News for 30 May 2015
All the news for Saturday 30 May 2015
Laying down the law
Four decades spent running a busy police force provide a great training ground for the Tournament Director in Valencia
Sheila Brown has spent 41 years as a colonel in the South African Police, serving through some of the most turbulent years in that country’s history and yet, she brings to her role as Tournament Director a humility and empathy that is as unexpected as it is welcome.
“The great things about being a Tournament Director are that you are able to meet so many different hockey families from all over the world; experience so many different personalities and cultures; and at the same time give back to the beautiful game of hockey which I have gained so much from throughout my life,” says Sheila, who is Tournament Director for the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in Valencia.
As Tournament Director, Sheila sees her role as taking responsibility for, and overseeing, all the event officials. Everything that happens on the pitch or related to the competition comes under her jurisdiction. It is a role that is all about consistency and fairness. “My job is to ensure that the rules and regulations are upheld and applied equally to all participants. Overseeing the appointments process of officials, making sure that the facility meets all the requirements and ensuring that the event is run in a professional manner so as to advertise the sport of hockey and uphold the image of the FIH,” she explains.
When she was not upholding law and order on the streets of South Africa, Sheila was involved in hockey. She was one of the youngest elected members onto the Provisional Executive Committee, where she served as President of the Provincial Association for 21 years. She also served on the South African Hockey Executive Committee for many years in various roles. This experience, says Sheila, has given her the knowledge that she needs to fulfil her role as Tournament Director.
“While serving on the SHA Executive Committee I got particularly involved in overseeing all international playing affairs and rules, including technical aspects. I feel this gives me a sound background. I also played hockey from the age of 14 and, although I never represented South Africa, I was always involved in the national teams in one way or another.
“I think my day-to-day job has given me the ability to think on my feet and make spur of the moment decisions. I lead several units and have a legal background, I think that all combines to allow me to process crises quickly,” she adds.
When it comes to the role, Sheila says each tournament brings its own unique issues. “The coaches and team staff are always pushing the boundaries and bringing new ideas to the game so
you need to be awake to these. You also need to be able to manage people and be alert to the challenges posed by things such as the weather or the demands of television broadcasters.”
For Colonel Brown, a great tournament is one in which “all the teams go away having been given equal opportunity to participate, and that everyone involved – players, officials and spectators – have had an enjoyable experience.
“Some of my best moments have happened when I have been involved in running FIH events but I must say the finals of the World Cup in the Hague were a highlight for me. To witness the absolute enjoyment of everyone there and seeing and hearing all the fantastic comments afterwards made it a special moment in my technical career.”
FIH site
Ramadan and Hafiz racing to be fit for World Hockey League
By S. Ramaguru
Ramadan is carrying a hamstring injury that could rule him out of the World Hockey League Semi-final in Belgium from June 20-July 5.
KUALA LUMPUR: Two Malaysian hockey players are racing against time as the final selection heads into its final week.
Mohamed Ramadan Rosli is carrying a hamstring injury while Mohamed Hafiz Zainol has a hairline fracture on his right hand after a car accident last week.
The final team for the World Hockey League is expected to be announced in 10 days.
National coach Tai Beng Hai said that time is certainly not on the players’ side but he is optimistic both of them can make a full recovery.
“Ramadan has been on rehabilitation for some time now and there is a good chance he may fully recover before the selection is done. Hafiz’s injury is difficult to judge but we will go with the best medical advice on it,” he said.
Beng Hai said that the National Sports Institute (NSI) are due to conduct another round of fitness tests on his 25-man training squad. That will give him an idea of the players’ condition.
Malaysia are hoping to leave for Europe on June 14 and play two matches before the tournament.
They will go to Holland for two matches against the Dutch Under-21 side and the Brazil team.
“We were not looking for top oppositions, we just want the players to get used to the conditions in Europe.
“At this stage most of the work have been done and only needs some fine tuning. The players are in good spirit and hopefully we will be able to keep our focus going in Belgium,” he added.
The teams for the World Hockey League Semi-final in Belgium from June 20-July 5 are Australia, Belgium, Britain, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Ireland, China, France and Poland.
The top three teams will qualify for the Rio Olympics.
