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News for 30 July 2016

All the news for Saturday 30 July 2016


Spain hand India second loss


Manpreet Singh scored India’s opening goal. file photo

Madrid: The Indian men’s hockey team got a reality check just before the start of the Rio Olympics after they were stunned 3-2 by lower-ranked Spain in the second practice game of the tour here. World No. 5 India lost the two-match series 2-0 as they lost the opening match against world no. 11 Spain 4-1.

Manpreet Singh (38th minute) and Ramandeep (57th) scored for India, while Josep Romeu (20th), Pau Quemada (42nd) and Salvador Piera (53rd) scored for the hosts late last night.

Romeu provided the breakthrough for Spain by converting their second penalty corner five minutes into the second quarter.

India came out stronger in the second half and Manpreet drew parity for the visitors with a smart field goal. But Spain took the lead again within four minutes with another penalty corner, this time converted by Quemada.

In the final quarter, India started pushing forward in numbers to get the equalizer, while Spain played the waiting game. The home team scored the third goal through Piera. Ramandeep pulled one back but India couldn’t find the equaliser in the final three minutes.

The Tribune



Australia, Netherlands ones to beat in hockey at Rio 2016 Olympics

The Australians, only managed a bronze four years ago in London Olympics despite being overwhelming favourites.


Since 1992 Australia have won a medal at every Olympic tournament. (Source: AP)

Germany might be the twice Olympic champions defending their title in men’s field hockey but top-ranked Australia will be the team to beat at next month’s Rio Games.

Since 1992 Australia have won a medal at every Olympic tournament and the World Cup winners will be the favourites to clinch what would be only their second gold medal.

The Kookaburras, who recently beat India in a penalty shootout in the Champions Trophy final, only managed a bronze four years ago in London despite being overwhelming favourites.

Their London heartbreak triggered a lot of soul searching from the men in gold and green. “Yeah, we had to do a lot of long hard looking at ourselves, but it paid off ultimately,” 32-year-old Glenn Turner, a member of the Australia squad, said.

“Leading up to London we had trained really hard but there was a very different feel to the squad compared to this time around.

“After London we got a psychologist in and we started to get to know each other a lot better.” Mark Knowles and Jamie Dwyer, a five-time International Hockey Federation player of the year, provide Australia with a wealth of experience since Rio will be their fourth Games.

Knowles said the team, who face New Zealand in their first match, would settle for nothing but gold in Brazil.

“When we go to the Olympic Games as the Australian men’s hockey team we want to win, we don’t want to get bronze, just make the semis or play off for fifth,” he said.

Also in Australia’s group are Great Britain, Belgium, Spain and the host nation.

Germany, who triumphed in Beijing and London, are ranked third in the world. The squad chosen by head coach Valentin Altenburg contains five Olympic gold medallists from London.

The champions have been pooled with the Netherlands, Argentina, India, Ireland and Canada, with the top four teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Once-mighty India are the most decorated nation in the sport’s Olympic history but the South Asians won the last of their eight gold medals way back at the Moscow Games in 1980.

Their strong build-up, claiming silver at the Champions Trophy, has again boosted optimism among fans in the nation of 1.25 billion people.

On the women’s side, the Netherlands have captured seven world titles and been to every Olympic Games since 1984, winning three gold, one silver and three bronze medals.

The world’s top-ranked side will be the heavy favourites to add to their gold medal tally in Rio.

Indian Express



World-class hockey fields provide perfect platform for Samba Sticks!



From the sky it will appear as two vibrant blue rectangles with a bright lime-green surround. On the ground, it will be a fizzing melting pot of excitement and action as 24 teams, 384 athletes and a daily influx of 8,000 fans participate in the pinnacle of international hockey events.

On 6 August at 10:00, Argentina men will take on the Netherlands in the opening hockey match of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and one of the iconic sites of the event will spring into action. Later that same day, expect the stadium to turn yellow and green as Brazil men’s team plays its first ever Olympic match, against the 2008 Olympic silver medallists, Spain. 

Then 13 days after the competition starts, on 18 August, at a little after 18.30, the men’s Olympic Champions will be crowned, followed by the women’s champions the following day.

People planning a trip to watch the hockey will be able to see a further 10 sports on the huge Deodoro Olympic Park complex. The 2.5 million square-metre site is also hosting Canoe Slalom, BMX, Mountain Biking, Shooting, Modern Pentathlon, Women's Basketball, Rugby, and Equestrian jumping, dressage and eventing.

The city’s planners hope the Deodoro Olympic Park will follow in the footsteps of London 2012 and offer a vibrant new area for sport, recreation and development. After the Olympics, Deodoro will offer the greatest legacy of Rio 2016," said a spokesperson for the site’s developers. "Differently than what we have seen so far in terms of post-Olympic legacies, Deodoro's legacy goes beyond the sporting sphere. It is focused mainly on generating recreational areas for the population.”

The Olympic Hockey Centre, which is part of the Deodoro Olympic Park was first used in the 2007 Pan American Games but has been completely renovated for Rio 2016.

The fields in Rio were constructed by some of the very best in the business, hockey specialists registered as part of the FIH Quality Programme for Hockey Turf. The building company responsible for the structure is Resinsa, the first FIH Quality Programme Approved Field Builder in South America. The pitches have been complete since April 2016, with local teams and international sides using the two fields of play in order to ensure they are running at their best by the opening matches.

Getting the field structure, surface and look right for this occasion has been a long process, involving input from a variety of sources – from technical experts to the players who will be centre stage.

Paul Kamphuis is General Manager of FIH Global Turf Supplier Polytan, the company that supplied the playing surfaces in Brazil, and he is delighted with the outcome of years of work. He said: “The Poligras Platinum Cool Plus hockey surfaces installed in Rio have been specifically developed with input from elite international players to enable them to play at their best. 

“The result is an optimised surface using the latest technology texturised monofilament fibres for enhanced play characteristics, softer fibres for better underfoot feel and superior water retention.  Combined with the unique pitch colour combination developed specifically for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the Poligras pitches provide the ideal platform for the players, spectators and the global broadcast audience.”

Both fields will be in action on the first week of the Games, with all the play shifting to Pitch One as the competition enters the knock-out stages.

For hockey development in Brazil this is great news as the double pitches in Rio will enable the Brazil Hockey Confederation to host top level international events as well as provide a training and playing base for national and local teams.

Make sure that you use #Hockey, #SambaSticks and
 #Rio2016 on social media when showing your support for your nation during the events, and follow FIH for all the latest updates as teams and fans get ready for the biggest show on earth – the Olympic Games. For more information about hockey in Rio, visit Rio2016.com.

Tickets for the Olympic Games can still be bought here.

FIH site



Rio 2016's blue hockey pitch aims to change the look of the game

Eye-catching Olympic hockey pitch part of a movement to make the sport more visually appealing

By Jon Azpiri


The pitches at the Olympic Hockey Centre represent the colours of the Brazilian flag. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Rio 2016's blue hockey pitch aims to change the look of the game

Take a bird's eye view of Deodoro Olympic Park and it's hard to miss the pitches at the Olympic Hockey Centre.

Unlike hockey's traditional green pitches, the Rio 2016 turf is bright blue with a green border and white lines. Add in the yellow ball used in competition and you have the colours of the Brazilian flag.

"I like playing the blue pitch," Great Britain defender Henry Weir said following a training session on one of the practice pitches at the Olympic Hockey Centre. "It's got more of a 'wow' factor. It's very Rio and it's very flash."

The Rio pitch builds on the successful debut of the blue playing surface at the London 2012 Games - the first time the colour was used in a major international hockey competition. When hockey switched to artificial turf in the 1970s, playing surfaces were coloured green to mimic the look of natural grass.

The move to blue was made to draw in new fans watching on TV.

"I think they originally did it for TV coverage," Weir said. "They found the blue pitch and yellow ball were easier to see.

"The blue pitch definitely televises much better than it used to. The speed of the game translates much better to TV. It's much more exciting." How the Olympic Games ushered in hockey's blue period

The London Games appear to have started a trend that will continue well after the Rio Games. "There are a lot of blue pitches in New Zealand," Black Sticks striker Blair Hilton said.

"I think everyone started building them before London because they thought it was going to be a big new thing."

The British team installed a Rio-style blue-and-green pitch in its training facility in preparation for the Games. Weir says the turf looks sharp and plays fast, something that should help sell the sport to a global Olympic audience.


Stephane Vehrle-Smith (l)  fights for the ball during the Rio 2016 Test Event between Brazil and Chile (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

"The pitch is playing great," he said. "A good pitch you want to play fast and you want it to stay true and stay flat. It's perfect."

Tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games are on sale on the Rio 2016 Portal

Rio 2016



Hockey umpire from Pretoria on her way to Olympics

Chances are good that Michelle Joubert of Pretoria could act as umpire in the women’s hockey final at this year’s Olympic Games.

Koos Venter


The International Hockey Federation named Michelle Joubert as Women umpire of the Year for 2015. Photo: Supplied

Michelle Joubert is already dreaming of the day when she can toss the coin with the two captains in the women’s hockey final at this year’s Olympics.

