News for 07 May 2016
All the news for Saturday 7 May 2016
Indian eves lose 1-2 to Great Britain in hockey
MARLOW (England): The Indian women's hockey team suffered its second successive loss, going down 1-2 to Great Britain in the ongoing five-match series.
The Indians thus trail the hosts 0-2 in the series. The visitors looked the dominant side through the 1st quarter. But the hosts began to exert pressure as the quarter went on and opened the scoring in the 15th minute.
Leigh scored the first goal for Great Britain. In the opening minutes of the second quarter Britain won a penalty corner and converted it via Cullen to go 2-0 up. They kept the lead intact leading into half time.
As the third quarter of the match started, India won a penalty corner in the 32nd minute but were denied by the British defense. The Indian eves still managed to net a goal and ended the quarter trailing by a single goal. Grace scored the goal for India.
There were no further goals added in the fourth quarter.
Speaking after the game, India chief coach Neil Hawgood said, "It was a much improved performance by us. The team played as a unit and worked on the errors from their second match. It's an improvement. "
India play their third match of the series against Great Britain on Sunday.
The Times of India
McLean keeping it simple for Southern
Photo: www.photosport.nz
Southern’s Maddi McLean has been in great form this week for Southern, leading her side around the park and finding the back of the net on a couple of occasions.
McLean is in the wider Junior World Cup squad, and having missed out on the Junior World Cup qualifiers she knows what she has to do to impress the selectors.
“I was gutted to miss out but I got some really good feedback from the coaches on what I need to work on and the points they gave me are fair. I’m just trying to work on those and I am keen to get back in the fold.”
McLean is joined in the Southern U21 team by her talented younger sister Neve, so has older sister been helping younger sister?
“It’s always been a bit competitive growing up – I am one year older than she is so every second year we would be in the same rep team. It’s nice to be playing with her because we know how each other plays, plus it’s good having her down here for training, we push each other.”
The Southern girls scored a great result on Sunday, defeating Capital 4-2 and have been competitive in each game this week. Despite this, McLean is still asking for more from her side.
“Just making sure we are really strong on our outlets and maintaining possession of the ball as we are going forward. We seem to be able to break out of defence but then the final pass and getting an outcome in the circle is an area we need to focus on.
“I am really happy with how our team is going, we don’t have any real stars in our team so it’s all about team work and keeping the good vibes going.”
Much like the Southern Junior Dogs, McLean’s team have enjoyed playing in front of family and friends in Dunedin. The McMillan Hockey Centre has often been at capacity when either Southern team has been playing this week.
“It’s so awesome having it at home, lots of uni students coming out to watch and our parents too, even supporters we don’t know from the wider community. It’s good having the little kids coming down to watch and see what they can aspire to when they’re older.”
Unfortunately for Maddi and her team, Central prevailed 3-0 over the Southern girls to knock them out of contention.
In other results Midlands booked their spot in the final with a 2-0 over Capital, and Harbour defeated Canterbury 4-0.
DAILY RESULTS – WOMEN
Thursday 5th May
Midlands 2: (Tarryn Davey, Olivia Scotland)
Capital 0
Central 3: (Pippa Norman, Lara Williams, Teri Kitson)
Southern 0
North Harbour 4: (Samantha Polovnikoff 2, Courtney Winterbottom 2)
Canterbury 1: (Jessie Anderson)
CLICK HERE for all scores, standings and stats from the National U21 Tournament
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Brydon one step away from U21 glory
Photo: www.photosport.nz
Hearts were in mouths on Thursday as David Brydon failed to take the field for the Canterbury Under 21 Men against North Harbour.
No need to worry however, as Brydon is all set to face the same opposition in the final on Saturday.
“On Thursday I pulled up a little bit lame with my quad in the warm up and decided it would be best not to pull up in the game having already qualified for the final.”
Brydon was this year selected in the Black Sticks Development Squad, something which both surprised but excited the Canterbury youngster. Hailing from a proud hockey family, Brydon is clear about what his goals are.
“It was a bit of a shock, I was pretty stoked with it. I was more aiming to break into that squad post Rio, it’s just brought my goals forward a couple of years, now I’m trying to push for the main squad post Rio and going into next year.”
With Christchurch a short road trip from Dunedin, Brydon is looking forward to seeing the McMillan Hockey Centre decked out in red and black for their big game, including David’s parents Andrew and Nichola.
“A few of the boys have a few mates and a few vans coming down, hopefully we get some good support.”
With Brydon sitting out on Thursday, North Harbour became the first team to defeat Canterbury with a late Robbie Capizzi winner earning a 3-2 victory. According to Brydon, this has seen the motivation levels rise for his side.
“We were looking to go through the week unbeaten and there was just a slight hiccup. At the end of the day, Saturday is the one that matters.”
Brydon and his team enjoyed a rest day on Friday, but still headed to the turf late in the afternoon to prepare for their big game.
Canterbury will be facing North Harbour in the final, after the boys from north of the bridge beat Capital in an entertaining game 3-2.
Midlands secured a shoot-out victory over Southern after scores were tied 3-3 at fulltime, and Central confined Auckland to the wooden spoon with a 5-3 win.
DAILY RESULTS – MEN
Friday 6th May
North Harbour 3: (Robbie Capizzi, Nathan Fouhy, Connor Petrie)
Capital 2: (Joseph Robertson, Daniel Harris)
Central 5: (Dylan Thomas 2, Mac Wilcox 2, Sam Hiha)
Auckland 3: (Jonty Keaney 2, Kalyan Jeram)
Southern 3: (Kieran O’Connor, Campbell Paton, Josh Caldwell)
Midlands 3: (Reuben Andrews, Leo Mitai-Wells, Ethan Martin)
Midlands won shoot-out 5-4
CLICK HERE for all scores, standings and stats from the National U21 Tournament
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Varsity Hockey ready to showcase SA’s hockey talent
The 2016 Varsity Hockey men’s tournament should provide typically festive students hockey, but for the hosts, the University of Johannesburg, there is the serious business of defending the title they won in the 2014 edition of the biennial event.
And with eight players from their squad fresh from the high-pressure environment of playing in the final of the men’s Senior Interprovincial Nationals, the other seven teams competing this weekend at UJ will have their work cut out for them.
The Johannesburg leg of the tournament runs from Friday to Monday, before the eight teams resume battle at the University of Stellenbosch the following weekend, with the final on May 23 at the venue of the team that finishes top of the log.
UJ open their defence against Maties at 6.45pm on Friday night in a repeat of the thrilling 2014 final. Varsity Hockey rotates between men’s and women’s tournaments each year.