The Star of Malaysia
Darren Smith names World League 3 Squad
Ireland’s Women’s National Coach, Darren Smith, has today announced his final squad for World League 3 in Valencia (June 10-21). The team will face South Africa, Germany, Uruguay and USA in the group stages which begin on June 10th. Ireland recently completed an intense warm up tour in North America with 3 matches against USA and 4 against Canada in preparation for the task that lies ahead in Valencia.
“Having worked with an extended National Squad over the past 12 months it has been very difficult to narrow the squad down to 18 and leave some of them at home. The squad we have selected has flexibility with multiple players able to operate in more than one layer, physically fit to cope with the heat in Spain and we feel these are the best performed athletes over the past 12 months” said Coach Darren Smith.
Looking towards World League 3, Smith commented “The tournament is very exciting and we are looking forward to the challenge that initially will match us against South Africa, Germany, Uruguay and USA will bring in pool play before we cross over with the other teams making up the World League 3. The goal is always simple in these sorts of events and that is to qualify for Rio Olympics 2016. We will be doing everything in our power to get our performance to its optimum to give us the best chance of achieving that".
The Green Army will compete in the first game of the tournament against South Africa on June 10th.
World League 3 Squad 2015
Lizzie Colvin - Midfield
Aine Connery - Striker
Nicci Daly - Midfield/Striker
Kate Dillon - Striker/Midfield
Nikki Evans - Striker
Megan Frazer - Captain - Midfield
Emma Gray - Goalkeeper
Shirley McCay - Defender
Ayeisha McFerran - Goalkeeper
Hannah Matthews - Defender
Ali Meeke - Defender
Katie Mullan - Striker/Defender
Yvonne O’Byrne - Defender/Midfield
Anna O'Flanagan - Striker
Gill Pinder - Midfield
Clio Sargent - Vice Captain - Defender
Emma Smyth - Midfield
Chloe Watkins - Midfield
Non Travelling Reserves - Emily Beatty, Chloe Brown, Naomi Carroll, Stella Davis and Deirdre Duke.
Pool Matches:
June 10 Ireland vs South Africa
June 11 Ireland vs Germany
June 13 Ireland vs Uruguay
June 16 Ireland vs USA
Irish Hockey Association media release
GB women's hockey team glam up on path to Rio 2016
With their Olympic qualifying tournament approaching, the women of GB hockey have adopted an edgy style in a bid to raise their profile
By Olivia Parker
10 members of the GB women's hockey squad, from left: Sarah Robertson, Sophie Bray, Alex Danson, Sam Quek, Joie Leigh, Maddie Hinch, Lily Owsley, Kate Richardson-Walsh (captain), Hollie Webb, Georgie Twigg, at the shoot organised by their sponsors, Investec Photo: By Pip
When the Great Britain women’s hockey team beat New Zealand to secure bronze at London 2012 – their first medal in 20 years – Kate Richardson-Walsh, their captain, managed to keep her emotions in check amid scenes of unbridled jubilation. It was only later, as she was being interviewed live on television, that her composure crumbled. “If anybody deserves a gold medal for bravery…” began the interviewer, “you fractured your jaw just over a week ago and got back playing.” Kate, her face scrunched up, shaking her head and wiping her eyes, was unable to respond. For those who saw it, it was an unforgettable moment of sporting drama.
In the team’s opening match against Japan, Akane Shibata had accidentally smashed a stick into the side of Kate’s face. She had spent two nights in hospital before being discharged, declared fit to play in a specially designed facial mask. Of that time, she says, she can now recall little. “I remember everything being really silent for 24 hours but I thought, 'Well that’s the situation, get your head down and make the best of it.’” Her resilience and determination to get back on the pitch was one of the great human stories of London 2012. Suddenly, Kate, her team and her beloved sport were making headlines and it was an opportunity not to be missed, a chance to lay to rest some of the lazy assumptions about the sport – a game played by chunky, intellectually challenged, jolly-hockey-sticks girls – in the process.
Challenging assumptions: Alex Danson, Maddie Hinch, Sam Quek, Kate Richardson-Walsh and Georgie Twigg in their recent shoot [PHOTO: BY PIP]
“I think if you looked at us in London we probably wiped away the stereotypes,” laughs Georgie Twigg, a 24-year-old midfielder who is now one of the sport’s most recognisable faces. “We were a bunch of good-looking girls with athletic figures... There has been a lot more interest in hockey since then.”
