News 22 January 2014
All the news for Wednesday 22 January 2014
Lack of structure bane of Indian hockey
S. Thyagarajan
If you are inclined to identify happy tidings for India in the recent Hockey World League (HWL) there were a couple of noticeable points. The draw and the victory over the Olympic champion, Germany, plus the bonanza of points that will enhance the world rankings cannot be dismissed as irrelevant.
Though only small consolation from an overview these developments should generate hope. Amidst drawing blanks in major competitions over the decade, India was unable to obtain a direct entry to the World Cup scheduled at the Hague in May-June this year.
It had two chances but failed in both: first in the HWL at Rotterdam where it finished last — and ended the career of Michael Nobbs as coach — and then it missed the spot by a whisker in the Asia Cup.
The entry to World Cup did come, though through the most circuitous and agonising route. Simply put, moments to relish were few and far between last year.
It is ironical and somewhat intriguing that India manages to get big ticket competitions such as the World Cup, two sections of the HWL, including the final, the high profile Hockey India League etc.
Certainly there has been an appreciable measure of enterprise and even a degree of efficiency in selling India as a market to top-level events, including the Champions Trophy to be hosted in December this year in Orissa.
The FIH utilises to the hilt India’s history and the avenues for sponsorship. The patronage from paying spectators, however, is dwindling. The poor response to the WHL made many wonder whether the popularity of the sport has touched its nadir.
Public apathy is largely due to the fact that all the competitions are confined to Delhi. Centres like Mumbai, Chandigarh and Bangalore, which boast of good following are rarely in contention for a major event.
It is true that the infrastructure in Delhi is world class. But there are venues adequate enough to play host. Chennai, for instance, has hosted two Champions Trophy events and an Asia Cup.
Another point that needs examination relates to the structure. There is an enormous duplication emerging from twin power centres of administration. In a large number of states, the associations are in total disarray. The players are as confused as the promoters.
This has restricted the available national talent pool for selection under Hockey India to a mere 40 or so. Minus the injured, those fit enough to earn the country’s colours are not even 20.
The plethora of foreign coaches and trainers has little or no exposure to explore new talent from tournaments, which are indeed legion.
Regrettably, India struggled to field a full complement of fit players last year. Even for the HWL, India could not play all its best players on the frontline.
With a host of international engagements ahead, the game is suffering for want of a well-defined system to extinguish the maladies that had crippled it in every facet.
The Hindu
Catching them young to revive India’s glorious hockey past
By Amit Ganguly
It’s just after sunrise on a foggy winter morning in north India. Most people are snuggled up in quilts, but a group of teenagers with hockey sticks is out on the field. The ragtag bunch chasing a ball in Khera Garhi village, about 20 kilometres from central Delhi, shares a dream — to play in India’s field hockey team.
It’s an unusual dream in a country obsessed with cricket, but one that former national player Rajesh Chauhan hopes to foster among youngsters across India. Chauhan, 37, played for India during the second half of the 1990′s and set up the Jai Bharat Hockey Academy in 2011 to try to restore Indian hockey to its former glory.
India was a men’s hockey superpower in the last century, winning eight Olympic gold medals. Since 1980, the national team’s fortunes have declined.
Chauhan told India Insight that he hopes to discover the next generation of medal winners among his wards at the academy. He breaks off frequently to shout instructions to his students practising on the turf, which is nothing but muddy ground next to a road where trucks trundle past a telecommunications tower.
About 70 students, half of whom stay in a nearby hostel, have come from Delhi and its neighbouring states to hone their hockey skills. Some wake up before sunrise to travel to the academy, putting in several hours of practice before and after school.
“Hockey just turns me on. This is something which I want in my life, to become a hockey player,” said Happy Bharat, a gangly 14-year-old whose sunny disposition seems to suit his unusual first name.
Happy is the son of a bus conductor, and many like him come from poor families.
“We have children of farmers, carpenters, daily wage labourers, soldiers, etc. but this fantastic game cuts through their diversified socio-economic platforms and knits them in one thread,” said Chauhan.
The academy, which operates as a non-profit, gives scholarships and financial aid to talented youngsters from poor families. Five of the six coaches at the academy work for free. The sixth takes a nominal fee.
The village elders of Khera provide land and donate money. Trainees at the academy who study at the local school pay a subsidized fee of 20 rupees (about 30 cents) per month.
Rakesh Kumar, who usually plays in the midfielder position, is one such beneficiary.
“Everything is available in the academy. Hostel, meals thrice a day, sporting kit and good coaching,” said the 15-year-old orphan, who stays with his brother-in-law.
The training programme is showing results.
Trainees at the Jai Bharat Hockey Academy have participated in about 20 national-level tournaments. At the Under-14 national school games in November, 12 players from the academy travelled to Ranchi in eastern India, representing the national capital, and won Delhi a bronze in the hockey tournament.
Vikas, a carpenter’s son, was part of the Delhi team in Ranchi.
“I scored eight goals in that tournament, but still regret that we finished third. God willing, we will be at the top next time,” he said.
The shy 12-year-old, who gave only his first name, was thrilled to discuss hockey terms such as centre-forward, drag flick, scoop, and penalty corner.
“I play at the centre-forward position and right now, I am learning the tricky move of drag flick,” said Vikas, who idolizes Jugraj Singh, a drag-flicker on India’s national team whose promising career was cut short by a car accident in 2003.
Lack of proper coaching has been often blamed for India’s failure to groom raw talent into world-beaters. Chauhan, who didn’t have good coaches or facilities while growing up, said he didn’t want India’s next generation of hockey players to suffer.
“The problems I faced during my training somewhere pushed me since the very beginning to set up such an academy. I know the problems, I just needed to find their solutions,” he said.
Around 15 percent of the academy’s finances are spent on sports equipment with the Delhi government providing kits. Meals for children are prepared according to nutrition guidelines from the Sports Authority of India.
Chauhan wants to do more to revive hockey in India and wants Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s newly elected chief minister, to help.
