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News 23 January 2014

All the news for Thursday 23 January 2014


Investec SA women's hockey team and Australia draw first Test 3-3 at Hartleyvale

JONATHAN COOK in Cape Town


Investec South Africa's Shelley Russell (left) races away down the right wing as Ana Flanagan of Australia strives to stay the distance during the first Test at Hartleyvale Hockey Stadium in Cape Town Wednesday night. MATTHEW WITHERS (Action Pix)

In an entertaining encounter, the world’s 11th-ranked Investec South Africa women’s hockey team and world number four Australia drew 3-3 after the scores were level 1-1 at half-time in Cape Town Wednesday night in the first of three Test matches between the two sides at Hartleyvale Stadium this week.

SA scored through Dirkie Chamberlain (2) and Pietie Coetzee while Emily Smith, Jodie Schulz and Brooke Peris got on the scoresheet for the Aussies.

After early sparring that saw entries into both strike zones, South Africa’s Shelley Russell fed Dirkie Chamberlain in the 13th minute, who finished with a precise backhand shot into the far corner for her 49th Test match goal.

SA’s Kathleen Taylor and Georgia Nanscawen of Australia got in shots on goal before keeper Phume Mbande saved well from Ana Flanagan at the first penalty corner of the match.

Both sides were moving the ball with effect left and right as well as down the channels and in the 26th skipper Marsha Cox fired in a cross from the right that led to SA’s first PC, Taylor’s effort blocked by Hockeyroos keeper Ashlee Wells.

Five minutes before half-time Pietie Coetzee’s shot was adequately dealt with by Wells but in the 32nd minute SA failed to clear the ball out of the danger zone and Edwina Bone and Jane Claxton combined before Emily Smith equalised from close.

In the last minute of the half (34th) SA won their second PC and the upshot was a Coetzee reverse-stick effort that was cleared.

Four minutes after the changeover Coetzee unleashed a strike at goal but a neat slip pass from Flanagan to Jodie Schulz on the left from the Aussies’ second PC saw the Hockeyroos take the lead after 45 minutes.

SA equalised with their third PC six minutes later (51st) when Coetzee went low to the keeper’s right (2-2), this after striker Lilian du Plessis had done the hard work down the left to earn the set-piece opportunity. It was the world record holder’s 277th goal in her 276th Test match.

In the 58th minute the crowd came alight when Chamberlain scored her 50th goal in her 149th Test match after sterling work by the tireless Cox for SA to go 3-2 up.

SA then earned three PCs in a row which the Aussie defence kept out. The Hockeyroos worked their way out of the deep and Ashleigh Nelson hit the post before Brooke Peris made the equaliser with five minutes left (65th) for the 3-3 final score.

SA meet Australia’s Hockeyroos in the second Test at Hartleyvale on Friday (7pm) before the third international takes place and Saturday (4pm). A six-Test series starts for the South Africans against Belgium on Sunday, January 26.

This series forms part of the 11-match Hartleyvale Summer Series that also includes Belgium, and which runs until February 3. The Netherlands beat SA 2-0 in their short series that took place last Saturday and Monday.

SCORES

Australia (1) 3 (Emily Smith 32nd minute, Jodie Schulz 45th, Brooke Peris 65th)
Investec South Africa (1) 3 (Dirkie Chamberlain 13th and 58th minutes, Pietie Coetzee 51st).

TEAMS

Investec South Africa: Marcelle Manson (née Keet), Quanita Bobbs, Kelly Madsen, Sulette Damons, Bernie Coston, Marsha Cox (capt), Pietie Coetzee, Shelley Russell, Tarryn Bright, Lilian du Plessis, Kathleen Taylor, Phume Mbande, Hanli Hattingh, Illse Davids, Dirkie Chamberlain, Lenise Marais, Nicolene Terblanche, Kaila Flemming.

Australia: Georgia Nanscawen, Brooke Peris, Casey Eastham (capt), Ashlee Wells, Kirsten Johnson, Jodie Schulz, Ashleigh Nelson, Anna Flanagan, Karrie McMahon, Edwina Bone, Emily Hurtz, Jane Claxton, Jayde Taylor, Kate Jenner, Mariah Williams, Emily Smith, Rachael Lynch, Mathilda Carmichael.

Umpires: Michelle Joubert (South Africa) and Alecia Newman (Australia).

REMAINING FIXTURES
(all at Hartleyvale)
January: vs Australia:  Friday 24th (7pm); Saturday 25th (4pm)
vs Belgium: Sunday 26th (4pm); Tuesday 28th (8pm); Wednesday 29th (7pm); Friday 31st (7pm)
February: vs Belgium: Sunday 2nd (4 pm); Monday 3rd (7 pm)

* Twitter handle is @Investec_Sport using #Investechockey

SA Hockey Association media release



Hockeyroos draw opener

Aussie women come from behind, twice, to draw 3-3 with South Africa


Brooke Peris scored for Australia

Goals from Emily Smith, Jodie Schulz and Brooke Peris helped the Hockeyroos to a 3-3 draw against South Africa in the first of three Tests in Cape Town overnight.

