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All the news for Friday 8 July 2016

Canada picks up second straight win at home against United States

Shaheed Devji


PHOTO: Blair Shier

Canada’s Men’s National Team is off to a 2-0 start in the 2016 Summer Games Sendoff series presented by London Drugs after a 4-1 win over the United States Thursday night in Surrey, British Columbia.

The Canadian men – who are playing in their first competition since officially naming the sixteen men headed to Brazil to represent Canada at the 2016 Olympic Games – picked up a 6-3 victory in the first match of the series Wednesday in West Vancouver.

A two-goal performance from Keegan Pereira, who was named London Drugs Man of the Match and now has three goals in the first two games of the competition, led to a comfortable win.

Scott Tupper and Gordon Johnston rounded out the scoring for Canada.

“They came out better than they did yesterday,” Pereira says. “They pressured us quite a bit more and we handled it well. We moved the ball a lot better than we did yesterday.”

Thursday’s match saw both teams begin strong from the outset leading to both teams earning chances to score early.

Canada picked up a penalty corner in the first minute of play and captain Scott Tupper fired a dragflick on goal but was turned away by American goalkeeper Brandon Karess.

Shortly after the Canadian opportunity, the Americans went back the other way and Canadian keeper David Carter was forced to make a quick kick save in the third minute to keep the game scoreless.

Each team had another chance to score before the end of the quarter, but couldn’t convert and the game was tied until the second quarter.

It was the States who scored the first goal when William Holt converted on a penalty corner in the 19th minute to give the U.S. their first lead of the game and the series.

But it was short lived.

In the 22nd minute, after two previous attempts which he narrowly missed, Tupper converted on a penalty corner to tie the game. The goal was his second of the series.

The game was tied at half, but the Canadians continued to settle in and had a big third quarter.

Pereira scored his first of the game and second of the competition from the side of the net in the 39th minute before Johnston added to the lead two minutes later.

In the fourth, Pereira added his second of the night and third of the series and Canada went on to the 4-1 win, making it two wins in two games so far in the front of the home crowd.

“It’s special for us because we never get to do this,” Pereira adds. “It’s definitely an experience that a lot of our guys haven’t had before.”

“It’s always fun playing in front of your family and friends. A lot of these guys we play in a league with or we coach their kids. So it’s awesome.”

The teams have a rest day on Friday before playing the final two matches of the Summer Games Sendoff presented by London Drugs on Saturday in West Vancouver (7pm, Rutledge Field), and Sunday in Surrey (6pm, Tamanawis Field).

SUMMARY

Goals – Canada

22′ – Tupper (PC)
39′ – Pereira (FG)
41′ – Johnston (FG)
56′ – Pereira (FG)

Goals – United States

19′ – William Holt (PC)

Field Hockey Canada media release

USMNT Athlete Holt Secures 100th Cap Landmark, 4 USA Players Earn 1st Cap Honors in Canada



SURREY, Canada – The U.S. Men’s National Team took to the pitch for their first matchup against the Canadian Men’s National Team yesterday with an end result of USA 3, Canada 6.

“It’s great to be back on the field with all the guys,” said Chris Clements, USMNT Head Coach. “We’ve been working extremely hard on the training field to understand the demands of international competition. The best training is obviously playing matches and therefore to put things in perspective with all factors considered we could not ask for more from the players in the first match. We had some very strong moments which we will look to build upon in the remaining games."

Team USA began to find their way into the match during the first quarter. Canada had a couple of scoring opportunities, however, the score remained 0-0 at the end of the initial 15 minutes. During the second quarter, Canada capitalized in front of the cage to change the score off of a low angle shot and a scramble on the goal line that earned two penalty corners. Canada was able to cross the goal line in similar fashion with straight flicks. The halftime scoreboard showed Canada with a 3-0 lead over the USA.