“There are around 3,000 schools in Delhi. We can go and train them,” said Chauhan. “And why only them, there are so many unfortunate kids who are forced into beggary … The government can take care of their other needs and we will train them as world-class hockey players.”
Reuters India
I enjoy the Indian game: Simon Child
Biswajyoti Brahma
NEW DELHI: He did not score many goals in the just-concluded Hockey World League where his team New Zealand finished as runners-up. But Simon Child is confident of his getting back to goal-scoring mode when he takes the field for Delhi Waveriders in the Hockey India League, which is beginning on January 25 in Mohali.
"Scoring more goals in the HIL is my top priority. I will give my best and try to score as many goals as possible," the 26-year-old told TOI from Chandigarh, where the team is staying ahead of its tournament opener against hosts Jaypee Punjab Warriors.
The Waveriders missed the title by a whisker last season when they lost to Ranchi Rhinos 2-1 in the final. Child is confident that his team will do justice to its potential this season. "The goal is to win the tournament this time. We have a good squad and we know we can do it. We have a good blend of Indian and foreign players. I think we are one of the strongest teams in the tournament," he said.
This season, the Waveriders have brought in Cedric D'Souza to replace AK Bansal as the chief coach of the side. "We did quite well last season, so I don't think the new coach will necessarily make many changes. He will, however, be making certain modifications to ensure that we improve as a team. We have a strong defence and have got some very good attacking players too."
The Waveriders have many senior and top quality players in their ranks including Indian captain Sardar Singh. Child, who is a big admirer of basketball star Michael Jordan, said he always enjoyed watching the Indians play. "As a youngster I used to look up to Ryan Archibald (another Kiwi player now playing for Kalinga Lancers in HIL). I also enjoy the way the Indians play. Arjun Halappa is a great player and I like watching his game."
Child, who played in the Dutch League last year, said he enjoyed his stint with Waveriders in the first season. "From my point of view, HIL is more enjoyable than the Dutch League as here you can play open attacking hockey. But playing in the Dutch League was a bigger challenge for an individual player as a lot of strategies are involved in those matches. They are more tactical and that's a stronger competition, but I am sure in the coming years, HIL will be as competitive as any league in the world."
The Times of India
5 Crore prize money await Hockey India League
s2h Team
Huge prize money bonanza await forthcoming Hero Hockey India League what with winners walk away with Rs. 2.5 crores (US$405 800/GB£246 800) and the runners up fifty percent of it. The third placed among the six teams will get Rs.75 lacs.
Besides, various other awards carry about a crore rupees, which include Rs. 25 lac (US$40 580/GB£24 680)for the best player of the tournament
Press release
New Delhi, 21 January.2014: Hockey India today announced the prize money for the much awaited second edition of Hero Hockey India League 2014. While the winning team gets to take home Rs.2.5cr. prize money, the runners up team stands a chance to win Rs.1.25cr and the team placed at the 3rd position will take away Rs.75lacs. The League is set to commence on 25th January with six franchises and will be played in across Delhi, Mumbai, Mohali, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Lucknow over a period of almost four weeks.
Apart from the top 3 teams winning cash prizes, the Player of the Tournament gets to take away Rs. 25 lacs. The player with the maximum goals will have a chance to win the Airtel Maximum goals award and Rs. 10 lacs cash prize. The upcoming player gets the opportunity to bag the Ponty Chadha Upcoming Player of the Tournament Award and cash prize of Rs.20lacs. The player who makes everyone proud will win the Yes Garv Award and will get a cash prize of Rs.10lacs. In additional, each man of the match wins Rs 25,000.
The Award Categories for the League include
· Player of the Tournament: Rs 25 lacs
· Ponty Chadha Upcoming Player of the Tournament: Rs 20 lacs
· Airtel Maximum goals: Rs 10 lacs
· Yes Garv: Rs 10 lacs
Hero Hockey India League is scheduled to start from January 25, 2014 with the first match to be played between Jaypee Punjab Warriors and Delhi Waveriders in the new hockey stadium at Mohali.
Stick2Hockey.com
Waveriders gearing up for HIL challenge
Deepankar Sharda
Chandigarh - It’s better to forget the past and move ahead but for Delhi Waveriders, hope lies in the past.
High on last year’s performance — they finished runers-up last season— the Waveriders are all set start their 2014 Hockey India League (HIL) campaign against the hosts Punjab Warriors at Mohali on January 25.
Warriors had their first pre-match practice session on Tuesday evening. It will be interesting to see them lock horns in the opener against Punjab Warriors as they had defeated the latter 2-1 in the opening game in the last edition. “The team played with great spirit last year and boys are ready for an encore . Everyone is in good touch and will hopefully perform as well as they did last year,” said Cedric D’ Souza, Waveriders coach. He stressed the team is trying to overcome the shortcomings observed during the last season.
Winners will take home Rs 2.5 crore
The Hockey India League announced a whopping Rs 2.5 crore as the winners’ prize cheque for the second edition of the franchise-based event starting. “While the winning team gets to take home Rs 2.5 crore, the runners-up team stands a chance to win Rs 1.25 crore and the team placed at the third position will take away Rs 75 lakh," the organisers said in a statement. The League is set to be played across Delhi, Mumbai, Mohali, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi and Lucknow over a period of almost four weeks.Apart from the top three teams winning cash prizes, the Player of the Tournament will get to take away Rs 25 lakh.
The Tribune
Are penalty corner days back?
B. David
Editor Note: Before the off-side rule was taken out of book, its Penalty corner prowess or lack of it which has decided the outcome of most international hockey matches. Without offside, teams have started scoring field goals in plenty but the recently concluded Hero Hockey World League 2014 reveal retun of penalty corner as the most effective way of scoring. Our hockey expert B. David, gets you the details in numbers, leaving it to make your own conclusion. Total PCs in the tournament: 145; Total PCs converted: 34
Average PC conversion rate in the tournament: 29%
India
Total goals scored: 12; Total goals conceded: 21
Total PCs earned: 16; Total PCs converted: 4
Success rate: 25 per cent
Total PCs conceded: 18; Total PCs saved: 12
Success rate during PC defence: 66.6%
Other facts
Three teams had 100 % conversion rate in one particular match: Netherland (vs Australia); England (vs Germany) and India (vs Germany).
