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News 20 August 2014

All the news for Wednesday 20 August 2014


South African men clinch victory in nail-biter against Australia

Reigning champions Netherlands women record second clear win


Nanjing 2014 mascot Lele entertains the crowd during a break (Photo: NANJING POOL/SUN Chen)

Day 3 at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games hockey competition started off with an absolute highlight as the men of Australia took on South Africa. By the second period, Australia had a 5-0 advantage, and when South Africa scored their first in the dying seconds of the middle third, it seemed like a consolation goal.

The final twelve minutes however saw a tremendous turn-around as the Africans moved closer goal by goal. One goal ahead, South Africa even held on with two players sin-binned for the final 45 seconds.

In other men’s action, Pakistan defeated Germany in front of a sizeable and vocal group of German supporters, Canada moved into second place in their pool table with a win over Bangladesh and Mexico recorded their first victory of the event against Zambia.

The Netherlands women showed off their superior skills in a 12:1 win over Japan, and New Zealand moved into second place behind China in the women’s Pool B table with a win over Germany. Inspired by their men’s astonishing achievement, the South African women booked their first three points against Fiji, while Uruguay defeated Zambia.

Results

Women

Japan – Netherlands 1:12 (0:4; 1:10)
Germany – New Zealand 1:4 (0:1; 1:2)
South Africa – Fiji 8:2 (3:0; 7:1)
Uruguay – Zambia 7:1 (1:0; 4:0)

Men

South Africa – Australia 6:5 (0:4; 1:5)
Pakistan – Germany 6:2 (2:1; 5:2)
Canada – Bangladesh 4:1 (1:0; 1:0)
Mexico – Zambia 6:2 (3:1; 4:1)

FIH site



Australia lapse in 3rd period

Aussie men go down 5-6 to South Africa in second pool match



It was a disappointing afternoon for the Hockey5s team conceding five goals in the third period to give underdogs South Africa the win.

The Aussies led 5-1 at the final break and thought they had the game wrapped up but South Africa were thinking the total opposite gaining the lead with 2 minutes to go after scoring five unanswered goals.

After starting the game perfectly leading four nil at the first break coach David Guest knows momentum is never easy to defend.

“In sport, when a team gets on a bit of a roll it can be really hard to stop. South Africa got a taste of victory and they put a lot of pressure on us in the final stage,” he said.

Corey Weyer got the boys off to a great start slotting home the team’s first goal. It wasn't long before Alec Rasmussen put one past the keeper to extend the lead.

An impressive goal scoring performance from Mackenzie Warne continued adding two more in the first period to see the Aussies head into the break 4-0.

Hockey5s allows goals to be scored from anywhere on the field and Weyer took advantage of that, smashing the ball from over half way to fly into the goal.

South Africa finally capitalised one of their opportunities to trail at the second break 5-1.

Tables turned in the last period, the opposition scored four goals in three minutes to bring them and the crowd back into the game.

The Aussie fans were cheering their team home but to no avail, South Africa scored again to leave the green and gold shocked.

After South Africa took the lead, they attempted to slow down the game but the was having none of it giving two players yellow cards.

Two minutes to go, one goal to draw and only three players defending was what Australia was dealt with in the final moments.

Unfortunately the green and gold could not find the back of the net, going down 6-5 in a thrilling last period.

“I don’t think we played the last moments all that well. We tried to hit through two of their guys where passing the ball around would've been the ideal option but this is a learning tournament,” Guest explained.

The shocked coach couldn't believe what just happened out on the field especially leading 5-0 at one point.

“Our fitness might have let us down perhaps in the third period. Sometimes when you get ahead so many goals up so early the mentality changes a little bit. This format’s a bit different; scoring five goals isn’t safe like it is in 11 a-side hockey,” Guest said.

“It’s an exciting challenging game and South Africa played really well to get back in it. We need to learn from this game and know how to play under those pressure situations.”

