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All the news for Friday 15 April 2016

Draw or win against India assure Malaysia third spot in Ipoh

by S. Ramaguru


Malaysia's Joel van Huizen (left) tussles for the ball with Pakistan's Rashid Mehmood during a recent match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh. SAIFUL BAHRI/The Star.

IPOH: Malaysia take on India in their last match in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament on Saturday knowing that they have a chance to finish in the top four – or even make the final, albeit, a slim one.

Looking at the standings, it would be better for Malaysia to just focus on finishing fourth, which is a more realistic target.

To make the final, they will have to hammer India by at least eight goals due to their inferior goal difference – and that’s almost impossible.

Right now, with Australia already assured of their place in the final, the other spot is still open to two other teams – New Zealand and India.

Australia top the group with 15 points, followed by New Zealand on 11, India on nine and Malaysia on eight.

Instead of worrying about whether the team can make the final or not, national coach Stephen van Huizen should get his men to focus on just beating India – or at least hold them to a draw.

A draw or win against India will assure Malaysia third placing – and that’ll be quite an achievement for a side who finished bottom in last year’s tournament, although they did beat India 3-2 then.

So, it does make sense that Stephen is taking the match against India as “just another match”.

“We will treat it as just another game. Of course there are a lot of reasons to win it. But we’re not going to add additional pressure on ourselves. We will try to play our game, improve and try to win,” he said.

“This tournament is where we start our rebuilding and, frankly, mistakes are bound to happen. That’s what learning is all about.”

To beat India, Malaysia must sort out some perennial problems – sloppy defending and poor passing, tackling and finishing.

So far in this tournament, the Malaysians also tended to wilt in the fourth quarter.

“I think all teams struggled in the third or fourth quarters. So, I’m not unduly worried about it. It’s just a phase ... the humidity here has been a problem for all the teams,” said Stephen.

“We are learning and all this experience will do the team good. That, after all, is our objective – to learn.”

The Star of Malaysia

India aim to beat Malaysia for a place in hockey final

by S.Ramaguru


India Sowmarpet Sunil celebrates after scoring for India during a recent match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. - RONNIE CHIN/The Star

IPOH: India have set their sights on qualifying for final of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament when they take on hosts Malaysia in the final fixture of the preliminary round at the Azlan Shah Stadium.

The last time they played in a final was in 2010, when they ended up as joint champions with South Korea after the final was abandoned due to a downpour.

To make the final this time, India, who have nine points, must beat Malaysia because New Zealand, who have completed their fixtures, are now second with 11 points.

Five-time champions India, who are preparing for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August, are upbeat about their chances.

“Destiny is in our hands. Beating Malaysia will take us to the final ... any other result will see us finishing third,” said India’s Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans.

“I believe we can do it ... win the game. But it won’t be easy.”

World champions Australia have already qualified for the final with 15 points from five successive wins.

India have a good track record against Malaysia, although they lost to the hosts 3-2 in last year’s tournament.

The last time these two teams met, India shattered Malaysia’s hopes of qualifying for the Rio Olympics by prevailing 3-2 in last year’s World League Semi-Finals in Antwerp, Belgium. India are the only Asian team to have qualified for the Rio Games.

Basically, the tussle for the second spot in the Sultan Azlan Shah final is between India and defending champions New Zealand.

“We’re keen to make the final, but to get there we need to beat Malaysia first,” said Oltmans.

“Malaysia have played some good hockey, but were unlucky not to get better results. Playing at home is also an advantage for them.”

Oltmans said that they have brought a young team to Ipoh and felt that making the final would provide a big break for most of the players.

“You want to play in tough matches and, if we can make the final against Australia, it will be a bonus. It is good that we’re playing Malaysia at night as the weather will be a bit kinder,” he said.

“Overall, we need to buck up in some areas ... and also not make too many mistakes.”

The Star of Malaysia

India eye final as they take on Malaysia in last league tie

IPOH: The loss to New Zealand complicating matters for them, an inconsistent India will take on Malaysia in a do-or-die battle to secure a final berth in their final league fixture of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here Friday.