Crookwell forward Smith struck just before half time to level the score at 1-1 following Dirkie Chamberlain’s 14th minute opener before Schulz put the Hockeyroos in front ten minutes into the second half from a trademark penalty corner.

The lead lasted just five minutes before South Africa’s own penalty corner specialist Pietie Coetzee made it 2-2 from a set-piece. Chamberlain’s second goal put the South Africans back in front but there was still time for Peris to secure the draw with five minutes remaining.

Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens said afterwards, “It’s certainly a better starting point than in 2013 but not the level of performance we should be satisfied with.

“In the first half we were particularly rusty. We were sloppy at the back and didn’t execute our game plan properly but I thought the second half was much better although we let in two soft goals – a penalty corner and a field goal that was particularly soft.”

The Hockeyroos finished 2014 as the silver medallists at the World League Finals in Argentina and the two week camp at the world class training facility in Stellenbosch marks the start of the team’s preparations for the World Cup in The Hague, which begins on 31 May.

Head coach Adam Commens elected to leave out some of his most experienced players with captain Madonna Blyth and Teneal Attard sitting out of the first match while goalkeeper Rachael Lynch was an unused substitute. Willoughby’s Mathilda Carmichael and Newcastle youngster Mariah Williams were among those less experienced players given the opportunity against South Africa. The match also saw the return from injury of Victorian defender Georgia Nanscawen, who has been out since the Junior World Cup in August.

Commens added, “It was a great opportunity to play some of our younger players and to play players in positions they’re not accustomed to. Karri McMahon and Anna Flanagan stepped up from defence to play in the midfield and both played particularly well in unfamiliar positions.”  

With an intensive training schedule in addition to the three official Tests against South Africa, Commens believes the matches against the hosts will be “particularly tough.”

The match also marked an international debut for touring Australian umpire Aleisha Neumann who took charge of her first international game.

Australia v South Africa Test series, Women
Match 1 of 3
Cape Town, South Africa

On Twitter: @Hockeyroos

SOUTH AFRICA 3 (1)
Dirkie Chamberlain 14,58 (F,F)
Pieie Coetzee 50 (PC)

HOCKEYROOS 3 (1)
Emily Smith 31 (F)
Jodie Schulz 45 (PC)
Brooke Peris 65 (F)

Hockeyroos Tests v South Africa – remaining fixtures
Friday 24 January – 7pm local time (4am AEDT)
Saturday 25 January – 4pm local time (1am AEDT)

Hockeyroos squad v South Africa
Athlete (Hometown) Caps/goals
Started
Edwina Bone (Evatt, ACT) 23/1
Casey Eastham (Albion Park, NSW) 187/44
Anna Flanagan (Canberra, ACT) 107/18
Emily Hurtz (Camden, NSW) 72/28
Kate Jenner (Tamworth, NSW) 79/1
Kirstin Johnson (Mackay, QLD) 31/2
Georgia Nanscawen (Melbourne, VIC) 107/18
Ashleigh Nelson (Wagin, WA) 132/60
Jodie Schulz (Wamuran, QLD) 90/45
Emily Smith (Crookwell, NSW) 70/26
Ashlee Wells (GK) (Moe, VIC) 23/0

Used Substitute
Mathilda Carmichael (Willoughby, NSW) 5/0
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA) 24/2
Karri McMahon (Berri, SA) 24/3
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT) 18/5
Jayde Taylor (Bunbury, WA) 79/1
Mariah Williams (Newcastle, NSW) 3/0

Unused Substitute
Rachael Lynch (GK) (Melbourne, VIC) 94/0

Did Not Play
Teneal Attard (Mackay, QLD) 186/10
Madonna Blyth (Brisbane, QLD) 267/64
Jordyn Holzberger (Ipswich, QLD) 31/3
Claire Messent (Melbourne, VIC) 73/20
Georgie Parker (Adelaide, SA) 48/10
Kellie White (Crookwell, NSW)59/20  

Hockey Australia media release



Pools announced for men’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup

Top of World Rankings Australia compete alongside England & Belgium in Pool A • HWL finalists Netherlands & New Zealand clash with Olympic champions Germany in Pool B

Following the conclusion to the inaugural edition of the men’s Hockey World League competition in New Delhi, India, the FIH can now reveal the pools for this summer’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands.

Pool A will consist of the 2010 World Cup champions Australia (World Ranking: 1), England (4), Belgium (5), India (8), Spain (10) and Malaysia (13), while Olympic champions Germany (2) will face hosts, the Netherlands (3), New Zealand (6), Korea (7), Argentina (11) and South Africa (12) in Pool B.

The pools for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup are based on the current FIH World Rankings, which have been updated to include the ranking points earned by the teams that competed in this month’s Hero Hockey World League Final.  The results have triggered some changes to the rankings, with Australia taking back the number 1 ranking spot from Germany who have been top of the table since their gold medal performance at London 2012.

This summer’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup promises epic clashes bringing together twelve of the world’s greatest teams and players for the toughest, most skilful and entertaining international hockey imaginable. Serving as the climax of the world hockey calendar, the Rabobank Hockey World Cup provides a unique chance to achieve sporting immortality in the Hague.