Game Two
Australia v South Africa
Youth Olympic Games
Nanjing, China

Australia: 5
Corey Weyer 1,16
Alec Rasmussen 3
Mackenzie Warne 6,8

South Africa: 6
Douglas Luke Schooling 23,33
Michael Tevin Kok 26,29
Patrick Ryan Crowne 26,28

Australia v South Africa
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Matthew Bird, WA
Jonathan Bretherton, VIC
Max Hendry,  VIC
Tim Howard, QLD
Max Hughes, NSW
Alec Rasmussen, WA
Nathanael Stewart, NSW
Mackenzie Warne, QLD
Corey Weyer, QLD

Australia Fixtures, Youth Olympic Games
Wednesday 20 August - Australia v Spain 7.30pm AEST / 5.30pm AWST
Thursday 21 August - Australia v Canada 6.30pm AEST / 4.30pm AWST

Media Release Content
The above content has been supplied by the Australian Olympic Committee for Hockey Australia to distribute.

Hockey Australia media release



NZ Women down Germany at Youth Olympics



The New Zealand women’s Hockey5’s have beaten tough opponents Germany 4-1 at the Nanjing Youth Olympics overnight and coach Caryn Paewai is hoping they can snatch a third win against hosts China tonight to move to the top of their pool.

“It’s nice to start with two back to back wins and give the girls that confidence – it’s so good. We know that China is going to be the toughest opponent in the pool and so we needed to tighten up our defence after conceding five goals in our first game, so for Germany to score only once tonight is a great improvement, and hopefully that defensive effort pays off against China as well,” said Paewai.

In the game overnight, North Harbour’s Ella Hyatt-Brown scored a goal in each of the first two thirds and despite Germany’s Kyra Angerer pegging one back in the second spell, goalkeeper Isla Bint, aged 16, made some exceptional saves which helped keep her team in the game.

Canterbury’s Catherine Tinning and Midlands’ Amy Robinson scored in quick succession in the final third to seal the second win of the tournament for the Kiwis.

The focus now turns to the game against China with a win likely to see the Kiwis play Argentina or the Netherlands in the semi-final.

“The Chinese are definitely the team to beat, they are so skilful, strong hitters, fast, very composed. We have watched some of the footage from their games, so we know a bit about them,” said Paewai.

“The players are loving the Hockey5s concept - the freedom to move, having more licence to create and have a go, scoring goals. We are basing our game plan off a bit of a pattern but encouraging players to freelance from that and be creative, I think the Hockey5’s format is definitely healthy in terms of developing players in New Zealand,” said Paewai.

There has been great vocal support from the Kiwi parents as well as other athletes and support staff who have attended their games. “The athletes are finding the Games quite a surreal experience, but they are just loving it and coping with it all pretty well,” said Paewai.

The China games is at 11pm tonight ahead of their final pool game against Uruguay at 9.30pm on Thursday. The NZ Men will face Germany at 8.30pm today and Pakistan at 11pm on Thursday. There are ten nations competing, with two pools of five nations in each.

The men’s team is David Brydon, Canterbury (17); Robbie Capizzi, North Harbour (17); Fynn Edwards, (GK) North Harbour (18); Richmond Lum, Auckland (18); Dominic Newman, Canterbury (17); Hayden Phillips, Central (16); Aidan Sarikaya, Midlands (17); Dylan Thomas, Central (18); Mackenzie Wilcox, Central (17). The team is coached by Dave Kosoof.

The women’s team is Isla Bint, Auckland (16); Frances Davies, Midlands (17); Su Arn Kwek, Auckland (18); Bridget Kiddle, Capital (17); Tayla White, Auckland (17); Ella Hyatt-Brown, North Harbour (16); Catherine Tinning, Canterbury (18); Casey-Mae Waddell, Central (17); Amy Robinson, Midlands (18). The team is coached by Caryn Paewai.

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Canadians bounce back with win over Bangladesh at Youth Olympics

Shaheed Devji

After dropping their second match of the tournament, 6-3 to Spain, the Canadian Men's Under-18 Team bounced back with a strong performance, beating Bangladesh 4-1, in the Hockey Fives tournament at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

After splitting their first two games of the tournament, the Canadian knew their third match had added importance.

"Tonights match against Bangladesh was never going to be easy," said Canada's team manager Scott Sandison. "Seeing them improve in each match so far we knew they would be ready to take on Canada."

The Canadians prepared well and it resulted in a steady performance on the field Tuesday morning.

The first goal came in the sixth minute as Brandon Pereira beat Bangladeshi keeper Sajibure Rahman to give Canada a 1-0 lead.

