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News for 15 April 2017

All the news for Saturday 15 August 2017


Racing, Polo, Dragons and Rot-Weiss soar into KO8

Euro Hockey League – KO16; HC Oranje-Rood, April 14-17 2017, Eindhoven



Racing Club de France, Real Club de Polo, KHC Dragons and Rot-Weiss Köln all advanced to the KO8 following four breathless ties in Eindhoven with four different nationalities confirmed for the next phase of the world’s best club competition.
 
Racing reached the KO8 for the first time courtesy of a perfect shoot-out performance, scoring three times and conceding none against Banbridge. They rode their luck for much of the game as goalkeeper Corentin Saunier produced save after save.
 
Christophe Peters-Deutz opened the scoring with a powerful corner before the Irish side pushed forward and got level via Matthew Allister from Jonny McKee’s pass in the last ten minutes. It led to a shoot-out where the French champions reigned supreme.
 
Real Club de Polo had a far simpler route through as they best WKS Grunwald Poznan 6-0. David Alegre got them off to the perfect start in the first minute when he guided in a miscued Alex Casasayas shot for 1-0.
 
Casasayas then scored two in quick succession early in the second half to make the game safe before completing his hat-trick from a Lucas Vila pass. Alegre added his second while Alex Reyne also weighed in on the act in the comprehensive win.
 
Game three saws Dragons continue their hoodoo over Racing Club de Bruxelles in the Belgian derby, shading their battle 2-1. Thomas Verheijen scored a great opening goal to give the Antwerp side a strong start in the 13th minute but, despite plenty of possession and shots, it remained that way until late in the game before Thomas Briels made it 2-0.
 
Jérôme Truyens got one back with an exquisite backhand shot from the left side of the circle with five minutes to go. But Dragons secured the win when Loic van Doren managed to get his face mark to Tom Boon’s thunderous shot to preserve the lead.
 
It means Dragons with play Racing Club de France for a place in the KO8 on Sunday (12.15 CET) and they will be favourites to potentially earn a place in the FINAL4 on home territory.
 
The final game of the day was a Dutch-German classic as Rot-Weiss got revenge over SV Kampong, the reigning champions, who beat them 5-1 last year in the KO8.
 
After an end-to-end first half, the Rot-Weiss broke the game apart when Mats Grambusch finished off a flowing team move, touching in after an exquisite pass from Christopher Rühr and a gorgeous under the arm pass from Marco Miltkau.
 
Jonas Gomoll added the second with a sharp rebound from Rühr’s first up shot for 2-0. Kampong bounced back in the closing stages and got a goal back via Quirijn Caspers’ deflection. They had numerous corners with Martijn Havenga denied by Matthias Müller’s amazing reactions on the left post to preserve the lead and the ticket to the KO8.
 
They will play Real Club de Polo on Sunday (14.30 CET) with a place at the FINAL4 in the balance.
 
Saturday sees the second day of KO16 action with eight more teams looking to secure their place in the next round in front of a sold out audience.
 
Spanish side Atlètic Terrassa face a Lisnagarvey side looking to reach the KO8 for the first time in Irish hockey history (10.30 CET). English champions Wimbledon take on UHC Hamburg, the competition’s most decorated side in game two at 12.45.
 
Game three features the feature match as host club HC Oranje-Rood meet AH&BC Amsterdam at 15.00 in a repeat of last year’s Dutch Hoofdklasse final. The final game on the pitch is Mannheimer HC meeting Club Egara at 17.15.
 
EHL 2016-2017 KO16 and KO8 match schedule 14-17 April 2017 at HC Oranje-Rood, Eindhoven (NED)

Friday 14 April
M1: Banbridge HC 1 (M Allister) Racing Club de France 1 C Peters-Deutz), Racing win 3-0 on shoot-out
M2: WKS Grunwald Poznan 0 Real Club de Polo 6 (A Casasayas 3, D Alegre 2, A Reyne)
M3: KHC Dragons 2 (T Verheijen, T Briels) Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles 1 (J Truyens)
M4: SV Kampong 1 (Q Caspers) KHTC Rot-Weiss Koln 2 (M Grambusch, J Gomoll)

Saturday 15 April
M5 10.30h Atletic Terrassa vs Lisnagarvey HC
M6 12.45h Wimbledon vs UHC Hamburg
M7 15.00h HC Oranje-Rood vs AHBC Amsterdam
M8 17.15h Mannheimer HC vs Club Egara

Sunday 16 April
M9 12.15h KHC Dragons vs Racing Club de France
M10 14.30h Real Club de Polo vs KHTC Rot-Weiss Köln

Monday 17 April
M11 13.15h winner M6 vs winner M8
M12 15.30h winner M7 vs winner M5

Event website: http://ehlhockey.tv/
Match schedule: http://ehlhockey.tv/season/20162017/
 
Social media
Twitter: @ehlhockeytv
Facebook: Euro Hockey League
Instagram: ehlhockeytv
Hashtags: #EHL #KO16
 
Live stream: http://ehlhockey.tv/
Tickets: http://ehlhockey.tv/tickets/

Euro Hockey League media release



Racing produce perfect shoot-out to beat Banbridge



Racing Club de France produced the perfect shoot-out to beat Banbridge and reach the KO8 for the first time, scoring all three of theirs efforts while Bann missed their three.

