News 07 January 2014
All the news for Tuesday 7 January 2014
HWL is an important marker ahead of a busy year: England coach
The last time England came here for a major hockey tournament was in 2010 for the Commonwealth Games, when it lost to India in the semifinals on penalties.
This time around, coach Bobby Crutchley hopes that his wards would be third-time lucky at the National Stadium during the Hockey World League starting January 10.
England finished fourth in both the CWG and in the 2010 World Cup at the same venue, and though a lot of players have retired since then, the core of the team remains the same.
“A lot of things have changed. Even I have graduated from assisting to being in charge now. I don’t think past performance will affect the players, but, yes, the kind of noise then was unbelievable,” says Crutchley, after the team’s first training session on Monday.
“The crowds we saw were amazing, and if that happens again, things can be very different.”
Interestingly, England opens its campaign against India.
The team arrived late on Sunday night.
Seven of the England players here were part of the squad at the CWG, and six, including captain Barry Middleton and the talented Ashley Jackson, were at the World Cup.
Crutchley says he is counting on the mix of youth and experience to deliver.
“We are missing a few players due to the European indoor tournament, but we are pretty much as full-strength as we can be. It will be a very important marker for us ahead of a busy year,” Crutchley says.
There are no competitions between now and the World Cup in May, and the coach is keen to assess his opponents.
“It will be interesting to see where the different teams are at. Everyone has prepared differently, and it’s the beginning of the year.
“So, in that sense, it will be an interesting event with the top eight teams in fray,” Crutchley says.
The Hindu
England promises tough competition for all teams in HWL Final
NEW DELHI: Cautioning all the participating teams, England coach Bobby Crutchley on Monday vowed to give a tough fight to all their opponents, including hosts India, in the inaugural Hero Hockey World League Final to be held from January 10-18.
England will play hosts India in a Pool A fixture in their tournament opener at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Friday, but Crutchley rated Australia as the team to watch out for in the tournament.
"We are aiming at giving tough competition to all teams that we will be playing against (in the tournament). While all teams are good and strong but the toughest competition we feel will be Australia," he said after a practice session.
"During our practice sessions we are giving utmost emphasis on areas where we feel maximum errors will happen. We haven't come here with a set strategy in place, rather we will take each match on every given day," Crutchley added.
Apart from India and England, Germany and New Zealand are the other two teams in Pool A while the Pool B consists of Australia, Argentina, Netherlands and Belgium.
The Times of India
India is the most unpredictable team: Australia coach
NEW DELHI: Australia's assistant Coach Graham Reid feels India would be the most unpredictable team of the upcoming World Hockey League final here.
"We feel that Germany, Belgium and Netherlands are the teams to look out for in the League, but India is the most unpredictable team. The Indian boys can upset any strong team on any given day hence, should be extra careful while playing them," said Reid.
Australia are placed in group B alongside Argentina, Belgium and Netherlands, while India have England, Germany and New Zealand in their pool.
Australia open their campaign against Belgium in the opening match of the tournament on January 10 at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium here.
The reigning world champions are keen to become the first ever side to claim men's Hockey World League title.
"The entire team is excited and looking forward to play here in India. While, because of injury we had to leave behind a few players but the entire team is very confident to face any kind of challenge that the League will throw on us. Our group is very tough with Belgium and Netherlands in it, but we are confident of playing good and tough hockey," said captain Mark Knowles.
The Australian side was beaten into second place at the Hockey World League Semi Final in Rotterdam when they lost in a dramatic shoot-out against Belgium.
The Kookaburras came into the event as Oceania champions, having defeated host nation New Zealand in the tournament final to take the trophy.
The Times of India
Greenshirts’ participation in CWG still possible: Hasan
KARACHI: Pakistan hockey team’s participation at this year’s Commonwealth Games (CWG) has been almost ruled out, but Pakistan Olympics Association (POA) can still make a last-ditch effort to get the go-ahead for the greenshirts, said POA President Arif Hasan.
On the sidelines of a Sindh Olympic Association meeting in Karachi, the POA asked the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to send an expression of interest so that they could push the case for the team’s participation.
“We can put up the case of hockey’s participation at the CWG meeting in Malaysia on January 24,” the POA chief told The Express Tribune on Monday.
“There is a slim chance but Pakistan’s participation is still possible. However, the PHF will have to send their expression of interest first.”
The team’s participation was jeopardised after the PHF refused to send the entry through the Hasan-led POA and instead went to the parallel POA headed by Akram Sahi with the government’s backing.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognises Hasan’s body.
POA sends hockey’s entry for Asian Games
Hasan stated that the POA has included hockey team’s entry with other disciplines after the December 31 deadline for the Asian Games.
