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News for 27 January 2015

All the news for Tuesday 27 January 2014


Nine goal thriller in SA men v Ireland

JONATHAN COOK at Hartleyvale


South Africa's Clint Panther evades the outstretched stick of Ireland's Neal Glassy during the second and final Test against Ireland at Hartleyvale in Cape Town Monday night. Photo MATT WITHERS (Action Pix)

There was a comprehensive 6-0 victory for the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team in the third Test against Chile at Hartleyvale in Cape Town Monday, but in the late evening game the SA came out on the wrong side of a nine-goal spectacular.

Ireland’s last-gasp 5-4 win leaves them 1-0 winners in a champagne two-Test series against the men in green and gold, this after Sunday’s opener ended 3-3.

The SA ladies are now 2-1 up in the four-Test series with the final Test at 6.30pm Tuesday. SA won the first Test 4-2 and Chile won the second Test 2-0.

Just 16 seconds into the first minute, striker Taine Paton made ground into the strike zone before cracking the ball past goalkeeper Ireland David Fitzgerald for SA to take a 1-0 lead.

Three minutes into the second chukka – the 18th minute of the match - Ireland drew level with a spectacular deflection goal by Stephen Dowds (1-1).

In the 27th, Ireland went 2-1 up via Shane O’Donoghue’s low PC drag-flick for the half-time score.

Ireland put heavy pressure on the SA defence in the third chukka and were unfortunate not to score, but the men in green and gold must be commended, too, for some gutsy defensive work.

That SA grit was exemplified in the 42nd minute when Shannon Boucher carried the ball with intent into the strike zone before slipping it past Fitzgerald (2-2).

Three minutes into the final chukka (48th minute of the match) Eugene Magee scored from close to put Ireland 3-2 ahead. In the 54th Ireland’s Michael Darling made space before smashing his shot into the backboard (4-2). But this SA side never throws in the towel and four minutes from the end (56th minute) Jethro Eustice’s pass was converted by Natius Malgraff (4-3).

Paton won a PC with just over a minute left (59th) and three shots at goal somehow didn’t go in, but a penalty stroke was the outcome and SA captain Rhett Halkett sent his flick rocketing high into the net (4-4).

And with just 14 seconds left (60th minute) Kyle Good hit the winner for the Irish to come out 5-4 victors of a truly remarkable match.

Three goals inside six minutes in the second chukka and three goals inside six minutes in the third chukka earned the SA women their 6-0 win over Chile in the early match.

SA brought back the considerable experience of keeper Sanani Mangisa, defenders Lisa Deetlefs and Marcelle Manson, and strikers Jade Mayne plus captain for the day, Sulette Damons.

One minute into the second chukka (16th minute of the match) the crowd came alight when midfielder Illse Davids went unchallenged into the strike zone and picked her spot with a crisp strike, the Chileans backing away, not for the first time in the series (1-0).

Hardly two minutes later (18th) neat SA play led to a Dirkie Chamberlain goal (2-0) and Chile would have been dead and buried 60-odd seconds later had captain Camila Caram not miraculously pulled Shelley Russell’s attempt off the line.

Two SA penalty corners came and went before Candice Manuel finished accurately in the 21st minute (3-0).

Five minutes after half-time (35th of the match), Lilian du Plessis got on the scoresheet with a well-timed PC drag-flick. A Damons effort was cleared off the goalline before Davids fed fellow Capetonian Manuel for 5-0 in the 38th minute. In the 41st minute, penalty corner injector Erin Hunter followed up Du Plessis’ disguised PC shot/pass to tip the ball home and SA were 6-0 up.

There was lots of goalmouth action in the final chukka, the Chileans playing much better, but there was no further addition to the score.

The mammoth Cape Town Summer series ends on February 2 at Hartleyvale.

SA TEAMS
Women - Starting: Sanani Mangisa (GK), Marcelle Manson, Lisa Deetlefs, Erin Hunter, Nicolene Terblanche, Illse Davids, Shelley Russell, Jade Mayne, Lilian du Plessis, Dirkie Chamberlain, Sulette Damons (capt). Rolling subs: Phume Mbande (GK), Nicole Walraven, Christine Roos, Line Malan, Candice Manuel, Tiffany Jones, Quanita Bobbs.

Men – Starting: Gowan Jones (GK), Gareth Heyns, Dylan Swanepoel, Lance Louw, Rhett Halkett (capt), Jethro Eustice, Clint Panther, Dan Sibbald, Taine Paton, Shannon Boucher, Keenan Horne. Rolling subs: Jacques le Roux (GK), Daniel Bell, Natius Malgraff, Miguel da Graca, Ross Hetem, Pierre de Voux, Damian Kimfley.

SA Hockey Association media release



Ireland 5-4 South Africa (Men)

A nine goal feast in Capetown this evening with Ireland winning by 5-4 in a game where Instonians, Paul Gleghorne, joined the 100 club of caps for his country and Lisnagarvey's Jonathan Bell his 50th cap.

South Africa got off to a flyer with Taine Patton's ruthless finish to lead after 20 seconds. They could have extended their lead shortly afterwards except for excellent keeping from Fitzgerald. Glassey forced the SA keeper to make fine save before the end of 1st quarter. 

Ireland equalised early in the 2nd quarter with a great touch from Dowds deflecting into the roof of the net after great ball, following a free from outside 25, from the 100th cap man Gleghorne.  After great work by Gormley forcing a PC Ireland took a 2-1 lead into half time with the corner converted with a low drag by Shane O Donoghue.

UCD Kirk Shimmins was pulling the strings in midfield setting up Caruth who shot fizzed past the back post. Caruth had another chance after great counter attack saw him round the keeper bulost his footing and put the chance wide. Ireland were reduced to 10 men with a yellow for O Donoghue and SA took advantage equalising from a PC to end the third quarter 2-2.

The final quarter Ireland went in front with a moment of magic from Banns Eugene Magee beating four SA defenders and the keeper to fire Ireland into 3-2 lead. Mitch Darling, extended the lead, getting his second goal in two games with a great spin outside the 25 driving into the circle and giving the keeper no chance into bottom corner. Ireland conceded a sloppy goal to set up exciting finish and they equalised from a penalty stroke converted by Hackett for 4-4 minutes later.  With seconds left in the clock Stevie Dowds shot was saved by SA keeper but it fell to Kyle Good who volleyed home for a 5-4 victory.

After the game Irish Coach Craig Fulton said 'It was important to get the win tonight against a very physical SA team. We made some good improvements and progress from last nights draw'

IRELAND 5 (Shane O Donoghue, Eugene Magee, Stephen Dowds, Kyle Good, Mitch Darling)
SOUTH AFRICA 4 ( Rhett Hackett, Taine Patton, Shannon Boucher, Ignatius Malgraff

IRELAND: David Fitzgerald (GK), Mark Ingram (GK), Jonathan Bell, Ronan Gormley, John Jackson,  Chris Cargo,  Alan Sothern, Stephen Dowds, Eugene Magee,  Kirk Shimmins, Bruce McCandless, Michael Darling, Paul Gleghorne, Shane O Donoghue. Peter Caruth, James Lorimer, Kyle Good,Neal Glassey.