And that dream is not that far-fetched given this experienced official from Pretoria was named the world’s top women’s hockey umpire last year.

For a few years Joubert has been considered one of the world’s top hockey umpires. She is one of only 12 on the World Panel handling top international hockey competitions around the world. In Rio, she will be making her second appearance at the Olympic Games, after umpireing in London in 2012.

Joubert has grown in stature as a umpire since, and because South Africa did not qualify for the Olympics, her chances of officiating in the final are extremely good.

“Of course it all depends on whether I do well enough during the course of the tournament. You are judged on your performance in the tournament, so if I do well early, I should have a chance,” she told Rekord.

Joubert’s umpireing career started by coincidence about 15 years ago, when the umpire failed to show up for the game and she had to step in.

“John Wright [former president of the Northerns Hockey and international umpire] called me over and handed the whistle to me with the request to go and act as umpire. I was not trained and did not know all the rules. I really did poorly in that game and I had promised myself never to try it again…”

John, however, saw enormous potential in her and he persuaded her to hold on and to master the rules properly. Soon thereafter, her days as a player were basically over. Then, she was still a provincial player in the Northerns side, but since only played at club level until 2010.

A few months after being thrown in the deep end, Joubert umpired in an U21 tournament in Durban. A year later, she was sent to Kenya to umpire the All Africa Military Games. She returned to Kenya shortly afterwards for an Olympic qualifying tournament before being elevated to international umpire level.

By 2009, after six years as an international umpire, she was named on the senior panel to umpire the Junior World Cup in the US.

Since then she’s officiated in the Commonwealth Games in India, and the Women’s World Cup in Argentina in in 2010. But after her brilliant performances at the London Olympics, she handled the final in the Women’s World Cup in Holland in 2014, the World League final in 2015 in Argentina and the World Championships Trophy in London earlier this year.

Joubert has already won many awards for her outstanding umpireing.

In the World League, Joubert umpired her 100th senior international game in the year, for which she was awarded a golden whistle.

She has also been nominated for Africa’s women umpire of the Year award five times.

At the Gauteng Sports Awards she won Official of the Year but her greatest honour was being named Women umpire of the Year for 2015 by the International Hockey Federation.

When not in the middle in a game somewhere in the world, Joubert gets to live her other passion as director of hockey at the Southdowns College in Centurion.

With her background in sport science she tries to develop her pupils in a holistic manner, not only as sportsmen and hockey players, but also as human beings.

Pretoria East Rekord



Stats Speak:  know the teams  in the Rio Olympics (part-12)

By B.G.Joshi (Sehore-Bhopal, India)

Renowned hockey statistician B.G.Joshi have compiled stats and records on all the 24 competing teams  in Rio Olympics. Today he is concluding his series with stats and records of Canada and Brazil- two men teams.

11.0 Canada (CAN)
Pool: B
World Ranking:15
Title: Nil
Coach: Anthoy Farry(Australia)
Captain: Scott Tupper
How Qualified: Dual qualification of Argentina vacate the slot,Canada qualify as stood 4th in Buenos Aires HWL(2015)
Appearances:6,four times 10th (1976,1984,2000,2008),once 11th (1988),once 14th (1964-not classified ,ranked as per pool position)
Records: P-W-D-L-GF-GA- 40-6-7-27-45-110
Head to head versus pool competitors in Olympics

Canada  vs.

MP

W

D

L

GF

GA

Netherlands

5

0

0

5

6

21

Germany

2

0

0

2

2

5

India

3

0

0

3

1

11

Argentina

1

1

0

0

3

1

Ireland

0

0

0

0

0

0

 

Biggest ever win: 3-1 vs. Argentina  in 1976
Worst defeat: 1-7 vs. Pakistan in 1920
Prolific Scorer: Scott Tupper, born-Dec 16,1986, Caps-240 ,updated Goals are not with me

12.0 Brazil (BRA)
Pool: A
World Ranking:30
Title: Nil
Coach: Andre Patrocinio
Captain: Claudio Rocha
How Qualified: as host, fulfilled the criteria of IOC by finishing 4th in continental championship-Toronto Pan Am Games 2015.
Appearances:Debut

Fieldhockey.com



Eyeing Olympic glory, Indian hockey teams land in Rio

Indian men's and women's hockey teams reached Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games in the Brazilian city.


The India hockey team at the Madrid airport before boarding a flight to Rio.

Determined to put up a top-notch performance at the 2016 Olympic Games, the Indian men and women’s hockey teams arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Friday.

While the men’s team traveled from Madrid after playing two friendly matches against the Spanish national squad, the Indian women’s team arrived from Philadelphia where they won two matches against Canada and one match against USA national teams. This will be the first women’s hockey team from India in 36 years to play at the Olympics.

The excitement and anxiousness was palpable among the women led by promising young Captain Sushila Chanu. The Hockey India women’s team features in Pool B and will play against Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, USA and Japan.

“After a series of losses in England and Australia in the lead up to the Olympic Games, the wins in the USA has helped us in gaining the confidence we needed ahead of the Rio Olympics,” said Chanu.

“This is our first Olympic Games and we are aware that our performance here will help the future generation of women to take up the sport and excel. We are looking forward to putting up a good show and our aim is to make the quarterfinals first,” a confident Chanu added further.

Meanwhile, the men’s team, riding high on their recent exploits in the FIH Champions Trophy in London where the PR Sreejesh-led squad won a historic Silver medal, is vying to get the better of some of the top teams in their pool.

On arrival, India captain Sreejesh said, “Our first priority is to beat some of the top teams in our pool including Germany, Argentina and Netherlands. Though we have beaten each of these teams in the past or have come close to beating Germany in the Champions Trophy recently, the Olympic Games is a different ball game and we need to put up something extraordinary and special to excel against them.”

Sreejesh further said that every match will be crucial and their first goal is to make the quarterfinals.

“Obviously we are here to win a medal. But to do that, we need to take it match-by-match. We will not take any match lightly, be it Ireland (the first team we play), Canada or the defending Olympic Champions Germany. We will play each match like it is our last,” said the goalkeeper.

The Indian men’s team will play Netherlands, Argentina, Germany, Ireland and Canada in their pool ‘B’ matches and will need to be in the top four in the pool to make it to the quarterfinals.

Chief Coach Roelant Oltmans expressed the team’s eagerness to compete in the greatest tournament on the planet.

“This is the first Olympics for most of the boys in the team and naturally they have butterflies in their stomach but this bunch knows how to handle pressure in big-ticket matches.

“This moment that we have been working on for so many months and years is finally here and I am confident that this team has it in them to create history. This is the time for them to peak and I am sure they are ready for it,” he said.

The men’s team will take on Ireland on August 6 in their first match while the women begin their campaign against Japan on August 7.

Indian Express



Indian Hockey Teams arrive in Rio for 2016 Olympic Games


Indian men's hockey Olympic squad

Eager and determined to put up a top-notch performance at the 2016 Olympic Games, the Indian men and women’s hockey teams arrived in Rio earlier this morning (local time).

While the men’s team traveled from Madrid after playing two friendly matches against the Spanish national squad, the Indian women’s team arrived from Philadelphia where they won two matches against Canada and one match against USA national teams. This will be the first women’s hockey team from India in 36 years to play at the Olympics.

The Hockey India women’s team features in Pool B and will play against Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, USA and Japan. “After a series of losses in England and Australia in the lead up to the Olympic Games, the wins in the USA has helped us in gaining the confidence we needed ahead of the Rio Olympics,” said Chanu.

“This is our first Olympic Games and we are aware that our performance here will help the future generation of women to take up the sport and excel. We are looking forward to putting up a good show and our aim is to make the quarterfinals first,” a confident Chanu added further.

PR Sreejesh-led squad which won the historic Silver medal at London Champions Trophy, is vying to get the better of some of the top teams in their pool. On arrival, Captain and goalkeeper of the Indian Hockey Team, PR Sreejesh said, “Our first priority is to beat some of the top teams in our pool including Germany, Argentina and Netherlands. Though we have beaten each of these teams in the past or have come close to beating Germany in the Champions Trophy recently, the Olympic Games is a different ball game and we need to put up something extraordinary and special to excel against them.”

The Captain further stated that every match will be crucial and their first goal is to make the quarterfinals. “Obviously we are here to win a medal. But to do that, we need to take it match-by-match. We will not take any match lightly, be it Ireland (the first team we play), Canada or the defending Olympic Champions Germany. We will play each match like it is our last,” stated the goalkeeper.

The Indian men’s team will play Netherlands, Argentina, Germany, Ireland and Canada in their pool ‘B’ matches and will need to be in the top four in the pool to make it to the quarterfinals.

Chief Coach Roelant Oltmans expressed the team’s eagerness to compete in the greatest tournament on the planet. “This is the first Olympics for most of the boys in the team and naturally they have butterflies in their stomach but this bunch knows how to handle pressure in big-ticket matches. This moment that we have been working on for so many months and years is finally here and I am confident that this team has it in them to create history. This is the time for them to peak and I am sure they are ready for it,” he concluded.

The men’s team will take on Ireland on August 6, 2016 at 19:30 IST in their first match while the women begin their campaign against Japan on August 7, 2016 at 19:30 IST. All matches will be broadcasted Live on Star Sports, Star Sports HD and DD National.

