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News for 06 August 2016

All the news for Saturday 6 August 2016


Belgium Crowned 4 Nations Champions



2 goals from Marie Ronquetti was the undoing of Ireland’s winning streak in a very close 4 Nations final. The sides looked evenly matched for large parts of the contest but the Green Army will rue a plethora of unconverted short corners.

There was no shortage of chances in the opening exchanges as Megan Frazer and Chloe Watkins fired passes into the circle at will but the final touch was all too frequently missing. The opening goal was created from a Frazer pass with Carroll and Pinder linking up to win a penalty corner; Frazer duly scored from her trademark drag to give the Green Army a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute.  Belgium grew into the game and won several PC’s themselves but the Irish defence was always one step ahead and held on their lead going into the half time break.

Another Irish PC in the third minute of the second half seemed to hint at things to come but it was Belgium who was next on the scoresheet. A quick break seemed to catch the Irish off guard and a ball in from the left found 2 attackers waiting to tap the ball in at the back post. Ayeisha McFerran made several fine saves but Belgium took the lead in the 55th minute through Marie Ronquetti again, this time a slap low into the right corner. The Green Army didn’t relent and Katie Mullan drew a superb save from Aisling D’Hooghe, 5 PC’s in quick succession yielded no return for Ireland and time eventually ran out for the Green Army as Belgium were crowned 4 Nations Champions.

Reflecting on the tournament head coach Graham Shaw said “Overall the tournament was invaluable for us. We learnt a lot, we know we have to improve in certain areas and we’ll work hard ahead of World League 2 in Malaysia”.

The result means the final standings are:

Belgium
Ireland
Chile
Scotland 

Ireland 1 (Frazer)
Belgium 2 (Ronquetti x2)

Squad: Frazer (Captain), McFerran(GK), McCay, Tice, Colvin, A O'Flanagan, Wilson, Duke, Mullan, Meeke, Watkins

Subs: G O’Flanagan(GK), O'Bryne, Whelan, Carroll, Pinder, Matthews, Barry

Irish Hockey Association media release



Hockey women win final practice

Lawrence West


Emily Smith of Australia carries the ball during the FIH Women's Hockey Champions Trophy 2016 match between the Great Britain and Australia at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on June 25, 2016 in London, England. © 2016 Getty Images

HOCKEY: Emily Smith’s back post deflection earned the Australian women’s hockey team a 1-0 win over Spain in their final practice match at the Olympic Hockey Centre on Thursday, 48 hours before they open their Olympic campaign against Great Britain.

With the Games looming large on the horizon, Australian Head Coach Adam Commens acknowledged that some nerves were beginning to show but remained confident his side is ready to pursue its quest for a first Olympic medal in 16 years.

“It was a good last hit out,” said Commens. “They’re a tricky side. We haven’t seen much of them in the last couple of years so it takes some time to adapt. I thought we had some promising passages of play.

“There were some individuals that could have performed better today, but they have been playing well so I’m not too concerned about that. I suppose last minute jitters before an Olympic Games debut is normal. Players don’t want to get injuries and it’s very difficult to get people going full out 100%.”
Both sides created several opportunities in the shortened 45-minute encounter but it was Smith that capitalised following good work down the left from youngster Grace Stewart, whose pass Smith turned home.

Mariah Williams came closest to extending Australia’s advantage but was denied at close range by a double save from the Spanish goalkeeper. Australian ‘keeper Rachael Lynch also made a telling contribution late in the game when she stuck out a stick to intercept a pass destined for an unmarked Spanish forward at the far post.

Since the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Australia’s women have revamped their full-time training program in Perth and have frequently reached the finals of major events, including the World Cup, Commonwealth Games and World League.

“I’m comfortable that we have a variety of ways of play and that we can execute them well,” added Commens. “The girls are prepared physically. They’re confident in their abilities and the fact that they can take it to any nation in the world. I’m happy with where we’re at.”

Australia met their day one opponents, Great Britain, six times in Western Australia in February, winning twice, losing once and drawing three times. Their most recent encounter at June’s Champions Trophy in London finished 4-1 to Australia.

Australia’s women begin their Olympic campaign against Great Britain at 8:30pm on Saturday (9:30am AEST, Sunday).

Australian Olympic Committee media release



Indian hockey players out to prove age is no barrier to success at Rio 2016



Raganuth Vokkaliga has played for India on more than 200 occasions while Preeti Dubey is one of the newest recruits to the India women's hockey team, with just nine caps to her name. Where Raganuth has been a member of the senior men's squad since 2005 and has seen Olympic action before (London 2012), this will be Preeti's first major competition. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) caught up with both athletes to discover how they were preparing for their opening games – against Ireland and Japan respectively.

For Raganuth, the past few years have seen a sea-change in the India team's preparations. He credits both the President of Hockey India, Dr Narinder Batra and Head Coach Roelant Oltmans with creating a much higher level of professionalism among the players. He said: "This was not the case when I began playing," says the defender. "The players are respected and looked after very well. Hockey India has created a lot of opportunities for players by bringing in good tournaments and leagues.

"The exposure for players now is tremendous. I think hockey in India is moving in the right direction and you can see the improvements with the results we have achieved in the past three-four years. Coach Oltmans has been with us for that time and has changed the team for the good. He has brought in good work ethic where the onus of win and defeat is taken up by the entire team and not just the Captain, Vice-Captain or senior players. The preparations ahead of every big tournament is different, he makes sure we are totally prepared both on and off the field, mentally and physically. He has taught us how to handle pressure ahead of big matches and you will get to see some good action from us this Olympics." 

Where Raganuth has been part of the international set-up for 11 years and has travelled the world for his sport, Preeti on the other hand has only been a member of the senior squad for six months, so for the young forward, every day is a new experience. She said: "My life has changed so much in the past two years. It’s been only two years since I came into the junior camp. It’s a new lease of life for me. I’m getting to travel to different countries for tournaments, travel on a plane, eat different cuisines. The experience and exposure I’m getting by playing different international matches has given me the confidence to move forward. The past two years have been the best years of my life and I really worked hard to earn a place in the senior team."

For many years until the 1990s, the India men's team was the leading light in men's hockey world and the players were household names. Raganuth recalls his own early memories of hockey. "My earliest memory of watching the Olympics was in the early 90s – the Barcelona Olympics and the Atlanta Olympics. I was awe-inspired. My Olympic hero is Dhanraj Pillay who has played in four Olympics. He was magical on the field and I really look up to him."

With qualification for Rio, it seems hockey in India is not just returning to its former glories, but with the women's team gathering a growing number of followers, it is on its way to becoming a sport of parity. Preeti says, "Playing hockey itself has brought in many changes. I feel people take note of us and our performance now like never before. They recognise us and ask for a picture with us."

"I feel fortunate to be part of the Rio Olympic team and it’s a great feeling to be here in the Athlete's Village and soaking up the atmosphere. I am getting to meet some of the finest athletes in the world and the respect with which each and every athlete is treated is overwhelming. I am very happy that my hard work has paid off. I'm trying to learn as much from the team to ensure I improve my game."

While the few days before competition offers a chance for athletes to settle in and acclimatise, the business end comes along soon enough. For Raganuth, the memories of London 2012 still burn strong. "The London Olympics was a big disappointment as we could not pull off a win. But after 2012 Olympics we re-grouped as a team, we had a few changes in the team. We have accepted the defeat and have come back stronger. Now the team takes up the ownership whether it’s a win or a loss. There is no ego or attitude issues in the team which is most important. Boys have accepted their mistakes and have tried to learn a lot in the past four years. I feel that’s the biggest change and the kind of effort each of us are putting is for the benefit of the team."

For Preeti, there is no memory of Olympic disappointment lingering in the back of her mind. Instead her approach is one of sheer delight at being part of the first India women's squad to feature at the Olympics since 1980. "I never imagined that I would get to play at the Olympics so early in my career. In 2012, when I saw the Olympic Games coverage on TV, I hoped to represent India someday. It was a dream and I kept 2020 as a realistic target. I feel extremely fortunate. I garnered a lot of support from my coaches, Hockey India and officials at SAI (Sports Authority of India) and that is the reason I’m here today at the 2016 Olympics."

India men play Ireland on the opening day of the hockey competition - Saturday 6 August, while India women play Japan on Sunday 7 August.

FIH site



Olympic Preview: 5 things to watch with Canada’s field hockey team in Rio

Shaheed Devji


Canada’s 2016 Olympic field hockey team lines up for the national anthem during a pre-Olympic match against the United States on July 9, 2016 (By Stewart Johnstone)

With Canada’s men’s field hockey team starting the 2016 Olympic Games Saturday against Germany (2:00pm PT/5:00pm ET; watch at olympics.cbc.ca), here are five things to keep an eye on during the Olympic hockey competition:

1. FOURTEEN MEN TO PLAY IN FIRST OLYMPIC GAMES

When Canada’s men’s field hockey team hits the field against Germany on Saturday, 14 of the 16 players will be realizing their Olympic dreams for the first time.

After last qualifying and competing in the Olympic Games in 2008, where current roster players Scott Tupper and Mark Pearson first became Olympians, but not getting back to the Games in 2012, there has been much turnover.

Tupper and Pearson will become two-time Olympians in Rio, while the rest of the team – including goalkeeper David Carter, who was a reserve athletes in Beijing – become first-time Olympians.

2. CANADA AND ARGENTINA MEET IN ALL PAN-AMERICAN MATCH UP

There is no shortage of history between Pan American rivals Canada and Argentina. The two nations are the class of the Pan American region and have proven it by meeting in the Pan American Games final every time since 1975.

Of the 11 straight Pan American Games gold medal games, the latino neighbours to the south have won seven times and the Canadians have won five times. The last time the Canadians won a Pan American Games gold was in 2007.

The match up on Monday, August 8 (8:30am PT/11:30am ET; watch at olympics.cbc.ca) comes after the two teams last met at the World League Semifinal in Argentina last June.

3. MARK PEARSON INCHES CLOSER TO TOP 10 IN ALL-TIME GAMES PLAYED

In Canada’s second game (August 8 vs Argentina), midfielder Mark Pearson will play in his 206th senior international match, moving him in to 12th place all time in games played among Canada’s Men’s National Team.

Ken Pereira is the leader with 348 international matches to his name, while Rob Short is a close second with 346.