“But to confirm participation, the PHF will have to send an expression of interest.”
Like the CWG case, the PHF is still awaiting approval from government to send an expression of interest through Hasan’s body.
Recently, PHF President Akhtar Rasool told The Express Tribune that his federation cannot take decisions without the government’s consent as they need funds.
Pakistan’s fate to be discussed in Sochi
Hasan also revealed that the IOC’s executive committee will meet in February in to take a decision on Pakistan’s membership on the matter of parallel POA bodies.
The IOC has asked the government to make amendments in its national sports policy and the rules of Pakistan Sports Board which are in a clash with the charter of the body.
Pakistan has to incorporate the changes before January 31; failure to adhere may result in a ban on the country.
The Express Tribune
13 juniors in provisional hockey team list
By S. Ramaguru
Mohamed Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin (right) and national junior team captain Mohd Fitri Saari have been included in the provisional list of 45 players that will form the senior squad this year. - Filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: Sixteen-year-old Norsyafiq Sumantri, a member of the 2016 Project squad, is the surprise inclusion in the 45-man national hockey team.
National coach Paul Revington released the names of the players yesterday and 13 players from the National Juniors squad were also included. . The trainees will undergo fitness training on Jan 10.
“The players will be broken up into smaller groups to undergo the physical evaluation. In a week’s time, I will name a squad of 35 players that will carry the nation’s challenge in tournaments leading up to the World Cup Finals,” said Revington.
The 13 players from the National Juniors squad are Faiz Helmi Jali, Meor Mohamed Azuan Hassan, Mohamed Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin, Mohd Fitri Saari, Mohamed Firhan Ashaari, Mohamed Rashid Baharom, Joel Samuel van Huizen, Kavin Kartik, Mohamed Hazrul Faiz Ahmad Sobri, Mohd Syamim Yusof, Mohd Azri Hassan, Shazril Irwan Nazli and Mohamed Hafizuddin Othman.
This year, the team will be involved in five major assignments – Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (Ipoh, March 13-22), FIH Champions Challenge 1 (Kuantan, April 26-May 4) World Cup ( The Hague, May 31-June 15), Commonwealth Games ( Glasgow, July 23–Aug 3) and Asian Games (Incheon, South Korea, Sept 19-Oct 3).
The squad will also play several friendlies against China and Canada before the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. After the tournament, they will go a European Tour in April.
The trainees:
Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin, Amirullah Zainol, Amir Farid Ahmad Fuzi, Azlan Misron, Azreen Rizal Nasir, Baljit Singh Charun Singh, Dedy Ariyadi Jumaidi, Engku Abdul Malik Engku Mohamad, Faiz Helmi Jali, Faizal Saari, Harvinder Singh, Ismail Abu, Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin, Jivan Mohan, Joel Samuel van Huizen, Kairulnizam Ibrahim, G. Kavin Kartik, S. Kumar, Megat Azrafiq Megat Termizi, Meor Muhamad Azuan Hassan, Mohamed Hazrul Faiz Ahmad Sobri, Mohamed Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin, Mohamed Sukri Abdul Mutalib, Mohd Fitri Saari, Mohd Madzli Ikmar Mohd Nor, Mohd Shahrun Nabil Abdullah, Mohd Syamim Mohd Yusof, Mohamed Amin Rahim, Mohamed Azammi Adabi, Mohamed Ramadan Rosli, Mohamed Azri Hassan, Mohamed Firhan Ashaari, Mohamed Hafizuddin Othman, Mohamed Iderus Ali, Mohamed Marhan Mohd Jalil, Mohamed Noor Faeez Rahim, Mohamed Rashid Baharom, Mohamed Razie Abdul Rahim, Nabil Fiqri Mohd Nor, Norhizzat Sumantri, Roslan Jamaluddin, S. Selvaraju, Norshafiq Sumantri, Shazril Irwan Nazli, Tengku Ahmad Tajudin Abdul Jalil.
The Star of Malaysia
Syafiq the surprise inclusion
A total of 45 players will undergo physical evaluation at the Malaysian National Sports Institute from Friday until January 16 in order to determine which 35 will make it to the final squad of 35 to undergo training for a place in the World Cup.
In releasing the list of the 45 players called up, national coach Paul Revington made a surprise inclusion as he also called up Syafiq Sumantri from the current National Under 16 squad.
Syafiq is the younger brother of current national trainee Nor Izat Sumantri and has a sister in the national women’s squad Nor Azlin Sumantri.
