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All the news for Tuesday 16 July 2019

Men's Indoor Asia Cup Chonburi 2019 - Day 1 and 2
Chonburi (THA)

Results

15 Jul 2019     MAS v BAN (Pool A)     6 - 0 (4 - 0)
15 Jul 2019     TPE v SGP (Pool B)         1 - 3 (0 - 0)
15 Jul 2019     UZB v NEP (Pool B)     13 - 2 (5 - 1)
15 Jul 2019     THA v PHI (Pool A)         10 - 1 (5 - 0)

16 Jul 2019     KAZ v NEP (Pool B)     12 - 1 (6 - 0)
16 Jul 2019     IRI v BAN (Pool A)         8 - 0 (4 - 0)

Fixtures (GMT +7)

16 Jul 2019 16:00     MAS v PHI (Pool A)
16 Jul 2019 18:40     UZB v SGP (Pool B)

17 Jul 2019 10:00     PHI v BAN (Pool A)
17 Jul 2019 12:40     SGP v NEP (Pool B)
17 Jul 2019 16:00     TPE v KAZ (Pool B)
17 Jul 2019 18:40     THA v IRI (Pool A)

Pool standings

Pool A

Pool B

FIH Match Centre

Women's Indoor Asia Cup Chonburi 2019 - Day 1 and 2
Chonburi (THA)

Results

15 Jul 2019     MAS v SGP (Pool B)     4 - 0 (2 - 0
15 Jul 2019     UZB v NEP (Pool A)     9 - 0 (4 - 0)
15 Jul 2019     IRI v PHI (Pool A)         5 - 0 (3 - 0)

16 Jul 2019     KAZ v NEP (Pool A)     8 - 0 (4 - 0)

Fixtures (GMT +7)

16 Jul 2019 17:20     UZB v PHI (Pool A)
16 Jul 2019 20:00     THA v TPE (Pool B)

17 Jul 2019 11:20     PHI v NEP (Pool A)
17 Jul 2019 14:00     TPE v SGP (Pool B)
17 Jul 2019 17:20     IRI v KAZ (Pool A
17 Jul 2019 20:00     MAS v THA (Pool B)

Pool standings

Pool A

Pool B

FIH Match Centre

Indoor hockey team beaten comprehensively in debut

Bangladesh will face their toughest contest against the reigning champions Iran today before playing their last two games against Philippines and hosts Thailand on July 17 and 18 respectively



Bangladesh Indoor hockey team began their debut Indoor Hockey Asia Cup campaign with a thrashing 6-0 defeat against three-time runners-up Malaysia in Chunburi, Thailand Monday.

The six-a-side indoor hockey game is played with 20-minute halves. Malaysia, who are participating in the event for seventh times, scored four goals within the opening half thanks to Yaacob Shafiq for two goals (penalty corner in the 2nd and penalty stroke in the 20th minute) and Mohd Faridzul (5’) and Silverius Shello (15’) for one field goal each.

Faridzul added another in the 37th minute while Omar Firdaus scored the last one two minutes later. Bangladesh will face their toughest contest against the reigning champions Iran today before playing their last two games against Philippines and hosts Thailand on July 17 and 18 respectively.

Dhaka Tribune

Lady Luck hardly smiles on Malaysia

By Jugjet Singh


Luck has always deserted Malaysia, so it’s better that this time they rely on brains and brawn to break their Olympic jinx. -- NSTP Archive

THE Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) hired Dutchman Roelant Oltmans after a disastrous performance in the final of the Indonesia Asian Games last year.

Oltmans, in turn, brought in professional help from the Netherlands in retired penalty corner specialist Taeke Taekema and goalkeepers coach Martijn Drijver.

Later, former Australian international Michael McCann was brought in to coach the Malaysian forwards.

When asked whether the addition of the three professional coaches will help Malaysia qualify for next year’s Olympics, Oltmans said it will all depend on the luck of the draw for the final two-leg qualifier.

“Their assistance did make a difference to the team, but the stints were too short to make a big difference.

“But still, every little aspect is important to achieve our goal.

“However, in the end, the ‘luck of the draw’ will be the final decider,” said Oltmans.

But sadly, luck has never sided Malaysia in the Olympic qualifiers since the 2000 Sydney edition.

By luck, Oltmans meant Malaysia, going by their World No 12th ranking, might be paired against Germany (seventh), New Zealand (eighth), Spain (ninth) or Canada (10th) in a two-match final qualifier for the Tokyo Olympics.

In last year’s Asian Games final, Malaysia lost 3-1 in a shootout to Japan after a 6-6 draw in regulation time, which denied them the sole Olympic spot.

The Malaysians blew away a 5-2 lead in that match.

In the 2004 Athens Olympic qualifier, which offered six spots, in Madrid, the national team finished fifth in their group and 10th overall.

They were humiliated 4-2 by an ill-prepared Poland in the classification match for ninth position then.

Luck was not on Malaysia’s side again in the 2008 Beijing Olympic qualifiers in Japan.

With Germany in the fray, Malaysia, then under coach Sarjit Singh, played Japan to decide one of the two finalists.

Malaysia took a 3-1 lead then, and the usual ‘what could go wrong syndrome’ sunk in.

