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News for 12 February 2016

All the news for Friday 12 February 2016


Indian women trounce Sri Lanka to bag gold

Amitabha Das Sharma

India toyed with Sri Lanka before trouncing it 10-0 in the final to win the women’s hockey gold at the Maulana Tayyabullah hockey stadium here on Thursday.

The gold completed India dominance in the three-team tournament as women’s hockey made its debut in the South Asian Games.

India scored half a dozen goals without a reply in the first half with the experienced Rani Rampal opening the scoring in the second minute of the match.

Rampal scored another at the end of the sequence (31st minute) as Sushila Pukhrambam (4th), Preeti Dubey (8th), Soudarya Yendala (23rd) and Punam Barla (29th, a penalty corner) scored the remaining four in between.

Sri Lanka was reduced defending with 10 players on most of the occasion in an effort to prevent the marauding Indians from scoring more.

After the first session’s pounding, the Indians appeared to relax their grip in the second half, and Sri Lanka did not seem inclined to attack either. Despite that the host scored four more, three of which came through penalty corner conversions. Captain Ritu Rani converted a penalty corner in the 45th minute to make it 7-0 before Rani Rampal struck successively, with a field goal in the 58th minute and converting a penalty corner in the 64th minute to enhance her individual tally to four in the match and make it 9-0 for the host. Jaspreet Kaur rounded off the scoring, converting the 11th penalty corner coming India’s way in the 69th minute.

India, which had beaten Sri Lanka 12-1 in the league stage, thus appeared less severe against same side in the final.

India had trounced Nepal 24-0 in the other league match to make it 46-1 for the tournament.

This triumph would be a big boost for the Indian women ahead of the Rio Olympics.

The result: Final: India 10 (Rani Rampal 2, 31, 58, 64-pc, Sushila Pukhrambam 4, Preeti Dubey 8, Soudarya Yendala 23, Punam Barla 29-pc, Ritu Rani 45-pc, Jaspreet Kaur 69-pc) bt Sri Lanka 0.

The Hindu



India clinch gold in women's hockey


Indian players celebrate after scoring a goal against Sri Lanka during the women's hockey final. (PTI Photo)

GUWAHATI: A rampaging India stamped their formidable superiority in women's hockey in the region as they steamrolled Sri Lanka 10-0 in the summit clash to clinch gold in the 12th South Asian Games here on Thursday.

Rani Rampal struck four times as India continued with the ruthless mauling of their opponent till the end of their campaign.

The Sri Lankans were left bruised and battered as they could not resist the goal-hungry Indian girls who were coming from everywhere at the Moullana Tayabullah Hockey Stadium here.

The Indians had come here with a mix of some senior players and some youngsters with the aim to avail as many as international games as part of preparations for the Rio Olympics. India had last year qualified for the Olympics after a gap of 36 years.

The opposition side were a non descript one, not even listed in the FIH ranking charts while India are 13th in the world but the Neil Hawgood-coached team did not relax a bit throughout the match as they looked for goals all the time.

India had beaten Sri Lanka 12-1 in the group match.

India took the lead as soon as the match started and they were 2-0 up inside the first five minutes with goals from Rani Rampal and Sushila Devi. Preeti Dubey made it 3-0 in the 8th minute with a full blooded strike inside the Sri Lankan circle.

For nearly 15 minutes, there was no goal from the Indian side with the Sri Lankan goalkeeper making two fine saves during this period.

But the ruthless Indian forward line could not be kept quiet this evening as they were raiding the Sri Lankan citadel all the time and the girls from the island defending their goal all the time.

It was Sonika who found the target in the 22nd minute after a lull before Punam Barla (30th) and star striker Rani Rampal (32nd) scoring in quick succession.

India got five penalty corners in the first half and that showed the domination by the home side.

As soon as the match resumed, India quickly got two penalty corners but could not convert them before the third one bore fruit. Captain Ritu Rani slammed the ball home from a variation in the penalty corner strike.

India completed the tally with Rani Rampal scoring again in the 57th minute and 65th minute, while Jaspreet Kaur finding the net at 70th minute.

Nepal took the bronze.

The Times of India



Gold Medal Wins of Indian Eves

By B.G.Joshi (India)

In the inaugural South Asian Games Hockey Indian women won the Gold medal. India beats Sri Lanka 10-0. International debut was in Folkeston (Kent-England) in the year 1953; since then Indian ladies have won the 16 tournaments as detailed below. After 36 years they are going to compete in Rio Olympics (August 2016).

Indian Women: 16 Title Triumphs (1953- Feb 2016)

Year

Venue

Tournaments

Runners Up

Score

Remark

1975

Chennai

Begum RasoolInternational Trophy

Germany

0--0

Ranked 1 in league

1981

Kyoto

Asian Ladies Hockey Association Cup

Japan

2--1

Won

1982

New Delhi

AsianGames Hockey

South Korea

5--1

Won

1985

New Delhi

Indira GandhiInternational Gold Cup

USSR

2--2

Joint Winner

1996

New Delhi

Tri NationsInternational Gold Cup

Uzbekistan

1--1

Ranked 1 in league

1999

New Jersey

Invitation Tourney USA

England

2--1

Won

2002

Manchester

Commonwealth GamesHockey

England

3--2

Won

2003

Hyderabad

Afro-Asian Games Hockey

South Africa

1--1

5-4 Wins in Tie break

2004

New Delhi

Asia Cup Hockey

Japan

1--0

Won

2005

Singapore

Invitation Tourney Singapore

Korea

3--0

Won

2005

New Delhi

Indira Gandhi InternationalGold Cup

Australia

2--2

3-1 Wins in Tie break

2007

New Delhi

Shastri InvitationIntl. Gold Cup

Azerbaijan

1--0

Won

2009

Kazan

Champions Challenge II

Belgium

6--3

Won

2013

New Delhi

World League Round 2

Japan

2--2

Ranked 1 in league

2015

New Delhi

World League Round 2

Poland

3--1

Won

2016

Guwahati

South Asian Games Hockey

Sri Lanka

10-0

Won

 Fieldhockey.com



Unimpressive India take on Pakistan in SAG hockey final

GUWAHATI: Unimpressive in their three group matches, India would look to make amends and turn the tables on arch-rivals Pakistan when the two sides face each other in the summit clash of men's hockey in the 12th South Asian Games on Friday.