4. GORDON JOHNSTON TO PLAY IN HIS 100TH MATCH FOR CANADA

Also in Canada’s second game of the the tournament, At the young age of 23, defender Gordon Johnston will play in his 100th senior international match for Canada. 100 matches played in field hockey is a great accomplished and Johnston

Johnston first joined the National Team in 2011. He has since competed at the Junior World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, and the Pan Am Games.

5. CANADIAN MEN LOOKING TO MAKE HISTORY WITH BEST-EVER OLYMPIC FINISH

It’s no secret, the Canadian men are aiming for the stars in Rio. After, that’s the attitude that got them to the Olympic Games with their upset win over New Zealand at the World League Semifinal in Argentina last June.

The best finish ever at the Olympics for Canada’s men’s field hockey is tenth place. Canada will be looking to best that finish by getting to the knockout round in Rio.

If Canada finishes in the top four of its group after the preliminary round, it will advance to the quarterfinal round and be guaranteed a finish of eighth place of better. The upset win against New Zealand last year, which led to 2016 Olympic qualification, came in a quarterfinal match.

Field Hockey Canada media release



Ireland men's field hockey ends century-long Olympic drought

By Hayley Tafuro


DIRK WAEM/AFP/Getty Images

The last time Ireland played men's field hockey in the Olympics was in the sport's debut in 1908.

It has been 108 years since Ireland has had a men’s field hockey team in the Olympic Games. The Irish sent a team to the 1908 Games, the first Olympics that field hockey would ever be played in. For this, they did not even need to qualify to compete.
Finally, over a century later, the Green Machine will vie for a shot at an Olympic medal. However, the road to get there has not been an easy one.

Despite the seemingly never-ending Olympic drought, the Irish had chances to qualify in 2008 and 2012 that ended in heartbreak. The team just missed out on a qualification game thanks to a one goal differential in pool play before Beijing. The Irish made it to a qualification game for London, but fell short again when South Korea notched a game-winning goal with two seconds left, leaving them just on the cusp of another Olympics.

This time they would not let that chance go to waste. In 2014, Ireland appointed Craig Fulton as the new head coach. Fulton earned FIH Coach of the Year in 2015 due to his efforts to lead Ireland to its first true Olympic qualification.
The challenges will not stop here for this team. They have been placed in a pool with two of the top medal-contending teams, including two-time defending gold medalist Germany and the Netherlands, who is ranked second in the FIH standings.

As for the players coming into Rio, nobody has Olympic experience. In fact, the Irish team differs from many international teams who play the sport in that many are amateur players. They have full-time jobs that come before their hockey careers and have even had to take unpaid weeks off from work to be able to compete in the Games.

The team is led in goal by 2015 FIH Goalkeeper of the Year David Harte, who is one of the few full-time hockey players on the team. Joining Harte as another player to watch will be Paul Gleghorne, whose toughness and talent were key in Ireland’s road to Olympic qualification.

This Ireland men’s field hockey team will also be the first team to represent the country in any sport at the Olympics since 1948. Luck is finally on Ireland’s side again, and they will see if it will last long enough for them to make a run at the podium in Rio.

Ireland opens up play on Saturday against India. To stream the game click here.

NBC Olympics



David Harte hopeful of a shock as Irish hockey team face India at Rio Olympics

David Harte, who plies his trade in Holland, plays in India for six weeks of the year for Dabang Mumbai

By Michael Scully


Ireland's David Harte ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Godzilla wants to shut out Goliath three times over the next four days.

Ranked 12th in the world, Ireland get their challenge underway at 3pm Irish time today against India – ranked fifth – before facing Holland (ranked second) and Germany (ranked third) – on Sunday and Tuesday respectively.

David Harte, who plies his trade in Holland, plays in India for six weeks of the year for Dabang Mumbai.

“I’ve been over there now for three seasons – but my first one was beyond anything I could ever imagine, and not only from a hockey point of view,” said the 28-year-old.

“The fact that you’ve got tens of thousands of people at your matches, as well as being barely able to get off the bus without being pulled or dragged everywhere with people looking for photographs and the odd shout of ‘Godzilla’ when they see me above them all... it’s really something special over there, a great life experience.”

Reared in Kinsale, Harte has a famous surname and the family connection to go with it. His father, Kieran, played in goal for Tyrone and is a first cousin of Red Hands boss Mickey.

David’s crowning achievement was to be named the world goalkeeper of the year in 2015. But, as Ireland’s skipper, he understands the challenge facing his team as the first hockey side from this country to play in the Games since 1908.

“Making our sport mainstream is the main aim,” declared Harte, one of seven pros in Craig Fulton’s side.

“We took the step past the ‘nearly men’ tag that we had when we missed out on the final to qualify for Beijing and then – with seven seconds to go – to London.

“In 2015, qualification for Rio topped it off – as well as the bronze medal in the European Championship for the first time in our history.

“So hopefully it’s on an upward curve and it will continue.

“It’s the pinnacle of any athlete’s career and okay, we can talk about 1908, but there’s no one left apart from one man still living from that side.

“There’s no one we can ask what about it’s like to compete there, so it’s really just such an exciting time.”

Boss Fulton got his team to believe they could achieve qualification – now he wants them to take another leap forward by causing a shock and progressing from their pool.

“It’s a good draw. We play India first and they’re a powerhouse – they’ve got a huge Olympic history,” said the South African.

“But India are very strong in India – we’re playing them in Rio and they don’t have this 15,000-20,000 army behind them that literally screams every time they touch the ball.

“So it could work for us. We have to be in a very good space to take on that challenge.

“Then we play Holland and all the games are going to count, right down to Argentina in the last pool game.

“It’s definitely going to go down to the wire. We need to get points and then whatever happens between us and Argentina could decide who gets into the top four.

“Mentally we don’t break but we have to take the opportunities when they arrive.

“It’s a huge David v Goliath scenario for us but we’ve a track record of playing well against those teams in certain situations.

“The biggest challenge is the mental side.”

Irish Mirror



Indian hockey is ready to showcase its skills again, says Coach

RIO DE JANEIRO: The Indian hockey team is ready to showcase their skills and move towards their initial target of making the quarter-finals at the Olympic Games, says coach Roelant Oltmans.

“We’re eagerly waiting for Saturday to launch our Olympic campaign. It’s time for the boys to deliver results that India expects from them,” Oltmans told Asian News International ahead of the opening match against Olympic debutants Ireland.

"For me the Olympic Games are all about winning, nothing else,” said Oltmans. “These Indian players have unbelievable skills, but they are not always able to show them at the world stage.”

“It is time that India teams again get to showcase their hockey skills for the hockey world to see,” Oltmans said, encouraging his team to go out and deliver.

Drawn in the tough Group B that also features twice defending champions Germany, 2012 Olympic silver medalists The Netherlands and 2014 World Cup bronze medalists Argentina, India are excited about the new format that sees four teams of either pool advance to the knock-out quarterfinals.

This new format opens up more opportunities for teams outside the top-four rankings, and India at world No. 5 ranking are hopeful of pulling off a surprise in the quarterfinals to make the semifinals for the first time since winning the 1980 Olympic gold medal.

“In the competitive environment, this new format has opened up more possibilities for teams to challenge the top sides,” said Oltmans. “It’s an exciting format that could produce a lot of very exciting results. We will always hope to be among the teams that produce these shock results.”

“Our sights are set of making the quarterfinals, from where every team has a chance of rattling the fancied rivals,” said Oltmans.

For now, India focused on the opening outing against Ireland, who made the Olympic grade after posting stunning upsets over three-time champions Pakistan and Malaysia in the Hockey World League last year.

It was the loss at the hands of Ireland that knocked three-time gold medalists Pakistan out of the Olympic competition for the first time since their debut in 1948.

“People forget that Ireland defeated Britain in the European Championships. They are a very good side,” Oltmans said.

“There is never a reason to take any opponent lightly. Not one person in our team is under-estimating them,” said Dutchman Oltmans, who as at the helm of The Netherlands champion teams of mid-1990s when they were on a roll and won both the Olympic and World Cup titles.

Improving the Indian team’s fitness has been a key element of foreign coaches as they saw the players virtually being pushed away from the ball by sturdier rivals from Europe and Australia.

“Our fitness levels now are good. We last did fitness tests two days ago and found all boys fitter than the earlier results,” said Oltmans, who had to draw on the junior players in the pool to replace two seasoned players who missed the Olympics due to injury.

“We’ve been hit by injuries to two players, Birender Lakra and Dharamvir Singh, but youngsters have stepped in to fill the positions,” said Oltmans.

India has been drawn into the tougher of two pools. India were ranked seventh in the world when the draw was made, while they moved up to the fifth rank after the fine show in the Champions Trophy, where India secured the silver medal.

Germany are looking to complete a golden hat-trick in men’s hockey, a feat not achieved since India’s winning sequence of six successive gold medals came to an end in 1960 when the lost the final to Pakistan.

Germany shocked world No. 1 Australia in the semifinals at the 2012 London Olympics and went on to defeat Netherlands to successfully defend the title they won at Beijing in 2008.

Reigning World champions Australia lead the field in the other group, where a challenge could come from Belgium and Britain.

Preliminary pools:

Group A: Australia, Belgium, Britain, Spain, New Zealand and Brazil.

Group B: Germany, The Netherlands, Argentina, India, Canada and Ireland.

Indian Express



Performance can transform India from Rajdhani to Bullet Train

K Arumugam



‘Don’t allow Indians on our soils’ pressed a Right wing organization in the ‘Whites Only’ New Zealand of 1930s, even threatening street protest if allowed. Three months later, and after three international matches and 30 friendlies in the course of two-month long tour of Dhyan Chand’s Indian Army team, the wings of the Rights were clipped.

The visitors mesmerised and endeared the New Zealanders so much so that they made record profit – in the scale of Kabali -- on gate collection while a new world of hockey professed by the unwanted guests came to be recognized as superb, unimaginable, intelligent and irrevocable.....

How the Indians were adulated is an oft repeated refrain.

In short, it is performance that turned a hostile nation benign.

Much water has swayed down the Pacific since then. But the universal truth that its performance that counts on sports fields, stays.

Indians are no longer teachers of the game of 1930s, but learners.

They don’t carry any aura, instead burdened by the weight of history.

Indians did not win an Olympic Medal on synthetic turf era except depleted Moscow.

It’s a long time: 1972 to present.

Since 44 years (barring Moscow), Indians buckled under nation’s pressure, losing easy opening encounters, shamelessly failing against much lesser rivals in crucial stages. To Russia in 1988, Poland 12 years later, stand out.