Japan fought back and scored their second goal off Tomonori Ono’s thigh before they equalised a minute before the final hooter.

For the record, Germany went on to not only win the qualifiers in Japan but also the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

It was the same at the Dublin Olympic qualifier as well as the Antwerp Olympic qualifier where luck deserted Malaysia again.

The MHC will be spending about RM600,000 to send the national team to Europe and Japan to prepare for the final round of qualifiers.

Luck has always deserted Malaysia, so it’s better that this time they rely on brains and brawn to break their Olympic jinx.

Captain Shukri Mutalib, for one, is ready.

“We must show in this Tour of Europe and Japan (beginning July 21) that we are no pushovers, and later display the same attitude in the two-match qualifier, no matter who we are paired against,” said Shukri.

Meanwhile, the national men and women’s indoor teams won their respective matches in the Asia Cup in Chonburi, Thailand yesterday.

The men thrashed Bangladesh 6-0 while women defeated Singapore 4-0.

New Straits Times

McCallin returns, Watson debuts as GB's women narrowly beaten by Japan



Shona McCallin played her first capped international game since February 2018 as Great Britain’s women were beaten 3-2 by Japan in Hiroshima this morning.

Scotland’s Charlotte Watson also made her GB debut in a close encounter where the hosts came out on top.

Japan took the lead in the second minute through Motomi Kawamura before Tess Howard equalised in the 14th minute, only for Minami Shimizu to restore her team’s lead less than a minute later.

Shimizu then scored again early in the second-half before Hannah Martin pulled a goal back with 11 minutes to play but Great Britain couldn’t find the equaliser.

Great Britain have been in Hiroshima since last Monday as part of a trip to experience playing in the extreme heat and humidity of Japan in the lead up to potentially featuring at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

They have already played two training games and will play two more this week before facing Japan in a second capped fixture at 2am BST on Saturday 20 July.

Today’s match was Rio 2016 champion McCallin’s first since suffering concussion in a test series away to Argentina last February before she also picked up a knee injury that prevented her from playing in the FIH Pro League.

Sarah Evans also returned to the matchday team having been ruled out of the final FIH Pro League game at Twickenham Stoop with injury, while 21-year-old Watson pulled on a GB shirt for the first time having already won 62 caps for Scotland, which includes playing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Japan 3 (2)
Kawamura (2’, PC), Shimizu (15’, FG; 36’, FG)

Great Britain 2 (1)
Howard (14’, FG), Martin (49’, FG)

GB Starting XI: Hinch, Unsworth, Evans, Toman, Martin, Townsend, Robertson, Howard, Pearne-Webb (C), Owsley, Costello
Subs (used): Defroand, Jones, McCallin, Burge, Balsdon, Watson
Subs (unusued): Tennant, Ansley, Hunter, Neal, Petter

For both the women's and men's teams there are two ways in which they can qualify for Tokyo 2020; if England win the EuroHockey Championships in August or if Great Britain win a two-legged Olympic qualifier at home at the end of October/start of November.

The Tokyo 2020 hockey tournament is scheduled to begin on Sat 25 July 2020, with men's finals on Thursday 6 August and women's a day later. Currently only hosts Japan have qualified for the men's and women's events.

Great Britain Hockey media release

Fascinating few months ahead as continental titles and Olympic qualification beckons


Argentina and USA are expected to be amongst the front-runners for the women’s title at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru later this month. Copyright: FIH / Getty Images

The FIH Pro League and the FIH Series Finals ensured that there was no shortage of world class international hockey in the first six months of 2019. It was a thrilling ride, but there is still so much more to come. Numerous high profile - and hugely significant – international events are set to take place between now and the end of the year. Here is a look at some of the highlights.

July: Pan American Games takes centre stage
One of the world’s biggest and most important multi-sport events, the XVIII Pan American Games takes place in Lima, Peru between 26 July and 11 August. The men’s and women’s hockey competitions are always fiercely contested, and with direct qualification to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on offer to the gold medallists, the 2019 edition is certainly no different. Reigning men’s champions Argentina will be seen by many as favourites to defend their title, although the Olympic champions can expect strong competition from four-time winners Canada as well as USA, Chile and Mexico. USA have won the two most recent women’s Pan Am Games titles, although Argentina will be determined to wrestle back a title that they have won on six occasions. 

August: African and European continental titles up for grabs
The South African town of Stellenbosch will host the men’s and women’s African continental championships between 12-18 August, where Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe will all be in action. As is the case with all the continental championships, a first place finish will earn a ticket to Tokyo 2020, something that will also be on offer between 16-25 August at the Belfius EuroHockey Championshipsin Antwerp, Belgium. The Netherlands men and women go into that event as the defending champions but are sure to be challenged every step way by likes of Germany, England, Spain, Ireland and, of course, host nation Belgium.

Also included in the busy August schedule is the all-important test event for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Taking place at the brand new Oi Hockey Stadium - the legacy facility that will remain in place after the completion of next year’s Olympiad - between 17-21 August, the men’s competition features Japan, India, Malaysia and New Zealand while Japan, Australia, China and India will compete in the women’s event.

