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News for 04 May 2017

All the news for Thursday 4 May 2017


Mandeep saves India

Three-goal hero Mandeep saves India!

Mandeep Singh saved India the blushes with a hat-trick as the World No 6 came back twice to beat a disciplined Japan 4-3 in a nail-biting 26th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match today.

India now moved third in the table standings with seven points – behind Australia and Great Britain and plays their last group match against host Malaysia on Friday.

The last time India defeated Japan was at the Asian Champions Trophy in Kuantan in September 2016. India won 2-1.

India trooped onto the field Japan without the experienced goalkeeper P. Sreejesh who suffered a tear to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in the 3-1 defeat against Australia on Tuesday.

Sreejesh has been ruled out of the tournament and perhaps even the World League Semi-Finals in June. No 2 goalkeeper Akash Chikte is India’s only last man standing between the posts.

Six minutes into the game, it was India that made the first move against a disciplined Japan from a penalty corner and the towering Rupinder Pal Singh drove the ball to the top of net, beating goalkeeper SuguruShimmoto, who has been playing exceptionally well in the last three matches.

Japan, reeling second from bottom of the table standings with just one point, took control in the next moment keeping the Indian defenders busy and by the 10th minute was on level terms with a KazumaMurata field goal. Masaki Ohashi was uncheck by two defenders and relayed the ball to Kazuma who faced no trouble in packing the ball past the young Akash as both teams ended the first half with the score tied1-1.

But that was not the last from Japan as they surprised all by taking the lead for the first time against giants India in the 43rd minute from a Heita Yoshihara solo. Heita made a quick burst from the 25-yard line with India defenders hot on his heels and blasted the ball into goal to go 2-1 ahead for the first time.

The Indians were left in a state of shock and threw everything back. It took just two minutes after Heita’s goal for India to clock in the equaliser through Mandeep Singh from open play but the drama on the field exploded into another fire cracker with Japan pulling ahead 3-2 through Genki Mitaniin a counter attack seconds before end of first half.

The five-time champions were in deep trouble for the only the second time in the match and it took the genius of Mandeep to bail the Indians out of trouble water nine minutes to the end with a field goal.

And just when everything was moving well for the Japanese who gave their best performance today, it was Mandeep who rode India out of trouble with a 58th minute field goal that broke Japan down for their third defeat in the tournament.

Unofficial tournament site



Australia edge closer to final berth

Defending champions Australia stepped closer to their 13th Sultan Azlan Cup final appearance with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain today.

The Australians scored through Trent Mitton and Matt Dawson while Great Britain found the only goal through Mark Glenhorne.

Australia lead the table standings with 10 points – three ahead of Great Britain and India who are poised to make a strong claim for a spot in Saturday’s final.

However, Friday’s last group fixtures will determine the final standings.

The Kookaburras play Japan, Great Britain meets New Zealand and Malaysia entertains India.

The Australians and Britons got off on a cautious note in the early proceedings of this match.

The Kookaburras, ranked World No 2, have made the final 12 times since 1983 while Britain emerged champions 23 years ago - in 1994. 

Australia has won the tournament nine times whilst Great Britain won bronze medals in 1987 and 2011.

Both teams have seven equal points before start of the match in this 26th edition.

The Britons went on to make the first move after Australian defender Jeremy Hayward concedes a penalty corner in the fourth minute but Ollie Willars could not find a way past Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter as the first quarter ended 0-0.

The second quarter was greeted by a light drizzle and did not change the course of the match as the Australians and Britons went about in search of the first goal.

Australia could have earned a penalty stroke in the 25th minute when Malaysian umpire Eric Koh was sure Aaron Kleinschmidt’s strike had hit the body of postman Sam Ward.

However, this decision was annulled by the video referral umpire when the footage showed it came off Ward’s stick.

Trent Mitton, who drowned Malaysia with a hat-trick in Australia’s 6-1 win on Sunday, broke the humdrum of the evening when he lifted the ball past goalkeeper Harry Gibson in the 44th minute field goal as the nine-time champions ended the third quarter with a 1-0 lead.

The fourth quarter turned into a nail-biting finish as Great Britain saw light at the end of the tunnel with a flourish finish from Mark Gleghorne in the 51st minute to draw level 1-1 but Australia bounced back one minute later by earning their fourth penalty corner and Matt Dawson doubled the lead 2-1 with seven minutes remaining.

With this win Australia is poised to make a strong claim for a spot in the final with the Britons and Blacks Sticks lurking closely behind.

Unofficial tournament site



Another defeat for Malaysia

New Zealand ended Malaysia’s hopes of making the 3/4 placing in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup following a 1-0 win.

The win ensured the Blacks Sticks seven points the same as India and Great Britain.

The Kookaburras, however, lead the table standings with 10 points.

Malaysia rested veteran goalkeeper S. Kumar and introduced Hafizuddin Othman against New Zealand.

It is the first time the National Junior squad goalkeeper featured in the 26th edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

There was so much at stake in this encounter as the host had lost two consecutive matches (Australia 6-1 and Great Britain 1-0) and drew 1-1 against Japan.

A chance of making the final was long out of reach.

Reeling at the bottom of the six-team standings with just one point, a defeat against the Kiwis condemned Stephen van Huizen’s boys to playing in the fifth-sixth classification match though they still have a game in hand against India on Friday.

A win against World No 6 India on Friday will not change Malaysia’s fate as the host would have picked four points in five matches.

Nothing went right for the Malaysians tonight. They had four consecutive penalty corners in the 21st to 23rd minutes and drag-flick specialist Razie Rahim was stopped in two occasions by a fortified Kiwis defence and saw his third and fourth attempts go wide.

Malaysia’s folly turned out to be New Zealand’s gain in the 26th minute. In a quick counter attack the Black Sticks scored from their only penalty corner of the match when Kane Russell sent a low drive past Hafizuddin.

The third quarter and fourth quarters was a tale missed chances as the Malaysians came close but could not find the goals.

And when the hooter was sounded it was a night of another agony for the Malaysian team.

Unofficial tournament site



Stats Speak: India have to beat Malaysia for Gold Medal match with identical margin of Brits-Kiwis match score

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

After day-4 matches, Australia has almost entered in final. 3 teams India, Britain and New Zealand have gathered 7 points each. Equal in points, wins and goals difference India have an edge over Britain in Goals For. Thus India needs victory over Malaysia with identical margin of Britain- New Zealand match score. If Britain-New Zealand drew their match, then draw will be sufficed for India.

To see India-Malaysia stats, please click the link: http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/sankhya/ind_mas.htm

Here are statistics of day-4 matches:

Team

Penalty Corners

Goal Shots

Scores

Results

Obtained

Converted

Obtained

Converted

Australia

3

1

8

1

2-1

Won

India

5

1

14

3

4-3

Won

Great Britain

4

0

6

1

1-2

Lost

New Zealand

1

1

3

0

1-0

Won

Japan

1

0

7

3

3-4

Lost

Malaysia

7

0

8

0

0-1

Lost

 

League Table (after day-4 matches)

Rank

Team

MP

W

D

L

GF

GA

GD

Pts

1

Australia

4

3

1

0

12

4

+8

10

2

India

4

2

1

1

10

8

+2

7

3

Great Britain

4

2

1

1

9

7

+2

7

4

New Zealand

4

2

1

1

5

6

-1

7

5

Japan

4

0

1

3

9

13

-4

1

6

Malaysia

4

0

1

3

2

9

-7

1

 

Fieldhockey.com



Kookaburras defeat GBR 2 - 1 at Azlan Shah Cup

Celebrate Matt Swann's 150th

Holly MacNeil


Photo courtesy of:  T. Myers sportsmediagroup.com.au

Australia took on Great Britain tonight at the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh Malaysia, defeating them 2 – 1 as captain Matt Swann celebrated his 150th international cap.

Great Britain were first off the mark with a penalty corner opportunity after the ball hit the foot of Jeremy Hayward inside their circle, however the flick from Ollie Willars was defended by Australian goalkeeper Andrew Charter.

Only a minute later and the Kookaburras were on for a chance after Eddie Ockenden made a break for it, but this time it was the goalkeeper from Great Britain, Harry Gibson, who defended the goal.

The first half of the game was an evenly matched thirty minutes which came to an end with both teams still looking to score.

With just a minute to go in the third quarter, the Kookaburras finally took the lead. A scramble in front of the Australian goal saw Trent Mitton flick the ball up past goalkeeper Harry Gibson to score the first of the match, giving Australia the edge going into the final 15 minutes of play.