India, fielding a second string team in the Games with a lot of junior players in it, have been struggling to find their form as a unit. They had beaten minnows Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but lost to Pakistan 1-2 in the group match.

With most of senior players featuring in the lucrative Hockey India League, India have very few experienced players with the exception of captain Mandeep Antil and Gurbaj Singh.

India have not been playing to their potential and that showed against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the group matches.

They have to make a vast improvement to their game tomorrow if they want to stop Pakistan from winning their third title on the trot in the Games.

Pakistan had beaten India in both the 2004 and 2010 finals in Colombo and Dhaka, respectively. India won the gold in 1995 in the then Madras.

India began with a 4-1 win over lowly Bangladesh before taking on Pakistan. In the match against Pakistan, India's defensive weakness was evident. The young Indian defenders gave a lot of space to the Pakistani attackers, while the home side could string together very few goal-scoring moves and eventually lost the match.

In the third match yesterday against Sri Lanka, the lack of teeth in the Indian attack was seen as they could score just three goals against a lowly opposition. Although it is possible that they might have been taking it a bit easy as they knew that they would up against Pakistan in the final.

Besides the defensive weakness, another area on which India need to make amends is the penalty corner conversion. In the match against Pakistan, after trailing 0-1, India got a penalty corner just before the half time but rather than making the chance count, the PC was not even pushed properly for the shot to be taken and it went abegging.

The same happened in the match against Sri Lanka as the penalty corner push was wayward and it could not be stopped properly for a strike.

With the team strung together for this tournament, it is evident that the players lacked understanding and showed in the passing so far.

Pakistan have also come without many senior players but they have more national team players than India and they would start as the slight favourites tomorrow in their quest for a hat-trick of titles

The Times of India



South Asian Games: Pakistan eye hat-trick of titles in final against India

By Nabil Tahir


Qadir scored a brace in Pakistan’s 2-1 win over India in the group stages and the expectations would be on him again to find the net when the two sides meet in the final. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan Whites are all set to take on their Indian counterparts in the final of the South Asian Games at the Tayebulla Hockey Stadium in Guwahati, India on Friday with one eye on the glory of defeating their arch-rivals and the other on completing a hat-trick of titles.

Pakistan are fielding a strong side with several of the national players in the squad, while India field a relatively inexperienced squad with only two senior players in the team.

With a 2-1 win already in the bag over their arch-rivals in the group stages, Pakistan are confident of defending their crown.

“We have had a good tournament so far and the team is high on confidence,” captain Mohammad Irfan told The Express Tribune after his side oversaw a 3-0, 2-1 and 6-0 win over Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh. “We are hopeful of a win as we have already defeated India in the group stages.”

Meanwhile, forward Mohammad Arslan Qadir, who has consistently been effective against India as he scored both the goals in the 2-1 group-stage win and slotted the winner in the 4-3 win over India in the 2014 Champions Trophy final, is all pumped up and ready to repeat his match-winning performance in yet another final against the same opponent.

“I will put in everything I have, all my skills and energy, to ensure we come out on top,” Qadir told The Express Tribune. “The juniors are certainly under a bit of pressure to face India in a final but the seniors are helping ease their nerves. We know we will get some beef from the crowd but we will be able to handle it.”

The Greenshirts are favourites to lift the crown as they are currently the only side to remain unbeaten in the tournament and have a historical advantage of defeating their rivals twice at the same stage of the Games — in the 2004 and 2010 finals.

By claiming three silver and 11 bronze medals on the sixth day of the Games, Pakistan took their medal tally to 72 and remained on third position, with a total of seven gold, 22 silver and 43 bronze medals.

India lead with 237 medals — 139 gold, 78 silver, 20 bronze — followed by Sri Lanka with 151 medals — 25 gold, 50 silver, 76 bronze.

The Express Tribune



Pakistan face India in hockey final today

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan thrashed Bangladesh 6-0 on Thursday in the semi-final of the hockey event of the 12th South Asian Games to set up a mouth-watering final clash with arch-rivals India.

Goals from Awaisur Rahman, Arsalan Qadir, Umer Bhutta, Tasawer Abbas and Aleem Bilal ensured that Pakistan stay on track to defend their crown in the regional mega event.

The final will be played in Guwahiti on Friday (today). India, fielding a second string team in the SA Games with a lot of junior players in it, have been struggling to find their form as a unit. They had beaten minnows Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but lost to Pakistan 1-2 in the group match.

With most of senior players featuring in the lucrative Hockey India League, India have very few experienced players with the exception of captain Mandeep Antil and Gurbaj Singh. India have not been playing to their potential and that showed against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the group matches. They have to make a vast improvement to their game if they want to stop Pakistan from winning their third title on the trot in the SA Games.

Pakistan had beaten India in both the 2004 and 2010 finals in Colombo and Dhaka, respectively. India won the gold in 1995 in Madras. With the team strung together for this tournament, it is evident that the Indian players lacked understanding and showed in the passing so far.

Pakistan have also come without many senior players but they have more national team players than India and they would start as the slight favourites in their quest for a hat-trick of titles.

The Daily Times



USWNT Athlete Katie Reinprecht Contributes Two Lone Goals of Match to Defeat Canada

CHULA VISTA, Calif. – At the completion of today’s contest, the U.S. Women’s National Team secured their third consecutive win over Canada with a score of USA 2, Canada 0. The Chula Vista Olympic Training Center’s venue is hosting the four-game event between the two international squads.