Chances kept coming for the Canadians, as they created more and more opportunities as the game wore on. But the game remained tight.

It was not until the third period when Amrit Sidhu was able to tally once again for Canada, giving them a two goal lead.

Shortly after Sidhu's goal, Canada capitalized in the thirty-forth and thirty-fifth minutes on goals from Balraj Panesar and Braedn Muldoon and suddenly Canada had opened up a 4-0 lead.

Bangladesh was able to score in the last minute, breaking the shutout, but the Canadians take the match and improve to 2W-1L for the tournament.

"Overall it was a well rounded game with everyone contributing both in attack and defense," adds Sandison. "We were sound defensively only giving up a goal in the very last minute."

"Liam Manning played solid in goal, keeping the narrow lead that we had built in the first period."

Canada now has a day off before facing hockey powerhouse Australia on Thursday at 4:30pm in Nanjing, China (1:30am PST/4:30am EST).

Field Hockey Canada media release



Pakistan down Germany 6-2 in hockey

KARACHI: Pakistan men’s hockey team celebrated their second victory at the Youth Olympics with a 6-2 win over Germany in their second game of the Hockey5’s in Nanjing, China on Tuesday.

Seventeen-year-old Mubashir Ali rose to the occassion for Pakistan, scoring two goals to bring his Olympics tally to three. Muhammad Atiq, Shan Irshad, Muhammad Bilal and Nohaiz Zahid contributed a goal apiece.

Meanwhile, Felix Scheider and Luca Grossman were the scorers for Germany.

Pakistan had beaten Mexico in their opening Youth Olympics match with the same scoreline on Sunday.

The new Hockey5 format has been introduced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and is being played at the Youth Olympics from August 16 to August 28.

There are nine members in a team with only five players on the field. Side boards surround a reduced field, there are no penalty corners and the game is split into three periods of 15 minutes each with an interval of two minutes between each period.

Pakistan will now face Zambia on Wednesday and then New Zealand on Thursday. Zambia have lost their two matches against China and New Zealand

There are ten nations competing, with two pools of five nations in each.

The Express Tribune



Dev squad moves on to Japan

Aussie women save best performance for last on Chinese leg of tour

Australia's women's development squad rounded off its five match series against China with a 2-2 draw and a shoot-out victory thanks to a brace of goals from West Australian Kathryn Slattery. Gabrielle Nance, Stephanie Kershaw, Jordyn Holzberger and Kirstin Dwyer all scored in the shoot-out.

The match signifies the end of the first leg of Australia's Asian tour as the team heads to Japan for six more matches.

It was Australia's best performance of the series with National Junior Coach Craig Victory saying afterwards, "It was great that our most pleasing performance was shown in game five. To come away with a series win against a team, who are ranked fifth in world, is excellent."

Australia was rewarded for winning the ball in key contests as they pressed China hard and transitioned well to create goal scoring opportunities.

The Aussie women responded well to going behind with Slattery equalising Qingling's 17th minute goal just minutes later before the West Australian put the visitors ahead shortly before the three quarter time break. With Australia looking set to win the series there was a late sting in the tail as Wu Mengrong netted a late equaliser to tie the match and the series and force the contest to a shoot-out.

It was a top drawer performance by the women in green and gold with significant improvements in how they moved the ball and exhibited skills with precision.

The team now moves on to Japan where they will play six matches, five against the world number ten side, where the focus will be on dealing with the Asian side's counter attacking style, as well as improving in both the defensive and attacking circles.

Australian Women's Development Squad - Tour to China and Japan

Matxch 5 v China
Dalian, CHN

Australia 2* (1)
Kathryn Slattery 20, 40 (FG, FG)

China 2 (1)
Song Quingling 17 (PC)
Wu Mengrong 59 (FG)

*Australia wins 4-3 on shoot-out

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)

Hockey Australia media release



Jamaica to host round one of Hockey World League

KINGSTON: Jamaica will be hosting round one of the Hockey World League at the newly-laid multi-million dollar artificial turf at the Mona Hockey Field in St Andrew from Sep 30 to Oct 5.

The tournament will feature Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Venezuela, Dominican Republic and host Jamaica.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey World League is split into four rounds that will last over a two-year cycle. The first cycle World League will serve as the qualifier for the World Cup and in the next cycle it is the qualifier for the Olympics.

