News for 13 September 2015
All the news for Sunday 13 September 2015
Japan beat India in penalty shootout
CHANGZHOU (China): India junior women hockey team on Saturday went down fighting 2-2 (2-3 shootout) against Japan during the semifinal match of the 7th Women's Junior Asia Cup 2015. After a closely fought match and riding with the goals scored by Deep Grace Ekka and Renuka Yadav, Indian eves lost the match in the shootout where their Asian counterpart edged-past Indians by 3-2. India will now be playing against Korea in the 3rd-4th classification match on 13th September 2015.
The first half started with India's surprise attack on Japanese side and very soon they earned a penalty corner. Deep Grace Ekka received the shot and hit hard into the goal-box to score the first goal of the match in the 4th minute. With the early 1-0 lead, Indian eves managed to put pressure on their opponents and played most of their game in the Japanese half.
Japan took some time to recover and counter-attacked on the Indian side. After few charges, they earned a penalty corner but Indian goal-keeper Inderpreet Kaur thwarted the attack. Japanese got another penalty corner in 18th minute and this time captain Yukari Mano converted, ensuring that the game equalised at1-1. 25th minute and midfielder Renuka Yadav sneaked into Japanese half with her quick moves and sent the ball to the nets to score the second goal for her team. After the 2-1 lead, Indians managed to control the match again and maintain the same score-line till the end of first half.
The second half started with more aggression from both sides as both the teams stepped on the ground with their game-plans. India soon earned a penalty corner but failed to materialise it. In the next moment, Japan counter-attacked and earned a penalty corner and was perfectly saved by Inderpreet. In the 57th minute, Japan's Ayane Hirahara entered into the Indian D and scored the second goal for her team. Both the teams post that were seen to take one up in the game but failed to materialise on the opportunities. With the game tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation time the match entered the shoot out phase.
During the shootout, Japan junior team converted three shootouts and Indian team managed to convert only two. Navjot Kaur and Preeti Dubey successfully converted the opportunities whereas Navneet Kaur, Deep Grace and skipper Rani failed to score and eventually lost the match by 2-2 (2-3 shootout)
The 7th women's junior Asia Cup 2015 is a qualification tournament for the FIH Junior World cup (Women) 2016. India's next clash will be against Korea for 3rd-4th Classification Match on 13th September at 01:30 pm IST.
The Times of India
Hockey girls lose to Japan in semifinals
Changzhou (China) - India missed out on a chance to enter the final after losing the shoot-out battle against Japan in a closely fought semifinal of the 7th Women’s Junior Asia Cup.
India relinquished their lead twice in the game as the regulation time ended at 2-2. In the penalty shoot-out, Japan won 3-2 to set up the title clash with China. India will play Korea in the third-place match tomorrow.
India earned their first penalty corner in the fourth minute. Deep Grace Ekka’s cracking strike gave India the lead. Japan took some time to recover and counter-attacked to get their first penalty corner but Indian goalkeeper Inderpreet Kaur stood firm. Japan got another penalty corner in the 18th minute and this time captain Yukari Mano converted.
Midfielder Renuka Yadav put India ahead in the 25th minute. India managed to keep the lead till the 57th minute when Ayane Hirahara found the equaliser.
In the shoot-out, Navjot Kaur and Preeti Dubey successfully converted the opportunities while Navneet Kaur, Ekka and skipper Rani Rampal failed to score.
This edition of the event is a qualification tournament for next year’s FIH Junior World Cup (Women).
The Tribune
Malaysian women fifth in Junior Asia Cup
Two goals from Hanis Onn and one from Fatin Sukri saw Malaysia beat Thailand 3-1 to finish fifth in the Junior Asia Cup in Changzhou, China Saturday.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Champs Surbiton held by East Grinstead
East Grinstead Women celebrate 2014-15 promotion
NEWLY-PROMOTED East Grinstead made a fantastic start to life in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division by holding reigning champions Surbiton to a 1-1 draw.
Surbiton were undefeated last season but they were a goal down after 32 minutes with Takara Haines firing East Grinstead into the lead on her debut.
Chloe Palmer was on hand to spare Surbiton’s blushes, blasting home from a penalty corner with ten minutes remaining.
Another team to enjoy a great start was University of Birmingham who recorded a 3-0 victory over Leicester.