Of course, it has helped that hockey has on its side the best poster girl any brand could wish for. When, in March 2012 as part of pre-Games publicity, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped onto the Olympic Park hockey pitch, dressed in trainers and bright orange skinny jeans to show off stick skills honed at Marlborough College, the nation suddenly went crazy for the game. Littlewoods reported a surge in equipment purchases, with hockey stick sales up by 238 per cent and shin guards – which the Duchess wasn’t even wearing – up by 114 per cent. It seemed hockey’s time had come.
The Duchess of Cambridge playing hockey at the Olympic Park in March 2012 [PHOTO: CHRIS JACKSON]
And when Richardson-Walsh finally found her voice in that post-victory interview, it was to articulate this achievement. “It’s massive, massive,’’ she said, grinning broadly at the camera. ''We just got hockey out there to the public, to the world public. Now we just want everybody, men, women, children of all ages, to get out there, pick up a stick and have a go.’’
Three years later, the sport is still riding that triumphant wave. There are now 180,000 regular players turning out for the 900 clubs across the country, with 25 per cent more women and 55 per cent more under-16s playing since 2011.
The latest figures show that hockey is the most gender-balanced team sport, with an exceptional 52:48 per cent ratio of women to men.
For the elite players, that bronze medal also won for the men’s and women’s GB team a level of funding from UK Sport that means they can be paid as they train for their next major challenge – Rio 2016. At Bisham Abbey sports centre in Buckinghamshire the 32-strong squad, who range in age from 20 to 35, have access to the best facilities and coaches money can buy, playing on a state-of-the-art pitch that cost £1.2 million. On June 10, they will have their first chance to qualify for Rio, when they take part in the Hockey World League semi-final in Valencia. The eighteen athletes have just been announced and the newly media-savvy Great Britain women’s hockey team want everyone to know about it.
In a more familiar role: some of the squad training at their Bisham Abbey HQ, Buckinghamshire [PHOTO: JOHN LAWRENCE]
Memories are short in the media and women’s teams struggle even more than individual athletes to gain coverage, so they have had to learn to play the profile-raising game to their advantage. Take the World Cup winning England women’s rugby team: last year its members turned up to the premier media event of the sporting calendar, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, wearing identical navy ball dresses. In February, the England women’s cricket team upped the stakes even further and bowled over cricket fans – both male and female – when they were granted special permission to pose for a magazine in the historic Long Room at Lord’s, wearing glittering gowns and dazzling smiles.
Now it’s time for hockey to get glamorous, and the exclusive image on our front page is the result. No sequins or smiles for these women, though: instead they chose bold block colours, the highest of heels, crop tops to show off exceptionally toned abs and tight-fitting trousers or shorts. Their choice of location in Dalston, London’s hippest district, and the edgy pose they strike – it screams ATTITUDE! – confirms that these are women on a mission to prove that hockey can be sexy.
Behind the scenes at the Investec shoot
Critics, no doubt, will carp that once again a bunch of women are resorting to flaunting themselves to get attention. Perhaps. And despite the fun she says they had on the Vanity Fair-style shoot (organised by their sponsors, Investec), Richardson-Walsh is inclined to agree. “I really wish we didn’t haven’t to [do these shoots].” She’d rather see sportswomen “in action, giving everything, sweating with no energy left, all their muscles pumped up”. But, if “they like to do the glamorous stuff then, yeah, do the glamorous stuff as well”.
However you look at it, these women are powerful role models. Sport is a huge part of their lives and they are used to pushing their bodies to the max in the pursuit of medals. But each has their sights set squarely on the real world. Of 32 players, 31 are either studying at university or graduates. When they hang up their hockey sticks, many plan to do masters’ degrees, take up jobs in the City or business consultancy roles. Training already fits around part-time jobs for 21 of the squad. Richardson-Walsh is a part-time consultant for Ernst & Young, Sophie Bray works for asset management firm Dimensys and Hannah Macleod is a nutritional consultant.