Jamaica Hockey Federation's organising committee chairman Victor Tomlinson said the tournament will raise the profile of the sport in Jamaica. Jamaica's newly laid artificial hockey turf has been installed at a cost in excess of $25 million.

The Times of India



Blues put one over Raiders, big wins for Southerns and WP

JONATHAN COOK at Greenfields Turf


Border's Gay-Lee Jasson (left) and Bronwyn Kretzman race for the ball during Western Province's 5-0 win at the SA Interprovincial Tournament on Greenfields Turf in Pietermaritzburg Tuesday. Photo: GAVIN NEL

DEFENDING champions Southern Gauteng and 2013 silver medallists Western Province kicked off their campaigns with big wins in early matches on the opening day of the elite A Section action at the SA Interprovincial Tournament on Greenfields Turf in Pietermaritzburg Tuesday.

North West and Southern Gauteng Witsies ended goalless, while the evening match saw Northern Blues beat KZN Coastal Raiders 2-0.

The best match on the day took fire in the second minute when Blues’ left back Charné Martell showed exquisite skill in a stunning elimination of her marker on half-way and the outcome was an equally fine piece of control under duress from ex-Durban girl Jacinta Jubb to get in a shot that was cleared off the goalline by KZN Raiders’ hugely experienced Investec South Africa defender Lenise Marais.

Jubb made sure with a well-struck goal four minutes later (sixth) and the Blues from Pretoria were in the ascendancy. Amone Mouton had time and space to take Blues further ahead a couple of plays later, Raiders keeper Yvonne Roentgen doing well to palm a rising shot away.

Blues had got in first with their aggressive play, putting Raiders under pressure, and in the 18th Jubb took the ball right at a penalty corner before firing her disguised shot/pass back to PC injector Jenna Shuker lurking on the post, who made no mistake (2-0).

Northerns’ highlights in the rest of the half saw Jubb get in a snap-shot that the alert keeper did well stop; a fine interception and layoff by Northerns’ Nicolene Terblanche should have amounted to more, while the Jacinta Jubb/Anel Luus combination also came close.

At the other end, Marais instigated Raiders’ most promising move and captain Kelly Madsen’s neat layoff deserved better reward before Madsen and Wendy Snelling put something together that again brought nothing tangible.

By far the most exciting game, it was especially impressive to see the speed and inventiveness that coach Lindsey Wright’s Blues brought to this keenly awaited encounter.

However, the Pretoria girls lost some of their momentum either side of half-time, giving Raiders the gap to reduce the Blues’ two-goal margin and while the Durban girls had a productive second half it didn’t turn into goals. Blues also had opportunities and on the whole were value for their victory.

Much earlier Southerns beat Eastern Province 11-0 after leading 4-0 at half-time with the goals coming from Shelley Russell, Kaila Flemming, captain Lisa Deetlefs, Christine Roos (2), Lilian du Plessis, Sylvia Horstmann (2), Sammy Prost (2) and Louise de Jager.

“We played aggressively, the girls were therefore able to win turnovers high in the field and we showed good energy in closing them down,” said Southerns head coach Garreth Ewing. “Our penalty corners looked threatening but with more focus on delivery a higher percentage will be converted into goals.”

Southerns face North West at 12 noon Wednesday and can expect a more difficult game.

EP coach Liesel Dorothy said her very young side learnt much from the game against star-studded opponents and would benefit from the experience. “It was a huge step-up for our girls, some coming from U18 hockey, but take nothing away from Southerns, they are a well-prepped classy team,” said the former SA forward.

WP had to work harder to beat Border 5-0 and led 2-0 at the break, the goals going to captain Jade Mayne, Bronwyn Kretzman, Anna Malan, Gretchen Davids and Leigh Boardman.

“We started slowly but once we began releasing the ball early, running good lines and playing two-versus-one hockey there was much improvement,” said coach Wayne Denne.

WP play Northern Blues at 6pm Wednesday in what will be a tougher encounter.

“I was proud of my side, they gave their all but Western Province’s basics, movement and aggression were much better than ours,” said Border mentor Bevan Bennett.