Matches where all goals scored were FIELD GOALS: SIX; ie 29.1% of matches produced only field goals (3 matches on day 2: Bel v Arg; Neth v Aus; NZ v Ind;
1 match on 5th day (without including rest days); Bel v Arg;
3 matches on final day: Arg v Ger; Eng v Aus; NZ v Neth)
Stick2Hockey.com
Hockey fraternity demands Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand
Yudhvir Rana
AMRITSAR: Hockey fraternity of Amritsar took out a march on Tuesday demanding conferring of nation's highest civilian award- Bharat Ratna- to legend Dhyan Chand who had won three successive Olympic gold medals in Amsterdam, 1928, Los Angles, 1932 and Berlin, 1936.
The government, in recent past, had conferred Bharat Ratna to cricketer Sachin Tendulkar after his retirement from cricket.
Large number of Hockey associations, hockey enthusiasts, former hockey players along with hockey Olympian took to streets raising slogans in favour of giving award to Dhyan Chand posthumously on this Republic Day.
"Jab India gulam tha, tab hockey azad thee, aur yeh kar dikhya tha Dhyan Chand nai" (When India was slave, hockey was free due to Dhyan Chand) said hockey writer and enthusiast Paramjit Singh Randhawa while talking to TOI.
Randhawa who led the march said they had appealed to Indian government to confer Bharat Ratna upon Dhyan Chand for his remarkable achievement in the field of hockey.
Former hockey Olympian Brig. (retd.) Harcharan Singh said it was due to Dhyan Chand's inspiration that people like him had the honour of wearing nation's blazer. His contribution in hockey had helped to build this great nation even during the Raj.
A young hockey player Prabhjot Kaur said "Denial of conferring Bharat Ratna upon Dhyan Chand would be denying justice to the game of hockey and hockey players"
The Times of India
Dharmaraj thankful to MHC for keeping the faith in him
By Aftar Singh
Newly appointed hockey head coach K. Dharmaraj giving instructions to his players at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday. - BRAIN MOH/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: K. Dharmaraj never thought that he would become national chief coach this soon.
The Malacca-born Dharmaraj was named assistant to Paul Revington just two weeks ago. It was a well-deserved “promotion” after guiding the national juniors to a creditable fourth place finish in the Junior World Cup in New Delhi last month.
Dharmaraj, who was the national juniors coach since 2010, said that he had envisioned becoming the national chief coach one day, but he never expected it to happen so fast.
He wanted to gain experience by learning everything about coaching from Revington for at least a year before thinking of becoming the national chief coach.
However, on Sunday, Dharmaraj was appointed Revington’s successor by the MHC (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) after the South African resigned due to health reasons.
“I am surprised that MHC wants me to replace Revington,” said the 45-year-old former international.
“I hardly have any experience under Revington coaching the national team.
“I thank MHC for having faith in me. It will be a challenge for me to guide the national team in competitions this year.
“But I will work hard to achieve this year’s targets set by the MHC,” said Dharmaraj, who completed his first training session as the new chief coach at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Tuesday.
The five major assignments for Dharmaraj this year start with the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from March 13-23.
This is followed by the Champions Challenge 1 in Kuantan from April 26-May 4, World Cup in The Hague, Holland, from May 31-June 15, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games from July 23-Aug 3 and the Incheon Asian Games from Oct 19-Oct 4.
Dharmaraj said that his biggest assignment this year is to guide Malaysia to win the Asian Games in September as this will help Malaysia qualify for the 2016 Olympics.
“Malaysia have not featured in the Olympics since Sydney in 2000. So it will be a challenge for me to help the national team in less than nine months to achieve this target after a lapse of 14 years,” said Dharmaraj, who featured in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The Asian Games gold medallist will gain an automatic berth for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Dharmaraj said he would continue training the 35 players he has in the training squad until after the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
“I will use the tournament to gauge the performance of the few players who have been called up for national training for the first time.
“The first vital assignment for me will be the Champions Challenge 1 tournament in Kuantan, which is important as the winner of the meet will be promoted to next year’s Champions Trophy.
“But it’s not going to be easy as we have strong teams like Asia Cup champions South Korea and also New Zealand, who finished runners-up in the inaugural World League final in New Delhi last week,” said Dharmaraj, who is proud to be at the helm of local hockey, which is the highest-achieving team sport in Malaysia.
The Star of Malaysia
Coach Arul takes one for the team
By Aftar Singh
S. Arulselvaraj (centre) who has been with ex-national head coach Paul Revington (left) since 2005, has decided to stay on and coach the national junior side despite the latter's resignation recently. - Filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: Hockey coach S. Arulselvaraj has made a U-turn and is ready to coach the national junior team for the 2016 Junior World Cup.
Arul, who initially wasn’t keen on coaching the juniors, changed his mind following national chief coach Paul Revington’s resignation on Sunday.
Arul, who has been the assistant coach to Revington since 2005 when they were in South Africa, said that he would not quit the national team.
“Although I’ve been with Revington since 2005 as assistant coach, first with the South African national team and then the Irish national team in 2009, this time I will stay on in Malaysia,” said Arul yesterday.
“I have commitment towards my country and also to MHC (Malaysia Hockey Federation), who hired me as the national assistant coach.
“I will fulfil my contract, which is until 2016.”
K. Dharmaraj, who guided the juniors to a remarkable fourth placing in the Junior World Cup in New Delhi last month, has been named as the new national chief coach to replace Revington.
Dharmaraj’s two assistants in the junior set-up – Nor Azlan Bakar and K. Gobinathan – will assist him with the senior team now.
And Arul does not want to break up a winning combination.
