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News for 10 July 2020

All the. News for Friday 10 July 2020


Germany to host Belgium as “Hockey at its Best” restarts!



The FIH Hockey Pro League - the annual global home and away league involving the world’s best international teams, both Men and Women - will resume on 22 September with the national teams of Germany hosting their Belgian counterparts in a thrilling clash between two European powerhouses!

FIH today confirmed the new schedule for the men's and women's competitions of the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League which, as announced on 24 April, have been extended until June 2021 (instead of June 2020 as initially planned) after they were stopped in March of this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic.

The calendar has been established in cooperation and agreement between the 11 participating National Associations (NAs) taking part in the second edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League and the FIH. In such a challenging period and with a very busy hockey calendar in 2021 due to the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games, Continental Championships and domestic league competitions, finalising the schedule was made possible thanks to all parties showing solidarity and a willingness to compromise to complete the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League season.

Around one third of the planned matches were completed between January and early March, with Belgium and Argentina currently leading the Men’s and Women’s standings respectively.

Commenting on the announcement, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said: “All hockey fans have been eagerly waiting for the day where the world’s best teams would play again. Whilst the pandemic is not over and staying healthy while playing hockey is an absolute priority, it’s a sign of hope that the resumption of the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League is looming. I wish all teams well and invite all fans to enjoy ‘Hockey at its Best’ in the months ahead!”

"I am really excited because we just heard that we will be playing the Pro League in September. So, Germany against Belgium will be the first game of the Pro League after a lot of months of training without competition. We are really excited that we can get back to playing games!” stated World Champion Thomas Briels, captain of Belgium’s Red Lions.

"We are playing hockey again! In September, the first Pro League games will start again and we are going to play in my home town, Düsseldorf, against Belgium. So, stay healthy and keep it up!” said Selin Oruz, Olympic bronze medallist with Germany’s Danas.

FIH will continue to closely monitor the global evolution of the COVID-19 situation, with the safety of athletes, fans and everyone involved being top priority.

To watch our video about the re-start of the FIH Hockey Pro League, click here.

#FIHProLeague
#PlayHockeyStayHealthy

Official FIH Pro League Site



FIH Hockey Pro League set for September restart

By The Hockey Paper



The FIH Pro League is set to return in September after a seven-month hiatus following the coronavirus pandemic.

Germany hosting Belgium on Sep 22 will kick start international hockey back into action, with games taking place until November before reconvening in January 2021.

An FIH statement didn’t highlight whether there would be crowds in attendance at the games.

But a release from GB Hockey on Thursday said that GB’s only home games of this year – a home double header with Germany on Nov 14-15- would “almost certainly” be played behind closed doors.

GB men and women will get their campaign back under way with a European trip to Holland and Belgium starting on Oct 27. All games will be live on BT Sport.

England Hockey added that it will now begin to formalise locations for all its home games, with tickets going on sale in the autumn.

The UK government, meanwhile, was expected to announce further guidance details, possibly for a return of recreational team sports, on Thursday.

View all matches here


The Hockey Paper



India to resume FIH Pro League against Argentina in April, 2021

Uthra Ganesan


India has played six games in three ties so far – all at home – and would next travel to Argentina for its first game on April 10, 2021   -  Biswaranjan Rout

The Indian men’s hockey team would resume its campaign in the FIH Pro League only in April next year.

India has played six games in three ties so far – all at home – and would next travel to Argentina for its first game on April 10, 2021. The Indian men would then complete their European commitments, playing six games against Great Britain, Spain and Germany (two each) over a period of 12 days in May before returning for the last two games against New Zealand.

The International Hockey Federation on Thursday announced the revised schedule for the competition that was forced to be suspended due to the ongoing COVID19 epidemic. The nine-team, double-leg event would resume on September 22 with Germany hosting Belgium for both the men’s and women’s ties.

India is currently placed fourth with 10 points, same as Argentina but with two games in hand and a better goal difference. Both the men and women only have the tentatively-scheduled Asian Champions Trophy scheduled for this year. The last Pro League 2020 game was played on March 7 between hosts Australia and Argentina.

Sportstar



India to resume FIH Pro League campaign with away tie against Argentina in April 2021

India will play Argentina on 10 and 11 April next year in the revamped Pro League.