Taylor Dart, Gareth Heyns and Brynn Cleak were all key members of the Southern Gauteng team that won the senior IPT in convincing fashion, while Tyson Dlungwana, Kyle Lion-Cachet, Courtney Halle, Amkelwa Letuka and Ryan Crowe were in the vanquished SA U21 team and are amongst the brightest young talents in the country.
Additionally, goalkeeper Matthew Martins, Gerald Mpopo, Rayner York and Leneal Jackson were in the Witwatersrand (Southern Gauteng B) team that also performed with credit in the A Section at IPT, losing out to the SA U21s in a shootout for a semifinal place.
Maties have several reasons of their own to believe they can go one better this year, with the highly impressive Dylan Swanepoel, named player of the tournament in 2014, joined by Western Province senior captain Daniel Bell and his IPT team-mate Keanan Horne, while Maties have SA U21 stars of their own in Charlie Bowren, Matt de Sousa, Alex Stewart and goalkeeper Rob McKinley.
The University of Pretoria Tuks nearly made the final last time out, finishing on the same number of log points as UJ, but then being beaten by Maties in the 2nd v 3rd semifinal.
Tuks have a few dangerous players, especially former international Grant Glutz and rising star Tevin Kok.
The University of the Free State, with dangerous youngsters like Darren Kamfer, Winray Christoffels and goalkeeper Lou-Frans Esterhuizen, are outside bets, while the other teams competing in a tournament that should boldly depict how much hockey talent there is in our universities are NMMU, UCT, Wits and Pukke.
Varsity Sports media release
Young Madibaz out to stake hockey claim
By Coetzee Gouws
Ignatius Malgraff in action for NMMU
Having lost a number of senior players, a young NMMU-Madibaz team will be out to make a name for themselves in the first round of the Varsity Hockey tournament at the University of Johannesburg from Friday.
Although a number of factors have hurt the Madibaz’s preparations, coach Cheslyn Gie said they would target an improvement after ending sixth in the 2014 edition of the biennial event.
“We have a young team this year and our aim is to be in the top four,” he said. “Our strategy will differ for each team, depending on where their strengths lie.”
Gie, who is excited about the future prospects of the club, said they would rely on some of their senior members to make an impact.
“Players like current national star Ignatius Malgraff, with his electrifying speed and skill, and Chad Cairncross, who has improved his flicking ability, will play big roles.”
He said their goalkeeper Chad Durrheim, who has been in the SA squad in the past year or so, would also be vital to their cause.
With the SA interprovincial only having finished on Saturday, Gie said their preparations had been slightly behind where they would have liked to be.
“It has been only okay,” he said.
“We have given those coming back from the interprovincial a rest and not having lights at our new facility has seriously cut into our practice times.”
With the Madibaz playing four games this weekend, plus a further four from May 13 to 16 after a three-day break, Gie said the depth of the squads would be key.
“It is very important. We have already seen some of the interprovincial players taking strain having to go straight into another event.
“We have however prepared the players as best we can.”
He rated champions UJ, along with Maties and Tuks, as the top contenders.
“It will definitely be them. They have recruited some of the best talent in the country.”
Gie said his players were excited and ready to be counted in the televised matches.
NMMU’s fixtures are: UCT (May 6), Wits, (May 7), Maties (May 8) and Tuks (May 9).
Varsity Sports media release
Test of stamina awaits champions UJ
By Coetzee Gouws
Gareth Heyns in UJ colours
Although the University of Johannesburg are the current Varsity Hockey champions, they face a tough challenge at this year’s event, which starts at UJ on Friday.
The biennial tournament comes hard on the heels of last weekend’s SA interprovincial and the stamina of the players will be tested with four matches in four days.
Coach Garreth Ewing acknowledged that the interprovincial had been a factor in their Varsity Hockey preparations, but said he was happy with their build-up this week.
“Fifteen of our team were involved at the interprovincial, so that was a limiting factor for me as I didn’t want to push the guys too hard. But I feel comfortable with where we are.”
He said nobody really knew what was going to happen because of the tough environment and the fact that the teams were all good.
“We have done okay, winning the first edition, but I don’t think ‘defending’ our title is the right word because the team is so different.
“We are looking forward to having another go at it. It’s a fun competition and a new team, so we are just happy to have the chance to compete.”
The fact that the first round of the tournament was staged at UJ could benefit them, said Ewing.
“We are happy to be playing at home. It will bring its own kind of pressure, but will assist us in terms of scheduling and that sort of thing.”
The experience of skipper Gareth Heyns, a national team member and part of UJ’s title-winning squad, will be an important factor.
“I think some might underestimate our younger players, while Gareth has been really influential for us. I think he will have a big role to play.”
The Varsity Hockey format may come under scrutiny because the teams only have a three-day break before a further four games in the next round.
Eight matches in 11 days made the depth of the squads a key element, said Ewing.
“That’s where I feel lucky because there’s nobody in my squad who can’t go on and do a job for me.
“We will be rolling our substitutions and playing a good tempo for all those games. The workload is really tough and it’s just something we have to deal with.”
Despite the test of stamina that lurked, Ewing said the players were excited and up for the challenge.
“I think the format is always going to need work, but we like the fact we play every side. Unlike some other university tournaments, in this one you get a go at everybody and that’s the best bit.”
UJ’s fixtures are: Maties (May 6), Pukke (May 7), Ikeys (May 8), Kovsies (May 9).
Varsity Sports media release
Wits send out thunderous warning at UJ
By Ken Borland
The University of the Witwatersrand only finished seventh in the inaugural men’s edition of Varsity Hockey in 2014, but they opened the 2016 version of the biennial event at the University of Johannesburg with a convincing 8-3 win over the North-West University Pukke, sending a thunderous warning that they will be strong contenders this year.
Wits had dominated from the start, but it was Pukke who earned the first short-corner, which was unfortunately flicked over the top of goal.
Wits eventually gained the opening goal that was due to them in the seventh minute as captain Stuart Philip broke clear and finished well.
Eight minutes later, on the brink of the hooter for the end of the first quarter, Thabang Modise was at the post to scramble what appeared to be Wits’s second goal into the box, but it was disallowed due to an earlier offence.
Wits did get their second goal in the 24th minute when Chad Futcher managed to score from wide out with a fine strike, but they were limited to a 2-0 lead in the first half by a gutsy Pukke side that created some chances of their own.
Two minutes into the second half, Neo Selehelo pounced on to a loose ball in the Wits circle, slapping it home to put Pukke on the scoreboard and to make a game of it at 2-1. But Wits came up with a phenomenal response, scoring three goals in three minutes to settle the contest.