“I’m willing to coach juniors because I don’t want to break up the good set-up of coaches in the national senior team (comprising Dharma, Nor Azlan and Gobi),” said the former international, whose family lives in Dublin.
Arul, who turned 40 two weeks ago, however, said that he would need the full backing of MHC and the National Sports Council (NSC) to handle the junior team.
“I’ve spent the last 48 hours drawing up the training programme and budget for the juniors as I have less than two years to prepare a strong team for the Junior World Cup,” said Arul.
“I hope that NSC will approve the budget for the juniors to play in competitions in preparation for next year’s Junior Asia Cup, which is an important tournament for the team to qualify for the Junior World Cup,
“It will be a challenge for me as I’ll be handling the team by myself. But I hope to get an assistant soon.
“My priority is to scout for players from the on-going Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL). I expect to call up between 25 and 30 players for training when the league ends in March.”
The Star of Malaysia
Revington saga: The players never saw it coming
By Aftar Singh
Mohd Shahrun Nabil (left) was made captain of the national hockey team in 2012 when then-coach Paul Revington took charge of the side. - Filepic
KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey players are in shock. They had no inkling that their chief coach Paul Revington was going to resign.
The South African coach announced his resignation on Sunday, saying his main reason for quitting the national team was a stress-related illness.
National skipper Mohd Shahrun Nabil couldn’t believe the news.
“We (the players) are shocked as everything was going on fine,” said Nabil.
“I am surprised that he quit because of stress. We (the players) never had any problems with him.
“He was a good coach, who helped the team progress in tournaments. He also guided the national team to qualify for the World Cup after a lapse of 12 years,” said Nabil.
The 28-year-old Nabil said that he is thankful to Revington for making him the national team captain since October 2012 when the South African took over as coach.
“It has been a great honour to wear the arm band since the Champions Challenge 1 tournament in Argentina in November 2012 and to know that Revington had faith in me,” said Nabil, who has 246 international caps to his credit.
Defender Azlan Misron, who is the most senior player in the team with 327 international caps, said that he too is surprised by the announcement.
“This is an important year for the national team as we have five major tournaments and we could have used his guidance.
“As a player, I will continue to focus on my training and work with new national chief coach K. Dharmaraj, who has replaced Revington,” said Azlan, who has donned the national colours since 2001.
Defender Baljit Singh, 28, said that he is sad that Revington has left.
“We have to respect his decision and continue to train for the tournaments this year,” said Baljit.
“We have faith in Dharmaraj, who has proven to be a calibre coach by helping the national juniors finish fourth in the Junior World Cup (in New Delhi last month).
“I believe Dharmaraj is the right man to handle the national team for the tournaments this year,” said Baljit, who has represented Malaysia 168 times.
The Star of Malaysia
Lack of funds may bar hockey team from Olympics
Azhar Khan
LAHORE- Former Pakistan hockey Olympian Rehan Butt says that Pakistan hockey team might have to miss the Olympic Games owing to lack of funds.
Talking to this scribe on Tuesday, Butt said: “We are about to miss Azlan Shah Hockey event, Common Wealth Games, Youth Games and above all Asian Games which are very important for the country as if we do not appear in Asian Games, we will be unable to qualify for the Olympics Games.”
He said that the PHF had been going through tough times and was in dire need of funds to run its affairs successfully. “If the government releases funds timely, it will help the federation to initiate work for promotion of the national game at grassroots level and to organise national tournaments to hunt talent for the national squad.”
“Cricket and hockey are the only two games in which Pakistan has been earning laurels across the globe. Cricket has higher budget and sponsors but hockey and its players have been treated step motherly and being deprived of their due rights. Pakistan is known as a great hockey playing nation and also has won medals many times at international level. The national game deserves proper attention of the government and an early release of funds can help revive the game in the country,” he added.
To a query, Butt replied: “If government releases funds timely, they will be utilised purely for the promotion of the game. If anyone has any issue regarding misusing of the funds, we will ask government to prepare an accountability procedure as well.”
The ex-Olympian requested the PM to grant funds to PHF to save hockey from decline. “PML-N government always supports sports and holding of youth festival is an example of it. I hope the PM, who is a keen lover of sports, will grant the PHF funds to bring the game to the same heights which once it had enjoyed,” he concluded.
The Nation
Lee sees ‘development opportunity’ with indoor squad
Newcomer Suzy Petty in action for England at the U21 World Cup back in August where England finished fourth
Ahead of the EuroHockey Indoor Championships which run from 24-26 January, England Head Coach Jason Lee took 14 athletes to Scotland to play in four capped matches as part of the squad’s preparation. His final squad of 12 will travel to Prague tomorrow as they get set to face tough opposition from the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Germany in Pool A.
Lee has named an inexperienced squad for the indoor tournament and will be approaching the three days of competition in very much the same manner as the men’s indoor team with the onus being on providing new athletes an opportunity to get a taste of top international hockey against some of the best indoor sides in the world.
Eight of the 12 athletes selected for Lee’s European squad made their England indoor debuts in Scotland in a four match test series, which saw England win two, draw one and lose one - click here to find out more about these matches. Giselle Ansley, Lily Owsley and Nicola White are all familiar names in the England outdoor squad but were newcomers to the international indoor set-up. Meanwhile, Grace Balsdon (Canterbury), Suzy Petty (Beeston) and Zoe Shipperley (Buckingham) all made their senior international debuts.
Balsdon and Shipperley both joined the centralised programme at the start of January; Dilly Newton is no longer part of the squad having struggled with injuries and set-backs over the last couple of years. Petty and Reading’s goalkeeper Sarah Ellis are the only two members of the squad who are not currently centralised, however both are very much on the fringe and Lee sees this is a great opportunity for them both.
In total, the whole squad combined will take 72 indoor caps to the pitch in Prague, with East Grinstead’s Kirsty Mackay and Sophie Bray (indoor only) and Surbiton’s Sarah Haycroft providing the majority of the experience. Leicester’s Nicola White takes the captain’s armband and is looking forward to the challenge ahead: “It’s a great opportunity for me to captain the squad in a tournament at this level. We know it’s going to be really tough with the teams we are facing, but everyone is relishing the challenge.”
