Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

Daily Hockey news updated @ 10:00 GMT

News for 18 December 2016

All the news for Sunday 18 December 2016


Argentina and Spain to play for fifth place in Lucknow



Argentina and Spain were the big winners on Day 11 of the Uttar Pradesh Hockey Junior World Cup Men Lucknow 2016, seeing off the respective challenges of England and Argentina to set up a meeting in the 5/6 Place play-off match.

Pan American champions Argentina were in excellent form in the first of the 5/8 Place play-off matches, cruising to a 3-0 win over England. Following a goal-less first half, Argentina took the lead five minutes after the break thanks to a smart finish from Nicolas Acosta after a powerful run and pass down the right from Agustin Rios. Fifteen minutes later, Acosta went from goal-scorer to provider with a perfect pass across the face of goal for Ignacio Nepote, who tapped into an open goal from close range. Argentina’s captain Maico Casella completed the match scoring nine minutes from the end of the match, driving down the right and entering the circle before producing an outrageous chipped finish over onrushing England goalkeeper Chris Wyver. “We are so happy because we played very good today”, said Casella, who has undoubtedly been one of the stars of the tournament. When asked about his feelings surrounding his superbly taken goal, Casella said: “I am pleased with it, but the most important thing is that the team won, so I’m very happy right now.”

Spain’s 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the second of the 5/8 Place play-off matches was hard earned, with Spanish captain Enrique Gonzalez impressing yet again with a man of the match performance. Spain opened the match scoring in the 30th minute when Llorenc Piera Grau slid in to force home from close range. Lucas Garcia Alcalde made it 2-0 for the Spaniards with backhand strike which would prove to be decisive. The Netherlands were much improved in the second period but still found life tough going against their European rivals. A moment of individual brilliance from Jorrit Croon in the 64th minute pulled the Dutch back into the contest but, despite a late strike being disallowed, it was not enough to save them from defeat.

In the 9/10 Place play-off, South Africa were defeated 4-1 by New Zealand, with man of the match Mark Wilcox scoring two early goals to help his team along the road to victory. Brad Reid and Dylan Thomas also scored in a dominant first half performance, with Courtney Halle scoring South Africa’s only goal of the game two minutes after half time. 

Austria produced a valiant fightback in their 11/12 Place play-off match against Malaysia, but were ultimately denied in the shoot-out. Mohamad Zulhamizan and Aiman Nik Rosemi established a 2-0 lead for Malaysia after just 14 minutes, but goals either side of half time from Oliver Binder and Peter Kaltenböck levelled thing up before Malaysia edged the shoot-out 2-1 to claim an 11th place finish.

On Sunday (18th December), the action starts with England versus the Netherlands in the 7/8 Place play-off at 11:15 (India Standard Time – GMT / UTC +5:30), with Argentina and Spain doing battle for 5th place at 13:30. Germany and Australia will compete in the bronze medal match at 15:45, which takes place ahead of the mouthwatering title match between first time finalists Belgium and 2001 title winners India at 18:00.

FIH site



Frustrated England lose to Argentina at Junior World Cup


Rhys Smith takes on the Argentina defence

England’s U21s endured what Head Coach Jon Bleby described as a “frustrating” encounter with Argentina at the Junior World Cup in Lucknow, India. Playing to determined whether they battle for 5th-6th place or 7th-8th place, England were taken down by three second-half goals from their opponents in a feisty clash.

“It was a very frustrating game and despite enjoying good spells of possession we didn’t execute our skills well enough to break down a very packed Argentinean defence.” said Bleby.

His team were level at the break as neither side had found a way through to break the deadlock and it remained goalless. Argentina seemed content to defend deep and hit on the counter attack, with the massed ranks of defenders making it extremely difficult for England to fashion any clear chances.

The second half followed a similar pattern but five minutes after the break Nicolas Acosta put Argentina ahead from open play. England rallied and despite a yellow card apiece for Joaquin Puglisi and Will Calnan, they exerted some good pressure. However 15 minutes from the end Ignacio Nepote gave Argentina the second of the game. Six minutes later with England throwing men forwards in an attempt to salvage something Maico Casella was able to round off the scoring and seal the win for his team. 

Despite the disappointment of defeat, Coach Bleby told England Hockey afterwards:

“We will bounce back and aim to finish the tournament with a strong performance and a win against Holland in the 7th & 8th place play off.”

England play against the Netherlands tomorrow morning at 545am UK time.

Argentina 3 (0)
Nicolas Acosta 40 (FG)
Ignacio Nepote 55 (FG)
Maico Casella 61 (FG)

England 0 (0)

England Hockey Board Media release



Kiwis finish strongly at Junior World Cup


Photo: World Sport Pics

The New Zealand Under 21 Men have finished on a high after a dominant 4-1 result over South Africa at the Junior World Cup.

The Kiwis were in control from the opening whistle in the 9th/10th classification playoff, lifted by a double from Man of the Match Mac Wilcox.

South Africa lifted after halftime but the damage had already been done with New Zealand pouring on all four goals in the first half.

Wilcox opened the scoring in the 12th minute after pouncing on a penalty corner deflection and slapping a hard shot past the goalkeeper.