Pukke defended bravely, but little errors like the ball touching a foot or their sticks making contact with that of an attacker, forced the umpires to award short-corners against them. Brandon James had a shot deflected in for Wits’s third goal and the Krugersdorp High product then made it look easy for the fourth goal just a minute later as he went on an excellent solo run and calmly slipped the ball under the goalkeeper.
Philip has had a great couple of weeks after impressing at the senior IPT and he then slotted a penalty stroke earned by Kamal Ramburath-Hurt and set-up an easy goal for Thabang Dikgale to put Wits 6-1 up. The Pukke challenge was effectively over at the end of the third quarter as Craig Daniel buried the rebound from a shot by James, after more good work by Philip, with a fine reverse-sticks strike (7-1).
An excellent breakaway goal by Mbekeni and a last-minute penalty stroke by the Hudson Park product meant some late cheer for the students from Potchefstroom.
But it was little consolation for Pukke as Lukhanyo Salavu slid in for a deflection goal for Wits, giving them an 8-3 triumph.
FNB Player of the Match: Stuart Philip (Wits)
Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Dean van Aswegen (Wits)
Samsung Super Striker: Sinoxolo Mbekeni (Pukke)
Varsity Sports media release
Tuks make early progress in Varsity Hockey
By Ken Borland
The University of Pretoria Tuks made great progress in the first and third quarters as they beat the University of Free State Kovsies 5-2 on the opening day of Varsity Hockey at the University of Johannesburg on Friday.
Tuks opened the scoring in the third minute through the promising Grant Glutz, who flicked home at a short-corner, and they were 2-0 up after just seven minutes as Tevin Kok rammed the ball into goal with a quick strike.
Kovsies went straight upfield and earned a short-corner themselves though, Egon van der Merwe’s quick shot making it 2-1 to temporarily halt the Tuks’ progress.
The Free Staters immediately employed the powerplay – a two-minute period of nine-a-side when goals count double – but it brought no reward for them.
There were a couple more short-corners for Kovsies before the end of the first quarter, without any joy though for them. An evenly-contested second quarter brought no further goals for Tuks until a minute before halftime when a reverse-sticks cross by Ashley Kemp was deflected into goal by a defender (3-1).
The third chukka was the most thrilling of the match as Kovsies cut the deficit to just one goal (2-3) in the first minute after the restart, having earned a penalty corner with a swift attack down the right. The Free Staters once again had problems stopping the ball at the corner, but the talented Dylan Swanepoel picked up the rebound and scrambled the ball into the goal with a little flick.
Tuks then laid siege to the Kovsies goal with Matthew Butler and Kok both coming close to scoring, but the goal eventually came from a long-corner when Stephen Cant found the back of the net. The Tuks defence was extremely well-marshalled by Michael Marki, who was afterwards named the player of the match, and goalkeeper Hendrik Kriek was only really extended once in this period, making an important save in the 39th minute to keep the score 4-2.
Tuks went 5-2 up two minutes before the end of the third quarter as Glutz, who was rampant up front at times, rammed home a penalty-corner flick into the bottom right corner of the goal.
The Pretoria students probably expected to roar to victory in the final chukka, but they were frustrated by a hard-running Kovsies side and their own errors.
It was nevertheless a good start to the Varsity Hockey tournament for them against useful opposition.
FNB Player of the Match: Michael Marki (Tuks)
Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Louwfrans Esterhuizen (Kovsies)
Samsung Super Striker: Grant Glutz (Tuks)
Varsity Sports media release
Madibaz come out tops in shootout vs UCT
By Ken Borland
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University came out tops in a shootout to beat the University of Cape Town in a thrilling match on the opening day of Varsity Hockey at the University of Johannesburg on Friday.
Madibaz dominated the first half and went 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.
Their opening goal came in the third minute from their first short-corner, awarded after UCT defender James Watters had been yellow-carded for a slide tackle, with Chad Cairncross flicking in a good finish.
Ignatius Malgraff, who represented South Africa at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, then scored the best goal of the opening day as he weaved his way through the UCT defences and fired in a great shot. But the first signs that NMMU would find themselves in a real dogfight came in the 23rd minute as Timothy Welsh showed top-rate close control before slamming home after good work by his captain, Bjorn Sorrensen.
Six minutes later UCT took the powerplay and a bad hack by Grant Kapp on Ross Schreuder led to a short-corner and it was only a fine save, low to his left, by goalkeeper Muzammil Sheik, and a subsequent clearance off the line by Kapp, that prevented UCT from going ahead – goals being worth double in those two minutes – before halftime.
It was a poor second half from Madibaz that allowed UCT, who certainly out-worked their opposition, back into the game. There was some misfortune involved in UCT’s equaliser, five minutes from full time, as captain Kapp was green-carded (a two-minute suspension) for hitting the ball away only marginally after the whistle. UCT played a quick long ball from the free hit and Greg Briton went on a great run and dived for a billion-to-one deflection into the Madibaz net.
UCT were cock-a-hoop, having worked so hard to get back in the game and they continued to dominate. Walter Pfaff, who would later be named player of the match, was particularly impressive in midfield and another great run by him saw umpire Darren Hubach award a penalty stroke. Captain Sorrensen stepped forward and propelled the ball into the goal to give UCT the lead with just two minutes remaining.
But Malgraff had the final say as he hammered a reverse-sticks shot into goal in the final minute, the closer umpire over-ruling the other one who blew his whistle just before the strike. It was a controversial equaliser and Madibaz had a great chance for the winner with just seconds remaining in regulation time, but UCT goalkeeper Matthew Becker made a great block.
His next project was trying to stop the Port Elizabeth students in the shootout and, after Madibaz went 2-1 up in the extra time decider, he produced a brilliant penalty stroke save off Kevin Carroll. He also managed to deny Dillan Langeveld and Malgraff, while Sheik kept UCT to just two successful shots as well.
So it went to sudden death and Cairncross showed superb composure for Madibaz as his initial shot was stick-saved by Becker, but he recovered the ball and, with his allotted eight seconds rapidly coming to an end, he calmly sent an angled reverse-sticks shot into goal from the top of the D.
Pfaff, who had done so much to bring UCT back into the game, unfortunately found the post with his effort, ensuring the spoils went to Madibaz by the narrowest of margins.
FNB Player of the Match: Walter Pfaff (UCT)
Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Matthew Becker (UCT)
Samsung Super Striker: Ignatius Malgraff (Madibaz)
Varsity Sports media release
Crowe provides uplift for UJ
By Ken Borland
SA U21 star Ryan Crowe was the inspiration as the University of Johannesburg saw off Stellenbosch University 5-3 in an exciting Varsity Hockey match at UJ on Friday.