Hockey India, which replaced Indian Hockey Federation – under whose ambit India won all its 11 Olympic medals and then went on not to even qualify for Beijing number – is in a precarious situation.

Its money power and organizational acumen brought tournaments to our shores in trove, lavished money on global players in the new avtar, Hockey India League, but at the same time it is also under scrutiny.

While the world at large is receptive to India’s glut, a miniscule few complain exactly the above and feel India gets advantage, hosting rights get the team easy ranking points, giving in the process not so level playing fields to others in the FIH fraternity.



London gave a fitting reply to those few. But one swallow doesn’t make a summer.

On the other side, Indian corporate giants, barring Hero MotoCorp, doesn’t take hockey seriously.

Profile of HIL Franchise is the telling example.

PR Sreejesh’s boys hold the key to future of Indian hockey.

Its their performance in Rio that can silence Indian hockey’s money power talk, pull giant corporates to its programs and fast track hockey’s progress.

Hockey India converted Passenger Train Indian hockey into a comfortable and convenient fast track Rajdhani.

But need of the hour is Bullet Train.

Its only performance on the turf that can ensure that.

The carefully nurtured 16 players, who are provided with all the needs and creature comforts, exposure, high-end training unlike those of grass era counterparts, can transform Indian hockey to what it yearns for, and deserves.

Its not certainly a performance or perish situation, simply because of Indian clout in the international scenario.

This situation cannot go on.

The game has to evolve its own profile, pull full crowd beyond Pak encounters, attract corporate giants, make players stars, of others in the playing community seeking their autographs not vice versa.

The time has come for Indian men’s hockey.

Will the sixteen succeed is a million dollar question?

Stick2Hockey.com



India look to make a mark in Olympic hockey

RIO DE JANERIO: Buoyed by some strong performances in the run-up to the Rio Olympics, Indian men's team will look to break their 36-year-long medal jinx when the hockey competition begins on Saturday.

Eight-time champions, India won their last Olympic gold at the 1980 Moscow Games. What followed were years of missed opportunities and then came the ignominy of failing to qualify for Beijing Games.

Four years ago, they qualified but finished last and the PR Sreejesh captained side, who won a historic silver in the Champions Trophy, will eye redemption for London debacle when they begin their campaign against Ireland in a potentially tricky encounter at the Olympic Hockey Stadium in Deodoro.

The women's team would also hope to continue their fairytale run which helped them to earn a berth at Rio Olympics after a gap of 36 years.

Making their first Olympic appearance since Moscow 1980, the women's team will be on a high to open their campaign against Japan, a team whom they had beaten in the World Hockey League to qualify after 36 years.

Clubbed in a group comprising defending champions Germany, runners-up Netherlands and Pan-Am top two Argentina and Canada, the men's team will have to get into the rhythm as quickly as possible as any slip-up will threaten to derail their quarterfinal hopes.

India to its advantage have a world class goalkeeper in Sreejesh while their midfield is compact and the onus will be on the defence to rise to the occasion and not concede late goals.

A quarterfinal should be a realistic possibility, while a draw and win against the top three teams of Germany, Britain and the Netherlands should be a bonus to avoid the heavyweights Australia in a possible last eight match-up.

As part of the new format, four teams from both the groups will make the quarterfinals.

Ireland are first-timers at the Olympics as they made the cut finishing third ahead of Britain and Belgium in the European Championship, and in the World League they beat teams like Pakistan and Malaysia and Roeland Oltmans' boys will have to score an early goal.

In that case, the most-capped Sardar Singh -- stripped off his captaincy -- will look to make a bold statement while vice-captain S V Sunil will play the role of a feeder from the right flank.

Sardar has been a shadow of his past but his rich experience and ultra fitness level put him among the top and he would look to overcome his personal woes and contribute to the team with sharper and accurate passing.

The team to Rio wore a settled look for last two years in which they won the Asian Games gold in Incheon and Commonwealth Games silver in Glasgow in 2014.

'Captain cool' goalkeeper Sreejesh will look to form a wall under the bar while the likes of VR Raghnath, Kothajit Singh, and Rupinder Pal Singh will form the core of the defence.

India has the most number of gold medals in Olympic history but coach Oltmans has insisted to live in the present.

"We will be hoping to improve on their 12th place showing at the 2012 London Games. We know about the fantastic past of Indian hockey, but we live in the present. We are aiming for the best possible result. I can try to influence these guys. Sometimes, I succeed. Sometimes, they don't listen," said Roelant Oltmans, who is in his sixth Olympics.

"When expectations are only on my shoulders, I don't care. I can cope with that pressure. That people are talking like that about the team again, is because we had a good year. But it should not influence the performance of the players. It is my job to make sure that they do not get carried away and listen to the coaching staff."

Meanwhile, the 13th ranked women's team are upbeat to be in Games after a gap of 36 years and they also had a similar build up when Sushila Chanu was made the skipper replacing Rita Rani as a disciplinary measure.

"Coach (Neil Hagwood) has told us to score early goals and not allow easy goals during the last quarter," defender Deep Grace Ekka said.

Teams

MEN

Goalkeeper: PR Sreejesh (c); Defenders: VR Raghunath, Kothajit Singh, Surender Kumar; Harmanpreet Singh; Midfielders: Danish Mujtaba, K Chinglensana Singh, Manpreet Singh, Sardar Singh, SK Uthappa, Devinder Walmiki; Forwards: SV Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Nikkin Thimmaiah, Rupinder Pal Singh, Vikas Dahiya, Pradeep Mor

WOMEN

Goalkeeper: Savita; Defenders: Sushila Chanu (c), Deep Grace Ekka, Deepika, Namita Toppo, Sunita Lakra; Midfielders: Navjot Kaur, Monika, Renuka Yadav, Lilima Minz; Forward: Nikki Pradhan, Anuradha Devi T, Poonam Rani, Vandana Kataria, Rani Rampal, Preeti Dubey, Rajani Etimarpu, Hnialum Lal Ruat Feli.

The Times of India



Can Indian hockey revive lost glory?

Clubbed with the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Ireland and Canada in Group B, the Indian men’s team would be keen on starting well against Ireland before stepping on the pedal against the rest in the group.

Kamesh Srinivasan


The Indian team's silver medal in the Champions Trophy, its overall positive results in the last two years and the determined attitude of the players have sparked a lot of hopes.  – Getty Images

A lot has changed in Indian hockey since the 2012 London Olympics, where India finished 12th and last in the competition. And the change has been for the better. However, world hockey has been stagnant at the top since Beijing 2008 when India, for the first time in history, failed to make the cut.

In the Olympics, Germany (men's section) and the Netherlands (women's section) have stayed at the top in the last two editions.

Even as the two champion sides attempt to stay in line for their third successive gold, India looks to revive its glory days in the sport. India's silver medal in the Champions Trophy, its overall positive results in the last two years and the determined attitude of the players have sparked a lot of hopes.

Clubbed with the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Ireland and Canada in Group B, the men’s team would be keen on starting well against Ireland before stepping on the pedal against Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands and Canada over the next seven days. Its aspirations of a semifinal berth could get a boost if India can finish at least third in the group, as the top four teams qualify for the quarterfinals in the new format. However, a fourth-place finish could possibly mean a clash with Australia from Group A in the first stage of the knock-out. Britain, Belgium, New Zealand, Spain and Brazil are the other teams in Group A. There are no guarantees that everything would go according to plan, and who knows Australia may finish second in the group. Australia has won a gold, a silver and four bronze medals from the last six Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, in the women's competition, the Netherlands is undefeated in 14 matches in the Olympic Games and the team is aiming to better Australia’s record of 18-match winning streak from 1992 to 2000. The Netherlands is clubbed with New Zealand, China, Germany, Korea and Spain.

The Indian women are expected to play as best as they can in a group that comprises Australia, Argentina, Britain, the United States and Japan. Qualifying for the Olympics has been a huge encouragement for the Indian women, who last competed in the quadrennial event in Moscow in 1980.

Incidentally, the Pakistan men would be missing the Olympics for the first time since 1980. Pakistan had boycotted the Olympics in 1980, and returned to clinch the gold in the 1984 Los Angeles Games, for their fourth title.

The competition format has opened fresh avenues and hopes but there will be no classification matches for teams that finish fifth and sixth in the group. So the fear of finishing fifth and sixth in the group always plays at the back of the mind. However, the Indian men's team, guided efficiently by Roelant Oltmans, is in a positive frame of mind. It has the backing of the entire nation. No matter the kind of medals India wins in other disciplines such as shooting, boxing, wrestling, tennis, weightlifting and badminton, the majority of the Indian sports fans are enchanted by hockey.

People's memory may be short, but not when it comes to recalling the glory days of Indian hockey, as the team gears up for its record 20th edition in modern Olympics.

Sport Star Live



I’ve got the belief, says India captain

Campaign begins today with Ireland face-off

Rohit Mahajan


PR Sreejesh with team members in Rio. Photo courtesy: Twitter

“A medal, that’s what we’re going to get,” declares PR Sreejesh, the Indian hockey team captain.

India haven’t won a medal in Olympics hockey for 36 years — India haven’t even reached the semifinals once since that gold in Moscow 1980. In London 2012, when Sreejesh figured in his first Olympics, India failed to win a single game and finished last. You might think, thus, that perhaps the new Indian hockey captain is a bit immodest. But in sport, diffidence is fatal. Without belief, a sportsperson is lost. Sreejesh wants to make sure that he and his boys are not lost in Rio.

Sreejesh isn’t a shy man. He’s brimming with nervous energy. He’s intelligent and sharp, he doesn’t lack confidence. He believes that when the hard hockey ball is shot at him, at speeds exceeding 160 kmph, he can stop the ball — he knows he must stop the ball. He cannot afford to be not confident.

Sreejesh says that his confidence has swelled after he was named the team captain. “When I stop the opposition from scoring a goal, I get confidence,” says the 30-year-old, named captain of India on July 13, replacing Sardar Singh.

The job of surveying the field from his position in front of the goal, says Sreejesh, keeps him deeply engaged in the game. “When I do happen to concede a goal, now I don’t keep thinking about it for the next 10 minutes,” he says. “I have to think about how the strategies are being worked. This helps me to forget what has happened and focus on the present and future.”

Over the last few months, the Indian team has put up performances that have raised expectations. In June, with Sreejesh as captain and goalkeeper, India won the silver at the elite six-team Champions Trophy. In the final, his team put up a stirring fight against mighty Australia and lost only after a penalty shootout. This was India’s best finish ever in the tournament. India’s ranking rose to No. 5. The expectations soared. Sreejesh says that heightened expectations give him confidence.