Three minutes later Wilcox doubled the lead when he received a great pass across the circle from Oliver Logan to hit into goal.

New Zealand opened a three goal buffer from a 19th minute penalty corner with Dominic Newman slapping past the keeper from out wide.

Dylan Thomas made it 4-0 just before halftime after a long ball saw the South Africa defenders exposed for Thomas to beat the goalkeeper with a skilful left to right move.

South Africa played a much better second half defensively and managed to score a goal midway through the third quarter through Courtney Halle.

NEW ZEALAND 4: (Mac Wilcox 2, Dominic Newman, Dylan Thomas)
SOUTH AFRICA 1: (Courtney Halle)
Halftime: New Zealand 4-0

Hockey New Zealand Media release



11th hour invitees finish 11th

MALAYSIA ended a dismal 11th in the Lucknow Junior World Cup yesterday when they edged Austria 2-1 in a penalty shoot-out after being held 2-2 in regulation time.

Coach Wallace Tan's boys took a 2-0 lead off Mohamed Zulhamizan (eighth) and Nik Rosemi Aiman (14th) but Austria drew level with goals from Binder Oliver (26th) and Kaltenbock Peter (41st) to take the match into shoot-out.

After a 2013 high of finishing fourth in the New Delhi JWC, the national juniors could not make use of the late entry when Pakistan could not make the trip due to visa problems.

In the Kuantan Junior Asia Cup in 2015, Malaysia had finished fifth among Asian teams after losing out to South Korea in a two-minute blitz, but could not show the same form in Lucknow.

In fact, only hosts India is carrying the Asian flag as they will play against Belgium in the final today.

India were champions in Kuantan, while Pakistan won silver, South Korea bronze and Japan fourth -- to qualify for Lucknow.

However, Japan finished 13th while South Korea 14th and 11th placed Malaysia indicate that the European teams have taken a massive lead in the junior level as well.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Malaysia finish 11th in Junior World Cup

by S. Ramaguru



KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia clinched 11th place in the Junior World Cup after beating Austria 2-1 in a penalty shootout at the Major Dyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow, India.

The Malaysians were held to a 2-2 stalemate in regulation time by the Austrians who battled back from a two-goal deficit.

During the shootout, Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi and Rafizul Mustafa converted while Mohamed Amirol Arshad and Norsyafiq Sumantri (pic) fluffed their shots.

The Austrians net their attempt through Philip Schmid.

Malaysia did well to score two goals in the first-half but squandered it with some poor defending after the breather.

Austria had the better share of the game in the second-half and could have wrapped up the game but failed to make their chances count.

Malaysia opened accounts in the eighth minute through a field goal by Mohamed Zulhamizan.

Six minutes later, Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi sounded the board off another field goal.

The Austrians reduced the deficit in the 26th minute through Olivier Binder.

Malaysia then paid the price for poor defending when Peter Kaltenbok equalised in the 41st minute to take the game to the shootout.

The Star of Malaysia



World Cup a win away, India colts look to put best foot forward

Indervir Grewal


India will need to bring their A game to the final.

Lucknow: “It’s time for a perfect game,” Roelant Oltmans said after India’s semifinal win over Australia.

The optimistic, somewhat rhetorical, statement was more for the benefit of captain Harjeet Singh and goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya, who was the Man of the Match in the semifinals, than the media.

Without spelling it out for the two boys sitting next to him, the Dutchman wanted them know, and believe, that this team was ready to achieve perfection, or rather, prepared to give the “best they could” in the final of the junior hockey World Cup against Belgium on Sunday.

“There is no perfect game,” he admitted today after India’s training session. “We will try to give our best,” he added. “We have worked hard. I must say these boys, when we reviewed our games, were very critical and honest about their performances. We have worked on our shortcomings; we know what we have to do, and we are ready to give our best,” said Oltmans.

It is probably for the first time that a coach’s, or in this case a manager’s confidence in his team is shared by the fans. A big reason for that is the way the Indian players made a complete turnaround from a nervy performance against Spain in the quarters to a dominating show against Australia in the semis in one day.

“I am proud of these boys. We took one step at a time. This is the big stage and now is the time to perform,” said coach Harendra Singh.

India’s progress in the tournament inspires the confidence that they can succeed at the big stage. India eased through the pool stage, apart from a tiny hiccup against South Africa. They struggled in their first real test, a 2-1 win over Spain; but the match showcased the mental strength of these “clever” boys, impressing Oltmans by the “way they were able to make the switch during the game”.

A day later, against Australia, they turned it around completely. Furthermore, for the third time in the tournament, India made a comeback after falling behind.

History-seeking Belgium

However, falling behind despite controlling the game is something that would worry Oltmans. Belgium have been one of the most structurally compact and tactically smart teams in the tournament. Belgium, seeking their first junior World Cup title, have had probably the hardest route — they beat the Netherlands, Argentina and Germany on their way to the final.

Beating them will take a lot of pluck from the junior boys.

Calm Dutchman

On the eve of the biggest match of their careers the Indian players hurried off the practice pitch to the team bus through clapping fans. Some had smiles on their faces, while others stared ahead blankly.