The coaching set-up for the National Under 16 squad is expected to be named in Kuantan today (Tuesday) as Malaysian hockey Confederation President Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is expected to chair a meeting comprising of key MHC office bearers who will be joined by managers and coaches of the various national squads.
And there is not expected to be any changes as manager Mirnawan Nawawi and coach K. Dharmaraj are expected to retain their positions and take charge of the 2016 Junior World Cup squad.
Revington has called up 13 players from the National Juniors squad that emerged fourth in the recent Junior World Cup in New Delhi.
While players like Faiz Helmi Jali, Meor Muhammad Azuan Hassan, Mohammad Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin, Mohd Fitri Saari, Muhammad Firhan Ashaari Muhammad Rashid Baharom had been in the senior squad in the past, Revington has given a chance to Joel Samuel van Huizen, Kavin Khartik, Mohammad Hazeul Faiz Ahmad Sobri, Mohd Syamim Yusof, Mohd Azri Hassan, Shazril Irwan Nazli and Muhammad Hafizuddin Othman to vie for a place in the final 35 training squad.
“The players will be broken up into smaller groups to undergo the physical evaluation and in a week’s time I will name a squad of 35 players that will carry the nation’s challenge in tournaments leading up to the World Cup,” said Revington.
It will be a busy year for Malaysia as they will be playing in the Azlan Shah Cup ( Ipoh - March 13-22), Champions Challenge 1 (Kuantan - April 26-May 4) World Cup ( The Hague May 31-June 15), Commonwealth Games ( Glasgow July 23 – August 3) and Asian games ( Incheon- September 19-October 3).
In addition the squad will play several friendly matches against China and Canada before the Azlan Shah Cup and followed by an European Tour in April.
While Malaysia is targeting a lowly 10th place in the World Cup, they will need to better, if not defend the Asian Games silver medal they won in 2010 in Ghuanzhou.
MalaysianHockey.com.my
Status quo mooted for next junior hockey team
By S. Ramaguru
The Malaysian junior hockey side did well by winning the Asian title in 2012 and finishing fourth in the Junior World Cup last December in New Delhi. - Filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: The national juniors (Project 2013) team management led by Mirnawan Nawawi and K. Dharmaraj could well be in line to handle yet another project squad - the Project 2016 squad.
With the next Junior World Cup Finals set for 2016, the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are due to name their next management team soon.
The MHC coaching committee is of the opinion that the same team should be given the task as they have done well to achieve the target set for them last year and have a good team in place to build another strong squad for the 2016 challenge.
The juniors last year finished fourth in New Delhi to match their previous best outing in the series achieved in 1979 and 1982.
MHC coaching committee chairman Manjit Majid Abdullah said on Monday that the committee will look at several options but for the moment retaining the current setup of the juniors team is the best possible solution.
“This team has surpassed the target set for them and they have also worked very hard over a four-year period to mould a strong team.
”My committee and I see no reason why they cannot be retained for yet another term (for the Junior World Cup). We will have a meeting within the next two weeks and we will look at other possible options. But for now we are comfortable with the idea of keeping Dharmaraj as the chief coach.
“He has the experience and is also able to draw on the experience of the earlier stint to iron out the kinks in the weak areas,” he added.
Besides Mirnawan and Dharmaraj, the other members of the coaching staff are Nor Azlan Bakar, K. Gobinathan, M. Nadarajah and Lim Chiow Chuan.
Manjit said that a dialogue session will be held on Tuesday with the various national coaches and MHC president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
“The session is to review the position of the teams and also to see what needs to be done in the coming months.
“It will also basically touch on the various tournaments that our teams have taken part in and assess the performance of the management team.
“It will also give us a guide on the options that are available in looking at the next junior team management. The coaching committee will meet later and the discussion at this dialogue session will help us make recommendations to the MHC council,” he said.
Manjit said no changes are expected in the senior team. South African Paul Revington is the chief coach with A. Arulselvaraj as his assistant. KLHA president George Koshy is the team manager.
The Star of Malaysia
Oilmen three-peat in Ventures hockey
...Paragon take women’s title
Nigel Simon
Minister of National Security, Captain Gary Griffith watches on as his Queen’s Park CC team-mate Raphael Govia scores one of his five goals past AM & Friends goalkeeper Jason Pilgrim during their Veterans Division match in the 11th Ventures Invitational Indoor Hockey Tournament at Woodbrook Youth Facility, Hamilton-Holder Street, Woodbrook, on Friday night. QPCC won 7-4. Photo: Anthony Harris
The trio of Petrotrin (men), Paragon (women) and Defence Force (veterans) won in contrasting styles when the curtain came down on the 11th annual Ventures Hockey Club’s Invitational Indoor Hockey Tournament at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Hamilton-Holder Street, Woodbrook, on Sunday night.