The women’s Pools were announced in December and can be found at - http://www.fih.ch/en/news-4889-pools-announced-for-women-s-rabobank-hockey.

The announcement of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup match schedule will be made next Friday (31st January 2014) in the Hague.

Men’s Pools – Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014

Where: Kyocera Stadium, The Hague (NED)
When: 31 May – 15 June 2014

Pool A (with World Ranking)

Australia 1
England 4
Belgium 5
India 8
Spain 10
Malaysia 13

Pool B (with World Ranking)

Germany, 2
Netherlands, 3
New Zealand, 6
Korea, 7
Argentina, 11
South Africa, 12

How they qualified

Rabobank Hockey World Cup – Men’s Qualifiers

Netherlands: Hosts.
Germany: Continental Champions Europe
Argentina: Continental Champions Pan America
Korea: Continental Champions Asia
Australia: Continental Champions Oceania
South Africa: Continental Champions Africa
England: 3rd place – Hockey World League Semi-Final, Johor Bahru (MAS)
Belgium: 1st place – Rabobank Hockey World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam (NED)
New Zealand: 4th place – Rabobank Hockey World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam (NED) *
Spain: 5th place – Hockey World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam (NED). **
Malaysia: 5th place – Hockey World League Semi-Final, Johor Bahru (MAS) ***
India: 6th place – Hockey World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam (NED) ****

* Netherlands finished third in the Hockey World League Semi-Final event in Rotterdam.  As they are already pre-qualified as the host, this meant that the highest ranked fourth place finisher from both Semi-Final events earned direct qualification to the Rabobank Hockey World Cup. This place was given to New Zealand, who were fourth in Rotterdam and higher ranked than Korea at the time the event took place.
** Spain qualified as second reserve courtesy of Germany’s victory in the TriFinance EuroHockey Championships. Spain (5th in Rotterdam) were named second reserve ahead of Malaysia (5th in Johor Bahru) courtesy of a superior placing in the FIH World Rankings at the time that the event took place.
*** Malaysia qualified as third reserve courtesy of Korea’s victory in the Asia Cup 2013.
**** India qualified as fourth reserve courtesy of Australia’s victory in the Oceania Cup 2013

FIH Media release



Men’s World Cup pools

Kookaburras drawn with England, Belgium, India, Spain & Malaysia

The Kookaburras will come up against the likes of European heavyweights England and Belgium at the World Cup after the pools for the tournament were revealed by the FIH.

Following the conclusion of the inaugural edition of the men’s Hockey World League competition in New Delhi, India, the FIH has revealed reveal the pools for this year’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands.

Alongside the Kookaburras, who will be defending their 2010 World Cup crown in The Hague, Pool A will consist of England (world ranking 4), Belgium (5), India (8), Spain (10) and Malaysia (13). Olympic champions Germany (2) will face hosts, the Netherlands (3), New Zealand (6), Korea (7), Argentina (11) and South Africa (12) in Pool B.

The pools for the Rabobank Hockey World Cup are based on the current FIH World Rankings, which have been updated to include the ranking points earned by the teams that competed in this month’s Hero Hockey World League Final. The results have triggered some changes to the rankings, with Australia regaining the number 1 ranking spot from Germany who have been top of the table since their gold medal performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

This year’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup promises epic clashes bringing together twelve of the world’s greatest teams and players for the toughest, most skilful and entertaining international hockey imaginable. Serving as the climax of the world hockey calendar, the Hockey World Cup provides a unique chance to achieve sporting immortality in The Hague.

The women’s Pools were announced in December and can be found here.

The announcement of the Rabobank Hockey World Cup match schedule will be made next Friday (31st January 2014) in The Hague.

>> Visit the official Rabobank Hockey World Cup website here.

Men’s Pools – Rabobank Hockey World Cup 2014
Where: Kyocera Stadium, The Hague (NED)
When: 31 May – 15 June 2014
 
Pool A (World Ranking)
Australia (1)
England (4)
Belgium (5)
India (8)
Spain (10)
Malaysia (13)
 
Pool B (World Ranking)
Germany (2)
Netherlands (3)
New Zealand (6)
Korea (7)
Argentina (11)
South Africa (12)

Hockey Australia media release



India clubbed with Australia in Pool A for Hockey World Cup

NEW DELHI: Eight-time Olympic champions, India have been clubbed with five other nations, including 2010 world champions and world number one Australia, in Pool A for the men's Rabobank Hockey World Cup which is scheduled to be held at The Netherlands from May 31 to June 15.

The inaugural edition of the men's Hockey World League Final just concluded and the FIH today revealed the pools for this summer's Rabobank Hockey World Cup.

"Pool A will consist of the 2010 World Cup champions Australia (World Ranking: 1), England (4), Belgium (5), India (8), Spain (10) and Malaysia (13), while Olympic champions Germany (2) will face hosts, the Netherlands (3), New Zealand (6), Korea (7), Argentina (11) and South Africa (12) in Pool B," FIH said in a release.