Crowe provided vital uplift for the hosts in the third quarter as they overturned a 2-1 deficit and took control of the match with three goals in five minutes.
Crowe’s tremendous attacking runs set up a penalty stroke for the equaliser, a short-corner and then he scored himself for UJ to take the lead.
Until then, Maties had dominated, getting the better of an intense midfield struggle and looking dangerous on attack. UJ sprang a surprise by taking their powerplay at the start of the match, with no reward, and it was Maties who scored first when Charles Bowren deflected a cross into goal from the middle of the circle in the seventh minute.
With just a minute left in the first quarter, a swift UJ attack ended in a good finish by Kingsley Botes – a timely equaliser for the defending champions.
Some top-class hockey was played in the second quarter, starting with a fine clearance off the line by Jackie Mahlaba after a powerful shot on goal by UJ.
A sumptuous run by Matt de Sousa had Maties licking their lips, but UJ goalkeeper Matthew Martins produced a couple of fine saves to keep them out. The short-corner was conceded, however, but Martins was up to the task again with a great stick-save low to his right.
Maties continued to pile on the pressure though and another short-corner saw SA men’s indoor player Daniel Bell finally beat Martins. The ace SA U21 goalkeeper did well to save the initial flick, but Bell then gathered the rebound before it landed on the ground and lobbed it over the goalkeeper in a moment of sublime skill that had the crowd on their feet.
Halftime arrived four minutes later and Maties looked on track to avenge their defeat in the final of the 2014 biennial tournament (the men’s and women’s sides alternate events) with a 2-1 lead. But then came Crowe and, before anyone could quite process what had happened, UJ were home and dry with a 5-2 lead.
Crowe started in the 32nd minute with a tremendous run, before passing to James Gilbert who won the penalty stroke, converted without any fuss by the powerful Gareth Heyns, the UJ skipper. Two minutes later, Crowe produced a great swerve in the Maties circle to win a short-corner, which was saved by Rob McKinley, the other SA U21 goalkeeper alongside Martins.
But Maties could not keep out the Crowe-inspired threats for much longer and it was Crowe himself who scored UJ’s third goal, getting on the end of a rather speculative long ball from Heyns with a brilliant deflection.
Another two minutes later and UJ were on another quick break which saw Gerald Mpopo find Amkelwa Letuka unmarked in the circle to make it 4-2. It had been a dramatic, match-turning third quarter which ended with Maties pushing hard but unable to get back into the game.
Two minutes into the final quarter, it was another Crowe assist which settled the outcome. The Western Province product made a strong burst to the baseline and then flipped the ball back for Brynn Cleak to score. The UJ defence was well-policed by Heyns and Kyle Lion-Cachet but they did allow Maties a consolation third goal via a Shannon Boucher penalty stroke, but it was too little and way too late.
UJ will be delighted to have seen off one of the major contenders on the opening day of Varsity Hockey 2016 and they will be full of confidence going into their game against Pukke on Saturday.
Pukke were hammered 8-3 by Wits in the first game of the day and, on the basis of the opening day, the other Johannesburg university could be UJ’s strongest remaining challengers.
Tuks were also impressive though in seeing off Kovsies 5-3, while NMMU and UCT drew 3-3 in regulation time, with the Port Elizabeth university winning in a sudden-death shootout.
FNB Player of the Match: Ryan Crowe (UJ)
Mugg & Bean Star Saver: Matthew Martins (UJ)
Samsung Super Striker: Brynn Cleak (UJ)
Varsity Sports media release
Hockey series between Pakistan and India veteran teams postponed
KARACHI: A hockey series planned between the veteran teams of Pakistan and India in England has been postponed after the United Kingdom High Commission did not issue visas to eight former Pakistan Olympians and internationals.
The three matches were due to be played on May 13, 14 and 15 with the Berkshire hockey club hosting the matches between the two arch-rivals.
Sources close to former Pakistan players said that apparently the U.K. High Commission refused to issue the visas since the Berkshire club had not got clearance to host the series from the England Hockey Association.
"The rules state that the affiliated clubs have to get permission from the national body for events involving foreign teams and players," one source said.
The source said since the Pakistani players had not got approval letters from the English Hockey Association, the U.K. High Commission did not issue the visas.
Those who did not get visas include some top notch former Olympians and internationals who are said to be upset with this development.
The source said that Hockey India had also advised its players not to apply for visas until they get approval letters from the hosts and English Hockey Association.
The Times of India
Egara claim Spanish regular season crown
Club Egara claimed the title of regular season champions of the Spanish League, a title that gives them direct access to the next edition of Euro Hockey League (EHL) in 2016/17.
The ratllats finalised the championship title by winning 2-1 at Pozuelo.
Pacho Keenan’s team won the regular league with 16 wins out of 18 games, tying one and losing just one with a final tally of 49, ahead of Real Club de Polo on 48 while Atlétic Terrassa were third on 34 points. Crucially, Egara beat Polo twice in the regular season.
This victory is also a boost to Club Egara’s morale ahead of the league playoffs. The ratllats have lost two league finals in a row, losing both of by shoot-outs and so are hoping to make it third time lucky.
It means they will play in the EHL for the fifth time, achieving one of their primary targets for the season. This term, they reached the KO16 with a win over East Grinstead and a drew with Monkstown before they fell to Polo in the knock-out stages.
In the playoffs, they meet UD Taburiente in the quarter-finals in their two leg playoff on Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
Polo play RS Tenis; Atlètic Terrassa meet SPV Complutense while Club de Campo take on Junior FC on the first weekend of the playoffs.
Euro Hockey League media release
Verga wins first leg for Amsterdam
Valentin Verga’s goal with five minutes to go gave Amsterdam the advantage going into the final weekend of the Dutch season, winning the first of their best of three series with Oranje Zwart 2-1.
Jelle Galema had given OZ, the reigning champions, an early lead with a gorgeous goal on the backhand, beating the last defender and sliding the shot home.
Kenny Bain equalised when he touched the ball in from a Justin Reid-Ross hit after an Amsterdam corner initially went awry in the 13th minute.
And the winner came when OZ hesitated after a cross bounced up in the circle. Verga did not wait and thumped home his shot from close range for a 2-1 victory.
This was OZ’s last ever game at home under their current name, switching to Oranje Rood in the summer following their merger with EMHC.
The pair meet again on Saturday at the Wagener Stadium where a win would hand Amsterdam the title but a loss and the series would go down to a deciding game on Sunday.