September: Australia and New Zealand contest Oceania Cup 
The fourth and final continental championship of 2019 will see Australia and New Zealand going head to head in the 11th edition of the Oceania Cup. The competition takes place from 4-8 September on Australian soil, with the city of Rockhampton in Queensland hosting an event that will also feature the Oceania International 5s competition, where Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Tonga will also be in action. Australia men, recent winners of the inaugural FIH Pro League, have won all ten editions of the Oceania Cup played so far, while Australia’s women have won the competition seven times compared to New Zealand’s three victories.

October / November: FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers to finalise line-up for Tokyo 2020
The Oceania Cup competition is important not just because of the Olympic tickets on offer to the respective winners, but also because the final results will be the last piece of the puzzle in determining which nations will compete in the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers scheduled to take place 25-27 October and 1-3 November. With the respective men’s and women’s continental champions of Pan America, Africa, Europe and Oceania securing Tokyo 2020 berths alongside host nation and Asian continental champions Japan, five of the 12 places at the showpiece event will have been determined.

The remaining seven places in both the men and women competitions will be decided by the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers, which consist of teams that qualified via the FIH Pro League and FIH Series Finals with the line-up being completed by the highest ranked teams who did not qualify via either route. The fourteen FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers – seven men’s and seven women’s - will each feature two nations playing two back-to-back matches, with nations drawn to play each other based on their rankings at the end of the 2018 / 2019 continental championships (8 September 2019). The teams currently confirmed for the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers are as follows:

Men: Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain (all via FIH Pro League), Canada, Malaysia, India, South Africa, France and Ireland (all via FIH Series Finals).
Women: Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Argentina (all via FIH Pro League), Ireland, Korea, India, Canada and Spain (all via FIH Series Finals).

If any of the teams above also qualify as continental champions, their place will be taken by the next highest ranked team in the FIH World Rankings as at the end of the continental championships. More information about the Olympic qualification process can be found here.

FIH site

Mixed fortunes in buildup to Pan American Games

Sarah Juggins, for PAHF



The 2019 Pan American Games will take place from 29 July to 10 August and, at the end of that time, we will know who has qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, with the winner of the men’s and women’s event adding their names to that of host nation Japan.

Here we take a look at the eight teams participating in the women’s competition, assessing their chances of reaching the top of the podium. With many of our teams being active in the recent FIH Pro League and Series Finals, it is true to say that there is a lot of uncertainty about who is likely to end up on the medal winners’ podium, with many teams taking huge strides forwards on the back of increased and wider ranging international competition.

It is always difficult to look past Argentina (World Ranking:3) at this event, although Las Leonas have not won the past two editions, losing out to USA in 2011 and 2015. Prior to that point, Argentina had won the event on six consecutive occasions.

At the end of 2018, head coach Carlos Retegui returned to the fold following a poor performance by the team at the women’s World Cup in London. Another welcome return to the squad was that of Carla Rebecchi, one of Argentina’s superstar strikers and a much needed stabilising factor for the squad.

Since Retegui and Rebecchi returned, Las Leonas have had mixed results. They were the first team to qualify for the much-heralded Grand Finals of the inaugural FIH Pro League but two consecutive  losses, on shoot-out, to Australia and then Germany, meant they finished fourth in that event. With experienced players such as Silvinia d’Elia, Florencia and Agustina Habif, the returning Delfina Merino and goalkeeper Belen Succi in the squad, Argentina will always be a threat but there is just a suggestion that the newer recruits are taking longer to settle and fragilities can appear when a match is not going to plan.

The reigning champions, USA, have a lot of work to do to turn around a disastrous FIH Pro League campaign. The slow slide of the USA down the rankings began when the team failed to qualify out of the pool stages at the women’s World Cup in London last year. A last place finish in the Pro League sees USA slip to 13th in the rankings – a position they haven’t been in since 2010. Head coach Janneke Schopman spoke of ‘rebuilding the squad’ and how much the team had learnt over the Pro League season but the young team will need to make some major strides forward in the next few weeks and put all that learning to good use if they are to hold onto their title.

That said, USA has some hugely talented players within its ranks and if Schopman can add her own tactical nous to the technical skill and speed of players such as Mackenzie Allessie, Anna Dessoye and Erin Matson, then USA could turn things around. They have proved time and again that resilience is not something any USA squad lacks.

The next highest ranked team participating in Lima will be Chile (WR:15). The team has recently returned from the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima, where they experienced mixed fortunes. They finished second in their pool behind Russia and then beat PAHF neighbours Uruguay in the quarter-finals. This victory set them up for an encounter with India – ranked 9th in the world. Chile played well but lost 4-2 in a competitive game. They then regrouped to beat Russia on shoot-out to claim third place.

Speaking after the match against India, coach Sergio Vigil said he believed the FIH Series Finals would have given the Chile side a new level of experience and developed their ability to manage tournament situations and associated stresses.

And long-serving captain to the Chile team Camila Caram, is confident her side has what it takes to pose a real threat to the higher ranked nations. “I see how much all the girls in the team have sacrificed to be where we are now. We have great hopes and dreams for the Pan American Games, because if we win the tournament, we get the chance to go to the Olympic Games in Japan, which is a team goal and has been a personal dream for a long, long time.”

