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News for 01 February 2015

All the news for Sunday 1 February 2015


Ireland 0-3 Belgium (men)

Ireland played Belgium this afternoon in Hartleyvale, Cape Town in the first of two tests against the world number 5's.  Belgium were fast out of the blocks and scored in the 1st minute from a PC rebound after the initial shot had been well saved by Fitzgerald in the Irish goal. Ireland gradually played themselves into the 1st quarter with their best chance falling to Mitch Darling but he was denied the equaliser after top class by Belgium keeper.

Gleghorne defended well early in the 2nd quarter to clear the danger from the Belgium attack. Magee & Darling combined well for a half chance before Belgium extended their lead from another PC rebound to be 2-0 after 27m. Before the end of the quarter a great chance fell to Watt but his shot flew over. Ireland were down to 10 when Jonny Bell got a green card just before HT.

The 3rd quarter remained scoreless with Cargo having Ireland's best effort and Belgium with some indiscipline in the period took some green cards.

A great run by Monkstowns Peter Caruth led to last ditch Belgium defending to clear the danger. Ronan Gormley and Watt combined to win Irelands first PC. The drag by O Donoghue was saved and the rebound from captain Jackson was cleared of the line by a Belgium defender. Ireland were down to 10 for 2m when Gormley got green and in the meantime a Darling chance was cleared.  Great work by Jackson gave Ireland another PC but it was cleared.  Ireland were dominant in the final quarter but couldn't break through the Belgium defence. With three minutes left on the clock a controversial stroke was awarded to Belgium which was duly dispatched for the game to finish 3-0 not a true reflection of the game.

The teams meet at the same venue tomorrow Sunday at 12 Noon Irish time.

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

Did Not Play: James Lorimer, Jonny Bruton, Alan Sothern, Neal Glassey.

SCHEDULE

Sunday February 1st v Belgium - Hartleyvale 14.00 (local)

Irish Hockey Association media release



Vieira gives hockeymen warm-up win


T&T’s Kwandwane Browne, centre, stretches for a pass under the watchful eyes of President’s XI duo, Christopher Scipio and Wayne Legerton, during a warm-up match at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Thursday night for next month’s FIH World Hockey League Round Two qualifiers in the USA. T&T won 2-1. Photo: Anthony Harris

Jordan Vieira scored the decisive item as T&T senior men’s hockey team continued preparations for next month’s FIH World Hockey League Round Two qualifiers with a 2-1 defeat of a President’s XI at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua on Thursday night.

With England-based T&T men’s hockey standout, Kwandwane Browne in the Glen “Fido” Francis-coached T&T men’s line-up the national team was keen to cap off a one-week camp conducted by Francis and Browne, an English High Performance Hockey coach and English national teams assistant coach with a win.

The national training squad took a 1-0 lead through last year’s T&T Hockey Board “Player of the Year” Akim Toussaint in the 17th minute which it took into the half.

However, on the resumption, out-of-favour national forward Shane Legerton got the President’s XI level in the 52nd, but four minutes later, Vieira got the winner for Francis’ men as they look ahead to the World League qualifiers set for Chula Vista, San Diego, California, USA from February 28 to March 8.

Following the match, Browne was swamped by a number of young hockey players who campaigned in the T&T Secondary Schools Outdoor League and signed a few autographs for the players who stayed back to have a glimpse at him in action.

In California, the T&T hockeymen, silver medal winners at last November’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico, will compete against USA, Russia and Canada in one pool while Austria, Chile, Ireland and Italy are in the other round-robin group.

At the end of the round-robin, the teams will meet in cross-over quarterfinal matches followed by semifinals, third place and final playoffs.

For the qualifiers in the USA, Browne will be making a return to the T&T squad after missing out on the FIH round one qualifiers in Jamaica where T&T emerged victorious and also the CAC Games, where it won silver.

The Trinidad Guardian



Canadian women's indoor team shares unique bond at World Cup

4 Days until 2015 Indoor World Cup

Shaheed Devji



In sports, inexperience isn’t something that is usually looked at as a positive, but for the Canadian Women’s Indoor National Team it just might be what allows them to succeed at the upcoming Indoor World Cup.