The Indian men's team will resume its FIH Pro League campaign in April 2021 with an away tie against Argentina, according to a revised fixtures announced by the International Hockey Federation on Thursday.

India will play Argentina on 10 and 11 April next year in the revamped Pro League.

The first match in both the men's and women's division will see Germany hosting Belgium on 22 and 23 September.

India will then face Great Britain away from home on 8 and 9 May before travelling to Spain to play matches on 12 and 13 May .

They will then take on Germany away on 18 and 19 May before finally playing a home tie on 29 and 30 May against New Zealand.

The FIH was forced to make a new schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected all sporting events across the world.

As per the original schedule, India's Pro league campaign was supposed to conclude on 14 June after their tie in Spain.

Before the suspension of the tournament on 19 March, India were scheduled to play Germany in Berlin on 25 and 26 April before taking on Great Britain in London on 2 and May 3 May.

They were then scheduled to host New Zealand on 23 and 24 May before travelling to Tucuman, Argentina, for matches on 5 and 6 June.

"All hockey fans have been eagerly waiting for the day where the world's best teams would play again," said FIH President Narinder Batra in a statement.

"While the pandemic is not over and staying healthy while playing hockey is an absolute priority, it's a sign of hope that the resumption of the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League is looming. I wish all teams well and invite all fans to enjoy 'Hockey at its Best' in the months ahead!"

All 11 countries were consulted before the revised calendar for the season was confirmed.

In May, the FIH had admitted that a return to normal global competition may not be possible until a COVID-19 vaccine is developed.

"The calendar has been established in cooperation and agreement between the 11 participating National Associations (NAs) taking part in the second edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League and the FIH," said the FIH in its statement.

"In such a challenging period and with a very busy hockey calendar in 2021 due to the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games, Continental Championships and domestic league competitions, finalising the schedule was made possible thanks to all parties showing solidarity and a willingness to compromise to complete the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League season."

Firstpost



Great Britain’s men’s and women’s international teams to return to action


Great Britain’s men’s and women’s international teams to return to action

After a wait of more than six months, Great Britain’s men’s and women’s teams will return to playing international fixtures in October.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) have today announced the schedule for remaining games in the 2020-21 FIH Hockey Pro League, and our teams start with an exciting trip to both the Netherlands and Belgium starting on 27 October. All games will be live on BT Sport.

We are then back on home soil across the weekend of 14-15 November as we host Germany’s men and women, almost certainly behind closed doors, again live on BT Sport.



As the huge summer of hockey in 2021 draws near, we then play over three hugely exciting back-to-back weekends in May of next year. We host India & China on 8-9 May, followed by Argentina the following weekend and then USA & Spain. We are working towards these three weekends taking place safely in front of our fantastic supporters, and after what will be an 18-month wait to play in front of our fans, please save the dates in your diary!

With the fixture list now confirmed; we will begin to formalise locations for all home games. We aim to put tickets on sale in the autumn with a priority window for our hockey family including previous purchasers. If you purchased for the postponed FIH Pro League games earlier this year, you will have priority access to tickets. Stay tuned to Great Britain Hockey social media channels for more information on tickets and Premium Experiences.



Away games

Tue 27 Oct NED v GBR women & men (times TBC)
Thu 29 Oct NED v GBR women & men (times TBC)

Sat 31 Oct BEL v GBR women & men (1pm and 3:30pm UK time)
Sun 1 Nov BEL v GBR women & men (1pm and 3:30pm UK time)

Home games

Sat 14 Nov GBR v GER women & men (12pm and 2:30pm)
Sun 15 Nov GBR v GER women & men (12pm and 2:30pm)

Sat 8 May GBR v IND men; GBR v CHN women (1pm and 3:30pm)
Sun 9 May GBR v IND men; GBR v CHN women (12pm and 2:30pm)

Sat 15 May GBR v ARG women & men (1pm and 3:30pm)
Sun 16 May GBR v ARG women & men (12pm and 2:30pm)

Sat 22 May GBR v USA women; GBR v SPA men (1pm and 3:30pm)
Sun 23 May GBR v USA women; GBR v SPA men (12pm and 2:30pm)

Great Britain Hockey media release



Great Britain men and women to return to hockey action in October

Both sides will travel to Holland and Belgium before welcoming Germany on home soil in November

By Fiona Toma


Hannah Martin and Shona McCallin of Great Britain celebrate victory during the Olympic Qualifier match between Great Britain Women and Chile Women
The return will be a welcome boost for women's sport in Britain Credit: GETTY IMAGES

Elite women’s team sport received a welcome boost on Thursday after it was confirmed Great Britain’s women’s hockey team will return to action with their male counterparts in October.