She added: “The four matches against Scotland at the weekend were really useful and winning the series against a strong side who play just one division below us was obviously a big confidence boost. We don’t have many indoor caps going into the tournament but we are very much looking at this as a chance for the group to gain experience. If we were able to secure a top six finish and qualify for the World Cup it would be absolutely fantastic.”
England Head Coach Jason Lee added his thoughts on the selected squad, “I see the weekend as a development opportunity for some of the youngsters in the side. The players I have selected from the centralised programme are those who are not playing as much indoor club hockey. If you look at our pool on paper then you would say it is a very daunting prospect, but because I want the girls to get as much experience as possible out in Prague my view is that it’s actually a brilliant group of teams to play against.“
Germany are the defending European Champions while The Netherlands and Poland finished fourth and fifth respectively in the 2012 tournament - with England being promoted from the second division it is likely that they will be seen as the underdogs of the group. Lee added, “I don’t want to set any specific goals going into the tournament and my expectations will be realistic given the young nature of the squad I have selected and the calibre of teams we will be facing.”
In Pool B France are the other side who gained promotion from the second division in 2012 and they will face Poland, Austria and Belarus. Expect Belarus and Poland to be strong contenders after they took the silver and bronze medals behind Germany in Leipzig.
Match reports will be added to the International Fixtures section of the website at the end of each day, with a press release sent out on Sunday evening following the completion of the tournament.
Reading’s Sarah Ellis will come straight back from Prague into club training with Reading as she gets ready for the Maxinutrition Hockey 5s Final at Wembley Arena on Sunday 2 February.
The two members of the squad who went to Scotland but will not go to Prague are seasoned campaigners Laura Unsworth and Georgie Twigg.
England Hockey Board Media release
Reading Hockey Club struggling to fund European Championship trip
They may not be able to afford their trip to Lithuania for next month’s European women’s indoor championships
Alex Danson places the ball past her England colleague, Maddie Hinch, to give Reading a 4-3 win over Slough in their indoor semi-final at Kettering on Saturday. Picture Ady Kerry
Reading Hockey Club are seriously concerned that they may not be able to afford their trip to Lithuania for next month’s European women’s indoor championships.
Blues are one of the most successful clubs in Europe, but this comes at a high cost.
And the situation this year has brought them close to crisis point, for they have qualified for three competitions - the most any British club has ever had to undertake in the same season.
In addition to the indoor championships, both the women and men’s teams are through to the final stages of their respective Euro League competitions being held in Holland over the Easter period.
Pulling out of the Lithuania trip is an option, but that would almost certainly see them being fined and they have worked hard to qualify for the event.
“It is becoming a major worry for everyone at the club,” said Steve Bayer, head coach of the ladies’ team.
“We are looking at ways to raise money ourselves, but, as far as Lithuania is concerned, it is getting late and so we are seeking financial help from individuals and companies.
“To be honest, the situation is getting quite desperate.”
Despite flying the flag for their country, they get little support from the national body and are appealing to England Hockey for financial assistance.
But they don’t hold out much hope and are turning to the local community to come to their rescue.
Bayer will almost certainly be forced to cut corners for the trip to Lithuania.
Clubs can name 12 players for this five-a-side tournament, but Bayer may have to go with seven or eight players, and two or three support staff.
He said: “It could well mean that players will have to pay their own way in order to represent Reading and their country in Europe – that’s a crazy situation.”
The crisis at Sonning Lane comes at a time when Bayer’s side are looking forward to defending their England indoor title at Wembley Arena on February 2.
They will meet Bowdon Hightown in the final (3.15pm) while Reading men play Canterbury in the semi-finals (1.45pm) on Maxinutrition 5s day.
The women earned their ticket by beating Slough 4-3 in their semi-final at Kettering last Saturday with Alex Danson grabbing the winner just seconds before the final whistle.
But Bayer’s team of internationals were given a scare by Berkshire rivals Slough.
Blues raced into a three-goal lead with goals from Helen Richardson-Walsh and a brace from Alex Danson.
Slough, with England keeper Maddie Hinch having an excellent game, pulled a goal back before half-time and then drew level at 3-3 with four minutes remaining.
Hinch pulled off smart saves from Helen Richardson-Walsh, Danson and Kate Richardson-Walsh.
But with less than 15 seconds remaining Danson fired a lovely low shot past Hinch to send Reading to Wembley for the fourth consecutive year.
Reading captain Emma Thomas was overjoyed at the prospect of another Wembley final, saying: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be going back to Wembley, but Slough deserve a lot of credit, they were outstanding and put up a really strong fight.”
Steve Bayer’s fiancé Vicki Kovacs was among the scorers as Reading 2nd defeated local rivals Phoenix and Ranelagh 7-0 in a Three Counties League Division 5 game at Sonning Lane on Saturday.
There was a hat-trick for Lucy Scott plus a goal apiece for Stephanie Roth, Hannah Collier and Keelie Perham.
Get Reading
SA hockey teams for Youth Olympic Games Africa Qualifier
The names of the players in the SA boys’ and girls’ U17 hockey teams for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games African Qualifier have been released by the South African Hockey Association.
The winners of the African Qualifier that takes place in Lusaka, Zambia from March 10 to 15 will be eligible to go to the Youth Olympic Games, which takes place from August 16 to 28 in Nanjing, China.
However, qualification for YOG does not mean that participation at Nanjing is a fait accompli.
Please note that according to the Nanjing 2014 Qualification Systems Principles, "Participation in team sports shall be limited to one women’s and one men’s team per National Olympic Committee across team sports (Football, Handball, Hockey, and Rugby)."
The SA U17 boys’ team was selected after the recent training camp from January 5 to 9 at Kearsney College in KwaZulu-Natal.
The girls’ training camp took place at the same time at Eunice in Bloemfontein.
