News for 08 January 2018
All the news for Monday 8 January 2018
2018 Croatia Indoor Cup (W) - Day 3
Zagrab (CRO)
SF CRO v SVK 8 - 2 (4 - 2)
SF RSA v SLO 13 - 0 (5 - 0)
3rd/4th Place SVK v SLO 5 - 1 (1 - 0)
Final CRO v RSA 1 - 9 (0 - 4)
FIH Match Centre
Croatia Cup 2018 - SPAR South Africa show dominance in topping the group stages
SPAR South Africa vs. Croatia
After a successful opening day SPAR South Africa was presented with, on paper, their hardest test of the group stages taking on the hosts and defending champions Croatia. Croatia was clearly out to stamp their early authority on the game and in truth the SPAR South Africa ladies were a little slow in starting.
However, after four minutes of pressure from Croatia, it was the South Africans who had the best chance to score when Celia Evans fired wide. It had been immense game management from the African ladies as they soaked up the pressure and then turned up the heat in fantastic fashion. That African heat was starting to break through the Croatian cold, but it was only after 17 minutes that the deadlock was finally broken. Jessica O’Connor broke through the back and played the perfect pass to Kelly Reed who waited for the keeper to advance before setting up Cindy Hack to score.
It was less than a minute later and the Croatian keeper was picking the ball out the net again, this time Reed kept hold of the ball and made it 2-0, a score that would remain until halftime.
The start of the second half would have seen coach Lennie Botha well impressed as the ladies maintain the pre-halftime pressure and Cindy Hack quickly made it 3-0, Kelly Reed made it 4-0 and with a bit of time left in the game, it was 5-0 as Hack completed her hat-trick.
There was still time for Cheree Greyvenstein to pull off a superb double save straight off the bench and offer themselves an opportunity to preserve the clean sheet, which the team duly did. Top spot a near certainty already with a game remaining in the group stage.
After the game Kelly Reed shared her thoughts:
“We started the game a bit poorly and we were trying to force it a bit. We settled into the game and then started scoring some great goals. I think that we have been playing together for a long time and you can see that on the court. We have a good attacking mindset and that’s enjoyable to play in a team like that!”
SPAR South Africa vs. Slovenia
Having seen Croatia surprisingly lose to Slovakia just before the game started, SPAR South Africa were well aware that top spot was merely a formality. They then took apart a Slovenian side with the kind of efficiency that would have my accounting lecturer beaming. The Slovenians were without their first choice keeper due to illness, but the South Africans knew the season of giving was long gone. Instead what ensued was 40 minutes of target practice and 21 goals (The highest score at a Hockey World Cup is 19-1). Kara Botes and Celia Evans were devastating in their efficiency and seven different scorers put goals away for the South Africans in the most one-sided display.
And so one day and two matches remain. The SPAR South Africa side has been immense so far and need to carry it one step further. They play in the semi-final at 11:20 with a potential final at 15:20.
Croatia Cup Results
South Africa 5 – 0 Croatia
Slovakia 3 – 2 Croatia
South Africa 21 – 0 Slovenia
SA Hockey Association media release
2018 Croatia Indoor Cup (M)
Zagrab (CRO)
CRO v SLO 10 - 1 (4 - 1)
CRO v SLO 9 - 2 (4 - 1)
FIH Match Centre
Four Nations streaming live and on demand
Hockey New Zealand is pleased to confirm live and on demand coverage of the University of Waikato Men’s Four Nations in Tauranga and Hamilton this month.
The Vantage Black Sticks Men play host to Olympic silver medallists Belgium (world ranking 3rd), India (6th) and Japan (16th) in the quad series from 17-28 January.
Split across two separate five-day series, Blake Park in Tauranga hosts the action from 17-21 January before teams head to Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton from 24-28 January.
For those who can’t be there in person, ALL games will be streamed live on the Vantage Black Sticks Facebook page (facebook.com/nzblacksticks) and replays will then be available on demand at the conclusion of the live broadcast.
Fans who like the Vantage Black Sticks Facebook page will be notified through the mobile app or website as soon as the broadcast goes live.
New Zealand last played Belgium and Japan at the Hockey World League Semi Finals in Johannesburg last year where they recorded a 2-0 defeat and 3-1 victory respectively.