The only goal of the first half came in the 26th minute as Christophe Peters-Deutz fired home Racing’s first penalty corner, beating teenage goalkeeper Luke Roleston down his left side.

Otherwise, Banbridge had made most of the play but saw three straight drag-flicks saved by Corentin Saunier and then another chance was cleared off the line from a Magee drag-flick on the switch.

The Irish side had another big chance in the second half when a right wing cross skipped through a couple of sticks at close range with Magee just unable to get onto Dane Ward’s touch while Jonny McKee’s flick at goal also went just wide as Racing held on to their narrow lead.

The equaliser did come with 11 minutes to go as Bann worked an opening down the right wing which Jonny McKee pulled back into the path of Matthew Allister who pushed home from mid-circle.

They continued to make most of the play in the closing 10 minutes with Saunier saving well. That was until Kyle Marshall was shown a yellow card with three minutes left as the tie closed out in a draw and the shoot-out.

Euro Hockey League media release



Casasayas and Polo hits Grunwald for six



Real Club de Polo eased into the KO8 with a comprehensive 6-0 win over WKS Grunwald Poznan with Alex Casasayas scoring a hat trick in the victory.

David Alegre got the Barcelona side firing straight away with a tip in from close range from a slightly miscued Casasayas shot. That was the only goal of the first half as the Polish champions enjoyed a better second quarter, creating a couple of good chances.

But two goals within a minute in the second half with Casasayas tapping in at the back post. He then smashed in on the reverse to build a 3-0 lead. Lucas Vilas was the inspiration for the fourth goal that well and truly killed off the tie, beating a series of players before flicking to the right post where Casasayas finished the job.

Alegre netted the fifth goal courtesy of a huge deflection and Alex Reyne added yet another in the closing stages for 6-0.

Euro Hockey League media release



Dragons breathe fire to defeat Racing for KO8 place



KHC Dragons continued their hoodoo over Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles as they prevailed 2-1 in the Belgian derby, setting up a KO8 date with Racing Club de France

In the early stages, Dragons made the early running with Jeremy Gucassoff doing well to keep out an early corner drag-flick, before Thomas Verheijen opened the scoring in the 13th minute, touching in at the back post after a swift attack down the left wing.

From there, Dragons held huge portions of the play through the second and third quarters, drawing Gucassoff into plenty of fine saves as the Antwerp side were unable to move further clear.

It took until seven minutes from the end before they looked to have made the game safe via a lovely attack via Florent van Aubel and Henri Raes to cross for Briels to finish off.

Jerome Truyens got one back almost instantly with a brilliant, low reverse from the left hand side of the circle to get Racing back in the tie and they proceeded to have lots of chances in the closing few minutes with Tom Boon going close a number of times.

The pick of the moments was when Boon smashed one at Loic van Doren but the goalkeeper's face mask dramatically kept out the chance and Dragons held on to set up a KO8 date which, if they win, could pave the way for a home hosting at the FINAL4.

Euro Hockey League media release



Hampstead and Westminster plan to shake things up


Hampstead and Westminster's Matt Botha. Credit Simon Parker.

'We are really looking forwards to it.’ There is a note of relish in the voice of player/coach Kwan Browne as he contemplates a meeting with Wimbledon at the Men’s Hockey League Finals Weekend.

‘We have a good squad,’ says Browne. ‘We have used 26 players this season and the quality doesn’t drop when we have players away on international duty or injured, so that is pretty good.’

For Browne the flexibility and adaptability of the players is very important as it allows him to keep rotating the players regularly and thereby keeps the opposition guessing. ‘We will play with a high tempo and a high energy throughout the weekend,’ warns Browne, who has just returned form international duty with Trinidad and Tobago in the HWL Round Two event in Tacarigua.

The talented pool of players also gives Hampstead and Westminster many attacking options. ‘Because of our big squad, we have five guys who are good at penalty corners, so that gives us multiple options, which at this level is pretty important.’

So what about Wimbledon? In the league, Hampstead and Westminster have drawn and lost to the league leaders this season. Past results are immaterial to what will happen at Lee Valley, says Browne. Those experiences are put to better use as a means of preparing for the next encounter.  The team has watched videos and discussed all possible scenarios. ‘We are pretty comfortable with the thought of playing them,’ he says. ‘All our preparation is about how we will deal with issues we have had with them in previous encounters.’