"The pools are based on the current FIH World Rankings, which have been updated to include the ranking points earned by the teams that competed in this month's Hero Hockey World League Final.

"The results have triggered some changes to the rankings, with Australia taking back the number 1 ranking spot from Germany who have been top of the table since their Gold medal performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games."

The Hockey World Cup will witness some exciting clashes among twelve of the world's greatest teams and players for the toughest, most skillful and entertaining international hockey imaginable.

The Times of India



Colourful opening ceremony planned for Hero Hockey India League

s2h team


Nargis Fakri set to dazzle the crowds at Mohali

New Delhi: Hero Hockey India League will kickstart with a gala opening ceremony at Mohali, starting from 7 pm on Saturday, the 25th Jan. The evening divided into 9 segments will see many performances unfolding in front of them, giving audiences 30 minutes of absolute entertainment.

The 13,000 capacity stadium will witness a sound and lights show A Lazer show will showcase a short montage on Hockey India League and the six franchisees. It will highlight first Hockey India League

The excitement for the evening will continue with US artists performing Human Slinky.

An enthralling evening will also have Bollywood presence.

Bollywood will yet again make its presence felt through Nargis Fakri who will be seen enticing crowds and spectators with her performance.

Her act will end the evening with a high note and with a promise that Hero Hockey India League will be as entertaining and high voltage as the opening ceremony.

It is worthwhile to mention here that many Bollywood stars like John Abraham and singer like Jo Jo Honey Singh will grace HHIL on various stages, giving glamour touch to the much awaited annual event.

Stick2Hockey.com



Punjab Warriors in good space

Indervir Grewal


Sandeep Singh (third from left ) with his teammates at a Punjab Warriors’ practice session in Mohali. Vicky Gharu

Chandigarh - After two light training sessions without a few key players, the Punjab Warriors had their first serious session as a whole unit on Wednesday and the team was not exactly a sight of perfection.

“Ideally, we would have wanted more training sessions as a whole unit, but the players who had participated in the Hockey World League needed to rest for a couple of days,” said the head coach, Barry Dancer.

The Australian added that the team, barring the players who played in the WHL, had a week’s training in New Delhi before shifting base to the new hockey stadium in Mohali – the team’s home ground this season.

A relaxed bunch

A couple of light practice sessions might not be enough to shape a cohesive unit but they can tell a lot about the mental state of a team.

The last couple of days have shown a jovial bunch of players going through the routine drills, looking relaxed before their big game — the season opener against the Delhi Waveriders on Saturday.

“The players are relaxed now; as the match-day approaches, they will start getting anxious, which is a good thing,” added Dancer.

With the awkwardness of a first meeting behind them — the team is mostly unchanged from last year — the players, the coach said, were at ease with each other. “The players are comfortable with each other this year; they are constantly cracking jokes. It’s a good sign.”

Fitter Aussies

The Warriors is an Aussie heavy team, with Jamie Dwyer as their captain which, ironically, played a big part in their weak performance in the last edition. “Last year most of the Australian players, including Jamie, were coming off a winter break so they were unfit,” Dancer said. “This year all of them have come prepared. Those who weren’t part of the Australian team in WHL were part of the preparation for the tournament.”

After the rest, the whole team, led by the fitter Aussies, went through the plays with a springy liveliness. Simon Orchard, who was part of the Australia team at the WHL, was feeling more than fit. Asked if he was well rested and eager to play, he said: “Excited!”

The Tribune



SAI-HI on collision course over Oltmans, Walsh's HIL stint

NEW DELHI: Sports Authority of India (SAI) put itself on collision course with Hockey India after it issued a clear instruction to HI's high performance director Roelant Oltmans and chief coach Terry Walsh to scrap their contracts with respective HIL franchises.

SAI minced no words in stating that the duo could lose their salaries for the duration of the second edition of Hockey India League (HIL), commencing January 25 in Mohali, if they continued their association with the high-profile FIH-sanctioned event.

SAI said the contracts of both the foreign coaches, who are drawing salaries from it, do not permit them to take coaching assignments with any "commercial league".

"They are employed by SAI and we are paying them their monthly salaries. How could they take up some other assignment with a commercial league when their contracts do not allow them from taking up any other job. It's not professionalism. It's unethical," SAI secretary Neeraj Kansal said.

"They have been hired by SAI for a full-time role and they are not allowed to participate in these types of leagues. We have an option of discontinuing their salaries for that particular period when they are engaged with HIL franchises. It is simple, if they don't disassociate themselves from their franchises they can't take salary from us for the period of their HIL engagement. But that's the last option," he informed.

Walsh and Oltmans are employed with the SAI and draw $12,500 (Rs 7.73 lakh) and $15,000 (Rs 9.28 lakh) every month.

Walsh has been working with Kalinga Lancers as the chief coach while Oltmans is associated with Uttar Pradesh Wizards.

Asked if both stand to lose their contracts with the SAI if they continue coaching their franchises, Kansal only replied: "Let's see. We will look at it."

Kansal said that the two highly-rated coaches could help the SAI coaches with their vast knowledge of the game by teaching under the 'Coach Development Programme' at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala during that period.