Sophie Bray, who works part time for asset management firm Dimensys [PHOTO: BY PIP]
The women do this as much to supplement their UK Sport incomes – just under £15,000 for a full-time athlete, paid from the grant, although individual salaries are not specified – as to avoid the dreaded ex-athlete employability problem, particularly because the risk of injury is so high in hockey. Richardson-Walsh’s partner – she is married to midfielder Helen, a 33-year-old three-time Olympian who has been in the squad for 14 years – recently returned to the pitch after two decades of hockey finally took its toll on her back in 2013. “Bending over and twisting – it’s not something your back particularly likes to do. One of my discs ruptured and a bit from my disc came out and floated around my spinal cord. I got the worst pain,” says Helen. While she endured two rounds of surgery, she started a psychology degree at the Open University and practised mindfulness techniques to take her mind off the pain.
Their jobs mean many members of the squad lead something of a double life. Hollie Webb, 24, for example, won a place on the finance graduate scheme at Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), based at its headquarters in Westminster, after graduating from Sheffield with an economics degree. “I go into the office on a Wednesday and then leave at about 4pm, so I’m back in the gym [at Bisham] at 6pm. Then on Fridays I go in in the afternoon once I’ve done the gym,” she says. “It’s a completely different life. My colleagues know I’m a hockey player and who I play for, but I don’t think anyone really understands it fully.”
Hollie Webb, who is on the finance grad scheme at DEFRA while also playing GB hockey, pictured in the company's Westminster office [PHOTO: ANDREW CROWLEY]
The occasional day at a desk helps keep the hockey in perspective, the players say. “I like having two different outlets,” says Georgie Twigg, who has a law degree from Bristol, took her LPC (Legal Practitioners Course) after the Olympics and now has a contract lined up with the legal firm Bird & Bird. “Hockey, especially in the build-up to the Olympics, became very intense around selection and everything. So actually having to take myself away and do studying and revision made me not overthink it.”
Law graduate Georgie Twigg takes the ball during a training session at Bisham [PHOTO: JOHN LAWRENCE]
Is there any time for a social life beyond all this? GB hockey is a lifestyle and that means 24-7, say the players. But since their training programme was centralised in 2009 – the whole squad trains together for the entire Olympic cycle – pitch and gym time has mostly taken place during the day, leaving evenings relatively free for boyfriends, flatmates and a whole variety of peculiar hobbies. Among the team is a ukulele player (Amy Gibson), a Mulberry obsessive (Twigg), a Tudor history fanatic (Macleod) and a grade six pianist (Nicola White), but the one activity that unites nearly all the squad is cooking, perhaps because their diet is so crucial to form. Would a fiercely competitive post-Olympic Great British Bake Off hockey special be too hard to imagine if this team is to stray much further into the public eye?
For now, however, beating their great rivals and world-leading teams Argentina and the Netherlands at Rio 2016 is a goal that unites them all. To achieve that would be, says Richardson-Walsh, “what dreams are made of”.
My daily food diary, by Giselle Ansley, GB hockey defender
I track everything I eat and all my exercise on the app MyFitnessPal.
Breakfast
Three Weetabix with semi-skimmed milk and some mixed seeds.
Lunch
Two crumpets or wholemeal toast with two poached eggs, spinach and ham.
Supper
Changes most days but usually involves chicken, sweet potato/bulgar wheat/quinoa and then veg such as broccoli, sugar snaps, carrots, French beans.
Snacks
Throughout the day mixed nuts, Nairns oatcakes, Total 0% yogurt and fruit e.g. apples, bananas, strawberries
Total calories per day
It depends on the amount of training sessions. On days where we have one session it’s usually about 2,400 calories. For two sessions we’d eat 2500-2600.
Bisham Abbey weekly training schedule
The team will do three weeks 'on’ (see below) followed by a lighter week with no hockey.
Monday
Two hours gym in the morning; an hour and a half gym in the afternoon.
Tuesday
Double hockey session.
Training at Bisham may be gruelling but, says 27-year-old squad member Emily Maguire: "The best hockey players are the ones who want it most" [PHOTO: JOHN LAWRENCE]
Wednesday
Double gym.
Thursday
Double hockey. Most players also play club hockey in the evenings.
Friday
Double gym.
Saturday
Most players have club games.