Did Not Play: Michael Robson, Jonny Bruton, Michael Watt, Drew Carlisle,

SCHEDULE
Wednesday January 28th v Holland - Stellenbosch 15.00 (local)
Thursday January 29th v Holland - Stellenbosch 18.00 (local)
Saturday January 31st v Belgium - Hartleyvale 15.00 (local)
Sunday February 1st v Belgium - Hartleyvale 14.00 (local)

Irish Hockey Association media release



SA hockey women put six past Chile

JONATHAN COOK at Hartleyvale


SA captain Sulette Damons in control as Sofia Walbaum of Chile closes in during the third Test at Hartleyvale in Cape Town Monday. Photo credit to MATT WITHERS (Action Pix)

Three goals inside six minutes in  the second chukka and three goals inside six minutes in the third chukka earned the Investec South Africa women’s hockey team a 6-0 win over Chile in the third Test at Hartleyvale in Cape Town Monday.

The victory means SA take an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the four-Test series. The girls in green and gold won the first Test 4-2 while Chile won the second Test 2-0. The final Test left is on Tuesday at 6.30pm,

SA brought back the considerable experience of keeper Sanani Mangisa, defenders Lisa Deetlefs and Marcelle Manson, and strikers Jade Mayne plus captain for the day, Sulette Damons.

Throwing the ball around to good effect from the outset, SA looked on song and Damons’ extreme speed was proving to be a defender’s nightmare. The slippery Manuela Urroz was Chile’s strike weapon and she, too, was asking questions of the SA defence, but much of the first-chukka action broke down outside the respective strike zones as tenacious defence held sway. However, that soon changed.

One minute into the second chukka (16th minute of the match) the crowd came alight when midfielder Illse Davids went unchallenged into the strike zone and picked her spot with a crisp strike, the Chileans backing away, not for the first time in the series (1-0).

Hardly two minutes later (18th) neat SA play led to a Dirkie Chamberlain goal (2-0) and Chile would have been dead and buried 60-odd seconds later had captain Camila Caram not miraculously pulled Shelley Russell’s attempt off the line.

Two SA penalty corners came and went before Candice Manuel finished accurately in the 21st minute (3-0). The girls in green and gold were on fire, netting superb three goals inside six minutes.

Five minutes after half-time (35th of the match), Lilian du Plessis got on the scoresheet with a well-timed PC drag-flick and at 4-0 with 25 minutes to go, SA were running riot. A Damons effort was cleared off the goalline before Davids fed fellow Capetonian Manuel for 5-0 in the 38th minute. In the 41st minute, penalty corner injector Erin Hunter followed up Du Plessis’ disguised PC shot/pass to tip the ball home and SA were 6-0 up.

Once again it was a three-goal blitz inside six minutes.

There was lots of goalmouth action in the final chukka, the Chileans playing much better, but there was no further addition to the score.

The mammoth Cape Town Summer series ends on February 2 at Hartleyvale.

SA TEAM
Starting: Sanani Mangisa (GK), Marcelle Manson, Lisa Deetlefs, Erin Hunter, Nicolene Terblanche, Illse Davids, Shelley Russell, Jade Mayne, Lilian du Plessis, Dirkie Chamberlain, Sulette Damons (capt). Rolling subs: Phume Mbande (GK), Nicole Walraven, Christine Roos, Line Malan, Candice Manuel, Tiffany Jones, Quanita Bobbs.

SA Hockey Association media release



Chris Griffiths hat-trick inspires East Grinstead to seventh successive indoor title

By Graham Wilson


Chris Griffiths scored a hat-trick to win 6-5 for East Grinstead. GETTY/AFP

A CHRIS GRIFFITHS hat-trick in three second-half minutes helped East Grinstead to 6-5 victory against Canterbury and a seventh successive indoor title at the SSE Wembley Arena.

Canterbury went so close as they took off their goalkeeper for the last 15 minutes to provide the extra man and fought back from 4-1 down in a blistering encounter.

Bowdon Hightown made up for last year's disappointing final by taking the women's title with a 4-1 win over East Grinstead.

East Grinstead men's captain Niall Stott said: "That's seven in a row and long may it continue.It's such a fantastic atmosphere here."

Earlier, Canterbury,prompted by coach Kwan Browne, overcame Sevenoaks in the semi-final with a last-second goal for a 6-5 win while East Grinstead beat Reading 7-5 in their semi-final.

Holly Hunt, the Hockey Writers' Club young player of the year, broke the deadlock for Bowdon in the women's final late in the first half. JoJo Davis levelled with a controversial penalty stroke but then the evergreen Tina Cullen gave Bowdon the lead. Sally Walton turned on her England class to finish off the job with two goals.

Bowdon stalwart Cullen said: "We go back years in the indoor game and we love it. Winning this title gives us such a lift, particularly after last year. We did brilliantly. I missed one chance and I certainly wasn't going to miss the next one."

Daily Express



1000km across Europe by train

Diary updates from the team as they prepare for the Indoor World Cup



With the Australian men’s indoor hockey team in Europe, preparing for the forthcoming Indoor World Cup in Leipzig (4-8 February), Team Manager Brent Deans is providing a series of short updates exclusively for the Hockey Australia website.

The newest diary entry is nearest the top.

During the tournament we’ll have reports and photos from every match (men’s and women’s). For the details of the squad and the tournament fixture card visit our Australian Indoor team page.

You can follow the team on Instragram at @indoorhockeyaus.

26th January: Happy Australia Day. Today marked the end of our first training camp in Antwerp. We head to Poznan by train, yes by train – a journey of almost 1000km. From our experience last year with flights and luggage, the train is a good option.

Early start meant a 7:15 taxi into Antwerp in peak traffic and via a crash (not ours) but we all made it in time.

First train Antwerp to Brussels, pretty short journey. We took over the carriage with our luggage.
Second train Brussels to Cologne, two hours - managed to get all our luggage on no problem.
Third train Cologne to Berlin four and a half hours - a good journey apart from the dining car running out of food and change. The guys were a bit hungry.

Fourth train Berlin to Poznan three hours - the train wasn't too busy so the guys spread out.

We arrived in Poznan at 8:30pm and the Polish Federation's liaison person Klaudia was there to meet us and get us to the waiting bus. All good. Arrived at the accommodation, rooms sorted and everyone happy. Rest time training starts again tomorrow. Looks like the weather maybe closing in, lucky we are indoors.

25th January: A good night’s rest, up at 07:15…yes a sleep in! Off to training at 08:30. Focus again on the last eight minutes of the match the other day. The guys really got into it, solving the situation posed. Overall, a very good session. To finish, some attacking penalty corner practice with the local badminton group looking on, waiting their turn to use the hall.

Some food at the club and we must thank Marry for all her effort to keep the team well fed after training. Our thanks too to the Royal Antwerp HC for their support.