SA TEAMS
Boys: Jacques Bleeker (KZN Coastal), Ryan Crowe (Western Province), Tyson Dlungwana, Tevin Kok (both KZN Inland), Matthew Martins (WP), Nqobile Ntuli (KZN Coastal), Luke Schooling, Garth Turner (both WP), Cody van Wyk (Eastern Province).
Non-travelling reserves: Keegan Hezlett (KZN Coastal), Muzzamil Sheik (WP).
Girls: Buhle Zondi (KZN Inland), Cheneal Raubenheimer (Amathole), Demi Harmse (EP), Tammy Minnaar (Boland), Marizen Marais (Southern Free State), Natalie Esteves (KZN Inland), Kristen Paton (Southern Gauteng), Simone Strydom, Chrissie Haupt (both WP).
Non-travelling reserves: Shindré-Lee Simmons (SFS), Chloe Keeping (SG), Anika Beukman (Northern Gauteng).
SA Hockey Association media release
Checkers, Notre Dame new American-style hockey champs
Nigel Simon
Members of the Harvard Maritime Checkers celebrate after beating Paragon 2–1 in a penalty shoot-out following a 0–0 draw in their Women’s Open Division American-style Tournament final on St Mary’s College Ground, Serpentine Road, St Clair, on Sunday. Photo: Anthony Harris
Harvard Maritime Checkers and Notre Dame were crowned new champions of the T&T Hockey Board’s Opening Day American-style tournament after contrasting wins on St Mary’s Grounds, Serpentine Road, St Clair, on Sunday.
In the women’s decider, Checkers came up against pre-tournament favourite and defending champion Paragon and after a 0–0 deadlock at the end of the 20-minute contest, Checkers won 2–1 in a penalty shoot-out, thanks to goalkeeper Petal Derry.
Former national women’s team captain Patricia Borneo-Wright-Alexis and Sekayi Liburd were the two players on target for Checkers in the shoot-out while Avion Ashton was the lone Paragon player to convert past Derry.
The win was sweet revenge for Checkers which had fallen, 2–0 on penalty shot-corner points to Paragon in their Women Zone A round-robin clash after a 0–0 draw at the end of the ten-minute match.
In the semifinals, Checkers edged Malvern 1–0 with an item from Patrice Padmore while Paragon got the better of Magnolias 3–2 in the penalty shoot-out after a goalless full-time score.
The men’s final was decided with two minutes left on the clock with Notre Dame’s Keith De Peza scoring in the 18th minute for a 1–0 win over Malvern, which was mostly on the backfoot for the match, but stayed in the contest thanks to some solid defending and goalkeeper Andrey Rocke.
The Dames reached the final after beating Queen’s Park 4–1 on penalty shoot-out following a 0–0 draw while Malvern got a default win over Petrotrin.
The Malvern and Petrotrin semi-final contest was already underway but following a fracas between umpire N’Ku Davis and Malvern’s Darryl Hume, the match was stopped and followed by a melee at the end of which the Oilmen refused to continue.
Defence Force did not defend their men’s title as a result of restrictions placed on the extracurricular activities of Defence Force personnel in response to the recent escalation of crime.
The sponsors of the tournament were the Sport Company of T&T, York, Subway, Hi-Lo and Blue Waters.
Results
Men Zone C
Shape 1 (Daniel Byer 2nd) vs Carib 0
Notre Dame 0 vs Petrotrin 0 – Notre Dame won 1–0 on penalty short-corner points
Paradise 1 (Harry Persaud 9th) vs Shape 0
Notre Dame 3 (Aidan De Gannes 2nd, 4th, Sean Olton 9th) vs Shape 0
Petrotrin 1 (Wayne Legerton 2nd) vs Carib 0
Paradise 3 (Vernelle Rivers 5th 9th,Theron Stoute 8th) vs Carib 0
Notre Dame 4 (Ishmael Campbell 3rd, 6th, Richie Alexander 4th, Sean Olton 8th) vs Carib 0
Petrotrin 0 vs Shape 0 – Petrotrin won 1–0 on penalty short-corner points
Notre Dame 0 vs Paradise 0 – Notre Dame won 4–0 on penalty short-corner points
Petrotrin 1 (Wayne Legerton 10th) vs Paradise 0
Men Zone D
QPCC 0 vs Malvern 0 – QPCC won 1–0 on penalty short-corner points
Fatima 0 vs Paragon 0 – Paragon won 2–0 on penalty short-corner points
Paragon 0 vs Malvern 0 – Malvern won 2–0 on penalty short-corner points
Paragon 0 vs QPCC 0
QPCC 1 (Andre Attale 4th) vs Fatima 0
Malvern 1 (Tariq Marcano 3rd) vs Fatima 0
Semifinals:
Notre Dame 0 vs QPCC 0 – Notre Dame won 4–1 on penalty shoot-out
Petrotrin vs Malvern – Malvern awarded default win
Third place playoff: QPCC won by default over Petrotrin
Final:
Notre Dame 1 (Keith De Peza 18th) vs Malvern 0
Women Zone A
Malvern 1 (Sherlan Cabralis 10th) vs Notre Dame 0
SC Magnolias 0 vs Notre Dame 0 – Magnolias won 1–0 on penalty short-corner points
Malvern 1 (Daniella Martin 9th) vs SC Magnolias 0
Women Zone B
Paragon 1 (Pauline Joseph 7th) vs Ventures 0
HM Checkers 0 vs Ventures 0
Paragon 0 vs HM Checkers 0 – Paragon won 2–0 on penalty short-corner points
Semifinals:
HM Checkers 1 (Patrice Padmore) vs Malvern 0
Paragon 0 vs Magnolias 0 – Paragon won 3–2 on penalty shoot-out
Third place:
Malvern 0 vs Magnolias 0 – Malvern on 3-1 on penalty shoot-out
Final:
HM Checkers 0 vs Paragon 0 – Checkers won 2–1 on penalty shoot-out
The Trinidad Guardian
In-depth cup preps: Commitment to training helps Orange rule continental show
By ELIZABETH MBURUGU
Orange celebrate with the trophy after winning their Club Championships in Kampala on Sunday. [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE/STANDARD]
Orange Telkom began training for the Africa Hockey Club Championships early, increasing their chances of retaining the title.