"You should be teaching our coaches at NIS Patiala rather than taking up a job with private entity. You can't be paid for both."

On HI's contention that the contract says the coaches are allowed to coach in the FIH-sanctioned event, Kansal said, "It's a commercial league where you are not representing your country."

When contacted Hockey India secretary general Narinder Batra on the issue, he simply said: "We have all the permissions from SAI."

The Times of India



Selvaraju’s got unfinished business with national side

By Aftar Singh


S. Selvaraju (centre), back in training with the national side on Tuesday, feels he can still contribute despite being out of the team for the past four years.

KUALA LUMPUR: Forward S. Selvaraju – the only Malaysian player to feature in seven different hockey leagues in the world – is back with the national hockey team after a lapse of more than four years.

And the 29-year-old Perak-born player – who last represented Malaysia in the World Cup qualifiers in Invercargill, New Zealand, in November, 2009 – still has some unfinished business with the national team.

Selvaraju wants to feature in the three main tournaments this year – World Cup in The Hague, Holland, from May 31-June 15; Glasgow Commonwealth Games from July 13-23; and Incheon Asian Games from Sept 19-Oct 4.

Selvaraju, who is still single, said that he never thought he would be recalled back to be the national team after being sidelined for more than four years.

“I’m happy to be given this opportunity to play for the country for the second time and I’m not going to throw it away.

“I will train hard to win a regular place in the team. Although I last played for the national team in 2009, I have a lot of experience playing in seven different hockey leagues in the world,” said Selvaraju, who has 90 international caps to his credit.

Selvaraju, who made his international debut by featuring in a Test series against China in Guangzhou in 2006, played for the Monchengladbach Club in the German League in 2007.

Two years later he featured for the Berlin Club in the German League before joining Midland Club in the New Zealand League in 2010.

A year later, he played for Racing de Dulie in the French League. Then last year, he played in three different leagues – with Khalsa Club in Hong Kong; Armed Forces Club in Thailand; and Armicora Club in the Italian League.

Selvaraju, who played for Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) the last four years, said that although he is already 29, “I’m still fit and fast”.

“I believe that I can play good hockey for the national team for another four years.

“My mission this year is to feature in the three major tournaments because I have never played in them before,” said Selvaraju, who also featured in the Olympic qualifiers in Kakamigahara, Japan, in 2008.

The Star of Malaysia



Mohd Aminudin hitting the right notes in MJHL

By Aftar Singh


SSTMI-Thunderbolt player Mohd Aminudin Mohd Zain from Kelantan is a penalty corner drag flicker who has scored four goals thus far in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League.

KUALA LUMPUR: Defender Mohd Aminudin Mohd Zain was dropped from the Junior World Cup squad last year after suffering a hamstring injury.

The Tengku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt player has since recovered and scoring consistently in the MHC-Milo-NSC Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).

The Kelantan penalty corner drag flicker has scored four goals thus far – two each in the first two matches against SSTMI Junior (6-0) and Anderson (7-1).

He hopes to continue firing in the goals and help SSTMI-Thunderbolt retain the Division One title for the fourth consecutive time.

Thunderbolt’s next match is against former champions Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru on Friday.

Aminudin, who will turn 19 on May 23, plans on establishing himself as the number one penalty corner drag flicker in the MJHL.

“I want to score in every match ... to be the top scorer in the league. I aim to give my best and to be called up for the national junior training again.

“I was called up for the Project 2013 training squad last year but was dropped after suffering a hamstring injury,” said Aminudin, who has been playing for SSTMI-Thunderbolt for the last five years in the Under-19 league.

Aminuddin believes they can get the better of MBPJ “although they are a solid team”.

“We started off well in the league ... with two big wins, but it will be tough to score a handsome win against the PJ team. We want to continue playing consistently well and win all our matches. But that’s easier said than done,” said Aminudin.

SSTMI-Thunderbolt and MBPJ have maximum points from two matches but the Johor team lead the standings with a better goal difference.

MBPJ, who won the overall title in 2006, defeated Anderson 2-0 on Jan 12 before beating Malacca High School 3-1 last Sunday.

MBPJ face a tough weekend as they will also come up against SSTMI Juniors on Saturday in Johor Baru.

The Star of Malaysia



Khalsa Head First-Half HK Hockey Association Premier Division Table

By Bill Cox


Harry Bal fires Khalsa’s second goal past HKFC-A’s goalie Vincent Cheng just five minutes into the top of the table HKHA Premier League match at Sports Road on Sunday Jan 19, 2014. Bal scored the final goal of the match as Khalsa won this hard fought display of top class hockey 3-2. (Bill Cox/Epoch Times)

Khalsa-A secured a narrow victory over top of the table rivals HKFC-A in front of a packed stand and great atmosphere on Sunday Jan 19, to head the first half standings in the Hong Kong Hockey Association Premier Division.

While this win takes Khalsa to top the standings, they are on equal points, but with a better goal difference than Punjab-A (who also won their round-11 match). This pushed HKFC-A from first place in the standings prior to the weekend into third and one point adrift of the tied leaders.