RESULTS

A Section: Southern Gauteng (4) 11 (Shelley Russell, Kaila Flemming, Lisa Deetlefs, Christine Roos 2, Lilian du Plessis, Sylvia Horstmann 2, Sammy Prost 2, Louise de Jager) Eastern Province 0; Western Province (2) 5 (Jade Mayne, Bronwyn Kretzman, Anna Malan, Gretchen Davids, Leigh Boardman) Border 0; North West 0 Southern Gauteng Witsies 0; Northern Blues (2) 2 (Jacinta Jubb, Jenna Shuker) KZN Coastal Raiders 0.

B Section: KZN Mynahs (3) 7 (Carla Laurie, Carla van Niekerk 2, Michelle Cogle, Tamryn Strumpher, Lisa Payne, Danny Oosthuizen) Mpumalanga (0) 1 (Elizma Loxton); Zimbabwe (2) 2 (Michelle Williams, Iman Johnson) SA Country Districts A 0; EP Settlers (2) 3 Christine Buckle, Michelle Badman, Nicole December) SACD B (1) 2 Tarryn Woodroffe, Janet Coetzee); WP Peninsula (1) 3 (Margaux Reynecke, Teagan van der Wath, Rosanne Lombard) Eastern Gauteng 0.

SA Hockey Association media release



Terengganu book Division Two final berth

By Jugjet Singh

TERENGGANU claimed their spot in the final of Division Two of the Razak Cup when they beat Kedah 3-1 in Kuantan yesterday.

It was their fourth consecutive win and they still have a match in hand against Kelantan.

Demoted to Division Two after finishing last in the higher division last season, Terengganu look set to be promoted to Division One again as there seems to be no strong challengers.

However, Kedah shocked them by taking the lead in the sixth minute when Mohamed Hafify hit the target.

But Faizal Saari equalised in the 22nd minute, and Khairul Anuar took the lead in the 30th minute while Ahmad Alif confirmed victory with a 58th minute goal.

RESULTS: Divison One B: Kuala Lumpur 1 Johor 1; Malacca 1 Penang 1.

Division Two: Kelantan 1 Perlis 5; Police 2 Forces 3; Terengganu 3 Kedah 1.

TODAY: Division One A: Negri v Pahang (6pm, Pitch I); Perak v Selangor (6pm, Pitch II).

Group B: Kuala Lumpur v Malacca (8pm, Pitch I); Penang v Johor (8pm, Pitch II).

TOMORROW: Division Two: Terengganu v Kelantan (6pm, Pitch I); Forces v Perlis (6pm, Pitch II); Kedah v Police (8pm, Pitch I).

New Straits Times



Big heart, deep pockets to helm MHC


Tengku Abdullah calls it quits                               |                               Tunku Ismail, next president?

KUALA LUMPUR — While the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) has been asked to find a new president, Tengku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Ibrahim could already be in-waiting.

Moments after confi rming his wish not to seek reelection yesterday, MHC president Tengku Abdullah Ahmad Shah met his relative Tunku Ismail at the Royale Chulan Hotel. It is learnt the royals had also met last week.

Tengku Abdullah, who is gunning for the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) top seat later this month, said he was unaware if Tunku Ismail had any intention of contesting for the MHC presidency.

“It is not true that Tunku Ismail will be the next president.. not that I am aware of,” said Tengku Abdullah before meeting Tunku Ismail.

“I don’t have a replacement or preference in mind, hence there are no recommendations from me. MHC could look at the affi liates’ chairman or even individuals. I am sure there are a few capable ones.

“Whoever comes in must have a big heart and deep pockets,” said Tengku Abdullah.Tengku Abdullah had before becoming FA of Malaysia president in May said he would relinquish the hockey role when there was an able replacement in sight.

The national body has seen its share of royals after then president Tun Abdul Razak (1957-1976). The late Sultan Azlan Shah took over before passing the baton to his son Sultan Nazrin Shah in 2004.

Tan Sri Anwar Mohammad Nor replaced Sultan Nazrin at the end of 2006 and held office until Tengku Abdullah entered the picture in 2008.

While Tunku Ismail appears the frontrunner for the post, observers said other potential candidates include: George Koshy, who quit as Kuala Lumpur HA (KLHA) president last week, Sultan Nazrin Shah, MHC deputy president Raja Noora Ashikin Abdullah and senior vice-president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad.