Rebecca Condie opened the scoring on seven minutes and Holly Hunt, fresh from joining Birmingham from Bowdon, added a second after the break. Hannah Martin made sure of the points on 53 minutes.
Two goals in five minutes steered Clifton to an opening-day 2-1 win against Bowdon Hightown. Harriet Pearce pounced in the 43rd minute before Claire Thomas doubled the advantage shortly after. Jane Donnelly scored a late consolation for the visitors.
Buckingham and Reading played out a 1-1 draw. Debutant Phoebe Richards equalised for Buckingham after Marianne Downer had given Reading the lead.
The Kent derby between Holcombe and Canterbury also ended in a draw with neither side able to score.
Investec Conference West
Kim Pullon scored twice as Gloucester City made a flying start to the Investec Women’s Conference West, storming to a 5-0 win at home to the University of Bristol.
Terri Brown, Maisie Robertson and Zoe Burford also registered for the hosts as the newly-promoted students made an uncomfortable start to life in the National Leagues.
Oxford Hawks also began with a win as goals from Lucy Stewart, Abi Flory, Hather Francis and Jo Tolson helped them on their way to a 4-1 success against Trojans, whilst Stourport started strongly with a 3-1 win at Bristol Firebrands.
Elsewhere Sutton Coldfield scored either side of half time through Vicky Woolford and Jane Sixsmith to cap a 2-0 win at Olton and West Warwicks, and Nathalie Blythe got the only goal as Swansea won 1-0 at Isca.
Investec Conference North
Gwen Smith scored twice as Wakefield staged a remarkable comeback at home to University of Durham, coming from three down at half time to win 5-3.
It took just 18 minutes of the second half for the hosts to turn the game on its head, with Georgia Byas, Heather Stafford and Rosie Tootell all scoring to stun the visitors.
Elsewhere Sophie Robinson scored twice as Beeston played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Ben Rhydding, for whom Rachel Doherty also found the net on two occasions. And there was nothing between Whitley Bay and Tynemouth and Brooklands Poynton as the two sides drew 2-2 with Helen Turner scoring both goals for the visitors.
Belper lost out 2-1 to Loughborough Students, and a goal in each half helped Liverpool Sefton on their way to a 2-0 victory at newly-promoted Springfields.
Investec Conference East
Two goals from Amy Sheehan proved enough to help Slough beat hosts Sevenoaks 3-1 in their opening clash in the Investec Women’s Conference East on Saturday.
Alex Scott added a third goal, and although Rebecca Ross pulled back a goal for Sevenoaks it was not enough.
St Albans are top of the early table after beating Chelmsford 4-2, goals coming from Natasha Humphris, Hannah Macleod, Annie Barratt and Emma Onien.
Hampstead and Westminster won 4-3 at Maidenhead, while Cambridge City also won away, 2-1 at Ipswich.
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Saturday, September 12 2015):
Investec Women's Premier Division: Clifton 2, Bowdon Hightown 1; Holcombe 0, Canterbury 0; Buckingham 1, Reading 1; University of Birmingham 3, Leicester 0; Surbiton 1, East Grinstead 1.
Investec Women's Conference West: Bristol Firebrands 1, Stourport 3; Gloucester City 5, University of Bristol 0; Oxford Hawks 4, Trojans 1; Olton and West Warwicks 0, Sutton Coldfield 2; Isca 0, Swansea 1.
Investec Women's Conference North: Belper 1, Loughborough Students 2; Whitley Bay and Tynemouth 2, Brooklands Poynton 2; Beeston 3, Ben Rhydding 3; Wakefield 5, University of Durham 3; Springfields 1, Liverpool Sefton 2.
Investec Women's Conference East: Sevenoaks 1, Slough 3; St Albans 4, Chelmsford 2; Maidenhead 3, Hampstead and Westminster 4; Harleston Magpies 1, Wimbledon 1; Ipswich 1, Cambridge City 2.
England Hockey Board Media release
Auckland and Canterbury set NHL pace
Sam Charlton and Midlands lost 2-1 to Northland. Photo / File
Auckland's men and Canterbury's women are atop their respective Ford National Hockey League tables after the third round in Whangarei.
Auckland sit on 12 points in pursuit of their fifth straight Challenge Shield title after beating North Harbour 7-2.
Elsewhere, the Capital Cobras took a 3-2 win over the Southern Dogs in a shoot-out after the game was drawn 1-1.