What pressure, asks Sreejesh

But don’t the expectations add to the pressure? “If you’re not good enough, no one expects anything from you,” he insists. “We feel we’re really good, that’s why people are expecting something from us.”

Sreejesh isn’t all talk. India qualified for the Olympics when they won the Asian Games gold in Incheon in 2014. Sreejesh was the star of that night on October 2, when he saved two penalties in the final against Pakistan. At the 2014 Champions Trophy, he was clearly the best goalkeeper.

India play Ireland in their first match today. The team is brimming with confidence. “We’ve played two practice matches here, and we’ve won both,” says Danish Mujtaba. India beat Spain 2-1 last night, having earlier beaten New Zealand.

The Tribune



This team can do wonders at Rio: Ex-Olympians

Indervir Grewal

The Indian men’s hockey team has won a whopping 11 Olympics medals, which includes an unparalleled eight gold medals. However, their last gold medal came in 1980 at the Moscow Olympics.

Since then, the Indian team has not even qualified for the semifinals. However, on a couple of occasions, India came heartbreakingly close. Both in 1984 Los Angles and 2000 Sydney, India missed out on the semifinals after finishing third in their pool on goal difference. India finished fifth in 1984 and seventh in 2000. As India embark on another Olympics journey, The Tribune speaks to a few members of the 1984 and 2000 teams about the missed chances as well as the current team’s prospects.

Missed chances cost us
Before the start of the Games, there were talks in the Olympics village about India and Australia being the favourites. The Australian coach told a journalist that they feared us the most. In the end we lost out to Germany on goal difference. We could have beaten the weaker teams by bigger margins; we missed many scoring chances. Even in the last pool match, against Germany, we got 15-16 penalty corners but failed to score. We missed two open chances. The match ended 0-0.

All about the juniors
The current team is playing well. The juniors are playing well. India’s performance will depend more on the younger guys than the seniors. The way the team is playing, it should reach the quarterfinals. The change of format is great (it is for the first time that the Olympics hockey event has quarterfinals). If there had been quarters in 1984, who knows how we would have fared. Despite the disappointment of missing out on the semis, we finished fifth after defeating the Netherlands 5-3 in the classification match. — Hardeep Singh Grewal (centre-half, 1984 team)

Conceded some soft goals
Ours was a very strong team. But small things cost us dear. We conceded silly goals in matches against Spain and USA, which we were winning by big margins. In the final pool match, Germany, knowing they had the advantage, played a very defensive and frustrating game.

Unnecessary pressure on team
Already the media has started building expectations. It will put the young team under pressure. My advice will be to take one match at a time. Look to qualify for the quarterfinals. For that they must not take the weaker teams lightly. I believe they can enter the quarters. They are world No. 5 and a fifth or sixth-place finish will be good; a higher finish will be remarkable. — Iqbaljit Singh Grewal (full-back, 1984 team)

Done in by one goal
I think everyone remembers that goal from Poland in the dying minutes. We came so close. We could have scored one more goal; even a 2-2 draw would have assured us a place in the semis ahead of Korea.

Tight-knit, motivated unit
I have big hopes from this team. They are so motivated. I was in Bengaluru, as coach of the junior women’s team, at the time of senior team’s final camp before Rio. It looked like such a tight-knit and confident unit; it was encouraging.

— Baljit Singh Saini (midfielder, 2000 Sydney)

The Tribune



Indian team eyes a bright future

Germany and the Netherlands have stayed on top of their game

Kamesh Srinivasan

Much has changed in Indian hockey, invariably for the better, from the depths of London in 2012. However, world hockey is stagnant at the top since Beijing, when India failed to make the cut for the first time in history.

In the world of Olympics, Germany and the Netherlands have stayed at the top among the men and women respectively over the last two editions.

Even as the two champion sides attempt to stay in line for a hat-trick, India eyes a bright future.

While others are trying to emulate its unmatched record — an eight gold six of them successive from 1928 to 1956 — India is on a rebuilding process, trying to rediscover its game at the highest level.

The Champions Trophy silver and the overall positive results in the last two years and the determined attitude of the in the team has sparked a lot of hopes.

Clubbed with the Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Ireland and Canada in group-B, Indian men’s team would be keen to start well against Ireland and step it up against Germany, Argentina, the Netherlands and Canada in that order over the next seven days.
Semifinal aspirations

The aspirations of a semifinal berth could get a boost, it is believed, if India can reach the third place in the group.

The top four teams qualify for the quarterfinals in the new format, but a fourth spot may mean a clash with Australia, which has won a medal in all last six Olympics, from the other group in the first stage of the knock-out. Britain, Belgium, New Zealand, Spain and Brazil are the other teams in group-A.

The Dutch women, meanwhile, have gone undefeated in the Olympics in 14 matches, and are attempting to better Australia’s record of 18 win sfrom 1992 to 2000. They are clubbed with New Zealand, China, Germany, Korea and Spain. The Indian women are expected to play in a group that has Australia, Argentina, Britain, US and Japan. Getting into the Olympics has been a huge encouragement for the Indian women, who last competed in the Olympics in Moscow in 1980.

Incidentally, the Pakistan men would be missing the Olympics for the first time since 1980. Pakistan had boycotted the Olympics in 1980, and returned to clinch the gold in 1984 in Los Angeles, for their fourth title.

The competition format has opened fresh avenues and hopes, but there is a warning that there will be no classification matches for teams that finish fifth and sixth in the group. It will be curtains.

The Indian team, guided efficiently by Roelant Oltmans, has been positive and has the backing of the entire nation.

For, no matter what all medals you win in the other disciplines like shooting, boxing, wrestling, tennis, weightlifting or badminton, the majority of the Indian sports fans are enchanted by hockey.

Public memory may be short, but not when it comes to recalling the glorious days of Indian hockey, even as the team gears up for its record 20th edition in the modern Games.

The Hindu



Hunting elusive hockey medal, India need Sardar Singh to revive his form

Akarsh Sharma


File picture of Sardar Singh. Getty Images

The words "Oye, Sardaara" resonated among Indians in January 2015, reaffirming Sardar Singh's status as the face of the sport in India. As skipper of the men's hockey team, and its best player for several years, the Haryana-born midfielder was easily the sport's most popular and marketable athlete in the country.

Three months earlier, at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, Sardar had led India to its first Asiad gold in 16 years, a feat that helped them become the first team to qualify for the Rio Olympics. This came two years after the horror show at the 2012 London Olympics, following which Sardar, the sole bright spot for India in those Games, had taken over as captain of a disjoint team and brought with him a much-needed sense of stability.

At the time, there was little doubt that, barring an injury, he would achieve his ultimate dream of captaining India at the Olympics – which, even after hockey’s decades of drought, remains one of Indian sport's greatest honours.

But as fate would have it, a turbulent few months leading up to the Games in Brazil turned Sardar's career upside down and eventually squashed his dream. On the field, a slide in form meant his usual influence on India's play went missing. Manpreet Singh, a centre-half six years junior to Sardar, arose as a superb all-action alternative.

Off the pitch, though, the problems for Sardar have been far more serious and will continue well beyond Rio. His ex-fiancé, a British-Asian hockey player, has made allegations of sexual harassment, rape and criminal intimidation against Sardar — who, as Gayatri Manu points out, is being treated with "kid gloves" by both the media and the police.

In a span of few months, Sardar went from being the undisputed leader of Indian hockey to a former captain who barely made the cut for Rio. His place in the squad, let alone his captaincy, was reportedly a matter of great debate.

Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, the cheerful hero of India's major triumphs in recent years, was named the new captain of the team before the Olympics. He was the obvious choice and a deserving successor, having also led India to silver at the Champions Trophy in June in Sardar's absence.

These events came with an unpleasant sense of irony for Sardar. For several years, the skipper had excelled at a time when the team plumbed new depths — proving to be an intangible and incomparable asset to Indian hockey during the sport's recent years of decline and stagnation. But when the team finally re-emerged as a force in world hockey after a gap of 13 years, it coincided with a slump in his form.

However, it'll be foolish to write off Sardar and his influence on the side. With skill and experience in abundance, the 30-year-old's contributions both on and off the pitch will play a key role in India’s pursuit of a medal.

Sardar may have stayed away from cameras and kept a low profile thus far, which was one of the motives behind relieving him off his captaincy, but he isn't a mere passenger in the team. Modern-day hockey squads, in the era of unlimited rolling substitutions, do not have the luxury of keeping such players.

Besides, India's coach Roelant Oltmans, a man of processes and numbers, isn't one to give in to sentiments. He has been with the team since 2012 — firstly as a high performance director for three years, before taking over as the coach last year — and knows his players inside out. If he did not have plans to use Sardar, the player wouldn't be in Rio.

One of those plans revolves around playing the midfielder in the forward line. Oltmans mentioned that, as a centre-half, Sardar often "slows down" the game by "holding the ball a bit too much", which hinders his team’s approach of playing via quick counter-attacks. Although the coach distanced himself from such statements a few days later, he put a positive spin by stating that Sardar's "skillsets suit him for (the forward) position".

It's a tactic Oltmans has been experimenting with for quite some time. Although he used it most frequently in the Six Nations tournament in Spain — the final warm-up event before Rio — its origins go back to the Hockey World League finals in December last year, most notably in the bronze medal-winning 5-5 draw against Netherlands.

With Manpreet manning the centre of the pitch and India trailing by a goal in the final quarter, Oltmans unshackled Sardar and gave him the freedom to attack the opposition defence. This had an immediate impact. After a relatively subdued three quarters, India created several chances and managed to score four times; Sardar even popping up as the most advanced player on numerous occasions.

Even at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in April, Sardar was influential in an advanced role. In the opener against Japan, for instance, when the team was struggling at 1-1, he came up a stunning goal to bail the team out, showcasing wizardry with the stick that will come handy in a crowded penalty area. In another instance, versus Canada, he was a one-man pressing machine who robbed the last defender but could only manage to hit the post.

Before flying to Rio, Ramandeep Singh, one of India’s forwards, spoke of the need to be “patient inside the ‘D’ and not rush the final pass”. India have been wasteful upfront and its forward line could do with a calmer and smarter presence, like Sardar. At the Champions Trophy, the team’s conversion of circle entries to penalty corners was the second-worst out of six teams – only Great Britain’s (GBR) was lower. Similar was the case with goal scoring, where only Korea and GBR scored fewer times (nine each) than India’s 10 goals.