Selangor HA president and former FAM vicepresident Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal is also expected to run for offi ce at the MHC elections.

The elections would be held after the Asian Games. No date has been fi xed at the council meeting yesterday.

The elections will be held after an extraordinary general meeting to approve changes to the constituition.

Among the key changes are a reduction in vicepresidents to seven, including two women compared to 12 presently.

Malay Mail



Ames is buzzing

By Graham Wilson

ENGLISH champions Beeston received a pre-season boost with the return to action of midfielder David Ames in their 6-2 win over Loughborough Students.

Ames missed out on the second half of the Bees’ campaign with a broken ankle. He is one of a group of Irish players who have switched to England and Great Britain to fulfil their Olympic hopes.

“He will be ready for the opening day of the season on September 13 against Canterbury,” said manager Graham Griffiths.

“He is pure quality and sees his time out with Ireland at Easter, when he will be a valuable addition to the Great Britain squad.”

Daily Express



Balkestein says it is the right time to say goodbye

Oranje Zwart's Marcel Balkestein announced his retirement from international hockey today, telling hockey.nl "it is the right time to say goodbye."

The 33-year-old steps away from the Dutch national side after 108 caps over the past nine years, winning silver medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 World Championships in The Hague along with gold at the inaugural World League in January.

Speaking further about his decision to retire, he added: "I am not afraid in the short term of not being good enough for the Netherlands but I have to be honest to myself. I am now 33 years old. At the Games in Rio, I will be more than 35. It is at that age that you cannot be sure of your fitness."

Reflecting on his career, Balkestein adds: "Playing in Oranje has given me so much in my life: the people I have met, cultures I experienced, trips that I made... All the things I've experienced and the medals that I've met are great and I look back on this period positively."

Euro Hockey League media release



Aussiephobia!

Confronted by the Aussies, the Indians failed yet again in the men’s hockey event. S.Thyagarajan takes stock.


INDIAN CAPTAIN SARDAR SINGH AND THE TEAM'S TOP SCORER RUPINDER PAL SINGH pose for photographers on their arrival at the IGI Airport in New Delhi after participating in CWG 2014 in Glasgow. India finished runner-up.

The script remains unaltered. The silver medal is retained by India. Is it progress from 2010? Not by any stretch of the imagination. But CWG Glasgow 2014 was different from Delhi 2010. True, the finalists were the same, but the margin was restricted to half from the 8-0 drubbing at the Indian capital.

The Aussie ghost continues to be unfathomable. Every time it surfaces, India suffers, and with devastating effect. In Glasgow, the Indians were confronted by the Aussies twice; the first meeting evoked moderate admiration for the fight shown; but the title contest was insipid and uninspiring. The outcome was visible from the push-off. Only the margin required to be known.

India’s head-to-head against the Aussies is appalling. It has lost 70 of the 102 matches played with 16 drawn. In the CWG India draws a blank in five encounters.

Statistics, it is true, do not convey some elements like the nature and intensity of contests. But that India has been repeatedly outplayed tells its own tale.

The Aussies were outstanding in Glasgow. This is acknowledged without even a hint of hesitation. They scored 30 goals and won all the six games. Even minus the top stars, who bid adieu after the World Cup, the Australians showed they were strong as ever. With nine individual goals, Christopher Ciriello proved to be a menace.

India’s showing, however, generates a filament of optimism for the coming Asian Games. This is also largely due to the manner in which the Indians outplayed Malaysia and Korea in the last World Cup. Again, this can be wishful thinking. Victories from June to August need not stand the same scrutiny in a different venue or clime.



A clinical and critical dissection reveals once again the shortcomings of the frontline. The victory margins against Scotland and South Africa were flattering. But the high point, admittedly, was the recovery after trailing 0-2 to post a victory against New Zealand, usually a tormentor for India in many competitions. It was a noteworthy performance.

That the frontline was innocuous can be read from the fact that out of the 19 goals scored, six came from the defender, Rupinderpal Singh, through penalty corners and strokes. The return of Chandi and Danish obviously did not enhance in any way the strength and system of the frontline work.

The bulk of the work, however, came from the tried and tested Sardar Singh. He is overworked and looks burnt out. It was telling in the way he got himself involved in specks of rough play leading to his ban from the crucial semi-final against the Kiwis.