Central Mavericks defeated the Canterbury Cavaliers 4-3 in penalties after a 4-4 deadlock; and Midlands powered to a 6-2 victory against Northland.
Canterbury consolidated top women's spot with 12 points after a 2-1 win over the Central Mysticks. After a goalless first half, Canterbury scored two goals in a minute through Rachel McCann and Sophie Cocks.
League hosts Northland secured a 2-1 victory over Midlands and Auckland handed North Harbour their first loss, 1-0, thanks to a goal from Sam Harrison from a penalty corner in the 25th minute.
Capital recorded their first win, 5-0, against the Southern Storm. Round four starts at 10.30am with Auckland's men against the Central Mavericks. Canterbury open the women's draw against Midlands from 11am.
The New Zealand Herald
UniKL just can't get it together...
By Jugjet Singh
UNIVERSITI Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) have had a bad season, as after 11 matches, they only have one draw to show in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
And in the TNB cup, they trail Sapura 0-3 going into the return leg quarter-finals today.
The other quarter-finals is still alive as Maybank hold a slim 2-1 edge over Tenaga Nasional.
League champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) and runners-up Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club are seeded into the semi-finals in this six-team league.
THT await the winners of Tenaga-Maybank quarters, while KLHC will play the winners of the Sapura-UniKL match.
"I'm disappointed with the way my team played in the first quarter of as they let in two penalty corner goals and we had to keep chasing for goals but missed sitters instead," said UniKL coach Arul Selvaraj who served a three-match suspension for abusing umpires, but will be back for the return leg.
"We have a steep hill to climb, but we're not throwing in the towel as it is still possible to turn the tables in the next 60 minutes," said Arul.
UniKL have let in 34 goals and only scored 17 in 11 matches, and they would need a herculean effort to stop Sapura from playing KLHC in the semi-finals.
The other quarters is expected to go to the wire again as 2-1 seems to be their favourite score.
Tenaga beat Maybank 2-1 in both the home-and-away league, while Maybank returned the 2-1 favour in the quarters.
Maybank coach S. Velappan said: "After a poor outing in the league (one win one draw) we set ourselves to play in the semi-finals of the TNB Cup, and are 50 per cent assured. I predict another close game, but we should make the grade."
And if Maybank achieve their target, they will play THT and it looks like their campaign will end there.
KLHC and THT are strongly tipped to meet in the TNB Cup final on Sept 20.
TODAY: Quarter-finals Second Leg -- Universiti Kuala Lumpur (0) v Sapura (3) (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Maybank (2) v Tenaga Nasional (1) (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).
Note: First Leg scores in parenthesis.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Maybank bracing for Tenaga fight-back in second leg
By S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank expect Tenaga Nasional to come running at them in the quarter-final, second-leg match for the overall title of the Malaysia Hockey League on Sunday.
The match will be played at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
“Tenaga will have to go for broke in search of goals in the return leg. This will leave them vulnerable at the back,” said Maybank coach S. Vellapan, whose team won the first leg 2-1.
“But I also know that a one-goal lead is nothing in the modern game. A team can score two goals in five minutes!”
Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini wants his team to be more clinical in the return leg.
“You have to play well for 60 minutes. There’s no point creating chances but not converting them. In the first leg, we gave away possession and allowed them to control play,” he said.
“We can overcome this as we’ve beaten them twice this season. Our defence needs to be more mobile and close down their attacks faster.”
Tenaga have eight players from the Project 2016 squad and a handful of experienced senior players while the Tigers have six good foreign players, although one of them – Pakistan’s Mohamed Waqas – is injured.
Maybank also have an ace Pakistan goalkeeper Mohamed Imran, who has been steady in goal.
One thing Maybank coach Vellapan fears though is complacency among his players.
“We cannot take it easy. We’re just one step away from the last four and I want the players to go all out to achieve it. Tenaga have scored early in all the matches we’ve played against them.
“So, that’s the danger. We need to hit the ground running,” he said.
The other match on Sunday should be a formality, with Sapura taking a comfortable 3-0 lead over Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) into the return-leg tie.
UniKL have only managed one draw in this year’s competition, so it’s difficult to see them bouncing back from this setback.