India, who have been unimpressive so far except for the 5-1 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, need to pull off a victory against Malaysia tomorrow to ensure their place in the final match of the tournament, which they have won five times and were bronze medallists last year. World champions Australia have already qualified for the final to be played on Saturday with 15 points from five successive wins.

India have had an edge in past encounters against Malaysia, who will, however, draw inspiration from their 3-2 win over the Asian Games champions during last year's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at the same venue. In the last meeting between these two teams, India shattered Malaysia's hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Games by winning 3-2 in last year's World League Semifinals at Antwerp (Belgium).

Avenging that loss will be on Malaysia's mind, although they have faint hopes of qualifying for the final after being held to a draw by Canada two days ago. The hosts need to defeat India by seven goals to earn a place in the final. A victory over India will enable Malaysia to equal New Zealand's points tally as well as the goal-difference, but the home team will be ahead in goals scored. Otherwise, they can only aspire for a bronze medal.

The tussle for the second spot in the league standings, which will earn a title encounter with Australia, is between India and defending champions New Zealand. New Zealand, after their 2-1 victory over India yesterday, moved into the second place as they finished their six league outings with 11 points, while India are on nine points from five matches.

India's task of clinching a place in the title match is simpler. They just need a victory tomorrow to finish above New Zealand, who will then have to play for the bronze medal. India raised the level of their game to post a 5-1 victory over Pakistan on Tuesday, but their performance slackened a bit the following day against New Zealand as they lost 1-2 in extremely hot and humid afternoon conditions.

A victory against New Zealand would have secured India a place in the title round with a league game to spare and a livid head coach Roelant Oltmans made no bones about his wards' poor show against the Black Sticks. "We're keen to make the final, but for getting there we need to produce a good game of hockey against Malaysia tomorrow," said Oltmans. "Malaysia have exhibited some good hockey, but were unlucky not to get better results," said Oltmans.

Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen has concerns about injuries sustained by his captain Razie Rahim whose penalty corner conversions have been a key element in Malaysia's good show. Rahim needed stitches on his lips after Tuesday's match against Canada. The following day, he received a stinging blow on the hand as he brought off a desperate save in the last quarter of the match against Pakistan which the home side won 1-0.

Rahim played a gallant game for Malaysia as they hung on to the fourth-minute lead provided by himself. Van Huizen extolled his team to come out and produce a outstanding show in the last league outing against India on Friday. "We'll give it our best and only then look at where we finish," said van Huizen, who conceded that Malaysia did not have very good prospects of qualifying for the final.

"We're still a long way off being among the top teams, but we aspire for a sound show against them," said the Malaysia coach.

The Times of India

Oltmans Expects Tough Encounter

By Swaroop Swaminathan


Sardar Singh

IPOH:So it all comes down to the last match of the round-robin phase of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. If India beat Malaysia, India will play Australia in the final on Saturday. In case of a draw, both the teams will play each other in the third-fourth classification match. A big Malaysian victory complicates things for everybody including the ones who publish the league table.

Malaysia have played their matches with lots of energy and gumption and Roelant Oltmans expects a tough test for his wards. “To be honest I have not looked at Malaysia so far in the tournament. I will probably do that tonight. They look very fit and it will not be an easy game for us,” the Dutch coach said. “They play a high energy game and have been a bit unlucky and we will have to be on our toes to make it to the final.”

Malaysian coach Stephan Van Huizen said he will send his team to give their all. “It is not only important for us but also important for the tournament that we give our best.” Australia, who have already qualified, will face New Zealand in the final if India fail to win.

While the India-Malaysia rivalry has sort of vapourised over the last few years, this match gives the hosts the opportunity to derail India’s chances.

India were directly responsible for denying Malaysia a place at the Olympics, the sport’s holy grail, thanks to their victory in the quarterfinals of the Hockey World League Semifinals last year. Razie Rahim’s men won’t forget that in a hurry.

India, who will come into the match on the back of promising and not so promising performances, have in fact had Speedy Tigers’ no but success in this tournament has eluded for quite sometime.

The last time they won here was in 2010 — joint champions with South Korea — and another triumph on Friday might redress that situation.