Back to the hotel, a quick change period and then a de-bref. The group reviewed the first leg of the program, Antwerp. A really good session to finish the first leg. A very good first camp with a lot of things to take into the next week at Poznan.

Train trip tomorrow Antwerp to Poznan.

24th January: After two long and physical days the guys were looking forward to a quiet day. Unfortunately, some hotel guest had other ideas, setting the fire alarm off at 4am, so most up and out of their rooms to see what was happening. Some just rolled over and slept.

06.54am up, walk and stretch, WOW it's snowing. Yep, greeted with a snow fall to add to the experience. Brecky and off to the training hall.

[Coach] Anthony [Potter] planned to train the last eight minutes from the Netherlands match where we conceded six goals. The guys really got into solving some of the areas that had been a problem and worked really well for the full session. Some food at the club and then back to the hotel, showers change and into a workshop. The workshop session was a continuation and the guys up-dated their KPIs and started to develop components of our performance culture. A really good session with everyone involved.
Then some free time for everyone. Most changed and headed into Antwerp to look around, some just relaxed at the hotel. All back early evening, dinner at a well-known local restaurant to finish the day

23rd January: Another early start with a two-hour drive to Almere to play our second match against the Netherlands. Really cold today, quite a bit of freezing fog on the drive. The sports centre is in an open industrial zone, we arrived in good time to relax before getting ready. Coach, Anthony Potter, had spent time through the night reviewing video and provided the guys with the framework for the match.

Following a good warm-up and team huddle the match started at quite a pace. In a turnaround from the first match, we were able to control the play and converted a number of chances, both attacking penalty corners and open play goals. The guys were playing with lots of energy and it took some nine minutes before the Dutch were awarded their first penalty corner, which the defence were able to deal with. The half time score was 5-1 Australia, which was a good reflection of the match.

At the break, Anthony again reinforced the detailed plan for the second half. The second half continued at a very good level and mid-way through the half the Netherlands began to pressure the ball. This pressure began to take its toll with Holland scoring five goals in an eight minute rush. A number of the chances they had were created by our play, which in the match de-brief was acknowledged. It was great to see a number of Aussie spectators supporting the team. They were keen to show their appreciation to both teams at the final whistle.

Following the match, the Dutch team hosted a lunch with both teams socialising in a positive relaxed manner. All fed and watered we piled into the mini buses for the journey home, lots of tired bodies but very up-beat about the improvement we had made in the second game.

Training, rest and free time tomorrow. Yep everyone is looking forward to some rest time.

22nd January: Up very early…6am. Another big day as we were to play our first match against the Dutch in Almere at 11.00am. The players were looking forward to the chance to face the Dutch team as this would really give us an indication of where we are in terms of our World Cup prep. After a good warm-up we were into the match. The increase in tempo was noticeable, which was expected, but the boys’ work rate matched that of the Dutch team. It took some seven minutes before the Dutch got a PC and from this a stroke to open the scoring.

The first half of play went to the Dutch who from their four penalty corners scored three. We had two corners with no goal. The second half continued at the same tempo with both sides having good opportunities. The half was even with two corners each; we scored from one while we were able to keep out both of the Netherlands’ efforts. The match finished 3-1 to the Netherlands but we were not too disappointed having improved our performance in the second half.  Again, another long drive back (two hours) with some very tired guys. [Coach] Anthony [Potter] was pleased and will have a workshop and video session tonight.  We play the Netherlands again tomorrow.

21st January: Early training sessions again. We are spending time working on getting used to the work load as well as playing together. And more work on attacking penalty corners (PCA) because we feel that the teams who are best with PCA will be successful at the World Cup. We took a break for lunch and a short rest before heading to the north of Holland to play Venlo HC. This club plays indoor hockey in the top Dutch division so it was a good progression for the team. The journey was about 1h40m so at least the boys could rest in the mini bus.

The club arranged for a youth match before ours, which provided for quite a good crowd that stayed on to watch our match. We continue to work on our basic game and although Venlo scoring a couple of early goals, we were able to increase our performance and gained the upper hand in the end. The match finished 8-3, a good result.

20th January: Early start for breakfast then into the mini buses and off to training at the Royal Antwerp Hockey Club who are hosting us. A third of the group is new to the team and even though they all knew each other it is quite different playing together. The training sessions involved working on basic skills just to get the guys back on the ball.

We had two training sessions, lunch, rest and then set off to Brussels to play a select team. A 50 minute drive at 5pm was pretty good!

The match was quite an adjustment for the guys. We were nowhere up to speed in the first half and struggled with the pace and pressure. The second half was much improved and we were very competitive in all areas. There were some very tried guys on the mini bus trip back. Day one had taken its toll.

19th January: All arrived in Antwerp, fit and ready to start the prep program. Coach Anthony Potter welcomed everyone and gave a short presentation outlining the key areas of the program leading to the Indoor World Cup. We then had a team dinner.

Hockey Australia media release



Women’s World Cup diary

Aussie women's indoor team enjoys Australia Day with Olympic gold medallist



With the Australian women’s indoor hockey team in Europe preparing for the forthcoming Indoor World Cup in Leipzig (4-8 February), Team Manager Karen Seaman is providing a series of short updates exclusively for the Hockey Australia website.

The newest diary entry is nearest the top.

During the tournament we’ll have reports and photos from every match (men’s and women’s). For the details of the squad and the tournament fixture card visit our Australian Indoor team page.

Australia women’s indoor squad 2014/15
Tegan Boucher (VIC)
Kary Chau (VIC)
Clare Commerford (QLD)
Holly Evans (SA)
Ash Fey (QLD)
Kyah Gray (NSW)
Emma McLeish (NSW)
Kizzia Plumb (ACT)
Makaela Potts (NSW)
Emily Riordan (TAS)
Aleisha Smith (NSW)
Shelley Watson (ACT) 

Mannheim
25th January: Following breakfast the team went for their walk which proved a little dangerous due to the snow from the previous night and icy condition of the pavement. Undeterred by the cold we headed for the nearest undercover car park to be able to complete our morning walk on a more secure footing.

Today we were able to train at a first class facility – Mannheimer Hockey Club. On arrival at the club and while we waited for our hall to be available we watched some juniors playing. They were very excited to see our team dressed in the green and gold uniform, some of them joining our Assistant Coach Alex Lupton for some mini games and drills whilst the team commenced their warm-up. Today’s session was a solid and physical hit out with the girls working hard on elimination and defensive techniques.

We will be in Mannheim until we travel to Leipzig on the 30th January. Tomorrow being Australia Day the girls are looking forward to a sausage sizzle hosted by former Australian Olympian Michael McCann. This will be a chance for some fun and laughter prior to the next three days of training and games. Games are scheduled against South Africa on the 27th, 28th and 29th January.

24th January: Travel day. We started the day with a beautiful team photo taken on top of our hotel so that we had the Dom in the background. This was the first day that the team got to see snow. There was snow around the ground outside the hotel in Utrecht and our whole journey on the coach was hindered by snow. However, the team used their time productively bonding playing cards and engaging in fits of laughter.