A common assessment of Hampstead and Westminster is that they are unpredictable. Browne smiles. ’I like that other teams see us as unpredictable. Tactically we feel really good about ourselves. What I love about our players is that they are strong in different positions and we have a good line-up of strikers who all play differently, which makes it difficult for the opposition.’

Browne offers a brief assessment of the other three contenders. ‘Wimbledon have won the championship two times in a row and they will have been playing at a very high level at the EHL, just the previous week so they will be playing off the back of that. They had the experience and they have a good squad of players who know how to win. Simon Mantell has had a very good season with them.’

‘Holcombe have a good ‘keeper and good scorers. They too have played in the EHL, where they didn’t do so well, but they have a squad that can deal with pressure.

‘Surbiton are a different team from the other two. They have a lot more youth in the squad and they are a bit more direct when they play. They may not have the experience to hold onto the ball and dominate the play but they can score at any time and that makes them dangerous.’

Whatever the results for Hampstead and Westminster at Finals weekend, there is one guarantee – there will not be a dull moment when Browne’s team takes to the pitch.

England Hockey Board Media release



U-21 USWNT Earns Draw Against England in Second Test Match



BISHAM, England - The U.S. U-21 Women's National Team earned a 1-1 draw in the second day of competition against England. Team USA demonstrated considerable growth from their game one performance.

“We made valuable progress today," commented Phil Edwards, U-21 USWNT Head Coach. "We improved from our first performance. It was pleasing to create more opportunity going forward. We scored a well-executed penalty corner.”

England dominated ball possession in the early minutes of play. Yet, a determined USA defensive unit nullified and limited their opponent to few scoring chances. The U-21 USWNT’s defensive resilience catalyzed their attacking connection, and infused by the energy of midfielders and strikers combining forward, the USA created multiple scoring opportunities.

Ryan McCarthy (Madison, N.J.) opened the scoring for the USA in the 23rd minute on a brilliantly executed penalty corner left-side tip. England quickly responded earning a string of three penalty corners, all of which were calmly denied by Team USA.

The game remained a midfield contest in the second half, as tenacious play by McCarthy and Virginia Bramley (Elizabethtown, Pa.) created substantial opportunity for the USA. However, England equalized midway through the third on a quick counter attack goal.

Teams traded chances during the fourth period, yet neither were able to convert. At the end of regulation, the score remained tied at 1-1. The U-21 USWNT followed up on their shootout performance from yesterday, earning another shutout, this time behind a spectacular performance from Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas). Poised finishing from Nicole Woods (Beverly, Mass..) and Casey Umstead (Green Lane, Pa.,) led to a 2-0 USA victory.

Though pleased with his team’s improved performance, Edwards added, “It’s another line in the sand. There is still plenty of room for growth.”

Tomorrow is a well-deserved rest day before the U.S. U-21 Women's National Team meets England again on Sunday, April 16, an endeavor to draw another ‘line in the sand.’

USFHA media release



U-17 USWNT Notches Second Win Over Ireland's U-16 Team



DUBLIN, Ireland - At St. Andrew's School in Dublin, Ireland, the U.S. U-17 Women's National Team notched their second win over the tour against Ireland's U-16 Team with a 3-0 victory. Team USA was able to make great strides from the firs game and built on some key concepts as they showed dominance throughout the match with their possession and defensive organization.

The speed and intensity was high throughout and helped give a consistent performance from start to finish as the U-17 USWNT held strong for their second shut out in two games while building on their attacking output.

Margot Lawn (Pasadena, Md.) was able to find the back of the goal twice, one in each half. Her second goal was a quick one-time after some great individual skill from Charlotte DeVries (Wayne, Pa.) which sealed the score line for Team USA as they went up 3-0.

The second goal of the match came from the stick of Paityn Wirth (Thompsontown, Pa.)  as she capitalized off some great speed on the end line from Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach, Va.).

Limiting Ireland this game in shots and corners, USA played solid defense across the board and was able to really dictate the play from start to finish.   

Team USA controlled the possession with a huge effort from the central midfielders. Riley Fulmer (Chapel Hill, N.C.) and Maddie Zimmer (Hershey, Pa.) were able to generate some great attack and solidify the pressing side of things while Brynn Zorrilla (Vista, Calif.), vice-captain Abby Pitcairn (Aspinwall, Pa.) and Samantha Davidson (North Andover, Mass.) established a good platform for the passing game and defensive set up.  

Overall, the U-17 USWNT improved in performance from the first game as the team now has a rest day tomorrow and will get to do some sightseeing of the Irish country side. Match three will take place on Easter, Sunday, April 16 at St. Gerard’s School at 3 p.m. local time. Team USA has won the series with two wins but will look for the sweep in the last match. 


U-17 USWNT at Sandycove in Dublin, Ireland, a popular seaside resort.

USFHA media release



Ortega to Join USA Field Hockey as Sports Development Coordinator



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Field Hockey welcomes Jenna Ortega to its Sport Development Department where she’ll play an important role in the team’s Grow the Game programs and initiatives. As the Sports Development Coordinator, Ortega will manage USA Field Hockey’s FUNdamental Field Hockey Grant Program, support Coach Education and will work to fuel growth of the game across the country.