** You can see all the highlights here: http://nos.nl/artikel/2103289-hockeyers-amsterdam-winnen-eerste-finaleduel.html
Euro Hockey League media release
Kampong run riot in EHL playoff tie
SV Kampong ran riot in their first playoff game with HGC in the Netherlands, winning 5-1 in the fight to be the third EHL representative next season.
They racec into a 4-0 lead inside 32 minutes and never looked back to give them a big advantage going into game two on Saturday with a second win confirming Kampong will return to the EHL next season.
Quirijn Caspers made it 1-0 just two minutes into the game with a lovely chipped effort.
Then, a spell of three goals in five minutes decided the game with Rutger Marres – in the 26th minute – Jelle Phijffer and Martijn Havenga all scoring in quick succession.
Gonzalo Peillat got one back but Constantijn Jonker closed out the scoring with nine minutes to go.
Euro Hockey League media release
Advantage Brax in Belgian EHL playoff race
Braxgata have moved within touching difference of a first ever appearance in the Euro Hockey League following their impressive 3-0 win over Royal Leopold in their third place playoff in Belgium.
The Brax broke the deadlock between the teams in the 58th minute when Benjamin van Hoof scored. Three minutes later, Jerome Dekeyser doubled the lead before Gonzalo Lasso sealed his side’s victory.
The two sides will play again on Sunday in the second leg at 10.30am (CET).
"We played the perfect match,” said Loïck Luypaert after the game.“Our opponent got very few opportunities and we scored three important goals in the last quarter.
“Now, we have to finish the job on Sunday to clinch the EHL ticket which will be an important step in the evolution of the club."
The two clubs will meet Sunday morning at 10:30 for the second leg.
Euro Hockey League media release
Dragons hold off Boon's Brussels in first leg
KHC Dragons took a big step towards retaining the Belgian title with a 4-3 win over Racing Club de Bruxelles in the first game of their two-legged final.
They trailed a couple of times as Tom Boon was at the peak of his powers but Dragons prevailed to give them the lead ahead of Sunday’s second leg.
Boon gave Racing the lead in the eighth minute before Jeremy Celis got on the end of a brilliant pass from Arthur van Doren for 1-1.
Boon restored the lead in the second half from good service from Martin Lambeau only for Dragons to regain parity instantly when Florent van Aubel scored from their first corner of the game.
Just before the end of the third quarter, Matthew Cobbaert put Dragons in front for the first time and Thomas Briels, in the 54th minute, shot home an unstoppable backhand for a 4-2 lead.
Tom Boon got his third goal to reopen the contest but Dragons stayed just ahead in a lively finish to give them the edge.
Euro Hockey League media release
Garcia-Cascon's shared responsibility for Atletic
Reaching the EHL FINAL4 is something only a select few experience. Doing it back to back with two different clubs is an even rarer thing. For Pol Garcia-Cascon, both times he has been involved with underdogs performing miracles in the world’s premier club competition.
Garcia-Cascon was one of the stars of the EHL in 2015 with Royal Daring, helping the Belgian club to reach the FINAL4 in their maiden season in the EHL.
This year, he returned to the club where his hockey journey started age six, Atlètic Terrassa, to take on a very different role. He was coaxed by coach Roger Pallarols to share the goalkeeping duties with rising star Marc Calzada, regularly swapping places at half-time.
Some may be put out at having to split their pitch time in the number one smock with another but Garcia-Cascon said it has been something he has relished.
“It is really easy for us to manage as we knew about it from the beginning of the season. I had been thinking about retiring after Daring but Roger seduced me with this proposition.
“It is a way to keep working with a young goalkeeper as I had been doing with the Belgian Federation. We can teach each other in different ways because, even though I’m already 31, keepers are always in a constant learning process.”
And, perhaps, some of his experience paid off. He was a shoot-out king with Daring a year ago but, in Amsterdam, Calzada took charge in the KO16 against KHC Dragons with three saves en route to a famous win.
Already in that tie, Atlètic had summoned an immense comeback with a last second goal from Marc Pujal to earn a 1-1 draw and the shoot-out chance. Garcia-Cascon has been away from the club for the past five years but he said that this show of passion and belief is typical of the club he loves.
“It has been always a trademark of our club. We have almost all grown up in the club so it’s always easier to fight for a shirt that you have been playing for since you’re a child.
“You just take a look at the crowd during a match and you see some guys you trained before, some former teammates or friends, that all give us this extra motivation we had in the late stages of the games.”
In it, he sees much of the qualities that propelled Daring forward, especially when he was in goal for the second half of both games.
“My memories during the last five minutes against Dragons were the same that I had when we were playing last season against Rot-Weiss with Daring.
“I’ve seen my teammates playing really smart with the ball and not stressing about the clock so I knew that, at least, we would have one more chance. I admit that we’re in some way lucky with some clear chances they missed at the end in both matches but I was really confident before the games but especially after winning the first match.”
And he is now looking to try and cause even further surprises in front of the world’s cameras and a fervent local support of friends and family in the Corner Groc when his side take on AH&BC Amsterdam on May 14.
“I have a long, 25-year history with the yellow and black. Three of my older brothers played for a long time with the club and we were part of the squad as with my cousins.
“I played at all levels but an experience like this EHL FINAL4 is one thing I missed in my long story with in this famous shirt so there’s no better feeling.
“Atlètic had some outstanding performances in the previous European Cup but it had been impossible to reach the FINAL4 until this season. To make it even better, it’s going to be near our home so I’m sure that fans will be at our side as they were in Amsterdam.”
Euro Hockey League media release
Pearn signs up with Surbiton for next season
Top English Surbiton have announced Mark Pearn will be joining the club as head coach in advance of the 2016-17 season.
Pearn joins Surbiton with a wealth of both domestic and international hockey experience, having played for both England and Great Britain, as well as having lengthy spells at both Reading and East Grinstead, also playing in Europe for both clubs.
During a nine year spell with Reading, Pearn won five national outdoor titles as well as the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy in 1998 and the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup in 2003 as well as runners-up in the EuroHockey Cup Winners Cup in 1997, 2000 and 2002.
After the 2004 Olympics, Pearn spent a year in Spain with Real Club de Polo Barcelona before spending 10 very successful seasons as the player-coach of East Grinstead, who were Premier Division Champions twice in 2009 and 2010.
They also reached the Championships Finals in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015, qualifying for the Euro Hockey League on all six occasions. Indoors, East Grinstead won eight National Championship titles in 10 years (2006, 2009-2015).