23rd January: This was a rest day, which allowed the team to travel into Amsterdam and see the sights. Some of the girls chose to hire bicycles and ride around Amsterdam keeping their legs moving, while others walked around and did some shopping. It was an extremely cold day at minus 4 degrees in Amsterdam so the purchased items were jumpers, scarves and gloves.

22nd January: Walked in the morning at 10am and prepared for our second game against the Dutch. Once again we trained from 12-1pm to run through set plays prior to the game.
Our second game showed the improvement the team has made throughout our tour to date. We showed flow and better movement as well as enhancing our defensive capabilities.
This friendly was 2 x 20 minutes with the final score being 5 – 1 in favor of the Dutch. Tegan Boucher scored the Australian goal.

Following this game the two teams joined on the court for some friendly camaraderie and spurred each other on with an ‘abs workout’ led by the Dutch trainer. The two teams then shared a lovely lunch together and wished each other well for the World Cup.

21st January: Walked at 6.30am, an early rise and shine. Today was a training day where the team had two sessions. This enabled them to refine structures to assist in the preparation for the game against the Dutch on the next day.

To the enjoyment of a few of the local fire brigade, the team offered [Assistant Coach] Truey (John Trueman) to join a group of fireman in their indoor soccer game that was being played in between our training sessions. This meant Truey could have a run around but also the girls found it quite entertaining.

Utrecht
20th January: Another walk and a breakfast with an abundance of options for the team to choose from. We trained 12-1pm, a short break, then we commenced our first friendly match against the Netherlands. For many of our girls this was the first time they have played against such a quality team, the Dutch being the reigning European champions.

Our first friendly game against Netherlands was a 3 x 20 minute match. In the first 20 minutes the Australian girls held the Dutch to scoring only once from a penalty corner. Unfortunately, the defence was not able to maintain their solid structure in the following 20 minute periods. At completion of second period the score became 5-0. The Australian girls fought hard and were rewarded with a field goal to Kary Chau in the third period. Final score: 8-1 to the Netherlands.

19th January: Today was a travel day from Brussels to Utrecht, where we travelled by coach. We did have a mid-way stop and to the teams’ pleasant surprise we had lunch at a Le Place – the team was in heaven with the range of healthy and nutritious food that was available on a motorway. The common theme was that we should have these in Australia.

We arrived in the centre of Utrecht at the Apollo Hotel.

18th January:  The second day of the tri-nations. The structure of the day was similar to the previous, which is extremely beneficial as the time between games is similar to the format of the World Cup. This has enabled the team to be able to refine the order of the day to get the best out of the players.

Brussels Tri-Nations: Match 3
Australia 5-8 Belarus
AUS scorers: Shelley Watson (FG, FG), Ashlea Fey (FG, PC), Tegan Boucher (FG)

Brussels Tri-Nations: Match 4
Australia 3-4 Belgium
AUS scorers: Emma McLeish (FG), Ashlea Fea (PC), Holly Evans (FG)

Brussels Tri-Nations: Final Standings
1. Belarus
2. Australia
3. Belgium

17th January: The start of the Tri-nations. The day started with a team walk followed by breakfast and a team meeting. The team was excited to be playing their first games against Belarus and Belgium respectively. What a fantastic experience to not only put on the Australian uniform but for some debutants to sing the nation anthem and feel the emotion of representing your country.

Brussels Tri-Nations: Match 1
Australia 4-3 Belarus
AUS scorers: Ashlea Fey (PC), Emma McLeish (PC, FG), Shelley Watson (FG)

Brussels Tri-Nations: Match 2
Australia 4-3 Belgium
AUS scorers: Holly Evans (FG), Emma McLeish (FG), Tegan Boucher (FG), Kyah Gray (PC)

16th January: The day started with a team walk at 10am to assist with team preparation for the day. Stewart addressed the team about the training and playing structures that will be practiced for application. As this was our one and only training session prior to the commencement of the Tri-Nations it was vital that the team worked well on the court to ensure the best possible preparation for our games.

Belgium
15th January: Today the girls arrived in Uccle, Brussels. On arrival the team was provided with a schedule of the upcoming day, to ensure they stayed awake they went for a team lunch and a walk to ensure jet lag would not pose to be an issue for the coming days. Most of the team chose to see the sights of Brussels and that evening an early three course dinner provided at the hotel. Following dinner, [coach] Stewart Fenton addressed the team in regards to the training and schedule for the next day.

Hockey Australia media release



German indoor final four ready to rumble



Harvestehuder THC, Club an der Alster, Uhlenhorst Mülheim and Rot-Weiss Köln reached the semi-finals of the German indoor championship following the first series of playoff weekends.

The most dramatic quarter-final was the game between Berliner HC and Rot-Weiss. Köln led 5-2 at half-time but Berliner fought back with Benedict Swiatek to the fore. Pilt Arnold’s late goal sent the game to a shoot-out but Rot-Weiss won out 3-2.

Club an der Alster held on for a 3-2 win over Mannheimer HC. They built a 3-1 lead via Dieter Linnekogel and two from Constantin Staib before Mannheimer got back within range just a few minutes to go.

Reigning champions Uhlenhorst Mülheim were relatively confident in their 12-6 victory over TuS Lichterfelde while Harvestehuder were 8-3 winners over TSV Mannheim.

In the semi-finals, Harvestehuder THC meet Uhlenhorst Mülheim on Saturday while An der Alster meet Rot-Weiss with the final taking place on Sunday.

Euro Hockey League media release



Poor precision and body play dominate as Delhi and Ranchi settle for 2-2 draw

K Arumugam



Poor tackles, and poorer penalty corner conversions were the features of the HHIL Match No.6 which saw defending Champions Delhi Waverirders struggle to hold on to a handsome first quarter 2-0 lead but had to end the match on a 2-2 draw to home side Ranchi Rays.

Poor body tackles and aimless running were not the kind of stuff one expects when two seasoned teams, coached by equally seasoned domestic coaches, Cedric D'Souza and Harendra Singh, meet.

But it was the case. Seasoned campaigner Rupinder Pal Singh alone committed such body tackles outside and inside circle that he not only conceded three penalty corners to the aggressive Ranchi side but also earned himself a yellow card suspension.

Manpreet Singh, despite his defence spiliting rundowns and dash, brought down forwards on the turf, conceding penalty corners, but it is to be mentioned that its not the manner by which teams got or conceded goals, but the manner the teams allowed to go the chances abegging. Delhi got six penalty corners, which most of them Rupinder negotiated in vain, while Danish Mujtaba latched on to a long rebound to whack a goal.

Ranchi has got just one less than the Delhi team, but it also did not show any precision despite having Ashley Jackson, who was often on the bench than on the field.

It was also the case with first match hero Barry Middleton, who was very sparingly used.

Its Akashdeep Singh, whose hawkish eye on the dynamic ball that gave the defending champions the lead int he first quarter, and then came the Danish's goal.