Sardar’s marquee ability to wriggle out of tight spaces could easily translate into success in the penalty area. His vision, an eye for a game-changing pass, doesn’t hurt either. Tactical intelligence and leadership have always been a prominent feature of his game while his fitness has rarely been in doubt, even during his decline.

His versatility gives Oltmans the flexibility of using the Manpreet-Sardar combo either as a defensive-minded one – with Manpreet dropping deeper and Sardar staying put – or in an attack-minded setup –with Manpreet staying put and Sardar moving forward. “It’s good for us and confusing for opponents,” Oltmans admitted.

It shouldn’t also be forgotten that half of India’s current squad have never played in an Olympics before. Personal accounts of India’s Olympians, both past and present, and across various disciplines, suggest that the enormity of the Games – from its on-field pressure to its star-studded Olympic Village – is not easy to handle in the first go. First-time Olympians are likely to get overawed. In such a case, it helps to have a senior pro like Sardar around.

Of late, Sardar Singh has not been at the peak of his powers. His absence may not have been felt in the Champions Trophy but with better teams – now focussed and at full strength – India will need its senior-most player to revive some of his old form, if the team is to return with a first Olympic medal in 36 years.

Firstpost



India looks to break 36-year-long medal jinx in hockey

Women’s team earn a berth after a gap of 36 years


Photo courtesy the Twitter handle of Indian hockey team captain Sreejesh P R @16Sreejesh

Buoyed by some strong performances in the run-up to the Rio Olympics, Indian men’s team will look to break their 36-year-long medal jinx when the hockey competition begins here on Saturday.

Eight-time champions, India won their last Olympic gold at the 1980 Moscow Games. What followed were years of missed opportunities and then came the ignominy of failing to qualify for Beijing Games.

Four years ago, they qualified but finished last and the PR Sreejesh captained side, who won an historic silver in the Champions Trophy, will eye redemption for London debacle when they begin their campaign against Ireland in a potentially tricky encounter at the Olympic Hockey Stadium in Deodoro.

The women’s team would also hope to continue their fairytale run which helped them to earn a berth at Rio Olympics after a gap of 36 years.

Making their first Olympic appearance since Moscow 1980, the women’s team will be on a high to open their campaign against Japan, a team whom they had beaten in the World Hockey League to qualify after 36 years.

Clubbed in a group comprising defending champions Germany, runners-up Netherlands and Pan-Am top two Argentina and Canada, the men’s team will have to get into the rhythm as quickly as possible as any slip-up will threaten to derail their quarterfinal hopes.

India to its advantage have a world class goalkeeper in Sreejesh while their midfield is compact and the onus will be on the defence to rise to the ocassion and not concede late goals.

A quarterfinal should be a realistic possibility, while a draw and win against the top teams like Germany, and the Netherlands should be a bonus to avoid the heavyweights Australia in a possible last eight match-up.

As part of the new format, four teams from both the groups will make the quarterfinals.

Ireland are first-timers at the Olympics as they made the cut finishing third ahead of Britain and Belgium in the European Championship, and in the World League they beat teams like Pakistan and Malaysia and Roeland Oltmans’ boys will have to score an early goal.

In that case, the most-capped Sardar Singh—stripped off his captaincy—will look to make a bold statement while vice-captain S V Sunil will play the role of a feeder from the right flank.

Sardar has been a shadow of his past but his rich experience and ultra fitness level put him among the top and he would look to overcome his personal woes and contribute to the team with sharper and accurate passing.

The team to Rio wore a settled look for last two years in which they won the Asian Games gold in Incheon and Commonwealth Games silver in Glasgow in 2014.

The Tribune



India eyes an encore against Japan in women's hockey opener

The women's team had beaten the same opponents in a classification match in June last year to finish fifth in the World League semifinals and qualify for the Olympics, for the first time after Moscow 1980. pti file photo

After a fairytale run to the Rio Games following a gap of 36 years, an upbeat India will now look to begin from where they had left against Japan when they clash in their women's hockey opener in a pool B match of the XXXI Olympiad here tomorrow.

The women's team had beaten the same opponents in a classification match in June last year to finish fifth in the World League semifinals and qualify for the Olympics, for the first time after Moscow 1980.

10th ranked Japan may be three notches higher but the women in blue, coached by Aussie Neil Hawgood, are hopeful of a good start to take the momentum forward.

"The coach has told us to give your best in the first match, that will set the tone for the remainder league matches," defender Deep Grace Ekka, who was part of the Asian Games Incheon 2014 bronze medal winning team, told PTI on the eve of the match.

With 106 caps to her name, Deep will form the backbone of India's defence along with captain Sushila Chanu who took over the reigns after veteran Ritu Rani was dropped less than a month before the Olympics for attitude problems.

"It will not be a problem. We have been practising together and know each other well. We are just focused to do well tomorrow," she added.

Having captained the Indian team in Ritu's absence during their tour of Australia earlier this year, it will be a big test for the Manipur defender who had led the Indian junior to a bronze medal finish at the Junior World Cup in Germany three years ago.

The forward will be reliant on Rani Rampal who was the top-scorer when they clinched the Olympics berth while goalkeeper Savita Punia will also look to stand tall under the bar.

Having coached the Indian women's from July 2012 to November 2014, a phase when they had won the Asiad bronze and a silver in the Asian Championship 2013, Hawgood will look to replicate the success in his second stint.

"The second stint is the same, progress the group to another level is important. Our goal is simple, first to make the last eight and that means winning two games," said Hawgood, who joined back the team in November last year.

India are the lowest ranked side in the pool B that have second and third-ranked Argentina, Australia, while England and Team USA will also be formidable forces as they will have their task cutout.

"When we achieve that it is just one game you have to win to have a chance to proceed, that is what we want to do, put ourselves into that position."

India had finished fourth out of six teams in the 1980 Olympics -- the only edition they had qualified for before making it to the Rio Games.

Teams:
India: Goalkeeper: Savita Punia; Defenders: Deep Grace Ekka, Deepika (vice-captain), Namita Toppo, Sunita Lakra (defender), Sushila Chanu (captain). Midfielders: Navjot Kaur, Monika, Renuka Yadav, Lilima Minz. Forwards: Anuradha Devi, Poonam Rani, Vandana Kataria, Rani Rampal, Preeti Dubey, Nikki Pradhan. On standby: Rajani Etimarpu, H Lalruat Feli.

Japan: Goalkeeper: Asano Sakiyo; Defenders: Nagisa Hayashi, Maki Sakaguchi, Ayaka Nishimura, Emi Nishikori, Mayumi Ono, Yu Asai; Miyuki Nakagawa, Akane Shibata, Yukari Mano, Hazuki Nagai, Hazuki Yuda; Forwards: Kana Nomura, Aki Mitsuhashi, Yuri Nagai, Mie Nakashima, Motomi Kawamura, Minami Shimizu.

Deccan Herald



Indian men's hockey team to skip Olympic opening ceremony

RIO DE JANEIRO: The Indian men's hockey+ team will skip tonight's opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in order to keep fresh for its Group B lung-opener against Ireland scheduled on Saturday.

However, the women's team will participate in the ceremony.

"We have a match tomorrow, so we don't want to drain the players since the ceremony will go on for long," Hockey India President Narinder Batra told PTI.

But sources in the team said the side has decided to skip the ceremony due to the lack of official kit for the ceremony.

"The kit that was handed to the players has not fit most of them. The players didn't have the time to check the fittings since they reached Rio quite late and were given the kit on the day they started their trip," a source said.

The men's hockey team, which last won an Olympic medal in the 1980 Games (gold), is aiming to end the medal drought riding on a good build-up to the Games.

The Times of India



Explained: Why our teams aren't at the opening ceremony


Sophie Bray

Great Britain's hockey teams will be represented at the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympic games by our four reserve athletes Simon Mantell, Dan Shingles, Ellie Watton and Joie Leigh.

Our selected men's and women's teams will not be attending for a simple reason - they are both playing their first games the following day!

The hockey schedule is particularly punishing with as many as 8 games in 14 days, so our athletes have taken the professional decision not to participate in the opening ceremony.

Maddie Hinch wrote in her recent BBC column, "As a team we’ve decided not to go because we’re competing the following day.

"As soon as the schedule came out, it was never going to happen, it’s my first games so I was gutted but we all listened to the girls who’ve been before and told us the effect it can have on you, standing up for four hours when you’re playing the next day.

"We’ve made the right call.

"I thought about our captain Kate Richardson-Walsh, it’s her fourth games and in my opinion there was every chance she could be asked to carry the flag for GB – but I know she’d put the team first at all times, that’s why she is who she is.

"The Commonwealth Games ceremony was exhausting enough and that’s half the length of time. We’ll have it on in our flats though!"

The Team GB athletes attending the games will be wearing Simon Jersey attire, as modelled by Dan Shingles!


Photo: Dan Shingles Twitter feed

Great Britain Hockey media release



Team GB hockey star Crista Cullen hoping to make it a special Games for Kenyan prep school

Tom Cary, Rio de Janeiro


Crista Cullen went to school in Kenya with fellow Olympian Chris Froome Credit: Heathcliff O'Malley

It will be a proud day for the Banda School in Kenya on Saturday. While one of its former pupils attempts to get Team GB’s Olympics off to a golden start by winning the men’s road race, another slightly less well known alumna will be a key player for the GB women’s hockey team as they get their tournament under way against Australia.

Crista Cullen was a classmate of Chris Froome’s at the international prep school in Nairobi. She says she finds it amusing to see how this small, skinny boy who “always used to rock up on his bike” has become a huge star.


Crista Cullen (back row, second from the left) poses alongside Chris Froome (middle row, second from the left) when the pair were pupils at the Banda School in Nairobi

When Froome popped into Bisham Abbey the other day, and hung around the hockey pitch afterwards to grab a word with Cullen, all her GB team-mates were nudging each other and asking ‘Is that Chris Froome?’

“He was coming to fit his Sky skinsuit,” she recalls. “You know the ones, where they literally paint them on. And they’re convinced they need something seven sizes smaller and you’re like, ‘Mate, what you need is a steak’. Fair play to him, though. I’m super chuffed for him. He’s a lovely guy.”

Cullen, who won a bronze medal at London 2012 and has been tempted out of retirement for another shot at gold in Rio, hails from pretty serious sporting stock herself.