Friday’s fixtures: Japan vs Pakistan (1.35 pm), Australia vs Canada (3.35 pm), Malaysia vs India (6.05 pm).

New Indian Express

India eye final berth as they face Malaysia today

IPOH: The loss to New Zealand complicating matters for them, an inconsistent India will take on Malaysia in a do-or-die battle to secure a final berth in their final league fixture of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament here on Friday (today). India, who have been unimpressive so far except for the 5-1 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, need to pull off a victory against Malaysia to ensure their place in the final match of the tournament, which they have won five times and were bronze medallists last year. World champions Australia have already qualified for the final to be played on Saturday with 15 points from five successive wins. India have had an edge in past encounters against Malaysia, who will, however, draw inspiration from their 3-2 win over the Asian Games champions during last year's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at the same venue.

In the last meeting between these two teams, India shattered Malaysia's hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Games by winning 3-2 in last year's World League Semifinals at Antwerp (Belgium). Avenging that loss will be on Malaysia's mind, although they have faint hopes of qualifying for the final after being held to a draw by Canada two days ago. The hosts need to defeat India by seven goals to earn a place in the final. A victory over India will enable Malaysia to equal New Zealand's points tally as well as the goal-difference, but the home team will be ahead in goals scored. Otherwise, they can only aspire for a bronze medal. The tussle for the second spot in the league standings, which will earn a title encounter with Australia, is between India and defending champions New Zealand. New Zealand, after their 2-1 victory over India Wednesday, moved into the second place as they finished their six league outings with 11 points, while India are on nine points from five matches.

India's task of clinching a place in the title match is simpler. They just need a victory on Friday to finish above New Zealand, who will then have to play for the bronze medal. India raised the level of their game to post a 5-1 victory over Pakistan on Tuesday, but their performance slackened a bit the following day against New Zealand as they lost 1-2 in extremely hot and humid afternoon conditions. A victory against New Zealand would have secured India a place in the title round with a league game to spare and a livid head coach Roelant Oltmans made no bones about his wards' poor show against the Black Sticks. "We're keen to make the final, but for getting there we need to produce a good game of hockey against Malaysia on Friday," said Oltmans. "Malaysia have exhibited some good hockey, but were unlucky not to get better results," said Oltmans.

Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen has concerns about injuries sustained by his captain Razie Rahim whose penalty corner conversions have been a key element in Malaysia's good show. Rahim needed stitches on his lips after Tuesday's match against Canada. The following day, he received a stinging blow on the hand as he brought off a desperate save in the last quarter of the match against Pakistan which the home side won 1-0. Rahim played a gallant game for Malaysia as they hung on to the fourth-minute lead provided by himself. Van Huizen extolled his team to come out and produce an outstanding show in the last league outing against India on Friday. "We'll give it our best and only then look at where we finish," said van Huizen, who conceded that Malaysia did not have very good prospects of qualifying for the final. "We're still a long way off being among the top teams, but we aspire for a sound show against them," said the Malaysia coach.

The Daily Times

Contrasting aims highlight Pakistan, India’s stark fortunes

By Nabil Tahir


Pakistan’s 5-1 loss to India, along with the possibility that they might finish last while India win the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, shows the different directions in which the two hockey teams are headed. PHOTO COURTESY: MALAYSIAN HOCKEY CONFEDERATION

KARACHI: While Pakistan take on Japan in a match that decides which of the two sides finishes bottom, arch-rivals India take on Malaysia in a bid to reach the final of the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ioph, Malaysia today.

The Greenshirts won their first match against Canada but were then subjected to four defeats on the trot — losing to New Zealand, Australia, India and Malaysia — meaning their opponents Japan are the only country below them in the seven-team table.

Not only do the two sides have the worst points tallies with three for Pakistan and zero for Japan, they also have the worst goal difference of -9 — both conceding a whopping 16 goals and scoring just seven in their five games so far.

Pakistan can finish fifth if they defeat Japan and Canada are beaten by Australia but do not have a chance to finish in the top four positions and compete in the  final or third-place playoff. Defeat to Japan though will see them finish bottom and not even qualify for the fifth-place playoff.