In another important match last weekend, SSSC-A won against KCC to keep them in the top half of the division—leaving the top six teams as: Khalsa-A, Punjab-A, HKFC-A, Valley-A, Shaheen-A and SSSC-A.

Second half season (super sixes) fixtures start on Sunday Feb 9, directly after the Chinese New Year break, when the aforementioned top six teams will play each other once to determine the final league champion placings.

Matches will also continue for the lower six teams in the division.

Khalsa-A vs HKFC-A

In the Khalsa-A vs Club-A match, Khalsa were quicker off the mark and were two goals to the good within the first 5 minutes of the start—Ishtiaq Ahmed scored the first, Harry Bal scored the second, making it a sombre beginning for Club.

Club really did start slowly and got punished severely in the process; however, they gathered themselves together and fought back valiantly to finish the first half on equal terms at 2-all.

A good strike from the left side of the circle brought Club’s first success with 9-minutes of the first half remaining and a second hard strike into the Khalsa-A circle 3-minutes from half time was deflected by a Khalsa player into their own goal bringing the score to 2-all.

In the second half, good chances were missed at both ends of the field. Agile goal-keeping stopped other attacks and the match remained at deadlock until late in the game.

Fifteen minutes from the whistle, Khalsa attacked from the right side of the field hitting a ball across the goal and Harry Bal deflected the ball into the HKFC-A’s net, putting Khalsa 3-2 into the lead. A good equalising chance at the other end escaped the stick of Jan Adams.

On the run of play Khalsa deserved the win, Harry Bal missed an even better deflection chance earlier in the match and Khalsa also netted what looked to be a good goal, but it was disallowed for ball-body contact.

Gurcharan Singh, Khalsa’s manager, explained his reaction to the Epoch Times straight after the game.

“They [HKFC-A] had the advantage of home ground, so to get a result here is really extraordinary for Khalsa and to get on the top spot now,” said Singh.

“The team will try to keep consistency in future games to get future good results.

“They played well today, it was a good game and everybody enjoyed the game.”

Simon Chapman, the HKFC coach, was naturally a little disappointed with the result and agreed that they had a very slow start to the game.

“It was a very slow start … terrible. But I don’t think we are too worried about the points at this stage,” said Chapman, “We are only one point behind the leader and there are five games still to play for the Championship.

“We made a few careless mistakes at the back and also did not take some of our chances up front, but coming back from 2-nil down to tie 2-all at half time showed the character of the team and that’s what we want to see.

“The third goal looked a fairly simple error. That comes from being a bit defence minded and once you get back on your heels, good teams like Khalsa will run around you as they are so quick,” he explained.

In the other matches, Punjab-A beat Elite-A 7-2; Valley-A drew with Shaheen-A 4-all; SSSC-A beat KCC 6-2; and KNS-A won their match against SSSC-B 3-1.

Next week’s matches

Premier hockey takes a two week break as the Hockey Sixes take centre stage next weekend and Chinese New Year is the week after.

Women

In the Hong Kong Hockey Association Women’s Premier Division, Valley-A moved a point ahead of HKFC-A by winning their match against Dutch on Saturday Jan 18, while Club-A drew 1-all with Shaheen-A. KCC enhanced their position with a win over HKFC-B.

Valley-A are on 16 points; HKFC-A, 15; Shaheen-A, 13; KCC-A, 12; HKFC-B, 7; Dutch, 3; and Recreio-A (who did not play this week) are still waiting their first positive result.

The Epoch Times



Irish U21 4 Nations Hockey Tournament Schedule Confirmed (Men)

The U21 Men’s Hockey International 4 Nations tournament was officially launched at The Mossley Mill in Newtownabbey Borough Council earlier today. The tournament provides hockey and sporting fans a chance to watch some of the world’s best teams at U21 level including the recent 2013 U21 World Cup winners Germany over a three day period, 11th – 13th February (schedule below) at Mossley Hockey Club.

The event which is with thanks to the funding and support received from both Sport Northern Ireland and Newtownabbey Borough Council provides the U21 Ireland team the chance to go head to head with Germany, Scotland and England.

Commenting at the event the Mayor of Newtownabbey, Alderman Fraser Agnew was clearly delighted to have such a high profile event in the Borough “I am delighted to see such a high profile tournament come to the borough and we look forward to visitors from Germany, Scotland, England and the four corners of Ireland seeing what Newtownabbey has to offer! We would also like to thank Sport NI for the opportunity to bring an event of this calibre to Newtownabbey”.

Dr Shaun Ogle, Sport Northern Ireland’s Performance Director welcomed the forthcoming event saying;“Sport Northern Ireland is pleased to support the U21 Men’s International Hockey event through the International Sport Events Programme, which aims to develop improved performance pathways for Northern Ireland athletes, players and sports. The event will play a key role in sports development here and by hosting this event, Northern Ireland players will have the opportunity to compete at a high level.  I have no doubt that this will encourage and inspire many of our hockey players and gives them an excellent opportunity to showcase their skills.