It is hard to imagine what is going on in these juniors’ minds; Oltmans had said before their quarterfinal that “you never know how the juniors will cope with the pressure.”

Today, as he calmly talked about all the hard work and the progress made by these boys on their long way to the big day, the Dutchman, having seen many such days in his long and successful career, exuded a quiet confidence.

The Tribune



India confident of beating Belgium and make history at the Hockey Junior World Cup

Sharad Deep


Indian hockey team will face Belgium in the final of Hockey Junior World Cup on Sunday. (PTI)

It’s a make-or-break day for Harjeet Singh and his boys in the Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup, the tournament that has produced many stars. A lot of them have gone on to become Olympic and world champions, such as Lucas Villa and Pedro Ibarra — the stars of Argentina’s Junior World Cup-winning team in 2005 —who helped their country win the Olympic gold at Rio de Janeiro this year.

Harjeet and his boys now have the chance of scripting history for India when they take on Belgium in the final on Sunday. India last won the Junior World Cup in 2001, their only title at this stage and also their most recent triumph in FIH-level competitions. A win on Sunday will also put them on course for success at the senior level.

Keeping it simple

To succeed, they need to continue with their plan of simple hockey, avoid conceding early goals and maintain the physical and mental tempo throughout the match.

Coach Harendra Singh advocated the same for the final. “Now, it’s in the hands of the boys to decide the colour of the medal they want to take home. They have to play good hockey for just 70-minutes and the gold will be theirs. This is what I have told them,” he said.

Senior team coach Roelant Oltmans, who is acting as manager of the junior side here, too believes the boys must play their best game on Sunday. “It’s time for the perfect game and that we are going to show on Sunday. Our players will bring their best hockey in the most important match of the competition,” said Oltmans.

It would be the biggest opportunity for Indian colts to stamp their supremacy on world stage once again as they had done in 2001 at Hobart after finishing runners-up in Milton Keynes in 1997.

Full house expected

A full house is expected on Sunday as all tickets are sold out and fans don’t want to miss the moment. “I haven’t seen such frenzy for the game of hockey in India and that too for junior hockey in the last many years,” organising secretary RP Singh told HT, adding, “It’s good that the game is being followed like cricket in India.”

“Crowd support is great help in lifting our morale and we will put our best foot forward on Sunday,” Harjeet said. “Certainly, we would be looking for gold as it is the best opportunity,” he added.

Belgium no pushovers

Belgium appear to be a challenging side. After finishing 12th in their maiden appearance in the Junior World Cup in 1997, they managed to finish sixth at the last edition in New Delhi in 2013, while India had a 10th-place finish.

In both their knockout matches, Belgium found the going tough, registering wins in shootouts against Argentina in quarterfinals and Germany in the semifinal. But they have so far played composite hockey, going for early control. Their defence did great in the match against six-time champions Germany.

Hindustan Times



India look to emulate 2001 heroics in Hockey Junior World Cup final

LUCKNOW: Home favourites India will hope to clinch their second Hockey Junior World Cup title when they face maiden finalists Belgium in the final at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium here on Sunday.

India's only title in the Under-21 showpiece came in 2001 and after a gap of 15 years, the Harendra Singh-coached side will look to emulate what Rajinder Singh's boys did in Hobart, Australia.

It will be India's third appearance in the final in the tournament. They had finished runners-up in 1997.

Apart from the home factor, the impressive performance of the Harjeet Singh-led side has triggered a wave of expectations. And it is this factor that the Indians need to be wary of when they take the field on Sunday.

They need to continue to do what coach Harendra calls "simple hockey", due to which the hosts topped their pool comprising England, South Africa and Canada before overcoming Spain and Australia in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

They have also shown a lot of character in these matches and to grind out wins against Spain and Australia despite conceding a goal in each match early, speaks volumes of the team's unity and work ethic that helped them to bounce back.

For India, drag-flick exponents Harmanpreet Singh (three goals) and Varun Kumar (two goals) will be tasked to convert the crucial penalty corners. The two have been blamed for their poor conversion rate and they need to mix power with accuracy and tactics to be successful against the Belgians. The duo has also performed well as defenders, along with vice-captain Dipsan Tirkey.

In the midfield, captain Harjeet Singh will dictate the tempo of play and he will need help from Nilakanta Sharma, Santa Singh, Manpreet and Sumit. Against an opponent like Belgium, who are known for their aggressive build-up play and high pressing, Harjeet and Co need to step up.

Indian attackers, led by Mandeep Singh (three goals), will not only have the duty of finding goals but also penalty corners. Armaan Qureshi, Gurjant Singh and Parvinder Singh have their task cut out against the tough-tackling Belgian defenders.

Belgium, who had not reached even the semi-finals before this edition, have improved a lot over the past few years. Their senior team claimed the silver medal at the Rio Olympics in August and the U-21 members will be eager to prove that they have the talent to extend their success as a hockey nation this year.

Their academy-based way of churning out talent helps them play as a group. This time, they will be out to show the world that Belgium have truly arrived, overcoming their mid-ranked team status.