Last season, Pearn joined Richmond as the assistant Player-Coach and led them to the Hockey League Conference East title, although they subsequently missed out on promotion to the Premier Division at the promotion tournament.
Pearn made 89 appearances for Great Britain, scoring 24 goals and won 157 caps for England, scoring 50 goals, pleaying at two Olympics and two World Cups.
He retires after 25 years of playing top level club hockey to focus on coaching and said of the new role: “I have enjoyed my time on the pitch over the past 25 years and have been fortunate as a player to have been part of many successful teams. I am looking forward to the next stage of my hockey career and passing on the experience I have gained over many years.
“I am hugely excited to have the opportunity to work with such a talented and committed group of players as well as helping to develop their outstanding junior section. The club has high aspirations and the challenge is there for me to get the best out of this team and to regularly challenge for national titles.”
He takes over from Todd Williams who has been at the helm at Surbiton for the last four season, finishing second three times in the English league and playing in the EHL in 2013/14 when they reached the KO16 before falling to Oranje Zwart.
Euro Hockey League media release
We are better prepared for Rio Games, says Sunil
Sunil hoped for a much-better performance the team in Rio. (Getty Images)
BANGALORE: Star men's hockey team striker SV Sunil feels India are much better prepared this time around for the Olympics than four years ago in London and said playing Germany in the Champions Trophy will them in good stead against the reigning champions in the Rio Games.
India are clubbed alongside defending champions Germany, European champions Netherlands, Pan-American Games champions Argentina, Ireland and Canada in Pool B in the Rio Olympics.
And Sunil, who vies to be at his best against the mighty Germans, said the Champions Trophy will provide them much-needed knowledge about top teams, including Germany.
"They (Germany) are the best team in the world. It is my priority to do well against them in the Champions Trophy and at the Olympics. Playing them in the Champions Trophy will help us understand their game better ahead of the Olympics. We discussed Germany in our previous team meetings and we are aware of their strength and weaknesses," said Sunil.
Talking about eight-time champions India's preparation for the Olympics, Sunil hoped for a much-better performance the team in Rio, unlike four years ago in London where they finished last among 12 teams.
"Last time, we paid more attention to fitness but this time, it is very different. We are paying attention to overall development as a team and the training has a lot to do with discipline and team spirit which I think has helped us on the field and in understanding each other's strengths and weaknesses," he said.
"The approach we have for the Olympics this time is far more systematic and I feel we are on the right track," the 27-year-old striker from Coorg added.
Sunil was named as the vice-captain of the team for last month's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, Malaysia, where India finished runners-up.
Asked Sunil about the new responsibility, he said: "I don't feel that the role of vice-captain brings any pressure to my game. Being part of the team for so long, I have learnt to handle pressure and that helps me stick to my natural game.
"Vice-captaincy for me is all about making the youngsters in the team understand their role and motivate them to play to their potential."
The Times of India
Today is SV Sunil's birthday. We would like to wish him many happy returns of the day.
Scotland show Progress following Japan Tests
SCOTLAND coach Gordon Shepherd has food for thought after back-to-back internationals against highly-rated Japan in Glasgow, writes Nigel Duncan.
His young side won 1-0 on Monday and lost 3-1 on Tuesday against a side preparing for the Rio Olympics and which is ranked in the world’s top ten.
That was, according to the Dundee-born but Glasgow-based coach, a significant achievement.
Japan have just spent two weeks in New Zealand playing six international matches and drew and lost narrowly to Great Britain in London before jetting to Glasgow for their double-header.
Scotland’s performance is all the more creditable as the squad were asked to refocus after a dismal showing in a challenge with Edinburgh University in Glasgow on Sunday.
Ambitious Shepherd, whose squad are No 17 in the world, seven places below Japan, said: “Japan have played eight international games in four weeks and we’ve not played since the beginning of March.
“We stepped-up training in the two weeks ahead of the games and we had a bounce game against Edinburgh University on Sunday.
“I also could not put out my strongest team as some of the other girls were not available because of unavailability and injury.
“Japan are a nation in the top ten in the world and they are preparing for the Olympics.
“They also play a different style. They are not a defensive team and they are technically a very good and are really fast. It was a pleasure to play against them and a challenge but good for our girls.”
The coach was sitting at his desk at home reviewing the game on video yesterday and said: “I am very pleased with the way players stepped-up and we have two different players now who have made a mark. We’ll look at that.”
Goalkeeper Nicola Cochrane (Edinburgh University) was outstanding in the second game but Shepherd said: “Your goalkeeper needs to play well against top teams but we had tremendous performances from a number of players.
“This can only help develop the squad.”
Scotland’s women travel to Alicante to face Spain in June for a four games against a side also heading for the Olympics Games and that will produce different challenges, the heat being one of them as two games are in the middle of the day and two at night.
Spain are also in the same World League group as Scotland next February and this will give the coach a valuable insight.
Then the national side travels to Dublin for an international event in which they play four games before outdoor club commitments kick-in.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
KHU league to adopt pooling system
The Union is believed to have already met the various clubs who have unanimously agreed on the format of play.
Nakuru Hockey Club's Caleb Nyakundi vies for the ball with Zack Aura of Butali Sugar Warriors during their Kenya Hockey Union men's Premier League match at City Park Stadium on April 3, 2016. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The 2016 Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Men’s Premier League, which gets underway mid-next month, will adopt a pooling system. The move, according to KHU, will ensure the league ends by November and save on time.
The 2015 season, which began in August last year, was played on a home and away basis and ended last weekend with Butali Sugar Warriors and Telkom Orange retaining the men’s and women’s titles respectively.
The National Men’s League was played in a pooling system as newcomers Chase Sailors won the title on their debut season after beating Bay Club in the playoffs with both clubs earning promotion to the top-flight league.
KHU vice chairperson Elynah Shiveka said the move was only for the 2016 season as the leagues were running behind schedule. Shiveka however noted that the National Women’s League teams will continue playing on the home and away basis.
“We are far behind schedule and the only way to ensure we finish the league at the stipulated time, which is in November, is to adopt a pooling system because the men’s leagues have many teams,” Shiveka told Saturday Nation Sport on Friday.
The top two teams from each pool will proceed to the play offs where the winners will play in the finals to determine the overall winner.
The Union is believed to have already met the various clubs who have unanimously agreed on the format of play. The top flight league, which is made up of 15 teams, will be split into two pools comprising of seven and eight teams respectively.
The pooling system was last used during the 2014 season with Butali and Telkom again winning the men’s and women’s titles.
The Union however abandoned the system at the end of that season after clubs criticised the format saying it gave some teams undue advantage. Back then, Butali Sugar Warriors played their matches after all other teams had completed their pool matches after a stand-off with the Union.