In the third quarter, Team USA displayed more attacking intent and Paul Singh (Simi Valley, Calif.) stripped a Canadian midfielder of the ball to carry play into the circle for a shot over the siding keeper to convert. As the match minutes drove on, Team USA and Canada exchanged chances in their respective attacking circles. With precision, Canada connected with the backboard on two of the four attack penalty corners they were awarded for a new score of 5-1.

“To put this game in perspective, we played a game vs. an Olympic caliber opponent with a very young an inexperienced team,” said Will Holt USMNT striker (Camarillo, Calif.). “Keeping that in mind we had really great moments and we will continue to work on becoming more consistent.”

Moving to the final 15 minutes, Team USA did not give up and after some good penalty corner defense Tyler Sundeen (Simi Valley, Calif.) stole the ball and with a quick team counter attack Singh dived to convert the passing play that went the length of the field.  As Team USA continued to grow they executed their penalty corner courtesy of Holt from the top of the circle to change the score USA 2, Canada 5.

Although USA generated quality attack, the offense wasn’t able to break the goal line again. Canada extended the lead back to three goals with 4 minutes remaining in the match to produce a final score of USA 3, Canada 5. Team USA converted on one of five corners while Canada succeeded on four of nine penalty corners.

“The quarter to quarter approach yesterday allowed for incremental growth throughout the match,” said Chris Clements, USMNT Head Coach. “The second period was not great however we persevered and grew in confidence. Considering our preparation and where Canada is at a matter of weeks out from the Olympics, this was not an easy task for our players. I commend them all for their efforts today, and congratulate Will Holt on his 100th cap, Amardeep Khokar, Nick Molscan, Nick Richardsonand Kai Kokolakis for all earning their first senior cap. After yesterday's performances all have promising careers in the senior program.”

“I’ve been looking forward to playing my 100th cap since my debut in 2008,” said Holt. “It’s been an honor to be part of this team for so long. It’s really cool that especially today four guys made their debut for the senior team. I hope in the years to come that I can pass along some wisdom to these young guys. It is also very special to me to have my parents here today for my 100th game. They’ve been very supportive and great fans.”

The USMNT will contend against Canada again today at 7 p.m. local time.

USFHA media release

Hockeyroos set sights on big prize



The Australian captain is playing in her third Olympics as the Kookaburras head out to Rio 2016, but as the straight-talking midfielder says, "things feel a lot different this time around."

"In London 2012 it was very different. We finished where we deserved [fifth place]. Strangely, we only conceded two goals in the tournament but we were far from clinical enough in front of goal. We weren't bad, but we are in a very different place now. We are playing a different brand of hockey, which allows us to dominate a game more. We play with more speed and that was something we lacked four years ago.

"We certainly have high expectations of Rio, for us anything less than a place in the final will be a disappointment. We are now playing at a level where we would expect to be in the big matches at every tournament. At the past few Olympics that hasn't been the case, but we have been building towards that during this Olympic cycle."

For the Hockeyroos, the Champions Trophy, where they finished fourth, was the final opportunity to pit themselves against top quality opposition. For Blythe it was the perfect event to test themselves in the heat of competition. Selection followed just a week later, although at the time of this interview, Blythe wasn't expecting surprises.

"The team in London is basically the team we will take to the Olympics. There are 18 here and I would expect only a couple of changes to the squad that will go to the Olympics. This has been a chance for players to put their hand up and make sure they secure that spot. Before this tournament there were some tense players but, since arriving in London, the team relaxed and began to play with freedom. People are taking on the challenge. At the moment we are in a very good spot."

Australia suffered some setbacks in the Champions Trophy, particularly a draw against USA, which the captain feels they should have won and a loss to Argentina. "It is hard when you lose to stay positive but, looking back, we played very well against USA and should have won. We played extremely well to beat New Zealand and then suffered a loss to Argentina in a game that could have gone either way.

"It highlighted the fine tuning that we need in the next few weeks, particularly being clinical in our finishing, but the team is not too far from where we want to be."