Hockey in numbers
The GB women’s team
32 players in squad
18 players attending Hockey World League semi-finals (Olympic qualifier)
35 oldest player in squad: captain Kate Richardson-Walsh
20 youngest player in squad: Lily Owsley
Lily Owsley, who at 20 is the youngest player in the squad [PHOTO: BY PIP]
336 number of caps (international appearances) earned by longest-serving player: Kate Richardson-Walsh
2 number of caps earned by newest member of the squad: goalkeeper Sabbie Heesh, who joined in February
The game
60 minutes length of a hockey game, played in four quarters
26 average age of a regular player in England
900,000 children now play hockey in 15,000 schools
60,000 women are involved in hockey clubs
10.39m people in Britain watched over 138 hours of hockey during the 2014 World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands
78 per cent of hockey is played by an ABC 1 demographic
£42,000 average salary earned by regular people (non-athletes) who play hockey
48:52 ratio of men/women who play hockey, making it the most gender equal sport
30,000 paying spectators watched hockey at London 2012, the third biggest sport. The women won Team GB’s only team medal, and hockey was the only team sport to receive UK Sport funding as a result
• New glamorous look for GB women's hockey team: the full shoot
The Telegraph
Great Britain vs Australia: Penalty Corner Kings
Jackson and Gleghorne line up for a penalty corner
World Champions Australia have named a strong and experienced squad to head to Great Britain to face Bobby Crutchley’s men in what promises to be a spectacular clash between two old sporting foes. On 13 June at The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre hostilities will be renewed between the Kookaburras and Great Britain. Of the 18 man squad Australia have named, 14 won the World Cup just a year ago and 13 of the group went on to scoop the Commonwealth Games Gold medal in Glasgow.
With the World League in Antwerp looming large on the horizon for both the Kookaburras and Great Britain, it is fair to say neither side will take this match lightly as they aim to prepare for the tournament where they hope to secure Olympic qualification. Today, we take a look at one of the key areas that could be the difference between winning and losing: Penalty corners.
It almost goes without saying that penalty corners are where a lot of top level hockey is decided. There will be an array of top class penalty corner exponents on display when these two sides meet in London.
For the Great Britain fans, record goalscorer Ashley Jackson will need little or no introduction. The No7 has 113 international goals to his name and whilst he is keen to stress he is much more than “just a drag flicker” his penalty corner ability is such that he is Crutchley’s go-to option when the chips are down. His technique is difficult to read and his accuracy is deadly, goalkeepers need to be at their best to deny Jackson, but few can. Alongside the finesse of Jackson is the power and pace of Mark Gleghorne who has established himself as a real threat from the top of the circle. Gleghorne has netted 19 times for England and GB and looks set to add to that tally if he continues to show his prowess from set pieces as he has done in recent times.
Australia are not exactly short of options either. Perhaps their biggest threat is that of Chris Ciriello. The giant defender, nicknamed “The Big Dog” took the World Cup in The Hague by storm, bagging seven goals in the competition and famously, a hat-trick of penalty corners in the 6-1 win over the Netherlands which fired his team to final glory. Not content with that, Ciriello then repeated the feat in the Commonwealth Games final just months later, with a hat-trick in the 4-0 win over India, taking his tally for the competition to nine goals. He is all about raw power but his ability to find the net on the big stage has become a nice habit.
Australia have plenty of established alternative options, perhaps one of the most exciting ones is that of rising star Blake Govers, brother of World Cup winner Kieran. Whilst Govers, who is just 18, made his international debut at the start of May, he forced his way into the Kookaburras squad with goals in each of his first three games against Pakistan, Korea and New Zealand. Fans of the domestic game in this country will no doubt remember Govers’ blistering display in this season’s Championship Final where he scored five times in Wimbledon’s incredible 8-5 victory over East Grinstead. A precocious talent he is, but Great Britain fans will hope he cannot repeat the feat on the same site as his five-goal bonanza.
GB defend a penalty corner
Whilst all the focus is on the firepower on offer, one should not underestimate the necessity of a quality penalty corner defence. This is something that Great Britain have worked very hard on, and with Dan Fox and Mikey Hoare proving to be brave and skilful penalty corner defenders whilst skipper Barry Middleton displays Jedi-like reflexes on the line, the home side will surely make Ciriello and Govers work for their chances.
The drama and spectacle of some of the best penalty corner attack and defence around should be an exciting sub-plot to this titanic battle.