The team went on to top their pool and reached the playoffs where they beat Wazalendo 4-0 before defeating Kenya Police 2-1 in the final.
“It is not really a good system because clubs play fewer matches and some teams might benefit from fixing matches. But since we have lost much time, it can work for this season,” Police coach Kenneth Kaunda said.
Meanwhile, the Union is expected to send the national men’s and women’s teams to the World League Series to be held in Ghana in September.
Daily Nation
Vellapan to help Selangor regain Div One spot
By S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor have turned to Malacca’s S. Vellapan to help them regain their place in Division One of Malaysia's Razak Cup hockey tournament.
Selangor were in the second tier from 2008-2013. They made a brief return to Division One in 2014 before promptly dropping back to the second tier last year.
Vellapan has won the Razak Cup three times as a coach – twice with Malacca in 2005 and 2015 and once with Johor in 2007.
No wonder Selangor are counting on his for a change of luck when this year’s tournament is held here from May 21-29.
And Vellapan sees the task of returning Selangor to their glory days as a challenge he can’t refuse.
“I have to admit that the Division Two matches will be a different kettle of fish,” said Vellappan.
“The aim is to get Selangor back into Division One. I’ve held several training sessions, but we’re far from being the finished product. Some of the players are involved in several departmental games ... so, I will only have them together about a week before the tournament.
“We have a talented bunch and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen in training. I’m sure we will be competitive enough when the tournament starts.”
Selangor have won the Razak Cup title 10 times, but they last achieved it 20 years ago – in 1996. Their other titles came in 1992, 1984, 1980, 1978, 1975, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1968.
The Selangor team have two players from the national team training squad – Harmesh Singh and Mohd Faridzal Afiq.
But Vellapan has handled teams with no stars and taken them to the title.
Last year, he had a young Malacca team full of Sukma (Malaysia Games) players. Yet, they went on to beat the star-studded Perak 1-0 in the final.
“It’s always unpredictable at the lower levels. We’ll take it one game at a time and build from there ... slowly. I know there will be high expectations, but I’m confident we can get the job done,” he said.
There will be 16 teams competing in the Razak Cup.
Police, who won promotion to Division One, will battle it out with defending champions Malacca, Perak, KL, Pahang, Terengganu, Negri Sembilan and Johor.
The Division Two teams are likely to be Selangor, Penang, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Armed Forces, Kedah and Kelantan.
The Star of Malaysia
Malaysia set to play in Under-16 hockey meet in Germany
By S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will, after a two-year lapse, feature in the International Under-16 Whitsun Cup hockey tournament in Mannheim, Germany.
The four-team tournament will be from May 13-16 and Germany will have two teams in the fray – Under-16 and Under-17. The other team are Holland.
Malaysia will also play two friendlies against the Mannheim Hockey Club (Youth) prior to the opening game.
Former international Nor Saiful Zaini Nasaruddin will coach the team and he will be assisted by Pahang’s Mohd Sufian Mohd.
Saiful said that the final 18 players were chosen from the list of names picked after the recent national Under-16 meet.
“We had a four-day camp in Ipoh last month and we’ll have a week’s training here before we go to Germany,” said Saiful.
“The two matches against the Mannheim Hockey Club will be a big test for the players as we’ll be trying out various combinations.
“We selected a pool of 30 from the National Under-16 tournament in March and, after four days in Ipoh, the 18 were selected for Mannheim.
“These are the cream of the crop ... but they lack international exposure.”
Only three players – midfielders Pavandip Singh, Akram Hakkam and goalkeeper Mohd Hamiz Ahir – have played overseas when they represented 1MAS in the FHE Cup in Perth last year.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) chief executive officer K. Logan Raj revealed that most of these players will be recruited for their Project 2020 squad.
THE FINAL 18
Mohd Hamiz Mohd Ahir, Mohd Helmi Muhamad Fazli, Mohamad Kamarulzaman Kamaruddin, Mohd Zulfitri Md Zin, Mohd Arif Syafie Ishak, Pavandip Singh, Mohd Amirul Hamizan Azahar, Mohd Akram Hakkam Jamaluddin, Granson Noel Goden, Muhd Faiz Aiman M. Aseri, Mohd Zafri Afiq Nor Azlan, Syarman Mat Tee, Mohamad Haridzmi Shah Mohamad Nizam, Mohamed Noor Firdaus Rosdi, Mohd Muhibuddin Moharam, Mohd Syamin Naim Abd Hamid, Mohd Saifuddin Azli, Mohamad Akhimullah Anuar.
Coaches: Nor Saiful Zaini, Mohd Soffian Mohd.
The Star of Malaysia
Pavandip and gang head for Mannheim Whitsun Cup
by Jugjet Singh
FORMER Olympian Nor Saiful Zaini named 18 under-16 players Friday for the Whitsun Cup in Mannheim, Germany, on May 13-16 as Malaysia embark on a journey towards the 2020 Junior World Cup.
The boys were selected after the recent National Under-16 tournament, and underwent a four-day training in Ipoh during the Azlan Shah Cup.
In Mannheim, they will play against Netherlands, German Under-16 and German Under-17.
This is an invitational tournament where Malaysia were left out for the last two editions. However, Malaysia finished second behind Germany in the Whitsun Cup when it made its debut in 2010.
"We selected a pool of 30 from the National Under-16 tournament and after four days in Ipoh, the 18 were selected for Mannheim. These are the cream of the crop, but they lack international experience and would get their first taste against two German teams and the Netherlands," said Saiful Zaini.
Only three players have seen action overseas, when they played for 1Mas in the FHE Cup in Perth last year.
Midfielders Pavandip Singh s/o Gurdip Singh and Akram Hakkam; and goalkeeper Hamiz Ahir helped 1Mas become champions in the tournament by beating Western Australia Heat 1-0 in the final.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation CEO K. Logan Raj said: "The MHC reiterates its commitment towards development and the formulation of a strong team for the Junior World Cup 2020.
"It is then imperative to understand that results, although significant, currently takes a back seat to the overall plan."
No targets were set for the boys, as Saiful Zaini was more inclined towards blooding the boys.
"This will be a first international tournament for 15 of my players so I will not focus on results. Of course we will aim to finish as high as possible, but going into the tournament with no knowledge of the two German teams as well as Netherlands, we will have to play by ear during each match," said Saiful Zaini.
MALAYSIAN Under-16: Goalkeepers: Hamiz Ahir, Helmi Fazli; Defenders: Kamarulzaman Kamaruddin, Zulfitri Zin, Arif Syafie.