Both squads will resume their international fixtures in the Pro League after the International Hockey Federation announced the schedule for the remaining games in the global competition, which was halted on March 7 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The first of those will see both Great Britain men and women resume international action on October 27 in an away fixture against Holland, before travelling to Belgium.

International hockey will then return to this country on the weekend of November 15 and 15, when Great Britain host Germany.

A bumper summer of hockey in 2021 has also been mapped out, with Great Britain featuring in three back-to-back weekends on home soil next May against India, China and Argentina, followed by the USA and Spain.

Both squads are likely to use those fixtures to tweak their final preparations ahead of the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in July 2021, where the women’s team will defend the title they won in Rio four years ago.

A statement from GB Hockey read: “We are working towards these three weekends taking place safely in front of our fantastic supporters, and after what will be an 18-month wait to play in front of our fans.

“With the fixture list now confirmed, England Hockey will begin to formalise locations for all home games. We aim to put tickets on sale in the autumn with a priority window for our hockey family including previous purchasers.”

Great Britain’s senior squads began a phased return to training at their Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre on June 29 after a four-month absence due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

The Telegraph



Looking to make a difference once hockey returns: Sharmila

The forward further stated that life has really been going on at a very fast pace for her in the past one year and she couldn’t have asked for more.


Sharmila Devi. (Photo: IANS)

After a fruitful debut year with the Indian women’s hockey team where she helped her team qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, forward Sharmila Devi is itching to get back on the field to make a difference.

With the team currently on a break from national camp, Sharmila has been spending time with her family in Hisar and is making sure she is up to speed whenever hockey action resumes.

“It has been a really different experience to not have felt that adrenaline rush of playing the sport, but I’m just making sure I’m maintaining my fitness and am ready to play as soon as we are allowed,” expressed the 18-year-old who has 9 appearances for the senior team.

“I feel I’ve been really fortunate to have been playing under such a good chief coach in Sjoerd Marijne, along with such experienced players like Rani and Vandana Katariya. There’s so much for me to learn, and I want to make sure I am doing everything right to develop as a decent player for my country.

“I am hoping that we will be able to play hockey again soon, and I am really looking forward to making a difference for my team once that happens and we start playing the top teams,” she said.

Having found the time to reflect on her journey with the senior team, Sharmila recalled the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers 2019 against the USA as her favourite moment so far.

“It was definitely a huge moment for me, to have represented the country at such a huge tournament. We were looking to secure our berth in the Tokyo Olympics and were playing against such a strong opposition, so it felt really good to have done well, and helped the team in achieving our goal.

“I’m looking forward to more such victories and enjoyable moments with the team,” said the forward who had scored India’s second goal in the 5-1 win in the first leg against USA.

The forward further stated that life has really been going on at a very fast pace for her in the past one year and she couldn’t have asked for more.

“Having made my debut at the Olympic Test Event in Tokyo back in August 2019, it was an experience of a lifetime for me because we won the tournament there.”

“For me, it was something I had only dreamt of – to be able to play and train with the best players from our country. When I was in the Junior team set-up, I would just watch them train during national camps, and I would get goosebumps, but when I started playing, it just really felt amazing,” added Sharmila.

The Statesman



Pritam Siwach recommended for Dronacharya award

The present senior national core group includes four of Pritam Rani Siwach's students, while two are part of the junior side.


Pritam Siwach has been running the Sonepat Hockey Academy since 2004. [File photo]   -  V.V. Krishnan

Former India captain and one of the country's finest hockey forwards, Pritam Rani Siwach has been recommended for the Dronacharya award this year.

Nominated by Indian Railways, Pritam has been part of the Indian women's team coaching set-up in the past (2010-12), was coach of the junior women's team that won silver at the 2012 Jr Asia Cup and has been running the Sonepat Hockey Academy since 2004.