Their efforts paid off as they won all their matches, retained the cup and earned their record sixth title.
In an interview with FeverPitch during an earlier league match, the Orange head coach Jos Openda announced their intended mission to retain the title.
The 15-time national champions stamped their authority at the summit of the league table, winning all their matches and conceding one goal.
With the national trophy safe within their reach, they started preparing well for the continental showpiece.
“We began our preparations early because that was the only way we could be sure of retaining the title,” Openda said.
Orange won their opening match 6-0 against hosts Weatherheads; their second assignment saw them beat debutants Twende of Tanzania 3-0.
They went on to beat bitter rivals Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), popularly known as Customs Ladies, 2-1 to book a finals date with Strathmore Scorpions.
Lethal striker
GRA struggled without the services of their lethal striker Elizabeth Opuku who could not be with the club due to school commitments.
They beat the students 2-0 to retain the title.
The Scorpions, making their second appearance on the continental scene, fought hard for a podium finish.
They started off well, trouncing hosts Kampala 11-0. They later defeated Customs 2-0 and hit Weatherheads 2-0 to make it to the finals.
Upcoming striker Vyonne Wanjiku of Strathmore walked away with the Best Scorer’s Award, with seven goals.
The Scorpions, fresh from winning inter-universities games in the country, had used the event for training.
The men’s Top Scorer’s Award went to the penalty corner expert Mohamed Sameer of Sharkia.
Empty handed
But the Kenyan men came home empty-handed, having failed to shine.
Kenya Police made it to the semis and lost to the then defending champions Sharkia 3-2 in extra time.
The 2011 bronze medallists finished in fourth place after a 2-1 defeat to Golden Sticks of Ghana.
They put up a hard fight but lost in the 70th minute. Their defence lost focus when the game seemed to be headed for extra time, helping the Ghanaians capitalise on that to punish the men in uniform.
Hockey Premier League champions Nairobi Simba finished in eighth place, managing just a win and a draw. They beat hosts Wanainchi 3-1 and drew 2-2 with Yobe Warriors of Nigeria.
Those were their best results as they later suffered one loss after the other.
Twende, displaying hard work and determination, earned their first victory, humiliating Kampala 5-0 in their own backyard.
The Tanzanian girls, who also make up the national team, promised to be a force to reckon with in African hockey in subsequent contests.
The Standard Online
Hockey clubs blame UHA for poor show
By David Namunyala
LOCAL sides have blamed the mother body, Uganda Hockey Association (UHA) for their poor performance at the just concluded Africa Cup of Club Championships in Kampala.
Uganda, hosting what was to be the 2013 edition, entered two men’s and a women’s team but all failed to win a medal.
Uganda’s only hope for a bronze was in the hands of the Weatherhead women but were also thumped 7-0 by Ghana Revenue Authority in the fight for third place at Lugogo over the weekend.
But team managers and skippers attributed their poor show to unfitness due to limited preparation time.
“We were informed about the tournament in December. You don’t expect players to be called from the festive holidays to come and train,” Weatherhead skipper Aisha Kagere noted.
Africa Cup of Club Championships
Winners
Men: Egypt police
Runners-up
1st: Elsharki (Egypt)
2nd: Golden Sticks (Ghana)
Women: Orange Telkom (Ke)
Runners-up
1st: Strathmore (Kenya)
2nd: GRA (Ghana)
The New Vision
What Went Wrong for Uganda's Hockey Teams?
By Dedan Kimathi Kanyoro
Last week, Uganda finally hosted the 2014 Africa club hockey championships after shaking off stiff competition from neighbours Kenya.
To many, this was supposed to be a chance for Uganda to showcase its talent, and better still, claim top honours. However, the hosts didn't give a good account of themselves.
Apart from ladies team Weather-head that made it to the semi-finals, no other Ugandan team went that far. But what went wrong? Players and officials contend that squabbles in the local governing body greatly had an impact on the performance of local clubs.
Early last year, four top flight clubs petitioned the National Council of Sports (NCS) chairman Bosco Onyik and challenged the re-election of Uganda hockey federation's chairman Dunstan Nsubuga, among other issues.
As a result, there was no league action for the whole of last year. According to Ronald Kawalya, the Kampala hockey club chairman, this affected the physical state of his players. And this could be seen in how poorly coordinated Uganda's teams were against other teams.
However, local clubs also need to update their tactics. Unlike clubs like Egypt's El-Sharkaaya and Ghana's Golden Sticks, which were fluid in attack and defence, local clubs were not quick in passing. They were also prone to committing unnecessary fouls and lacked the clinical instinct when they were in front of the opponent's goal area.
In fact, Kampala club's Moses Nsereko said that it was time the federation considered setting up structures to groom hockey players from primary through secondary school, so that clubs are fed with quality players.
That said, the positive for the local clubs from this tournament is the fact that they tested tough and better opposition. Future tournaments like the Maseno open, due in February, will be essential to increase their experience, which comes with more international exposure.
All Africa
STAR India to become FIH’s Media Partner in eight year broadcast & rights deal
STAR Sports to produce and distribute all international properties globally
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and STAR India, which runs India’s leading sports network STAR Sports, are delighted to announce that they have signed an eight year strategic partnership to improve the production of international hockey broadcast and extend hockey’s reach worldwide. The ground-breaking deal will run from January 2015 to December 2022.
Enhancing production
STAR Sports will be the host broadcaster for key FIH events both in India and throughout the world and will be responsible for ensuring consistent and high level production. The partnership with STAR Sports is in line with FIH’s strategy to put events at the forefront and also its determination to inspire and entertain a global movement of hockey fans and players. FIH recently introduced a strong focus on digital engagement, branding and promotion of events to improve the spectator experience. Making the television coverage more entertaining and compelling is fundamental to achieving this goal. STAR Sports has an impeccable track record. In their position as the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) global Broadcast & Production Partner, the company has continuously raised the bar in their television coverage of all ICC events.