The exciting thing about the Pan American Games is always the threat of the unexpected and this could well be offered up by Canada’s Wolf Pack. Canada has a silver (in 1991) and four bronze medals from previous Pan American Games, but this year the team has to be approaching the competition with an additional swagger. A consistent string of good performances at the FIH Series Finals in Valencia means Canada have already earned the right to play an Olympic qualifier later in the year. The way the squad took apart higher ranked Italy in the all-important semi-finals to earn a place in the Olympic qualifiers showed just how far the squad has come in a short year. As Spanish hockey journalist Jordi Pi remarked on watching Canada’s performance in Valencia: “It only takes for Argentina or USA to have an ‘off’ day and Canada could make them pay.”

Uruguay are another team that has seen recent FIH Series Finals action. At the same event in Japan as Chile, Uruguay put in some good performances to draw with Poland and beat Fiji but they came unstuck against India and Chile before losing to Poland in shoot-out during the 5/6th place match. Coach Nicolas Tixe is working hard to make his squad competitive and with players such as Manuela del Vilar, Janine Stanley and Camila Piazza they have a bedrock of experience and talent but it will take a huge effort for Uruguay to usurp their higher ranked rivals.

The third PAF team in Hiroshima for the Series Finals was Mexico, who finished seventh after beating Fiji in their final match. The Mexico team, under the guidance of former international umpire Arely Castellanos, have ambitions to rise up the rankings and to rediscover a hockey heritage that saw them compete in three World Cups - 1974, 1976 and 1981. Striker and captain Michel Navarro has already made a name for herself as a danger player after becoming the top scorer for all the FIH Series Open events with 15 goals to her name.

Host nation Peru is seeking to use the Pan American Games as a catalyst for growing hockey in the region. President of the Peru Hockey Federation is Gianni Delucchi, and he outlines his ambitions for the sport: “We are going to rekindle and develop the passion for hockey that we have always had in South America and look to shorten the gaps between us [Peru] and the other, higher-ranked countries in the Pan American zone.”

This might not be Peru’s (WR:38) year in terms of winning medals but, if the spectacle of world class players plying their trade on the new pitches in Lima inspires a new generation of young hockey stars then Peru will be a winner in a different but whole relevant respect.

The eighth team taking its place at the 18th Pan American Games is Cuba ((WR:63). When they take their place at the event this year it will be Cuba’s seventh appearance at the Games. In previous editions the team from the Caribbean has finished mid-table, with a high point in 1995 when the team finished fourth. At the last edition, Cuba finished in eighth place and looking at the quality of the opposition, anything higher this time around will be a huge bonus for the Cuban side.

It is Cuba who starts the action when they take on Canada on 29 July. They are joined in Pool A by Argentina and Uruguay. Pool B comprises USA, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Hockey fans in Lima are guaranteed all the drama, excitement and tension associated with both fierce rivalries between competitive neighbours and a battle for a place at the Olympic Games.

Pan American Hockey Federation media release

Dancer reign begins with two wins as Irish youth sides endure mixed weekend


Laura Foley plays a pass. Pic: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Sean Dancer’s reign as Ireland coach began in confident style as the Green Army recorded back-to-back wins over Scotland at Stormont with two clean sheets to boot.

Dancer’s regime began in earnest on Saturday evening with a 2-0 success with Deirdre Duke and Lizzie Colvin on the mark in the second half.

Nikki Evans and Yvonne O’Byrne returned to the line-up having missed the FIH Series Finals in Banbridge last month.

On Sunday, Serena Barr came into the line-up, joining her twin sister Bethany, while Emma Buckley started between the posts and again they ran out winners 1-0.

In a game where Gillian Pinder played her 150th game for Ireland, Duke was again on the mark with six minutes to go and they will look to close out the series in strong fashion on Tuesday at the same venue.

In Valencia, meanwhile, the Irish Under-21 women’s side began their EuroHockey Junior Championship campaign in frustrating fashion as a 48th minute sucker-punch saw Russia win 1-0.

They had all the chances in the first half with Laura Foley denied off the line, Michelle Carey going close twice while the post denied Ellen Curran from a penalty corner move.

But the Russians took one of their rare chances in the closing quarter to win the day. It puts Ireland on the back foot in a five-team group with tournament favourites the Netherlands next on the agenda.

The men’s Under-21s fare better as Conor Empey, Callum Robson and Matthew Crookshanks all scored in the first half to beat Belarus 3-1 in Litice.

The Czech Republic hosts are their next opponents on Tuesday afternoon

In Eindhoven, there were mixed results for the Irish underage sides on Sunday with the Under-16 boys producing the strongest performance, a 5-1 success against Poland with Eddie Rowe netting twice.

The Under-18 boys (0-4) and girls (0-2) lost to England while the Under-16 girls were defeated 3-1 by the Netherlands’ Under-15s. The latter took the lead with Sophie Dix volleying home from a high, looping ball.