The present senior national core group includes four of her students, including prolific midfielder Neha Goyal, and two in the junior side. At the Junior Women's Nationals last year, the second-placed Haryana side had seven players from her academy.

As a player, Pritam was part of the Indian team that won the historic Commonwealth Games gold in 2002 and the Asian Games silver (1998) in a 17-year long career that included a comeback in 2008 after a five-year gap.

Sportstar



An indoor hockey revival

By Jugjet Singh


After decades of planning and blueprints, an Indoor Malaysia Hockey League (IMHL) will be held at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim (UPSI) before the end of the year. - NSTP file pic

AFTER decades of planning and blueprints, an Indoor Malaysia Hockey League (IMHL) will be held at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim (UPSI) before the end of the year.

An indoor blueprint was presented by Datuk R. Yogeswaran during the Malaysian Hockey Federation era, but no action was taken to realise the project as courts were either hard to come by or non-existent in states.

UPSI led the way as they not only have three international standard courts, but hosted the 13th UPSI International tournament in November last year.

And the response for the Under-12, Under-16, Universities and Veteran tournaments was good.

"We have the venue ready and will be calling for entries soon. We are expecting 10 men's and 10 women's teams but will welcome more with an open heart," said Shurizan Mansor, chairman of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation indoor committee.

"Because of the Covid-19 situation, I expect the tournament to be held after August when there is a window opening for us.

"UPSI is expert in organising indoor hockey and it has been holding seminars and courses for at least a decade. It was also a high level sports developing universiti before.

"Hosting an IMHL will surely get them back into the elite group again," said Shurizan.

Indoor hockey came to life in Malaysia after it was included for the first time at the 2017 KL Sea Games.

Malaysia then dominated the event in the 2019 Philippines Sea Games but it has gone back into the shadows since.

"We want to make indoor hockey a permanent fixture as it requires many different skills which can also be used when playing field hockey.

"In many countries, versatile players in both fields are making a name for themselves.

"Malaysia have shown their prowess in the Asean region, and it's time to make an impact at Asian and world level in the long run," said Shurizan.

Hockey sticks, shoes, playing venues, using a beam on the sides are some of the challenges states might face in promoting the sport.

But UPSI is willing to lead by example. In 2016, UPSI pitches were given Certified Field Performance by the International Hockey Federation.

"Everything is in place, and when the government allows hockey matches again, we will make a dash to organise the inaugural IMHL and promote the sport in a big way at state level," said Shurizan.

New Straits Times



England Hockey seeks safe return after team sport approval

By Richard Bright



Recreational team sports in England can begin returning outdoors, under government guidance published on Thursday – although a “complex” set of issues remain for hockey to safely resume.

Under new lockdown easing rules, England Hockey will now submit to the Government an action plan and related guidance, demonstrating how it plans to operate, and any adaptations which will be required, before any green light can be given to the sport.

The fact that recreational cricket can return from this weekend will help multi-sport clubs financially, while those hockey clubs connected with centres including indoor gyms and sports halls will also be boosted from July 25.

England Hockey said on Thursday that it is exploring a route to move from Steps 3 to 5 of its five-stage programme for a return to hockey.

The national governing body announced three requirements for this to happen: compliance, capability and confidence.

EH said it would work with government officials to provide criteria for any resumption “with a reduced requirement for social distancing within games.”

A statement read: “This is a complex issue where many clubs and stakeholders will need to have access to sufficient facility provision and be in a position to be able to support any of the adaptations to ‘normal’ that are required.

“Beyond that organisations will need to be able to function well enough with viable financial models to operate within the new structure.”

Under a “confidence” framework, EH would also be seeking a “level of assurance that our participants and volunteers feel in hockey resuming.”

England Hockey said that there were “no exact timings” for the next steps.

A statement added: “Whilst we are working through these measures we will continue to plan for alternative scenarios with plans for revised and shortened seasons being finalised as well as recommended adapted regulations and practices. A draft set of recommendations will shortly be sent to key organisations at regional and county level for consideration.

“We continue to recommend to clubs to plan for the season starting at the normal time, whilst trying to mitigate any financial risks of doing so wherever possible.”

The Hockey Paper

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