After six fraught minutes of play in the final quarter, Mark Gleghorne levelled the playing field for Great Britain, breaking away from the group to sneak a field goal in past Australian keeper Tyler Lovell.

Only a minute later and the Kookaburras reclaimed the lead, a penalty corner goal from Matt Dawson sailing in past Gibson.

With only 60 seconds left in the match Great Britain had three chances at penalty corner goals to even the score but the Kookaburras defence was on point, knocking away each attempt and ultimately giving them a 2 – 1 win over Great Britain.

Kookaburras head coach Colin Batch said: “Tonight was a special night with Matt Swann’s 150th game. We celebrated the milestone so that was a positive, but a bit of a dampener was that Flynn Ogilvie has injured his leg so we’re investigating that at the moment and we’ll know in the next 24 hours how severe it is.

“Trent Mitton’s goal was really outstanding, and then Great Britain levelled but we were able to respond with a penalty corner from Matt Dawson. We’re really finding our way at the moment which is fantastic.

“We are looking forward to the rest day tomorrow and then heading into the last couple of games refreshed.”

The Kookaburras next play Japan on Friday, May 5 at 6.05pm AWST / 8.05pm AEST.

KOOKABURRAS 2 (0)
Trent Mitton 44 (FG)
Matt Dawson 52 (PC)

GREAT BRITAIN 1 (0)
Mark Gleghorne 51 (FG) 

Kookaburras squad v Great Britain
Athlete (Hometown/State)
Andrew Charter (Canberra, ACT) 126/0
Ben Craig (Lane Cove, NSW) 16/2
Matthew Dawson (Killarney Vale, NSW) 70/10
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT) 77/26
Aaron Kleinschmidt (Melbourne, VIC) 17/5
Edward Ockenden (Hobart, TAS) 288/66
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW) 51/13
Joshua Pollard (Melbourne, VIC) 17/0
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD) 150/6
Jake Whetton (Brisbane, QLD) 122/48
Tom Wickham (Morgan, SA) *plays for WA 10/3

Used Substitutes
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW) 32/14
Jeremy Edwards (Hobart, TAS) 16/1
Tyler Lovell (Perth, WA) 83/9
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA) 110/48
Andrew Philpott (Melbourne, VIC) 33/1
Matthew Willis (Tamworth, NSW) 24/2
Dylan Wotherspoon (Murwillumbah, NSW) *plays for QLD 34/7

Kookaburras Azlan Shah Match Schedule
5 May: AUS v JPN 6.05pm AWST / 8.05pm AEST
6 May: Finals

Hockey Australia media release



Great Britain narrowly beaten by Australia


Mark Gleghorne celebrates after scoring against Australia

Great Britain were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Australia in a tightly contested encounter in their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup clash.

Trent Mitton put Australia into a final quarter lead before Mark Gleghorne levelled for GB. However a Matt Dawson penalty corner restored the Kookaburras’ lead.

There was precious little between the sides who were well matched throughout until the final quarter when both sides’ attacking flare came to life.

GB were frustrated not to snatch a late point after piling some considerable pressure onto the Australia goal, but their defence held strong.

Head coach Bobby Crutchley said: "It was a much improved performance. A tight game of high intensity hockey. I thought we matched Australia for long periods.

"Obviously we are disappointed to lose, but I feel the group will have learned much from this game."

Both sides flew out the blocks immediately, putting pressure on the defensive lines and attacking the circles. Firstly Ollie Willars was thwarted by Andrew Charter in the Australia goal before Harry Gibson was on hand to stop Eddie Ockenden.

After these early chances though both teams settled into the game and largely cancelled each other out. Both defences showing their strength as the first quarter ended goalless.

The second quarter continued in the same manner to which the first ended, both sides remaining evenly matched. However Australia ended the half strongly forcing a penalty corner which eventually led to them being awarded a penalty stroke.

However after an umpire’s review it was clear that the ball had come off Sam Ward’s stick and not his body and the decision was overturned.

The contest continued to be a close one with neither side creating any clear cut chances but Australia again ended the quarter strongly and soon moved ahead. After a goalmouth scramble Trent Mitton kept his cool to lift the ball past Gibson.

With ten minutes to go though GB were back level. A quick break saw Mark Gleghorne free with the ball at the top of the circle and he rifled home through the legs of Tyler Lovell.

GB’s joy though was short lived. Almost immediately Australia moved back into the lead as Matt Dawson finished firmly from a penalty corner.

Australia were very much on the ropes in the closing stages as GB pushed hard for an equaliser. But despite three successive penalty corners in the final minutes they couldn't draw level.

GB’s next game in the tournament is on Friday 5th May against New Zealand at 10.05am UK time. Victory could see them reach Sunday’s final.

Great Britain 1 (Gleghorne 51')

Australia 2 (Mitton 44' Dawson 52')

Great Britain: Harry Gibson (GK), Ollie Willars, Henry Weir, Alan Forsyth, Ian Sloan (C), Sam Ward, Mark Gleghorne, Barry Middleton, Brendan Creed, Liam Sandford, Dan Kyriakides

Subs (Used): David Goodfield, Tom Carson, Christopher Griffiths, James Gall, Jonathan Griffiths, Phil Roper#

Subs (Unused): Chris Wyver (GK)

England Hockey Board Media release



Gritty Black Sticks shut out Malaysia


Photo: Megat Firdaus, PMF Images

A stoic defensive effort has helped the Vantage Black Sticks Men defeat hosts Malaysia 1-0 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Played in front of a packed stadium of vocal home fans, New Zealand put together a complete team performance to secure a clean sheet.

Defender Kane Russell proved the man of the moment in the 25th minute when he sent a penalty corner drag flick screaming into the right hand corner for what would be the only goal of the match.

The Kiwis converted their only penalty corner of the game while in stark contrast Malaysia squandered all seven of their set piece chances in the face of unrelenting defence.

The result sees the Black Sticks consolidate fourth spot on the table with seven points behind Australia (10 points), Great Britain and India (also on seven points) based on goal difference.

It also guarantees the Black Sticks at least a place in the bronze medal match while they still have a chance to make the final if results go their way on the last day of round robin.

Head coach Darren Smith said it was good to secure the second win in a row at the tournament thanks to a solid performance.

“We have guaranteed ourselves a chance for a bronze medal but will be putting everything on the line in our next game against Great Britain to give a good run at making the final,” he said.

“I thought we played well in defence today - we were fluid and tackled very effectively while our penalty corner defence kept them off the score sheet.

“We will rest our bodies as much as possible now and prepare for a tough match up against Great Britain who are playing really well at the tournament.”

The Vantage Black Sticks play Great Britain in their final round robin match at 8:00pm Friday night (NZT), with live coverage on SKY Sport 4.

In today’s other matches India defeated Japan 4-3 in a high scoring contest while Australia snuck past Great Britain 2-1.

VANTAGE BLACK STICKS 1: (Kane Russell)
MALAYSIA 0
Halftime: New Zealand 1-0

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Malaysia go down yet again

By Jugjet Singh

THE National players did everything right, except score as they went down 1-0 to New Zealand in the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh yesterday.

The defeat will see them play for the fifth-sixth placing.

Malaysia wasted four penalty coreners by half-time, while the Kiwis only needed one to take the lead.

Kane Russel made it count in the 25th minute and Malysia were in trouble again.

Malaysia played two Test matches against New Zealand a week before the tournament and won 8-3 and drew 3-3.

But when it mattered most, they lost 1-0.

Australia virtually booked a spot in the final when they beat Britain 2-1. They only have Japan to play on Friday, and are the raging favourites for three points.

In the first match of the day, Mandeep Singh saved India the blushes with a hat-trick as the World No 6 came back twice to beat a disciplined Japan 4-3 in a nail-biting match.

India coach Roelant Oltmans said: "We started off really good and kept on attacking, putting too much pressure and Japan was also quick in the counter attacks. It was a really fast pace game and the two were coming from both ends.

"In the second half we changed the tactics and had more control of the game but unfortunately we could not score. The fourth quarter was great and that gave us more options in our breakaways. Mandeep and Sardar played exceptionally well.

"Mandeep is young and very fit. He can score goals from angles you would least expect. Sometimes it is hard to understand him."

Japan coach Takahiko Yamabori was visibly upset because his charges were leading 3-2 before collapsing.