“Jenna’s experience as a player, school and club coach, teacher, and program developer will enable her to jump right in to stimulate growth, supporting new and developing programs," said Sally Goggin, USA Field Hockey's Sport Development Director. "I’m thrilled to have her join our team.”

Ortega is passionate about field hockey and growing the game, having played both field hockey and lacrosse at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) in Delaware, Ohio. Her sports experience includes three years as OWU’s NCAA Student-Athlete Representative and two years as the varsity head coach of a new high school program in Illinois. Ortega has been a club field hockey coach for several years and participated as a coach in her first National Indoor Tournament in 2017.

“I have participated as both a player and a coach of new and developing programs, and I understand the importance of sport development," said Ortega, looking forward to her new role. "I am excited to share my passion for the game as a member of the USA Field Hockey family.”

USFHA media release



One down, one more to go as UniKL try to achieve two-win target


One-on-one: MBPJ’s Ahmad Hariz Syazani Ezani (front) vying for the ball with BJSS Juniors’ Mohd Shaqir Nordin during their Malaysian Junior Hockey League match at the Petaling Jaya Hockey Stadium yesterday. MBPJ won 7-1. — GLENN GUAN / The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) had one target this week – win both their Division One matches in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League.

Well, they’ve achieved part of it after defeating Olak-Nurinsafi 2-1 at the Panda­maran Stadium in Klang yesterday.

Next up for them is a slightly tougher hurdle as they will come up against overall defending champion BJSS Thunderbolt tomorrow.

But victory yesterday did not come easy for former champions UniKL as Olak took a 39th-minute lead through Mohd Nizam Adha Mohd Nasir (penalty corner).

UniKL turned the match around with two goals in three minutes.

Skipper Mohd Chairil Daniel Rusli got the equaliser off a penalty corner set piece in the 51st minute before Shamsul Aliff Shamsul Husni sealed victory with a field attempt in the 54th minute.

UniKL have nine points from four matches while Olak have just one point from two games.

UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj was happy with his team’s commitment, especially in the way the fought back from being 1-0 down.

“The boys showed resilience ... coming back from a goal down to win. We dominated the match and created many chances, but our finishing is still not up to the mark,” said Arulselvaraj.

“In the end, it’s the three points that matter. We need to focus on the match against BJSS Thunderbolt on Sunday.”

Olak team manager Joseph de Silva blamed poor umpiring for his team’s loss.

“I think we deserved to get something out of the game. Some decisions went against us and that was a bit unfair,” he said.

The Star of Malaysia



India say no to hockey with Pak, pull out of Johor Cup again

India have again said no to hockey in Malaysia because Hockey India (HI) does not wish the Indian team to play Pakistan, mainly due to the bad behaviour of Pakistani players at the 2014 Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar.

Thus, for the second successive year, India won’t take part in the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, citing Pakistan’s presence in the October 22-29 invitational tournament. India had won the tournament in 2013 and 2014, and finished runners-up in 2015.

HI stuck to its stand of not playing Pakistan in a non-International Hockey Federation (FIH) event until Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) tendered an unconditional apology for its players’ disgraceful behaviour in Bhubaneswar in 2014.

No obligation

Since Sultan of Johor Cup, an Under-21 competition, is an invitational tournament and is not organised under the aegis of FIH or any continental body, HI was under no obligation to send its team to the week-long event.

“By not fielding the Indian team at the Sultan of Johor Cup, we have stood our ground to not take part in any series against Pakistan until they submit an unconditional apology for what happened in 2014,” HI spokesperson RP Singh said.

HI says it and the players have moved on from the controversial incident during the Champions Trophy, when Pakistani players had made obscene gestures towards the crowd after their 4-3 semifinal win over India. HI says it was the recent allegations by PHF ahead of the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow that resulted in India pulling out of the Sultan of Johor Cup.

PHF allegations

PHF had alleged that India didn’t want Pakistan to participate in the Junior World Cup. In fact, PHF had rejected FIH’s contention that Pakistan were excluded from the tournament because FIH had not received the travel documents of Pakistani players by the deadline.

Today, HI again stated that it was PHF which had failed to adhere to the deadlines for the submission of its players’ visas applications. India’s Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines necessitate that the citizens of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sudan and stateless persons must submit their visa applications 60 days prior to a tournament to avoid rejection.

“We had not brought up the bad behaviour on the part of Pakistan during the Champions Trophy for a very long time,” Singh said today. Singh said that it was PHF which again levelled baseless allegations against HI to “hide their own incompetency”. “It’s about time PHF takes responsibility for its incapability,” Singh added.