All but one of the Canadian women headed to Leipzig, Germany for the tournament – which will take place from February 4-8 – are playing in their first World Cup (Ottawa’s Malinda Hapuarachchi is playing in her second).

It’s something that has brought the group together before the biggest tournament of their careers.

“I think that our team as a unit is extremely unified in what we want to accomplish,” says Toronto’s Anna Easty. “We’re all completely on the same page and I think that’s a huge strength for our team.”

The team is coming off a Pan American Cup gold medal in 2014, and while their preparation for the World Cup has been mainly training against each other as opposed to other teams, it has made them more of a team.

“We’ve got a really good group,” says Canadian head coach John D’Souza, who will be coaching in his second World Cup. “We’ve got a really mature bunch of girls. I think our average age is somewhere around twenty-four.”

What that group lacks in direct World Cup experience, they make up not only with their recent success and maturity, but also with their leadership.

In addition to drawing from Hapuarachchi’s World Cup experience, D’Souza will be looking to a core group of girls including Easty, and veterans Kristen Shier (Toronto, ON) and Kaelan Watson (Richmond, BC) to guide the women on and off the floor.

“The three of them I’m going to be relying on heavily to make sure the team is headed in the right direction,” he says.

Each of Easty, Shier, and Watson play a different type of game, and bring a different style of leadership.

As one of the most dominant indoor women over the last year, Watson will lead by example with her play on the floor, while Shier bring a level-headed approach.

“I’m one of the oldest players on the team so I’ve been around the game for a bit longer than some of the other girls and I think I just bring a good balance,” says Shier of her style. “I’ve worked with John for a long time and I’m able to see things from his side but then also balance what the players need.”

What Easty brings is a sense of calmness, which is something the team will certainly rely upon when the pressure levels ramp up.

“Going into a big tournament like this it’s quite easy to become overwhelmed by how big every game is and how hard we’ve worked to get there,” she says. “But at the same time you want to be in the moment, you want to enjoy it and you want to do what we’ve gone there to do.”

“I think part of my role will be making sure that we’re in that balance of being excited to play but not overwhelmed with how big a stage it is.”

While the majority are first-timers at the tournament, D’Souza says they’re not taking the tournament lightly, which is highlighted by the way the team had been training leading up to departing for Leipzig.

“They’ve all got something to prove,” he explains. “When they’re training and practicing, they’re training with a vengeance. They’re training really hard.”

And with a team so close, and so motivated, there's a good chance the way they train will be the way the play.

Field Hockey Canada media release



Indoor women arrive in Leipzig

Australia in place as Indoor World Cup just days away



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) 

31st January: Today we travelled to a small town outside of Leipzig to train and play a match at the Osternienburger Hockey Club. The girls were met by a camera crew as they exited the vans and entered the club. Although a small hall it was filled to capacity with local supporters and the girls were happy to sign autographs and have photos taken with the children following the match.

Today’s match was three 15-minute sessions. Final score was 10-1 in the favour of the Australian women.

Australia v Osternienburger Hockey Club
AUS 10-1 OHC
AUS Scorers: Shelley Watson (FG, FG), Tegan Boucher (FG, FG), Kary Chau (FG, FG), Ashlea Fey (PC), Makaela Potts (FG, FG), Kizziah Plumb (FG)

30th January: Our travel day from Mannheim to Leipzig required an early start. Although some of the girls are not fond of early rises all were excited of the thought that we would be arriving at the Pentahotel Leipzig, which would be our home for the duration of the World Cup. Our liaison officer Hans Sanri was on hand to meet and greet us and speed the check-in process up by having already collected room keys. The girls settled into their rooms and familiarised themselves with the motel and surrounds.

We were fortunate to be able to attend as VIPs a Champions League handball match at the Arena Leipzig. This was the first glimpse of the playing arena that the World Cup will be held in. The girls enjoyed watching a very physical match, which saw the local Leipzig team win a game that they were not expected to win and enjoy the atmosphere of the excited supporters cheering on their home team.