Her dad Garry is a former professional golfer while her brother Gray played rugby for Northampton Saints and the Kenya sevens team. At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi they had the “unusual situation” of representing different countries.

The list of sportspeople she has a connection to does not end there either. After Banda she attended Oakham School in Rutland where she was a classmate of England cricketer Stuart Broad.

Cullen herself actually tried to give up hockey after London 2012. She was proud of her bronze medal, had lived away from her family for 15 years and wanted to get on with her life. She took on a role as general manager of the family security business in Kenya and settled down to that and to various charitable ventures, including a role as marketing volunteer for Galana Wildlife Conservancy.

She set up a gym, qualified for a pilot’s licence and was very happy. She had no intention of returning to hockey, other than the occasional Friday night game with team-mates “ranging from the age of eight to 60”.

Then she got a call from GB coach Danny Kerry asking if she would like to try out for Olympic selection – her skills as a penalty corner specialist were missed. The rest is history even if she deliberated for a while, being “hugely concerned” by what her former team-mates might think.

“You don’t want to come in and disrupt an environment, especially as they were on a high coming back from the Euros [which they won last year],” said the 30-year-old. “Not having played hockey for three years, I really had to prove myself. It wasn’t just me saying ‘I fancy having a go again’.”

Now Cullen is back and playing, she says, “as well as ever”. With her in the team, GB drew and won a Test against defending Olympic champions Holland at the start of June, only to lose their way at the Champions Trophy later that month, losing 4-1 to Australia as they finished bottom of their pool. Cullen is confident that tournament did not represent where the team were.

“Our aspiration is to win gold,” she says firmly. “Any team that wins is going to need a bit of luck along the way. The Dutch will be the bookies’ favourites but we beat them in the European Cup final so we know we can do it.”

The Telegraph



Ashley Morrison and the search for ‘Australia’s Hockey Grail’


Ahead of the journey to Brazil, every member of Kookaburras squad for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was presented with a copy of ‘Australia's Hockey Grail’, Ashley Morrison’s book on their Olympic history.

With the Rio 2016 hockey competitions about to get underway, renowned sports journalist and hockey TV commentator Ashley Morrison has published a book focussing on the highs and lows of the Australian men’s hockey team at the Olympic Games.

Featuring quotes from many of Australian hockey’s most famous players and coaches, Morrison explores in great depth the expectations that have been placed on the Kookaburras throughout their Olympic history. It provides a fascinating insight, shining a light on every Olympic campaign over the last 52 years as well as a look ahead to their title challenge in Rio.

Regarded as the most consistently successful Australian sports team over the past two decades, the Kookaburras have for more than 30 years been ranked among the top four nations in the world. Their consistent brilliance has resulted in huge expectations being placed on the team as they have entered each Olympic Games, where they have amassed nine Olympic medals since their debut at the 1956 Games on home soil in Melbourne. Despite a track record that is the envy of nearly every hockey playing nation on earth, many Kookaburras teams down the years have been unfairly branded as failures for bringing home anything less than the gold medal.

The Australian men – the reigning World, Champions Trophy and Hockey World League champions – have won a medal at every Olympic hockey tournament since the 1992 Games in Barcelona, with their most famous moment arriving at the Athens 2004 Olympiad, when they claimed that elusive first Olympic title after a 48 year wait thanks to Jamie Dwyer’s golden goal against the Netherlands.  In the book, Dwyer tells of his feelings on bringing an end to the Kookaburras’ long wait for Olympic gold.

“After we won the gold medal and got back to Australia you had past Olympians who I thought would have been a bit jealous that we had won, but they were so happy for us”, Dwyer told Morrison. “It was like a relief. That is the one word that describes it: ‘relief’. A huge relief. The hockey community really got behind it and as athletes we were happy that hopefully kids were picking up a hockey stick and playing hockey rather than another sport.”

For more information about Ashley Morrison’s book and details about purchasing a copy, click here.

FIH site



Tahir Zaman sees Signs of Improvement at 4 Nation Junior Tournament in Hannover

The most important international event for Pakistan hockey in the coming days is the junior World Cup in India this December.

The recent appearance at the 4-Nation junior tournament in the German city of Hannover was an important part of the preparation for the junior World Cup. The other three contesting sides were the top European hockey nations, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium.

In their opening fixture, Pakistan went down to hosts 2-5. It must be remembered that Germany are not only the reigning Junior World Champions but have won an amazing number of six out of the total 10 junior World Cups held so far.

In the second game, Pakistan lost to Belgium 2-4 after leading 2-0 at the half time. However, they achieved a 1-1 draw against the formidable Netherlands in their last fixture.

Pakistan’s former captain Tahir Zaman, the head coach of the national junior side, gives his views about the performance.
 
“It was a very important tour for this junior side. The team was raised only one year back. Before this European trip, it had only two international outings, both in Malaysia: Sultan of Johor Cup and the junior Asia Cup. At the Sultan of Johor Cup, where some of world’s best teams participated, we had finished last among the six sides. That was really alarming as within a few weeks, Pakistan had to play the junior Asia Cup which also doubled as the qualifiers for the junior World Cup. We did some serious homework and Alhumdulillah it paid off. Pakistan had to reach the semifinal to qualify for the junior World Cup. The team did well to finish second. However, a European tour was very essential to prepare the side for the junior World Cup.”

Are you satisfied with the performance?

“The results are apparently not impressive but I am satisfied with the overall performance.

Yes, we lost the first two games 2-5 and 2-4. But one has to look at a number of factors.

We had problems well before the departure. Our star player Emad Butt, who had captained the team at the junior Asia Cup, got unfit for the tour.  There were serious visa problems. Teams were allowed 20 players at the Hannover tournament. Unfortunately, we could obtain visas for only 16. You know in these days of rolling substitution, all the boys on the bench are utilized.  I would say for Pakistan it was 16 against 20 at Hannover.

As per the original itinerary, the team was to reach Germany on 11 July and play two matches against the Netherlands junior team in Arnhem at the Dutch/German border plus three games against top German clubs.   That would have been an excellent preparation for the event. But the visa complications meant we arrived only on the 19th just two days before the opening fixture against the hosts. Nevertheless, the boys made a good start and also took the lead. Just before the half time, it was 1-1. Unfortunately, one of our players was suspended for 10 minutes. The Germans went ahead and didn’t look back. Three of their goals came off penalty corners.

In the next match against Belgium, Pakistan’s start was even better and at half time they were leading 2-0. The most inform forward Bilal Qadir, scorer in both the matches, had his nose fractured and took no further part in the tournament. The attacking rhythm got disturbed. Again, the team had a poor second half.

Here, I must mention that the first Belgian goal was a highly disputed one. Still, Pakistan should not have come second best after leading by two goals.”

Pakistan had a bad second half in both the matches. Does that mean the boys lacked in physical fitness?

“No. The main reason was that the boys didn’t follow the game plan throughout. They stuck well to the overall strategy and the individual roles assigned to them in the first half but later lost track. This was mainly due to lack of international experience.”

The 1-1 draw in the last game vs Netherlands indicates better show.

“Yes, the boys improved with every game. It also shows team’s character. Just one day back, Pakistan had lost after leading by two goals. There was disappointment in the camp. Yet, they came out of it and managed to draw against a strong team. The team was also without Bilal Qadir for this tie. Here, we conceded the lead and scored the equalizer in the dying minutes. That vindicates boys’ physical fitness as well as fighting spirit”.

“There were several gains. The team competed well with world’s leading sides, at least in patches. The draw against the Netherlands, who were in the race for the top position before the match, should serve as a big confidence booster”.

What are the grey areas needed to be worked upon?

“Goal keeping remains a serious concern. Usman Ghani, the only net minder in the squad, was making his international debut in this high profile tourney, and that told. Some soft goals were conceded. As far as penalty corners go, goals were scored via indirect variations and off rebounds but direct conversions need to be worked upon. There was a lot of missing by the forwards who couldn’t avail good goal scoring opportunities.”

“I mentioned before that the boys didn’t follow the assigned plan the whole duration in the first two matches. They need to be more focused all along. Quick transition from defensive to offensive mould and vice versa as per the situation is a need of today’s fast hockey. “

What are the plans before the junior World Cup?

“The biggest requirement is international exposure. In August/September, Pakistan juniors would be touring Spain and Netherlands. Two tests against Spain’s junior national team are scheduled in Barcelona while three matches would be played against top clubs of Netherlands. In the first week of November, the team would figure in the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia which has now become the most important annual tournament for the national junior sides.

Before that there would be a 3-5 match series with the Pakistan’s national side.”
All this would hopefully enable Pakistan to be well prepared for the big event in India.”

Tahir Zaman, the great forward of his time, played a stellar role in Pakistan’s last global glory, the 1994 World Cup triumph. If Pakistan does well at the 2016 Junior World Cup, he might also be remembered as the man who orchestrated Pakistan’s come back on the international scene.

Ijaz Chaudhry writes on hockey & other sports. For more about him and his work,visit www.sportscorrespondent.info

Fieldhockey.com



Five matches played in mismanaged Women Hockey C’ship

ISLAMABAD - As many as five matches were played on the opening day of the 29th National Women Hockey Championship 2016 here at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium on Friday.

Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony, while Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, secretary Olympian Shahbaz Senior were present on the occasion, while no main official of PHF women wing was present on the occasion.

It was clearly imminent that federation had announced championship in haste, as poor arrangements were order of the day.

The journalists found it too difficult to gather results and other information, as there was no single official of women wing, who might guide the journalists regarding the results.

Despite several attempts to contact the PHF president and secretary, whose cell phones were powered off, the journalists remained failed to get any information.

It raises so many questions as what was the reason of holding five matches on such hot and humid days, why a more flexible schedule was not announced, why no heed was paid on quality of teams instead emphasized was given on quantity?

It was not hockey but pathetic show was on offer in majority of matches, as KP women have no answers to mighty Army team.

KP players were hardly able to hold their sticks, fighting or posing any challenge to Army girls was a far cry.

The interesting situation was witnessed during Army-KP match when KP manager has adopted highly strange strategy.

There was a goalie and two defenders in their goal trying to protect goal even then they conceded 19 goals.

Had three goalies not in the goal and Army girls not missed at least two dozen simple chances, they could have conceded around 40 goals.

When this scribe tried to reach tournament director Gulshan Naseem, she was too busy to talk, while assistant tournament director Anjum Sajjad was also missing.