The Tribune



Indian hockey team to skip Sultan of Johor Cup due to Pakistan presence

NEW DELHI: The Indian men's hockey team will not take part in the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia for the second year in a row, citing the presence of Pakistan in the event to be held in October.

Hockey India said since Sultan of Johor Cup is an invitational tournament it would continue its stand of not taking part in any series against Pakistan until it tenders an unconditional apology for the 2014 Champions Trophy controversy.

Sultan of Johor Cup is an Under-21 tournament and India won the title in 2015. It is not a global event held under the aegis of world governing body FIH or any continental body.

In January, HI announced its decision not to play any tournament against Pakistan until they submit an unconditional written apology for lewd and unprofessional behaviour of the Pakistan team during the FIH Champions Trophy in India in 2014.

The matter did not end there. Ahead of the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) alleged that India did not want Pakistan to take part in the tournament. India had outrightly rejected the claim. Eventually, Pakistan did not take part in the Junior World Cup.

"Though Hockey India and its players had let go of the hurtful incident in 2014, it was the recent allegations by PHF (during the Junior World Cup) that has resulted in India pulling out of this tournament.

"By not fielding the Indian team at the Sultan of Johor Cup, we have stood our ground to not take part in any series against Pakistan until they submit an unconditional apology for what happened in 2014," said Hockey India spokesperson RP Singh.

"Since the Sultan of Johor Cup is not a mandatory tournament, Hockey India has decided that it will withdraw from the tournament. We had not brought up the bad behaviour on part of Pakistan during the FIH Champions Trophy in 2014 for a very long time.

"It is actually PHF who bring it up again and levy baseless allegations against Hockey India to hide their own incompetency. It is about time PHF takes responsibility for it's incapability," he added.

The Times of India



7th Junior National Hockey C'ship-Hockey Bihar crush Hockey Andaman & Nicobar 26-0

Hockey Bihar crushed Hockey Andaman & Nicobar 26-0 in their opening Pool E encounter of Hockey India?s 7th Junior National Hockey Championship (Men)

Hockey Bihar crushed Hockey Andaman & Nicobar 26-0 in their opening Pool E encounter of Hockey India?s 7th Junior National Hockey Championship (Men) ?B? Division at the Aisbagh Stadium on Friday.

Hockey Bihar started the scoring early with Anwarullah Shah striking the first in the third minute. Shah went on to score five times in the game (3?, 10?, 39?, 50?, 67?) and was ably assisted by his captain Md. Sidik, who scored six goals (19?, 23?, 29?, 51?, 55?, 57?).

In the other game, Kerala Hockey outlasted Hockey Mizoram 2-1 in a closely fought Pool A encounter. Hockey Mizoram struck first with a 19th minute field goal from Lallawmkima.

Just before half time,though Kerala got an equaliser courtesy of an M Abhijith PC conversion. Both the teams were evenly matched in the second half, with neither able to break the deadlock.

It took till the 57th minute for Kerala to sneak the winner, Christo Sebastian scoring off a PC to give them the victory.

Hockey Patiala beat Tripura Hockey 18-0 in their Pool F encounter. Patiala?s Rahul (13?, 36?, 53?), Baljeet Singh (50?, 60?), Gurshahzad Singh (8?, 43?) and Sandeep Kumar (4?, 51?) were prominent among the scorers.

In another high-scoring encounter, Services Sports Control Board got the better of Telangana Hockey 12-2. Kuldeep?s five goals (24', 32', 33', 56', 64?) and H Mani Singh?s three (3?, 18?, 21?) gave SSCB the emphatic win.

DNA



India's hockey is like its traffic: Floris Bovelander

Rutvick Mehta



Dutch hockey great Floris Bovelander tells Rutvick Mehta that with addition of solidity in defence to its unstructured & free-flowing hockey, India can be new standard of world hockey and can win medal at 2020 Tokyo Games. Excerpts from an exclusive interview

You've seen Indian hockey from close quarters over the past few years. How do you assess the growth of the men's national team over the last couple of years? The team won a historic Champions Trophy silver but had a below par outing in the 2016 Rio Olympics...

I think India has developed. I was really impressed with what I saw from them at the Olympics. They were a bit unlucky. I was always told, 'there is no luck in sport'. But I do believe India were unlucky at the Olympics. Almost every game, they conceded a goal in the final 10 seconds or so, which made them finish the league stage lower than what they should have.

Roelant (Oltmans) was in charge of the team at the Olympics. It's not only Roelant, but the whole structure before Roelant that needs to be credited. There have been many other influences, like the Hockey India League. It all added to a better standard of hockey in India. I think India have developed more as a solid team. They used to have 20 very good minutes, or may 60 very good minutes, and then 10 equally bad minutes. Now they're more solid, so they don't have the bad minutes. And even if they do have the bad minutes, they can cope with it, as we've seen over the past year.

The good minutes taking over the bad was one trait that was key to the junior Indian team lifting the World Cup last year. To have youngsters who are champions must be a good sign for Indian hockey, isn't it?