However, despite the poor performances, former players feel it is not the players but the Pakistan Hockey Federation that is to blame.

“The federation was unable to motivate the players against India,” said Samiullah Khan, feeling that some sort of prize money should have been announced as an added incentive like the Indians did. “Regardless of how badly we play against other teams, our players have always picked up their game against India and shown passion. Unfortunately in this tournament they were unable to do so.”

Samiullah feels Indian hockey has a bright future ahead, considering the promising youngsters coming through. “India are improving so fast that their juniors are now performing better than our seniors,” he said.

Meanwhile, former captain Hasan Sardar also rued the dismal state of Pakistan hockey. “Now they are losing matches against India with big margins. A lot of brain storming is required to get things on track,” he said.

While India have also struggled against the likes of New Zealand and Australia, their statement 5-1 win over Pakistan means they now need to defeat Malaysia in order to book a spot in the final where world champions Australia await.

Such has been Australia’s dominance that they will in all likelihood go into the final with six wins out of six, with today’s opponents Canada going into their final match as distinct outsiders.

India have had an edge over Malaysia in recent encounters, shattering their hopes of qualifying for the Olympic Games by winning 3-2 in last year’s World League semi-finals in Antwerp, Belgium.

The Express Tribune

Shots Fired: PHF told to produce results or face music

KARACHI: Fresh from being criticised by former Olympians for the national team’s horrendous performances in the ongoing Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was slammed some more yesterday when Mian Riaz Husain Pirzada, Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, joined in on the act.

Pirzada, while talking to The Express Tribune, questioned why the PHF has failed to improve the Greenshirts’ results despite receiving a Rs70 million grant from the government. “We gave the federation a huge amount with the hope that they would revive the national game, but results don’t reflect our investment,” he said.

The minister then took aim at the national team’s shrinking talent pool, which received an intake of just 18 players despite the federation holding open trials all over the country.

“The federation does not have a larger pool of players even after holding open trials,” said Pirzada. “They just have 35 to 40 players out of which they select a team for every tournament. They will have to increase the pool and select players on merit.”

He also accused the PHF of misusing the allocated funds and threatened to cut off the money supply if the team doesn’t come out of the slump it has been in for years. “Although we are working for the revival of the national sport, if the results don’t improve then we will not release the money earmarked for the federation and instead concentrate on other sports,” he declared.

In the end, Pirzada directed the federation to organise more matches for the hockey team, especially at home. “They players will only learn if they play more matches. The federation should put their efforts in inviting other nations to Pakistan,” he said. “I am sure that teams will start visiting Pakistan as the law and order situation has now improved.”

After winning the opening match of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup against Canada 3-1, Pakistan crashed out after four straight defeats to New Zealand, Australia, India and Malaysia.

The Express Tribune

Canadian Hockey Team Forced to Pay and Play

By Swaroop Swaminathan


In a file picture from last week, Canada players try to thwart Nikkin Thimmaiah

The locals are creating an incredible racket. The hosts are leading Canada 2-1 but the lead doesn’t last as Matthew Guest equalises. The game finishes 2-2 and Malaysia’s chances of entering the final drop on Tuesday.

Guest, a doctor in the emergency department of Williamstown hospital in Australia, and his teammates do not care. They are not entirely happy with the point but they are making a point by even coming to tourneys like these. In a world where sport has been trivialised, the Canadian field hockey story comes along as a Bellerophon taking on the Chimera.

Most sportspersons, when on tours, have everything taken care of. The Canadian hockey team? Not so much. “Over the last two years,” Anthony Farry, coach of the national team, says, “I would say every player has pumped in $10,000-$15,000 into the programme to make it to tours. They are fortunate here (Sultan Azlan Shah Cup) because in other places they have to pay for food.”

The team is lucky that the Malaysian Hockey Federation have sponsored their accommodation, while Field Hockey Canada have taken care of airfares. Usually, that’s not the case. “We have been to India for a couple of times in the last few years and also to Argentina once and those places are expensive to get to,” Farry says.