Punjab Women wing secretary Rahat Khan, who is assisting in conducting the tournament, was finally available, but she also failed to provide any information to the journalists.

The media director was also missing.

It is hoped that the PHF president and secretary would take notice of the situation and ensure no such repeat of things from now on.

Women Wing secretary Tanzeela Amir was not present as her father-in-law passed away a few days back, but others should have been present and conduct the event in such a scorching heat but no one bothered to present on the spot.
Where the entire tall claims of PHF president gone, who always promises to do everything but in reality, he does nothing.

In the first match of the day, HEC beat Balochistan 3-0.

Muqaddas, Shafaqul Ain and Quratul Ain scored one goal each for the winners.
In the second match of the day, Railways outclassed Sindh Colours 5-1 with Kalsoom Munir hammering four goals including a hat-trick while Hina Kanwal added another for the winners.

Kashmala scored consolation goal for the losers.

In the third match of the day, Punjab Colours thrashed Sindh Colours 12-0.

Hamra Lateef slammed four goals, Aqsa Javed three, Zarina Habib three and Saba Riaz, Ariba Sarwar and Sanahil Babar hit one goal apiece.

In the fourth match of the day, Army crushed sorry KP 19-0 with Sana Allahdita thwarting six goals and Fouzia Naz four.

In the fifth and last match of the day, Islamabad stunned Punjab Whites 2-0.
A total of five matches will be played today (Saturday).

There is an urgent need of revising the schedule to save players from hot and humid weather.

The PHF must intervene and privide relief to the players.

The Nation



PHF chief promises to utilise funds on uplift of players, game

Mohsin Ali

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar has said that they will not waste government-granted funds instead they will utilise each and every penny on uplift of the game and players.

Talking to the journalists here at Naseer Bunda Stadium, Brig Khalid said: “We are quite hopeful of receiving NOC from the government for conducting Pakistan Hockey League (PHL).

We don’t want to commit old mistakes and just want to focus on the tasks ahead.
It is my request to former greats to shun the differences and join hands with the federation to take Pakistan hockey back to where it belongs.”

He said now the top priority of the PHF was to ensure Pakistan team must qualify for upcoming World Cup and Olympics.

“It’s really painful that we didn’t qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in our history.

Although it is very sad moment, yet on the other hand, it is motivational for us, it will give us further strength and always remind us that we fail to qualify for 2016 Olympics and not to repeat the same mistakes.

We will set bench mark and ensure Pakistan hockey team’s participation in the upcoming mega events.”

Brig Khalid said PM Nawaz Sharif was taking personal interest in hockey affairs and had given special directives to the federation in this regard.

“On behalf of the PHF, I want to say a big thanks to Prime Minister for his involvement in hockey.

We are quite hopeful of getting NOC for conducting the PHL for which international hockey players have already shown their keen interest and assured their participation.”

He said: “We will try our level best to provide maximum national and international opportunities to not only seniors and juniors but also our youth and fresh players in order to revive hockey culture in the country.

We are paying top priority to juniors and youth and the training camp and participation in Asian Youth Championship clearly indicate our ambitions and the federation’s planning in this regard.

“We have been working tirelessly to enhance the pool of players and we have been strictly following merit to get talented and promising players.

It is my promise we will never compromise on principles and ensure that merit will remain the main and only criteria of selection of teams,” Khalid concluded.

The Nation



Pakistan Hockey Federation aims for next World Cup, Olympics

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Friday said its prime target was to qualify for the next World Cup and the Olympic Games. Speaking to media at the inauguration of the National Women’s Hockey Championship at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, PHF president Khalid Sajjad Khokhar said the national federation was disappointed for not qualifying for the Rio Olympics. “But now old mistakes will not be repeated. I am grateful to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, for taking personal interest in the national game. We won’t let even a single penny to get wasted from the grant we get from the government,” he added.

He said former Olympians should come forward and play their role for the revival of the game. Speaking about the Pakistan Hockey League, he said the PHF and the government were very serious for this league to happen and very soon an NOC would be granted. On the occasion, Shahbaz Ahmed Senior, PHF secretary general, said he could feel the pain of the players for not qualifying for the Olympics as it was an honour to participate in the Olympic Games. He said besides training the seniors efforts were also being made to promote junior players.

The Daily Times



Pakistan Cup Hockey Tournament from Aug 7 in Karachi

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cup Hockey Tournament will be played in Karachi from August 7 to 14. This was announced on Friday by the tournament director, former Olympian Mansoor Ahmed. Former Olympian Naveed Alam, who is the director domestic hockey of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), was also present on the occasion. It was pointed out that nine teams would be participating in the event. The tournament will be played at the Abdus Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium (Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium). “A formal announcement regarding renaming of the stadium will be made at the inaugural ceremony of the event,” it was further stated. After substantial improvement in the law and order situation in Karachi, a major tournament is being organised in the metropolis which also marks the resumption of the restoration of the activities in this very game. According to the organisers, the tournament will be played in accordance with the international rules. The goal post has been widened by two feet. The match will consist of two halves of 20 minutes each with a five-minute break.

The Daily Times



SSTMI almost pull of opening day upset in MHL

by S. Ramaguru


TNB Thunderbolt play against SSTMI in the opening day of MHL.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) very nearly produced an opening day upset in Division One of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL).

The sports school held defending champions TNB-Thunderbolt to a 3-3 draw at the KL Hockey Stadium here on Friday.

SSTMI even took a surprise first-minute lead through Azhad Akmal Mohd Fahmi.

But Thunderbolt showed that they were made of sterner stuff by scoring three goals in an eight-minute spree to go 3-1 up.

Mohd Idris Samad started the Thunderbolt fightback by scoring the equaliser, off a penalty corner setpiece, in the 20th minute.

Five minutes later Syaman Mat Tee put Thunderbolt 2-1 up with a field goal. Then, in the 28th minute, Mohd Hazzim Amin gave them a two-goal cushion with another field goal.

It was then Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) double champions SSTMI’s turn to launch their own fightback, with Fahmi Zulhelmi Norazman narrowing the deficit in the 45th minute.

Mohd Zulhamizan Awang Abas made sure SSTMI would return home with a share of the spoils when he slotted home a field goal in the 51st minute.

SSTMI coach Wan Roslan Wan Abdullah attributed the draw to fatigue, saying “my players were tired after just finishing the Sukma (in Sarawak)”.

“I’m happy with the result as one point is still a good start against the champions,” he said.

“I believe that we can play better and the team will be more settled after a few matches. We played the match straight after arriving from Johor Baru.

“So, there is really nothing for me to complain about.

“What’s important is that we need to stay focused and not drop points unnecessarily.”

In another match, at the Sungei Petani Hockey Stadium, Nur Insafi scored a goal in each half to beat ATM-Airod 2-0.

Both the Nur Insafi goals were scored by Nur Rahull Hrsikesa was the hero for Nur Insafi when he netted both the goals – in the eighth and 60th minutes.

It was good start for Nur Insafi, who are the only team in Division One with three foreign players.

The Star of Malaysia



Premier Hockey League unveils innovative player draft format



The inaugural South African Premier Hockey League (PHL) has taken a step closer to becoming reality today, with the announcement that the official player draft will take place this Saturday (6th August 2016).

The draft, which has been inspired by American sports leagues, such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL), is a squad selection process that sees the coaches of each PHL team take turns, based on an order sequence drawn out of a hat, to choose from a pool of eligible players.

The draft commences at 10am on Saturday morning and interested parties will be able to follow it live online, via the new PHL website (www.premierhockeyleague.co.za) which launches late on Friday evening.

Thanks to support from the Department of Sport & Recreation, the inaugural PHL will consist of both a men’s and women’s competition and will run over four weekend’s - from Saturday 3rd September to Sunday 25th September 2016 (inclusive). More information about the draft and the 2016 PHL event structure is contained at the end of this media release.

“The player draft system is an exciting new innovation for the PHL and we are sure it will generate much talk-ability and debate amongst hockey fans in this country”, said Mike Du Plessis, the President of the South African Hockey Association (SAHA).

“The PHL forms a key part of SAHA’s high performance pipeline which is aimed at better equipping our national teams for international competition. We are especially grateful to the support and investment from the Department of Sport & Recreation, as well as the belief they have shown in the future of hockey in this country”, added Marissa Langeni, the CEO of SAHA.

Meanwhile, the PHL has also revealed the head coaches for the 2016 PHL teams. The immediate priority of these coaches will be to select their playing squads during Saturday’s draft.

Men’s PHL Teams

 

Women’s PHL Teams

Team

Coach

Team

Coach

Every Sun Addo Elephants

Cheslyn Gie

Blyde River Bunters

Lindsey Wright

Drakensberg Dragons

Sihle Ntuli

Madikwe Rangers

Robin van Ginkel

Garden Route Gazelles

Steve Evans

The Lip Ice Namaqualand Daisies

Patrick Tshushani

Golden Gate Gladiators

Gareth Ewing

Orange River Rafters

Pietie Coetzee-Turner

Mapungubwe Mambas

Krinesan Moodley

The Young Solutions

St Lucia Lakers

Lenise Marias

Maropeng Cavemen

Mark Saunders

Winelands Wings

Ryan Pillay

More about the 2016 Premier Hockey League:

· The 2016 event consists of six men’s teams and six women’s teams, respectively,

· All matches will be played at the Randburg Astro in Johannesburg.

· Both the SA men’s and women’s U21 national teams will be playing in the PHL as franchise teams. This is to help them prepare for the Junior World Cup that takes place later this year. The men’s U21 team will play as the Golden Gate Gladiators and the women’s U21 team will play as the Lip Ice Namaqualand Daisies.

· Squads will consist of 18 players. The two U21 teams will, however be allowed to select a squad of 20 players.

· Both the men’s and women’s PHL competitions will consist of a league stage and a play-off stage:

o Each team will play each other once in the league stage. This means each team will play five games in the league stage.

o The teams who finish fifth and sixth respectively in the log, at the end of the league stage, will play-off to determine who finishes fifth and sixth.

o The top four teams in the log will progress to the semi-finals. The losing semi-finalists will play-off for third and fourth respectively and the winning semi-finalists will progress to the finals of the men’s and women’s competitions.

More about Saturday’s Premier Hockey League Draft:

· The players for these two national U21 teams will be pre-selected and will not enter the draft.

· It has further been decided that the respective coaches of the senior men’s and women’s national teams will allocate four marquee players to each of these remaining ten teams (20 men and 20 women).