29th January: Our last day in Manheim before moving on to Leipzig, the host city for the Indoor World Cup. The third test match against South Africa was scheduled for 1:20pm at the Mannheimer Hockey Club. With one win and one draw in the series the team was determined to improve from the previous game and continue to develop a standard of play that will be competitive in the World Cup arena. A game analysis and team meeting was held and the game plan given.

From the starting whistle the team was focused and played with a desire to win. The score was 3-0 in our favour early in the first half. However, the South Africans were able to counter with two goals against the run of play to give a 4-2 half time score.

The second half saw a more even match with each team creating scoring opportunities. Unfortunately for the Australian girls not all of these were converted. The final score was 5 -5.

South Africa: Match 3
Australia 5-5 South Africa
AUS scorers: Emma McLeish (PC), Ashlea Fey (PC), Kary Chau (FG), Tegan Boucher (FG), Shelley Watson (PC)

The team will travel to Leipzig tomorrow to commence their final preparations for the World Cup, which is now only six days away.

28th January: The team once again had a training session prior to playing the second test match against South Africa. Coach Stewart Fenton prepared the team for the match by fine tuning structures and set plays.

Today’s match was played at a frenetic pace with the first three goals being scored prior to the ten-minute mark. At half time the score was in favor to the South African team 2-1.  The second half commenced at the same pace and the Australian team struggled to contain the South Africans who scored twice. The team dug deep and began to play to the game plan that was put into place, creating more goal scoring opportunities. We were able to score four goals to bring the score line to 5-5 by full time.

Hockey Australia media release



Indoor men nickname themselves

Indoor men become the Budgies as they arrive in Leipzig for 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.

31st January: After the big match last night, we were able to have a restful morning before travelling by bus to Leipzig, leaving Poznan at 12 noon, with the Qatar national hockey team. This was a really good solution for both teams as we could share the cost. Both teams had lots of luggage, which we just managed to fit into the bus. The journey time was about five hours with a 45 minute stop at the Polish border.

The time passed quickly with many taking the opportunity to sleep and just relax. We arrived into Leipzig just before 6:00pm and quickly got ourselves settled into the rooms. The hotel is very nice with quite a lot of facilities. We took dinner at 7:00pm and then the guys went for a pool session with Leigh. Day well over, all starts tomorrow.

30th January: Yes it's officially unofficial! The men's indoor team have named themselves "the Budgies". This came from a workshop on team identity and the guys have taken the name from their swim ware and in a really positive way embraced the name. In some years to come there will be a trivia question, which national sporting team are known as "the Budgies"…one to remember. People may ask when speaking about hockey, did you play for the Kookaburras? And the answer for most will be “no, I played for the Budgies”. So, for all the supporters attending the Indoor World Cup, we would love to hear the call "come on Budgies".

Not too early a start today after the match last night, a good sleep-in. Our second match tonight against Poland. Walking at 9:00am, then breakfast. Then time for a good hour on the rollers and stretching, which the guys appreciated. We had a team meeting, which was based on the team groups presenting video clips of areas that we did well and areas we need to improve. A really good workshop with all the guys giving input. As the hotel is currently being refurbished, we had the meeting in a landing on our floor. Unfortunately, we got a bit loud and one of the guests reminded us where we were. Sorry.

To finish off the morning session we have individual meetings, a bit like speed dating - good to just keep the finger on the pulse.

Then rest/me time for the guys until 4:00pm when the clock for the evening match started. A light meal at 5:00pm and then start to get ready and off to the hall at 6:30. Always good to be early and as the time in the hall was limited we need to be ready to start at 7:30pm.

The match started at the same pace as the day before with good ball movement on both sides. Poland forced a PC in the first five minutes; they were really out to show their authority and the PC was converted. Finding ourselves 1-0 down we stuck to our plan and within two minutes we equalised, 1-1.

The standard of play was really high and there was not much difference between the teams. Poland took the lead again after ten through a PC for 2-1. We forced a PC but were unable to convert. With the first half coming to an end we equalised to make it 2-2 at the break.

The second half continued at the same pace and through a couple of our errors Poland jumped out to a 4-2 lead. We forced two more PCs but were not able to convert. It took until the 33rd minute to score a field goal to close the gap to 4-3. In an effort to force the game we were caught on the break but to the defence’s credit the shot was stopped but a stroke was awarded and converted for 5-3. In the final two minutes we played five field players (removing the goalkeeper) and had a couple of chances to score with the shots going wide. At the end it finished Poland 5-3 but we were very much in the game.