Ranchi reduced the margin off its fifth penalty corner, but before that ever-green Mandeep Singh deflected a parallel pass to post first goal for the home side.

Its second 2-2 draw for Delhi after it drew UPW in their home on the first day of the HHIL 3.

The ways stalwarts on both sides were used less, like Sardar Singh, Barry, Ashley, it seems coaches preserve their treasure keeping future in mind, as the HHIL 3 is a month long, weary and demanding exercise.

However, the cautious strategy, and poor show both teams in the specialist area such as penalty corner execution do not augur well for goody crowd as one witnessed in Ranchi today.

Stick2Hockey.com



Warriors spell trouble for Wizards


HEAD-TO-HEAD: Wizards captain Edward Ockenden (left) and Warriors skipper Jamie Dwyer face off. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

Jaypee Punjab Warriors continued its fine form defeating Uttar Pradesh Wizards 3-2 in a Hero Hockey India League match here on Monday.

Warriors scored a goal each in the first three quarters through Varun Kumar (12th minute), S.V. Sunil (28th) and Sandeep Singh (42nd), while V.R. Raghunath (7th, 53rd) converted two penalty-corners for the visitors.

By virtue of this win, Warriors have consolidated their position at the top of the standings with 12 points from three games, while Wizards have three points from two matches.

Wizards dominated the opening quarter and took an early lead when Raghunath converted a penalty-corner. Warriors replied five minutes later through Varun’s penalty-corner conversion to end the first quarter level.

Sunil scored a fine diving reverse-flick past Wizards goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh to give his side the edge at the halfway mark.

Making amends

Sandeep Singh made amends for missing two penalty-corners by converting Warriors’ fifth penalty-corner for the scoreline to read 3-1 in favour of the home team.

Raghunath livened up the match when he scored his second goal of the day from a set-piece in the 53rd minute.

In the remaining minutes of the match, Wizards pressed hard in search of the equaliser and in the process earned another penalty-corner, but this time Raghunath was denied by a brilliant Jaap Stockmann in front of the Warriors goal.

Both the goalkeepers, Stockmann and Wizards’ Sreejesh produced brilliant displays of goalkeeping and produced numerous valiant saves to keep their teams in the match.

Wizards will next face Kalinga Lancers on Thursday in Lucknow, while Warriors take on defending champion Delhi Waveriders in New Delhi on Friday.

The result: Punjab Warriors 3 (Varun Kumar 12, S.V. Sunil 28, Sandeep Singh 42) bt UP Wizards (V.R. Raghunath 7, 53).

The Hindu



Rays hold Wave Riders

Ranchi Rays returned from a two-goal deficit to hold defending champion Delhi Wave Riders 2-2 in third edition of Hero Hockey India League at the Astroturf Hockey Stadium, Ranchi on Monday.

Looking for its first win of the tournament, Wave Riders started briskly and found the lead before the home team could settle down. Akashdeep Singh found the target off a nicely coordinated move to give the visitors the lead in the third minute.

Wave Riders made sharp and swift attacks, that resulted from an effective combination between captain Sardar Singh and Gurbaj Singh in the centre and New Zealand forward Simon Child upfront.

The visitors continued the momentum in the second quarter and earned a series of penalty corners, one of which was converted by forward Danish Mujtaba in the 27th.

The home side clawed back into the match reducing the margin within a minute. Ranchi Rays Australian goalkeeper Lovell Tyler did a great job under the bar and ensured that the visitors did not enhance their lead anymore.

Tyler’s countryman Nick Budgeon got the host into the match with a fine penalty-corner conversion in the 28th minute. Rays redoubled their efforts after the long break and found the equaliser five minutes into the third quarter off Mandeep Singh.

The 20-year-old forward showed great control and position as he volleyed home a rasping cross from Australian midfielder Trent Mitton.

Rays failed to make much of the advantage earned in the final quarter when Wave Riders played with 10 men for as many minutes with key defender Rupinder Pal Singh asked to cool his heels with a yellow card.

Rays now have seven points from three matches while Wave Riders have four from two draws.

The result: Ranchi Rays 2 (Nick Budgeon 28, Mandeep Singh 35) drew with Delhi Wave Riders 2 (Akashdeep Singh 3, Danish Mujtaba 27). Man-of-the-match: Birendra Lakra (Ranchi Rays).

The Hindu



Ranchi Rays hold Delhi Waveriders to 2-2 draw

RANCHI: A spirited Ranchi Rays overcame a two-goal deficit to hold defending champions Delhi Waveriders to a 2-2 draw in a league match of the third Hero Hockey India League (HIL) on Monday.

The draw took Rays to seven points from three games. After going down 3-6 to Kalinga Lancers in the tournament opener, the Ashley Jackson-led side defeated Dabang Mumbai 2-1 in their previous match.

The Waveriders, on the other hand, have garnered four points so far, having registered their second consecutive draw in the tournament. The Sardar Singh-led outfit was held on to an identical 2-2 draw by Uttar Pradesh Wizards in their opening match of the season.

Akashdeep Singh's strike in the fourth minute gave Waveriders an early lead before Danish Mujtaba doubled the scoreline in the 27th minute from a penalty corner.

The Waveriders kept up the pressure on the Ranchi defence and earned three penalty corners in quick succession late in the second quarter, the third of which was scored by Mujtaba with a rebound after the home team goalkeeper Lovell Tyler made a great save.

But a minute later, Nick Budgeon (28th) scored with a fierce dragflick from a penalty corner to pull one back for the Rays just at the stroke of halftime.

The Rays came out with more purpose after the change of ends and drew parity five minutes into the third quarter through Mandeep Singh (35th), who guided the ball into the net with a vital deflection from a flick.

The Rays nearly scored another just at the start of the fourth quarter through Jackson, whose dragflick struck the post.

Both the teams pressed hard in search of the winner thereafter but failed to breach each other's backline.

After a rest day on Tuesday, the Rays will next host Dabang Mumbai at the same venue on Wednesday, while the Waveriders will look for their first win when they take on Jaypee Punjab Warriors at their home turf in New Delhi on Friday.

The Times of India



Winless Wapda make shocking exit from COAS hockey

Kashif Abbasi

RAWALPINDI: Wapda, regarded among the top contenders of Chief of Army Staff Challenge Hockey Cup title, are out of the semi-finals race after failing to win in three consecutive matches.

Despite having renowned veterans like Sohail Abbas, Tasawar Abbas, Khalid Bhatti and Waqas Sharif in their ranks, Wapda could only draw their crucial match against Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) 2-2 at the Army Hockey Stadium here on Monday.

In other two matches held on Monday, Army Seniors overcame PAF 3-1 while Police played a 2-2 draw against Punjab.

However, the shocking ouster of Wapda — runners-up at the last National Hockey Championship and considered as favourites after PIA — was the day’s real news.

SSGC managed to earn a penalty corner in the seventh minute, which was converted by seasoned Shakeel Abbasi on rebound. In the third quarter, Yasir Shabbir doubled the lead.