Midfielders: Pavandip Singh s/o Gurdip Singh, Amirul Hamizan, Akram Hakkam, Granson Noel, Faiz Aiman, Zafri Afiq, Syarman Mat Tee.
Forwards: Haridzmi Nizam, Noor Firdaus Rosdi, Muhibuddin Moharam, Syamin Naim, Saifuddin Azli, Akhimullah Anuar.
Coach: Nur Saiful Zaini; Assistant Coach: Sufian Mohamed.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Our women blow hot and cold in Japan
by Jugjet Singh
THE Malaysian women's hockey team started their Japan Tour on a good note, but could not sustain the pace after playing two matches per-day in Kakamigahara.
Coach K. Dharmaraj's players beat Japan juniors A 3-2 in the morning and held Japan juniors B 2-2 in the evening of May 3, but their next back-to-back matches turned out to be drubbings.
They lost 2-0 to Japan juniors A 2-0 and Nanto Bank Japan 5-0 in matches played in Wednesday morning and evening.
And on Thursday, they played two more back-to-back matches and lost 2-1 to Japan Juniors and 5-1 to Japan Juniors A.
The women will play three more matches before ending the Tour on May 10.
Meanwhile, 14 teams will kick-start the inaugural 1MAS Boys' Under-13 tournament at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh Friday.
The two-day tournament will be played on a zonal system with Penang, Perlis, Kedah and Sabah drawn in North zone while Perak, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur in central zone.
In East zone are Pahang, Terengganu, Kelantan and Sarawak while South zone has Malacca, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.
The champion of each zone will advance to the final at a later date.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) Director of Development, Tai Beng Hai, said the 1MAS programmes complements the age-group tournaments organised by the Ministry of Education (KPM) and Malaysian Schools Sports council (MSSM).
“MHC is working in tandem with KPM and MSSM in our efforts to create a wider pool of junior players. These tournaments are good exposure for the younger players who will develop into better players as they progress to play in the National Under-14 and Under-16 tournaments in future,” said Beng Hai.
MHC, said Beng Hai, looks into organising National Under-14 and Under-16 tournaments while the Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15 tournaments come under the purview of 1MAS.
The 1MAS Girls Under-13 tournament will be held at a later date.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Tapping into Hockey Australia’s expertise
Targeted Assistance Programme (TAP) aims to encourage hockey participation and a healthy lifestyle in Pacific Islands
Hockey development is all set to take off in the Pacific as the Targeted Assistance Programme (TAP), initiated by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), extends its reach to that part of the world. While attracting many more people to our sport, the initiative has another far-reaching and essential objective – to improve the health and life chances of the Pacific Island populations.
TAP’s aim is to support Continental Federations and National Associations in achieving long term, sustainable growth of hockey across the globe, focusing upon areas where the sport is currently drastically under-developed or non-existent.
Putting their weight behind the Pacific TAP project are two powerhouse organisations: Hockey Australia and the Oceania Hockey Federation (OHF). Working with groups in the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu, the partnership members hope to raise the profile of the game and encourage hundreds more participants of all ages and abilities.
And it is about much more than just introducing a new sport to these communities. The Pacific Sports Partnership is about getting people in the Pacific region moving, leading to healthier lifestyles with exercise and physical activity becoming a habit for life. This will include actively targeting participation in youth, and the engagement of women in sport.
While the programme is an initiative to encourage participation in hockey, it also aims to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle. An indigenous development officer will be appointed in each of the three regions and will receive support from both Hockey Australia and the Oceania Hockey Federation.
Secretary of the Oceania Hockey Federation, Bob Claxton said: “The innovation funding is a significant boost for hockey in the region and for the people of the Pacific nations because, for the first time, it allows us to have in-country development officers on the ground in the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.
"It will help create sustainability in these countries where before we’ve had people coming in and out to deliver hockey programmes in the community. It’s great that the Australian government, through the Pacific Sports Partnerships Innovation Fund, is supporting not just sport, but the overall health benefits of people pursuing an active lifestyle, particularly amongst girls and women.
“The engagement of Hockey Australia in this programme is also of vital importance because of the expertise that Australian hockey has within its network. Through the innovation fund we’ll be able to give the island nations and the dedicated development officers access to this expertise and to open them up to a broader network on which they can call upon for advice and support.”
Hockey is one of five recipients of the new ‘innovation grants’, taking the total number of sports involved in the Pacific Sports Partnership to 16. The TAP project is an important part of the Hockey Revolution, FIH's 10-year strategy aimed at making hockey a global game that inspires the next generation. For more information on the strategy, click here.
FIH site
Roche joins ASC board
Olympic gold medallist joins Sports Commission
Lawrence West
Australian Sports Commission Chair John Wylie AM has welcomed the appointment of Olympic gold medallist Danielle Roche OAM to the ASC board.
Roche represented the Hockeyroos at the peak of their success when they won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and she now joins the Australian Sports Commission at an exciting time for Australian sport.
Roche was appointed to the ASC Board by the Federal Sports Minister The Hon Sussan Ley.
Consistent with the ASC’s focus on increasing female representation on sporting boards, Roche’s appointment means four the nine appointees to the ASC Board are women.
“Diversity is a key element on any successful board and Danielle will bring valuable experience, skills and expertise to the Australian Sports Commission,” Wylie said.
“Danielle holds a Master of Business Administration and has served as a Director with Hockey Australia and now with the St Kilda Football Club. Her impressive resume which includes work in investment and risk management, along with strategic oversight of sporting facilities as a trustee of Victoria’s State Sport Centre.”
Roche is an investment advisor with Ord Minnett. She has held finance and commercial positions with Telstra; has been a Director at global financial services company UBS; a Partner at Evans and Partners; and a Director of a privately owned fraud and risk management business.
Roche said sport had remained an important part of her life beyond her elite athletic career.
“Sport played such an important role in my life and I feel lucky I was able to reach my potential because of the structures and support put in place by organisations such as the Australian Sports Commission. Sport is part of the culture and fabric of Australian society.
"I really look forward to joining the ASC and playing a role that can positively influence those systems and provides opportunities for any Australian, young or old, to enjoy the benefits of sport."
Australian Sports Commission Board: John Wylie AM Chair; Mark Stockwell Deputy Chair; Katherine Bates; Alisa Camplin-Warner OAM; The Hon Pat Farmer AM; Steve Moneghetti AM; Jennifer Morris OAM; Andrew Plympton; Danielle Roche OAM. Martin Bowles (Ex Officio Member, Secretary, Department of Health)
SOURCE: Ausport.gov.au
Hockey Australia media release