“We are talking about $2000 for a single person’s airfare and when you have got 18 people it adds up quickly. Plus, that doesn’t even include accommodation. When we visit India, it’s a $1,20,000 adventure and we don’t have that money. It’s great we are able to do this but it quickly drains the bank account (of Field Hockey Canada) and then money comes out of players’ pockets if they are to be on tours.”

The team made it through the Olympics thanks to their efforts at the Hockey World League Semifinal in Argentina (they finished fourth) and it had a knock-on effect — funding. “We didn’t receive any funding till Sport Canada gave us some money after we qualified. We have a tiny budget but it is going to be sufficient enough for us to not pay our way through tours till the Olympics.”

Many teams prefer not to travel half-the-way around the world in an Olympic year but Canada had to get out of theirs just to train properly. “The difference between Vancouver (considered as the field hockey capital of Canada) and here is huge. It’s effectively 30 degrees Celsius warmer here than back home. We trained for a whole month back home in February and we saw the sun twice. It was raining for the rest of the time and temperatures were 5 degrees. It was really hard to generate a quality session in that climate and that’s why it’s important go on tours like this.”

Travelling to Malaysia does get the team traction but there is no great following for the sport in Canada and it’s amusing to see the type of questions Farry fields from journalists. “I get stuff like ‘do you, like, play on ice?’ And I have to tell them, ‘no, we play on field like the name suggests’”. 

It’s not surprising to see hockey players double up as doctors or engineers but Guest, Farry reveals, is the only player with full-time employment. “I think there is a group who study in universities, a few have graduated and are working part-time, trying to fit in with what we do. We don’t have the luxury of training 24x7. The players have to work. I am not saying other people don’t do that but it’s a hard situation when you know you are not going to be reimbursed. They have to work to be able to make the tours.”

Even though Field Hockey Canada supports them in whatever way they can without crippling the organisation, everything comes down to the players. Ones, Farry claims, will do anything if it means they can play the Olympic

New Indian Express

Black Sticks men going for gold at Rio Olympics, says skipper Simon Child

Clay Wilson


Kiwi captain Simon Child, centre, says they can beat any team in the world on their day. ANTHONY AU-YEUNG/PHOTOSPORT

Forget their world ranking and back-door qualification, the Black Sticks men are out for gold in Rio.

To the casual observer, the New Zealand hockey side might seem an outside chance at best of a podium finish at the Olympic Games.

Ranked eighth, the team only qualified when the South African Olympic Committee opted not to send their teams and haven't finished better than sixth since the famous gold medal triumph at Montreal in 1976.


The Black Sticks men during the 2012 London Olympics, where they finished ninth. LAWRENCE SMITH/FAIRFAX NZ

But as they waited to see if they would get the chance to defend their title at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, Kiwi skipper Simon Child felt anything was possible in Rio.

"The goal is to win a gold medal. We know it is a huge challenge, but we see the tournament structure with quarterfinals this time around as a real opportunity for us.

"We know we'll have to do well through pool-play to give ourselves perhaps a slightly easier route towards the final, but certainly we're out there to win gold.

"Consistently performing across not just one or two games, but across the tournament is the focus for us. We know we can foot it with any team in the world on our day, the objective is to play eight games in Rio at the level we know we need to be at."

Child used the Black Sticks appearance in the gold medal match at the 2014 World League Final tournament and being crowned champions at last year's Azlan Shah Cup as examples of what the team are capable of.

The New Zealand captain also admits inconsistency has plagued the national side since he made his debut as a 16-year-old in 2005.

Punctuated by an inability to convert chances, it is also an issue that left them needing 13th-ranked Malaysia to draw at worst with seventh-ranked India overnight on Friday to set-up a replay of the 2015 final against world No 1 Australia.

The Kiwis drew with Malaysia and 14th-ranked Canada to start the tournament, meaning wins against Pakistan, Japan and India and a 1-0 loss to Australia wasn't enough to guarantee them a spot in the title decider.

While acknowledging they were by no means the finished product, Child said performances like their second half display against the Aussies kept belief within the group high.

"We flipped the game on its head, we were in total control. They were the ones doing all the running and we were creating all the chances.

"The feeling after the game was it was a bit of a missed opportunity in that we created enough chances to get a draw, if not a win, against the world champs.