Meanwhile in the play-off for the bronze medal, record champions Germany will face Australia. Germany, the two-time defending champions, lost to Belgium via penalty shoot-out 3-4.

The Times of India



History awaits hockey team in Junior World Cup final

This is India’s third entry into the final of the Junior World Cup after having finished runners-up in 1997.



A win away from rewriting history after a long gap of 15 years, Indian colts would look to showcase their best and leave nothing to chance when they take on Belgium in the summit showdown of the men’s Junior Hockey World Cup in Lucknow on Sunday.

The wintry Sunday could turn out to be the biggest day for these Under-21 Indian hockey players as they chase a dream of winning the mega event for the second time. India had earlier won the trophy way back in 2001 in Hobart, Australia.

This is India’s third entry into the final of the Junior World Cup after having finished runners-up in 1997.

Assured of the silver medal, the Indians would now eye nothing less than the yellow metal.

India’s head coach Harendra Singh had told his players that it is now in their hands to decide the colour of the medal in what is seen as the “biggest game” of their career.

“December 18 match is the biggest game for these boys. I would fold my hands and request them to show their character on that day. They need to decide which colour medal they want to see hanging in their necks,” Harendra said after the semifinal win over Australia in a tough shootout yesterday.

Indian men’s senior team chief coach Roelant Oltmans, who is the manager of the junior side here and is also an integral part of the coaching set-up, called on the Harjeet Singh-led side to show their “perfect” hockey.

“Now it’s time for the perfect game and that we are going to show on Sunday. Our players will bring their best hockey in the most important match of the competition,” Oltmans said.

Besides the momentum, the Indians would also rely on the crowd support. The city knows its hockey and 15,000 odd fans never gave up hope and kept on cheering when India trailed in the last two games against Spain and Australia.

After a lacklustre performance against Spain in the quarterfinals, Indian colts dished out their best hockey of the tournament so far against Australia but come Sunday the hosts would aim to raise the bar further.

India’s forwardline was impressive on Friday with Gurjant Singh and Mandeep Singh scoring two fantastic reverse hit goals, while the midfield was under the control of skipper Harjeet Singh.

India’s defence has been erratic at times but Dipsan Tirkey and Harmanpreet Singh have managed to weather the storm when it mattered in the company of goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya, who was the hero of the win over Australia.

With tips from senior team captain and one of the finest goalkeepers of the world, PR Sreejesh, Dahiya showed he is a big match player and rose to the occasion in the semifinal, making a number of saves in the regulation time and then denying Matthew Bird and Lachlan Sharp in the shootout.

The only area of concern for India’s coaching staff is the penalty corner conversion rate of dragflickers Harmanpreet and Varun Kumar.

All said and done, the Indians can’t afford to take first-time finalists Belgium lightly. The European side has been making rapid progress in both the senior and junior levels over a period of time.

In fact, Belgium are the only side against whom the Indian colts had lost 2-4 in the four-nation tournament in Valencia, leading up to the ongoing tournament.

India head coach Harendra said they will have to utilise their opportunities against Belgium.

“Belgium are strong there is no doubt it. But at the same time against every opponent you get your opportunities. And also against Belgium we will get our opportunities,” Harendra said.

“Belgium is a tough team and they have shown it by beating top sides like Holland, Germany, Argentina. It’s a very strong side but we are also a very strong side.”

Belgium too have made a little bit of history of their own after having lost in the quarterfinals in the last edition of the tournament.

Coach Jeroen Baart knows the importance of the game for his wards.

“It’s been a dream for the boys. They have been working towards it for two—and—a—half years. They have sacrificed a lot, drove a lot of miles to get into training and so on,” Baart said.

“We still remember the disappointment of the last junior World Cup when we lost to France in the quarterfinals. We wrote a little bit of history in the sense that we are first time from the country to play in the semi—final of the Junior World Cup. That was something very special.

“Now the boys are really eager to get very far on the pitch in this tournament as in life and as a hockey player,” he added.

Meanwhile, on the final day of competition, six-time champions Germany will take on Australia in the bronze medal clash.

The Hindu



Stats Speak:  India vs. Belgium (Juniors): at a glance

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

Particulars

MP

W

D

L

GF

GA

In Junior  World Cup

3

3

0

0

11

3

After 2013 Junior World Cup

2

0

0

2

3

7

 India won all three matches against Belgium in Junior World Cup

Year

Venue

Stage

Score

Result

1985

Vancouver

Pool

3-1

Won

1997

Milton Keynes

Pool

4-2

Won

2009

Singapore/Johor Bahru

Classification

4-0

Won

 India lost on both occasions against Belgium after 2013 junior World Cup:

Year

Venue

Tournament

Score

Result

2015

Breda-Netherlands

Volvo Invitation  Tourney

1-3

Lost

2016

Valencia-Spain

Invitation Tourney

2-4

Lost

 Fieldhockey.com



India should feed on energy of fans says Devesh Chauhan

Sharad Deep


Devesh Chauhan was the last line of defence when India last lifted the Junior World Cup in 2001. (HT Photo)

Devesh Chauhan has been there and done that. He was goalkeeper and vice-captain of the India junior team when it won its maiden Junior World Cup in 2001. Just like it came down to saving two shots for India goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya against Australia on Friday, same was the case for Chauhan in 2001.

