuncional Deportiva”.
As part of the visit, the group also visited the National School of Hockey in “Santiago de las Vegas”, which is part of “Rancho Boyero”. Here, a meeting was held between the dignitaries of International Hockey and Pan American Federation and some of the male and female players of the Cuban national teams, as well as the coaching and technical staff responsible for the athletes’ development.
One of the aims of the meeting was to discuss Cuba's return to the international hockey scenario. It is hoped that the new artificial pitch will play host to top international events in the future.
Speaking after his visit, Leandro said: "This trip to Cuba underlines the work we are doing at FIH to promote hockey to a wider global audience. The Cuban Federation is determined to put Cuban hockey back on the international stage and I am delighted to support this ambition."
FIH site
The value of a good reference
Two of our top officials explain how technology is helping decision-making
(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
Jason McCracken and Carol Metchette are at the top of their game when it comes to match officiating. Carol was one of the video umpires at the women's Hockey World Cup in The Hague, while Jason was Tournament Director for the men's World Cup. In an era where the game is getting faster and an erroneous umpiring decision can cost a team dear, they explain why video referrals are such a good thing for our sport.
"The video referral has made a significant change to the role of the umpire," says Jason. "The main impact has been the accuracy of decision-making. Modern hockey has become incredibly fast and complex, and the timing for making accurate decisions has been shortened. The use of the video umpire has removed a considerable amount of conflict that used to exist between players and umpires. If a team is upset with a decision they now have the right to request a referral."
Video referrals were first introduced as a trial at the women's Champions Trophy in Amstelveen, Netherlands in 2006; the aim being to test the system in order to provide a way of reducing umpiring errors that may have a major impact on the result of a match. The system was quickly approved and used in the subsequent World Cups in Monchengladbach and Madrid in 2006. Now it is part and parcel of top level international hockey events, and is a system being closely monitored by other team sports.
The video referral allows two types of referral. An umpire referral is requested when an umpire is not certain they have made, or are able to make, the correct decision relating to a goal. A team referral can be requested by any member of the team on the pitch and is restricted to decisions within the 23 metres area relating to the award or non-award of goals, penalty corners and penalty strokes. Each team has one referral, if a team referral is upheld then the team keeps its right to refer, a rejected referral means the team loses that right.
Still a relatively new concept, there are areas for improvement. Carol questions the speed of referral: "A video referral starts from the moment of the incident which leads to the referral, but the VU cannot start watching replays until he or she knows what is being questioned. In an attempt to speed things up, the language used to question the decisions has been refined – previously it had to be worded very precisely – but this still remains an area of frustration as it sometimes takes a long time for the umpire to formulate the question that is asked of the video umpire."
When video referrals were first introduced there was a concern that umpires would see it as a challenge to their authority. Jason disagrees: "Umpires have quickly got over being corrected by the video umpire as we all accept that getting the decision correct is key and egos have to be set aside."
Certainly players and coaches are in favour of the use of video referrals, although there is sometimes frustration when a team loses its right to refer early in the match. Coaching players to ask for referrals in the right circumstances is now an important element of a team's preparations.
There is no doubt that hockey is benefiting through its use of technology to ensure the correct decisions are made, and while there are some issues to iron out, generally its early adoption of the technology is gathering plaudits from other sports.
FIH site
Getting it right
By George Brink
Lily Owsley shoots to score England's goal in the Commonwealth Games semi-final against New Zealnad. Photo: From Hockey New Zealand by Ady Kerry
Hockey is extremely proud of their video referal system and rightly so, but recent Commonwealth Games activity shows that there is huge room for improvement.
Just looking at the Women's semi-final between England and New Zealand shows New Zealand suffered badly from two bad umpiring decisions in this game by Kylie Seymour from Australia.
The first one is glaringly obvious from the photo accompanying the article. It is absolutely clear the keeper is obstructed from playing the ball by Owsley's leg blocking her path to the ball. In getting into position to play this shot Owsley had actually swung her body into this position thus deliberately shielding the ball by using her body and backing into the keeper behind her.
Rule 9.12 Players must not obstruct an opponent who is attempting to play the ball.
Players obstruct if they :
– back into an opponent
– physically interfere with the stick or body of an opponent
– shield the ball from a legitimate tackle with their stick or any part of their body.
A stationary player receiving the ball is permitted to face in any direction.
A player with the ball is permitted to move off with it in any direction except bodily into an opponent or into a position between the ball and an opponent who is within playing distance of the ball and attempting to play it.
A player who runs in front of or blocks an opponent to stop them legitimately playing or attempting to play the ball is obstructing (this is third party or shadow obstruction). This also applies if an attacker runs across or blocks defenders (including the goalkeeper or player with goalkeeping privileges) when a penalty corner is being taken
A split second later after the ball has gone into the goal we can see Owsley is actually kneeling on the keepers arm demonstarting just how bad the obstruction really was. Photo from England Hockey by Ady Kerry.
New Zealand referred the goal but asked the wrong question asking if there had been a foot.
What is the point of having video referral if we cannot get the decisions right?
Yes, New Zealand asked the wrong question, but Owsley's foul is so blatently obvious that the video umpire should have been able to rule out the goal even though the wrong question was asked. Take away New Zealand's referral if you must for asking the wrong question, but penalise the fouls or the video referral system becomes completely meaningless.
The second poor decision came at the end of the game. New Zealand had a PC and a mistake led to England getting a free hit. Kate Richardson-Walsh quickly took the free hit from outside the circle while still wearing her face mask.