If you'd like to see Great Britain at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as they face World Champions Australia on 13 June you can still buy tickets. This one-off international is the last chance to see Great Britain men on home soil this summer.
England Hockey Board Media release
French test for Scotland U21 women
Scotland's U21 Women face up to France early next week with three international matches in Lille on 1/3/4 June.
Head Coach Neil Menzies has named twenty players in the travelling party, leaving room to experiment with different selections across the three games.
Scotland U21 Women
No., Name, Club
1, Jayne, McLaughlin, Western Wildcats
3, Heather Lang, Edinburgh University
4, Claire Hill, Edinburgh University
5, Emma McGregor, CALA Edinburgh
6, Katie Robertson, Grove Menzieshill
7, Jess Ross, Syracuse
8, Katie Hibbert, Edinburgh University
9, Karin Belch, Grove Menzieshill
10, Waverley Miller, Edinburgh University
11, Alison Eadie, Edinburgh University
12, Iona Armour, Grove Menzieshill
14, Zoe Sinclair, Western Wildcats
15, Laura Page, Albany University
16, Kerry Anne Hastings, University of Northumbria
17, Frances Lonergan, Clydesdale Western
18, Catriona McLellan, Durham University
19, Susan Graham, Edinburgh University
20, Emily Newlands, Watsonians
21, Heather Howie, Michigan State
22, Drew Berry, Kelburne
Match Schedule
Date , Time , Match, Location
1 June, 20.00 CET, Scotland U21 v France, CREPS, Wattignies
3 June, 20.00 CET, Scotland U21 v France, CREPS, Wattignies
4 June, 20.00 CET, Scotland U21 v France, CREPS, Wattignies
Scottish Hockey Union media release
U18 National Competition reaches conclusion in Glasgow
Scottish Hockey's U18 National Competition reaches its conclusion at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre on Saturday 30 May.
Six teams remain in the Boys competition, with Perthshire, Gordonians, Clydesdale and Western Wildcats contesting the semi-finals. Watsonians and Grove Menzieshill will play one match to determine their finishing position.
In the Girls competition, CALA Edinburgh, Fjordhus Rievers, Watsonians and Inverleith will play in the last four of the competition, while Hillhead, Clydesdale Western, Grove Menzieshill and Granite City Wanderers will play one-off matches to decide what position they finish.
Presentations to the winners and runners-up will follow the conclusion of the event.
Please download the U18 National Competition Schedule.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Women’s hockey: WAPDA crush Islamabad 16-0
Ambreen’s double hat-trick steered Wapda to a stunning 16-0 win. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Ambreen’s double hat-trick steered Wapda to a stunning 16-0 win against Islamabad in the ongoing 3rd All Pakistan Fatima Jinnah Gold Cup Hockey Tournament at the District Sports Ground in Multan on Friday.
Ambreen struck the opening goal and continued to add more to her tally in the sixth, seventh, 12th, 14th and 24th minutes.
Azra also completed her hat-trick in the 10th, 17th and 40th minutes, while Ayesha’s two goals came in the ninth and 16th minutes along with Maira scoring in the third, Nazia in the fourth, Sidra in the 29th, Amina in the 37th and Nafeesa in the 49th to end a one sided match 16-0.
Meanwhile, a promising encounter between Pakistan Army and Punjab University Club was abandoned due to rain and both teams were awarded a point each.
The Express Tribune
Kushal brace helps AGRC win in VHA Hockey League
Suhas Nayse
NAGPUR: A superb brace by Kushal Singh helped Accountant General Recreation Club (AGRC) drub Ambedkar College Sports Academy 5-1 in the Baidyanath Senior Division Hockey League at the VHA ground here on Thursday.
Besides Kushal Singh, the other goal scorers for AGRC were MK Bhoikar, Gunwant Yerkhede and Tanveer Jamal.
The lone goal for the losers was struck by Prashant Manwatkar. On Friday, Athletics Club will meet DACSA at 5 pm.
The Times of India
Athar, Satish slam brace in Athletic Club's big win
Suhas Nayse
NAGPUR: Athletic Club rounded up their league engagements in style by mauling Ambedkar College Sports Academy 8-0 in the Baidyanath Senior Division Hockey League at the VHA ground on Friday.