Weekend results

Men

EuroHockey Junior Championships, Pool A: Ireland 3 (C Empey, C Robson, M Crookshanks) Belarus 1 (V Bandarchuk)

Under-18 Six Nations: Ireland 0 England 4

Under-16 Six Nations: Ireland 5 (E Rowe 2, M Anderson, M Collins, R Treacy) Poland 1

Women

Senior internationals

Saturday: Ireland 2 (D Duke, L Colvin) Scotland 0

Sunday: Ireland 1 (D Duke) Scotland 0

EuroHockey Junior Championships, Pool A: Ireland 0 Russia 1 (D Yushkova)

Under-18 Six Nations: Ireland 0 England 2

Under-16 Six Nations: Ireland 1 (S Dix) Netherlands Under-15s 3

The Hook

EuroHockey Junior Championship Men 2019 - Day 1
Valencia, Spain

Results

15 Jul 2019     GER v FRA (Pool B)         9 - 1
15 Jul 2019     ENG v POL (Pool A)         6 - 2
15 Jul 2019     NED v AUT (Pool B)        10 - 0
15 Jul 2019     BEL v ESP (Pool A)         0 - 2

Fixtures (GMT +2)

16 Jul 2019 20:00     ESP v POL (Pool A)
16 Jul 2019 20:00     ENG v BEL (Pool A)

Live streaming on https://www.eurohockeytv.org/en-int/schedule

FIH Match Centre

EuroHockey Junior Championship Women 2019 - Day 3
Valencia, Spain

Results

15 Jul 2019    GER v BLR (Pool B)         4 - 1
15 Jul 2019    ENG v BEL (Pool B)         1 - 1
15 Jul 2019     IRL v NED (Pool A)         1 - 5

Fixtures (GMT +2)

16 Jul 2019 11:15     RUS v FRA (Pool A
16 Jul 2019 15:30     BEL v BLR (Pool B)
16 Jul 2019 17:45     GER v ENG (Pool B)

Live streaming on https://www.eurohockeytv.org/en-int/schedule

Pool standings

Pool A

Pool B

FIH Match Centre

Home favourites Spain lead the way at Euro Under-21s


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Spain’s women lead the way in the women’s EuroHockey Junior Championships in Valencia with two wins from two, fighting back from a goal behind both times.

On Saturday, they beat France 3-1 after trailing at half-time to a Sarah Pyrtek goal. But second half goals from Patricia Alvarez, Laura Barrios and Constanza Amundson turned things around.

On Sunday evening, Russia went one up via Mariia Bordolimova in the sixth minute before Alvarez levelled before the end of the first quarter and Isabel Zaldua put them in front soon after.

Bordolimova put Russia back on level terms ar 2-2 before half-time and it stayed close all the way until the last 10 minutes before Alvarez and Laura Barrios netted to make it 4-2 at the end.

It leaves Spain on six points with Russia with three points out of six after their 1-0 win over Ireland. The Netherlands also showed their quality with a 6-0 win over France on Sunday to start their campaign in style, built on two early goals from Nina van der Marel before Yibbi Jansen and Felice Albers also got two each.

The four remaining sides will get their campaigns underway on Monday with Germany facing Belarus while England play Belgium. Ireland play the Dutch in the other game on Monday.

The men’s competition also starts with Germany facing France, the Netherlands taking on Austria, England meeting Poland and Belgium are up against Spain.

Euro Hockey League media release

Victory for men, draw for women in U21s Euros opening matches


Photo credit - Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

It was a positive start to the U21 European Championship for England’s men and women who both got points on the board in their first game of the competition.

A tough opening fixture against Belgium awaited the women’s U21s team, who did well to resist early pressure from the opposition through good defending from two penalty corners.

Having stood firm in defence, England pushed forwards and were rewarded with the first goal as Lotti Ross skilfully scooped the ball over the Belgian ‘keeper from close range to score with their first penalty corner of the game.

England had the ball in the back of the net again just minutes later, however the goal was ruled out for being dangerous as it struck the Belgian defender high.

An evenly battled second-half followed with both teams creating good chances whilst denying the other from several penalty corners.

Though England had looked in control for much of the final 30 minutes, Belgium found a late equaliser to level the scores with under two minutes remaining as both teams were forced to settle with a draw.

Ross commented after the match: “The team energy has been so positive coming into this tournament, so it was really important for us to start this campaign how we mean to go on.

“We’ve worked hard on our PCAs so was great to get a goal and some reward for that work, especially so early on, which really allowed us to gather good momentum. A first international goal feels fantastic, and it’s credit to the efforts of the whole team.”



England’s men’s team got off to the perfect start in their opening group match against Poland as Stuart Rushmere tucked the ball into the net after it had been deflected onto the post from a penalty corner within the first five minutes of the game.

Despite then seeing one disallowed, England were able to find a second goal in the opening half as Zach Wallace drilled a shot into the bottom corner after being picked out in the D from excellent wide play.

It was more of the same in the second-half as Rushmere played a dangerous pass into Gareth Griffiths who deflected the ball past the ‘keeper for a third goal before captain Edward Way also got in on the act.

Though Poland threw attacking pressure at England in the final quarter, getting one of their own on the scoresheet, England were able to see the game out and take a 6-2 victory in their opening match after Way and Wallace each notched a second before Poland struck in the final minute.