In the Women’s Open Division decider Paragon beat hosts and defending champions Ventures 3-1 to take the winner’s trophy and the US$1,000 cash prize.
Zene Henry scored a double and captain Alanna Lewis, the “Most Valuable Player” of the tournament contributed to their team’s victory, a repeat of last year’s women’s final.
When both teams met in the round-robin stage on Saturday, the match ended 3-3 with Yesenia Luces, the tournament’s leading goalscorer netting all her team’s goals while Avion Ashton, Arielle Williams and Henry netted for Paragon.
Notre Dame took third spot among the women and US$250 via its 5-2 win over visiting USA club, The Edge led by two goals from Blair Wynne.
Wynne’s aunt, Carol Wynne-Whiteman, Dana-Lee de Gannes and Tamia Roach got the others for the Dames to cancel out Laura Mc Cormick’s double for The Edge.
The Men’s Open final which also carried a first prize of US$1,000 went to a penalty shoot-out where Petrotrin got goals from Dwain Quan Chan, Evan Piers-Farrell, Atiba Whittington and Brian Garcia to edge past Queen’s Park 4-2, after a pulsating 4-4 draw to register a third straight lien on the crown.
Shawn Lee Quay and Dominic Young converted for Queen’s Park.
In regulation-time, Garcia, Whittington, Wayne Legerton and Solomon Eccles were the players on target for Petrotrin while Lee Quay, Young, Jordan Reynos and Raphael Govia had the Parkites’ replies.
The win was also sweet revenge for Petrotrin, which was beaten, 5-4 by the Parkites in the round-robin phase of the competition on Friday night.
Notre Dame also snatched third spot in the men’s tournament after a narrow 8-7 triumph over Knott DF led by a hat-trick from Ishmael Campbell and two apiece by Shaquille Daniel, who carried his league high tally to 11 and Aidan De Gannes, who also netted twice.
And in the Veterans decider, it was one way traffic as Defence Force inspired by an Anton Reyes treble clobbered Queen’s Park, 10-2, a stark contrast to its 9-7 round-robin victory on Thursday.
Nicholas Wren and guest player Gordon Snow chipped in with doubles for the winners while the trio of Kirth Davis, Peter Aadmar and Roger Daniel, the “MVP” also found the target as the Knott DF kept Raphael Govia, the tournament’s top scorer with 17, off the scoresheet.
The Trinidad Guardian
Holcombe book place in finals without Barry Middleton and Dan Fox
By Richard Lewis
Holcombe will be bereft of Barry Middleton left and Dan Fox for the finals Holcombe will be bereft of Barry Middleton (left) and Dan Fox for the finals [GETTY]
HOLCOMBE clinched a place in the indoor finals of the Maxinutrition 5s championship to take place at Wembley Arena on February 2 without their star players England captain Barry Middleton and international team-mate Dan Fox.
The pair were jetting off to Delhi with the England squad on Sunday to prepare for the World League Final in which they open up against the hosts India on Friday.
Holcombe lost to Reading 10-5 at Burton but squeezed in on goal difference after edging out Doncaster 5-4, with captain Richard Lane scoring a hat-trick.
East Grinstead look firm favourites to take the indoor title for the sixth time in succession as they topped the show unbeaten, while Reading in second place, and Canterbury, who recorded a 13-6 win against Beeston in the process, make up the Wembley finale.
Canterbury’s women were pressing all the panic buttons over their weekend.
Their goalkeeping kit had somehow got jammed in the boot of a car and a frantic plea went out to the participating clubs for help in providing kit.
Jen Wilson (left) revealed Canterbury were pressing the panic buttons at the weekend [GETTY]
Striker Jen Wilson said: “Canterbury are extremely grateful to all the players and teams that helped us out and it shows that true friendships and sportsmanship is still alive in the most elite players and teams in the hockey circles in the UK.
“We just couldn’t get into that boot and that was 30 minutes before we were due to play. We had called out the AA and RAC and they could not get in either. We would have had to remove the bumper and drill through the lock.”
Wilson’s hat-trick eventually knocked rivals East Grinstead out of contention in a 7-4 win to take fourth place. They will play Bowdon Hightown, who finished at the top of the division unbeaten, while champions Reading will play Slough in the semi-finals at Kettering, starting at 6pm on Saturday.
The winners will go on to the showpiece final at Wembley.