"I am most upset with this defeat. We had a good chance to beat India after taking the lead twice. But on the other hand, I am happy with the attitude of my players for giving their best against India.

"We will continue to build this team for the World League Semi-finals and I believe we are heading right direction. The scores are important but how the teams plays is far more important."

RESULTS: Japan 3 India 4, Britain 1 Australia 2, Malaysia 0 New Zealand 1.

THURSDAY: REST DAY

FRIDAY: Britain v New Zealand (4pm), Australia v Japan (6pm), Malaysia v India (8.35pm).

STANDINGS

           P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
AUSTRALIA  4  3  1  0  12 4  10
INDIA      4  2  1  1  10 8  7
BRITAIN    4  2  1  1  9  7  7
N ZEALAND  4  2  1  1  5  6  7
JAPAN      4  0  1  3  9  13 1
MALAYSIA   4  0  1  3  2  9  1

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Malaysia fail to convert chances in defeat by New Zealand

by S. Ramaguru


Too fast: Malaysia’s Mohamed Marhan Mohamed Jalil skips past New Zealand’s Leo Mitai-Wells in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh yesterday. — SAIFUL BAHRI / The Star

IPOH: Malaysia suffered their third loss in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after being beaten 1-0 by New Zealand.

Malaysia turned in another insipid performance at the Azlan Shah Stadium yesterday to prop the six-team standing with just one point.

But it wasn’t like they did not have chances. They had seven penalty corners in the match – but failed to convert any.

The Kiwis, on the other hand, depended on their counter attacks and had only one penalty corner – and Kane Russell made it count in the 25th minute.

Malaysia made one major change to their starting line-up – replacing goalkeeper S. Kumar with Mohd Hafizuddin Othman.

Before the tournament began, Malaysia played two Tests against the Kiwis – winning the first 8-2 and drawing the second 3-3.

National coach Stephen van Huizen was disappointed not to get a result despite his men playing well against the Kiwis.

“When you look at the result, the graph might show a downward trend. But for me, the last two matches have been good and showed that my men played their best,” he said.

“We failed to take our chances ... that was the difference. Credit to the Kiwis for their defensive play.

“We have two more matches to go ... we will try to get it right.”

Meanwhile, defending champions Australia continued to flex their muscles – notching their third win in four matches by beating Britain 2-1 yesterday.

Australia got their goals through Trent Mitton and Matt Dawson while Mark Glenhorne replied for the Britons.

The unbeaten Australians now have 10 points and will seal their place in the final with a single point from their last match against Japan tomorrow.

Britain will battle it out with India for the other final ticket.

Britain and India both have seven points. Tomorrow, Britain will take on New Zealand while India will play Malaysia.

Earlier Asian champions and world No. 6 India needed a Mandeep Singh hat-trick to save them the blushes in a 4-3 win over Japan.

Rupinder Pal Singh put India ahead through a penalty corner goal in the sixth minute but Japan equalised four minutes later through a Kazuma Murata field goal.

Japan then went ahead through Heita Yoshihara (43rd, field goal), but Mandeep got his first of the match in the 45th minute, also a field goal.

Genki Mitani put Japan ahead again with a field goal almost immediately.

But Mandeep came to India’s rescue – scoring two field goals in the 51st and 58th minutes.

Japan coach Takahiko Yamabori felt that they should have at least come off with a point.

“I am most upset with this defeat. We had a good chance to beat India, having taken the lead twice,” he said.

“But I’m very happy with my players’ attitude ... they gave their best against India.”

The Star of Malaysia



Mandeep hattrick saves India against Japan

s2h team

India somehow managed to snatch a 4-3 victory from the jaws of draw from the valiant Japan, who took lead twice and were deserving a draw at least. However, a fluent hattric from Mandeep Singh that stood out in favour of India to post its second win four matches in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Ipoh, Malaysia.

After Rupinder Pal Singh struck off the first penalty corner in the seventh minutes, Mandeep came with gem of goals time to time to equal and then go ahead of Japan, whose forwards utilized all the little chances they created. Mandeep Singh struck in the 43th, 50th and 58th minutes.

India got five penalty corners, barring the first one, rest were all wasted.

India started their campaign with aggressive mode and made numerous attack in the first half of first quarter only to see the Japanese overcrowd and valiantly thwart from any early damage. However, Rupinder Pal Singh put India ahead off the first penalty corner (1-O) in the 7th minute

Valiant Japan equalized through Maruta within short time.

In a counter, Japan surprised the entire Indian midfield and defence, placing the ball home emanating from right flank, co-ordinated attack. (1-1) in the 13th minute.

Japan now seemed to shed off its defence mode, pressed hard upfront too. However India had upper hand despite its forward missing out on trapping at crucial junctures.

Japan latched on to such lapses twice, though could not strike goal.

India got a golden chance to go up when Harmanpreet Singh got a chance through India's second penalty corner. His drag was well anticipated and cleared but Affan Yousaf hit the close range rebound wide, much to his own disappointment.

Stick2Hockey.com



Mandeep Singh came of age against Japan with hat-trick

Sundeep Misra


India's Mandeep Singh (left) celebrates after scoring. Image courtesy: Hockey India

For long, talent was his only calling card. But at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh, just when Japan threatened to run away with the match, Mandeep Singh rose from being just ‘raw talent’ to becoming ‘The Poacher’. With a brilliant hat-trick, he gave a new lease of life to India’s campaign of entering the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament final just when it was in the danger of being derailed. India beat the world’s 16th ranked team 4-3 after being in arrears twice in the match.

During the course of the game, Japan not only shocked India by taking the lead twice but also showed counter-attacking abilities that had the normally structured Indian defence behaving like a herd of deer caught in the middle of an expressway.

Mandeep rose like a phoenix. Never has the Jalandhar lad’s talent been in doubt; but the abilities to deliver were unproven. Even though skeptics would say the opponent were Japan, the pressure was akin to any world class game where a team not in the world’s top 15 was about to humiliate a side ranked 6th.

It’s at that moment when rankings go out of the window. Players are left looking at the clock and the insurmountable odds in front. In these moments, athletes take giant steps towards stardom. In Ipoh, it was Mandeep’s afternoon where even the Japanese probably would have bowed their head in respect to a player who rose from being just another striker to being the striker.

Indian coach Roelant Oltmans, for long a fan of Mandeep and a believer that the boy who had played the 2014 World Cup and was a part of the silver medal winning Champions Trophy team would eventually deliver, said, “He is getting better and better, (and is) still very young. He just turned 22 in January. First of all, he is super fit. You can see not only in his attacking actions but also the way he is putting pressure on opponents. He is working on regaining possession, which is an important part of our defensive structure, and he is leading in that as well.” Mandeep, the boy, was also a part of the 2016 Junior World Cup winning team.

Nothing much was expected from the India-Japan game other than a quiet straightforward victory. In the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy in Kuantan, India had beaten Japan 10-2. That was a match played on a day where nothing went wrong for India. Rupinder Pal Singh scored a double hat-trick flicking in six goals. By the time, Japan got their head around the score sheet, six goals had been flicked in and it was downhill after that. But, on Wednesday, when Rupinder scored in the 6th minute, the powerful flick rising into the top of the net, one thought normal service had resumed.

Yet, Japan didn’t keel over. They fought back. Indian forwards, used to space because of their movements and skills, suddenly found themselves marked out of the game. They couldn’t move. Either way, Japanese defenders stuck to them like limpets. SV Sunil, who is having an extremely average tournament couldn’t create moves and neither could take shots at goal. Akashdeep had an outing he would rather forget. And when Mandeep initially couldn’t find the target, it seemed only penalty corners would save India the blushes.

Japan played on the flanks stretching the Indian defence. Their counter-attacks were well thought. Not wild runs in the direction of the Indian goal. They attacked with two forwards, not leaving their territory exposed. The equaliser came in the 10th minute after Masaki Ohashi went past two Indian defenders with ease, tapping it through for Kazuma Murata to deflect past the Indian goalkeeper Akash Chikte, was is now the first team goalkeeper after PR Sreejesh had been ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury. Japan was quick to realise that the Indian defence was jittery. The Asian champions, however, wouldn’t have been too perturbed at this stage.

But Japan had prepared well. Kota Watanabe sprinted on the right flank and send an inch perfect cross to an overlapping Koji Yamasaki who missed trapping the ball, his run slightly slower than the pace of the ball. Importantly, the Indian defence had been sliced open. It was at that point India should have regrouped and smelled the danger this Japanese team was about to pose. But they were languid; too comfortable in the thought and duration of a four-quarter match that eventually would bend down in submission.