Men’s Team Schedule

Timings in IST

August 6, 2016 India vs Ireland 19:30
August 8, 2016 Germany vs India 19:30
August 9, 2016 Argentina vs India 19:30
August 11, 2016 Netherlands vs India 18:30
August 12, 2016 India vs Canada 21:00

Women’s Team Schedule

Timings in IST

August 7, 2016 Japan vs India 19:30
August 9, 2016 India vs Great Britain 02:30
August 10, 2016 India vs Australia 19:30
August 12, 2016 USA vs India 04:00
August 13, 2016 Argentina vs India 18:30

Stick2Hockey.com



Indian hockey contingent lands in Rio in quest of Olympic glory


Indian men's hockey team (Hockey India Facebook page)

Rio de Janeiro: While the men's team travelled from Madrid after playing two friendly matches against the Spanish national squad, the Indian women's team arrived from Philadelphia where they won two matches against Canada and one match against USA national teams.

Eager and determined to put up a top-notch performance at next month's Olympic Games, the Indian men and women's hockey teams arrived in Rio earlier this morning.

While the men's team travelled from Madrid after playing two friendly matches against the Spanish national squad, the Indian women's team arrived from Philadelphia where they won two matches against Canada and one match against USA national teams. This will be the first women's hockey team from India in 36 years to play at the Olympics.

The excitement and anxiousness was palpable among the women led by promising young captain Sushila Chanu. The women's team features in Pool B and will play against Argentina, Australia, Great Britain, USA and Japan.

"After a series of losses in England and Australia in the lead up to the Olympic Games, the wins in the USA has helped us in gaining the confidence we needed ahead of the Rio Olympics," said Chanu.

"This is our first Olympic Games and we are aware that our performance here will help the future generation of women to take up the sport and excel. We are looking forward to putting up a good show and our aim is to make the quarterfinals first," a confident Chanu added.

Meanwhile, the men's team riding high on their recent exploits in the FIH Champions Trophy in London, where the PR Sreejesh-led squad won a historic Silver medal, is vying to get the better of some of the top teams in their pool.

On arrival, captain and goalkeeper of the Indian Hockey Team, PR Sreejesh said, "Our first priority is to beat some of the top teams in our pool including Germany, Argentina and Netherlands. Though we have beaten each of these teams in the past or have come close to beating Germany in the Champions Trophy recently, the Olympic Games is a different ball game and we need to put up something extraordinary and special to excel against them."

The captain further stated that every match will be crucial and their first goal is to make the quarterfinals. "Obviously we are here to win a medal. But to do that, we need to take it match-by-match. We will not take any match lightly, be it Ireland (the first team we play), Canada or the defending Olympic Champions Germany. We will play each match like it is our last," stated the goalkeeper.

The Indian men's team will play Netherlands, Argentina, Germany, Ireland and Canada in their pool ?B? matches and will need to be in the top four in the pool to make it to the quarterfinals.

Chief coach Roelant Oltmans expressed the team's eagerness to compete in the greatest tournament on the planet. "This is the first Olympics for most of the boys in the team and naturally they have butterflies in their stomach but this bunch knows how to handle pressure in big-ticket matches. This moment that we have been working on for so many months and years is finally here and I am confident that this team has it in them to create history. This is the time for them to peak and I am sure they are ready for it," he concluded.

The men's team will take on Ireland on August 6 in their first match while the women begin their campaign against Japan on August 7.

DNA



Players, coach recall India hockey team’s heartbreaking loss at 2000 Sydney Olympics

The draw with Poland at Sydney Olympics turned out to be a crushing blow for Indian hockey and disillusioned the players and gave a lifelong regret.

by Mihir Vasavda


India conceded a goal in the penultimate minute of the match and lost a chance to qualify for the semi-final. (Illustration by Subrata Dhar)

The Indian hockey team was cruising along at the Sydney Games and were just 1 minute 46 seconds away from a spot in the semifinals, a result that could potentially have changed the face of the sport. But Poland scored the equalising goal to dash India’s hopes. Mihir Vasavda talks to a few from the Class of 2000 for whom the 1-1 draw was a crushing blow that disillusioned them and gave them a lifelong regret.

‘Went for a few beers to drown my sorrows’
— Vasudevan Baskaran, Coach

It was a cloudy morning. A drilly morning. A lazy morning. I woke up at around 5.30am, had a cup of tea and went for a walk around the Games Village.

My team was playing some fantastic hockey and the boys were in a good mood. Later that evening, we were to play Poland. The previous evening, we had our regular team meeting. I told them to score an early goal so we could play rest of the game at our pace. I told the deep defence not to make any silly errors. All the issues were touched upon.

Poland were out of contention already. They came into that match to enjoy. We were this close to making the semifinals, so for us it was important to stick to our plan and ensure we won. But I did not think of this during my walk. I was confident of a win. And so were the boys.

We had some very good performances and the atmosphere in the camp was wonderful. Before the Olympics, we were camping at a very small town near Gold Coast. We had a turf to ourselves, four Indian families to take care and stayed at lovely motels. Some days, we cooked ourselves and also went to Gold Coast for a day out.

That positive atmosphere off the field translated to some great performances on it. Later that evening, I picked up some energy bars and fruits for the boys, said a silent prayer in my room and stood near the bus to ensure every player is on time. I don’t like the last-minute rush.

The short ride to the stadium was pleasant. Dhanraj was cracking some jokes as usual. Baljit Singh Dhillon was singing some Punjabi songs. Everyone was doing their bit. Everything till then was going as I had hoped.

Except the events on field. There’s little a coach can do once the match begins. The boys were doing everything right but we just couldn’t score a goal. Not that their goalkeeper was having a great match, he wasn’t doing anything. We hit the woodwork thrice, missed a few sitters and that just made the players very desperate.

Dilip Tirkey found the back of the net in the second half but I was telling them to go for one more. I told Dhanraj to play more up field. I told Mukesh to go in the midfield, Deepak Thakur was asked to be more aggressive. But in the last 10 minutes, we were playing one down. And that added to our agony.

In the last minute, Dhanraj – if I recall properly – unleashed a powerful shot. The ball hit Poland goalkeeper’s pad and the rebound travelled 40m on the left. Their left-midfielder collected it and squared directly to the right-midfield, that was Ramandeep’s zone. That ball should have been stopped.

At that moment, Ramandeep could have played destructive hockey. There’re two things I feel that are important – one, you play constructive hockey most of the times. Or else, if nothing’s going your way then you take one for the team. At least that would’ve stopped the flow of the attack and a few more seconds would have ticked away.

But he slipped, their striker just hit the ball from top of the circle and somehow, it beat our goalkeeper. We were left with barely a few seconds to score the winner but that goal had deflated us completely and we just couldn’t deal with it.

We returned to the dressing room with most of the players in a state of shock. Dhanraj was crying along, Mukesh looked distraught, Ramandeep was in a bad shape, Jude was on his knees… I mustered courage to tell them, ‘Boys, you are not destined to win a medal.’ It was harsh, but there was nothing else I could tell them.

The mood in the bus while returning was the strangest and the saddest that I remember. I returned to the Village to find out that on the fixture’s board, they had already put India’s name in the semifinal. They had updated it after we had taken the lead but forgot to change. That was a painful reminder, one which we really did not need at that point.

Everyone was still trying to understand what had struck us. I took all the blame. To play the placement match was the biggest issue for me. We had not accepted defeat and were not used to playing playoff matches in domestic hockey, where the team used to pack its bags and leave if they lost.

I couldn’t manage to motivate them for the playoff match against Britain. That, for me, was a big failure as the coach. I take the blame for poor man management.

Later that evening, I went out with a few friends and had a few beers to drown my sorrows. But that one minute haunts each of us even today.

‘That thud still echoes in my head’
— Jude Menezes, goalkeeper

Sydney 2000. Hockey. India – Seventh. Even as I say it, it hurts. And that pain, I believe, will stay forever.

It could have been so different. It was one of the best teams India has ever had. And we were all on top of our games, playing beautiful hockey. But all we are remembered for that last-minute collapse against a team with virtually no hockey history.

Every four years, we are reminded of that painful defeat. Yes, it was a draw but it feels nothing less than a defeat. A crushing defeat.

Going into that match, some of the boys already thought we had qualified for the semifinals. We had defeated Argentina and Spain and drew with Australia, who were a really good side. We had done well against all the big teams and a lot of us looked at Poland as a given.

Poland is not a big hockey nation, far from it. But they played in European Championship, which has a very high standard, and were exposed to playing against top teams like Holland and Germany. So they make life really difficult for you. They may not be as skilled as the Indians, but they were structured and disciplined.

And that’s what did us in. Even though Poland were ranked much lower than us, we still had to play well to win it. I don’t think we can say we had done enough. We had plenty of opportunities to win. But we just couldn’t take those chances.

We started the match pretty well, though. I was perhaps having the best seat in the stadium as I wasn’t troubled much by the Polish attackers. We were doing most things right — got into the circle regularly, kept the ball, dominated… but we couldn’t get the goal. Eventually, Dilip Tirkey broke the deadlock from a penalty corner in the 53rd minute. But one goal is never safe. Another goal would really seal the semifinal spot for us.