“India, the Netherlands and Australia were fighting for a spot in the semifinal from their group and we were in a do-or-die match against the Netherlands as Argentina had beaten Australia just before that match. We were leading 4-3 and in the last second of the game, the Dutch got a penalty corner. It was like, they qualify if they score (or) India reach the semis if we stop that PC. It all boiled down to those few heart-stopping seconds,” recalled Devesh during a chat on Saturday.

“As we got ready for the PC, Ignace Tirkey, who was standing beside me, said ‘if the hit is to the left, it will be my ball, if it is to right, you take it’. It was a powerful shot to the left that ricocheted off Ignace’s stick and fell beyond the 25-yard line and we were in the semis,” said Devesh.

The semifinal against Germany was a thriller too; India surged to a 3-0 lead in the first half but Germany fought valiantly in the second, attacked in waves and earned 10 penalty corners. Devesh and his defenders managed to keep nine out while allowing only one to get past them.

“That was the best match of my junior career. I don’t think I have played better than that ever. The final did not feel like a final as we were up 3-1 at the break and made it 6-1 within minutes of resumption,” said Devesh, who proudly carries forward the legacy of Uttar Pradesh hockey nurtured by the likes of KD Singh ‘Babu’ and Jhaman Lal Sharma.

The former India goalkeeper said that against Belgium on Sunday, the juniors will “have to continue playing like they have done so far. They will win the title if they reproduce the game they played against Australia. The crowd will be a big factor on Sunday and the boys should take its presence positively and feed on that energy,” added Devesh.

The 35-year-old from Etawah rated the players of the current squad highly and felt many of them could make it to the senior level. “I believe at least 5-6 of these boys like Harjeet, Harmanpreet, Vikas Dahiya, Varun and Mandeep have the capacity to shine at the senior level and can play at the international level for long.”

Hindustan Times



Stars who made India proud at Lucknow

s2h team



Hockey is now talk of the town. Indian junior men's team, often appearing a struggling unit except first two encounters in the pool here in Lucknow, came out of tight situations to stand tall and count.

They are in the Junior World Cup final.

They overcame self-inflicted pressure kind of which killed their quest as host last time, and also the one that came from the crowd.

Such crucible situations always bring out sparkling stars to the limelight.

We a few in Lucknow.

Yes, Mandeep Singh certainly catches everybody's eyes. When things went bad against Canada he stunned them with a tap in to give India a breather 1-0 just seconds before first session ended.

Having played in the senior side in half a dozen tournament including London Champions Trophy, he had vast experience with him.

And it told.

He got Man of the Match award, maximum one can get in the league phase.

However, his great skill and hawkish goal hunger reflected the manner he surprised the Aussies in the crucial semifinal.

An Australian defender was trying to take a overhead close to rival circle. Short but full of opportunism, Mandeep Singh raised his stick high enough to cut its flight, passed to another forward and received inside D and then struck to the right of goalie.

the 15k plus crowd was waiting for something like this cracker and he just did.

India then went on to blow the Aussies away in the shoot out.

Simranjit Singh is stoutly built, always smiling. He is actually the smiling assassin of Indian colts team.

He is tireless all rounder, and is now known for some of the sharp goals he produced in the tight matches.

Dipsan Tirkey is a solid defender.

His role in the team is exceptional. He doesn't come to press conference nor mingle with media.

In fact he likes just being there. Its for other teams to take note of him, lest their forwards will never have any leeway.

Dipsan's show came in for praise in the semifinal against strong and strategically strong Australians.

It was his sound defence, and then aggressive push ups that set many goal scoring opportunities. If the Indians get accolades now Dipsan is the unsung hero.

Vikas Dahiya went Rio, getting himself selected on merit.

He could not have overtaken PR Sreejesh, and had his chance yesterday to get his share of limelight.

Apart from his sterling show inside 70 minutes, he came out with his best in the shoot out.

He blocked two Australians strikers to take India to the dream final.

Its known to everybody who watches rise of young stars that Harjeet Singh will do well. He lived up to his expectation at Dhyan Chand Stadium, Lucknow.

He is a motivator through performance.

Hockey colts Mandeep Singh, Simranjit Singh, Dipsan Tirkey, Harjeet Singh and Vikas have promoted themselves to stardom.

Stick2Hockey.com



Spain face Netherlands for 5-6th position

Spain upset Netherlands 2-1 in a classification match to set up a clash against Argentina in the fifth-sixth place play-off on Sunday. In another classification match, Argentina spanked England 3-0 to set up a duel against the Spaniards.

In another match, New Zealand thrashed South Africa 4-1 to finish ninth in the tournament.

Malaysia, who replaced Pakistan at the last minute,finished 11th after beating Austria 2-1 in the shootout.

The Tribune



Millfield hockey players will travel to Chandigarh, India, for a tour with a difference.

The annual tour will this year take place during the Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup in Lucknow, which runs from the 8th – 18th December and features two former Millfield hockey captains on the England team, Ed Horler and Toby Reynolds-Cotterill.