At the end, both teams came away pleased with the two match Test series. Our second camp is now over and we head off to Leipzig in a really positive frame of mind, we have made big steps.

29th January: Really crisp morning today, the sun is up but no heat coming from it at all! The day started with the normal walk and stretch, then breakfast, some treatment and then off to the hall for the test match against Poland.

The guys were feeling pretty good after the game against Grunwald and were looking forward to the challenge. Poland have been one of the top four nations at the past three Indoor World Cups, so they have some pedigree.

Once at the hall Anthony led the team meeting outlining the framework the team would play by. Some really positive stuff from the night before was the PC defence and that was highlighted.
The match was capped and as such started with both teams lining up and national anthems played, a really good feeling for all involved. The match was played in front of a small enthusiastic crowd.

The match started at a good tempo and we were able to match and in some cases out play Poland. Both teams were able to create goal opportunities and with nine minutes gone in the first half we gave away an unnecessary PC, which Poland converted. The positive was we continued to play at a high tempo and should have equalised through PC opportunities. Half time 1-0 down but encouraged enough to know we were very much in the game. The second half continued in much the same speed as the first; we were pushing and gained a PC early in the half. Unfortunately the movement broke down and Poland were able to break and score on the counter. We had gone from the verge of equalising to being two goals down. The positive was we still had time and confidence we could gain a result. Our persistence paid off and from another PC we converted to close the gap. The goal gave us a life and within a couple of minutes we were awarded a penalty stroke. Their GK made a great save to keep their one goal advantage, which Poland were able to keep to the final whistle. At the end the guys were both disappointed and pleased that we were able to run Poland so hard. 2-1 defeat the final score.

We had agreed with Poland before the match that we would have a penalty shootout, as the shootout will be used in the World Cup. Wow, the guys did really well and were clinical in converting as well as saving the Polish shots. A good warm-down and as a special treatment our liaison had arranged for students at the University to provide sports massages, which were appreciated.

After lunch the guys had free time which all were looking forward to. Some went to the shops but most just relaxed. Team meeting at 6pm where we reviewed the Polish match. Then out to dinner in the old town, a brisk 15 minutes’ walk with some sleeting snow, but not enough to stop you from walking. Back to the accommodation after a good day. The second match against Poland will be Friday night, so we are expecting a good crowd to come and watch the action.

Hockey Australia media release



Evolution, and not revolution, is my aim: Paul van Ass

Harpreet Kaur Lamba

Paul van Ass is known as much for his success in the world of hockey, as his unique methods and outspoken nature. The 54-old year has guided the Dutch national team to a silver medal each at the 2012 Olympic Games and the World Cup last year, but he is "not very sure" what to expect in his new job.

On Friday, he was handed the hot seat - van Ass will succeed Terry Walsh as the Indian men’s team coach - and is eager to get started.

Speaking exclusively to this paper from Holland, van Ass emphasised that he was keen on "building on the good work" done by his predecessors.

"I think Indian hockey is on its way up, and I would like to take it from there. I followed the team’s progress last year and even watched them play in the recent Champions Trophy. They beat sides like Belgium and Holland and that to me is a real sign of progress.

"But to say that I am here to turn things around completely wouldn’t be right. I am looking at evolution, not revolution," van Ass said.

India have been without a coach since Walsh’s controversial exit after he guided them to gold at the Asian Games in Incheon last year, and one of the immediate tasks for van Ass would be to get the bunch on the road for the 2016 Olympic Games.

"One cannot really comment or understand the real situation from far, but I am looking ahead at a conducive working environment. Indian players are very skilful and I think this bunch has started to believe that they can do well, but they are not consistent. Hockey is as much about skill as about mental attitude and belief and I will be working on that," said van Ass, adding that he was looking at a contract that would run till the 2018 World Cup.

India have seen positive results in 2014 - the team won medals at the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games besides beating top nations like Australia and the Netherlands - and van Ass says it would be important to retain the current style of play to see better results.