"To run over top of them in the second half gives us a lot of confidence that towards the back end of games we can run over teams purely from a physical point of view."

New Zealand will face Malaysia in the playoff for third in Ipoh if the hosts are beaten by India.

The Black Sticks then return for a six-week camp in Auckland, before departing at the start of June for a three-test series against the second-ranked Dutch and a Six Nations tournament in Valencia, Spain.

If they can iron out the remaining creases in their game by then, Child is optimistic his third Olympics will not have him coming home empty-handed.

"There has certainly been some ups and downs in the last 12 to 18 months, but we are confident we are there or thereabouts.

"[The Australia result] shows we are very close to what other teams are doing and come Rio there is going to be very little between the top team and the contenders, which is the position we see ourselves in."

Stuff

Grand Finals & Play-Offs signal season finale for clubs



The finale of the Men's and Women's National League Division 1 & 2 season takes place this weekend with the Grand Finals and Promotion / Relegation Play-Offs being staged at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

A fantastic weekend of hockey is scheduled, with no less than six crucial matches taking place!

Entry is only £5 for Adults, U16s and Senior Citizens admission is free of charge. Those attending matches on Saturday will be able to retain their entry band for Sunday if they wish.

Grand Finals (Sunday 17 April)

Men's National League

Bromac Kelburne and Grove Menzieshill will contest the Men's National League Grand Final (4pm).

There is no doubt that these two sides have demonstrated a class above the rest this season and a hotly contested battle is anticipated.

For Kelburne, a domestic treble is their aim having bagged the League and Cup already.

The Paisley side have made the Grand Final for third year running after defeating Western Wildcats in the semi-finals.

As they demonstrated in the Scottish Cup final against Edinburgh University, any side giving away a significant goal advantage to the 12-in-a-row league champions will find it extremely difficult to claw their way back into the match.

Still the side to beat in Scotland, they will go into the Grand Final with high confidence.

Nevertheless, Grove Menzieshill have responded to their relegation in 2014 in a highly professional manner.

A record-breaking league campaign last season was followed up by a remarkable performance in Division 1 this season when they were pipped to the league title on goal difference by Sunday's opponents.

The Dundonians are also one of only two sides to inflict a defeat on Kelburne this season, and their semi-final defeat to the west coast side required a penalty shoot-out.

A semi-final win over last season's Grand Final winners Grange paved their way to Sunday's encounter and the Taysiders will be eager to take that final step towards claiming domestic silverware.

A close match is expected, with predicting a winner very difficult.

Women's National League

In similar circumstances to the Men's match, the Women's National League Grand Final (2pm) will feature Scotland's two highest performing teams, Edinburgh University and Grove Menzieshill.



Having narrowly triumphed over Sunday's opponents in both the League and Scottish Cup Final, Edinburgh University have a domestic treble in their sights.

The students are also aiming for a second Grand Final win in a row after winning last season's finale in Glasgow.

Player-coach Sam Judge was the difference between the two sides in the recent Scottish Cup encounter, scoring all four goals in a dramatic win, and the Dundonian defence will need to be on their toes to snuff out the threat from the former Scotland international.

Like their male clubmates, this is the last chance of winning domestic silverware this season for Grove Menzieshill.

Linda Clement's side have the knowledge in mind that they were the only team to inflict defeat on the University this season and their mixture of youth and experience are more than a match for the capital outfit.

University will start as narrow favourites in this match, but picking the winning team is no easy task.

Division 1/2 Play-Offs (First Leg, Saturday 16 April, Second Leg, Sunday 17 April)

Men's Play-Offs

Inverleith are aiming to reclaim a place back in Division 1 when they take on Hillhead in the Men's promotion / relegation play-off (12.00, both days).

The Purple Robes, who were demoted at this stage last year, take on a Hillhead side who have suffered a difficult run of form in the last few weeks of the season.



Despite a 4-4 draw in last weekend's first leg semi-final against Uddingston, the Glasgow side were comfortably beaten 5-1 in the second leg, propelling them towards a fight for survival this weekend.

Inverleith came up short in their semi-final against PSL Team Sport Clydesdale, but may be more confident of causing an upset with their opponents demonstrating questionable form of late.