I was mighty impressed with the U-21 team that won the Junior World Cup (JWC). I saw a couple of their matches on television, I saw one live. It's really great to see the passion and power of those Indian players. I really think that India can be the new standard of world hockey, and I'm not saying it just because I have projects here in India. The standard of hockey where you not only have a solid defence, as Roelant and some international coaches before have taught them, but you still have the Indian spirit.

It's like the traffic here in India. It's sometimes chaotic, there's hardly any structure. But Indians do understand structure. So, when you have that structure-less hockey where you just go with the flow, and if you add a solid defence to that, you're very good. I'm seeing that with the Indian teams now, and that is the biggest benefit of Indian hockey.

Talking of chaos, a lot of foreign coaches in India have been hired and fired in a jiffy in the past. But Oltmans has now been given a contract till the 2020 Games. Do you think him being in charge of the team for four years can prove to be the trick for Indian hockey?

Well, I don't know. Maybe someone else can do better (laughs). But Roelant, I believe, has already done a really good job with Indian hockey. He managed to deal with all the influence in India, because things don't work here in European style or the Australian style. India have had their problems, and Roelant managed to do all the political work and get everything done right. Now, if the players are still happy with him and his style of coaching, to have him for four more years is great.

I also feel that sometimes, a new coach can bring something different and fresh to a team. But having stability is the main thing in Indian hockey. Why Indian hockey has lost out, and also Pakistan hockey, is due to lack of stability. It was one of the main reasons why hockey was out of the picture for a long time in India. You need stability in program, you need stability in processing, you need stability in coaching, you need stability in players, not too much politics. Just focus on one team, one program, and then you can become a better team.

That program now seems to be centered around the youth, with Oltmans blooding in 11 boys of that JWC-winning team into the senior camp and leaving out a few big names that have been part of the senior squad for a long time. Is that a reflection of the hope of Indian hockey for the future, or the failure of its past?

I think it's very good to have youngsters in the team. But to be honest, you always need your best players, even if they're older. You need experience on the park. It doesn't matter if you're old or young, you need your most talented players playing for you every single time. I don't think that some older players should leave just because they're old. You go when it's time for you to go, and you know it. That's the rule in The Netherlands. It's all about having the right spirit in the team, and that's where the U-21 team stood out. They could play good hockey because of the good spirit in their team. Hopefully, they can bring this positive vibe into the senior team as well.

You said luck didn't favour India in the 2016 Olympics. If it does, and with this fresh bunch of WC-winning juniors in the team, do you believe India can be a contender for a podium finish at the 2020 Games?

If you are the world champion U-21 team, in four years, a lot of the senior team players will be 25, in general. Thus, the same JWC-winning junior team can be on show four years from now, and that is really positive for Indian hockey. If they keep developing, I don't see any reason why they cannot do well at the 2020 Games. In Roelant, I know that he will be working hard to make India the Olympic champions in 2020. I know the Germans had a program where they wanted to become Rio champions, I know the Australians had a program and as well as the Belgians and the English. So, India is not the only country that has a good program, and as the Rio Olympics showed, it's not enough just to have a good program. Maybe Argentina will win again (laughs).

Look, the gap between the top countries and India is really small. You never know who's actually at the top. You see the Olympics, nobody expected Argentina to be champions. But if India continue to keep developing with these U-21 players, they will be a team that can reach the podium. I don't see one country that can surely claim to be at the top of world hockey right now. But India is definitely one of the teams we count on.

Let's talk about your work in India now with Tata Hockey Academy in Jharkhand, which you have co-partnered. This initiative targets kids majorly in tribal areas. How important is it in hockey to identify talent as early as possible, and from pockets in the country where one wouldn't generally venture?

It's very important that children develop their skills. At the age of 8-12, you develop and fine-tune those hockey skills. So, if you have them at an early age, that's very important. One other very important part in that is that if you're good at hockey skills, we need to develop it as soon as possible on artificial pitches. Because playing on artificial pitches if different, and the sooner they play on artificial pitches, the better it is. Jharkhand has a couple of artificial pitches now where children can play. It's no big deal if they play on grass or mud pitches, you can learn skills there as well. But there's a certain moment between (age) 12 and 14 where you need to go into artificial pitches. If you want to have international level players, and you start playing them on artificial pitches from 17, 18, 19, it might be late. So, the earlier the better.

Is it something that you believe still ails Indian hockey: the process of identifying extraordinary talent at a really young age and taking care of them from then on?

The spotting of the talent is always there. But I believe there can be some more development there, because India is so big and you have loads of talented players across the country. I think Jharkhand is three times as big as The Netherlands. And we're at the top of the world. So, Jharkhand can also be at the top of the world purely on the basis of numbers. Back in The Netherlands, we have about 1,000 artificial pitches. In Jharkhand, we have two now, or maybe three. So yes, if you want to increase hockey, you have to develop all that. It's just that India is so big, you can develop hockey in so many areas. Of course, in the end, you'll have only 16-18 players in the national team.