Athar Shaikh was the chief architect of Athletic Club win with two superb field goals. The prolific scorer found the target in the 3rd and 32nd minutes.
Satish Fulsunge also struck a brace by sounding the board in succession in the 11th and 15th minutes.
Mohd Owais (19th), Asif Mohd (27th), Rakesh Kanojiya (56th) and Mohit Yesur (57th) chipped in with a goal each to seal the fate their hapless rivals.
The Times of India
Ezekiel hockey gets hot with teams
s2h Team
The second day of the first Prof. Joe Ezekiel memorial Inter-School Hockey Cup 2015 saw some raw and neat performances by the young lads in the four-day tournament at Shivaji Satium in New Delhi.
With the organizers devising a two way format in which each teams plays the other twice, the intensity of the matches have gone up, with nail baiting finishes and hot temper moments.
In the first game of the Morning, OTHL XI outclassed Government Boys Senior Secondary School (GBSSS) Ashok Nagar 4-2 to register an easy victory. In the second match GBSSS Saket held GBSSS Mahrauli on an exciting 1-1 draw. Even new team GBSSS, Ghitorni did well to edges over GBSSS ShahpurJat 1-0 to go ahead in the four-day tournament.
In the other game of the morning, Govt Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalya Bankner got-past OTHL XI 2-0, followed by VC Agri thrashing the hosts Citizen XI 5-0 in the final game of the morning session. Evening’s first saw Shahpurjat beat Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalya Ashok Vihar by 1-0 margin.
Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalya Bankner who defeated OTHL XI at the first session in morning, had to struggle in the repeat match.
Though Evening was showed some different and tough hockey by both the teams as some hockey with few players having a go at each other forcing the Umpires to take care of the situation. Bankner was leading 1-0 till the last minute of the game but OTHL XI scored thanks to the Penalty corner conversion in the last minute of the game by Kanaiya Kumar to end 1-1.
This hotly contested match also witnessed tense moments and heated exchanges minutes before the halftime but umpires brought the scene under control before the first gets out of hand.
The 8-team event is the idea of Gulu Ezekiel, son of late Prof Joe Eziekiel. Sports historian and senior journalist Gulu has also sponsored the tournament. The 4-day event is organized by the Hockey Citizen Group, which runs the universally popular One Thousand Hockey Legs project. Day Two results of Prof. Joe Ezekiel Memorial Inter-School Hockey Cup
Results:
OTHL XI edge past GBSSS Ashok Nagar 4-2
GBSSS Saket hold GBSSS Mahrauli 1-1
GBSSS Ghitorni beat GBSSS Shahpurjat 1-0
Govt SBV, Bangner outshine OTHL XI 2-0
VC Agri blanks Citizen XI 5-0
ShahpurJat 1 defeat SBV Ashok nagar 1-0
OTHL XI draws Govt SBV Bangner 1-1
Stick2Hockey.com
Setback for hockey meet
Vishaal Kumar
ONLY four teams are confirmed so far for the Fiji Hockey Inter-District Championship this weekend at Nadovu Park in Lautoka.
Fiji Hockey secretary Laijipa Naulivou said finance was the major reason why most of the districts pulled out.
"The number of teams taking part from last year had decreased. The main reason is that the districts find it difficult to cater for their expenses and find financial support for this kind of tournaments," Naulivou said.
"Right now the association is struggling to help these districts as we are trying to meet our Pacific Games levy so it has an impact on the association and on the district as well. We don't have any major sponsors and we are running on our own.
"Also the Lautoka and Suva districts did not register multiple teams as most of their players are in the Fiji team to the Pacific Games so they have decided to field one side each in the men's and women's division."
Suva, Ba, Nadi and Lautoka will be taking part in the men's division whereas in the women's division Nadi, Lautoka and Suva will be fielding teams.
The Fiji Times
Field hockey announces 2015 schedule
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Head coach Charlene Morett announced yet another challenging schedule for the Penn State field hockey team, as the Nittany Lions are slated to take on seven top-20 teams and four NCAA tournament teams from last season.
Entering her 29th season guiding the Nittany Lions, Morett will be guiding one of the youngest and most inexperienced teams of her tenure. Nine senior starters departed following the 2014 season, but 11 talented newcomers will join the Blue and White for the upcoming year. The team’s youthfulness did not factor into the upcoming schedule though, as its degree of difficulty is remains consistent with past seasons.