During the weeklong tour, the 22 boys will play eight fixtures and be based at the Mohali International stadium, home to the Hockey India League winners, the Jaypee Punjab Warriors. When not playing, the group will visit landmarks including the Taj Mahal and take a trip to the foot of the Himalayas.

Millfield hockey has enjoyed success recently with the girls 1st XI winning the indoor nationals and ISHC, U15 girls winning the ISHC and international recognition for pupils and alumni alike.

Millfield School media release



Fathers at wheel the driving force for seven in junior hockey team

“It would be very strong, with lots of ginger. He used to boil it on high flame for a long time. The more you boil, the better it tastes. It used to keep him awake all night,” recalls Harjeet.

by Mihir Vasavda


Harmanpreet with Harjeet at the semi-final on Friday

BESIDES LEADING India to the Junior World Cup final against Belgium on Sunday and being the ever-reliable centre-half all through this tournament, Harjeet Singh has made a seemingly trivial, but significant, off-the-field contribution to this under-21 team. His strong, steaming ginger tea, brewed exactly the way his father did, is something that his coaches and teammates can’t do without when they sit to strategise at team meetings.

Harjeet grew up watching his father, Rampal, a truck driver, disappear for days. However, before he hit the highway, Rampal would head to the kitchen, with the rest of the family waiting eagerly, and come out with a tray full of steaming cups. “It would be very strong, with lots of ginger. He used to boil it on high flame for a long time. The more you boil, the better it tastes. It used to keep him awake all night,” recalls Harjeet.

Harjeet isn’t the only player in this squad whose father is a driver. There are six others with a similar back story: goalkeepers Vikas Dahiya and Krishan Bahadur Pathak, defenders Harmanpreet Singh and Varun Kumar, midfielder Sumit Kumar and forward Ajit Kumar Pandey. Their fathers may not have taught them hockey skills, but they were their driving force.

How Ajit Kumar got serious about hockey because of his father’s profession is an interesting story. Jai Prakash, Ajit’s father, was employed by a local bigwig Tej Bahadur Singh, more popularly known as ‘Bhaiyya’ in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. An ardent sports lover, ‘Bhaiyya’ started a hockey academy at a school in Ghazipur. He relaid the surface, replacing grass with artificial turf. He also provided free hockey sticks and took care of the players’ dietary needs.

At that time, Ajit Kumar was studying at the school where the academy came up, but he wasn’t keen on hockey. But a casual conversation between ‘Bhaiyya’ and Jai Prakash one day changed his destiny.

“During one of their trips, ‘Bhaiyya’ told my father that I should join the hockey academy. Next morning, I was running laps around the hockey pitch,” says the 21-year-old.

After former players Shashi Kant and Vinod Kumar, Ajit Kumar is the third from his academy to play international hockey. He isn’t the tallest on the pitch. Neither is he strongly built. But he makes slippery runs behind the back line, and has a habit of being in the right place at the right time.

He scored a goal in a similar fashion in India’s 4-0 win over Canada in the opening match, off an assist by Harmanpreet, who is fast gaining the reputation of being one of the team’s star drag-flickers and one of the hardest hitters. Even in a packed, noisy stadium, you can hear the sweet-sounding thwack every time the 21-year-old plays one of his trademark long, diagonal balls inside the opponent’s ‘D’.

Harmanpreet credits the strength in his forearms to hours of driving his father Sarabjit’s tractor. As a child, Harmanpreet remembers being fascinated by the farm vehicle that his father would rent and drive. He wasn’t daunted by its size, but the young Harmanpreet found it difficult to manipulate the gear shaft. “My father taught me how to drive the tractor, the trick of changing gears — that is the toughest part,” he says.

The old rusty gear box took a toll on his shoulders and arms initially, but as the years passed, he developed enough strength to master it. “Bas, dekhte he dekhte, dolle ban gaye. PC mein kaam aata hai kaafi (Just like that, I formed biceps. It helps a lot in penalty corners),” says Harmanpreet.

Varun Kumar, whose father Brahmanand drives a Matador 407 tempo in Punjab’s Mithapur village, has been flamboyant on the wings. He has also showed potential with his drag-flicking ability.

Goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya’s heroics helped India beat Australia in the penalty shoot-outs during Friday’s semifinal. His father, Dalbir, is a driver with a private firm in Sonepat while back-up goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak’s father, Tek Bahadur, who died earlier this year, was a crane-operator.

Like Vikas, midfielder Sumit Kumar’s father, Ramji Prasad, is also employed as a driver in Varanasi. Sumit has been a silent workhorse in the midfield, and was instrumental in setting up India’s win over Spain in the quarterfinals.

Indian Express



Black Sticks wrap Malaysia series with a win


Photo: www.photosport.nz

The Black Sticks Women have beaten Malaysia 2-1 in the fifth and final game at the TET MultiSports Centre in Stratford.

New Zealand dominated the first half with Samantha Harrison scoring a double in her 100th international.

The Kiwis continued to create chances in the second half but weren’t able to trouble the scorers again with Malaysia lighting up the board 10 minutes from fulltime.