As the time ticked on, the boys started to get a little bit edgy. I could sense desperation to score the second and things started to get a little bit frantic. At that point, the message from outside should have been to stick to our processes. It takes 10 seconds to score a goal if you keep playing the way you have been playing.

From my vantage point, I could see Poland were barely holding on and cracking under the constant pressure we were putting on them. But Mukesh received a yellow card in the 59th minute and was out for rest of the match. To play 10 minutes with a man down in an international game makes a huge difference. That changed the body language of our players drastically.

Suddenly, there was an open space through the middle and Poland started to exploit that. Still, they were not able to create a meaningful move. In the penultimate minute of the match they just played a hopeful, cross-field pass from the right. It was in Ramandeep’s zone — inside our 25 yards —and he slipped. It’s never a good place to lose the ball and a Polish attacker latched on to it. I don’t even remember the striker’s name, but he took the shot from top of the ‘D’. It was a venomous hit, I stretched full length but the ball sort of touched my pad and went in.

That ‘thud’ of the ball hitting the board still echoes in my head. I sank on my knees and couldn’t muster the energy to stand up again. Through my grill, I could see a lot of my teammates too were in a similar state. We just couldn’t gather the energy to leave the field once the hooter sounded. Dhanraj, I remember, broke down on the field. Coach stood motionless on the touchline. We just couldn’t believe we were unable to win that match.

The disappointment was huge. Before that tournament, we had beaten Australia in Australia; we had won a tournament in Perth. We were really doing well not just pre-Olympics but also during the campaign.

A lot of boys were devasted, Dhanraj was probably the most affected. Almost inconsolable. He didn’t come out of his room. There was a lot of crying. Dhanraj and Harender (Singh, assistant coach) were very upset. I didn’t see them till the next day. In fact, we barely saw the boys the day after. Everybody was in their rooms.

Our biggest failure, rather drawback, was we just couldn’t gather ourselves and look towards the next match. We were pretty average in the 2-1 defeat to Great Britain in the next match and that put us in the playoff for seventh/eighth position. Suddenly, we were a team that was looking good for a medal and ended up finishing seventh. It doesn’t give the true reflection of the squad’s potential. We deserved to finish a lot higher.

‘Locked myself in the room. I cried and cried…’
— Dhanraj Pillay, forward

One minute, 46 seconds. That’s how close we were to an Olympic semifinal and, who knows, even a medal.

Since the 1984 Olympics, we had the best bunch of players at the Sydney Games.

We are some really mature players and a few very talented individuals like Gaganajit Singh, Deepak Thakur, Viren Rasquinha, Arjun Halappa and Sameer Dad. It’s easily one of the best teams I have been a part of and there was little doubt in my mind that we would win a medal.

I had even promised amma I wouldn’t return empty handed. And with every passing match, my belief in the ability of that team continued to grow.

Not to sound arrogant, but Poland at that time looked like a minor hurdle for us considering the teams we had played till that point in the tournament. We had beaten countries that were much better and the Pakistan coach even asked for a video recording of our match against South Korea before their semifinal. That’s the level we were playing.

So we were all very confident that we would beat Poland. Each and every member of the team. We began well and in the second half, it started drizzling. The ball was zipping across the turf and we were in our zone. We needed to score two goals and ensure we didn’t lose to progress to the semifinals.

Dilip scored the opening goal and we started pressing for the second. The entire forward line was parked in Poland’s ‘D’. I and Baljit Singh were the schemers, trying to set up our players. But nothing was going in. We were missing some very easy chances. Looking back, I can see it wasn’t meant to be our day.

At that point, though, it didn’t feel that way. We were knocking on the door but with a little less than two minutes remaining, Poland hit us on a counter-attack. They passed the ball from left to right, where Ramandeep Singh was standing.

The Polish player collected the ball in front of Ramandeep and in one move, he turned and hit it in our ‘D’, on top of the circle towards their forward.

It was a quick move, left to right to centre of our circle. Ramandeep went to tackle the forward but by the time he could reach, he slipped and the damage was done. It was an unfortunate slip, but their striker made the most of it. With no one marking him, he unleashed a fierce shot. Our goalkeeper Jude Menezes wasn’t troubled much in that match. He made a full stretch but the ball clipped his pad and…

I couldn’t believe what I saw. That wasn’t how it was supposed to end for us. We were all shocked. Again, I and Baljit tried to find an equaliser. Baljit was carrying the ball and I was making a parallel run to keep defenders away from him. He entered the ‘D’ and had to square the ball towards Sameer Dad.

But Baljit thought he would just lob the ball over an onrushing goalkeeper. Sadly, his move was smothered. The ball was padded out and went for a long corner. By the time we could take it, the hooter went off and that was that.

We had blown the best chance we had to qualify for the semifinals. I sat in their goal post, sobbing. I was shattered like anything and locked myself in the room. I cried and cried…

People were already criticising us that so much money was spent and we returned empty-handed. But back then, they failed to realise how hurt we were. Yes, a win there would have been a turning point for Indian hockey. But it wasn’t meant to be.

We only remember Olympics for all its highs. But these heartbreaks are as much a part of the Games as the gold and glory.

We were in mourning that evening in Sydney. And we still mourn that ‘defeat’.

Indian Express



Martin: Our target for the Olympics


Harry Martin

Great Britain men's hockey star Harry Martin says a medal out in Rio would be amazing for the sport of hockey.

Martin and his teammates are out in Brazil now, and have undergone their first couple of training sessions at the Deodoro hockey venue.

Speaking to the official Team GB magazine, Martin said, "A medal would be amazing for the sport in Great Britain and we know we'll need to put in good performances.

"We don't want to look too far ahead, but the ultimate aim is to go and win it. We know we can perform against anyone, and we believe that gold is possible."

Harry said the team's preparations have been top class, commenting, "We went full time in 2013 and that's been huge. You're in every day, in the gym or studying film. That's helped us improve in so many areas.

"Personally, I had a tough decision to make three years ago as I was finishing my first year at university. It was tough but I've no regrets, I've now got a degree in Economics and an opportunity to play in a second Olympics."

The official Team GB magazine is in newsagents now and also available online here.

Harry and his team play their first game in Rio on Saturday 6th August at 4:30pm UK time when they take on Belgium and the game will be live on BBC red button / online.

Great Britain Hockey media release



Team GB's Middleton to use hockey glory at 1988 Olympics as Rio inspiration not motivation

“WHERE oh where were the Germans? And frankly, who cares?”

By Rob Maul


Barry Middleton won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2014. GETTY

Those were the famous words uttered by TV commentator Barry Davies back in 1988, uttered in the closing stages of Great Britain’s 3-1 victory over West Germany in the Olympic men’s hockey final at the Seoul Games.

The quote has been immortalised by time and reflects the patriotic nature of winning Olympic gold.

In some ways that win, inspired by Sean Kerly, has been a cross to bear for the generations of male hockey players that have followed over the past 28 years.

“Don’t worry,” laughed Barry Middleton, “we get asked about 1988 a lot!

“Look, we don’t sit here looking at it all the time. We appreciate what they did and we are happy they won. But it’s not motivation for us.

“These Olympics are more about having a pride in ourselves. We want to do something for ourselves, the country and British hockey in general.

“We want to use the past to gives us inspiration. We want to use it to push us on to achieve something and give us inspiration for where we are going.”

It is a remarkable quirk of British sport that since 1988, no team has won gold at the summer Olympics (discounting ‘team’ golds in cycling and rowing for example). Little wonder it resurfaces every time the Olympics come round.

Britain begin their campaign against Belgium a week today in a tough group including the likes of Australia and New Zealand.

Revenge will be on their minds given that Australia beat Britain four years ago in London, depriving them of the bronze medal on home soil.

Middleton, the veteran of more than 360 England and GB caps, has been the captain of the side since 2009. He is one of the longest serving captains in British sport.

Rio represents his fourth Olympics but he refused to say whether it will be his last major championships at the helm.

“This group came together three years ago after London. It’s a group that wants to get better all the time,” he said.

“There are plenty of comedy geniuses within the group. Everyone takes the mickey out of each other and messes about.

“When you spend too much time together, there is the danger of becoming too serious, too professional. On trips, we usually spend three-and-a-bit weeks together, enclosed in a village or apartments. So you have to learn to chill out and then switch back when you have to.

“In tournament hockey, you have eight games in about 14 days. It’s very tough physically but the key is to ensure you are fresh for the final match as you were the first.”

In terms of his leadership style, Middleton looks to the likes Ashes winning cricket captains Michael Vaughan and Andrews Strauss. Their quiet, dignified way, as well as solid performances with the bat, is what appeals the most.

“In a way, I am not a tea-cup thrower. Nor do I speak Churchillian – though I have some books of his at home.

“I am a captain who keeps his emotions in check most of the time. So that when I do say something it has meaning.

“Some people who shout all the time lose that meaning. People learn quickly that it doesn’t mean anything. It is just you shouting to get something off your chest. When you shout and rant, it’s for your benefit, your frustrations.