"It is best to say that it is a mix of European hockey and their own typical Indian style of play, which relies on skill and attack. I would like to retain that. India are always fun to watch, though I would like to add the element of watertight European style of defence to start with," said the 54-year old.

Van Ass is expected to arrive in India on February 16 and his first assignment will be the Azlan Shah  tournament in April.

The Asian Age



Delhi Waveriders lose plot against Punjab Warriors

NEW DELHI: For the first 50 minutes of the match, Delhi Waveriders looked on course to record their maiden win in the third edition of the Hero Hockey India League on Friday.

Leading 1-0 then, the defending champions had to hold the Jaypee Punjab Warriors for 10 more minutes to earn full points. But the visitors turned the match on its head with three goals in six minutes to win the clash 3-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

The Warriors maintained their position at the top with this win with 17 points from four matches, while Delhi are now languishing at the bottom with five points from three outings.

Delhi looked the better team for most part of the match. They appeared more disciplined and were more incisive in their attacks. They drew first blood when Simon Child deflected in a pass from Akashdeep Singh in the third minute. They then created several other chances in a bid to increase the lead but were denied by rival goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann.

They kept the lead well into the fourth quarter of the match, but after that they lost the plot dramatically. Christopher Ciriello scored from a penalty corner to draw parity in the 50th minute and floodgates opened as SV Sunil and Affan Yousuf scored quick field goals to put the issue beyond Delhi.

"We did not start well as we were not aggressive enough. We were really sloppy early on and Delhi were better. But after that we were more focused and aggressive and I think that worked well for us," Stockmann said later.

Delhi captain Sardar Singh said he was disappointed with the loss. "We were here to win today. Unfortunately that did not happen. We made some mistakes in last 10 minutes and they took advantage of it. Hopefully, we will rectify the mistakes and make amends in our coming matches," Sardar said.

The Times of India



Sardar Singh suspended for one game

New Delhi - Delhi Waveriders captain Sardar Singh was on Saturday handed a one-match suspension for "inappropriate physical contact with the opponent player" during a Hockey India League (HIL) match.

"The incident involved Sardar Singh's inappropriate physical contact with the opponent player which clearly breached the HIL Code of Conduct. The incident was proved by the video footage as well as Sardar Singh accepting the breach on the field," said an HIL statement. "HIL disciplinary committee has suspended Sardar Singh for one match. He will not play the match against Dabang Mumbai scheduled to be played Feb 1 in New Delhi."

The Tribune



Winless Delhi Waveriders face Mumbai in battle of laggards

New Delhi - Yet to record a win in the tournament, both defending champions Delhi Waveriders and debutants Dabang Mumbai would be desperate to get off the blocks when they take on each other in a league game of the Hero Hockey India League on Sunday.

Both Waveriders and Dabang Mumbai are at similar position at the bottom of the standings with five points apiece from three games with two draws and a loss. But the Mumbai side is a place above the title holders in the six team standings because of a superior goal difference.

But come tomorrow, both the teams would be hoping to register their first win in the tournament at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium and better their position in the points table.

The Waveriders, especially, would be looking for a victory to silence their critics after having put up a not-so-impressive performance so far in the tournament.

But it would be easier said than done for the hosts as they have squandered their lead in all the three matches they have played so far to either split points or end up at the losing side.

Against table toppers Punjab Warriors yesterday, the Waveriders took an early lead in the match and managed to hold on to it till the third quarter but their backline broke apart in the fourth and final quarter to concede three goals in the final 10 minutes of the game.

And Delhi coach Cedric D’Souza would be extra cautious tomorrow to avoid a repeat of the last match.

“This is an important game for us. We have worked on our plans. The team has also worked on its defence and I am sure we will make a comeback in the next match,” an optimistic Cedric said on the eve of the match.

A win on Sunday will not only bolster the confidence of the Delhi outfit but would also bring them back into the six-team contest.

Dabang Mumbai, on the other hand, have nothing to lose and would be eyeing to stage a upset tomorrow.

Coached by the experienced Valentin Altenburg, the newly crafted Mumbai side has some star players in their line-up which will allow them to take on their opponents with confidence.