Daily Express
World hockey's six to five-a-side indoor rule gives flair players chance to elevate the sport
With the outdoor hockey season on winter break the domestic indoor season has taken centre stage, bringing with it some new rules
By Ross Bone
Changing of the guard: it still remains to be seen how teams will adapt to the new five-a-side format Photo: ADY KERRY
After a directive from the International Hockey Federation, the indoor game is now five-a-side instead of six.
And the first weekend of competition last month gave us all a first look at the new rules with some interesting developments.
Not surprisingly, with two fewer players on the pitch, there is more time and space to exploit. In the previous incarnation teams could often set up defensively in a way that stifled their opponents.
That is still possible, but it somewhat limits their attacking ambitions once they have the ball, as the extra attacker is no longer available.
Now, with more space on the pitch there are a lot more opportunities for one-on-one situations to develop. That should encourage the flair players to strut their stuff and give the crowd plenty of excitement.
It still remains to be seen how teams will adapt to the new format and the domestic indoor season is so short it is unlikely you will see too many risks or changes, unless you are Holcombe.
The Kent side caused quite a stir in the first week, making full use of the ability to substitute the goalkeeper and play with five outfield players.
Great Britain captain Barry Middleton explained: “We have attacking players so with the rules the way they are now we have the chance to be aggressive and play attacking hockey.
"There are pros and cons; you can concede some cheap goals but there are goals to be scored, too. These are the rules in place so we’re seeing what we can do with them.”
It is certainly a high-risk strategy. If you give the ball away, you are likely to concede, as was the case in Holcombe's opening game, a 9-9 draw with Beeston. The Bees scored three times with the goalkeeper off the field.
However, with a bit more practice, the extra man, coupled with the extra space on the court, could start to pay dividends.
Whether that is the case remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the tenacity to try something different should be encouraged and applauded. As the old saying goes, he who dares, wins.
Ross Bone writes for The Top of the D blog. Follow him on Twitter @TheTopoftheD.
The Telegraph
Investec London Cup, July 2014
Aerial Lee Valley Photo
This July you can see top international teams come together for the Investec London Cup at the brand new venue for top-flight hockey in England - the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
From 9 - 13 July 2014 you'll be able to see some of the best teams in the world compete at the Investec London Cup. The last Investec London Cup took place in 2012, and this event will no doubt recapture the magic of that year. Along with this stellar event is a fantastic new venue to enjoy it in - the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, which is a legacy venue from the London 2012 Olympics.
Tickets aren't yet on sale, but register your interest for event news and special offers now, by signing up to our 'event tickets' newsletter.
http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/signup.asp?section=1452§ionTitle=Newsletter+Sign%2DUp
When it opens in spring 2014, Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre will play host to some of hockey’s top international tournaments. England Hockey recently won the bid to host the Women’s World Cup in 2018 and with the EuroHockey Championships already secured for August 2015, there is now an exciting calendar of major international hockey events to look forward to!
England Hockey Board Media release
Fans to rally for Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand
NEW DELHI: New Delhi-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) Hockey Citizen Group (HCG) will hold a public rally here Wednesday to urge the government to award India's highest civilian honour - the Bharat Ratna - to legendary player Dhyan Chand.
"We announce a public rally to expedite Bharat Ratna for hockey legend Dhyan Chand. We invite all sports lovers, hockey players, present and past, coaches, administrators of sports and public to participate in the rally," said a statement.
The rally will start at 2 pm from the Barakhamba Road-Tolstoy Marg inter-section (near Ranjit Singh statue) and pass through Tolstoy Marg with demonstration at Jantar Mantar before proceeding to the Prime Minister's office to submit a memorandum.
"It is worthwhile to recall that the sports ministry had recommended Bharat Ratna for Major Dhyan Chand long back. Hockey India also supported it. However, things did not move further. Many international and Olympic players, including Ashok Kumar, son of Dhyan Chand, have confirmed their participation," added the statement.
The NGO wants Dhyan Chand to be given the award posthumously along with cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, who became the first sportsperson to be named for the award.
The Times of India
Western Province hockey stalwart passes away
Peter le Grange, a stalwart of Western Province hockey who had also represented South Africa as an official at international level, passed away suddenly on 27 December, 2013.
Prominent in umpiring and hockey administration, as well as being a tournament director, Le Grange was a judge at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament held in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2013.
“It is certainly sad to receive this news,” said SA Hockey Association CEO Marissa Langeni.
“Having had some pleasant chats with Peter while he was doing duty in Nairobi, I know how passionate he was about hockey and how very excited he was to have an opportunity to officiate at a Continental level.
“Peter was looking forward to other future opportunities on the international stage.
“The South African Hockey Association passes on its deepest sympathies to Peter’s family and friends as well as to the greater Western Province hockey family.”
SA Hockey Association media release