Wapda then bounced back as striker Mohammad Imran scored to reduce the deficit to 2-1 in the 38th minute.

Looking under a bit of pressure, SSGC then opted to play aggressive game. This shift in their stance handed Wapda another chance to equalise with Waqas’s beautiful field goal in the 43rd minute.

However, the 2-2 scoreline remained intact till the very end, as high-profile Wapda exited even before the semi-finals.

Earlier in the tournament, Wapda could not succeed in recording a win in the pool stage as they drew against NBP (1-1) and Navy (3-3).

In the day’s opening match, a hat-trick by captain Mohammad Imran guided Army Seniors to a convincing win against PAF.

PAF demonstrated attacking hockey in the first few minutes and the approach paid off, as Mohammad Mudassar struck an impressive goal on penalty corner in the 10th minute.

However, PAF could not maintain the same tempo against the well-composed Army Seniors who then made an aggressive comeback to dominate the proceedings throughout the game.

In the 14th minute, Army earned a penalty corner, converted by Imran to make it 1-1. Imran then gave his team a 2-1 lead on penalty corner in the 23rd.

In the 45th, an aggressive move by Muazammil-ul-Haq and Abdul Jabbar gave Army Seniors their third penalty corner on which their captain completed a fine hat-trick.

The match between Police and Punjab ended in a draw.

Punjab just avoided defeat in the end, as striker Amir Ali in the 57th minute struck a crucial goal on penalty corner enabling his team to snatch a 2-2 draw.

In the eighth minute, Mohammad Adnan gave Punjab lead. Seven minutes later, Police forward Mohammad Ayub equalised.

In the last quarter, Hassan Obaid’s strike put Police ahead 2-1 before Amir’s late goal ended the match in stalemate.

After the first five days, PIA and Army are leading in pool ‘A’ as both teams have played three matches won all, thus emerging as strong contenders for the semi-finals.

In pool ‘B’, SSGC are leading followed by NBP and Navy.

The true picture will be clearer after today’s match between NBP and SSGC.

Dawn



Wapda out of COAS Hockey semi-finals race

Mohsin Ali

RAWALPINDI - Huge upset was witnessed in the 1st Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Challenge Hockey Cup 2015, as one of the pre-tournament favorites, Water & Power Development Authority (Wapda) bowed out of the race for a place in the semifinals, as they were held to 2-2 draw in their must-win match against Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) here at the Army Hockey Stadium on Monday.

In other matches, Army beat PAF 3-1 and Police drew 2-2 with Punjab. PHF president Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool, secretary Rana Mujahid along with national selector Musaddiq, chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui, Asif Bajwa and others were also present on the occasion.

It was a do-or-die game for Wapda, who badly needed a win to stay in the hunt for a place in the last four. Having the services of world record holder Sohail Abbas, Olympians Tasawar Abbas, Khalid Bhatti and Waqas Sharif, Wapda were quite confident to carve out victory against SSGC, who had only national team player Shakeel Abbasi in their ranks. SSGC pressed hard Wapda as soon as the match started and only in the seventh minute, they managed to take a penalty corner, which was duly converted by Shakeel Abbasi on a rebound.

Forwards Zeeshan and Ali made a classic move in the 37th minute between short passes to enter the D where Yasir Shabbir neatly deflected the ball passed the goal post to put SSGC in driving seat. Wapda bounced back and earned a penalty corner in the 38th minute, with M Imran scoring the goal to reduce the deficit. SSGC, unnecessarily, went into the defensive, which provided Wapda to make further aggressive attacks and most of the game was played in the SSGC area. Waqas Sharif scored a field goal in the 43rd minute to level the score. Despite trying their level best to make further in roads, Wapda strikers failed to score any further and the match ended in 2-2 draw. Kamran MP and Haroon supervised the match.

Earlier, in the opening match, national team captain M Imran struck a wonderful hat-trick to guide Army (Seniors) to 3-1 victory against PAF. After sustaining early jolt, Army hardly faced any threat from PAF throughout the match. Army dominated the proceedings after conceding a goal and controlled the rolling ball most of the time which enabled their forwards to penetrate deep into their opponents' area. PAF forwards Adnan and Farhan launched an aggressive move in the first quarter earning a penalty corner in the 10th minute, which was beautifully struck by Mudassar. The goal, however, forced Army to reposition themselves. After that their forwards composed themselves and pressed the airmen hard amid belligerent moves and created opportunities for Muhammed Imran to score all three goals for Army.

In the 14th minute Immad Dar, M Rizwan and M Zeeshan earned the first penalty corner for Army, which Imran beautifully converted to level things at 1-1. Zeeshan, Jabbar and Habibur Rehman got another penalty corer in the 23rd minute, which Imran once again neatly converted. Muzamal ul Haq and Jabar's aggressive move in the 45th minute produced another penalty corner on which Imran completed his hat-trick, which was overall third hat-trick of the tournament. The airmen lacked in there passes which were intercepted, however, their goalkeeper saved a couple of certain goals. Haider Rasool and Moheyuddin supervised the match.

The third match was a tame draw between Punjab and Police. Police was leading till the last minute of the 4ht and last quarter but a 57th minute goal on a penalty corner enabled Punjab to draw the match. Police forwards impressed with their dribbling and dodging. Their ball control was far better than their opponents, Ayub and Faisal Shah performed brilliantly for Police, Punjab opened the account with an 8th minute goal by M Adnan which was leveled by Ayub in the 15th minute. Police took lead through a goal on penalty corner struck by Hassan Obaid in the 53d minute, which was equalized by Amir Ali in the 57th minute. Kamran Shareef and Anwar supervised the match.

Only two matches will be played today (Wednesday), as NBP will take on SSGC at 12pm in the first while PAF face Punjab in the second match.

The Nation



 WAPDA out of quarterfinals race in COAS Challenge Hockey

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA), the runners-up of the recently concluded National Championship, are out of the race for the quarterfinals of the 1st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Challenge Hockey Cup. They drew their crucial match 2-2 with Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) at the Army Hockey Stadium, in Rawalpindi on Monday. In other matches of the day, Pakistan Army beat Pakistan Air Force (PAF) 3-1 while Pakistan Police drew 2-2 with Punjab. The event is a joint venture of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and the Army Sports Directorate.

It was a do-or-die game for WAPDA who badly needed a win to stay in the tournament. Having world record holder Sohail Abbas, Olympians Tasawar Abbas, Khalid Bhatti and Waqas Sharif in their ranks, they were confident to get a cherished victory against SSGC who had services of only Olympian Shakeel Abbasi. SSGC put full pressure on WAPDA from the word go. In the 7th minute, they managed to get a penalty corner which was converted by Shakeel on a rebound. Forward Zeeshan Ali made a classic move in the 37th minute between short passes to enter the danger zone where Yasir Shabbir made no mistake to increase the lead of SSGC. WAPDA bounced back with a furious counter attack and earned a penalty corner in the 38th minute. Mohammad Imran scored the goal to reduce the deficit. SSGC, unnecessarily, went into the defensive which provided WAPDA to make further aggressive attacks and most of the game was played in SSGC’s area. In the 43rd minute Waqas Sharif scored a field goal to level the score. Kamran MP and Haroon supervised the match.