Sport Northern Ireland is dedicated to developing people in sport, especially young people, and ensuring that people of every age and ability are able to participate, enjoy and perform sport and physical activity.  It is also important that everyone is able to enjoy high quality sporting events, and Sport Northern Ireland is delighted to support this Hockey International.  Sport Northern Ireland looks forward to the event and offers its support and every best wish that it will be a great experience for all involved; competitors and spectators alike.”

CEO of Irish Hockey Mike Heskin also commented at the event “Both Irish Hockey and Ulster Hockey are delighted to bring this quality of competition to the area, showcasing some of hockey’s young stars while at the same time providing them with top quality opposition.  This tournament would not be taking place without the funding and support received by both Sport Northern Ireland and Newtownabbey Borough Council and we are very grateful for their support.”

4 Nations U21 Hockey Tournament

11th – 13th February 2014

Tuesday 11th February

17.00 IRELAND v SCOTLAND
19.00 ENGLAND v GERMANY

Wednesday 12th February

17.00 GERMANY V SCOTLAND
19.00 IRELAND v ENGLAND

Thursday 13th February

17.00 ENGLAND v SCOTLAND
19.00 IRELAND v GERMANY

Irish Hockey Association media release



Maxinutrition Hockey 5s Championships comes to a conclusion


Mickel Pierre shields the ball from Ashley Watson

The Maxinutrition Hockey 5s Championships Division Two brought the leagues’ section of the competition to a conclusion last weekend. Of course, the top prizes to decide the national champions will be fought for in the Maxinutrition Hockey 5s Finals at Wembley Arena on Sunday 2 February. Click here to find out how you can get tickets!

Surbiton bounced straight back to the Men’s Premier Division with an impressive 100% record in Division One. Joining them in the Premier Division next season for the very first time are Team Bath Buccaneers, who have progressed from the regional leagues to the top league in just three seasons. Surbiton and Team Bath Buccaneers will be taking the place of Doncaster and Loughborough Students, who both had a two year stint in the top flight having been promoted together back in 2012.

The University of Birmingham and Clifton return back to the Women’s Premier Division at the first time of asking. The two teams dominated Division One with the students going unbeaten, and Clifton only losing one match which came against the league champions. They take the place of 2012 champions Leicester and 2009 finalists Olton & WW.

Havant and Hampstead & Westminster fall from Men’s Division One, to be replaced by Wimbledon, who have had back to back promotions from the regional leagues, and Harleston Magpies who make an immediate return to Division One having been relegated last season.

Chelmsford’s brief spell in Division One comes to end as they narrowly go down alongside Sevenoaks. They will be replaced by Horsham, who also make a quick return to Division One and Ipswich who return after a two year absence.

The make-up Divisions for the 2014/15 season can be found below. The provisional Division Two North & South Leagues will be known in March.

Men’s Divisions

Premier Division Division One Division Two North/South*
Beeston Bournville Cheltenham
Bowdon Brooklands MU Hampstead & Westminster
Canterbury Cannock Havant
East Grinstead Doncaster Indian Gymkhana
Holcombe Harleston Magpies Sheffield Hallam
Reading Loughborough Students West Herts
Sevenoaks Old Loughtonians + Six Regional Qualifiers
Surbiton Southgate  
Team Bath Buccaneers Wimbledon  

Women’s Divisions

 

Premier Division Division One Division Two North/South*
Bowdon Hightown Bristol Firebrands Army
Canterbury Brooklands Poynton Chelmsford
Clifton Buckingham Old Loughtonians
East Grinstead Horsham Oxford Hawks
Harleston Magpies Ipswich Sevenoaks
Reading Leicester Stourport
Slough Olton & WW + Six Regional Qualifiers
Sutton Coldfield Surbiton  
University of Birmingham Wakefield  

England Hockey Board Media release



Team USA Solidifies 2014 Youth Olympic Qualifier Rosters

Junior Men’s and Women’s Squads Prepare for YOG in China

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –  You cannot tame ambition or quiet the voice of a prized goal. The Olympic dream’s appeal has no age requirements; its presence is sought after by all athletes.

After dedicated training, USA Field Hockey’s Junior National Squads have been rewarded with a single, cherished moment. The rosters have been established for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Nanjing, China. The Men’s Junior Squad will take the pitch in Puerto Rico February 4-8 while the Women’s Junior Squad will compete in a qualifying tournament in Montevideo, Uruguay February 11-15. Both teams aim to qualify for the YOG by earning one of the top two spots at the tournaments. Adding more excitement to the matches in Nanjing, Hockey 5’s is the game format for the event.

“The introduction of Hockey 5’s by the FIH is fantastic,” said Women’s YOG coach Tamara Durante. “It is a great blend of both the indoor and outdoor games as well as some hints of ice hockey. The use of boards around the perimeter of the field combined with our outdoor skills will make the game we love even more exciting to watch and play. Some new strategies will come into effect to take advantage of the end-line boards as we hope to earn a spot at the Youth Olympic Games from this Qualifier.”