On the contrary, Japan scored and took the lead 2-1 in the 43rd minute. Heita Yoshihara had the ball on the halfway mark. And he ran and kept running diagonally. Gurinder kept running as if giving him company. Once inside the Indian striking circle, Heita realised he had to take a shot and he did. Akash Chikte was late off the mark and the ball whizzed past his pads into the corner. India looked shell-shocked. Two minutes later, India had the equaliser when Mandeep deflected in a lovely move from Harmanpreet Singh.

But Japan seized the lead in the 45th minute itself when Koyo Kameyama dribbled into the Indian striking circle, gave it to Murata whose shot was deflected into the middle of the circle by Surender and then Sardar Singh; the loose ball falling for Genki Mitani who scored with a direct hit. Japan led 3-2 and India suddenly went into panic mode. It was at this stage that they started playing hockey with a focus on winning the match.

Finally realising that the Japanese were over-crowding the striking circle, they played passes on top of the striking circle and shot in diagonally. The equaliser came in the 51st minute when Talwinder Singh played the ball on the line and tapped it through. The Japanese goalkeeper Shimmoto, Shota Yamada and Kameyama were all beaten. Mandeep only had to knock it in. At 3-3, Japan for the first time yielded space at the back as India drove the team forward. It was here that Harmanpreet missed a penalty corner, India’s 6th as Oltmans on the bench hammered his fists on the advertisement boards in frustration.

With two minutes left on the clock, mistakes were now being committed by Japan. Rupinder moving on the right flank sent a throughball seeing Mandeep in the middle of the Japanese striking circle. The Indian striker looking for his third goal of the match trapped the ball with his back to the Japanese goal. He swiveled almost 180 degrees to his right and with a brutal reverse hit beat Shimmoto in the Japanese goal. India led 4-3 as normalcy returned to the Indian dug-out.

Lower ranked teams do give a scare but Japan displayed a rare combination of dynamism, mobility and spark. They play a style that is very demanding and can leave them exposed. But India didn’t push the initiative and when a midfield is in two minds, the opposition can get a lot of courage.

Speaking on Mandeep, Oltmans, said, “That is something special, that you are capable of scoring so many goals and at the same time he is more or less the first defender when the opponent has got possession. Wait until he is 24 or 25, probably by the Olympics, and he will be of even higher quality.”

Mandeep has the balance of a striker and for almost two-three years has been in and out of the team. Oltmans did admit that Mandeep has started working very hard on his fitness and attitude. “He is a crazy sort of guy,” said Oltmans. “Out of nothing he created those goals.”

Looking at the stats of the match, India had 14 shots at goal to seven by Japan. Even the circle entries stood at 32 for India to 14 for Japan and India enjoyed 73 percent of the possession to 27 percent by Japan. To be able to play at a consistent level, players have to be ruthless. India was soft against Japan with the exception of Mandeep.

After Wednesday’s matches, Australia topped the table with 10 points from four matches; India is second with seven points and Great Britain third with seven points. India is ahead at this stage with a better goal average. On Thursday, India play hosts Malaysia while Great Britain takes on New Zealand.

Japan was a wake-up call. Against hosts Malaysia on Friday, with a place in the final at stake, the others in the team might decide to do a follow up act as a mark of appreciation for Mandeep.

Firstpost



Mandeep does the star turn

His hat-trick helps India overcome Japan and occupy the second spot


Goal rush: Mandeep Singh, second from right, celebrates with teammates after netting India’s fourth goal to complete his hat-trick against Japan on Wednesday. 

Striker Mandeep Singh scored a brilliant hat-trick to hand India a fighting 4-3 victory over lower-ranked Japan in a round robin match of the 26th Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here on Wednesday.

Having squandered the early lead provided by a penalty corner from Rupinderpal Singh in the eighth minute, India was trailing when Mandeep got into his goal-scoring act in the second half.

Neutralising India’s lead through Kazuma Murata’s fine deflection in the 10th minute, Japan led twice with goals coming from Heita Yoshihara (43rd) and Genki Mitani (46th), but it could not overcome Mandeep’s brilliance.

Mandeep got into the goal-scoring act with a fine touch on a through ball from Harmanpreet Singh in the 45th minute. He then came back to tap in a square ball from Sardar Singh in the 51st minute and then ensured three points for India by capitalising on a diagonal from Rupinderpal in the 58th.

India, with seven points from four matches, is second in the standings, ahead of Great Britain on goal difference and has a chance of making a second successive final.

In other matches, table-topper Australia prevailed over Great Britain 2-1, while New Zealand edged out host Malaysia 1-0.

The results: India 4 (Rupinderpal 8, Mandeep 45, 51, 58) bt Japan (Murata 10, Yoshihara 43, Mitani 46); Australia 2 (Trent Mitton 44, Matt Dawson 52) bt Great Britain 1 (Mark Gleghorne 51); New Zealand 1 (Kane Russell 25) bt Malaysia 0.

The Hindu



India overcome Japan 4-3 thanks to Mandeep Singh hat-trick

Jamie Alter

NEW DELHI: India's chances of reaching the final of the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey tournament remain intact following their narrow 4-3 victory over Japan in Ipoh, Malaysia on Wednesday, but the team will know of their fate only after the conclusion of the Great Britain v Australia match later today.

Japan, ranked 16th in the men's game, pushed World No 6 India shot for shot while running them nearly ragged, but in the end were left stunned by a hat-trick of goals from Mandeep Singh. In a stirring display of excellence, Mandeep scored goals in the 45th, 51st and 58th minutes to pull a flagging India away from their opponents, for whom Heita Yoshihara and Genki Mitani had scored inside five minutes as the third quarter ended with Japan ahead 3-2.

As in the match against Australia on Tuesday, India were put into the advantage first only to end the first half with the scores level, but what really threatened to end their campaign was allowing Japan goals in the 43rd and 45th minutes. Somehow, India kept their heads to rebound in the final quarter through Mandeep's outstanding stick work which was, ultimately, the difference between victory and an upset loss.

This was not a match lacking in intensity or drama. In the eighth minute, seconds after Akash Chikte stuck out a leg to stop an attempt at goal, experienced drag flick expert Rupinder Pal Sigh converted India's first PC into a 1-0 advantage. Japan failed to use their first PC a short while later, but Kazuma Marata scored the equalizer in the 13th minute. The first quarter came to a tense close with a flick from Harmanpreet Singh saved by Shimoto, only for Affan Yousuf to miss the deflection by the thinnest of margins.

India's forwards applied pressure in hopes of forcing the Japanese defenders into lapses of concentration as the second quarter progressed, and again came close to scoring through Harmanpreet but Shimoto was too swift.

From 1-1 at half-time, Japan kept matching India shot for shot. In the 43rd minute, No 12 Yoshihara's splendid field goal put Japan ahead, only for Mandeep to draw level with 36 seconds on the clock. But then, stunningly, Mitani slotted one past a sluggish Chikte to put Japan back in the lead with just seven seconds to go in quarter three.

Consecutive PCs missed, including one by drag-flick expert Rupinder, ratcheted up the tension as the clock wound down. India got a lifeline thanks to Mandeep's second goal in the 51st minute, and when the striker netted this third with just under three minutes left in the match, India had somehow managed to break free from Japan's spirited effort.

The Times of India



Mandeep has amazing skills, he's our best striker: Oltmans

IPOH (Malaysia): Coach Roelant Oltmans on Wednesday lauded Mandeep Singh, describing him as the best striker in the Indian team after his three field goals secured them a 4-3 victory over rank outsiders Japan in the 26th Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament.

"Mandeep is always dangerous, a crazy guy. He is very difficult to defend," said Oltmans, singing paeans of the young striker who has reclaimed his spot in the national squad following a fine show in India's triumph in the Junior World Cup last December.

"In the circle, Mandeep creates chances out of nowhere. We have seen that many times. He's still very young, and he's getting better and better," the coach said.

Mandeep, the lean and nippy striker, celebrated his 22nd birthday in January. Oltmans said he would reach his prime around 24 or 25.

"If you look at the number of goals, he's surely out best striker," said Oltmans.

"Akashdeep Singh is the only other striker who has scored for us so far. Our remaining goals have all come from penalty corners."

Oltmans commended Mandeep's fitness and his work-ethic in the field.

"He is superbly fit. By the next Olympics, he'll produce a higher quality of hockey," Oltmans asserted.

"You can see not only in his attacking actions, but also the way Mandeep tries to put pressure on opponents. He's always working on regaining the ball and that is an important part of our defensive structure," he said.

"Mandeep is more or less the first defender when the opponents have got possession."

On India's narrow victory over Japan, Oltmans said his team was attacking too much at one stage and that allowed Japan to create problems on the counter.

"The Japanese fell back and just defending. But it gave them the opportunity to counter, and they did it quite well a few times," the coach opined.

"We had clear plans how to handle that, but to be honest we didn't do it well enough. It prompted us to change the tactics at half time.

"The fourth quarter saw really good hockey. I think we created many opportunities and space in the last quarter. We also waited for the moment when we could score the goals and things clicked for us," Oltmans added.

The Times of India



Indian show not bad as many would tend to think

K. Arumugam



Manpreet Singh Sr's Indian team struggled today against vastly improving Japan in their fourth match of the ongoing Azlan Shah Cup. Ultimately, in a test case of temperament, the experimental Indians survived, collected three points, Mandeep Singh's timely hat-trick of goals infusing enough oxygen into the dying fortunes of his team.

The Japanese who struck thrice against New Zealand on the opening day, repeated the same against India today too.

The host of next Olympics are doing everything to improve their field hockey performance towards good home show, and it is telling in Ipoh.

Like Korea in the late 80s, China a decade ago, Japan is a landmine, and all established teams have to tread cautiously therefore.

However, coming against the backdrop of Australian defeat, questions are raised by the concerned on the potential or lack of it, of the present Indian team in Ipoh.

This generation of Indians expect Indian win over Australia, something a good augury. Its a reflection of kind reputation present day Indian national teams have built up for itself. Normally, Indians are resigned to Australian defeat, a routine in the past three decades or so.

However, loss to Australia and the struggle against Japan did not go well with many who wish India win all the matches handsomely.

The point here is, Azlan Shah is a traditional tournament, where India has been a force. The history evokes expectation.

The Indian team on the other hand presents a different picture.

Being a tournament of worth, one that is Live televised, India did not send a B team as unlike many times in the past. However, India need to make some subtle changes in its composition against the backdrop of India’s Lucknow success.

Three Junior players are making debut. Its not just a paper debut. It’s a serious one. The trio of Gurinder Singh, Sumit and Manpreet Singh Jr are given enough time on the turf. So also Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh.

Honestly speaking, they are also tried in various positions.

Sumit, for an instance, played as a defending midfielder in the first two matches. In the next two mathches, especially against Japan he was pressed to move up, and was seen manufacturing penalty corners, and trying to nip in soft balls into the net.

He likes many other in the team does some mistakes, but its all part of evolution, process of player building.

In the India-Japan encounter, one did not see the usual front line force consisting of Nikkin Thimmaiah and Ramandeep Singh though they were very much in the team. Only Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh were given good share of play time.

It tells. But for a trying coach as Roelant Oltmans, Azlan is the first and foremost platform to test his new combination in all possible permutations and combinations.

Its here the defence plank needs sterner scrutiny.

Its since long time Indian defence is without established rockster VR Raghunath and Brendra Lakra, who sell as hot cakes in the Hockey India League.

Only known face in the defence is Rupinder Pal Singh, who almost dabble upfront on many situations.

Then India lost dependable goalie PR Sreejesh midway through Australia match.

Though not debutante, Akash Tikte was pressed into service. Quite possible he could not match Sree but its natural. Sree is of today is after a decade of experience, as a result of being in the top echelon for over a decade. Akash will be so in the years to come, but here in Ipoh he is understudy of Sree. Its known Bombay’s Suraj Kerkare was team’s first choice, but he was not here due to injury.

Therefore, conceding three goals by the Indian defence to Japan is not a worry, more so to Australia. These fall under unofficial ‘Decent Show’ category that invariably comes up in the run up tournaments before World Cup or Olympics.

In a nutshell, Indian show at Ipoh is encouraging though much needs to be known in the next two outings.

The interim view is out now.

Stick2Hockey.com



Injury rules Sreejesh out of Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

IPOH (Malaysia): India captain and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was on Wednesday ruled out of the ongoing Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament due to a knee injury he sustained in the match against defending champions Australia.

Sreejesh has a painful right knee due to a ligament injury that generally takes two to three months to heal.

"His injury won't allow him to play anymore in the tournament. He needs further investigation when we get back to India," India coach Roelant Oltmans said after the 4-3 win over Japan on Wednesday.

"We'll try and get him back to India as soon as possible to make sure he gets the investigations done there and, if needed, further treatment. There will be no replacement goalkeeper in Sreejesh's place. Replacements are not allowed in this tournament," he added.

The 28-year-old Sreejesh was using a crutch for support as he accompanied the Indian team to the ground, but sat in the galleries when the teams lined up for the match.

He had hobbled off the pitch in the first quarter of the game against Australia yesterday after diving to reach a diagonal ball by an Australia striker into the Indian circle.

"The scan on his right knee today revealed the extent of injury. He will play no role in the ongoing tournament and could even miss the World League Semifinals in London in June," said an official on condition of anonymity.

"Sreejesh has been told that his injury will take 2-3 months to heal," he said.

That would rule out Sreejesh, India's first choice goalkeeper, from selection for the London event.

"Why risk him aggravating the injury when India are already assured of a spot in the World League Finals that is to be hosted in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar," the official said.

Sreejesh was appointed India's captain when long-time skipper Sardar Singh was rested from last year's Champions Trophy in London, where India finished runners-up to Australia. He was subsequently given the captaincy for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The Times of India



Australia down Britain 2-1 to consolidate position

IPOH (Malaysia): Matt Dawson's penalty corner conversion in the 52nd minute clinched defending champions Australia a 2-1 victory over Great Britain, virtually placing them in the final of the 26th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Wednesday.

Dawson's goal broke the deadlock after Australia had opened the scoring with a field goal from Trent Mitton in the 44th minute, only for Great Britain to equalise through Mark Gleghorne in the 51st.

Nine-time winners of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Australia stay atop the standings ladder with 10 points in four matches. Australia have already placed one foot in the final.

It would take a series of dramatic results, including World champions Australia's shock loss to lowly ranked Japan, for two teams to overtake them in the standings after the last round of league fixtures on Friday.

Three other countries - India, Great Britain and New Zealand - are bunched together on seven points each from four outings. They will be vying for the second spot and a place in the title contest.

India are now No. 2 in the standings due to a one-goal advantage they have over Britain in goals scored after today's matches, although they both have the same goal difference.

New Zealand today rode on Kane Russell's 25th-minute goal to prevail 1-0 over hosts Malaysia. But they retain the fourth spot in the standings.

India's 4-3 win over Japan kept them on course for a second successive appearance in the title contest. Australia had defeated India 4-0 in the final last year.

The Times of India



Gritty Black Sticks shut out Malaysia to claim second win at Sultan Azlan Shah Cup


Kane Russell scored the only goal of the game as the Black Sticks showed some gritty defence. REUTERS

A goal from Kane Russell and stoic defensive effort has helped the Black Sticks men defeat hosts Malaysia 1-0 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Played in front of a packed stadium of vocal home fans, New Zealand put together a complete team performance to secure a clean sheet on Thursday (NZ time).

Defender Russell proved the man of the moment in the 25th minute when he sent a penalty corner drag flick screaming into the right hand corner for what would be the only goal of the match.

The Kiwis converted their only penalty corner of the game while in stark contrast Malaysia squandered all seven of their set piece chances in the face of unrelenting defence.

The result sees the Black Sticks consolidate fourth spot on the table with seven points behind Australia (10 points), Great Britain and India (also on seven points) based on goal difference.

It also guarantees the Black Sticks at least a place in the bronze medal match while they still have a chance to make the final if results go their way on the last day of round robin.

Head coach Darren Smith said it was good to secure the second win in a row at the tournament thanks to a solid performance.

"We have guaranteed ourselves a chance for a bronze medal but will be putting everything on the line in our next game against Great Britain to give a good run at making the final," he said.

"I thought we played well in defence today - we were fluid and tackled very effectively while our penalty corner defence kept them off the score sheet.

"We will rest our bodies as much as possible now and prepare for a tough match up against Great Britain who are playing really well at the tournament."

The Black Sticks play Great Britain in their final round-robin match on Friday night (NZT).

In Thursday's other matches India defeated Japan 4-3 while Australia snuck past Great Britain 2-1.

Stuff



Confident India take on Malaysia with an eye on summit clash

IPOH: A win away from final, Indian hockey team would like to guard themselves against complacency when they square off with hosts Malaysia in what can turn out to be a tricky encounter in the 26th Azlan Shah Cup, on Friday.

With defending champions Australia needing just a draw against rank outsiders Japan, India are aware that a slip up against Malaysia can leave them stranded and Great Britain can overtake them in the round-robin league standings.

India only have a one-goal edge over Great Britain, which can change quickly after the Britons have played New Zealand in their last league outing.

India will have the advantage of knowing what is required of them as they will feature in the last fixture, but if a lot of goals are required, then the strikers will have to get their acts together.

Only Mandeep Singh, who on Wednesday scored a hat-trick against Japan, and Akashdeep Singh among the Indian strikers have so far seemed dangerous inside the circle.

Otherwise, the Indians have largely been dependent upon their penalty corner duo of Rupinderpal Singh and Harmanpreet Singh to score goals.

After Wednesdaay's close shave against the lowly-ranked young outfit from Japan, which India managed to win 4-3 after trailing twice, coach Oltmans has warned his team that Malaysia are dangerous opponents.

"There should be no doubt that Malaysia are a very good side. I rate them very high," said Oltmans.

"No opponent can be taken lightly. You saw how Japan challenged us, but come tomorrow and we'll be prepared for the challenge put up by Malaysia."

After Japan, preparing a young team for the 2020 Olympics where they have a direct entry as hosts, gave India a fright, Oltmans and his players are aware that Malaysia can make it tougher.

Malaysia have often given India a good contest. Going through a painful sequence of missed opportunities in this tournament, hosts Malaysia will play for pride against India in the last league match.

Starting with a draw against Japan, the Malaysians have lost three successive matches, but only after missing scoring chances galore.

Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen is looking for positives even in the successive 1-0 defeats they have suffered against Great Britain and New Zealand.

"The results may show a downward trend, but my team has shown some sparkle and pushed the rivals. We failed to take out chances and that's reflected in the results," says van Huizen, now looking to make amends for these lapses.

Malaysia's loss to New Zealand yesterday meant they do not have a chance to play in the bronze medal play-off but they will be looking to salvage some pride in the last league match against India, who will be seeking their second successive entry into the final.

Last year, India finished runners-up as Australia clinched their ninth title in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Australia defeated India 4-0 in the 2016 final.

World champions Australia are on top of the standings with 10 points in four matches.

Beside India and Great Britain, New Zealand also have seven points, but are in fourth spot as their goal-difference is inferior in comparison.

The Black Sticks too have a chance of making the final, if they post a victory over Great Britain on Friday and India are not able to surpass the Malaysian challenge.

The narrowest of wins can do the trick for New Zealand if Malaysia manages to hold India to a draw.

New Zealand have inducted a lot of youngsters in the squad for this tournament. This choice was forced upon them as seven senior internationals were playing in Europe and the selectors did not want to disrupt their club contracts.

The Times of India



15 nations advance in race for FIH Home and Away League selection



Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has today announced that 15 National Associations have advanced in the selection process for the forthcoming global Home and Away League, which is due to begin in 2019.

13 National Associations remain part of the selection process for the women’s League, with 12 still in contention for places in the men’s League. With a maximum of nine teams taking part in each League when it commences, the process remains particularly competitive going into the final assessment stage for this ground-breaking competition.

Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Germany, India, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain submitted applications for both their men’s and women’s teams. China, Japan and USA for their women’s teams and Malaysia and Pakistan for their men’s teams.

The latest phase of the application process required the National Associations to complete an extensive online questionnaire before the deadline of the 30th April 2017. This provides the FIH Event Portfolio Implementation Panel (EPIP) with in-depth information based on various aspects of their hosting and participation capabilities. This included information about financial sustainability, commercial vision, legal compliance, proposed venues, organisation and personnel, event delivery and presentation, team performance history, marketing strategies, motivation for participation, the proposed legacy impact and any added value they can bring to the competition.

The FIH has also been undertaking extensive discussions with broadcasters regarding exposure and media coverage of hockey within each of the nations as well as working collaboratively with the selected National Associations on all aspects of the application process including, but not limited to, match scheduling, player welfare and commercial terms.

The online questionnaires completed by the 15 National Associations will now be evaluated by the FIH EPIP, who will finalise their recommendations when they meet in Lausanne on 27- 28 May 2017. The Panel consists of Ken Read (Chair); FIH Chief Executive Officer Jason McCracken; FIH Executive Board Members Alberto Budeisky and Marijke Fleuren and FIH Athletes’ Committee Co-Chair Annie Panter. The panel will also be joined by Josh Smith as the selected independent member. A former international hockey player having represented Wales, Josh is currently the Director of Television Services with FIFA and adds extensive experience in media, broadcast and commercial to the panel discussions.

Leading professional services firm, Deloitte LLP, will advise the FIH EPIP on the important aspect of financial sustainability,  one of several experts working on assessing the various elements of the application submissions.

The recommendations of the FIH EPIP will then be submitted to the FIH Executive Board for ratification when they meet in Lausanne on 9-10 June 2017, with the launch event being planned in the months following ratification.

“To have 15 National Associations still in the running at this stage of the assessment process is fantastic news for the Home and Away League, a game-changing competition that is central to our 10-year Hockey Revolution Strategy”, said FIH CEO Jason McCracken. “The depth of information that we required the National Associations to provide was extensive and the quality of submissions received was outstanding. I congratulate and thank the National Associations for their work ahead of what will be a very thorough and competitive assessment process. The FIH continues to work in close collaboration with the National Associations as the sport looks forward to taking advantage of the growing interest, excitement and engagement in this competition from fans, broadcasters and commercial partners.”

More information about the Hockey Revolution, the new Event Portfolio and all other international hockey news and events is available on FIH.ch whilst other updates are posted via FIH Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

#LoveHockey
#HockeyRevolution

FIH site

I have serious reservations about this Home and Away Series that I don't think the FIH has bothered to address properly. In keeping with the invite the CEO of the FIH of sending #HockeyQuestions to him I asked for answers to the following questions on 10/4/2017 and sadly have yet to receive a reply.

1. Based on the assumption there will be 8 teams in this Series, how many Nations currently undertake 7 International tours per annum for either their Men or their Women or 14 International tours combined. The answer is simple. None - they do not have the money to do it.

2. What is going to change in 2 years that 8 nations are suddenly going to have the money to undertake all these tours? The TV money from marketing the Series is not going to be instantly available as it is going to need to establish itself before advertisers will commit to taking advertising slots around the Series so that Sports Channels will be encouraged to pay the FIH for broadcasting rights.

3. The majority of International Hockey players are either students or employed outside of hockey - very few are employed within hockey as full time athletes. How are these athletes going to take off the 6 months required to partake in this Series either from their studies or their regular employment? Employers understand the prestige of World Cup or Olympic Games and will make exceptions for full time training for those events, but initially this Series will not carry that same gravitas.

4. Those players that are full time employees of clubs are going to run into the Club vs Country debate and I cannot see them willingly giving up the players they pay to play for the club to such extended International duty.

5. Are spectators really going to pay to see depleted International sides - both their own and visiting opposition?

I personally see this Home and Away Series bankrupting almost all Hockey playing Nations involved within 2 years, yet Nations are being asked to commit to the programme for a minimum of 4 years and the players must commit to 25 weeks each year to this series. Pakistan, which is already begging for additional funding from their Government, has committed to playing all their Home games in Glasgow meaning they will be committing to 15 Overseas Tours for 4 years. If they do not perform to medal standards the Government will cut off funding, just as they did when Pakistan failed to qualify for the last World Cup and Olympic Games. How many other Governments are going to cut off funding when the teams do not perform to expectation. The Nations in the Men's and Women's tournaments are committing to 14 International tours per annum. If they had the money why aren't they doing that already?

When Nations play abroad they will only be allowed to play the single game of the Tournament and not play any warm up games. This means Australian and New Zealand teams will be making that massive journey for one game. WHAT A WASTE OF SCARCE FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT COULD BE SPENT ON DEVELOPMENT!

Whilst the concept may have a lot of merit the financial implications have presumed factors that do not exist. They presume that International players can commit 25 weeks to the programme - which they cannot. It presumes the Nationa involved have the funds to pay for the overseas trips - they do not or they would be undertaking that kind of expenditure already. It presumes the TV revenue will be instantly available for distribution to the Nations involved - it will not as the tournament will have to establish its credibility before advertisers will buy advertising in and around the televised games to make it viable for TV companies to pay the rights money that will be required to make the tournament viable.

I may be wrong and I certainly hope that I am, but over the last 20 years for running this site there has been one consistent theme - there is not enough money in Hockey as most Nations rely on Governments to fund them rather than big name sponsors, and Nations are frequently begging for more funding from Government and not getting it.



Seniors beat Whites 2-0 as the PHF's Triangular Home Series Kicks Off

In order to generate competition among the players and also to identify the genuine talent, the Pakistan Hockey Federation has arranged a triangular series between three strings comprising the best hockey talent in the country.

The three teams have been labelled as Pakistan Seniors, Pakistan Whites and Development Squad.

In the opening match at the Johar Town Hockey Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan Seniors downed Pakistan Whites 2-0.

Both the goals were scored in the open play by the ace striker Haseem Khan, the current captain of Pakistan's national team,  in the 19th & 26th minute.

On Thursday, Pakistan Seniors face the Development Squad

PHF Media release



Scotland International Grand Masters Teams mixed results in Celtic Cup


Scotland m Masters O60

It was with a range of emotions that the Scottish International Grand Masters teams returned from the Celtic Cup in Cork at the weekend.

They left the Scottish shores with high expectations especially with the O60 team being the holders of their Celtic Cup and strong squads having been selected in all three age groups.

With the O70 team having only Wales as opposition currently, it mean that it was left to the O65 and O60 to lead the way in the tournament on the Friday evening. The O65 played out a fairly tame 0-0 with Wales neither team playing the kind of hockey that they would have wanted. The O60 team had found it hard against a strong physical French team last September in Lille only winning 2-0 but this time they found their stride from the very start and played some good flowing hockey to run out comfortable winners 7-0 with goals from Arthur Robertson (3), Danny Onn, Bernie Morrison, Glenn Paton and Niall Sturrock.

Saturday saw the O65 play the usual hard fought battle with the Irish O65 who boasted a strong squad on their home patch. Unfortunately the final score saw the Scots go down by 2-1 with Peter Robertson getting the consolation goal.


Scotland m Masters O70

The sprightly O70 squad scored early in their first match against Wales through Doug Morrice and whilst they had further opportunities to add to this they had to settle for the solitary goal in their 1-0 win.

The O60 have had a good record in recent years against the Welsh and again started strongly against a hard working Welsh team. Although the Scots lost their fluency in the third quarter they went on to run out comfortable winners by 5-0 with goals from Billy Taylor (2), Ali Hay, Derek Johnstone and Glenn Paton. They were indebted to Chris Taylor and Ian McCreath for the clean sheet after some sterling defending denied the Welsh a goal that they probably deserved.

This left all the competitions open for the final day.

The O65 played against the French team who had, due to restricted numbers of 19 players, were playing their 6th match of the weekend and although the Scots had most of possession the French defended resolutely and restricted Scotland to two goals from Alan Parker and Peter Gordon whilst scoring one of their own. The Welsh beat the Irish in their game to win the tournament and leave Scotland in 3rd place.

The O70 stepped up for their 2nd game in two days and spent considerable time in the Welsh half and were indeed more of less camped in it for the fourth quarter seeking the goal to break the 1-1 deadlock. The pressure eventually paid off when Roy Crichton broke through the defence and crossed the ball to Doug Morrice to tap in at the back post to seal the game and Cup for the Scots. Roy Crichton had scored earlier in the match.

The O60 went into their match leading the Irish on goal difference but knew that it would be a hard fought game with no quarter asked or given. It was a cagy start with Ireland keeping possession and towards the end of the 1st quarter they stole the ball from the Scottish defence and found a free forward who scored. From the start of the 2nd quarter Scotland had a chance with Ali Hay driving down the right but his cross found no takers in the circle. A penalty corner goal was disallowed by the disengaged umpire and that was a sign of things the kind of day it would be. Ireland had the one shot on goal and no penalty corners, Scotland had the majority of possession, a number of penalty corners and found the Irish goalkeeper in unbeatable form. Although Scotland spent the majority of the 2nd half of the game camped in Irish territory they could not find the finish that would allow them to retain the cup. The final whistle went with Scotland again in the Irish circle but the score remained 1-0 to Ireland.

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Rot-Weiss closing in on confirmed German playoff place



Rot-Weiss Köln can potentially secure a place in the German Bundesliga playoffs as they face into a double-weekend against TuS Lichterfelde and Berliner HC.

They picked up an important 1-0 win over Mannheimer HC last weekend with Christopher Zeller scoring the only goal in the 52nd minute from a penalty corner.

With Harvestehuder THC losing 5-3 to Uhlenhorst Mülheim and Crefelder falling 3-1 to Berlin, the results saw Rot-Weiss extend their lead at the top of the table to five points.

Looking back on the game, Rot-Weiss coach André Henning said: "The first half was not nice hockey from us; we had little control and both sides had hardly any chances, not even a corner ."

"In the second half, we were better. We looked after the basics, had much more ball possession and created opportunities and I think that is why we deserved the win.”

With five games to go, Rot-Weiss are in great shape to at least gain a playoff place with 11 points between them and fifth placed Mannheim.

Wins over the number 11 and 9 in the table – both away from home – will guarantee that and put them within touching distance of a return to the EHL for the 2017/18 season.

For UHC Hamburg, this weekend is now or never if they are to reach the playoffs. They sit in eighth place with five points to make up on the top four. They start off this weekend with a derby against Harvestehuder on Friday before battling Mülheim.

Fifth plays fourth on Saturday when Mannheim meet Crefeld with plenty of twists and turns assured on weekend 13 of the season.

Euro Hockey League media release



Madibaz prepped for Varsity Hockey tournament

 

The Madibaz-NMMU women’s team are ready to tackle the country’s top sides after wrapping up their preparations for the Varsity Hockey tournament with a training camp at the weekend.

The Port Elizabeth side are one of eight teams in the race for the title, which kicks off on Friday in Stellenbosch. Four matches will be played this weekend, with the competition concluding in Potchefstroom from May 12 to 15.

The Varsity Hockey tournament alternates annually between the men’s and women’s editions with UJ the defending champions in both.

New Madibaz coach Michael van Rensburg said they had a number of new faces in their squad, but were looking forward to gaining exposure at a higher level.

“Varsity Hockey offers fantastic opportunities for players in a number of avenues,” he said.

“But I do believe most of the players in the competition will be aiming to be selected for the Premier Hockey League (PHL) later this year.”

Introduced for the first time last year, the PHL consists of men’s and women’s franchise teams, comprising the top players in South Africa.

Van Rensburg added that Varsity Hockey would also offer NMMU’s younger players the chance to play against some of the best women in the country.

“It will be a massive learning experience for many of our team members.”

With five players from the 2015 squad included, Van Rensburg said they were approaching an exciting phase in Madibaz hockey.

“We have a good mixture of experience and youth coming into the system,” he added.

“Lauren Nina was the top goal-scorer at the PHL last year and will add good experience up front, while others to watch include Caitlin Gouws and Kanyisa Gwata.”

He said the squad had undergone an intensive two-month training programme, covering all aspects of the game.

“The players have been working hard over the last eight weeks in the High Performance Complex in terms of their conditioning.

“Our on-field preparation was split into two blocks, with the first two weeks focused on making sure the players were able to execute the technical skills required of them.

“The second block’s focus was on tactical work where we concentrated on how we would like to operate as a unit.”

Van Rensburg said there was a feeling of excitement in the squad and they would be aiming to give themselves a chance of making the top five.

“There are also quite a few nerves among the new faces,” he added.

He said he thought the tournament would be wide open, but pinpointed UJ, Free State University, UP-Tuks and Stellenbosch as the teams to beat.

Madibaz Sport hockey manager Cheslyn Gie said he was sure the team would be competitive as they had been working well under Van Rensburg.

“They have really taken to him and he is a very thorough coach so it will be very interesting to see how they do if everything falls into place,” he said.

“There are some very good sides in the tournament, but the team should compete well and we are targeting at least a top five finish.”

Varsity Hockey tournament media release



Triumphant juniors revel in victory

By Nabil Tahir


RESURGENCE: For a former powerhouse whose hockey has been in a free-fall, this triumph was more than just a victory. PHOTO COURTESY: SOJC

KARACHI: Pakistan junior hockey team recently won the Australian U18 Championship, winning seven of their eight matches and exceeding their own expectations.

For a former powerhouse whose hockey has been in a free-fall for more than a decade, this triumph by its juniors, most of whom were on an international tour for the first time, was more than just a victory.

“Leading my team to victory in the national championship of the world’s top hockey-playing nation is quite comfortably the biggest achievement of my life,” team captain Junaid Manzoor told The Express Tribune.

“Every member of the team has been incredible. I cannot describe the passion every player has and the support we all give to each other.”

Manzoor, 18,  further said that donning Pakistan colours at international was his lifelong dream but one he thought would never get fulfilled due to politics within Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) previous regimes.

“But it all changed when the new management took over with the motive of serving the players as it is the player who at the end of the day make the country proud,” he said.

“This effort of sending players to Australia and for the U18 championship was a testament to the federation’s efforts.”

While in hindsight it seems it was all smooth sailing Down Under, Manzoor reveals that wasn’t the case.

“In the beginning we all were a bit under pressure as many of the players were touring internationally for the first time and we were up against Australian teams, who are said to be the toughest of all.

“Then our head coach Kamran Ashraf gave us a lot of confidence, and we came here early and acclimatised to the conditions. After we won our first practice match, it boosted our confidence and we realised that we are not weak,” he added.

Naveed Alam, the top scorer of the tournament with five goals, shed light on how the team dealt with their first, and only, setback.

“After winning the opening match we lost the second one, but that pushed us to do more hard work,” he said, “We grew in confidence match after match.”

The Colts’ scintillating play not only netted them the championship, but it also bedazzled their opponents’ coaches and selectors, who have now lined up to acquire some of the team’s best performers for their domestic leagues.

“After each match that we won, the coaches and heads of different states came to us to appreciate our efforts and fitness, something that helped a lot in us becoming strong mentally,” said vice-captain Moin Shakeel.

“Everyone knew that they’ll have to perform if they want to play in their league, so we gave our all every time we stepped foot on the turf.”

Ashraf, the head coach, also expressed his satisfaction at a plan that worked wonders both on and off the field.

“This tournament gave some much-needed exposure to our players before the main events of the future and it will go a long way in rebuilding Pakistan hockey, which in my view is on the up now,” he said.

The Express Tribune



MBPJ top Division One after thrashing Politeknik

by Aftar Singh

PETALING JAYA: Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) have surged to the top of Division One in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).

MBPJ scored an impressive 4-2 win over Politeknik Malaysia yesterday and have 18 points from seven matches.

They are two points ahead of defending league champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI).

Both teams have two matches left to play.

MBPJ, who lost 3-2 to SMK Datuk Bentara Luar of Johor last week, did well at the MBPJ Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Muhd Norshahrezan Mat Jusoh scored a brace for MBPJ while Muhd Nur Iman Muhd Raflee and Muhd Nur Asyraf Ishak chipped in with a goal each.

Politeknik got their goals through Mohd Sufian Marsom and Muhd Adhwa Mohd Jalil.

MBPJ coach Mohd Hafizi Baharom explained that his team played at a slower tempo as “we are tired after playing five games in nine days”.

“I rested a few key players because I want them to get enough rest for the last two crucial matches,” said Hafizi.

MBPJ’s last two matches are against Pahang Hockey Academy (AHP)-MSP-Thunderbolt on Friday and Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) Thunderbolt on Sunday.

“We have a bright chance of winning the league, but it will all depend on how we perform in the next two matches,” said Hafizi.

The Star of Malaysia



U18 Boys win 3 match series against Wales


U18 England Boys 2017

England opened there three match series with a great 6-1 win over the Wales Development side. Two early goals from Males and Ramshaw in the first half gave them a 2-0 lead and as they stepped off the gas for a moment they let Wales pull one back. Ramshaw got his second just on before half time to make it 3-1. They further extended their lead early in the second half, with another from Ramshaw completing his hatrick. Griffiths and Wallace also got on the score sheet to complete the first game with a 6-1 win.

Head coach Jody Paul said; A win to shake off the disappointment of the 3 tests v Holland but still much to work on over the next few days.

Match 1

England (3) 6
Males 3’ (PC) Ramshaw 4’ (FG) 29’ (PC) 35 (PC) Griffiths 33’ (PC) Wallace 53’ (FG)

Wales Development (1) 1
21’ FG

A more organised start from Wales that put the pressure on England but Wallace managed to break deadlock after 26 minutes with a goal from open play to give them the lead at half time. The second half England came out eager to extend the lead Griffiths and Killington scoring in the space of two minutes of each other. Killington got his second tidying up in front of goal. Ramshaw got England’s fifth putting away a penalty corner.

Jody Paul said; "Wales looked more organised today and were stronger today in the first half. We have been working on ensuring we have a good platform to build from and this showed in the second half as we built up the lead."

Match 2

England (1) 5
Wallace 26’ (FG) Griffiths 39’ (FG) Killington 40’ (FG) 48’ (FG) Ramshaw 59’ (FG)

Wales (0) 1
53’ (FG)

In a physical final game against Wales, England came out on top winning 5-0.
The boys had to work hard and Patel opened the scoring after ten minutes into the first half. Just minutes later he got a touch in front of the keeper to tap home his second of the match. The team found their rhythm and minutes later Killington got England’s third. A penalty corner before half time saw Ramshaw slot it home to finish the half 4-0. Ramshaw got his second of the game from a similar penalty corner routine to finish the final game of the series 5-0. 

Head coach Jody Paul said; “A good finish to these three tests. The boys worked hard on getting up and down the pitch today to ensure we maintained layers to play through.”

Match 3

England (3) 5
Patel 10’ 11’ (FG) Killington 13’ (FG) Ramshaw 31’ (PC) 53’ (PC)

Wales Development (0) 0

England Hockey Board Media release



England U18 Girls success over Wales Development


U18 England Girls 2017

England opened the 3 match series against the Wales Development squad with a solid 2-0 win. England found they had most of the possession but the Welsh defence were strong and looked dangerous on the counter attack. Two good penalty corner routines helped give the U18 England girls a good start to the weekend.

Head coach Sarah Kelleher said; “It is very pleasing to be able to include the wider squad in this series of matches. This allows us to build on the experience gained in Holland, and share across the group. Today’s match provided a good learning experience which we will look to develop over the next two matches.”

Match 1

England (1) 2
Petter 29’ (PC) Gooderham 55’ (PC) 

Wales Development (0) 0

England started the game on the front foot; leaving Wales with little time or space to play their own game. Izzy Petter opened up the scoring in the 7th minute which gave the side even more confidence going forward. They worked hard as a team to execute another six goals with some brilliant play.
The young England team was disappointed not to keep a clean sheet, when Wales converted a penalty corner with seconds remaining on the clock.

Head coach Sarah Kelleher said; “This was an excellent team performance that showcased the strength and depth of the squad we have. The players played with expression & fluidity exploring & trying out what we have been working together on. We were clinical in converting our opportunities with some great goals while playing a tactically astute game.”

Match 2

England (3) 7
Petter 7’ (FG) 66’ (FG) Wolstenholme 22’ (FG) Dixon 31’ (PC) Crackles 39’ (FG) Back 42’ (FG) Griggs 65’ (PC)

Wales Development (0) 1
70’ (PC)

England completed a clean sweep of wins over Wales with the final result being a hard fought victory from England.

There was some strong resistance from the visitors who were clearly determined to put the previous day’s result behind them and prove their true credentials. They managed this successfully until a rebound from an England penalty corner in the 27th minute was forced over the line at close range by Ellie Emo. Wales looked more dangerous in attack than at any previous time over the weekend, causing Katie Knight, making her debut in the England goal, into a series of fine saves. However, ten minutes after half-time, England produced a carbon copy of their first half goal, from the same scorer. Wales continued to battle hard and received their reward a few minutes later when they converted their own penalty corner. England continued to play their own game and created a number of excellent chances in the final minutes, which they were unlucky not to convert.

Sarah Kelleher said; "A very different game to the previous day and a welcome challenge for the group. Wales stepped up their performance asking good questions of us which provided an excellent learning experience for the players. Overall, this has been an excellent series of games where we have learned a lot about ourselves individually and as a collective group. All very encouraging and lots of positives to build on."

Match 3

England (1) 2
Emo 27, 46 (PC)

Wales Development (0) 1
40’ (PC)

England Hockey Board Media release

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