Next up for England’s women’s side is another testing match against a strong Germany team on Tuesday 16 July at 4:45pm BST with the men’s team following shortly after against Belgium at 7pm BST. The games can be streamed live by clicking HERE

England Hockey Board Media release

EuroHockey Junior Championship II (Men) 2019 - Day 2
Plzeň Litice, Czech Republic

Results

15 Jul 2019     POR v ITA (Pool B)         0 - 6
15 Jul 2019     RUS v SCO (Pool B)     2 - 5

Fixtures (GMT +2)

16 Jul 2019 15:45     BLR v TUR (Pool A)
16 Jul 2019 18:00     CZE v IRL (Pool A)

Pool standings

Pool A

Pool B

FIH Match Centre

EuroHockey Junior Championship II (Women) 2019 - Day 2
Alanya, Turkey

Results

15 Jul 2019     WAL v AUT (Pool B)     1 - 0
15 Jul 2019     CZE v SCO (Pool B)     0 - 2

Fixtures (GMT +3)

16 Jul 2019 15:45     POL v ITA (Pool A)
16 Jul 2019 18:00     UKR v TUR (Pool A)

Pool standings

Pool A

Pool B

FIH Match Centre

Scotland U21 men strike five to beat Russia in U21 Euros match two



Scotland U21 men put in a blistering performance as they bagged five goals against Russia to win 5-2 in Men’s U21 EuroHockey Championship II. The Scots are top of Pool B with maximum points and a healthy goal difference with one pool match left to play.

It was a tight start to the match but Scotland always had an air of confidence in their performance.

It proved true when Cammy Golden scored the opening goal of the game to put Scotland 1-0 ahead midway through the second quarter. An excellent counter attack was rounded off by the forward to put the Scots in the lead.

Golden then added a second just after half time with a neat close range finish after some tidy play by Struan Walker. 2-0.

Russia pulled one back from a penalty corner routine that was deflected in low at the right post to pull it back to 2-1.

Scotland looked the fresher team as the match continued and enjoyed good possession. They always looked the more dangerous out of the two.

A series of chances to kill the game went Scotland’s way. A Cammy Golden penalty corner zipped past the left post. Then he won the ball on the right, dribbled into the D and unleashed a powerful shot but the goalkeeper saved with his leg guards

Early in the final quarter there was a Scottish onslaught on the Russian goal and only some acrobatic goalkeeping could keep out a third goal.

Scotland’s third goal came five minutes from the end from a penalty corner routine. Cammy Golden injected for his brother Jamie and the resulting drag flick launched into the right corner of the net for 3-0.

Then in a flash it was 4-0. Scotland charged down the Russian restart, won the ball and sent David Nairn speeding down the right. Nairn clinically picked out the far corner of the net for the fourth goal.

Russia pulled one back with two minutes remaining but Scotland immediately broke forward from the restart and Andrew McConnell slid in to make it 5-2 with ninety seconds remaining.

Scotland U21 Men’s Head Coach Graham Moodie said, “That was an important win and a really good performance. We had great energy and our attitude throughout the match was very positive. It was disappointing to lose the second goal but the reaction of the players to go forward and score again right away was excellent.

“We had some moments of real quality in the match from players like Cammy Golden, Struan Walker, and Andy McConnell – it was great to see McConnell get his goal at the end. It’s a well-earned day off now and prep for the Italy game.”

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Excellent win for Scotland U21 women against Czech Republic



Scotland U21 Women beat Czech Republic 2-0 in their second match of U21 Women’s EuroHockey Championship II in Alanya, Turkey. The Scots are now on four points from two matches and are top of Pool B on goal difference.

A good start to the match by Scotland saw them score an early goal on their first attack of the game. The Scots worked their way into the D and hesitant defending was punished by Lunjika Nyirenda who slipped it low against the backboard to make it 1-0.

The Scots had an excellent chance to double their advantage in the second quarter but the Czech goalkeeper was out quick to narrow the angle and block the shot with her leg guards.

Georgia Jones did increase Scotland’s lead a short time later; she sped into the Czech D from the left and slid a low shot past the goalkeeper and in for 2-0.

Czech Republic had a real go in the third quarter but Scotland put in a great shift in defence. Cailin Hart had a great game; she pulled off many solid blocks including one outstanding block on the line to deny a certain goal.

Jess Buchanan made a number of excellent saves on occasion that the Czechs broke through the Scotland defence.

The effort put into the match by the Czechs seemed to wear them out and Scotland played a counter attack game. Lexi Sabatelli thought she’d added a third goal when she hit the net at a penalty corner rebound but the ball hit a shin in the build-up and the goal was ruled out.

The match ended 2-0 to Scotland and puts them in a good position going into the final pool match.

Scotland U21 Women’s Assistant Coach Keith Smith said, “This was a really intelligent and mature performance today and every player on the pitch for us put in a great performance. The players worked hard, snuffed out any danger, and added goals to their game today.

“We’re off to a good start and have found our feet in this competition. There was good progress made from yesterday’s match, which is really pleasing, and we’re looking forward to the last pool match on Wednesday.”