If Australia do find themselves in the Olympic final, there is a good chance they will be facing an old nemesis – the Netherlands. Blythe agrees that the Hockeyroos have come up short against the world number one side in the past. "We have lost out to them on too many occasions. What we have learnt, particularly over the course of the Champions Trophy, is that we need to put enough pressure on them so they cannot play as they want to. They love playing their way and they don't like it when you come out and stop them playing their way. Our challenge is to match them all over the field."

FIH site

Canadian men’s field hockey team named for 2016 Olympic Games

Shaheed Devji



On Wednesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Field Hockey Canada named sixteen athletes nominated to represent Team Canada in men’s field hockey at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games from August 5 to 21.

The Canadian men’s field hockey team qualified for the Rio 2016 Games with a fourth place finish at the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) World League Semifinal in Argentina last June. Canada defeated higher-ranked New Zealand in a quarterfinal shootout to secure the top-four finish and a spot in the Olympic Games.

Download high-res team photos

Fourteen of the sixteen athletes named to Team Canada for Rio 2016 competed in that Olympic qualifier and also won a silver medal at the TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

Two athletes on the roster, team captain Scott Tupper and veteran midfielder Mark Pearson, will be competing at the Olympic Games for the second time, after being a part of the last Canadian field hockey team that represented Canada at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The remaining fourteen, including goalkeeper Carter – who was a reserve in 2008 – are first time Olympians.

The Canadian men’s Olympic field hockey team was named and honoured at the Olympic rings on Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver over the Canada Day long weekend.

Canada’s Olympic men host the United States in a four-game pre-Olympic tournament from July 6 to10 in West Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia.

In Rio, Canada will be in Pool B with Argentina, Germany, India, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The Canadian men will play each nation in its pool once in the preliminary round, with the top four in the group moving on to the cross-over quarterfinal. Canada opens the tournament on August 6 against Germany.

At Rio 2016, Canada expects to field a team of more than 315 athletes.

Field Hockey Canada is the national governing body for field hockey working to develop and strengthen field hockey across the country, and to position our National Teams for podium contention in 2016 and beyond.

QUOTES

“It’s an honour to be selected. The Olympics are the pinnacle of our sport and to be recognized in the sixteen is one of, if not the highlight in everyone’s athletic career and life in general.  I think we have a good mix of players, with guys bringing different skills sets to the table. I think that is going to serve us well is Rio. We’re in a good position to perform well and hopefully we can get some results in our games and play in the knock out round.”
Scott Tupper, Beijing 2008 Olympian, Field Hockey

“Congratulations to the athletes, coaches and support staff of Field Hockey Canada on being nominated to the Games. We know that you have worked extremely hard to reach this goal and now you have the opportunity to see it pay dividends on the pitch. I’ll have my antlers up waiting to see what Scott and his team can achieve this summer.”
Curt Harnett, Rio 2016 Team Canada Chef de Mission

“We have had strong internal competition over the last four years, with guys jockeying for spots for each competition. It has been a pleasure watching the larger group grow over that period and develop into the team of sixteen athletes who will give us the best chance at success in Rio.”
 Anthony Farry, Men’s National Team Director and Head Coach

“I’m thrilled to join all Canadians in congratulating the men’s field hockey players named to wear the maple leaf at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games a month from now. I commend the work done by Field Hockey Canada and encourage all Canadians —35 million strong— to join Team Canada in cheering loudly for all our athletes in Brazil this summer.”
The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities

Watch the team announcement here

The men’s field hockey team which will represent Canada at the Rio 2016 Games includes:

Athletes:
First, Last, Hometown, Position
Brenden, Bissett, New Westminster, BC, Midfielder
David, Carter, Vancouver, BC, Goalkeeper
Taylor, Curran, North Vancouver, BC, Midfielder
Adam, Froese, Abbotsford, BC, Defender
Jagdish, Gill, Toronto, ON, Defender
Matthew, Guest, Vancouver, BC, Forward
Gabriel, Ho-Garcia, Burnaby, BC, Midfielder
Gordon, Johnston, Vancouver, BC, Defender
Benjamin, Martin, Vancouver, BC, Defender
Devohn, Noronha Teixeira, Mississauga, ON, Forward
Sukhpal, Panesar, Surrey, BC, Midfielder
Mark, Pearson, Tsawwasssen, BC, Midfielder
Keegan, Pereira, Scarborough, ON, Forward
Matthew, Sarmento, Vancouver, BC, Forward
Iain, Smythe, Burnaby, BC, Forward
Scott, Tupper, Vancouver, BC, Defender

Coaches and Support Team:
Position, First, Last, Hometown
Assistant Coach, Paul, Bundy, Vancouver, BC
Head Coach, Anthony, Farry, Vancouver,BC
Physiotherapist, Josh, Ferguson, Vancouver, BC
Video Analyst, Paul, Mounter, Vancouver, BC
Team Manager, Celia, Plottel, Vancouver, BC
Team Doctor, Dr. Navin, Prasad, Vancouver, BC

Prior to being named to the final Canadian Rio 2016 Team, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Federations.

Field Hockey Canada media release

Tupper, Pearson add Olympic experience to Canadian men's field hockey team

VANCOUVER - Team captain Scott Tupper will lead Canada's men's field hockey squad at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Tupper was one of 16 athletes named to the field hockey team on Thursday.

Tupper and teammate Mark Pearson will be appearing at their second Olympics. They represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Games.

The remaining fourteen athletes are first-time Olympians.

"It's an honour to be selected," Tupper said in a release. "The Olympics are the pinnacle of our sport and to be recognized in the sixteen is one of, if not the highlight in everyone's athletic career and life in general.

"I think we have a good mix of players, with guys bringing different skills sets to the table. I think that is going to serve us well is Rio. We’re in a good position to perform well and hopefully we can get some results in our games and play in the knock-out round."

Canadian qualified for the Rio Games with a fourth place finish at the International Hockey Federation's World League semifinal in Argentina last June. Canada defeated higher-ranked New Zealand in a quarter-final shootout to secure the top-four finish and a spot in the Olympic Games.

Fourteen of the sixteen athletes named Thursday competed in that Olympic qualifier and also won a silver medal at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.

Canada roster:

Brenden Bissett, New Westminister, B.C., Midfielder; David Carter, Vancouver, Goalkeeper; Taylor Curran, North Vancouver, B.C., Midfielder; Adam Froese, Abbotsford, B.C.. Defender; Jagdish Gill, Toronto, Defender; Matthew Guest, Vancouver, Forward; Gabriel Ho-Garcia, Burnaby, B.C., Midfielder; Gordon Johnston, Vancouver, Defender; Benjamin Martin, Vancouver, Defender; Devohn Noronha Teixeira Mississauga, Ont., Forward; Sukhpal Panesar, Surrey, B.C., Midfielder; Mark Pearson, Tsawwasssen, B.C., Midfielder; Keegan Pereira, Toronto, Forward; Matthew Sarmento, Vancouver, Forward; Iain Smythe, Burnaby, B.C., Forward; Scott Tupper (capt.), Vancouver, Defender.

Times Colonist

Surprise selection for Black Stick Smith


Kelsey Smith of New Zealand battles for the ball against the USA. Photo / Getty Images

The Olympic dream has come true a lot sooner than expected for women's Black Sticks rookie Kelsey Smith

The 21-year-old is a shock inclusion in the Black Sticks squad for Rio after only making her debut late last year.

Smith impressed coach Mark Hager at the recent Champions Trophy and says her selection hasn't sunk in yet.

Smith says it's really overwhelming but so exciting and she never thought it would really happen.

She says she learnt of her selection after receiving an email from coach Hager.

Smith says she was in bed talking with her flatmate when the email popped up.