Black Sticks assistant coach Sean Dancer said it was pleasing to close the series positively.

“We are happy to finish with a win, but needed to score a few more goals from the amount of opportunities we created.

“Malaysia defended well in the second half and we needed to execute better in a congested attacking third.

“Overall this series has been a great learning experience and development opportunity for our group. Stratford has been a great host and we would like to thank everyone for their support.”

New Zealand conclude the five test series with four wins and one narrow loss.

The Black Sticks Women vs Malaysia series is proudly supported by the Taranaki Electricity Trust (TET).

BLACK STICKS WOMEN 2: (Samantha Harrison 2)
MALAYSIA 1: (Nuraini Rashid)
Halftime: Black Sticks 3-0

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Sam Harrison brings up century in style in Black Sticks Women's win over Malaysia

CHRISTOPHER REIVE


Sam Harrison scored in her 100th match for the Black Sticks. GRANT MATTHEW/Fairfax NZ

In her 100th game for the Black Sticks, it was only fitting that Sam Harrison would star in the team's 2-1 win over Malaysia in Taranaki on Sunday.

With their 5-2 win on Saturday wrapping up the five-match series win, the New Zealand side played like a side with no pressure on them in the final contest.

The Black Sticks should have gone a goal up after six minutes when Harrison fired a pass to the back post, but Phoebe Steele failed to tap it into the open goal.

However, Harrison opened the scoring two minutes later when she knocked home a deflected save from a penalty corner.

With the series already won by the Black sticks, the Malaysian side looked to attack at every opportunity - playing like a team with nothing to lose.

While they found some room on the flanks, the Blacks Sticks were able to exploit the gaps this left in the visitors' defence and looked to press on the break a number of times.

After a strong first 15 minutes, the Black Sticks reverted to playing as individuals rather than as a team to open the second period, with a number of opportunities lost from players spending too much time on the ball in the attacking quarter.

Any momentum the Black Sticks had going into the period was seemingly squashed as the play seemed to be with Malaysia for the first eight minutes of the quarter.

However, the Black Sticks got back into gear with five minutes to go in the half and netted another one through Pippa Norman, who got the last touch on a well-worked set piece from another penalty corner.

With a halftime lead of 2-0, the New Zealand side looked to stay on the front foot coming out of the half and tried to extend the margin.

While they continued to work their way into promising positions, players passing to where there teammates should have been often were received by space, relieving the pressure on the Malaysian goal.

Despite being held scoreless in the quarter, the Black Sticks raised their intensity considerably after the halftime break and maintained the ball for the majority of the 15 minutes.

While this trend looked to continue, Malaysia earned a penalty corner on a counter attack, and Nuraini Abdul Rashid slotted it home.

It wasn't enough to spark a late comeback however, as the Black Sticks frustrated to Malaysian side into committing fouls, with cards coming out late in the game.

Harrison almost put the match beyond doubt with a final goal in the final minute but put the shot wide, with the Black Sticks taking a 2-1 win in the game and a 4-1 win for the series.

At a glance

Black Sticks Women 2 (S Harrison, P Norman)
Malaysia 1 (N Abdul Rashid). HT: 2-0

Stuff



Lalremsiami helps India win against China in U-18 Asia Cup

BANGKOK: India eves prevailed 3-2 over China in a closely contested match at the 4th Women's U18 Asia Cup here on Saturday.

India were off to a quick start as their first goal came in the 7th minute with Lalremsiami netting the ball.

She doubled her as well as team's tally with another goal just five minutes before the end of the first half.

But China came out stronger in the second half and Gu Yangyan converted a Penalty Corner in the 40th minute to bridge the deficit.

Although India held the control and the possession throughout the period, they were unable to create clear opportunities, and in the 51st minute, Yangyan once again netted the ball for China to score the equaliser via a penalty stroke.

However, India didn't let their heads drop and they continued to rally to score a goal and eventually Sangita Kumari took full advantage of a Penalty Corner that proved to be the match winner.

Speaking after the game, coach Baljeet Singh said, "It was a big game for us, and I am proud that despite losing an advantage in the second half we rallied and got the victory. It showed the strength of the players, mentally and physically."

The Times of India



Bowdon Hightown lead the women's Super 6s Championship



Bowdon Hightown started the 2016-17 Super 6s Championship Women’s Premier Division with a bang, registering two big wins in the opening round of competition in Telford.

Bowdon were in action first and they took no time to get going at the Phoenix Sport and Leisure Centre, hitting double figures against Buckingham winning 10-5.

Sally Walton was the star of the show, hitting the target four times whilst Tina Cullen netted a brace in a convincing win.

Cullen continued her fine form in Bowdon’s second game of the day, as this time she scored four in a 7-2 win over the University of Birmingham.

That leaves Bowdon top after the first two games on maximum points, the only side with two wins, and Cullen joint top scorer with six goals.

Cullen shares that accolade with Georgina Bathurst of Reading, who had a mixed day with one win and one defeat.

Bathurst hit a brace in Reading’s opening game against Sutton Coldfield that looked to have earned them a share of the spoils, only Vicky Woolford to convert a penalty corner for Sutton in added time, to give them a 4-3 victory.