The Star of Malaysia
Champions UiTM just ahead in first leg of President’s Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: Newly-crowned Division One hockey champions Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UiTM) could only score a narrow 2-1 win over Politeknik Malaysia in the first leg quarter-finals of the President’s Cup.
Top seeds UiTM are expected to make the final, but they will have to raise their game in the second leg on Sunday.
In the match on Saturday, Politeknik took the lead in the 17th minute through a Mohd Ain Rahman field goal. But two penalty corner goals – from Mohd Fitri Ismail and Ahmad Amirul Alias - turned the game in UiTM’s favour.
UiTM won the Division One title on Thursday after thumping ATM Airod 6-1.
In the other quarter-final match, TNB-Thunderbolt should fancy their chances after defeating Nur Insafi 3-1 in the first leg.
Danial Asraf opened the scoring for TNB-Thunderbolt in the 39th minute, but Nur Insafi drew level in the 53rd minute through Nur Rahuli Hrisikesa.
Mohd Sabri Mohd restored TNB’s lead with a penalty corner goal in the 59th minute before Mohd Zulhamizan added the third, one minute from the end.
The Star of Malaysia
That's sticking with it!
The world's oldest hockey player, Australia's Marie Larsen, decides to hang up her boots after playing her last game at 79 years, 311 days
By Freya Noble
Australian woman Marie Larsen holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest female hockey player
An Australian great-grandmother has been named as the world's oldest hockey player after playing her final game at the age of 79 years and 311 days.
Marie Larsen, from Canberra in the ACT, played the sport competitively for over 60 years, with at least 20 of those at the Tuggeranong Vikings.
The now 80-year-old has two daughters, six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, many of whom are carrying on the family legacy still playing hockey.
Australian woman Marie Larsen holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest female hockey player
'I started when I was in high school in Lismore and that was when I was 14 or 15, and I've just been playing ever since,' Mrs Larsen told Daily Mail Australia.
A stroke early this year meant she could not compete in the 2015 season, and the 80-year-old has now hung up her hockey boots for good.
'When I went to go play this year there were all young girls in the team and I didn't want to be a burden on them.
'I do miss it but that's the way the cookie crumbles,' Mrs Larsen added.
The Canberra woman said she hadn't even considered applying for the Guinness World Record until one of her daughter's suggested it.
She played her final game for the Tuggeranong Viking's Women's Hockey Club at 79 years and 311 days old
She played her final game for the Tuggeranong Viking's Women's Hockey Club at 79 years and 311 days old
'My daughter looked up on the computer that this other woman in England held the record and she was 76,' Mrs Larsen said.
'It was exciting... (but) it took quite a while to do it because I applied for it the March before my 80th birthday.'
She said the process took 'months and months', but just before her 80th birthday she was awarded the title, which is now in the Guinness World Records 2016 edition.
'Aged 79 years 311 days Australia's Marie Larsen (nee Lenon, born 25 July 1934) played for Tuggeranong Viking's Women's Hockey Club against Australian National University Team in the Hockey ACT Women's State League 5 competition in Canberra, Australia, in 1 June 2014', her entry in the annual book reads.
Daily Mail
This German autowali helps village kids pick up hockey sticks
Adit Ganguly
Andrea Thumshirn at the MHA Stadium on Saturday. Salman Ansari dna
In the city once again to raise funds for her foundation, Thumshirn was seen at the MHAL stadium on Thursday paying a close eye on the Super Division League match between Indian Oil and Rhema Sports.
Andrea Thumshirn is known as the 'autowali' in hockey circles in the city. In a bid to raise funds for her hockey school in Rajasthan, the German halted at the MHAL stadium during a charity drive in a rickshaw from Jaipur to Goa back in 2011. Four years on, the number of hockey villages by her Hockey Village India Project has increased from two to five. She may have given children in Rajasthan a reason to take up hockey, but the number of centers might have been more had it not been for red-tape by the Indian government.
In the city once again to raise funds for her foundation, Thumshirn was seen at the MHAL stadium on Thursday paying a close eye on the Super Division League match between Indian Oil and Rhema Sports. She may have been all smiles marvelling at the astro-turf in her black tank top and blue denims but the 41-year old still has a bone of contention with the Rajasthan government.