Rule
4.2 Players must not wear anything which is dangerous to other players.
Field players:
– are permitted to wear a smooth preferably transparent or white but otherwise single coloured face mask which closely fits the face when defending a penalty corner or penalty stroke for the duration of that penalty corner or penalty stroke and when they are inside the circle they are defending ;
– other than players with goalkeeping privileges, are not permitted to wear protective headgear (face mask or other protective head covering) in any other circumstances.
Richarson-Walsh is a sufficiently experienced defender to know without any doubt that what she was doing was against the Rules of Hockey and was deliberately designed to get England off on a fast break. To me that is at least a green card and a penalty corner. New Zealand having lost their referral could not appeal this breach of the Rules that the umpire Kylie Seymour completely missed. Instead of having to defend an overtime penalty corner New Zealand should have been taking a Penalty Corner with England missing a key defender.
Key to this getting this decision wrong was that New Zealand had lost their referral although they were perfectly right in pointing out the deliberate breach of the RUles by Richardson-Walsh. I believe that to get round this teams get one "risk free" referal, as at present with them losing that referal if they get it wrong. Having lost their referral they may still refer any decision, but if they get it wrong the captain goes on a yellow card. Not only would this kind of system eliminate fouls from going unpunished, but it would also remove the language barrier problem we saw so often in the World Cup. There is not possibility of there being a misunderstanding. The team referring is questioning if there was a foul and can "guide" the video umpire by saying what they think the foul was, but the video umpire should look for all fouls and penalise them.
Would New Zealand have referred the face mask incident knowing they could lose their captain, Kayla Whitelock to face an overtime PC if they got it wrong. You bet they would have and who knows the match might have ended very differently.
As I said Hockey is rightly proud of the video referral system, but it certainly has a long way to go to get it completely right. Rugby have managed to do it with their TMO bringing attention to serious infringements off the ball. Why can't we?
Fieldhockey.com
Hockey meet starts
Arin Kumar
Fiji Secondary Schools Hockey Association president Immanuel Prasad (left) shakes hands with Goodman Fielder general manager Chris Zaayman while Dr Robin Mitchell looks on, in Suva yesterday. Picture: ELIKI NUKUTABU
ORGANISERS expect to see some future national reps in action at the Tuckers Ice Cream Secondary Schools Hockey Championships this weekend.
The tournament starts today and organisers anticipate stiff competition from all the teams that will participate.
Fiji Secondary Schools Hockey Association (FSSHA) president Immanuel Prasad said the competition was a way of bringing out the best in the players and exposing them to tough competition.
"During last year's tournament, the Fiji national U18 girls' team was selected," he said.
"Maybe some more future stars might shine during the tournament."
And the tournament received a major boost when sponsors increased their sponsorship in cash to $6000 and also donated in kind.
The sponsorship also includes attire for all executives of FSSHA, umpires, officials and volunteers.
Goodman Fielder general manager Chris Zaayman said the competition was a platform for students who may be looking at sporting careers and opportunities.
"I am sure the players would give it their best on the turf for their respective schools," he said.
The Super 8 National Finals and the Inter-District tournament would be held from today to Saturday at the National Hockey Turf.
The U19 Boys 11-a-side competition would be for the Bhasin Cup while the U19 Girls 11-a-side competition would be for the Westmere Trophy.
The Noal Cup would be up for grabs in the U16 Boys 11-a-side grade while the Sandys Trophy would be on the line in the U16 Girls 11-a-side grade.
For the Inter-District tournament, the boys would contest for the May Trophy while the girls would battle it out for the Sophia Raddock Trophy.
U16 Girls: Adi Cakobau School, Ballentine Memorial School, St Joseph's Secondary School, Levuka Public School, St John's College, Swami Vivekananda College, St Thomas High School, Natabua High School
U16 Boys: Cathedral Secondary School, Marist Brothers High School, Levuka Public School, St John's College, Swami Vivekananda College, St Thomas High School, Natabua High School, Tilak High School
U19 Girls: Sangam Sadhu Kuppuswamy Memorial College, Swami Vivekananda College, Adi Cakobau School, Natabua High School, St Joseph's Secondary School, Levuka Public School, St John's College, Gospel High School
U19 Boys: Cathedral Secondary School, Marist Brothers High School, Levuka Public School, St John's College, Swami Vivekananda College, Gospel High School, Natabua High School, Tilak High School.
The Fiji Times
Field hockey alumnus Baker inducted into Cornwall Hall of Fame
Shaheed Devji
(Photo: Brian McInnis/The Guardian)
The Town of Cornwall recently inducted former Canadian Women's National Team captain Katie Baker (Argyle Shore, P.E.I.) into the Cornwall Hall of Fame after a long and accomplished career as a field hockey player.
Baker appeared in 114 senior caps for Canada, with her first interational appearance coming in 2006 versus Cardiff in Wales. Other highlights of Baker's career include being named a CIS First Team All-Canadian in 2003, and Prince Edward Island's Athlete of the Year in 2009.
At the national level, Baker was named to the Pan American Elite Team in 2009 and 2011. She competed in the 2010 Commonewalth Games in Delhi, India and cites her proudest national moment being a 2-1 comeback victory against Wales in that tournament.
About the Cornwall Hall of Fame
The Cornwall Hall of Fame recognizes individuals whose athletic abilities have brought honour to themselves and their community and whose interest in and work for sport has benefited athletes and athletics at either national, international, or professional levels. Katie will join Jared Connaughton and Adam McQuaid who have already been inducted into the Cornwall Hall of Fame located at the Terry Fox Sports Complex clubhouse.
Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Parks & Recreation committee Corey Frizzell will emcee this event. He says “Katie Baker’s hard work and dedication to sport have made her a role model in Cornwall. The Parks and Recreation Committee members are honoured to induct her into the Cornwall Hall of Fame and hope her accomplishments serve to further inspire young people in our community.”
Field Hockey Canada media release