So to sum it up, I think that talent is spotted here, but quality of coaches all over India needs to be looked at. Hockey India has been doing a good job, but they cannot do it alone. I cannot do it alone, the SAI (Sports Authority of India) cannot do it alone. To have more players at the higher level, the coaching and infrastructure needs to develop more.

KNOW FLORIS

Full name: Floris Jan Bovelander
Born: January 19, 1966
Played for: The Netherlands
Position: Dragflicker
Matches: 241
Goals: 216
Olympics: 3 (1988, 1992, 1996)
Was part of the Dutch team that won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and bronze at the 1988 Seoul Olympics

DNA



England Hockey Awards 2017 nominees announced


EH Awards Dinner

On the evening of Saturday 20th May, at the Athena in Leicester, hockey lovers from all over the country will gather at the England Hockey Awards Dinner to celebrate the achievements of volunteers, umpires, coaches and players over the past year.

The quality of the nominees in each of the categories was once again exceptionally high, making for some tough decisions for the England Hockey selection panel.  We are, however, delighted to now announce the following shortlist.

Innovation

Beeston Hockey Club
Bromsgrove Hockey Club
Holcombe Hockey Club
Scarborough Hockey Club

Umpire of the Year

Hannah Harrison
Joy Elliott-Bowman
Matt Harrison

Hockey Maker of the Year

Katie Bent
Angela Mance
Karen Stevenson

Rising Star

Kyle Beckett
Tom Gardner
Tom Ling

Coach of the Year

Gareth Ikin
Danny Kerry
Gareth Weaver-Tyler
James Cunliffe
Rob Turner
Jessica Jecketts
Kevin Johnson

Team of the Year- Men's

Boots 1st XI
Durham University 1st XI
Leeds Adel 4th XI
Liverpool Sefton 1st XI
London Royals 1st XI
Loughborough Town 2nd XI
Wilmslow 1st XI
Wimbledon 1st XI
Holcombe 1st XI
Indian Gymkhana Grand Masters (Over 60s)
Sevenoaks 1st XI

Team of the Year- Women’s

Vikings Ladies A
Garstang 2nd XI
Liverpool Sefton 4th XI
Newent 1st XI
Pendle Forest 1st XI
Thirsk 1st XI
Camberley & Farnborough 1st XI
Bournemouth 3rd XI
Buxton 1st XI
Wimbledon 1st XI
London Academicals 1st XI

Notts Sport Club of the Year

Wapping Hockey Club
Blackheath & Old Elthamians Hockey Club
Caradon Hockey Club
PHC Chiswick Hockey Club
Harleston Magpies Hockey Club
New Forest Hockey Club
Amersham & Chalfont Hockey Club
Holcombe Hockey Club
Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club
Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club

Unsung Hero

Frances Loffler-Thompson
Sarah Watts
Philippa Leguen de Lacroix
Liz Moss
Jon Rye
Ali Gardner
Alexandra Smart
Matt Wilde
Charlotte Hallworth

In addition to those categories shown, awards will also be presented in the performance coach and performance player categories.

JOIN US ON THE NIGHT

For a table of 10 it will cost £420 and for an individual ticket it is £45. To reserve your ticket(s), please complete the Ticket Booking Form and return it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. For more information on ticket for the night please see our ticket page.

Staying Over and travel

There are numerous local hotels available and the Athena is easily accessible by road and rail.  For more information on the hotel locations and discounts available, as well as travel information please download our information document here.

For further information, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

England Hockey Board Media release



Grove Menzieshill announced EHF European Small Club of the Year



The European Hockey Federation (EHF) has announced Grove Menzieshill HC as the EHF European Club of the Year 2016 for small clubs.

It is a massive achievement for the club as it continues to progress and create more opportunities for people to play hockey.

Grove Menzieshill HC is a small but proud family hockey club, with strong ties to its community. In 2014, the appointment of a Youth Development Officer was instrumental in delivering new development initiatives for the club. The creation of a Youth Ambassador programme is a key component in their success, as they are actively engaging the next generation to promote hockey and grow club membership. Grove Menzieshill HC has also made it a priority to educate and develop their officials and umpires.

After working in partnership with Scottish Hockey’s Development Team to submit their nomination, the EHF considered their candidacy as reflective of its mission to value and recognise strong, well-organised clubs across Europe.

They are the second Scottish club to win the award, and with two Scottish wins in two years this back-to-back success shows the growing achievements of hockey clubs in Scotland.

In Scottish Hockey’s accreditation programme Grove Menzieshill has gained silver accreditation, which insures clubs are safe, well organised and efficient with a focus on membership growth and retention.

Grove Menzieshill is also a recipient of sportscotland’s Direct Club Investment (DCI), which supports the development of world class club sport. Direct club investment is unique as it offers investment to support club development over a period of 2-4 years, giving the club time to embed significant developmental change.