· The list of marquee players, and their designated teams, will be announced on Saturday at the beginning of the draft.

· Thereafter a list of eligible players, who have expressed an interest in participating in the event, will be entered into the draft on Saturday.

· There will be two drafts – a men’s draft and a women’s draft. They will each follow the same process.

· The coach of each team will need to select 14 players to fill his or her squad of 18 players. The other four players are of course the pre-selected marquee players.

· Round one of the men’s draft will take place first, followed by round one of the women’s draft. Round two of the men’s draft will then commence and the overall draft will conclude with round two of the women’s draft.

· In each round, each coach will have the chance to select seven players.

Round 1:

· Each coach will draw a number out of a hat.

o Number one = first pick in round one of the draft.

o Number two = second pick in round one of the draft.

o Number three = third pick in round one of the draft.

o Number four = fourth pick in round one of the draft.

o Number five = fifth pick in round one of the draft.

· The coach with number one will pick a player first, followed by the four other coaches in their number sequence.

· This will continue for seven selections. Each time the coach with number one will go first.

· Once all five coaches have made seven selections then round one will end.

Round 2:

· The picking order will be reversed and the coach with number five will have first pick and the coach with number one will have last pick. The coach who had pick number two in the first round will have the fourth pick and the coach who had pick number four in the first round will have the second pick. The coach with the third pick will stay third.

· Each coach will make seven final selections based on the above order sequence.

Reserve players:

All players not selected for the draft will be automatically entered in a reserve pool of players that can be utilised by the teams, in the event of injury or player unavailability.

SA Hockey Association media release



The PHL reveals U21 teams for the 2016 event



With less than 24 hours to go to the first ever Premier Hockey League player draft, the PHL has unveiled two of the playing squads that will be playing in the 2016 event.

While 10 of the 12 playing squads will be selected via Saturday’s draft, the South African Hockey Association has decided that both the SA men’s and women’s U21 national squads will play in the new event as franchise teams.  The men’s U21 team will play as the Golden Gate Gladiators and the women’s U21 team will play as the Lip Ice Namaqualand Daisies.

This is in order to help them to prepare for their respective Hockey Junior World Cups that take place in India (men) and Chile (women) towards the end of the year.

“We decided to allow our national U21 team’s to participate as franchise teams to give them as much quality game time as possible in the build up to their two Junior World Cup’s. If the U21 team experiment proves a success then we may make these age group national teams a permanent fixture in future PHLs,” said Marissa Langeni, the CEO of SAHA.

“Not only is the PHL good practice for the upcoming Junior World Cup but the U21 men’s team plans to be really competitive. The team has had great practice and they know each other well. As such, we have a competitive edge that the rest of the teams don’t. With star players such as Rob McKinley, Ryan Crowe, Ryan Julius and Alex Stewart, the squad has already proved that they are equipped to take the team to the next level,” commented Garreth Ewing, Coach of the Golden Gate Gladiators men’s team.

“With the U21 women’s team only recently been announced, the ladies will be using the PHL as a form of preparation for the Junior World Cup. The PHL is going to give us the platform to get the team together and really build camaraderie. The core group are good sportswoman and I am positive that with players such as Tarryn Glasby, Marizen Marais, Marilize van Tonder, Tegan Fourie and Sandi Tabata we will be victorious,” added Patrick Tshushani, Head Coach of the Lip Ice Namaqualand Daisies women’s team.

The 10 other PHL teams (five men’s and five women’s) will be selected via a unique player draft that takes place this Saturday (6th August 2016). The draft commences at 10am on Saturday morning and interested parties will be able to follow it live online, via the new PHL website (www.premierhockeyleague.co.za) which launches late tonight.

The draft, which has been inspired by American sports leagues, such as the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL), is a squad selection process that sees the coaches of each PHL team take turns, based on an order sequence drawn out of a hat, to choose from a pool of eligible players.

Golden Gate Gladiators Playing Squad (Men’s Team):

1          Charles Bowren
2          Ryan Crowe
3          Matthew De Sousa
4          Tyson Dlungwana
5          Courtney Halle
6          Ryan Julius
7          Tevin Kok
8          Nduduzo Lembethe
9          Amkelwe Letuka
10        Kyle Lion-Cachet
11        Rob McKinley
12        Steve McManus
13        Khumo Mokale
14        Siya Nolutshungu
15        Bili Ntuli
16        Walter Pfaff
17        Jayson Reed
18        Tylo Remke
19        Bjorn Sorensen
20        Alex Stewart

Golden Gate Gladiators Coaching Team:

Head Coach: Garreth Ewing
Trainers: Neville Rothman &     Devon van der Merwe
Manager: Lindsay De Kock

The Lip Ice Namaqualand Daisies (Women’s Team):

1          Danni Cairns
2          Gretchin Davids
3          Alegra Dijkstra
4          Natalie Esteves
5          Amy Etherington
6          Tegan Fourie
7          Tarryn Glasby
8          Antoinette Louw
9          Sisipho Magwaza
10        Nthabi Maine
11        Ongi Mali
12        Marizen Marais
13        Kirsten Paton
14        Marissa Poolman
15        Christine Seggie
16        Shindre-Lee Simmons
17        Donna Small
18        Sandi Tabata
19        Marilize van Tonder
20        Margeruite Van Wyk

The Lip Ice Namaqualand Daisies Coaching Team:

Head Coach: Patrick Tshushani
Trainers: Gregg Hesom & Inky Zondi
Manager: Bridget Kee

SA Hockey Association media release



Champs Butali Sugar Warriors battle Sikh Union at City Park

Ten matches are set to be played this weekend with two of them in Kisumu.

By BRIAN YONGA


Nakuru Hockey Club's Caleb Nyakundi vies for the ball with Zack Aura of Butali Sugar Warriors during their Kenya Hockey Union men's Premier League match at City Park Stadium on April 3, 2016. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Champions Butali Sugar Warriors will be aiming to extend their unbeaten start to the season when they face Sikh Union Nairobi Saturday evening in a Kenya Hockey Union Men’s Premier League match at City Park Stadium.

Ten matches are set to be played this weekend with two of them in Kisumu as the league enters its fourth round.

Kisumu-based Bay Club will host United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) Saturday afternoon before they welcome Kenyatta University’s Vultures on Sunday.

In the women’s premier league, two university derbies will take centre stage as KU Titans tackle Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Saturday’s first match while Strathmore University’s Scorpions face USIU Spartans on Sunday.

However, focus will be on the clash between Butali and the 2012 champions Sikh. Butali have won their opening two matches and lead Pool A with six points, three more than third-placed Sikh Union.

Butali will again be without the injured duo of Seth Oburu and Barnabas Odhiambo but Coach Cliffe Okello believes he has enough depth in his squad.

“Their absence is a blow because they are two key players but we are coping well, our target is to ensure we don’t drop any points as we build up for the African Club Championship in December,” Okello told Saturday Nation Sport.

Sikh recovered from losing their opening game of the season to Strathmore University’s Gladiators by thrashing newly promoted Bay Club 10-0 last Saturday at City Park Stadium.

Sikh skipper Amit Rajput wants his teammates to come with the same form when they take on Butali.

“Last weekend’s result against Bay Club was a major lift after the disappointing result against Strathmore. The lads are fired up and Butali should expect a tough match,” he said on Friday.

Butali have won the club’s last three meetings including a 6-0 thrashing last season.

JKUAT will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s 7-0 loss to Sliders against a Titans side that lost most of its players to the newcomers Amira Sailors. A win for the Juja-based side will see them move joint top with Sliders.

“We have learnt from the mistakes we made against Sliders and want to make amends against Titans tomorrow (today),” JKUAT coach Daniel Owaka said.

Titans on the other hand are looking for their first win of the season after one loss and a draw in their previous matches.

Titans coach Dominic Mutwol believes his depleted squad can still finish high up in the league this season.

FIXTURES (All Matches at the City Park Stadium unless stated)

Saturday:

Premier women: KU Titans v JKUAT (12pm)
National men: Impala v JKUAT (2PM), Wazalendo Youth v Kimathi (4pm)
Premier men: Bay Club v USIU- Kisumu (3pm), Sikh Union v Butali (6pm)

Sunday:

Premier women: Vikings v Daystar Falcons (9am), Strathmore University v USIU (11am)
National men: Daystar v Parkroad Tigers (1pm)
Premier men: Bay Club v USIU-  Kisumu (9am), Strathmore University v Parklands (3pm)

Daily Nation



Hockey India president ND Batra to contest for FIH

s2h Team



Current president of Hockey India Narinder Dhruv Batra is bracing for contesting top post in the Federation Internationale de Hockey.

Leondro Negre, who succeeded Breda Els van Vriesman seven years ago, has expressed his unwillingness to contest for the third term.

Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), which has received Leondro's communication, has welcomed HI President for the FIH president candidacy.

The AHF said: The AHF under the leadership of HRH Prince Abdullah recognises the tremendous efforts and achievements of Dr. Narinder Batra for his professionalism and bringing revolutionary changes in Hockey India and his contribution to FIH and world Hockey Family. We at AHF very much admire his global vision for hockey. ....... It should be noted that for more than three decades, Asia has the major contribution to the global revenues of FIH and leading role of Dr. Batra has been significant........ AHF wishes Dr. Narindar Batra a successful journey towards his mission.

He is currently member of the Competition Committee of FIH, been awarded FIH President's Award inNovember 2014.

We will shortly publish comments of HI President. Look out for this space for more.

Batra entered hockey in the early 2000 when his province JKHA organized the Sr National Championship. He was soon inducted by the then Indian Hockey Federation, into its fold as one of the seven Vice Presidents.

Soon he challenged the unprofessional functioning of the IHF. When the IHF was dissolved by the Indian Olympic Association in the aftermath of India's failure to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the consequent TV sting involving his Secretary General, Batra was made treasurer of Adhoc Committee formed to run the hockey affairs.

The Adhoc Committee was headed by IOA President Suresh Kalmadi.

As things turned out, the IHF run into existence problems with the FIH, which had just then allotted the World Cup to India.

Six months before the 2010 March World Cup was to come off, a new organization called Hockey India was put on board with the sanction of the FIH.

In the first ever HI election held after much deferments and postponements, Batra's panel headed by Vidhya Stokes won the elections handsdown against Pargat Singh's.

ND Batra was elected to Secretary General.

The tussle between IHF and HI for Indian hockey's administration has come to an end early this year when the CAS adjudicated the mantle in favour of HI.

Stick2Hockey.com

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