Earlier in the opening match, a hat-trick by Mohammad Imran guided Army Seniors to win against PAF. Army dominated the proceedings after conceding a goal and controlled the rolling ball most of the time which enabled their forwards to penetrate deep into their opponents’ area. PAF forwards Mohammad Adnan and Mohammad Farhan launched an aggressive move in the first quarter earning a penalty corner in the 10th minute which was beautifully converted by Mohammad Mudassar. The goal, however, forced Army to reposition themselves. Their forwards composed themselves and pressed PAF hard amid belligerent moves and created opportunities for Imran to score all three goals they scored in the match. In the 14th minute combination of Hammad Dar, Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Zeeshan earned the first penalty corner which Imran beautifully struck. Zeeshan, Jabbar and Habibur Rehman got another penalty corer in the 23rd minute which was neatly converted. Muzamal ul Haq and Jabar’s aggressive move in the 45th minute produced another penalty corner on which Imran completed his hat-trick, which was third of the tournament. Haider Rasool and Moheyuddin supervised the match.

The third match of the day was a tame draw between Punjab and Police. Police were winning in the dying moments of the last quarter but a 57th minute goal on a penalty corner enabled Punjab to draw the match. The Police forwards impressed with their dribbling and dodging. Punjab opened the account with an 8th minute goal by Mohammad Adnan which was levelled by Mohammad Ayub in the 15th minute. Police took lead through a goal on penalty corner struck by Hassan Obaid in the 53d minute which was levelled by Amir Ali of Punjab in the 57th minute. Kamran Shareef and Mohammad Anwar supervised the match.

Today’s matches (Tuesday)

NBP vs SSGCPAF vs Punjab.

The Daily Times



COAS Hockey Cup: Army Seniors down PAF 3-1

Captain Muhammad Imran scored a hat-trick to guide Army Seniors to a 3-1 victory over PAF in their Chief of the Army Staff Challenge Hockey Cup match yesterday at the Army Hockey Stadium, Rawalpindi.

PAF took the lead through a penalty corner converted by Mudassar in the 10th minute, which was levelled by Imran in the 14th minute. The skipper then went on to score two more goals in the 23rd and 45th minutes to wrap up the match.

Army Seniors now top Pool A with three straight wins.

In the next match, SSGC’s Shakeel Abbasi started off with a penalty corner goal in the seventh minute against Wapda, with Yasir Shabbir scoring on the 37th minute to give SSGC a 2-0 lead.

Wapda replied with a goal through Muhammad Imran in the 38th minute but Waqas Sharif struck in the 43rd to level the scores as the match ended at 2-2.

Meanwhile, Punjab drew 2-2 with Police in the last match of the day.

The Express Tribune



Islah urges PM to protect Pakistan hockey

Mohsin Ali

RAWALPINDI - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) chief selector and former Olympian Islahuddin Siddiqui came down hard on government for completely ignoring national game hockey and piling misery on the green shirts with each passing day.

Talking to The Nation, Islah said: “After China, it looks highly unlikely Pakistan team has to miss Malaysia tour where they have to participate in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Cancellation of series one after another will not help Pakistan hockey team cause.
In fact, it will further plunge the future of the team.

The players are already very depressed and any further bad news will dash Pakistan hopes of gaining top position in the hockey world.”
He said international teams would not come to Pakistan to play bilateral series or events if the same position continued.

“Pakistan team is not embarking on international series or even taking part in high-profile events, then how will it be possible for the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and coaching staff to revive the fast declining fortunes of the national game,” he questioned.

“We worked day and night along with the national head coach Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh and within six months, we managed to gain significant improvement not only in international rankings but also in Asian Games and then in Champions Trophy.

I think players, team management and the federation deserve better treatment from government.

“I don't know who are the people who want to destabilize the national game and are not passing on the fact-based reality to the PM.

It is my humble request to PM Nawaz Sharif to immediately invite the PHF officials and players to clear the air.

If international teams and players will not travel to Pakistan, our team will not appear in international events.

We need much-needed international exposure before the all-important Olympic qualifiers in Belgium,” he added.

“I want to have a simple answer from government related to their policy regarding hockey, they are serious or not in helping the national game and team.

The government must make it clear so that we may draw our future line of action.
The PHF needs government help to streamline things, as without government assistance, Pakistan hockey cannot survive.

Our religion always emphasises on clearing the dues of the labourers before his sweat dries, but in Pakistan hockey case, we are completely dried out waiting for government to deliver, but despite several promises and dates one after another, noting on ground is done for the federation and players.

“Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) minister Mian Riaz Hussain and secretary IPC Ijaz Chaudhry sent written summary for special grant to the PM which is lying on his table.

It is my humble request to the PM, who is PHF patron, to sign the summary so that we may fully focus on taking Pakistan hockey back to old glory days.

Any further delay will harm our cause and make future of Pakistan hockey bleak.

It is now or never situation for us, and I hope the PM will pay heed and invite the team and PHF officials for a long-awaited meeting,” Islah concluded.

The Nation



Hawgood takes over as national hockey coach

By Aftar Singh


Malaysia's new hockey coach Neil Hawgood from Australia watching the national side during the World Hockey League Round Two tournament in Singapore recently. - BERNAMA

SINGAPORE: Neil Hawgood will be the coach when Malaysia compete in the World Hockey League Semi-Finals in Belgium from June 20-July 5.

The 52-year-old Australian was hired by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) as a consultant two weeks ago. He was in Singapore to observe the team in the just-concluded World League Second Round. Malaysia, with Tai Beng Hai as the coach and Stephen van Huizen as his assistant, emerged champions to qualify for the Semi-Finals, which is a qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

MHC vice-president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad said they were grateful to Beng Hai for leading the team to win the Second Round.

“Beng Hai has proven himself to be a good coach, but Neil will be in charge of the team at the World League Semi-Finals.

“Beng Hai will be the assistant coach as well as the team manager. We will also retain Stephen as the assistant coach,” said Nur Azmi, who was the team manager in Singapore.

Nur Azmi added that the national players would be given a one-week break after their exertions in Singapore.

“The players will then resume training for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (in Ipoh from April 2-12). There are 25 players in the training squad, but Neil wants to call another 15 players to form a bigger pool of players. Our priority this year is the World League Semi-Finals as we want to do well to qualify for the Olympics,” said Nur Azmi.

The Star of Malaysia



Faizal redeems himself in Malaysia’s hockey triumph

By Aftar Singh


National hockey forward Faizal Saari (second right) celebrates with his team-mates after scoring against Poland in the final of the World Hockey League Round Two in Singapore on Sunday. - BERNAMA

SINGAPORE: From zero to hero. Forward Faizal Saari finally proved his worth by helping Malaysia win the just-concluded World Hockey League Second Round in Singapore.