“Vaughan ahd Strauss showed that you have to play well as a captain. If you play well, then you don’t get the questions of whether you should be in the team or not.”

Daily Express



Curran and Canadian men persevere on road back to Olympic Games

Shaheed Devji


Taylor Curran in a game against the United States in Surrey, British Columbia on July 7, 2016 (By Blair Shier)

It has been eight years since the Canada’s men’s field hockey team last competed at the Olympic Games and like any story with a happy ending, there have been bumps along the way.

For North Vancouver, British Columbia’s Taylor Curran, the journey to the Olympics has included the highs of making the Senior National Team at 17 years-old and the lows of being diagnosed with compartment syndrome and having his field hockey career hang in the balance.

The story begins in 2009, when Curran was first named to the Senior Team. After not making the Junior National Team in 2008, Curran was invited to a senior camp and showed well as a 17 year-old.

“In the last game of that whole camp, I think I scored three of four goals,” he recalls. “And then (coach) Alan Brahmst came and talked to me after and told me he was going to pick me.”

This was followed by a trip to the 2010 Hockey World Cup. But just as his field hockey career was taking off, it was dealt a devastating blow.

“Near the end of that year, I started getting issues with compartment syndrome,” he says.

The condition is characterized by high blood pressure in the walls surrounding the leg muscles and comes with debilitating cramping.

The injury came to a head in February of 2011 on a tour to the United States.

“I couldn’t run on the pitch for more than about four or five minutes before it just cramped up,” Curran remembers.

“After that, it was diagnosed as compartment syndrome. Really the only option is surgery.”


Canada’s Taylor Curran competes at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto (By Yan Huckendubler)

The surgery to relieve the pressure, just prior to Canada’s attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, halted his Olympic dreams – Curran was not going to the Olympic Games, even if he did qualify.

For the next two years – and despite the surgery – he continued to battle with issues associated with compartment syndrome, making playing field hockey a struggle.

“When it flares up, pretty much you just need to sit for like two months and you can’t play,” he says. “You have to just wait for the inflammation to go down and everything to cool off.”

Some question his toughness. Others whether he would ever return to playing at a high level.

It would have been easy for someone of Curran’s age and medical situation to be discouraged. After all, after quick rise, the future of his field hockey career was highly uncertain.

Going to the Olympics, let alone continuing to play was in question. But Curran was not fazed.

“I never really considered quitting,” he says. “It just wasn’t ever something that crossed my mind. I always kind of felt that if I just figured out the right treatments and I was able to manage everything, that I would be able to play again.”

Chalk it up to the naivety that landed him on the British Columbia Under-18 Provincial Team at 13, the Burnaby’s Men’s Premier League Team at 14, or the Senior National Team at 17, or simply the stubbornness that is often required to be an elite athlete for a long period of time, but Curran did not let compartment syndrome keep him down.

While he still deals with symptoms, a combination of a make-shift self-healing process that include scraping the front of the shins with a flat object like a butter knife, week intramuscular stimulation (with needles), and modifications in his running style, Curran is able to cope.

And now thanks to that perseverance, he is only days away from becoming an Olympian for the first time.

“You certainly don’t think it’s going to be another six years and three years of all these injury struggles before you get back to another major competition,” he says of his mindset after his first exposure to a high level of hockey. “Obviously the World Cup is one thing but the Olympics is a whole other level.”

“It’s pretty incredible looking back on it, to be able to have gotten through it and to be able to go to Rio.”

Canada’s men begin the Olympic Games on August 6 against Germany (2:00pm PT/5:00pm ET)

Field Hockey Canada media release



Merit, better exposure key to hockey revival: Zakauddin

Mohammad Yaqoob



LAHORE: Former Olympian Khawaja Zakauddin on Friday suggested the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) to check the biased attitude of the selectors, coaches and managers if it wants to genuinely resurrect the sport.

Zakauddin, while talking to Dawn, also urged the PHF to arrange more international activities for both junior and senior teams to keep them as busy as possible in order to revamp the dying sport.

“It is a great disappointment for every hockey lover and the Pakistan fans that the country’s team won’t be seen in the hockey competition at the Rio Olympics,” he lamented. “We learnt nothing from the debacle in the [2014] World Cup and now we have also failed to qualify for the Olympics which is so shameful.”

A member of the national side that won gold medal for the first time at Rome Olympics in 1960 and a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Zakauddin was also the head coach when Pakistan clinched their third and last Olympic gold in 1984 at Los Angeles under the captaincy of Manzoor Junior.

He observed that lack of merit is the key factor of hockey decline in the country. “One of the main reasons behind our debacle is that the coaches, selectors and managers have been all biased in their approach and prefer their favourites while making selections and paying no heed to merit,” he pointed out. “This attitude [of the officials] in the past ruined the game and if we continue to indulge in this dirty practice, there will be no hope for our survival.

“Now is the time to move on with the modern world where these kinds of violation of merits stand nowhere. Otherwise, there will come a time when no one will even talk about hockey let alone play it,” he warned.

To improve the standards, Zakauddin suggested, the selectors must pick the team purely on merit and provide maximum international exposure to the players. “This is the only way to build an experienced team. The PHF should divert maximum funds towards the international activities if they want to build a strong outfit for the qualifying round for the next World Cup,” he said.

“We have to do lot of investment in hockey. Just take a look what the Indians have been doing. They have taken major steps to arrest the decline by making heavy investment. That’s why they have staged a comeback in the mainstream of world hockey quickly,” Zakauddin stressed.

In the end, Zakauddin urged the federal and provincial governments to also support the PHF and asked the federation to fully utilise the funds for the game’s improvement.

Dawn



U18 EuroHockey Championships Boys – Netherlands to play Germany in the Final

EuroHockey

Another full day of hockey here in Cork with much at stake for the teams – medal games and attempts to stay in the top division of the EuroHockey Championships.

Semi-Final Netherlands 3 – 3 (1 – 2) (4 – 3 SO) Belgium

The Belgians started the game with huge intensity and went ahead vis L.Sidler in the 4th minute. Mathieu Weyers drove along the left and completed a lovely pass to Sidler. He finished it off with a slap into the top corner. Netherlands replied in the 8th minute via D. de Vilder. For 15 minutes the score remained 1-1 but then a deflected corner from E.Devis put Belgium back in front. The score stayed 2-1 to Belgium at the half. The second half was full of drama! Another deflected corner and Netherlands were back on level terms in the 51st minute, deflected in by S.Schoenaker. In the 54th minute Belgium took the lead for the 3rd time but once again the boys in Orange equalised from a turnover ball.
It resulted in the 1st shoot-out of the tournament. And what a Shoot Out! Both teams missed their  1st attempt, but from then on it was superb goal after superb goal . Especially the shoot-out by Emile Esquelin which will be well remembered, the Belgian lobbed the keeper and waited with baited breath as the ball sailed through the air and finally landed in the goal. The Dutch keeper played really well and contributed to the final score of 4-3 and a final place for the Dutch boys. 
 
Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Belgium 4 7 SIDLER Loïc Field Goal 0 – 1
Netherlands 8 10 de VILDER Derck Field Goal 1 – 1
Belgium 25 18 DEVIS Emil Penalty Corner 1 – 2
Netherlands 51 8 SCHOENAKER Siem Penalty Corner 2 – 2
Belgium 54 22 GOUGNARD Boris Field Goal 2 – 3
Netherlands 63 6 de GEUS Jonas Field Goal 3 – 3

Shootout

Team Attacker Defender Result Score
Belgium FREYLING Cyril BRINK Hidde No Goal 0 – 0
Netherlands SCHOENAKER Siem VANDENBROUCKE Simon No Goal 0 – 0
Belgium CAYTAN Antoine BRINK Hidde Goal 0 – 1
Netherlands SCHOLS Louis VANDENBROUCKE Simon Goal 1 – 1
Belgium ESQUELIN Emile BRINK Hidde Goal 1 – 2
Netherlands de GEUS Jonas VANDENBROUCKE Simon Goal 2 – 2
Belgium LUYTEN Timothy BRINK Hidde Goal 2 – 3
Netherlands de VILDER Derck VANDENBROUCKE Simon Goal 3 – 3
Belgium DELAVIGNETTE Romain BRINK Hidde No Goal 3 – 3
Netherlands STEENMETSER Rolf VANDENBROUCKE Simon Goal 4 – 3
Semi Final Germany 5 England 0 
In a tour de force game Germany produced an astonishing display as they cracked open the English defence.

Germany opened the scoring  to a terrific shot on the turn from Knobling. He doubled the score in the 26th minute handed to him by some immaculate skills Bock. The score was 2-0 at half time and the German’s made sure of the game in the 51st minute via a L.Harms penalty corner. 2 quick goals in the 62 and 63rd ensured the German’s would face their rivals, The Netherlands again in the U18 EuroHockey Championship Final tomorrow.

 
Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Germany 19 25 KNOBLING Eric Field Goal 1 – 0
Germany 26 25 KNOBLING Eric Field Goal 2 – 0
Germany 51 18 HARMS Leopold Penalty Corner 3 – 0
Germany 62 26 HARTKOPF Raphael Field Goal 4 – 0
Germany 63 26 HARTKOPF Raphael Field Goal 5 – 0
 
Pool C
Czech Republic – Italy 1-5 (0-1)

Italy picked up their first win of the boys EuroHockey Youth Championships with a superb performance to see off the Czech Republic and give themselves a chance of avoiding relegation.