Radio Sport

Field hockey sisters bury hatchet, head for Rio (with dad)

By AZUSA USHIO

A sense of jealousy caused two sisters to refuse to talk to each other for years, and their father kept a distance, allowing his daughters to sort things out on their own.

An overseas experience led to a sibling reconciliation that came at an opportune time. The three family members are now preparing to represent Japan in women’s field hockey at the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.

Yuri and Hazuki Nagai appeared at the June 14 news conference when the 16 national team members were announced, and the sisters showed that they have put their personal rivalry behind them.

“I want to score a goal after receiving a good pass from my younger sister,” said Yuri, 24.

Hazuki, 21, said in turn, “I am so happy we are both taking part in the Olympics.”

When the Olympic Games in Brazil start in early August, the two sisters will have a watchful eye over them. Their father, Yuji, 52, is head coach of the women’s field hockey team.

Born in Gifu Prefecture, in central Japan, the two sisters took up field hockey in elementary school.

Yuji himself had been a top player, so the sport came naturally for Yuri and Hazuki.

However, from their junior and senior high school days, the sisters were not on the best of terms.

“We were always compared, and some said ‘the younger sister is better,’” Yuri said.

She admits to feeling jealous of Hazuki because she seemed to have more natural talent.

Their rivalry was also evident on the field.

Yuri was a forward and Hazuki a midfielder when they played for the same corporate team and the national team.

However, it was rare for Hazuki to pass the ball to her older sister down the field.

Looking back, Yuji said, “I made it a rule not to do anything even when things were not going well between them.”

A catalyst for change between the sisters came in October 2014, when Yuri joined Real Sociedad of the top Spanish league.

After seeing her teammates using their individual skills, Yuri started to feel that she needed to be more self-confident rather than comparing herself with others.

When she was reunited with Hazuki for training sessions of the national team, their teamwork improved. Hazuki began feeling that Yuri was being more assertive.

“Whenever I have the ball, the first player who enters my vision is my older sister,” Hazuki said.

Yuri said, “Passes (from Hazuki) now come even if I say nothing.”

Yuji continues to take a hands-off approach concerning the relationship between his daughters. He leaves almost everything about their private lives up to his wife, Rieko, 53.

About the only piece of advice Yuji has given his daughters is: “Go abroad at least once so you can grow not only as hockey players, but also as humans.”

Although Yuji was a member of the men’s national field hockey team, he never took part as a player in an Olympics.

Seeing what his daughters have accomplished, he said: “They have become more forward-looking after leaving behind various issues. More than their hockey skills, I really feel assured because they have opened up their paths by themselves.”

Asahi Shimbun

Scotland U21 women ready to take on England in Glasgow


Lorna Cruickshank Scotland U21 women

Scotland’s U21 women’s team is set to take on England U21 women in three challenging matches over the weekend.

The match times are 2pm, Friday 8 July; 2pm, Saturday 9 July; and 10am, Sunday 10 July, with all matches played at the National Hockey Centre in Glasgow.

The contest against England follows the recent three-match friendlies against Ulster U23 women, with the visitors claiming victory in all three outings. The games against Ulster featured many young players taking the step up from U18 level for the first time, but the team assembled for the games against England features some more experienced players who missed the games against Ulster due to senior international duty.

The game signals a return to Glasgow for the Head Coach of England U21s, Colin Clarke, who is the former Assistant Coach with Scotland’s senior women’s team, and Scotland U18 coach. He now runs the Nottingham Trent University hockey programme.

Scotland U21 Women’s Head Coach Neil Menzies said: “England will undoubtedly bring a strong squad and we can expect to be in for three extremely challenging games. Unfortunately we do have a couple of injury concerns, and we will have to juggle the squad throughout the three days of competition as we seek to manage those injuries.

“This weekend however, we have a significantly strengthened squad with the return of five players who were on senior international duty when we played recently against Ulster - Millie Brown, Charlotte Watson, Amy Costello, Emily Newlands and Katie Robertson. This will make us much more competitive, although it will be the first outing for the group and it might take us some time to settle.