Reading bounced back in style though by inflicting more misery on Buckingham. Bathurst scored four with Emma Thomas and Rebecca van Berkel hitting two apiece in a 10-2 victory, Buckingham conceding double figures in both their opening games.

The only other unbeaten side is Slough, who sit second in the table after a win and a draw.

A late Ashpal Bhogal brace earned them a point in the day’s only draw, 3-3 with East Grinstead, which they followed up with a 9-3 win over Sutton Coldfield, a game which saw hat tricks for Dilly Newton and Betsy Ommala.

Canterbury were involved in two of the day’s closest games, as Holcombe edged them out 4-3, helped by two Eleanor Watton goals.

Canterbury came from behind three times in their second game though, as Nina Steikowsky scored in the last minute to secure 6-5 against East Grinstead, with Sarah Kerly also scoring a hat trick.

Holcombe missed the chance to make it two wins from two in the final game of the day, as they went down 4-2 to the University of Birmingham, Lucie Daman scoring a brace for the winners.

* For goalscorers and full competition details, including live updates click here - https://englandhockey.altiusrt.com/competitions/26

England Hockey Board Media release



Creed helps Surbiton top the Super 6s table



FIVE goals from Brendan Creed helped Surbiton top the early Men’s Premier Division table as the Super 6s Championship made an exciting start at Bromsgrove School.

Creed’s goals – plus four from David Beckett – ensured Surbiton won both their games on Saturday having scored 17 goals and conceded just five as the action-packed competition made a great start.

In the opening match of the day they beat Bowdon 6-4, and then went on to batter Reading 11-1.

Meanwhile, East Grinstead are second in the table and also unbeaten after two good wins. Trailing Team Bath Buccaneers 3-0 at half time, they battled back to win 4-3. And then they beat Canterbury 6-2 to cap a strong opening day, with Ben Allberry being their top scorer on the day with three goals.

Wimbledon also won both their matches and lie third in the table, with Peter Millar having bagged five goals.

They opened up with an 8-6 win over Canterbury, then beat Sevenoaks 2-0 in the final match of the day.

After their earlier 4-3 loss to East Grinstead, Team Bath Buccaneers beat Loughborough by the same scoreline to ensure fourth spot in the table. Ben Mackey scored three goals on day one for them.

Reading have also bagged one win, having also beaten Loughborough 4-3, while Sevenoaks won 6-5 against Bowdon in the day’s other match.

* For full results and match details please go to https://englandhockey.altiusrt.com/competitions/27

England Hockey Board Media release



Beighton Cup hockey meet to have eight India team regulars

KOLKATA: The 121st edition of the Beighton Cup hockey tournament will see the participation of eight current Indian team players when the tournament gets underway from Monday at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex here.

The likes of S.V. Sunil, William Xalxo, Manpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Kothajit Singh, Pardeep Mor, Gagandeep Singh and Nithin Thimmaiah will be seen in action with former Olympians like Deepak Thakur, Devesh Chauhan and Prabhjot Singh among others.

The teams will be divided into four groups of three each. The top teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

The organisers are trying to bring India captain P.R. Sreejesh as a guest. The winners will be richer by Rs.3 lakhs while the runners-up purse is Rs.1 lakh.

The Times of India



Patience Hill Govt A takes Paradise Hockey Primary Schools title


CONGRATULATIONS! Patience Government Primary A team won the primary schools division on the opening day of the 20th annual Paradise Hockey club tournament at the Scarborough Secondary School Auditorium at Old Farm Road, Shaw Park, Tobago earlier on Thursday. From left:Joshua Melville. Leon Lewis, Lana Stewart (teacher), Kayla Benn, Shermani George and Dwayne Millington. Photo courtesy CLAYTON CLARKE/Sportscore Tobago)

Patience Government Primary A team won the primary schools division on the opening day of the 20th annual Paradise Hockey club tournament at the Scarborough Secondary School Auditorium at Old Farm Road, Shaw Park, Tobago on Thursday.

The A team played unbeaten winning all four matches and scored a maximum of 12 points to collect the Champion trophy. The winners beat Whim Anglican 3-0 in the opening match behind Joshua Melville’s two goalss. Melville then netted all four goals in his side’s tough 4-3 win over arch-rival Scarborough Roman Catholic (RC).

Patience Hill Govt A then edged Patience Hill Government B 1-0 before whipping Whim Anglican 4-0. Melville later won the Most Goals award for his tally of six.

Scarborough RC finished runners up with seven points following wins over Patience Hill Govt B (4-0) and Whim Anglican (1-0) and a 1-1 draw with Whim Anglican. Brendon Allum led the scoring for Scarborough RC with four goals and was later named Most Valuable

Player of the tournament. His school mate J’Lisa Alexander netted three goals and took home the Most Valuable Player in the girls’ competition. Another Scarborough RC player Justine Antoine was adjudged the Best Defender.

The Trinidad Guardian

Fieldhockey.com uses cookies to assist with navigating between pages. Please leave the site if you disagree with this policy.
Copyright remains with the credited source or author