The Czech Republic made most of the early running but it was Italy who took the lead in the 14th minute when Pietro Lago got on the end of a flowing move, pumping home from mid-circle.

 And they were flying in the second half with a series of goals in quick succession. Lago made it 2-0 with a brilliant diving finish from close range. Sandy Grosso then set up Henry Foerster to finish off a great move from a penalty corner.

 Matthias Malucchi got the fourth before the Czech Republic pulled one back via Denis Tomes from a corner in the last ten minutes. But Davide Paolacci tapped in the fourth late on to complete the win.

 
Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Italy 14 2 LAGO Pietro Field Goal 0 – 1
Italy 51 2 LAGO Pietro Field Goal 0 – 2
Italy 59 20 FOERSTER Henry Field Goal 0 – 3
Italy 60 15 MALUCCHI Matthias Field Goal 0 – 4
Czech Republic 63 11 TOMES Denis Penalty Corner 1 – 4
Italy 65 16 PAOLACCI Davide Field Goal 1 – 5
Ireland – Spain 0-5 (0-4)
Spain produced a brilliant first half performance to assure their place in the top tier of the EuroHockey Youth Championships with a 5-0 win over hosts Ireland.

The majority of the damage was done in the first half hour with four Spanish goals before the second half proved a fractious affair with lots of cards being shown.

 Ireland had the first major chance, though, Rafael Alvarez Reville making an incredible diving save from Andrew O’Hare’s close range touch. Within 30 seconds, Spain had their first goal, Alejandro Alvarez shooting a high reverse into the roof of the net.

 Enrique Zorita fired in a low drag-flick soon after before Alvaro Tello made it 3-0 in the 17th minute when he finished off Cesar Curiel’s cross. Sam Cortes added another corner goal for the fourth on the half hour for an imposing advantage which Ireland never really looked like reducing.

 Five players had been sin-binned in the first half and the trend for cards followed in the second half with Spain receiving a red card while three Irish players took yellows, reducing them to eight for a time. Zorita scored his second from a powerful drag-flick with seven minutes to complete the result.

 It means Spain are safe with one game to go against the Czech Republic while Ireland and Italy meet on Saturday with the winner retaining their place in the top tier.

 
Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Spain 9 10 ALVAREZ Alejandro Field Goal 0 – 1
Spain 13 7 ZORITA Enrique Penalty Corner 0 – 2
Spain 17 15 TELLO Alvaro Field Goal 0 – 3
Spain 30 18 CORTES Sam Penalty Corner 0 – 4
Spain 63 7 ZORITA Enrique Penalty Corner 0 – 5
To follow the games, click below

EuroHockey Youth Championships III, U 18, Girls, Gibraltar

EuroHockey Youth Championships, U18, Boys, Cork

EuroHockey Youth Championships, U18, Girls, Cork

EuroHockey Youth Championships II, U18, Boys, Glasgow

EuroHockey Youth Championships II, U18, Girls, Glasgow

EuroHockey Youth Championships III, U18, Boys, Albena

We Will Be Active On All Our Social Channels!

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There will Live Streaming of the Finals in Cork and Glasgow.

EuroHockey media release



U18 EuroHockey Championships Netherlands and Germany will contest the Final

gpfoto.ie-3450132

After 2 close fought semi-final games it is a Dutch, German final for the girls here in Cork.

Netherlands 3 (F.Moes, P.Dickie, C.Bosch) England 0

A more intense and accurate game from England than we have seen so far, saw them hold off the Dutch until the 38th minute. F.Moes opened the scoring from a PC in the 38th minute. The second for the Dutch was scored by P.Dicke. England worked hard to get on the scoresheet matching the Dutch for speed, but the 3rd goal in the 67th minute.

Speaking to England’s head coach after the game, ex-Irish International Sarah Kelleher said she set some expectations that they could bring the game to the Dutch, whilst tactically she hadn’t changed much but had finessed some key aspects of the play. She felt that in the first half they could have put some chances away. She added about the players “I cannot question the work rate of the girls ” They kept up with the high press. She was disappointed to not have earned more corners! Talking about their upcoming Medal game she felt that the performance of today has given her great belief in the girls and their ability to come away with a medal from the Championships. “The girls are on the high, they are disappointed to have not beaten the Dutch, isn’t that a great place to be!”

 
Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Netherlands 38 6 MOES Freeke Penalty Corner 1 – 0
Netherlands 46 22 DICKE Pien Field Goal 2 – 0
Netherlands 67 17 BOSCH Carmel Penalty Corner 3 – 0

Germany 1 (L. Arndt) Belgium 0

Strong defensive game from Germany saw them battle their way into the Final of the EuroHockey Championships. A single goal in Arndt minute was the difference between the teams.

GER 1-0 BEL Germany take the early lead thanks to a goal from Arndt, from a turnover in the midfield and an impressive run from Pia Maertens who passed it to Arndt on the base line, she scored from a seemingly impossible angle.

Both teams had chances to change the scoreline, but the German defence remained rock solid. A PC in the dying minutes was Belgium’s best chance to go ahead but keeper Heyn  saved and the score remained 1-0 on favour of Germany.

 
Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Germany 4 21 ARNDT Liv Field Goal 1 – 0

Ireland 1 (E Curran) Poland 0
Ellen Curran’s 12th minute sliding goal was enough to earn Ireland their second win of the Girls EuroHockey Youth Championships, giving them their second win of the campaign.

It means they have six points in Pool C with a potential win over Spain on Saturday giving them fifth place from the tournament. Curran had missed the last game of the initial group stages through injury but she returned in some style, pouncing at the right post after Rachel Burns picked her out from the left of the circle.

It was a lead they would never relinquish in an end-to-end battle in which both sides threw everything forward but were unable to find the final outcomes.

Michelle Carey’s excellent runs from midfield at pace caused lots of danger while Jessica McMaster was a real star with her stickwork and pace, too. Poland, meanwhile, forced a series of corners but found Emma Buckley in strong form between the posts.

McMaster went within inches of winning the tie with six minutes to go but Klaudia Glowacka scrambled across to prevent the danger. Poland’s attempts to draw level, though, petered out in the last few minutes when a pair of yellow cards limited their chances and Ireland had their second win.

Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Ireland 12 7 CURRAN Ellen Field Goal 0 – 1

 Spain 3 (F Amundson 2, C Ycart) Russia 1 (V Borisova)

Spain survived a huge scare to claim the laurels against Russia 3-1, riding their luck at times to record the win they needed to confirm their place in the top level of the competition.

The result means the impressive Russian outfit will move down a tier along with Poland for the next edition, a tough outcome after they had opened the tournament with a 3-2 win over now-finalists Germany.

Spanish captain Florencia Amundson had given her side a great start when she juggled the ball into the goal in the 11th minute. But they struggled to contain the pace of Svetlana Eroshina and the trickery of Valeriia Borisova who were serious threats.

Borisova cracked home her sixth goal of the competition in the 42nd minute to equalise after a brilliant individual run. Spain replied in kind with Clara Ycart roofing a reverse-stick shot after some superb build-up play down the right wing.

Again, Russia penned Spain back in their 23m are but could not break through Paula Ruiz’s defences in a charged closing spell. Spain took the tie with a few seconds remaining via Amundson’s calm finish, making it 3-1.

Team Minute Shirt # Player Action Score
Spain 11 10 AMUNDSON Florencia Field Goal 1 – 0
Russia 41 13 BORISOVA Valeriia Field Goal 1 – 1
Spain 49 7 YCART Clara Field Goal 2 – 1
Spain 68 10 AMUNDSON Florencia Field Goal 3 – 1

To follow the games, click below:

EuroHockey Youth Championships III, U 18, Girls, Gibraltar

EuroHockey Youth Championships, U18, Boys, Cork

EuroHockey Youth Championships, U18, Girls, Cork

EuroHockey Youth Championships II, U18, Boys, Glasgow

EuroHockey Youth Championships II, U18, Girls, Glasgow

EuroHockey Youth Championships III, U18, Boys, Albena

We Will Be Active On All Our Social Channels!

So follow us on:

Twitter – @eurohockeyorg #EHYouth2016

SnapChat from Cork – @eurohockeyorg

Instagram – eurohockeyorg

EuroHockey media release



England U18 boys to fight for bronze


England U18 boys line up

England Under-18 Boys will battle for the bronze medal at the EuroHockey Youth Championships in Ireland on Saturday, after they lost out to Germany in the semi finals on Friday.

They will face Belgium in their final match in Cork after losing 5-0, although their second half performance gave Head Coach Jody Paul something to be proud of.

"I thought Germany dominated the first half and we couldn’t get our game going,” he said. “But in the second half I was pleased with the resilience we showed and the chances we created. We just couldn’t get the ball in the net despite creating a number of chances.”

Germany opened their account after 19 minutes with Eric Knobling scoring from open play, and he scored again in similar style on 26 minutes.