Even though they are yet to register a win in the tournament, coavh Altenburg is satisfied with the performance of his wards so far in the tournament.

“I’m very satisfied on how the whole team works on their action goals. The game against Ranchi Rays was a step in the right direction. Tomorrow we will take the next step. We will play the Dabang style with heart for 60 minutes and then we will see what is on the scoreboard,” he said.

The Tribune



Delhi Waveriders host Dabang Mumbai


Players of Delhi Waveriders. File photo

Hosts Delhi Waveriders will be at odds with Dabang Mumbai when they take on each other in the ongoing Hockey India League (HIL) at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here Sunday.

Both the teams have not registered a win yet and lie at the bottom of the points table with five points. Hence, both will put in all efforts to defeat the opponent and emerge victorious.

Both teams have played three games each, drawing two and losing one. This is the first time in this season of HIL that the two teams will be locking horns.

Coached by the experienced Valentin Altenburg, the newly drafted Dabang Mumbai side has some stars in its line-up which will allow them to take on their opponents with much fervour and confidence.

On the other hand, undeterred by the absence of their captain Sardar Singh, the defending champions will give it their best shot in the impending game to record a triumph and live up to the expectations of coach Cedric D’Souza.

“This is an important game for us. We have worked on our plans and bettered it for the upcoming matches. The team has also worked on its defence and I am sure we will make a comeback in the next match,” D’Souza said.

Talking about the clash, Altenburg said, “I’m very satisfied on how the whole team works on their action goals. The game against Ranchi was a step in the right direction. Tomorrow we will take the next step. We will play the Dabang style with heart for 60 minutes and then we will see what is on the scoreboard.”

The Hindu



Dabang Mumbai interact with OTHL boys in Delhi

K. Arumugam



New Delhi - Over 50 budding hockey stars from the NGO, One Thousand Hockey Legs, had lifetime experience of interacting with the star-studded, and the newest of HIL Franchises, Dabang Mumbai team today at Major Dhayan Chand Stadium in New Delhi as part of their well thought out grassroot training initiative.

undefined About 50 kids, most of them from under-privilege background, got a chance to learn the nuances of top flight hockey from some of the best exponents of the game in world hockey when they attended a special clinic with Dabang Mumbai players at the Major Dhyanchand National Hockey stadium here on Saturday. Dabang Mumbai, the youngest franchise of the Hockey India League, offered the opportunity to city based NGO Hockey Citizen Group which runs its flagship program One Thousand Hockey Legs in five metro cities in India.

The players spent almost an hour with the budding stars from the NGO, One Thousand Hockey Legs, which aims to introduce the game to at least 500 school kids in every major city in the country.



Dabang Mumbai, who will have a match tomorrow (1st Feb) is committed to promoting the sport at the grass-root level apart from excelling on the field and Saturday’s endeavor was aimed at connecting with young players dreaming to become future stars of Indian hockey.

The boys were divided into five groups of ten each, and 3,4 players of DB took control of them. While one group led by David Hart played with the boys, the other one in which Chinglanesana, Anil Aldrin, coach, and Adrian D'Souza were part of engaged the boys set pieces.

Tom Boom, Santa Singh, Amit and Tyron Fereira were busy in putting through the kids in many drills, for which the kids responded well.

The event was mooted by Viren Rasquinha, mentor of Dabang Mumbai, and lapped it up by coaches Valentin and Anil Aldrin.

Speaking on the occasion to NDTV Channel, young goalie Deepanshu of OTHL said: "We are excited. These are all stars we see only on television, now I can't believe we play with them".

Coach Valentin was visibily happy and expressed the view that India has many many potential players in the offing. "Volunteer organizations such as One Thousand Hockey Legs is a welcome step, and I will surely in touch with the kids in future too".

Dabang Mumbai team is owned by DoIT Sports Management Ltd, has always believed that the future of sports development in India depends largely on a “Urban” model where the sport should not be restricted to available surfaces and conditions. On the contrary utilizing various avenues and surfaces only works towards encouraging and groom future talent.