The Women’s YOG team will be guided on the pitch by esteemed USA Field Hockey coaches Durante and Tracey Fuchs. Durante is the assistant coach at Yale University and is keenly utilized for various USA Field Hockey programs, including the Under-16 National Team and Futures Elite. She also was selected to coach for USA Field Hockey at the 2006 AAU Junior Olympic Games. Fuchs, Northwestern University’s head field hockey coach, is a two-time USA Field Hockey Athlete of the Year, a member of two Olympic and four World Cup teams. She has participated in more international matches (268) than any other player in U.S. field hockey history.Nicole Plumbo will be the U.S. athletic trainer on site. Plumbo is supported by USA Field Hockey’s prestigious orthopedic partner Orthopedic Associates Lancaster (OAL). OAL is a renowned practice which continually assists to mend and prevent our national team athletes’ injuries to ensure peak performance.

“We have a very talented young team and we are excited to compete in Uruguay,” said Fuchs. “We look forward to a successful tournament with the hopes of qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games later this year.”

The Men’s YOG team will be lead under the direction of Rutger Wiese and BenMaruquin. Wiese, Harvard University’s assistant field hockey coach, is the head coach of the Junior Men's East Coast High Performance Training Center team, a position he has held since 2011. He helped the squad to a national championship in his first year.  Maruquin, the Ventura County High Performance Training Center head coach, is a former field hockey sweeper for the Men’s National Team and competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. The performance analyst on staff is Chris Pothier and Dr. Jason Reynolds is the team’s trainer.

"As a team we showed great progress last week at camp in San Diego," said Wiese. “As soon as we get to Puerto Rico next week, we are looking to finalize our game plans and grow further as a team. It is certainly our goal to qualify to finish in the top two and qualify for China.”

“We are looking forward to managing the group dynamic in both a tournament and Hockey 5’s setting,” said Maruquin. “Our staff and players have been gaining valuable experience in this dynamic new game. It's a wonderful opportunity for our young team to test their skills against the best players in the Americas."

“USA Field Hockey is thrilled to select an incredibly talented group of young athletes to represent the USA and we wish them all the very best as they look to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games," said Steve Locke USA Field Hockey's Executive Director. "We are confident that they will adapt well to the new and exciting Hockey 5’s format under the guidance of a committed and experienced coaching team."

Congratulations to the following athletes as they continue to chase their dreams:

Junior Women’s Roster:

Kelsey Bing (Houston, TX), Austyn Cuneo (Waterford, NJ), Skyler Fretz (Oley, PA), Ashley Hoffman (Mohnton, PA), Sophia Miller (Medford, NJ), Madison Morano (Hammonton, NJ), Margaux Paolino (Villanova, PA), Samantha Steele (Eagleville, PA), Julianna Tornetta (Plymouth Meeting, PA), Sophia Tornetta (Plymouth Meeting, PA)

Junior Men’s Roster:

Amar Khokar (Valencia, CA), Doug Allison (Westlake Village, CA), George McGuigan (Thousand Oaks, CA), Jed McGuigan (Thousand Oaks, CA), Josh Schindler (Ventura, CA), Casey Walker (Ventura, CA), Jake Stone (Camarillo, CA), Javieer Singh (Hayward, CA), Deegan Huisman (NED), Nathaniel O'Lari (Orange, MA)

USFHA media release



SA National Squads Vacancies

South African Hockey Association
High Performance Sub Committee

We are calling for applications for the positions listed below. Each applicant must complete the application form and submit a short CV.

Your Application and CV must be submitted to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

SA National Men - Outdoor
Coach (South African candidates preferred)
Convenor of Selectors
Closing date for applications: 7 February 2014

SA National Men - Indoor.
Coach (SA candidates preferred)
Manager
Closing date for applications:  28 January 2014

SA National Ladies - Indoor
Coach (SA candidates preferred)
Manager
Closing date for applications: 28 January 2014

SAHA Job Application Form.doc

SA Hockey Association media release



New Scottish Hockey Chief Executive relishes challenge ahead

Having joined the organisation shortly after the New Year, new Scottish Hockey Chief Executive David Sweetman is relishing the challenges ahead in his new role with the national governing body.

Sweetman joined Scottish Hockey from Diageo earlier this month, having spent the last seven years in a management capacity with the drinks’ giant. He has been involved in hockey, both domestically and internationally, for a number of years and brings excellent knowledge and experience to the role.

Reflecting on the early stages of his tenure, Sweetman said, “I’m delighted that I’m now in place as Chief Executive of Scottish Hockey, and already I can see how busy our volunteers and staff are across the range of activities and initiatives that we have planned across performance, development, governance, events and communications.

“The organisation has a number of great events and occasions to look forward to in 2014, including the National Indoor League Finals in February, the Aberdeen Asset Management National League Play-Offs and Finals in March, the Men’s Four Nations and FIH Champions Challenge in April and May, and of course, Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games in the summer.

“While we have these exciting events to enthuse our members, the board and senior management also have the task of ensuring that the governing body has a new, fit for purpose corporate strategy that goes beyond 2014 and details our aims and objectives for the sport up to 2018. We will be consulting with members to gather intelligence and views, and will present Scottish Hockey’s new corporate strategy to stakeholders towards the end of this year.

“In the meantime, thank you to those who have welcomed me warmly to Scottish

Scottish Hockey Union media release

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