Faizal was a total flop in the World Cup in The Hague, Holland, last June after failing to score a single goal in six matches. Malaysia were panned after finishing last in the 12-nation Finals.

As a result, Faizal was dropped from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in July and Incheon Asian Games in September.

He was, however, recalled to join the national team last month for being the top scorer in the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL). He netted 16 goals to help Terengganu win the double – league and overall titles.

The 24-year-old Kelantan-born came good in the World League Second Round to help Malaysia win the tournament to qualify for the World League Semi-Finals in Belgium in June.

He not only won the top scorer award with his 12 goals, but was also named as the best player in the tournament.

Faizal, who has represented Malaysia 165 times, said that he never expected to win the two awards.

“Winning two awards in a tournament will further boost my hockey career. I have also proven to everyone that I am still the country’s top striker after my failure at the World Cup,” said Faizal.

Faizal, however, is not sure whether he will feature for Malaysia at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from April 2-12.

“I received an offer to play for the Berlin club in the German League. It will be really good to play there as it is one of the top leagues in the world. I will get to improve my game playing against the world’s top players,” said Faizal.

“I will probably leave for Germany in March to play for two months. I am expected to play about 10 matches in the league’s Division Two.

“But I will only play in Germany if the MHC (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) give me the green light,” added Faizal.

It is highly unlikely that Faizal will get MHC’s permission to feature in the German League.

The national team’s top priority this season is to put up a strong challenge in the World League Semi-Finals in June to qualify for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Malaysia have not qualified for the Olympics since Sydney 2000.

The Star of Malaysia



Champs Thunderbolt show clear intentions in Junior hockey league

By S. Ramaguru

KUALA LUMPUR: SSTMI-Thunderbolt are in no mood to surrender their titles in the MHC-Milo-NSC Junior Hockey League (MJHL).

SSTMI, the league and overall champions, showed their intention with two easy wins and scoring 12 goals to top the nine-team league over the weekend.

Team manager Adam Izamry Idrus was smiling from ear to ear with the two victories.

“We can certainly do better with more quality matches under our belt. But I think it is still early days to talk about retaining the two titles. Opening weekends are always tricky and teams tend to be nervous and matches can go against you.

“But we have a slight advantage as we have enough experienced players to get us through the early matches,” said Adam.

For SSTMI, they have also found a top notch penalty corner taker in Mohamed Firdaus Omar. He scored a hat-trick in both matches and all from set piece moves.

“It is a good start for Firdaus and it will give him the confidence to perform better in the coming matches. We need such players who we can rely on to get the goals,” said Adam.

SSTMI, however, will have to watch out for Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), last year’s league and overall runners-up, and Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ). The two sides also won their opening two matches.

UniKL defeated KLSS-KLHC 3-0 and Pahang SS-Thunderbolt 4-3 while MBPJ whipped Pahang SS-Thunderbolt 4-1 and Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) 3-0.

UniKL head coach I. Vickneswaran, however, was not too happy with his team’s yo-yo performance.

“We played well against KLSS-KLHC. But we put up a disappointing show against Thunderbolt. We had a three-goal lead and allowed our opponents to come back into the game.

“The good thing is we secured maximum points in the opening weekend. We need to correct all the mistakes and hope for a better showing in the coming week,” said Vickneswaran.

SSTMI’s big test will come against MBPJ on Friday when they meet at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil. A win for either one will put them in the driving seat in the chase for the coveted league crown.

The Star of Malaysia



HONOUR: Sardar and Saba get Padma Sri awards

K Arumugam

Even as the States President Barack Obama graces India’s Republic Day parade by being present in New Delhi, there is a double good news for Indian hockey what with two players getting country’s prestigious civilian award.

Indian captain Sardar Singh and former women hockey player Saba Anjum of Chhatisgarh have been selected for conferment of Padma Sri Awards. They are among a dozen Indian sports persons who have been honoured with the award.

The award is given by the government of India for outstanding Indian citizen and foreigners, whose list this year include none other than Bill Gates and his philanthropic wife Milinda Gates.

When India won the first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in 2002 at Manchester, Saba was the youngest of the Indian women hockey team, and was the lone player in the golden team not to have a job.

The little girl, of just 16 then has come a long way to earn both Arjuna and Padma Sri Awards.

Daughter of a maulana (Muslim preacher), Saba has been the product of Sports hostel, Chandigarh and then joined Indian Railways.

Saba Anjum is nowadays one of the national selectors

Sardar Singh too had a similar humble way in hockey baptism, but rose to fame with ever-improving game.

The nation salutes both Sardar Singh and Saba Anjum, fittingly and deservedly.

Ignace Tirkey was the last Padma Sri award of Indian hockey. Though announced on the eve of India’s 66th Republic Day, the awards will be conferred by the President of India in April this year.

Stick2Hockey.com



Secret Umpire: shoulder height rule could see lacrosse-style battling in hockey

The Secret Umpire - recuperating somewhere in the UK after a tough first half to the season - is itching to get back on the field, but not before revealing thoughts on several recent rule changes
           
By The Secret Umpire


Chop and change: Secret Umpire is indifferent to new rulings Photo: ADY KERRY

As the National League keeps itself warm on the indoor circuit, the hardy souls of the umpiring fraternity are dusting the frost off the astros up and down the country to enable the game to go on.

As always at this time of year the annual tinkering of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) comes into force in the upper echelons of hockey.

The change to the taking of a long corner and the positioning of the ball from a hit within five metres of the goal are, I believe, excellent changes to the rules. Further, I believe they will be welcomed by players and umpires alike.

No longer will the game be stuck down in one corner of the pitch, with the only outlet being a pass back to the sweeper on the halfway line or a vain attempt to beat the mass of defenders lined up between the taker and the edge of the D.

The five metre rule will allow a faster pace of play and a clear advantage to the team taking the hit – although I am sure that some of my colleagues will need to make adjustments to positioning and whistle speed to ensure it truly is an advantage.

The rule changes to help improve player safety are long overdue.

Enforcing the wearing of facemasks have, according to the FIH, 'been amended to increase player safety'.

Anyone who has seen injuries from short corners will know that allowing metal grill masks and other protection is key to maintaining safety.

The other two main changes surrounding the green card and the playing of the ball above the shoulder are causing a great deal more consternation.

It is perfectly fine when you have an official to manage the bench for you. However, surely the lower echelons of the sport will suffer from a surfeit of green cards, as less able umpiring colleagues use the upgraded sanction and are left with a bench full of players, all waiting to be brought back onto the pitch.

Of more concern has to be the playing of the ball above the shoulder. This has the potential for creating very dangerous situations where lack of skill from players, combined with lack of skill from an umpire in blowing the lifted ball, will result in lacrosse-style battling for the ball in the air.

Can I implore the FIH and, furthermore. the national hockey associations to consider very carefully how far down they filter these two rules.

Perhaps consult with some of those umpiring at the level where this really could make an issue.

The Telegraph

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