Neither England nor New Zealand lived up to their stature. However, high praise was reserved for England’s Andrew Jackson for netting nine goals.



Astonishing was the poor performance by Malaysia. The team is wallowing in a bad patch. It had finished last in the World Cup after all the euphoria of making the grade ahead of India.

The 8-1 thrashing by England in CWG 2014 paled into insignificance when Malaysia suffered a humiliating reverse against Trinidad and Tobago 2-4. A lot needs to be looked into before Malaysia sews up another combination for a podium finish at the Asian Games, like the 2010 edition in Guangzhou.

Expectedly, the hockey championship was a memorable “double” for the Aussies. The women pushed out England in a tie-breaker 3-1 after a 1-1 draw. Jody Kenny played a dominant part in the Aussies’ successes scoring 10 goals — the highest individual score in the event.

The fifth place for India in this section was in keeping with the form and the hopes generated at the time of departure. Jasjit Kaur’s six goals merit special mention. A podium finish would have justified the talk of progress under the foreign coach.

Taken as the prelude to the Asian Games, CWG-14 was a laboratory for the coaches to work on redesigning the approach and the proficiency required to reach the podium.

Sportstar



A letter to Ric...

Former England & GB coach Jason Lee's memories of competing against Charlesworth



Later this week, the contribution and career of former Kookaburras and Hockeyroos coach Ric Charlesworth will be recognised by Hockey Australia with an official luncheon in Perth.

Here, Jason Lee, the former England & GB coach, has penned his thoughts and experiences of coming up against the four times World Cup winning coach. The pair sat in opposing dugouts 13 times between 2008 and 2013.



I regret not being able to personally thank Ric for his contribution to world hockey. I had hoped to find 10 minutes with him at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but things have changed somewhat for both of us.

I first saw Ric Charlesworth in 1986 at the London World Cup. He was considered the best player in the world and I believed it. I was there as a 16 year old working for the hockey press distributing team sheets, making tea & coffee. I’d only just started playing hockey and learnt a lot in those two weeks.
 
Australia were the stand out team with a brilliant supporting role played by England (Australia beat us 2-1 in the Final). Australia’s determination and focus was awesome to watch and the leader was Ric Charlesworth.
 
Often I saw him airborne going for a tackle or a deflection; his competitive drive seemed unending.
 
He retired from playing, I went on to my own international playing career, and then over 20 years later I was coach of the GB and England men’s teams as Ric became coach of the Kookaburras. It didn’t surprise me that I encountered the same unending competitive drive as I had witnessed all those years earlier.
 
I think my teams had a decent record against him and with a degree of confidence I think we were irritating to him! Beating him 3-2 in the first game of the 2010 World Cup was a favourite even if it was a traditional England backs against the wall victory. I told him after that game that I thought Australia would still become world champions. I could see how he drove his players and staff, with an eye for detail and preparation that created a unified, focused and confident group. The loss to us would be nothing more than a hiccup as they went onto win the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
 
In England many dissenters of Manchester United cry that Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't such a great manager, he was at the richest club, could buy the best players and so he should always win. I've also heard the same said about Ric. Of course he should have won with the Hockeyroos; he had the world’s best players (Alyson Annan etc). Of course he should have won with the Kookaburras - he had the world’s best players (Jamie Dwyer etc). I know I've certainly said these things out loud.
 
But this really misses the point.
 
Even the teams with the best players can be beaten (thankfully!). I think Ric’s brilliance was that you could see he was consistently developing his teams so that the chance of them being beaten when it REALLY mattered was diminished. The Kookaburras total and utter dominance of the 2014 World Cup was the inevitable result.
 
Just before the World Cup final against Holland this year I was asked who would win. I knew Australia would thump Holland. It was suggested to me that Holland had a chance because Australia hadn't been tested in the tournament. It is true that Holland had a chance, but the Australia team had been tested, had developed themselves, were managing the risk of their aggressive tactics, and were allowing the brilliance of their players to flourish.
 
I think at the 2012 Olympics the Kookaburras hadn’t been tested enough leading into it, being totally dominant in every competition since their 2010 World Cup victory. When really tested in the 2012 Olympic semi-final against Germany cracks appeared (as they did to us in the group games when we came back from three goals down to draw 3-3). At the time I was surprised they had allowed this to happen. Many times I remember Ric talking about how it had been important that occasionally the Hockeyroos lost games. I’d say the Kookaburras hadn’t had this lesson enough going into London 2012 and bronze was the result.
 