A spokesperson from Grove Menzieshill said:

"Grove Menzieshill Hockey Club is a club that prides itself on having close ties to the local community. The club regularly deals with local schools and businesses as well as enjoying involvement with community activities. To be recognised in this way by two different governing bodies is fantastic, showing that not only are we the top club locally, but our efforts are being noticed at a European level too.

“This award demonstrates that the club is going in the right direction. As a member of Forthill Community Sports Hub we are actively pursuing this community involvement.  The next step for the club is to develop our own facilities and we will be seeking partners to support this project. It is only through investment in the sport that we can offer hockey opportunities to all players, coaches and officials at all ages and levels.

“Our targets are to have all our teams playing at the highest level possible, to continue to grow our community programmes, to produce talented players for recognition at district and Scottish level, and maintain our successful in-schools programme. We have a core group of volunteers who have bought into a strong club vision and have been committed to achieving our ambitions.

“The club is delighted to receive this award, as it recognises the value of those volunteers’ work, time and efforts to generate success. A huge thank you must go to Sport Scotland and Leisure & Culture Dundee, but especially to all of our volunteers and members, it is their efforts that continue to make Grove Menzieshill Hockey Club a great club to be part of.”

David Sweetman, CEO of Scottish Hockey, said: “I’d like to offer my congratulations to Grove Menzieshill on this success, it’s great to see the club recognised for the hard work it has done. Strong clubs are vital to the strength and growth of the sport; we want them to be strong, vibrant organisations in order to attract and retain members. We hope this award will inspire all our member clubs across Scotland.”

Photos: Duncan Gray & Mark Pugh

Scottish Hockey Union media release



New DE Turf complex a big winner for area hockey teams

by Tim Mastro


Delaware Shore Lighthouse’s Emma Sekscinski brings the ball down field against Coyotes Sante Fe during U14 field hockey action on the first day at De Turf on Friday.

FREDERICA — The Delaware Shore field hockey team is used to traveling up and down the East Coast for showcase tournaments.

But this weekend is different.

Delaware Shore Field Hockey is at a tournament in its home state.

It is just one of 84 teams participating in the inaugural tournament at the Delaware Turf Sports Complex this weekend. The showcase tournament, known as the Shooting Star Easter Tournament, began with pool play on Friday and continues today.

The new turf complex in Frederica fills a need for local field hockey clubs who typically had to travel to Richmond and throughout Pennsylvania for these types of big events.

“It’s really nice to have a facility here basically in your backyard,” said Maci Long, part of Delaware Shore’s U-19 team.

“We’ve been waiting for a long time,” said Kristen Fuhr, also a member of the U-19 team.

Delaware Shore is represented in each age division — the U-14 bracket, the U-16 division and the U-19.


DeLaney Webb of the Lady Riders U14 battles against H2O during field hockey action on the first day at De Turf on Friday. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

The Lewes-based club is made up of players from Kent and Sussex counties. Long plays high school field hockey for Cape Henlopen High while Fuhr is on Smyrna High’s squad.

The U-16s and U-19s each had three games on Friday with two more scheduled today. The U-14s played a pair of games Friday and will play three today.


Delaware Shore Lighthouse’s Madeline Sekscinski defends against a Coyotes Sante Fe player during U14 field hockey action on the first day at De Turf on Friday.

Long and Fuhr estimated they attend about two field hockey tournaments a month during the spring and summer. But they’ve never been able to play in a Delaware-hosted event until Friday.

While Delaware Shore has a team in every bracket, there’s another local squad in attendance. Caesar Rodney High sent a team that is participating in just the U-14 division.

For some of those players, this is their first experience in a large-scale showcase event.

“I really, really liked it,” said 12-year-old Raegan Thomas. “I haven’t played on many fields like this.”

“This is really her first experience and it’s a pretty good place to start,” said her father Larry Thomas.

Like Delaware Shore, Caesar Rodney had no way of playing top competition from out of state during the offseason unless it traveled more than three hours to another tournament.


Delaware Shore Lighthouse goalie Julie Heffernan prepares to block a shot by a Coyotes Sante Fe player during U14 field hockey action on the first day at De Turf on Friday.

The young Riders encountered the hustle and bustle that these types of events bring, with games starting one after another as all 12 turf fields were in use at the same time. The tournament schedule went off without a hitch as all games started and ended on time.

DE Turf estimated visitors from 18 different states would be in attendance this weekend.


DeLaney Webb of the Lady Riders battles against a H2O player during U14 field hockey action on the first day at De Turf on Friday. (Delaware State News/Marc Clery)

Thomas, who lives in Magnolia and attends Postlethwait Middle School, said there was a lot of field hockey knowledge she could take away from being exposed to other players from around the country that she wouldn’t normally see.

“You can learn how other people play and see different techniques,” Thomas said.

Delaware State News

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