Dabang Mumbai, who will take on Delhi Waveriders in their fourth league game on Sunday, has already undertaken some concrete steps towards development of grass-root talent in their catchment area of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa. They have also joined hands with H.C Bloemendaal, Europe's one of the best club for technical partnership for the grass-root initiative. The tie up has already seen initiating Coaches and young players being trained by Dabang Mumbai players and coaching staffs.

Speaking on the occasion, DoIT Sports Management director Radha Kapoor said, "Dabang Mumbai's primary goal is to make hockey one of the most widely played sport in the country and one way of doing it is to providing budding talent an opportunity to interact with established stars and learn from them.

"We have been doing such clinics since the team gathered for the tournament and will continue this endeavour round the year," she added.

On the occasion, Adrian D'Souza said, "This was an excellent interaction with the kids and we look forward to many of such clinics.I felt great sharing my experiences with these kids and I am happy that Dabang Mumbai is taking these wonderful initiatives for the grass-root hockey."

Stick2Hockey.com



Bloemendaal link up with Dabang Mumbai



HC Bloemendaal has entered into a technical partnership with Dabang Mumbai, the newest franchise of the Hero Hockey India League (HIL), to enhance the grass-root training structure in Mumbai and adjoining regions with an aim to produce future hockey stars for India.

Two-time EHL champions Bloemendaal will work with DoIT Sports Management (India) Pvt. Ltd. Who are the pioneers of “Rurban” sports development to progress the project.

The venture aims to improve sports infrastructure at grass-root levels in urban and rural India alike in order to inculcate sporting culture in the country.

Keeping in line with the Rurban goals, Dabang Mumbai venture is to win hearts of hockey lovers and to promote sports talent and contribute towards development of sports across Mumbai and Western Region of the Country.

During their current visit to India, Bloemendaal legends Floris Jan Bovelander, Teun de Nooijer and their colleagues are conducting a special clinic with 30 coaches working with school and college teams in Mumbai.

The workshop would mostly focus on creating systems to unearth talent and build a coaching structure that can produce many more champions.

Apart from the coaches’ clinic, Bloemendaal representatives would also conduct a clinic for junior hockey players from Mumbai apart from sharing the “BHC way of playing hockey” with the Dabang Mumbai team and providing short-term feedback to improve their performance in the upcoming HIL.

“The partnership with Bloemendaal is all encompassing and aims at bringing the best practices in European Club Hockey to Dabang Mumbai,” said DoIT Sports Management Director Radha Kapoor.

Hendrik Goeman Borgesius, Chairman, HC Bloemendaal, sees the partnership as a big opportunity to invest in grass-root talent in the country that has a vast resource of talent.

“Indian hockey players are extremely talented and, for years, European teams have looked up to them for the skills they can show with the stick. With Dabang Mumbai reaching out to us for this strategic partnership, we look forward to create a structure that nurtures this natural talent with a structure that produces future stars.”

Euro Hockey League media release



Thunderbolts made to sweat

By Jugjet Singh

DEFENDING MHC-MILO-NSC Junior Hockey League Division One champions SSTMI Thunderbolts bounced back in style to thump KLHC 3-1 at the Kuala Lumpur Hockey Stadium yesterday.

After being held to a 2-2 raw by Petaling Jaya City Council on Friday, Thunderbolts put their campaign on track again.

Thunderbolts coach Wan Roslan Rahman said: "Our finishing was rather poor Friday which is what cost us the slip up, but it was good to see the team come away with three fields goals today (yesterday)."

However, Thunderbolts could only break the deadlock in the half hour mark when Hamirul Hamizan found the back of the net.

KLHC drew level in the 38th minute when Mohamed Khairul scored off a penalty corner, but lost the momentum in the final five minutes of play.

Muhammad Azmie Othman (64th) and Danial Asyraf(66th) hit the high note for Thunderbolts to seal three points.

"It was a hard fought win and I have stressed this out to my players, that things won't be easy no matter which team we play this season," added Roslan.

At the National Hockey stadium UniKL Young Guns continued their run when they brushed aside Politeknik Malaysia 3-1.

The Politeknik side shocked last seasons runners up by taking the lead in the fifth minute through Izzuan Halim, but UniKL sealed the match with goals from Norsyafiq Sumantri (21st),  Shafirul Aqmal (23rd), and Maxhans Christi (38).