Last year, STAR Sports partnered with Hockey India to launch the pioneering Hockey India League (HIL). STAR Sports showcased hockey in a completely new way, offering a TV experience relevant to the youth market. In its first season, HIL was broadcast in more than 80 territories across the globe. During the period of the deal, FIH will look to host a major event in India each year.
Extending hockey’s reach.
As part of the deal, STAR Sports has acquired global media rights for all territories, excluding Argentina. Through its network of international affiliates and other national broadcasters, content will be distributed to over 200 countries, reaching billions of sports fans taking hockey’s global viewing audience to unprecedented levels.
Leandro Negre, President of the International Hockey Federation, said:
“This partnership is an incredibly important and exciting development for international hockey. Our vision is to entertain and inspire a global movement of hockey fans and players and STAR Sports is an industry leader when it comes to significantly increasing the reach and popularity of sport. Not only will STAR Sports promote hockey worldwide between Olympic Games’ cycles, which is incredibly important to sustaining interest in hockey, but it will make our sport much more interactive and entertaining. STAR’s ability to deliver immersive, engaging and captivating coverage will draw new young audiences towards hockey. We look forward to working together to truly grow the popularity of hockey.”
Kelly Fairweather, Chief Executive Officer of the International Hockey Federation, said:
“Our partnership with STAR Sports is a major stride forward for hockey, and one that I am personally very excited about. I consider it to be a game changer both for the sport of hockey and for the millions of fans who will watch FIH events on television and on the internet all around the world. STAR Sports share our determination to raise the bar in terms of the production values and the viewer experience in a rapidly changing multi-screen environment. Their know-how will be hugely beneficial, and we look forward to working with them to ensure that our incredible sport is presented to the world in the best possible way.”
Nitin Kukreja, Head of Sports Business, STAR India, said:
“We are delighted to be FIH’s global production, host broadcast and distribution partner. The partnership ties-in well with our overall vision of promoting sports culture in India. Hockey is a priority sport for us and we are thrilled that India will host one key event every year during the eight year term. We believe that hosting an international event each year, which is produced innovatively, will significantly boost the popularity of hockey in India. The sport has a glorious heritage in India and we believe that it has a tremendous future.
We will work closely with FIH and invest in production to ensure that hockey reaches its full potential. As we have done with HIL, we will aim to innovate and create an exciting visual spectacle for international viewers.”
FIH Media release
STAR India becomes FIH media partner
NEW DELHI: STAR India on Tuesday bagged broadcasting rights for key International Hockey Federation (FIH) events in an eight-year deal.
This announcement comes after STAR Sports disclosed a Rs.100 crore investment in Hockey India League ( HIL).
"The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and STAR India, which runs India's leading sports network STAR Sports, are delighted to announce that they have signed an eight-year strategic partnership to improve the production of international hockey broadcast and extend hockey's reach worldwide," STAR India said in a statement.
"The ground-breaking deal will run from January 2015 to December 2022."
The statement said that STAR Sports will broadcast key FIH events in India and around the world.
"STAR Sports will be the host broadcaster for key FIH events both in India and throughout the world and will be responsible for ensuring consistent and high level production."
The Times of India
Star India sings 8-year broadcast deal with FIH
NEW DELHI: Sports broadcaster Star India on Tuesday announced an eight-year broadcast deal with International Hockey Federation (FIH) during which the world sport body will look to host a major event in India each year.
Star India, which runs country's leading sports network Star Sports, will broadcast key FIH events both in India and throughout the world from January 2015 to December 2022.
"STAR India has acquired global media rights for all territories, excluding Argentina. Through its network of international affiliates and other national broadcasters, content will be distributed to over 200 countries, reaching billions of sports fans taking hockey's global viewing audience to unprecedented levels," the company said in a release.
"Our vision is to entertain and inspire a global movement of hockey fans and players and STAR Sports is an industry leader when it comes to significantly increasing the reach and popularity of sport. Not only will STAR Sports promote hockey worldwide between Olympic Games' cycles, which is incredibly important to sustaining interest in hockey, but it will make our sport much more interactive and entertaining," FIH president Leandro Negre said.
Nitin Kukreja, Head of Sports Business, Star India, said: "We are delighted to be FIH's global production, host broadcast and distribution partner. Hockey is a priority sport for us and we are thrilled that India will host one key event every year during the eight year term. The sport has a glorious heritage in India and we believe that it has a tremendous future."
The Times of India
Unveiling the redesigned Field Hockey Canada logo
As initially shared by the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport) for Canada via Twitter, Field Hockey Canada today unveiled its new logo:
The inspiration behind the logo
“After each goal, we hold our sticks high in celebration,” explains Field Hockey Canada logo designer Jon MacKinnon, himself a former national team player. “The logo is crowned by the maple leaf, expressing our pride at representing Canada on the international stage.”
“We are starting 2014 with a fresh look,” adds Jeff Sauvé, Chief Executive Officer of Field Hockey Canada. “Field hockey is a global game rooted in tradition, but it’s also evolving. Our new branding captures the spirit of modern field hockey. Our ‘one team’ motto signifies that our community will come together to make progress domestically, and to enable our athletes to succeed on the international stage. Anchored by a respect for our past, our new logo represents the launch of a new era of innovation and growth for Field Hockey Canada.”
Working in collaboration with a variety of partners, Field Hockey Canada is the national sport governing body responsible for the development, growth and promotion of field hockey in Canada. Through the Women's and Men's National programs, Field Hockey Canada selects, prepares and promotes Canada’s teams for international competitions including Continental Championships, World Championships, and major multi-sport games such as the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games. Approximately 15,000 Canadians participate in field hockey, which is currently played in more than 600 schools and 400 clubs across the country. For more information, please visit fieldhockey.ca.
Field Hockey Canada media release