England tightened up their defence and didn’t concede further in a bruising first half, but after the break Germany added further to their score with Leopold Harms securing their third goal from a 51st minute penalty corner, which had been needlessly conceded and led to England playing short-handed for a while.

As they were down to ten men, England conceded further with Raphael Hartkopf scoring on 62 and 63 minutes, leaving England with too much to do to battle back.

Their bronze medal match on Saturday in against Belgium at 3pm.

England Under-18 Boys 0 (0)
Germany Under-18 Boys 5 (2)

England Hockey Board Media release



Battling England U18 Girls lose out


England U18 girls team photo

A strong first half from England Under-18 Girls was not enough as they lost out to the Netherlands in the semi finals of the EuroHockey Youth Championships in Cork, Ireland, on Friday morning.

England matched the Dutch stride for stride and shot for shot in the first half, sticking to their game plan and shutting down the Netherlands’ attacking threat as much as possible.

But their rivals upped their game in the second half and scored three unanswered goals.

Head Coach Sarah Kelleher said: “I’m very pleased with the girls’ performance. I was looking for a good performance, and they produced that. To actually stay at 0-0 with the Dutch at half time is a good result as they’re very strong.”

The Netherlands broke the deadlock just three minutes into the second half with a strike from a penalty corner from Freeke Moes, and eight minutes later they had doubled their lead, this time from open play as Pien Dicke found the goal.

And their third and final goal came three minutes from the end of the match through Carmel Bosch at a penalty corner.

England’s last match of the EuroHockey European Championships in Ireland will be in the play-off match for third spot against the losers from the other semi final.

England U18 Girls 0 (0)
Netherlands U18 Girls 3 (0)

England Hockey Board Media release



Scotland boys beaten in Euros semi by Poland


Scotland U18 v Poland Euros

Poland snatched a place in the EuroHockey U18 Youth Championship final from Scotland in a 3-2 victory over their hosts in Glasgow.

There was a huge crowd to cheer on the Scots and the national anthem was sung with more passion than heard before during this tournament.

Scotland settled into the game quickly with James Nairn and Alan Johnston largely dictating the play. Aidan McQuade had the first opportunity of the game from a penalty corner and his powerful shot needed a quality save by Lewandowski to prevent an early Scots lead.

Then a sensational diving save by Douglas Gourley from a penalty corner prevented a Polish opener. The goalie looked up for the occasion. Following that, Scotland’s Cameron Golden hit the side net following a fleeting move down the left.

Scotland’s defence seemed to switch off for a split second and Poland punished them for it. They took the lead through Krystian Sudol, tapping the ball into the goal at the far post.

The Scots kept their composure and continued to control the game. Then came a well-deserved goal for Scotland from a penalty corner. McQuade slammed the ball into the net on the half time hooter to make the score 1-1.

Half Time: Scotland 1 Poland 1


Scotland U18 v Poland Euros

Poland started the second half and looked fired up for the challenge. On the break, some great play by Johnston down the right created an opportunity for the Scots but Poland conceded a penalty corner. A sloppy challenge during the penalty corner saw Scotland awarded a penalty flick. McQuade stepped up and slammed the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. 2-1.

A succession of Polish penalty corners were blocked by Scotland with Andrew Webb leading the charge to block them. The great skills by Nairn in the Polish D fashioned an opportunity for a strike at goal but it was well blocked by the Polish defence.

For all of Scotland’s guile Poland were always a danger. Krystian Sudol bagged his second of the game – a carbon copy of his first, with 16 minutes remaining. It made for an exciting finale with so much at stake.

Joe Waterston tested the Polish keeper in the closing section of the game; he burst into the D and fired a rocket towards the net, only for it to be padded away by the keeper.

Superb skill on the left carved the Scottish defence open and Albert Wrzesinski scored to put Poland ahead with 5 minutes remaining.

There was some great running to open up the Poles by Waterston; Golden had the chance of a shot but the keeper was out quick to block the ball.

There was then an injury to Callum McKenzie resulting in a long delay in play. When play resumed there was only one minutes left on the clock, and the Poles held on to claim the victory.

Full Time: Scotland 2 Poland 3


Scotland U18 v Poland Euros

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Brave Scots girls beaten by Belarus in Euros semis


Scotland girls v Belarus

Despite a brave performance, Scotland’s U18 girls lost 3-0 to Belarus in the EuroHockey U18 Youth Championship II semi-finals in Glasgow.

Scotland, in their changed white kit, had to show patience in the early stages of the game. It was a very tactical opening with the majority of the play posing no serious threat to either side.

The game’s first opportunity produced the game’s first goal. A good Volha Skryba interception for Belarus allowed her to run into the Scotland D and won a penalty corner. From the penalty corner

Ina Kaminskaya forced the ball home from a penalty corner to give Belarus the lead. It was an ugly goal to lose, but a welcomed one for Belarus.

Going one behind prompted the Scots to attack. Maddie Cleat was effective; linking with Ella Watt to create an opportunity to equalise, but Cleat’s final effort was well blocked by a Belarussian stick.

Cleat then created a good opportunity for Katie Crawford to run into the D, but the ball escaped her and rolled out of play.

Natalie MacKinnon kept Scotland in the game with a great save. Dziyana Batsiukova intercepted the ball and burst into the Scotland D but MacKinnon was a match for the final shot on goal.

Karina Zhuk brought the best out of MacKinnon next; her powerful shot cracked against the keeper’s pads at high speed.

Scotland piled on the pressure as half time approached but some last ditch defending kept them at bay.

Half Time: Scotland Girls 0 Belarus 1


Scotland girls v Belarus

The second half started disastrously for the Scots with Yuliya Yubko making it 2-0 from penalty flick.

It was a tough blow for the Scots who never had an opportunity to settle in the second half.

The physicality of the Belarussian team was a problem for the Scots. It didn’t stop Scotland battling hard - Martha Lawson took a sore one to the chest, but ran on.

Then came some great skill by Hanna McKie; she knocked the ball through a defender’s legs, but the Belarussian’s covered the danger well. Scotland were finding it difficult to break down the stubborn Belarus defence.

Some great control by Lucy Findlay fashioned an opportunity for Scotland that led to the award of a penalty corner. Katherine Holdgate’s final effort from the routine failed to produce a clear shot at goal.

Belarus then had a period of sustained pressure, which McKie eventually managed to relieve through a quick break forward. It eventually led to a scramble inside the D with Millie Steiger doing her best to try and force the ball over the line. Belarus managed to escape.

For the final 15 minutes of the match Scotland threw everything they had at Belarus. Anna Logan and Bella Fisken were involved in everything Scotland did. But in their efforts to pull a goal back Belarus caught the Scots on the break with a minute to go and made it 3-0.

The Scots bravely battled on until the end but it was Belarus who reached the final, and were rewarded qualification. They play France tomorrow in the EuroHockey U18 Youth Championship II final in Glasgow, and Scotland will play in the3rd/4th place play off.

Full Time: Scotland 0 Belarus 3

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Double blow for Federal Territories hockey

by Aftar Singh

KUCHING: Defending champions Federal Territories have suffered a double blow in hockey.

Both their men and women’s teams lost in the semi-finals on Friday.

The FT women’s team lost 1-0 to Malacca while their men went down 2-1 to Perlis.

Nur Liyana Mohd Kip scored the winning goal with a reverse stick flick for Malacca in the 68th minute. Malacca will face Selangor in the women’s final on Saturday.

Selangor edged Terengganu 1-0, with Fatin Shafira Mohd Sukri on target in the 28th minute.

Malacca manager Rogayah Mohamed praised her team for turning the tables on FT in the semi-finals.

“We’re delighted ... this is the first time we have qualified for the final. My girls will go all out to win our first title,” said Rogayah.

Perlis then created history in the men’s competition by knocking out FT 2-1.

Muhammad Najme Hayazi gave the Northern state a 13th-minute lead, but FT equalised in the 33rd minute through Nor Syafiq Sumantri.

Muhammad Najmi Farizal Jazlan then netted the winner for Perlis off a penalty corner set piece in the 44th minute.

Perlis will face Penang in the men’s final.

Muhd Rahimi Iskandar Baharom was the toast for Penang with a brace in their 2-1 win over Terengganu.

Muhd Rahimi Iskandar Baharom put the islanders ahead in the eighth minute before Terengganu equalised through Mohammad Akhimullah Anuar Esook in 34th minute.

Rahimi struck again in the 62nd minute.

The Star of Malaysia



Koshy: Give us your input early so we can right the wrongs

by S. Ramaguru

KUALA LUMPUR: Teams competing in this year’s Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) knockout tournament have been told “give us your input early so that we can right the wrongs”.

Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) competitions committee chairman George Koshy said that rules are not cast in stone and can still be reviewed the following year.

He said this in response to claims by Division One outfit Nur Insafi that the format for the knockout stage was “unfair”.

“It’s unfair of the organisers (MHC) to pit the lower ranked teams (from Division One) against the big boys (from the Premier Division), who have the bulk of the national and foreign players,” Nur Insafi team manager S. Taichana Murthi had claimed.

“It is so one-sided, with the Premier Division teams likely to waltz past the Division One sides. How do they expect the smaller teams to flourish, let alone spring a surprise or two?”