Results:
Division One:
SSTMI Thunderbolts 3 KLHC - KLHA 1
SSP/MSP/Thunderbolts 4 v SSTMI Jrs 0
UniKL Young Guns 3  Politeknik Malaysia 1

Division 2
MSNT-PHT 3 Sekolah Tengku Abdul Rahman 0 - SAS
MSS Kedah 9 MATRI 0
MSS Kedah 4 1Mas Penang 1
SMK Dato  Taha 2 SMSJ Knight 1

TODAY: Division One:
KLHC vs Politeknik (KLHA,45pm)
OLAK PKT Tigers vs SSTMI Juniors (NHS, 4.45pm)

Division 2: 1 Mas Pahang vs Kuala Lumpur Sports School ( Temerloh, 4.45pm)
1 Mas Perak v BJSS JNR (Azlan Shah, 4.45pm)
1 Mas Perlis v 1 Mas Penang, a Kuala Perlis (4.45pm)
Nur Insafi Penang Hockey v Sek. Men Agama Matri, Sg.Petani (4.45pm)
1 Mas Johor v SMK Dato Taha (Batu Pahat, 4.45pm)
1Mas Malacca v SMKDBL PHJ (Malacca, 4.45pm)

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



UniKL maintain top spot in Junior hockey league

By S. Ramaguru


UniKL's Muhammad Firdaus Musa (left) and Politeknik Malaysia player M.Fahiezan Mohd Sairul go for the ball during the Malaysia Junior Hockey League match at the National Hockey Stadium on Saturday. - SAMUEL ONG/ The STAR

KUALA LUMPUR: Former champions Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) maintained their two-point lead at the top of the Division One after a 3-1 win over Politeknik Malaysia in the MHC-Milo-NSC Junior Hockey League at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit jalil.

UniKL, who won the overall title in 2010 and the league in 2011, are now on a four-match winning streak.

Politeknik stunned UniKL when they took an early lead through Mohamed Izzuan Halim off a field goal in the fifth minute.

But national junior Norshahfiq Sumantri equalised in the 21st minute before Mohamed Shahfirul Aqmal and Mohamed Adi Fazli added the other goals in the 23rd and 38th minutes respectively.

Defending champions SSTMI-Thunderbolt kept pace with the table-toppers with a 3-1 win over KLSS-KLHCN at the KL Hockey Stadium in Jalan Pantai on Saturday.

SSTMI team manager Adam Izamry Idrus was not pleased with the display from his charges despite the convincing win.

“They were making the same mistakes with too many unforced errors. However, their effort today was much better and we need to keep on improving,” said Adam.

“We also failed to do well from the penalty corners.”

The scorers for SSTMI were Mohamed Zainul Husyaidi (30th), Mohamed Azmie Othman (64) and Daniel Asyraf (66) while Mohamed Khairul Hamirin replied for the Kuala Lumpur side in the 38th minute.

In the other Division One match, Pahang SS-Thunderbolt thumped SSTMI Juniors 4-0 to chalk up their second win.

Zulfiqrie Zuklfazli started the rout in the 28th minute and was followed by goals from Mohamed Kamil Yusof (39), Mohamed Idris Samad (49) and Amirol Mad Naser (59).

The Times of India



1964 Tokyo Olympics

My name is Roy Tomizawa, a former journalist from NY, now living in Tokyo, Japan. I am currently researching the 1964 Olympics, and intend to write a book that helps promote the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to the world.
 
I believe one of the intriguing storylines of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics was India's 1-0 victory over Pakistan to take the gold medal. Apparently this avenged their defeat to Pakistan in Rome 4 years previously. I’m very interested in meeting field hockey players from those Games, not only to hear about their memories of the competition, but also their impressions of Games overall, Tokyo as well as the amazing events that were taking place geopolitically at that time in 1964.

For your information, I have already interviewed six Olympians from that time, including three gold medalists. My father was in the NBC news team covering the Tokyo Olympics for American television. Like you, he was in Tokyo on October 10, 1964, the day I turned 1.

Please let me know if you can introduce me to any relevant people who remembers those days.

Cheers!

Roy Tomizawa
(See my profile below.)
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=7008377&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

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