“It is still very early for us in our preparations for the Europeans in July of next year and our focus will be on trying to develop a style of play that is high tempo, and extremely competitive. England are the perfect competition with this in mind, as they like to play a hard running and fast style of hockey, which will force us to stay switched on, or suffer the consequences.”


Scotland U21 women v Ulster

The Scotland squad for the matches is:

Susan Al Haddad
Erin Gilchrist
Megan Inch
Amy Costello
Ellie Halliday
Frances Lonergan
Kerry-Anne Hastings
Catriona McLellan
Alison Eadie
Katie Robertson
Emily Newlands
Lorna Cruikshank
Mackenzie Bell
Iona Armour
Shona McNab
Charlotte Watson
Millie Brown
Drew Berry
Chloe Hardie
Mairi Drummond
Ellie Hutcheson

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Old Eds and Wanderers hockey teams gear for Durban showdown

Can these two local hockey teams bring back the trophy from Durban?


Robin Jones (blue) of Kearsney Hockey Club battles it out against Old Edwardian player Nicholas Gonsalves for possession.

Old Edwardians and Wanderers hockey clubs are gearing up for this year’s annual Greenfields Elite Club Challenge at the Riverside Sports Centre in Durban North from 15 to 16 July.

The two hockey clubs will be competing against other clubs from the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal for a grand prize of R26 000 which will go to the winning team. This is the largest tournament prize money offered in South African hockey.

Teams include 2015 champions Badgers of Western Province, Riverside Hockey Club, Malik Old Albanians Hockey Club and Kearsney Hockey Club.

Old Edwardians first team coach, Thornton McDade, said “It is always such a great event to be a part of that our men’s first team looks forward to every year. The quality of hockey played and at such fantastic facilities make this a highlight in our hockey calendar.

“We have seen the level of hockey improve year upon year and that’s why initiatives like these are so important to grow and develop our country’s talent from grassroots level so when the 2020 Commonwealth Games come around our SA teams will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Wanderers first team manager, Patrick Owgan said, “The competition is tough but we have high hopes of claiming the title and largest prize money this year.”

The tournament was established in 2013 by Riverside Sports and Riverside Hockey Club to showcase top class hockey by premier players in a festival-type tournament.

Riverside Hockey Club’s, Wayne Phillips, said, “We would like to thank our main sponsors, Greenfields–Belgotex Sport for their unwavering support over the past three years. I would like to encourage everyone to bring their friends and families to come and enjoy a weekend of festivities and watch world-class hockey at its best.”


Wanderers player Miguel da Graca will be fighting for his team to take the top spot at this year's Greenfields Elite Club Challenge.

North Eastern Tribune

Apex Tool Group named as New Sponsor of Wales National Men's Team


(L-R): Wales Co-Captains Luke Hawker, David Kettle (GK), Lewis Prosser  and Apex Tool Group’s UK Sales Manager, Sean Ibrahim.

Hockey Wales are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership with one of the largest manufacturers of professional Power Tools in the world, the Apex Tool Group. The partnership will see Apex Power Tools sponsor Wales Men’s National team as they compete on home soil and abroad.

After travelling to the National Hockey Centre in Cardiff ahead of the men’s home international against Poland last weekend, Apex Tool Group’s UK Sales Manager Sean Ibrahim said:

‘’It is an honour for Apex Tool Group to be sponsoring the Welsh Men’s hockey team. We believe in backing sport as it symbolises commitment, enthusiasm, skill and personal development. We are looking forward to some highly competitive and intense games; vital for developing Wales's national performance at the very top level.”

The South Carolina based company operates a worldwide network that strives to meet the technical challenges faced by today’s manufacturers  and its products serve several different markets, including aerospace, automotive, energy, as well as other product assembly industries.