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Irish youth teams feel Oranje heat in five defeats


Caoimhe Perdue attempts to block. Pic: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Ireland’s youth teams felt the Oranje heat as they endured five losses to the Dutch powerhouses in Valencia and Eindhoven on Monday.

For the Under-21 women, they made life difficult for long periods, frustrating the tournament favourites who could not find a similar fluidity that did for France a day earlier.

Pien Dicke did get the Dutch on the board in the sixth minute from a corner rebound but that was the only goal of the first half as the likes of Jane Kilpatrick, Hannah McLoughlin and Ellen Curran put in big stints.

Freeke Moes did extend the advantage early in the second half and fellow senior international Yibbi Jansen added another with a corner rocket in the 41st minute.

Siofra O’Brien got one back from McLoughlin’s ball into the D in the final quarter to reduce the gap to 3-1 but Jansen and Nina van den Marel closed out a 5-1 Dutch win.

Ireland have a rest day on Tuesday before facing into a key pair of games against Spain and France where they will need to get points on the board to have a chance of avoiding a bottom three finish.

In Eindhoven, the Irish Under-16 girls took the lead via Mount Mercy’s Leah O’Shea in the first half against the Dutch and were level up to the fourth quarter.

But goals from Trijntje Beljaars, Jill Niessen and Pheline Verhoeven saw the Dutch pull clear in the closing stages.

For the Under-18s, Bente van der Veldt scored a hat trick for the Dutch in a 4-0 success against Ireland.

On the boys side, the Irish Under-16s put in a strong performance but did not quite get the rub of the green against the Dutch in a 3-1 defeat.

Casper van der Veen slid in to open the scoring, Hidde Wunderink and Miles Bukkens made it 3-0 before Banbridge man Eddie Rowe got his third goal of the week.

Ireland also hit the post and created a number of good chances in an excellent second half performance.


Erin Getty in control. Pic: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

The Under-18s lost 5-0 to the Eindhoven hosts with first half goals from Sam Figge, Chuck Caupain and Guus Jansen putting the game beyond reach at the interval.

In Litice, the Under-21 men are back in action in their second EuroHockey Junior Championships in Litice when they take on the Czech hosts at 5pm (Irish time). The Czechs lost their opening game to Turkey 3-1.

Women

Senior international (Tuesday): Ireland v Scotland, 11am, Stormont

EuroHockey Junior Championships (Valencia), Pool A: Ireland 1 (S O’Brien) Netherlands 5 (Y Jansen 2, P Dicke, F Moes, N van den Marel)

Under-18 Six Nations: Ireland 0 Netherlands 4

Under-16 Six Nations: Ireland 1 (L O’Shea) Netherlands 4

Men

Under-18 Six Nations: Ireland 0 Netherlands 5

Under-16 Six Nations: Ireland 1 (E Rowe) Netherlands 3

EuroHockey Junior Championships II (Litice), Pool A: Ireland v Czech Republic, 5pm (Irish time)

The Hook

Stoop partnership with England Hockey will be ‘long term’, say Harlequins

By Rod Gilmour


LONDON – Great Britain v New Zealand PIC: WORLDSPORTPICS

Staging hockey at Harlequins, recently home to the successful double header, will become more frequent after club officials admitted that the relationship with England Hockey was a “long term” one.

Around 12,000 fans were at the ground for the ground-breaking double header against New Zealand – and the signs are positive for staging more big internationals at The Stoop.

Whether that includes (the likelihood of) hosting two huge Olympic qualification play-off matches involving Great Britain in the autumn is too early to tell at this stage.

But Ola Obaro, Harlequins’ strategic lead, told The Hockey Paper that the pitch technology, coupled with the similarity between the rugby and hockey audiences, bode well for future partnerships.

“We are right in the middle of an important strategic area for England Hockey and so it makes sense to explore growth together and to grow our respective fan bases in tandem,” said Obaro.

“We entered into our relationship with England Hockey with a long-term view. It was never a partnership to deliver the two matches.

“When conversations started, it was clear that England Hockey wanted to grasp the potential with the local community, the clubs within the catchment area and the overlap with the rugby club.”

The Stoop is currently in planning stages for a ground redevelopment and has cited its relationship with hockey as part of the stadium’s long-term view.

Obaro said: “The ideal element of what we are doing is learning about the technology, the build timings and then we can start to reduce the timings and be able to go from rugby to hockey and back and all the other elements like branding, which will be digitally-enabled at the press of button.”



In the modern sporting landscape, staying “as relevant as possible” is also firmly in Harlequins’ remit. “A big part of that is being able to put on different events, as well as rugby, and stay front of mind and reaching new supporters,” added Obaro.

“The potential of hockey is huge and is a great live sport to watch. The view [with the blue pitch] feels almost ‘at home’ within our stadium, so the potential from an exposure and broadcast point of view is massive.”

And with the Pro League acting as a continuing hockey story line in between World Cup and Olympic cycles, it is one Harlequins and England Hockey are clearly keen to develop.

“We are passionate about helping England Hockey reach their aims and goals and we are proud to be a part of it,” concluded Obaro.