"You can't compare the Mumbai and Rajasthan hockey associations. There has hardly been any government support from them. There have been times where our teams have been disallowed from district tournaments because of me not having a proper passport. I have been targetted as a foreigner on numerous occasions. The amount of red-tape seen is astounding. If it's not the government, the villagers might give you a problem. I had imported a second hand sand filled astro turf from Germany two years back in June. I have the land and money for the ground, but then the citizens of the nearby city Mandawar were filing an objection against me," said Thumshirn who is also the sports director of Kooh Sports.
If the government was't enough, it was the caste system and 'white skin' mentality shown by Indians that left her flummoxed. "There were kids I had who didn't sit and play with other kids. It was very new, at the time strange for me. Also, a lot of people gossiped. They thought I would take these kids away to Germany and sell them, or even sell their kidneys. Plus I wasn't one of their own. I was treated like an alien. Language was always a barrier, but thankfully I had my volunteers who could communicate in Hindi," said Thumshirn
Thumshirn, a former junior hockey player with the national team who, goes on to add that the culture and mannerisms in the Rajasthani village served as a learning experience for someone who came here to teach. "I learnt about folk music, the way the women dressed. I couldn't wear a tank top at the start. Shorts were a complete no-no. You can't do it in a place where the women cover their faces. I had to get used to eating vegetarian food. The men used to drink the cheapest of alcohol but I raised a lot of eyebrows when I used to get beer from Jaipur and have a sip."
Thumshirn thanks her German roots and her hockey community back home for being her support system that provides most of the funding for her foundation. "We have a lot of former and current brand ambassadors back in Germany. Your hockey captain Sardar Singh is an ambassador as well. If we're talking figures, we raise around 90,000 euros annually. We do take a 5-10 kids to Germany where they play local leagues there," adds Thumshirn whose Hockey Village India Project now caters to over 250 kids in five centers (two each in Rajasthan and Goa, one in Maharashtra).
"We teach these kids in the 10-16 age bracket English and their state language in the morning followed by hockey in the afternoon. Despite the Rajasthani villages being very conservative, we have a lot of girls who come play hockey. All that the parents want is their child to return home before sunset," says Thumshirn who renovated the temple in Garh Himmat Singh, one of the five centers, to construct a school.
Thumshirn's love affair with Rajasthan was no coincidence. Being the owner of a tourism company that sent Germans to India on trips, the Berlin resident happened to stop by at Dausa on her way to Jaipur in 2011. "The village (Garh Himmat Singh) was so primitive that I just felt I needed to make a difference here. We had made a halt for lunch and it were the kids there who caught my eye. They just didn't have a sport to play. I spoke to the panchayat there and learnt that there wasn't even a school. That was all the motivation I needed to make a change. The ground there isn't very big, it's the size of the D tha twe have in hockey grounds," says Thumshirn who has done her Masters in Tourism and Hospitality from Berlin.
DNA
For hockey’s revival: New PHF to strengthen academies run by Olympians
By Nabil Tahir
According to Khokhar, the need of the hour is to hold inter-school and inter-college events on the AstroTurf at different academies. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI: Aiming to fortify the domestic hockey structure, Pakistan Hockey Federation’s new chief Brigadier (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar has decided to strengthen the various academies run by the Olympians across Pakistan.
The new management is also focused on improving the standard of the junior circuit.
“Unfortunately, hockey has been eliminated from the grassroots level in our country,” Khokhar told The Express Tribune. “Apart from a few places, you won’t see any youngsters playing hockey in the grounds, parks or streets like they used to do in the past.”
The PHF president said they would visit the cities where the academies are running. “We will talk to the academies’ owners about taking steps for the betterment of the national game,” he said.
Khokhar added that the need of the hour is to hold inter-school and inter-college events on the AstroTurf at the academies to gain back the interest of the young players. “We will have to make hockey attractive to as many educational institutions as possible,” he said.
Expanding on the plans to be discussed with the Olympians and organisers, he said, “We have to divide provinces into regions, which will be more manageable.”
The official further said that places like Gojra, which have produced many Olympians and star players, lack the basic facilities required by a hockey player. “The current lot of players in Gojra are not being educated and groomed for modern hockey.”
According to Khokhar, another reason behind hockey’s decline in Pakistan is that the PHF is almost always looking towards the government for financial support. “This is what we need to change,” he insisted. “We will become self-reliant and generate funds not only for the federation, but for the players too. Forming a marketing team is on the cards, which will turn hockey in Pakistan into a saleable product.”
The Express Tribune