In the past twelve months, Wales Men have been promoted to the EuroHockey Championships Division II and are poised to rise through the world rankings after impressive performances against top-20 teams France and Poland already this season.

Wales’ will proudly wear the Apex logo on their playing shirt as they compete in international tournaments across Europe next season, which includes the FIH World League Round 1. Mr Ibrahim added:

“The landmark agreement with Hockey Wales sees support for a clear strategy that encourages participation, growth at all levels and performance on the international stage. We wish the Welsh men every success in the season to come!’’

Owen Burgess, Hockey Wales Head of Commercial & Business, echoed Mr Ibrahim’s views as he hailed the new partnership as a significant step for the organisation:

“This is great news and a positive step for Hockey Wales and the Men’s team. The players and management team are highly committed individuals striving to represent Wales at the highest level, and this commercial partnership will be hugely valuable in the running and progression of the performance programme.’’

“We are delighted to announce this partnership and we hope to work with more leading businesses like the Apex Tool Group, who share our outlook and vision. With a number of further positive announcements to come, those involved in the sport should share our excitement about the future of hockey in Wales.”

If you are interested in collaborating with Hockey Wales, or would like more information about sponsorship opportunities, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For further information on the Apex Tool Group, please visit www.apexpowertools.com

Hockey Wales media release

Rajkot hockey ground gets FIH recognition

RAJKOT: The Major Dhyanchand Hockey Ground in the city, owned by the local civic body, has received recognition from the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra said on Thursday.

The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC)-owned turf in Race Course area has become the first ground in Gujarat to get approval from the apex global body governing the sport, he said.

"After developing the hockey ground, we started the process of getting international certification a few months ago. A team of FIH officials visited the ground recently and issued the approval. It has became the first hockey ground in Gujarat to have the FIH approval," he said.

"Besides Rajkot, there are only 30 grounds in the country that have FIH recognition. RMC spent around Rs 5 crore to develop the ground, which was built within a year," Nehra added.

The Times of India

Young players attracted to new hockey field

By Jono Edwards

With the clatter of hockey sticks growing louder in Central Otago, available turf is filling to capacity.

There are 820 registered players in the wider region, up about 100 on last year.

Central Otago Hockey Association executive officer Sandra Stuart said the sport had grown for about the past four years, partly due to hockey programmes targeted at primary school children.

"The young ones make up the majority of our players.''

The steeper increase this year was helped by the attraction of the renovated Cromwell turf, she said.

The water-based field was unveiled in April, replacing the previous sand surface, and renamed the Pioneer Energy Turf.

It was the only full-sized turf in Central Otago, Queenstown or Wanaka and it alone could not meet the growing popularity of the sport, she said.

Central Otago Sports Turf Trust chairman Michael Paardekooper said the attention around the Cromwell turf's water-based surface helped attract more young people to the game.

"It has been a huge success.''

Mr Paardekooper will attend a meeting with New Zealand Hockey next week to discuss bringing an international test series to the district with the New Zealand women's team within the next year.

"They will play another international team, depending on who is touring at the time.''

The Cromwell Community Board had committed $15,000in seed money to that project, which would cost about $65,000.

Last year, New Zealand Hockey expressed interest in a similar test to be held last Easter, but it did not go ahead due to a lack of available accommodation, he said.

The remaining renovation of the turf, including a viewing room, kitchen, changing rooms and toilets were on track to be finished by the beginning of the next hockey season, he said.

Alexandra hockey coach Sally Mullally is on a trust which two years ago proposed building a full-sized hockey turf in Alexandra.

The planned site was where the Ice Inline Sports Complex is now and the ice skating rink was to be moved next to the Molyneux Aquatic Centre to share energy costs.

The rink has not moved and the proposal is still at the feasibility study stage.

An Alexandra turf made sense as Maniototo was strong in hockey, but it was difficult for Maniototo teams to travel to Cromwell, she said.

A three-quarter sized hockey turf will be built in the new Wanaka Recreation Centre.

Otago Daily Times