In India in January 2014 during the World League Final, the Kookaburras lost to England 2-1 in the bronze medal match and twice to Holland on the way…
 
...ah, Ric’s testing them. Watch out.
 
Five months later Australia wins the 2014 World Cup final 6-1.
 
I understand the sacrifices that a modern international coach has to make for his team. The FIH programme is so full that friends of my wife wondered whether I really existed I was away so much and yet so few people understand the work involved, it often feels thankless.

As I have found out very recently, it is only when you step down that you start to discover how respected you are amongst your peers. Now that Ric has stepped down I wanted to share my admiration and respect for Ric Charlesworth.
 
Thanks Ric, enjoy your retirement, spend time with your family and keep well.

The hockey world will miss you.

Jason Lee
England & GB Men’s Coach (2003-2013)
England & GB Women’s Coach (2013-2014)

Hockey Australia media release



German coach Rach says Kenyan hockey standards still below par

By Elizabeth Mburugu


Coach Gerard Rach at Citypark.PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE

Kenyan hockey is way below international standards, said German coach Gerard Rach who is currently in the country to help the national teams prepare for the World Hockey League One set for 2-7 September.

Rach, a former German international who started his hockey coaching career in the country in 1988 with the last Kenyan team to take part in the Olympics, however said that he had seen a lot of potential in the women’s team. The tactician is however worried about the men’s team, which he says, more should be done for them to perform better.

He said that for the country to perform well on the international scene, they players need intensive and professional training to equip them with basic hockey skills. “The players in the national team lack basic hockey skills, their standards are very low and not a single player in these teams can play in the German first league,” he said.

Post good results

In regard to the forthcoming International Hockey Federation (FIH) World League One, he tipped Kenya to post good results as most teams for the event are of the same level. He however told FeverPitch that he needed more time to work with the players and mould them into accomplished players capable of competing at the global scene.

He added: “Fitness is key (to success), I identified some players who had to work on their weights and the results are positive as they have been able to get rid of some weight.”

Need Exposure

Rach expressed the importance of international exposure for players. “International test matches will be good for these players, the only way the teams can improve is when they play as many matches as possible against stronger teams,” Rach told FeverPitch on Monday.

He revealed that the teams were invited to Oman for friendly matches but could not go due to lack of funds to facilitate the trip.

Rach coached the current Kenya Hockey Union chairman Nashon Randiek and national team assistant coach legendary Inderjit Matharu in 1988. He observed that the country’s hockey standards had gone down compared to the 1980s.

“Back then Kenya was a hockey powerhouse, unfortunately all that is gone. However, all is not lost as much can be done to revive the sport and reclaim the lost glory,” concluded Rach who has also coached the India, Egypt and Bangladesh national teams.

The Standard Online



Batra files RTI against top officials of SAI, sports ministry

NEW DELHI: After a national hockey camp was not cleared by the government, Hockey India's secretary general Narinder Batra on Tuesday filed an RTI against Ajit Sharan, secretary, ministry of sports, and SAI director general Jiji Thomson.

The national junior women's hockey camp that was slated to start in Bhopal on Tuesday was reportedly not cleared by the government.

In the Right To Information petition, Batra sought information on the cost incurred by both Sharan and Thomson on domestic and international tours from the time of joining the sports ministry and SAI till date.

"Thank you very much for not sanctioning the junior women camp in Bhopal which was to start from today i.e. 19 August, 2014, and thank you also for your unsportsman like behaviour and ruining the women development programme of hockey in India," Batra said in a statement.

HI had asked for permission from the SAI on July 3 for the Aug 19-Sep 30 camp in Bhopal. Batra also wanted sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal to intervene.

"Hon'ble minister Sir, we Hockey India request for your kind intervention, it is becoming difficult to work with officers in your ministry who are more of spoilers then listeners.

"Sir, with your intervention we want fairness amongst your senior officer's in ministry and SAI for build up of hockey and other sports for winning medals in coming years, is not hampered by few egoistic individuals. Hope for your favourable consideration," said Batra.

The Times of India

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