"The series allows us to work on different combinations, on slightly different systems and areas of focus," said Craig Parnham, USWNT Head Coach. "This is all to prepare us for summer tournaments with adjustments and fine tuning. As we move forward, it becomes less of a conscious thing and more of a subconscious thing and that's what we're looking for."

The first quarter began with a strong USA attack presence despite a scoreless 15 minutes for both teams. Team USA charged into the attack circle and looked to generate shooting opportunities starting with Michelle Vittese (Cherry Hill, N.J.) who received a pass near the post, ready to strike but Canada's backfield carried the ball out of danger. Katelyn Falgowski (Landenberg, Pa.) with patience in USA's offensive end, planted a perfect tackle to regain ball possession from a Canada midfielder and kept play in the attack end. In the 6th minute Katie Reinprecht (Perkasie, Pa.) earned the red, white and blue their first penalty corner. Lauren Crandall's (Doylestown, Pa.) direct shot from the top of the circle drilled past the left post. In the 8th minute off of a corner, Rachel Dawson's (Berlin, N.J.) sweep found a Canadian foot to earn USA back-to-back penalty corners, but USA was unable to convert.

Canada attempted to switch the flow of play with a breakaway down the right side of the pitch, however Melissa Gonzalez (Mohegan Lake, N.Y.) cranked up the speed to eliminate the dangerous run in the opening minutes of the second quarter. With ball control in the red, white and blue’s offensive domain, Dawson spotted Kat Sharkey (Moosic, Pa.) who launched a backhanded shot on target. Falgowski fired a rebounded hit displaying USA’s consistent attacking intent but Canada’s goalie denied the efforts. In the 26th minute, Canada earned their first corner of the match with the scoreboard in a deadlock of USA 0, Canada 0, but a diving save from USA goalkeeper Jackie Briggs (Robesonia, Pa.) kept Canada scoreless. Team USA was rewarded with a penalty corner in the closing minutes of the first half but was unable to translate the chance into a goal leaving the score USA 0, Canada 0.

"Today was a nice example of how we're working on a couple of areas," said Parnham. "And there was a really good intent to carry out new structures, patterns and plays. And I take from that, and I think the team takes from that, we're in a really nice learning phase at this moment. And you have consistency and inconsistency at times and we're fighting that battle to try to remain consistent."

Off of a penalty corner in the 33rd minute, Dawson sent a swift drag flick to the net. Canada was able to outlet the ball away from the goalmouth. Again in the 36th minute, Team USA quickly tallied another a penalty corner. Despite a broken stick stop, Dawson was able to rip a ball on goal from the top, right of the circle. The drive didn’t earn a result. In the 43rd minute the red, white and blue’s tireless attack paid off when K. Reinprecht slammed a clean shot through Canada defenders to find the backboard changing the score to USA 1, Canada 0.

In the fourth and final quarter, Caitlin Van Sickle (Wilmingon, Del.) with a small lift, dodged a Canadian midfielder, dished the ball to Sharkey at baseline who sent it back to Van Sickle for a shot to keep an attack mentality. It wasn’t until the 52nd minute mark that Vittese at the top, left of the circle hit a precision pass to K. Reinprecht at the right post to redirect the shot, secure her second goal and solidify a final score of USA 2, Canada 0

The series continues Friday with Team USA hitting the pitch in their fourth and final match against Canada at 12:30 p.m. PST. Follow live match updates by following @USAFieldHockey on Twitter.

USFHA media release



Canadian women close gap with U.S. in third game of series

Shaheed Devji


(Photo: Yan Huckendubler)

The Canadian women’s field hockey team put in an improved performance in a 2-0 loss in the third game of a four game series with the United States Thursday in Chula Vista, California.

After two losses in which the goal differential was a combined 13-1 in favour of the U.S., the Canadian women were determined Thursday to close the gap and put in a performance closer to the one against the States last summer in the 2015 Pan American Games semifinal, when the seventh-ranked U.S. took a close 3-0 decision from the then twentieth ranked Canadians.

Thursday’s match was Canada’s best yet, not only holding to the Americans to only two goals, but also generating a fair amount of chances of their own.

One of the better chances of the game came in the 27th minute when the Canadians earned their first penalty corner of the match. The set piece forced American keeper Jackie Briggs to make a diving save to keep Canada off the board and the game scoreless.

The score remained 0-0 into half-time and the U.S. pressured early in the second half. A string of chances, however, were turned away by good, confident tending from Kaitlyn Williams, who played the full sixty minutes in goal for Canada.

In the 44th minute, however, the U.S. were able to break through when Katie Reinprecht convert on a heavy shot to break the deadlock.

Canada had a chance to equalize shortly thereafter when the U.S. when down a player thanks to a green card to Jill Witmer, but they were unable to convert with the man advantage.

Instead, it was Reinprecht who got her second of the game and third of the series in the 51st minute to give the U.S. a two-goal lead.

The two teams will hit the field again on Friday for the fourth and final match of the series. Game time is scheduled for 12:30pm PT/3:30 PM ET at the United States Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, California.

Field Hockey Canada media release



DWR win in home turf



Delhi Waveriders reignite their hopes for a play-off berth 11th February, 2016, New Delhi: Delhi Waveriders stunned defending Champions Ranchi Rays defeating them 7-4 in a hard fought battle in the 4th Coal India Hockey India League today. The hosts who won their first home match after losing four consecutive matches reignited their hopes in the tournament of getting a berth in the play-offs to be played at Ranchi on 20th and 21st February 2016.

An excellent forward line along with some critical and scintillating saves from Devon Manchester today ensured the Waveriders managed a convincing victory over table toppers and defending Champions Ranchi Rays.

With this win the Delhi Waveriders now move to the fifth place in the points table with 22 points to their kitty from nine games. Ranchi Rays still lead the points tally with 27 points to their kitty.

The match began on an attacking note with Delhi Waveriders pressing hard to score. The hosts seemed beaming with energy as most of the game was happening around the Ranchi Rays circle. Continuous attacks led to the home team’s first success in the 7th minute through Mandeep Singh’s field goal giving the Delhi Waveriders an early 2-0 lead. Delhi Waveriders who seemingly entered the game to win, did not settle down post this and kept on attacking and entering the opponents circle in quick successions. One such move yielded results in the 13th minute when the Waveriders were awarded a penalty corner and Talvinder Singh made no errors in converting it giving the home team a comfortable 3-0 lead.

The defending Champions Ranchi Rays were left stunned post these two goals and tried hard to reorganise themselves as the first quarter came to an end with Delhi Waveriders leading 3-0.

The second quarter was no different as the hosts kept on pressing hard and struck for the third time in the 19th minute with a field goal through Talvinder Singh giving the hosts a massive lead of 5-0 in the first half. Ranchi Rays who so far looked stunned at the games progress finally started making some moves but were unable to break through the host’s defensive line as the first half came to an end with Delhi Waveriders leading 5-0.

The Delhi Waveriders who looked determined to add more goals to their score started the second half on an attacking note, but Ranchi Rays by now had collected themselves and their defence line played true to their reputation foiling many attempts to score from the hosts. The visitors finally achieved success through a much needed field goal from Captain Ashley Jackson in the 35th minute taking the score to 5-2 still in favour of Delhi Waveriders. The Waveriders who seemed hungry for more managed to add one more to their goal list as Mandeep Singh scored his second goal of the day in the 42nd minute giving the hosts a strong 7-2 lead in the game. Ranchi Rays tried hard to score on the counter but Devon Manchester made some beautiful saves for the Waveriders as the third quarter came to an end with the score board reading 7-2 in their favour.

The final quarter began with Ranchi Rays playing to score but the Delhi Waveriders seemed in top form stopping all the attempts to score from the visitors. Ranchi finally found success in the 50th minute through a field goal from Trent Mitton taking the score to 7-4 still in the favour of Delhi Waveriders. The match came to an end with Delhi Waveriders winning the match 7-4 against defending Champions Ranchi Rays.

The Coal India Goal of the Match award of INR 50,000 went to Ranchi Rays Captain Ashley Jackson while Delhi Waveriders Talvinder Singh walked away with the Most Entertaining Player of the Match award. Delhi Waveriders Devon Manchester was given the Man of the Match award of INR 50,000 while his team mate Mandeep Singh won the Hero Emerging Player of the Match award of INR 25,000.

The next match of the 4th edition of the Coal India Hockey India League will be played between Dabang Mumbai H.C. and Jaypee Punjab Warriors at the Mahindra Hockey Stadium, Mumbai on the 12th February 2016.

Stick2Hockey.com



Manchester stands tall as Delhi slay Ranchi

Harpreet Kaur Lamba


DWR players celebrate.

Delhi Waveriders delivered when it mattered the most, keeping their semi-finals hopes alive with a superlative 7-4 win over table toppers Ranchi Rays in their Hockey India League Season Four match here on Thursday.

A loss would have ended Delhi’s chance of progressing and the hosts came out all guns blazing giving the capacity crowd at the Shivaji Stadium plenty to cheer for.

The forwards looked sharp while the defence line of Rupinderpal Singh, Surender Kumar and Vickram Kanth were vigilant. Devon Manchester sparkled under the bar, throwing himself at everything and deservingly picked up the man of the match award. If Delhi survived a late onslaught from Ranchi, it was largely due to Manchester’s brilliant goalkeeping skills.

Ranchi are known for their attacking style of play and quick counter attacks, but on the day Delhi foiled most of their attempts.

Visiting skipper Ashley Jackson, currently the second highest top -scorer behind Kalinga Lancers' Glenn Turner, was heavily marked while the attacking trio of Sarvanjit Singh, Trent Mitton and Amir Khan too were kept quiet.

Ranchi thus tried for penalty corners and managed to earn eight of them but Manchester stood like a wall. It is not easy when one of the world’s best penalty-corner specialists, Jackson, is in action but Manchester was up for the task.

For once, the home strikers were on fire. Youngsters Mandeep Singh (7th, 42nd minutes) and Talwinder Singh (13th, 19th) struck twice each, while Ranchi’s reply came from Jackson (35th) and Mitton (50th) both scoring from field efforts. Delhi are now fifth in the points table with 22 points after nine games, while Ranchi lead with 27 from eight games.

Delhi dominated the opening quarter. Ranchi marked the home forwards tightly but Delhi displayed a game that they are known for -- breaking through the defence at will and controlling the pace of the game. Ranchi cut all routes to the midfield but the hosts made good use of the flanks and penetrated the defence time and again.

Mandeep put the hosts ahead in the seventh minute when he directed a sharp cross from Iain Lewers into the net (2-0). It wasn’t long before Talwinder scored off a rebound on a penalty corner and then added another as Delhi enjoyed a 5-0 cushion at half time.

Ranchi were frustrated but kept up the attack and pulled one back through Jackson, when he made the most of a counter attack scoring a field goal.

The last two quarters saw both teams fighting hard with Delhi having the edge. Mandeep added to the tally while Mitton helped Ranchi reduced the margin in the 50th minute.

The Asian Age



First home win keeps Delhi Waveriders alive

Uthra Ganesan


Delhi Waveriders' Mandeep Singh (left) celebrates after scoring against Ranchi Rays, at the Shivaji Stadium, in New Delhi on Thursday. – R. V. Moorthy

It took some extraordinary goalkeeping from Devon Manchester and brilliant attacking play for Delhi Waveriders to register its first win at home with a 7-4 verdict against table-topper Ranchi Rays here on Thursday.

Coming as it did after four consecutive losses in the Hockey India League, the victory propelled Waveriders to 22 points from nine matches and kept its chances of making the cut for the semifinals alive. Ranchi, sitting pretty with 27 points and two games in hand — both at home — would be disappointed to not seal its last-four spot but had only its waywardness to blame. Also, eight penalty corners wasted despite the presence of two specialists in the side contributed to the visitors’ failure.

Continuous pressure

Still, it wasn’t a one-sided affair. Rays kept pressing for scoring chances but paid the price for a soft defence in the absence of Birendra Lakra, and a few marking errors. Credit, however, must go to the host who went on an all-out attack from the word go and kept the pressure up all through the game.

The attacking spree began in the third minute when Talwinder Singh’s shot at the goal was blocked by Ranchi goalkeeper Tyler Lovell. A penalty corner soon after was pushed wide but Mandeep Singh, lurking in front of the goal, deflected in a long corner from Iain Lewers to put his team ahead. The youngster would get two more in the 42nd minute, just as Ranchi was beginning to assert itself, to put his team in control.

Forwardline steps in

In between, it was all about Delhi’s young forwardline coming to the party even as captain Simon Child continued with his role as a feeder with precision. Talwinder, Santa Singh and Harjeet Singh combined well to repeatedly penetrate the Ranchi circle. The first named scored with the third shot off a penalty corner before adding another after being put through by Benjamin Stanzl.

Ranchi coach Harendra Singh had said before the game that the key to a good game against Delhi was patience and control and his team displayed it.

Ashley Jackson and Daniel Beale combined well, creating numerous chances upfront but were unable to pierce through the Delhi defence. Ashley managed to pull one back with a shot form the left and Trent Mitton stuck in the 50th minute. Manpreet Singh played well, making his mark both in the attack and defence, but was unable to get the elusive goal.

Amongst all this, Manchester stood tall, defending everything thrown at him and winning every one-on-one contest with the Ranchi strikers. He was the difference between the two teams and, for once, coaches from either side agreed to his being the Man-of-the-Match.

The result: Delhi Waveriders 7 (Mandeep Singh 4-FG, Talwinder Singh 2-FG & 1-PC) bt Ranchi Rays 4 (Ashley Jackson 2-FG, Trent Mitton 2- FG).

Sportstar Live



Delhi Waveriders outclass Ranchi Rays 7-4 to post first win on home turf

Mukesh Thapliyal


(TOI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Riding on fine double strikes by Mandeep Singh and Talwinder Singh, Delhi Waveriders finally tasted their first victory on home turf as they stunned table-toppers Ranchi Rays with a convincing 7-4 margin in their must-win clash of the fourth edition of the Hockey India League at the Shivaji Stadium on Thursday.

With this win, Delhi moved to fifth place in the standings with 22 points to their kitty as Punjab Warriors held the fourth spot with same number of points on the basis of goal difference while Ranchi Rays stayed on top with 27 points despite losing the match.

Mandeep (7' FG, 42' FG) and Talwinder (13' PC, 19' FG) scored for the winners while Ashley Jackson (35' FG) and Trent Mitton (50' FG) contributed for the losing side.

It was a much-needed win for Delhi to stay in hunt for the semis spot as they have only one match left in the fixture, which is to be played against Kalinga Lancers on February 17th the last day of the league stage, and they now have to keep their fingers crossed as lot depends on how other teams fare in their upcoming matches.

Delhi opened the scoring to take 2-0 lead just in the 7th minute of the game through Mandeep who gave the finishing touch after tapping a good long pass from Iain Lewers. Five minutes later, agile Talwinder extended the lead to 3-0 after hitting on a rebound during a penalty corner movement as Delhi had a healthy lead of three goals after the end of first quarter.

Talwinder struck early in the second quarter to score his second goal of the day and give Delhi a comfortable lead of 5-0. Flummoxed Ranchi Rays too got few chances before half-time but they couldn't convert them into goals. Amir Khan of Ranchi unleashed a fine reverse hit in the 35th minute but it was well-saved by Delhi goalkeeper Devon Manchester, who tremendously excelled under the bar. Ranchi got three back-to-back PCs towards the closing stages of first half but their hits were denied sure-shot goals by some exceptional glove and pad work by Manchester as Delhi went into the breather with a vital 5-0 lead.

On changing ends, Delhi maintained their attacking spree on the rival citadel but Talwinder missed successive sitters at the handshaking distance from the rival goalkeeper before Ranchi skipper Ashley Jackson hit a scorching reverse hit after receiving a good long pass to cut down the Delhi lead to 2-5. But soon Mandeep struck his second as Delhi ended the third quarter with a decisive 7-2 lead.

The fourth and final quarter saw some nerve-wracking moments after Delhi team went into defensive mode in their quest to sustain their lead as they had to finally pay the price for their shocking approach as Trent Mitton hit a fine field goal to give some life the Ranchi team. The scoreboard still read 7-4 in favour of Delhi team but Ranchi players launched series of attacks to dismantle Delhi defence and they got crucial PC towards the fag end of the game but seasoned Delhi player Vickram Pillay stood tall on the goalline to deflect Ashley Jackson's blazing drag-flick.

The Times of India



Delhi Waveriders stun Ranchi Rays 7-4 in a hard-fought battle


Delhi's hopes of getting a berth in the play-offs reignited.

Delhi Waveriders stunned defending champions Ranchi Rays 7-4 in a hard-fought battle in the 4th Coal India Hockey India League on Thursday.

The hosts, who won their first home match after losing four consecutive games, reignited their hopes of getting a berth in the play-offs to be played at Ranchi on February 20 and 21.

An excellent forward line along with some critical and scintillating saves from Devon Manchester ensured the Waveriders managed a convincing victory over table toppers Ranchi Rays.

With this win, Delhi Waveriders move to the fifth place in the table with 22 points to their kitty from nine games.

Ranchi Rays still lead the points tally with 27 points.

The match began on an attacking note with Delhi Waveriders pressing hard to score. The hosts seemed beaming with energy as most of the game was happening around the Ranchi Rays circle. Continuous attacks led to the home team's first success in the 7th minute through Mandeep Singh's field goal giving the Delhi Waveriders an early 2-0 lead.

Delhi Waveriders did not settle down post this and kept on attacking and entering the opponents circle in quick successions. One such move yielded results in the 13th minute when the Waveriders were awarded a penalty corner and Talvinder Singh made no errors in converting it giving the home team a comfortable 3-0 lead. The defending champions were left stunned post these two goals and tried hard to reorganise themselves as the first quarter came to an end with Delhi Waveriders leading 3-0.

The second quarter was no different as the hosts kept on pressing hard and struck for the third time in the 19th minute with a field goal through Talvinder Singh to give the hosts a massive lead of 5-0 in the first half.

Delhi Waveriders started the second half on an attacking note but Ranchi Rays had collected themselves and their defence line played true to their reputation, foiling many attempts to score from the hosts.

The visitors finally achieved success through captain Ashley Jackson in the 35th minute, making it 5-2 in favour of Delhi Waveriders. The Waveriders managed to add one more to their tally as Mandeep Singh scored his second goal of the day in the 42nd minute giving the hosts a strong 7-2 lead in the game.

Ranchi Rays tried hard to score on the counter but Devon Manchester made some beautiful saves for the Waveriders as the third quarter came to an end with the score board reading 7-2.

Ranchi found success in the 50th minute through a field goal from Trent Mitton to make it 7-4 still in the favour of Delhi Waveriders.

DNA



HTHC welcome Euro club indoors



Harvestehuder THC will hope to progress their hopes of emulating their spectacular 2014 as they host the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup in Hamburg this weekend.

Two years ago, the club won both the Euro Hockey League and EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Cup, claiming the latter for the third time with a 10-4 final win over Dinamo Yekaterineburg in 2014.

Key to their chances are Michael Körper while Tobias Lietz and Tobias Walter were part of the German side that won the European Championships last month.

They are in a group with Sweden’s Partille, Switzerland’s Luzerner and SK Slavia Praha from the Czech Republic.

The other side of the draw features Spain’s CHPV Complutense who have Swedish international Philip Hellstrand in their number. England’s East Grinstead are playing in their second European tournament in Hamburg already this season and will use much of the squad that won their English title once again last weekend.

Ben Alberry was one of their key goalscorers while Scotland’s Ross Stott and German player Jannis Schwebs could be key figures for them.

Austria’s SV Arminen are always a threat, especially having claimed the Rohrmax Cup last weekend. They have previously won silver and bronze in this competition. Michael Mantler, Daniel Frolich, Patrick Schmidt, Dominic Uher, Stefan Eitenberger, Michael Minar, Mateusz Szymczyk and Pit Rudofsky were also part of the national team’s run to silver at the Euros last month.

Poland’s WKS Grunwald Poznan are similarly well stacked with Pawel Bratkowski leading as captain while the rest of their panel has a wealth of indoor club and international experience.

The tournament is being streamed throughout the weekend via the following link https://youtu.be/6_PK6pY9GtM

Euro Hockey League media release



East Grinstead await start of EuroHockey Indoor Clubs Championship following Wembley joy

By Mike Haymonds


Simon Faulkner, East Grinstead captain, in action. HockeyImages.co.uk

EAST GRINSTEAD men begin what has become an annual European odyssey when the EuroHockey Indoor Clubs Championship opens in Hamburg on Friday.

The Sussex club, led by Simon Faulkner in his first season as captain, lifted their eighth successive national title on Finals Day last month at the SSE Wembley Arena after earlier topping the league rankings undefeated.

Grinstead’s domestic domination is greatly helped by having an indoor hall at their club, the only top English club to enjoy such a facility.

With indoor hockey a poor relation to the outdoor game in England, unlike northern and central Europe, Grinstead will travel with the aim of retaining their top flight status - by finishing no lower than sixth (of eight).

A more ambitious target would be to improve their best previous placing of fifth - in 2014 when they were hosts. A medal is most unlikely against the strength of the opposition at this level.

In Hamburg they have the tougher of the two pools. On Friday, they face Austrian champions SV Arminen, last year’s silver medallists, and 2015 second tier winners Poland’s WKS Grunwald, with a final pool game on Saturday against the Spaniards Club SPV Complutense, last year’s bronze medallists.

Then follows the prospect of semi-finals or the relegation pool for the bottom four.

In the other pool are the German hosts Harvestehuder, Partille of Sweden, the Swiss Luzerner and Slavia Prague.

Grinstead have the reassurance that, whatever this weekend’s outcome, they will be back in Europe next year, as will the club’s women’s team, who won their first indoor title at Wembley.

But the downside of this double success is that the club will need to find double this year’s cost of participation in Europe of up to £10,000 without any financial support from the national governing body England Hockey.

Daily Express



European indoor test awaits Inverleith in Russia


Photo Credit: Duncan Gray

Inverleith Hockey Club make the long journey to the outskirts of Moscow this week to compete in the EuroHockey Indoor Nations Club Champions Trophy in Russia.

The newly crowned National Indoor League champions will face Royal HC Namur (BEL), HC Minsk (BLR) and Atletico Clube de Portugal (POR) in Pool A of the competition.

Hosts Dinamo Elektrostal (RUS), AH&BH Amsterdam (NED), HC Cambrai (FRA) and Olimpiia Kolos Sekvoya (UKR) will feature in Pool B.

The competition, taking place in the town of Pavlovsky Posad, will split into promotion and relegation pools after three matches, the top two teams in Pool A and B challenging for a place in the Champions Cup, while the bottom two teams from each group face a battle to avoid the drop to the Challenge events.

The added incentive for the Purple Robes is knowing that they will represent Scotland again in next season's European indoor competitions following the retention of their indoor title in Perth last week.

Visit the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Trophy website for fixtures, results and tournament info.

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Brooklands have Beeston in their sights


Brooklands MU captain Peter Flanagan celebrates, Credit Mark Henderson

After climbing into the play-off positions with a win over Surbiton last weekend, Brooklands Manchester University are preparing to host Beeston as they bid to continue their great recent form in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division.

Four wins and a draw in their last five games has seen Brooklands overtake Wimbledon, and captain Peter Flanagan said: “We’re looking forward to it because we’re on a reasonable run at the moment with some good results.

“It’s going to be a big game for us. There will definitely be points available for us, but Beeston are a quality side so we’re taking nothing for granted.

“We wanted to consolidate this season and avoid the relegation scrap, so we’re pleased to be where we are. But we’re still taking things one game at a time.

“There are always a few niggles but we will have virtually the same squad as last week.”

After losing out to Brooklands Manchester University last weekend, Surbiton will be looking to get back to winning ways against bottom of the table Canterbury.

Canterbury took the first win of their campaign with a 3-1 defeat of Hampstead and Westminster and will be looking to get a run together.

Leaders Holcombe are preparing to host third-placed Reading as the two sides battle to maintain their good form. When the two sides last met back in October, they drew 2-2.

Cannock are trying to pull away from the bottom of the table and can move to within three points of opponents Wimbledon with victory.

Conference West leaders Cardiff and Met do not play as they are in European indoor action. Elsewhere Loughborough Students are threatening to run away with the lead in Conference North, seven points ahead of second-placed Bowdon. They face Deeside Ramblers.

Southgate leapfrogged Richmond by beating them last weekend to lead Conference East by just a single point, Southgate play Brighton & Hove on Saturday whilst Richmond will be looking to keep the pressure on with a result against eight-placed West Herts. Sevenoaks, who have double header this weekend, will also be in the mix if they pick up six points.

FIXTURES – Saturday, February 13

Men’s Hockey League

Men’s Premier Division
Canterbury v Surbiton 18:00

Men’s Conference West
Isca v Univ of Exeter 18:30

Men’s Conference North
Lichfield v Wakefield 13:30

Men’s Conference East
Teddington v Sevenoaks 13:45
Southgate v Brighton and Hove 14:00

FIXTURES – Sunday, February 14

Men’s Hockey League

Men’s Premier Division
Brooklands Manchester Univ v Beeston 14:00
Wimbledon v Cannock 14:00
Holcombe v Reading 14:30

Men’s Conference West
Chichester Priory Park v Fareham 12:30
Univ of Birmingham v Cheltenham 12:30
Team Bath Buccaneers v Guildford 13:00

Men’s Conference North
Olton and West Warwicks v Bowdon 13:30
Loughborough Students v Deeside Ramblers 14:00
Sheffield Hallam v Univ of Durham 13:30
Doncaster v Preston 14:00

Men’s Conference East
Cambridge City v Bromley and Beckenham 13:00
Harleston Magpies v Oxted 14:00
West Herts v Richmond 14:00
Sevenoaks v Brighton and Hove 14:00

England Hockey Board Media release



MJHL: Double whammy for Olak Tigers

By Jugjet Singh

OLD La Sallians of Klang (Olak) Tigers received a double blow when two players met with an accident, while two others are suspended leading to the Division One match against Nur Insafi Friday.

Olak are one of the pioneer teams of the Junior Hockey League and were on an upward trend in the last two matches where they beat SMKDBL Young Guns 5-4, Politeknik 3-2 and SSTMI Juniors 2-0 to be placed in the middle of the table on nine points.

"Two of my players, who hail from Sabah, were on their way to training at the Tun Razak Stadium on Wednesday when their motorbike met with an accident. Dodi Musa fractured his hand, while goalkeeper Adrian Andy received cuts on both hands.

"They will be out for a few matches, and to compound matters, two of our players are suspended due to cards for the match against Nur Insafi," said Olak team manager Joseph de Silva.

The suspended players are Mirza Izzuddin and Mahathir Rathuwan.

Nur Insafi are second from the bottom as they have only two draws after five matches.

"We are fighting to finish fourth and qualify for the quarter-finals of the TNB Cup and were looking forward to three points tomorrow (today) but will be playing with 15 players instead," said De Silva.

However, Olak will be playing with extra jest: "The team has been together for the past two months and after some hiccups in the earlier matches they had started to get a good understanding. The players have pledged to give their best and win the match for their injured friends."

Olak are tied on nine points with BJSS Thunderbolts, who have a better goal average.

BJSS Thunderbolts will also be involved in a fight of their lives as they meet double champions SSTMI Thunderbolts Friday. SSTMI have yet to drop a point after five matches and look good to seal their fifth consecutive League title.

But SSTMI will be without their skipper and penalty corner ace Aliff Syazwan today, due to a strained elbow.

“He is a very influential player in the team and his absence against BJSS will be greatly felt. But I can still count on the forwards who have been playing extremely well in getting the goals. We have scored 26 goals so far and that is a good sign indeed,” said SSTMI manager Adam Izamry.

FRIDAY -- Division One: SSTMI Thunderbolts v BJSS Thunderbolts (SSTMI), PJCC v UniKL Young Guns (National Stadium Pitch II), Nurinsafi v OLAK Tigers (Sg Petani), SMKDBL Young Guns v SSTMI Juniors (Batu Pahat).

Division Two: Group A: MSN-PHP Perlis Young Lion Juniors v MSS Kedah (Kangar).

Group B: MSSWPKL v STAR (Ministry of Education), Felda Juniors v Anderson Thunderbolts (Azlan Shah, Pitch 1); MSNPK-ILHC v Anderson PHA (Azlan Shah, Pitch 2).

Group C: TBSS Tampin v Malacca High School (Seremban II); Sabah Sports School v Young Hurricanes (malacca, 7.0pm); SMKDBL Juniors v MSNT-PHT (Batu Pahat, 3.0pm).

Note: Matches start at 5pm unless stated.

DIVISION ONE

P W D L F A Pts

SSTMI TNDER' 5 5 0 0 26 4 15
SSP-MSP-TNDER' 5 4 0 1 28 7 12
UNIKL YOUNG GUNS 6 3 1 2 14 15 10
BJSS TNDER' 4 3 0 1 11 5 9
OLAK TIGERS 6 3 0 3 14 19 9
POLITEKNIK 5 2 1 2 9 8 7
PJCC 5 2 0 3 7 11 6
SMKDBL YOUNG GUNS 6 1 1 4 10 16 4
NURINSAFI 5 0 2 3 6 21 2
SSTMI JRS 5 0 1 4 5 24 1

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Pahang Sports School rue long break in junior hockey league

by S. Ramaguru

KUALA LUMPUR: There are two schools of thought when it comes to long breaks.

Take the recent two-week break in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) for example.

While some welcomed it, there were others – like SSP-MSP-YP-Thunderbolt (Pahang Sports School) – who frowned on it.

Team manager Wan Mazlan Isa complained about not having any matches for too long.

“Our momentum will be affected ... we need to start all over again. I think two weeks is far too long,” he said.

The second-placed Pahang Sports School are three points behind leaders Tunku Mahkota Ismail (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt. Both teams will meet on Feb 19 in what should be the Division One title decider.

But Mazlan’s focus in on their two matches – SMK Datuk Bentara Luar on Sunday and Olak on Feb 17.

“Getting full points from these two matches is crucial. Anything less will affect our title chances as we’re already three points behind SSTMI and are playing catch-up.”

The Pahang team, whose only loss came at the hands of Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), will wrap up their Division One fixtures against Politeknik Malaysia on Feb 21.

Mazlan is happy that all the four remaining matches will be on home ground in Kuantan.

“We must capitalise on this advantage and get the necessary points,” he said.

“We’ve scored 28 goals in five matches. But we missed far too many chances as well. There is always a chance that the title fight could be decided on goal difference.”

SSTMI, meanwhile, have two tough ties this weekend – against BJSS-Thunderbolt on Friday and Politeknik Malaysia on Saturday.

“The break has been good for us ... we’ve been able to work on our shortcomings. We’re looking forward the matches this weekend and we intend to remain at the top of the standings on Sunday,” said team manager, Adam Izamry Idrus.

The Star of Malaysia



Kampong employ new technical director



SV Kampong have hired Bas Bruin as the club’s new technical director for top hockey, making the move from THC Hurley.

In the past, Bruin – who lives in Utrecht – has coached a number of different Kampong teams between 1993 and 2003 including the boys A1 (Under-18) and C1 (Under-14 sides) and he was assistant coach to Siegfried Aikman with the men’s first team. Since 2012, he has also been head coach of Dutch Boys A (Under-18).

Among his tasks, he will be charged with overseeing the youth pathway into top hockey for the men and women.

Speaking about the new role, Bruin said: “I am happy to come back to Kampong, a club with the ambition to play with the top teams in the playoffs. My motive is to play a leading role in developing Kampong’s talent.

“It is not only on the physical and technical/tactical level, but especially in the area of mental toughness, which certainly is increasing in international hockey matches and tournaments.

“The challenge is to also recognise that talent and train it. I wants this development to further shape the organisation of the youth of Kampong; not only for the benefit of its own top teams, but also for the development of national hockey.”

Euro Hockey League media release



Michelle Joubert - Hockey Stars 2015 Women's Umpire of the Year



Michelle Joubert celebrated her golden whistle (100th senior international game) in Rosario during the women's Argentina Hockey World League Final. She then took control of the final of that event between the host nation and New Zealand.

The South African umpire is known throughout the game for her fairness, great knowledge of the sport and her support for her colleagues, so this was a popular winner of the award – the first time such recognition has been given.

“I am extremely thankful for this award, especially because it is the first time that this category has been introduced as part of the FIH Hockey Stars Awards,” said Joubert. “I do feel that this award could have gone to either Sole or Irene who were the other nominees. They are both great umpires whom I respect and have learnt so much from.”

“Over the past week it has been amazing to see how much support we, as umpires, have and I think that as umpires we feel ‘included’ in the current developments associated with the Hockey Revolution and it makes us feel like we are part of the bigger picture. I hope that the publicity around this specific award has, and will continue to inspire and motivate other umpires, not only at an international level, but also at grassroots level.”

Joubert is one of the team of top umpires who will be travelling to Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games. She spoke of the pressure that umpires feel at events in which the eyes of the world are upon them.

“The pressure to perform and to constantly make 100 per cent correct decisions at all times is definitely felt. Just like in any sport, teams and spectators only really remember the ‘wrong’ decisions, and it is these decisions which we as umpires and officials learn from and try to build on for our next game or tournament.

“It is more important for me to focus now on my preparations for on Rio. I hope to build on my successes from 2015 and to be part of an umpiring team that will share in the success of a great spectacle that hockey will provide in Rio.”

FIH site



International umpire award for Scottish official

Scottish Hockey is delighted to have received confirmation from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that Gavin Cruickshank has received his FIH International indoor badge.

Gavin a member of Grove Menziehill received his upgrade to an international umpire following a strong performance at the EuroHockey Indoor Nations Championship tournament in Portugal in January.

Gavin adds the indoor badge to his FIH International outdoor badge that he received in 2013.

This makes Gavin one of only seven umpires in Scotland to have both his Indoor and Outdoor International Badge.

Gavin started on the EHF Umpire Development Programme in 2015 and we wish him all the best for the programme and his future umpiring.

His upgrade comes just days before a number of Scottish officials fly out to represent their country at a number of EHF indoor club tournaments, including Scott Baird, Alex Fedenczuk, Martin Monaghan, Ali Munro and David Sweetman

Scottish Hockey Union media release

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