Premier League teams can field up to six foreign players while those in Division One are only allowed only three such players.

To make matters worse, all the top national players have been snapped up by the Premier Division sides.

“The ruling is unfair. Where is the logic? Are we running a tournament for the sake of it? Is the tournament catered to just the Premier Division sides?” asked Taichana.

George explained that there was no reason for Nur Insafi to complain now as “all the teams who attended the team managers’ meeting earlier this month had agreed to play in the new knockout tournament”.

“The issue of unfair representation does not arise,” said George.

“Right now, we just want to get this tournament off the ground. I have always made it a point to get feedbacks from all parties and, if relevant, look further into the suggestions.

“It is too late to make changes since the registration of players has closed.

“Each team are allowed to register 20 players. If we decide to change and say that only locals can play in the knockout tournament, then you will find some teams short of players.

“Next year is another thing. We can make the necessary changes and even allow for more players to be registered.”

The Star of Malaysia



Prowling Sliders eye top slot in hockey league

The match is one of eight fixtures lined up this weekend as the league enters its third round.

By BRIAN YONGA


Sliders' Nancy Jepchumba (left) wheels away in celebration after scoring a goal against Mombasa Sports Club during the women's national hockey league match on April 17, 2016 at City Park Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Sliders will be eyeing top spot when they take on Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in the Kenya Hockey Union Women’s Premier League on Saturday at the City Park Stadium.

The match is one of eight fixtures lined up this weekend as the league enters its third round.

Kisumu-based Bay Club, who are making a return to the men’s top flight league after gaining promotion last season, will be in Nairobi to take on Sikh Union Nairobi on Saturday and Parklands on Sunday.

Sliders, who finished second last season to book their spot in this year’s Africa Club Championship, will be aiming to claim their second win of the season.

Sliders hammered Daystar Falcons 10-0 in their opening match and will be favourites to claim three points Saturday afternoon.

Siblings Dorsie and Anita Agunda bagged hat-tricks against Falcons and are expected to lead the attack against the university side.

Sliders coach Nixon Nyangaga has a fit squad to choose from and wants his charges to maintain consistency this season.

“Our main target this season is the Club Championship in December and we are using the league matches to help us prepare for that,” the tactician told Saturday Nation Sport.

JKUAT edged out Falcons 1-0 in their season opener and a win for the Juja-based side will see them move top of the league with six points.

“We want to improve on our finish last season and our win in the first match gives us the confidence that we can get a good result in tomorrow’s (today) match,” JKUAT Team Manager David Onaka said.

Second placed Sliders area point behind league leaders and champions Telkom Orange who have four points while JKUAT are third also on three points.

Visitors Bay Club will fancy their chances of getting a good result against the 2012 champions Sikh Union Nairobi who went down 3-1 to Strathmore University Gladiators in their Pool B opener. Bay Club coach Tom Bello wants his charges to ensure they stay in the top flight this season.

“The lads have been waiting to play in the premier league again and we have learnt from our past mistakes. Our mission is to reach the play-offs this season,” Bello said.

After Saturday evening’s encounter against Sikh, Bay will lock horns with Parklands tomorrow also at the City Park Stadium.

In Pool A, Kenya College of Accountancy University host Wazalendo with both sides in search of their first win of the season.

FIXTURES

Saturday:

Premier women: Sliders v JKUAT (12pm)
National men: Kabarak v Thika Rovers (2pm)
Premier men: Wazalendo v KCAU (4pm), Sikh v Bay Club (6pm)

Sunday:

Premier men: Parklands v Bay Club (9am)
National men: Wazalendo Youth v Kabarak (11am), Parkroad Tigers v Kimathi (3pm)
Premier women: Vikings v Amiras Sailors (1pm)

Daily Nation



U18 National Championship – Day 3 Update

Tyler Klenk



Day 3 got underway with some well received cover from the sun as the Brampton, Ontario temperature began to drop from the blistering heat. It was an action packed semi-final day with some fantastic hockey.

The first game of the day was a consolation match between Prince Edward Island and Ontario White. With both teams out of medal contention, it was bragging rights they were battling for. Victoria Van Sickle opened the scoring for Ontario White in the 10th minute as she smashed home a penalty corner hit. Jocelyn Rough doubled Ontario White’s lead in the 24th minute. PEI was able to find the back of the net the 66th minute as Morganne Rice finished off a scramble in from of the Ontario goalkeeper. At the final whistle Ontario White took the victory 4-1 and will face Alberta tomorrow morning in the final consolation match.

Match number 2 featured BC White and Ontario Red in the first of 2 semi-finals. Ontario Red came out of the gates strong with 4th minute goal by Jordyn Faiczak and an 8th minute goal by Emily Hong. They went into the half time break with a 5-0 lead. In the second half BC White was able to show some life with a 41st minute goal by Rylee Pearson as well as a second by Prabhneet Barsa in the 66th. Despite the 2nd half surge, Ontario Red took the victory 5-2 sending them to the gold medal match against the winner of BC Blue and BC Yellow.

Game 3, semi-final number 2, was the battle of BC mentioned above. BC Blue took on BC White for the final gold medal spot. Isabelle Fraser of BC Blue was able to find the scoresheet in the 9th minute, which was immediately followed 1 minute later with a goal by Dakota Chan. It was more of the same in the second half as Leina Dueck and Kaileigh Chow doubled the BC Blue lead. At the final whistle BC Blue took the final gold medal spot with a 4-0 victory.

In the final match of the day PEI took on Alberta White in a consolation match. Shelbey Murphy scored in the 9th minute to give Alberta a 1-0 lead. Honorable mention goes out to Alberta captain Emily Smith who had some strong runs through the mid field and finished the match with 2 goals. The final score read 5-1 for Alberta with the lone PEI goal coming from Morganne Rice.

Schedule for Friday July 29th

10:00am – Cons: Alberta vs Ontario White
12:00pm – Bronze: BC Yellow vs BC White
2:00pm – Semi-final 2: Ontario Red vs BC Blue

See pictures from the event here

Field Hockey Canada media release



Holiday

Column 'Jewels from Jacques' by Jacques Brinkman for Stick2hockey.com



In my last column I discussed about paying attention to growing grassroot. In addition to the development of congenital talent, the second most important quality that needs to be imbibed in sportsmen is nurturing of an iron mentality. I think it is compromised in our welfare societies.

We are going to Spain for holidays. But after previous holidays toward Thailand and Mexico, we faced some faint but somewhat irksome reaction: Not to a distant destination?'

I hear such spoiled reactions and see them more frequently in my environment. It is also all but normal. The most footballers, for example the Spanish, flock to Ibiza as a holiday destination. Ibiza is the island of the jet, hippies and discotheques. A visit to Pacha nightclub typically costs 70 euro and for a drink you pay 12 euro. It is all about image. Nice parade on the beach, just pretend not by the paparazzi's wish to be photographed... Tattoo here, tattoo there.

Hockey players also deserve a nice sandwich and the holiday destinations that come via the social media are America, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia and South Africa. A week of Zealand, a couple of days at the Dutch coast, there is lot.



Players happiness and recreation are vital, these energize and reinvigorate them. But it also entails a word of caution.

Recreation should not be confused with leisure merry making.

I do not begrudge them for recreation or anything, but in addition to rights there are obligations (read performance).

The new men’s coach Max Caldas has shown that obligations do matters. He was sitting with the hockey women on Papendal and sent them even a few days to a military camp which has no sleeping places and sanitary facilities in order to make them improve resiliency. With an Olympic and world title.

The core of top-level sport has not changed. This applies to hockey players, footballers and actually all athletes. But everything around us, such as commercial interests, the needs of public and the spread of social media make the world really different. We must learn better athletes dealing ways.

Stick2Hockey.com



Beerschot HC pitch helps Croatia continue to grow


Give and Get pitch 2016 Croatia   

Oosterbeek HC and EHF visited Split Croatia in June as part of the Twinning initiative, and this visit highlighted the need to develop the hockey facilities there. Croatia has done much work to rebuild and remodel its facilities in Zagreb, where the Zagreb Hockey Centre has made significant headway towards a dedicated area for Hockey5s. Due to these developments, the number of children playing hockey in Zagreb in recent years has greatly increased, and the one available pitch is nearing its capacity! The new Hockey5s area (60 x 50 m) will serve to welcome more kids to hockey in the Zagreb area.



When Beerschot HC‘s pitch became available, EHF directed this valuable asset to Croatia so that the 2 centres could benefit from this second hand carpet. The City of Zagreb and Zagreb Hockey Union made the investment to pay for transport, and five trucks travelled to Antwerp, Belgium to collect the carpet. This carpet will be used to complete the Hockey5s area in Zagreb Hockey Centre and the rest will be sent to Split club Spartenak HC so the can lay an area of 30 x 40 m, on a site designated by this purpose by the Croatian Ministry of Sport during the Twinning visit in June.

EHF wishes to thank Beershot HC  for this very kind donation and hopes that the hockey family in Croatia continues to grow due to the installation of the 2 small pitches.

Does your club need a new pitch? Or are you laying a new pitch and would like to donate the old carpet? Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we can help!

EuroHockey media releas

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