Women's Play-Offs

The Women's play-off features an Edinburgh derby between Erskine Stewart's Melville FP and Grange EL (10.00, both days).

Having lost to local rivals CALA Edinburgh in last weekend's semi-final, this is the former pupils' last chance to salvage their place in the top division for 2016/17.



Form normally favours the team in the higher division, but Grange EL ran Watsonians close in the other semi-final and will pose a real threat to their capital foes as they aim for a return to Division 1 having been relegated at this stage in the play-offs in 2014.

With a place in the country's top 10 at stake, expect a very close fought affair.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Irish EYHL Provincial Playoffs Round 1 - This Weekend!



This weekend sees 8 clubs from all over Ireland battle it out to gain a place in next season’s EY Hockey League. Hosted by Monkstown HC and Lisnagarvey HC,  each  2 pitch venue hosts one men’s and one women’s pool of 4 teams with  each team playing Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday. The top 2 teams from each men’s and women’s pools at will qualify for the Knock-out Finals which will take place in Three Rock Rovers on April 23rd & 24th.

The pools for Lisnagarvey are:

 The pools for Monkstown are:

 For more information on the EYHL Provincial Playoffs, click here. You can also find information on both venues, Monkstown HC and Lisnagarvey HC.

Results throughout the weekend will be posted online as follows:

Provincial Playoffs: Women’s Fixtures & Results

Provincial Playoffs: Men’s Fixtures & Results

Irish Hockey Association media release

FIH Executive Board agrees important measures to strengthen governance and transparency

Following International Hockey Federation (FIH) Executive Board meetings in Lausanne, Switzerland last week, several key decisions were made including moves to strengthen its values of integrity, equity and transparency.

This included the approval to expand the current FIH Code of Ethics to strengthen the general ethical values of the organisation. The new code will address specific areas of risk and incorporate an efficient enforcement procedure.

FIH will also be asking each Continental Federation and National Association to adopt a continental/national-level code of ethics at least as stringent as the FIH Code of Ethics.

In addition to general ethical principles, the updated Code will strengthen measures relating specifically to loyalty (avoiding conflicts of interest); integrity (bribery) and match-related integrity (corruption, betting and misuse of inside information) to provide all those individuals who assist the FIH in its role as international governing body with a clear understanding and appreciation of acceptable conduct.

FIH Statute amendments were also proposed, many of which will bring them in line with International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations, guidelines and policies as well as aligning with the updated FIH Code of Ethics.

Such amendments, which will be proposed for approval at the FIH Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in November 2016, have been developed to strengthen governance across the sport.

Ahead of Congress, the Elections Oversight Panel (EOP) set forth the guiding principles of the nominations and elections processes. They also presented the Board with the Nominations and Elections Procedures Manual to be put into effect with the call for nominations later this year.

This is a further step to ensure that FIH nominations and elections processes are carried out in a fair and transparent manner consistent with the FIH Statutes and General Regulations.

Updates were also provided to the Executive Board on the work of the FIH Hockey Academy, ‘State of the Game’ audit and FIH Targeted Assistance Programmes as well as on the progress of a short-sided game under development, which has evolved from Hockey5s.

The FIH’s audited accounts for 2015 were presented showing a sound balance sheet, which included an operational profit of CHF 452,000. This provided evidence that FIH was in a strong financial position going into 2016, with the published accounts soon to be made available on FIH.ch.

These updates follow last week’s announcement that the FIH Athletes’ Committee will be restructured. This will see two Olympians - South Africa's Marsha Cox and England and Great Britain's Annie Panter, replace fellow Olympian Michael Green, as they take over as joint Chairs from the FIH Congress in November, for a period of two years.

The Executive Board were pleased to see the results that the FIH Hockey Revolution is already delivering, 18 months after it was launched in 2014. Those attending the FIH Congress in Dubai later this year will receive a comprehensive update on this 10-year strategy aimed at making hockey a global game that inspires the next generation. Additionally, details of a new portfolio of international events from 2019 onwards will be revealed, along with updates on a new short form version of the game currently being developed.

FIH site