The 2015 schedule will begin on the road in Virginia, as the Lions will take on Old Dominion Friday, Aug. 28 and Virginia Sunday, Aug. 30. Both perennial powers finished in the Top 20 of the final 2014 coaches’ poll.
Seven of the 17 regular season games will be played at home at the Penn State Field Hockey Complex, where the Lions went 9-1 last season. The home slate opens Friday, Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. against Temple. After hitting the road again to play two more in-state foes (Bucknell, Sept 6 and Lock Haven, Sept. 8), California will visit Penn State on Friday, Sept. 11 as part of an east coast swing.
The Big Ten schedule begins the following weekend at Michigan (Sept. 18) in Ann Arbor. The Nittany Lions will also play 2014 NCAA participant Kent State the following day in a neutral site contest at Michigan.
The Blue and White will return to Big Ten play and the Penn State Field Hockey Complex the following weekend for the longest homestretch of the season, hosting Michigan State (Sept. 25) and Ohio State (Sept. 27). PSU will then conclude the non-conference slate the next weekend, hosting Quinnipiac (Oct. 2), a team guided by field hockey alum Becca Main (’94), before traveling to Princeton, a 2014 NCAA tournament team, Sunday, Oct. 4.
Defending Big Ten regular season champion Maryland will visit Happy Valley Friday, Oct. 9, and then Penn State will travel to Rutgers (Oct. 16) and Indiana (Oct. 18) before hosting Iowa in the home finale Friday, Oct. 23 at 3:30 p.m. The regular season will conclude on the road at Northwestern, the defending Big Ten tournament champions, Friday, Oct. 30.
Indiana will host the Big Ten Tournament Nov. 5-8. Since joining the Big Ten in 1992, Penn State is second in the conference with seven regular season titles and first with six tournament titles.
The Lions will also look to make their 31st program appearance at the NCAA Tournament the following weekend. Penn State has advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 11 of the past 13 years, making six quarterfinal appearances, one semifinals appearance and one appearance as a NCAA Finalist in 2007. In the history of the field hockey program, the Lions have made seven semifinal appearances and two championship game appearances.
Penn State media release
Meeting to chart MHC future..
By Jugjet Singh
THE first meeting of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Executive Board (EB) will be held Saturday, and high on the agenda is naming of 10 committee chairmen to formulate and chart hockey's future for the next four years.
There are a total of 12 committees under the MHC constitution, but with Finance as well as National Team Management having been taken by president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, 10 heads will be named at the first EB meeting.
The 10 committees are Coaching, Competition, Development, High Performance, Indoor, Legal and Special Projects, Marketing and Sponsorship, Media Public Relations, Umpiring and Medical Committee.
Former national skipper and now MHC vice-president Ow Soon Kooi is said to be the chosen one to head the Coaching Committee.
"I've heard about being linked to the Coaching Committee but I will only know for sure tomorrow (today). Anyway, I stood for election because I wanted to serve hockey and I don't mind heading any of the 10 committees because in the end, all of them serve the sport in various capacities," said Soon Kooi.
On his take of Subahan after two weeks on the hot-seat: "Personally speaking, the president has been on his toes and is very dedicated to serve hockey and wants to put everything in place as soon as possible so that the EB members can start contributing to the various committees."
The Coaching Committee chairman as well as Finance will have their work cut out for the next four years, as previously, both the committees ran on a helter-skelter mode.
The previous MHC management played musical chairs with their coaches and made a mess of some of the tournaments by pulling the chair even before it could be warmed.
Right now, Tai Beng Hai is the chief coach assisted by Nur Saiful Zaini while Australian Neil Hawgood is consultant leading to the Belgium World League Semi-finals.
The Committee Chairman will have his hands full when the WL Semi-finals ends on July 5, as his committee will have to move the chairs around again and decide whether to extend the Australian's contract as consultant, name him as chief coach, or release him.
The Finance Committee will be tasked to wipe out MHC's RM2.6 million debt as soon as possible, as well as pay the coaches and players who are preparing for the Olympic qualifier their long overdue dues totalling RM300,000 by Saturday.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey