News for 14 September 2017
All the news for Thursday 14 September 2017
Pakistan's Development Squad defeats Oman 4-2- to win the series
In the series' fourth match at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex hockey ground in Muscat, Pakistan's development squad defeated the hosts Oman 4-2 victory.
With this win, they also sealed the 5 match series. The development Squad have now won three consecutive matches after drawing the opening encounter.
But the Pakistanis had to dig deep for this series clincher.
The Omanis surprised everyone, going two goals up in the first quarter. The visitors fought back gallantly. It was all even when the hooter sounded to signal the end of the first half. Samiullah and Mubashir were the scorers
Pakistan's development squad added two more goals through skipper Shajeeh Ahmed & Atiq in the second half to finish the match at 4-2.
Fifth (last) match) on Friday
PHF Media release
Indian Oil, SCR charge to second successive wins; virtually through to semis
s2h team
Mumbai: Former champions Indian Oil, Mumbai and South Central Railway (SCR), Secundrabad charged to their second successive wins and are virtually through to the semi-finals of the 13th PMC Bank-Guru Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup All India Hockey Tournament.
First in a Pool-B match in the afternoon, Indian Oil romped to a 4-2 win against MHAL President’s XI and later in the evening SCR produced another slick combined performance to overcome Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) 3-1 in a Pool-A match, played at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium, Churchgate on Wednesday.
Indian Oil had defeated Central Railway, Mumbai 7-1 on Tuesday, while SCR beat another Mumbai outfit Indian Navy 3-1 in their opening match on Monday.
Both Indian Oil and SCR top their respective pools with six points each. MHAL President’s XI and BPCL have lost both their matches so far and are out of contention of making the semis. BPCL had lost to Punjab Police 0-1 on Tuesday, while President’s XI were beaten 3-1 by Army XI on the opening day.
SCR produced a pleasing display as they showed good coordination and understanding to launch a number of sorties at the rival citadel and dominated play. They did not take too long to get on the scoreboard, striking twice in quick succession. First Gagandeep Singh scored from a penalty corner in the ninth minute and two minutes later Mayank James slotted home from a neat combined move to take a 2-0 cushion.
BPCL, who finished runners-up in 2000, replied back when Mumbai lad Devinder Walmiki sounded the boards in the 17th minute.
But the Secundrabad outfit continued to hold the upper hand and after a couple of close misses, they added the third when James deflected home Poonacha’s firm hit into the striking circle in the 63rd minute to secure the win. Earlier, Indian Oil skipper Deepak Thakur drew first blood for the team with a field goal in the very second minute. But the MHAL youngsters fought back and managed to draw level when Nikhil Pardeshi converted a penalty corner in the eighth minute. But seven minutes later, Indian Oil regained the lead through Sunil Yadav’s penalty corner conversion and they went into the break with a slender 2-1 lead.
On resumption the President side kept fighting and managed to create a couple of goal scoring chances, but they lacked finishing.
Indian Oil added the third through drag-flicker Gagandeep Singh’s penalty corner in the 45th minute. The President outfit reduced the deficit when Mayur Patil scored from a field effort in the 65th minute before Indian Oil once again hit the target through Sukhjeet Singh in the 68th minute to complete their win.
Results – Pool-A: South Central Railway 3 (Gagandeep Singh 9th-PC, Mayank James 11th, 63rd) beat BPCL 1 (Devinder Walmiki 17th).
Pool-B: Indian Oil 4 (Deepak Thakur 2nd, Sunil Yadav 15th-PC, Gagandeep Singh 45th-PC, Sukhjeet Singh 68th) beat MHAL President’s XI 2 (Nikhil Pardeshi 8th-PC, Mayur Patil 65th).
Stick2Hockey.com
MHA planning a leaner league
Dhananjay Roy
MUMBAI: The Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) has decided to trim the number of divisions across which it holds its annual leagues. There were six divisions including the Super Division (seven teams), Senior Division (six teams), 1st Division (eight teams), 2nd Division (six teams), 3rd Division (eight teams) and the 4th Division (27 teams divided into four pools) in the 2016-17 season.
However, the 2017-2018 season will not have teams competing in the third and fourth divisions as they will be merged with the second division. According to the number of entries received, these teams will be divided into various pools.
"We have decided to reduce the number of divisions mainly for three reasons," Ram Singh Rathor, secretary of the MHA, said on Wednesday.
"We are aiming to conduct all the league games from October 1 and finish them by 31st March next year. This will help reduce the pressure on the turf," he explained. The previous league season started in October 2016 and concluded in August this year.
"Also, this will help teams get value for money. There are many times when a player who has been contracted by one team is not able to honour his contract fully because the league stretches on. He leaves midway and goes on to represent other teams elsewhere because of the break that our leagues were witnessing. If it is shorter, teams will know exactly how long they want a player to stay with them," added Rathor.
"The third reason is if the leagues end by March, we will have a big enough window to revive some of our knock-out tournaments (including SD Bhiwandiwala & Dr Joseph Fernandes) that were discontinued owing to lack of dates."
Indian Oil, SCR win
Indian Oil, Mumbai and South Central Railway, Secunderabad (SCR), recorded their second successive wins and are virtually through to the semifinals of the 13th Guru Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup All India hockey tournament.
The Times of India
AHL - ACT History
The last 3 years of ACT's AHL
Holly MacNeil
The Canberra Lakers team finished eighth in the 2016 Australian Hockey League tournament.
They went up against Tasmania for seventh spot but unfortunately lost 4–1. Andrew Monte got highest goal scorer for the Lakers with 5 goals throughout the tournament.
In 2015, they came sixth and went down horrifically to NSW losing 7–0. Troy Sutherland scored 3 goals during the tournament and got top goal scorer for the team.
In 2014, Lakers came seventh where they went up against SA Hotshots winning 8–0. Turner, Kershaw and Davidson all scored 2 goals each during that game. Glenn Turner got the most goals scored in the Lakers side throughout that tournament.
The Canberra Strikers finished fourth in the 2016 Australian Hockey League tournament. They made it into the bronze medal match but unfortunately lost to NSW, 2–1.
Naomi Evans and Laura Gray scored the most goals in the team with 4 goals each.
In 2015, they made it into the bronze medal match and were again unsuccessful as they went down to NSW, 3–1.
Anna Flanagan and Laura Gray were the top goal scorers for the team in 2015, with 3 goals each.
In 2014, the Strikers fought for fifth place in a game against SA. They won the game 1–0 with Katie Gillis scoring. Gillis, Gray and Evans all finished as top goal scorers for the team with 4 goals each.
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Hockey Australia media release
Hammond & Blyth Win Top Gongs
Ben Somerford
Kookaburras midfielder Casey Hammond and former Hockeyroos captain Madonna Blyth have won the major awards at Hockey WA’s Annual Dinner on Wednesday night.
Hammond, who is currently preparing for the Australian Hockey League in Melbourne, claimed the 2017 Olympians’ Medal after a strong season for Curtin University in the WA Men’s Premier League.
Retired Hockeyroos midfielder Blyth took home the Charlesworth Medal for the best and fairest player in the WA Women’s Premier League with Old Haleians.
Blyth, who played for Australia 342 times, coached Old Haleians to the Preliminary Final in her first season too, before their loss to Victoria Park Xavier on Saturday.
Hockeyroos forward Kathryn Slattery won the Jackie Pereira Top Goalscorer Award for Women after scoring 17 goals.
Australia goalkeeper Ashlee Wells won the Just Hockey Fairest and Best Goalkeeper Award for Women.
Hockeyroo Georgia Wilson claimed the Rechelle Hawkes Youth Player of the Year Award.
Winners:
Just Hockey Fairest and Best Goalkeeper Award (Women):
ASHLEE WELLS (NORTH COAST RAIDERS HOCKEY CLUB)
Just Hockey Fairest and Best Goalkeeper Award (Men):
ED CHITTLEBOROUGH (OLD GUILDFORD MUNDARING HOCKEY CLUB)
Eric Pearce Top Goalscorer Award for Men:
LIAM FLYNN (OLD HALEIANS HOCKEY CLUB)
Jackie Pereira Top Goalscorer Award for Women:
KATHRYN SLATTERY (WESLEY SOUTH PERTH HOCKEY CLUB)
Rechelle Hawkes Youth Player of the Year Award:
GEORGIA WILSON (VICTORIA PARK XAVIER HOCKEY CLUB)
Paul Gaudoin Youth Player of the Year Award:
ALEXANDER FRASER (OLD AQUINIANS HOCKEY CLUB)
2017 Charlesworth Medal:
MADONNA BLYTH (OLD HALEIANS HOCKEY CLUB)
2017 Olympians’ Medal:
CASEY HAMMOND (CURTIN UNIVERSITY HOCKEY CLUB)
Hockey Australia media release
Helping youngsters can help me improve my game, says PR Sreejesh
PR Sreejesh has been out of the fray for five months due to a knee injury during the Azlan Shah Cup earlier in the year. He has since traveled with the Indian team for the Junior Hockey World Cup that they won.
PR Sreejesh is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the SAI centre in Bengaluru with his team mates. (Source: File)
India’s hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh feels that sharing his experiences with youngsters is as good for him as it is for them. “I think it’s important for me to share my experiences with the younger players and give them feedback on their performances. That also helps me in improving my game as I can also learn from them. When I come back on the field, I will know where I need to make improvements,” he is quoted as saying by PTI.
Sreejesh has been out of the fray for five months due to a knee injury during the Azlan Shah Cup earlier in the year. He has since travelled with the Indian junior hockey team for the Junior World Cup that they won. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the SAI centre in Bengaluru with his team mates.
“It feels good to be back at the national camp and starting some light training with my teammates. When you are with your team, you get the right motivation to work hard every day and get back to the field quickly,” Sreejesh said.
He expressed confidence that India will only improve under the stewardship of new chief coach Sjoerd Marijne, who replaced sacked Roelant Oltmans. “With a new coach in place now, this team will take a new direction. While moving up the ranks and maintaining consistency remains constant, I am sure along with me, all the players in the camp are looking forward to continuing to put the hard work and aim for better results under chief coach Marijne,” he said
Indian Express
Racing scrape past newly promoted Polo’s challenge
France’s two EHL-bound clubs started their respective national league campaigns with narrow wins with Saint Germain beating Stade Francais while Racing Club de France beat newly promoted Polo.
For Polo, it was a strong showing against the three in-a-row winners as goalkeeper Thibault Lefebvre played a key role. He could do nothing to deny Jean-Laurent Kieffer’s penalty corner goal in the 11th minute.
Polo fought back quickly to level the match seven minutes later via Charles Coffigniez. While Racing had most of the opportunities, they went behind in the second half following a counter-attack with Grégoire Lardeur scoring for Polo.
It forced Racing into action and they got level via Simon Martin-Brisac’s individual goal and then via a powerful push from Christopher Peters-Deutz to eventually secure a 3-2 victory despite plenty of late pressure.
Racing featured Alastair Haughton for the first time, the Irishman – who played in the EHL in 2008/09 with Three Rock Rovers – making the move to the club from Paris Jean Bouin and starting in midfield.
Saint Germain won their tie 3-2 as well with Hugo Genestet, Joris Harou and Stijn Gabriel scoring the goals. The shock of the day saw Wattignies beat Lyon 4-3 with the towering Benjamin Lahaut scoring twice, the second of which proved the winner.
CA Montrouge edged out Lille courtesy of two goals from Sebastien Lefrant.
Euro Hockey League media release
Aussie Tim Deavin recruited to play for Canterbury Cavaliers hockey team
Australian Tim Deavin, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, will join Canterbury in the national tournament in Wellington this weekend. GETTY IMAGES
Australian Tim Deavin, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, will join Canterbury in the national tournament in Wellington this weekend.
Aussie veteran Tim Deavin shouldn't have to say too much when he meets his new Canterbury Cavaliers men's team-mates for the first time this weekend.
This is one of those situations where inputting details into a search engine spits out no shortage of goodies. Deavin, a dual Olympian who has played 138 games for Australia, has been recruited as a replacement for the Cavaliers original international guest player Glenn Turner ahead of the National Hockey League tournament in Wellington on September 16-24.
Cavaliers coach Andrew Hastie was forced to sift through his contacts book when Australian Turner suffered a hamstring injury at training, and was satisfied he got a suitable replacement in midfielder/defender Deavin.
And as far as resumes go, Deavin's makes for good reading. Based in Perth, the 33 year old has been playing for Tasmania in the Australian domestic competition.
He was in the victorious world cup team in 2014, a bronze medallist at the 2012 Olympics, claimed gold at the Champions Trophy in 2011 and has recently been contracted to the Ranchi Rays in India.
"We are very lucky to get him," Hastie said. "As soon as Glenn was ruled out I got onto my contacts in Australia. It is crucial we get a quality player - he is very versatile. He will meet us at the tournament for the first time; that is the way it is with international players.
"You don't usually get much time with them because they are contracted and working (elsewhere)."
Although his international career appears to be over, with new Kookaburra coach Colin Batch stating earlier this year he was aiming to blood younger players ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Deavin, who played for Midlands in 2014 and was named the NHL player of the year, still has plenty to offer.
"We actually lost to Midlands in the semifinal that year, in a penalty shoot-out, and Tim played extremely well," Hastie added.
In terms of paying to get Deavin to New Zealand, Hastie said Canterbury "assisted in that area" when it came to providing finance.
Last year Canterbury lost to Midlands in the final. Their first game in the tournament is against Northland.
Unlike previous seasons, when the longer format enabled teams to train on a regular basis before weekend games, the compressed format means coaches, players and their analysts must quickly adjust to a quick turnaround. "It's a part of life, just have to deal with it and get on with it," Deavin said.
Canterbury Cavaliers: David Brydon, George Connell, Lawrence Darling, George Enersen, Nick Findlay, Hamish Findlay, Cam Hayde, Angus Hazlett, Hugh Hendrickson, Xavier Hey, Declan Keaney, Sam Lane, Dom Newman, Jason Niles, Bryan Schofield, Brad Shaw, Trent Summers, Tim Deavin (international guest player).
Stuff
EY Working Group confirm postponement of opening round
The first round of the Irish EY Hockey League, due to take place on Saturday, September 16, has been postponed following a meeting of the competition’s Working Group on Wednesday evening.
In their letter confirming the cancellation of the games, the Working group stated that, at this stage, there were no umpire appointments in place for the weekend and so no club was in a position “to fulfil the regulations in respect of contacting the umpires to confirm match details”.
The EYHL working group had proposed a contingency plan to see if clubs could source umpires themselves but there were not enough confirmed officials in place to see a full series of games go ahead, leading to the blanket postponement.
“In response to the proposed contingency plan, a number of clubs identified umpires and also a number of umpires contacted the WG confidentially with availability. However, there are not enough umpires to cover the entire weekend programme.
“The WG considered all the facts available at this time including:
– the other preparation and planning activities and costs that clubs have in the run up to the match (hotel bookings, food, match program costs, etc.).
– the potential for a divisive situation to occur between clubs if only some games were to be played
“The decision of the WG is regretably that this weekend’s programme of matches will have to be postponed as the clubs have not been notified of their appointed umpires for their matches.
“We hope that your club, your players, members and sponsors appreciate that this has been a difficult decision and has not been made lightly. We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming days with respect to the following week’s programme.”
The Hook
International Field Hockey athletes pitch their thoughts
Six international Hawkeye field hockey players share their thoughts on coming to the United States and playing for Iowa.
By Taylor McNitt
Big Ten sports tend to draw athletes from all over, but Iowa’s field-hockey team is particularly interesting. Of the 21 players on the team, six are international players.
“We have a lot of — first of all — personalities who just bring a lot of fun to the team,” said head coach Lisa Cellucci. “They span all over the world, so that brings some great diversity, but then just their talent level. We have them on all three lines on the field, and just some very skilled players with some great speed and athleticism, so we’re really hoping that that will lean into our better team attack.”
Their origins range anywhere from the United Kingdom to Tasmania. Naturally, they had some adjusting to do upon becoming student-athletes at the University of Iowa.
Junior midfielder Isabella Brown, from Christchurch, New Zealand, listed numerous aspects of these differences.
“I think for me, between home and America, pretty much everything is different. The culture, the way people speak, the currency — everything’s different. Hockey-wise, it’s definitely a different kind of play, as in more thought goes into it in America. The coaches are really good here — but they’re good back at home as well.”
The differences in the play is an important thing to note for these players, because it affects each game.
“The field hockey out here compared to home is really different — the facilities are amazing, all of the support systems are really great, and we get to train a lot more,” graduate student Lucie Daman said. “We’re on the pitch every day, which is pretty cool, compared to back home.”
Freshman Ellie Holley, a midfielder and forward from Bristol, England, summed up what it’s like to play college field hockey in the United States.
“I think the big difference between home and here is that you can merge the fact of being a student and getting your degree, as well as playing hockey,” she said. “I think at home you have to choose one or the other, but here you’re allowed to merge the two. But you’re not compromising either of the fields, you’re getting a great top-class degree, but also getting professional hockey with fantastic facilities.”
The other international players agreed with her. This quality about Iowa drew them to the university, and none of them have regrets.
“The academic support we get alongside field hockey is [great],” said Brown. “All my lecturers have all been so nice about moving [around] stuff I’ve had to miss, helping me out in that respect. The support system from the sport and the academics is awesome.”
Not only is the university valuable to them, but they have proven to be valuable to the school as well. All six play important roles in contributing to the team’s success.
Two players in particular — sophomore Katie Birch from York, England, and freshman Maddy Murphy from Riana, Tasmania — dominate the statistical stage for field hockey.
Birch was the 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and she leads in points this year. Murphy has just been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week and has been selected to be on the Australian Indoor World Cup team.
But even for all the attention these international players have gotten for their contributions to the Iowa field-hockey team, they still have at least one thing in common with most other students at the UI.
“Honestly, the only thing — the hardest thing would have to be leaving my family,” Holley said. “But as soon as I stepped foot here, I knew I was here exactly, and I’m loving every single day that I’m here.”
The Daily Iowan
USA Wins Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Bid, What it Means for USA Field Hockey
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - For the first time in more than 30 years, the United States of America will welcome back the pinnacle of sporting events to American soil. The International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s evaluation commission formally awarded the city of Los Angeles as hosts of the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in a vote today at the IOC Session in Lima, Peru.
Alongside the approval of Paris as hosts of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, the return of The Games to the United States leaves ample opportunity for USA Field Hockey in the decade to come.
What it means for USA Field Hockey?
A once in a generation opportunity lays ahead for athletes across the country, to inspire Americans and to grow the game of field hockey alongside the LA 2028 and United States Olympic Committee (USOC). It also means developing a legacy in the greater Los Angeles area and Southern California in venues, programs and events to increase participation at the youth level. Most importantly, it means the ever-aspiring young field hockey player now has the incredible chance to represent Team USA at home.
The U.S. Men’s National Team?
Southern California remains a hot bed of support for men’s field hockey and the USMNT. An Olympic Bid in that epicenter gives USA Field Hockey a prime opportunity to impact interest among boys picking up and playing field hockey. In turn LA 2028 also means expanding the game all along the west coast and across the country.
For the aspiring youth who want to become Olympians?
The ever-aspiring young field hockey player now has an incredible chance to represent Team USA at home. As the excitement for Los Angeles continues to grow in the coming months and years, young athletes as young as six years-old will have more opportunities to not only get into the sport, but to also grow through our Olympic Development Pipeline initative, the Futures Program. The next athletes that will walk into the stadium at the Opening Ceremony will come through this program.
Growing the Game?
Contribute to USA’s Olympic Dream! The challenge at USA Field Hockey is to ensure we are well coordinated with an engaging game plan to leverage hosting the Olympic Games at home. This strategy means working with all of our stakeholders of the sport, while delivering more programs ever before in the Golden State. This is not just about athletes. In just under 11 years from now, players, coaches, umpires and volunteers will have the chance to shine on the biggest field hockey stage within our borders.
Looking forward…
We will look back over 10 years from now at this moment. 2028 may seem like a long way off here in 2017, but our strategy in the present will determine engagement among our sport community, and put field hockey in a higher, stronger state in the future. Many new faces will be representing the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams by our work right now and in the coming years. Who will be reading this in 2017? What about seeing our work in 2020? In 2024? Our goal is to exceed our own expectations, inspire those next National Team players and make the game of field hockey one of the most anticipated chants of “USA” in the heart of Los Angeles.
USFHA media release
The ‘Hockeypatti’ of Madurai
Veteran hockey coach L Raju, who has transformed Vadipatti into a hockey hub, tells how he scouts hockey talents and helps them emerge as outstanding players
T. Saravanan
Igniting hockey temper: Veteran hockey coach L. Raju at a training session. Photo: R. Ashok
Vadipatti, a bustling rural suburb was an unknown entity in sports till L Raju arrived here three decades ago. Today, the town is synonymous with hockey with players of international calibre emerging out of Raju’s stable.
The veteran hockey coach, who began his career in Coonoor as physical education teacher in a management school, came to his home town to serve in Government Boys Higher Secondary School and it turned out to be a blessing for the students when Raju converted the existing football ground into a hockey ground and started coaching them. “I noticed the boys playing football very spiritedly. Their sprinting ability caught my eyes. As I was also interested in our national game and wanted to produce quality players, I taught them the nuances of hockey and it is producing good results,” says Raju.
With the help of like minded coach Thangaraj, he transformed the place into a hockey hub. Soaked in the artistry of Indian hockey, Raju taught his students dribbling and dodging skills and evolved a distinct hockey style for Vadipatti.
“Even in those days when astro turf was unheard of, Raju sir insisted on speed and accuracy and that brought name and fame to the town,” says A.G. Kannan, president, Madurai District Hockey Association.
Raju spotted boys under 10 years and formed a formidable team, which won several district-level tournaments and shot the Vadipatti players into prominence and soon they were invited to represent the State team. “I formed a junior team and took them to Bharathiar Day Sports where we won the title. Then our boys took part in Republic Day Sports hockey tournament and won laurels for the school. Two of our boys were part of the State team that won All India Rural Sports title. It was a huge encouragement for our boys and they started to take the hockey seriously,” says Raju.
The success of the school compelled the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu to set up the Hockey Talent Development Centre (HTDC) at the school. The centre receives fund from the State to organise regular training programmes for the students and summer camps for the newcomers. “Our students come from poor economic background and they do not have the wherewithal to buy even wooden sticks. But the centre provides free graphite hockey sticks and training for the boys,” says Suresh, Physical Education Teacher of the Vadipatti school.
Buoyed up by the stupendous success of the team and to give them enough opportunities, Raju and like minded friends including advocate Rajagopal started the Ever Great Hockey Club two decades ago and it provided good platform for the boys to whet their skills and strengthen their game.
The club took part in local open tournaments to test the standard of their players. Brushing aside initial set backs, the players performed spiritedly to outsmart much stronger Indian Overseas Bank team from Chennai in a tournament. That gave them enough confidence to march ahead and it paved the way for players like V. Raja who represented the Indian team, Arumugam who plays for Services team and Gopinath who represented Junior India team. Ever Great Hockey Club has been organising state and south zone-level tournament for 17 years now.
“I still can’t forget how Raju sir encouraged us to put in more effort. His mentorship was crucial for me to perform well in international matches. Even today I remember his words while playing,” says V Raja, Indian hockey player, who is now busy playing in Australian and German hockey leagues. Inspired by Raju’s brand of hockey, Raja has started Vadipatti Raja Hockey Academy in Chennai employing the strategies and techniques he learnt from the veteran. Vadipatti’s fame inspired neighbouring places like Panjampatti and Pandiarapuram to pay more attention to hockey. “I was also trained by Raju sir and have developed a team that has won several state-level titles.
We have good infrastructure facilities at our school,” says P G Raja, physical education teacher of the Madura Sugars Higher Secondary School, Pandiarajapuram.
Hockey selectors look for Vadipatti players in every selection trials and there is never a state team without them. “Credit goes to Jothikumaran, former secretary general of the Indian hockey and A.G. Kannan for their steadfast support in creating an identity for our players,” says Raju.
Now, people of Vadipatti take to this sport for job opportunities. “Our players are employed in different Government services. Army and Department of Police are major recruiters,” says Kannan.
Playing on astro turf has become a standard norm for national and international hockey matches but Vadipatti does not have a single astro turf ground and the players train only on clay grounds.
It has forced players to move out of Vadipatti to places like Chennai. Still, Vadipatti remains a force to reckon with in the field of hockey.
The Hindu