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The Hockey Paper

Australian Kavanagh to conduct defenders camp for Indian women’s hockey team

Former Australian defender Fergus Kavanagh will conduct a camp for Indian women's hockey team defenders at Bengaluru from July 15-21.


Fergus Kavanagh (extreme left) had conducted a training camp for men's hockey team defenders at Bengaluru.   -  Hockey India Twitter

Two-time World Cup winner Fergus Kavanagh of Australia will conduct a special seven-day defenders camp for the senior Indian women’s hockey team in Bengaluru.

Kavanagh, who arrived in Bengaluru on July 7 to work with the Indian men’s team, will now pass on his tips and experiences to the women’s side during the special camp, starting Monday.

Kavanagh will work with 14 women defenders during the camp, which will concluded on July 21. The camp is a part of the team’s preparation for the all-important Olympic Qualifiers to be held later this year.

The players identified by Hockey India who will be part of the camp are Salima Tete, Deep Grace Ekka, Lilima Minz, Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam, Suman Devi Thoudam, Mahima Choudhary, Nisha, Gurjit Kaur, Rashmita Minz, Sunita Lakra, Manpreet Kaur, Nikki Pradhan, Karishma Yadav and Monika.

Kavanagh was part of the Australian dream team that won the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi and the 2014 World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands.

He was also a member of the Kookaburras’ gold medal winning sides at consecutive FIH Champions Trophy from 2008 to 2012 besides the 2014 Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar.

“We had a great tournament at the FIH Women’s Series, but we still have to improve in a certain areas. We are looking forward to fine-tune our defensive game with Fergus (Kavanagh) ahead of the Olympics Test event in August. His experience in coaching will surely help our defenders get better,” India chief coach Sjoerd Marijne said.

“A good defensive unit can help the team create more attacking opportunities and subsequently help the side create more scoring opportunities. Therefore, it is imperative for our defenders to be on top of their game in big events such as the Olympics Test event and Olympic Qualifiers in October-November.”

Sportstar

Butali Warriors, Strathmore crowned Nakuru Open champs

By Washington Onyango


Strathmore University's Gilly Okumu in action at City Park. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Butali Warriors and Strathmore University Scorpions are 2019 Kenyan Nakuru Open champions.

Also referred to as the Betty Tioni Memorial festival, the 8-aside hockey tournament was held at Nakuru Hockey Club over the weekend, where over 30 teams took part.

It was supported by Greensteds International School and the Kenya Hockey Union, Nakuru.

Butali thrashed Holden Hockey Club 3-1 through Amos Barkibir and Calvin Kanu’s double to emerge winners in men’s category while Strathmore (Green) saw off United States International University (USIU B) 2-0 to lift the women’s trophy.

Speaking to the Standard Sports, Butali Warriors’ coach Denis Owoka praised his charges, while paying tribute to Tioni, whom he described as a versatile player who left a mark in the sport.

“I am happy the team had a good show because it was a good exposure for the players and the team as a whole. We want to keep improving in our league matches,” said Owoka.

“She remains an inspiration to most for the upcoming young players. She left a mark in the history of hockey in Kenya and to participate in this tournament is to honour her. ”

USIU B defeated USIU Mashujaa 2-1 to win men’s silver while USIU A defeated Strathmore Orange 2-0 to finish third in the women’s category. Betty Tioni Memorial tournament is an annual event that began in 2015 and is held in the memory of the former Kenya international and Telkom Orange hockey striker, who died in February, 2014.

The Standard Digital

Dhanraj Pillay, magician with hockey stick turns 51 - Here are some interesting facts

The former Indian Hockey player, Dhanraj Pillay has immensely contributed to sports in India.


Dhanraj Pillay has scored around 170 goals in his playing days (Image Credit: Twitter)

The former Indian Hockey player, Dhanraj Pillay has immensely contributed to sports in India. Dhanraj, who led India during his prime days has won many titles for the country. His contribution on and off the field will always be remembered by the nation. Dhanraj his still associated with the sport and continues to share pivotal experience with players.

On his 51st birthday, here are some interesting facts that you should know:

• Dhanraj Pillay made his international hockey debut in 1989 in Allwyn Asia Cup
• Dhanraj Pillay played over 330 international matches for India. The Indian Hockey Federation didn't keep an official record of his goals, but according to what he remembers, he scored around 170 goals in his career.
• Dhanraj Pillay became the only player to set a trend of number four, with four Olympics, four World Cups, four Champion Trophies and four Asian Games
• In 1998 at Bangkok Asian Games, Pillay was the highest goal scorer of the tournament.
• In the 1994 World Cup at Sydney, Dhanraj Pillay was the only Indian player who was included in the World Eleven side
• Dhanraj Pillay was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in the year 1999-2000
• Under Pillay's captaincy, India won 1998 Asian Games and 2003 Asia Cup
• Pillay became the player of the tournament in the 2002 Champions Trophy which was held in Germany
• Dhanraj Pillay was awarded the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in the year 2000
• Journalist, Sundeep Misra, wrote a biography on Pillay titled, 'Forgive Me Amma'
• Currently, Dhanraj Pillay is the manager of Indian Hockey team and is also a member of ad hoc committee of Indian Hockey Federation.

News Nation