The Black Sticks will also be looking for revenge against India who came away with a 4-0 win in their last clash at the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Tickets for all days of the 2018 University of Waikato Men’s Four Nations are still available and start from just $5 through www.dashtickets.co.nz
The University of Waikato Four Nations is proudly supported by Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT), Tauranga City Council and Hamilton City Council.
CLICK HERE for more information and to buy tickets
BLAKE PARK, TAURANGA
Wednesday 17th January
5:45pm – India vs Japan
7:30pm – Vantage Black Sticks vs Belgium
Thursday 18th January
5:45pm – India vs Belgium
7:30pm – Vantage Black Sticks vs Japan
Saturday 20th January
12:15pm – Vantage Black Sticks vs India
2:00pm – Belgium vs Japan
Sunday 21st January
12:00pm – Bronze medal match
2:00pm – Gold medal match
GALLAGHER HOCKEY CENTRE, HAMILTON
Wednesday 24th January
5:45pm – Belgium vs Japan
7:30pm – Vantage Black Sticks vs India
Thursday 25th January
5:45pm – India vs Belgium
7:30pm – Vantage Black Sticks vs Japan
Saturday 27th January
2:15pm – India vs Japan
4:00pm – Vantage Black Sticks vs Belgium
Sunday 28th January
2:00pm – Bronze medal match
4:00pm – Gold medal match
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Nam Yong’s spotlight
By Aftar Singh
Time to celebrate: The KLHC team celebrating with the trophy after beating Terengganu 4-3 in penalty shootout in the final of the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup yesterday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS / The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: South Korean Lee Nam-yong was the toast of Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) after he hit the sudden-death penalty shooutout goal for their first Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup.
KLHC edged defending champions Terengganu 4-3 in the final at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
The match had to be decided in a penalty shootout after both teams failed to break the 3-3 deadlock in regulation time.
The score was also tied at 3-3 after the first five penalties.
In the match, KLHC scored their goals through Nam-yong, Moer Muhamad Azuan Hassan and Haziq Samsul while Terengganu netted via Faizal Saari, Ahmad Shakeel Butt and Joaqin Menini.
In the sudden-death shootout, Nam-yong scored while national forward Faizal’s attempt was saved by KLHC goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin.
Both teams went home with RM50,000 each.
Both teams had equal chances in the final. However, it was tough luck for Terengganu’s world class penalty corner expert Gonzalo Peillat of Argentina as two of his flicks hit the cross bar.
Terengganu got off to an explosive start in the first quarter by netting two quick goals in two minutes.
Peillat gave Terengganu the lead in the 10th minute off a penalty corner.
Just a minute later, Peillat’s push from the top of the semi-circle was well connected into goal by Manraj Singh, who is the son of Terengganu coach Sarjit Singh.
That was a wake-up call for KLHC, powered by seven national players and six foreigners, and they managed to pull one back in the 18th minute off a penalty corner through South Korean Jang Jong-hyun.
KLHC equalised from another penalty corner minutes later after Muhd Razie Abdul Rahim’s low flick was connected into goal by Mohd Syamim Mohd Yusof.
KLHC took the lead in the 34th minute with a superb reverse stick goal from Joshua Pollard.
Terengganu did not give up and drew level in the 53rd minute from the penalty spot through Peillat.
The Argentinian, who sent national goalkeeper Muhd Hafizuddin Othman the wrong way to make it 3-3, was named man of the match.
KLHC coach Lim Chiow Chuan praised his players for their determination after bouncing back from a two-goal deficit to take a 3-2 lead.
“It was anybody’s game in the penalty shootout but I’m glad we managed to score in the sudden death to win our first Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup,” said Chiow Chuan.
Terengganu coach Sarjit Singh said they were a bit unlucky as two of their penalty corners hit the bar.
“Both teams played well and congratulations to KLHC.
“We’ll now focus on our attempt to win the Premier Division title,” said Sarjit.
The Star of Malaysia
Copper Box beckons for top four
The Copper Box Arena beckons for Wimbledon, East Grinstead, Surbiton and Team Bath Buccaneers after they secured their spots at the finals of the Jaffa Super 6s Men’s Indoor Championships at Bromsgrove School on Sunday.
Wimbledon top the table and will face fourth-placed Team Bath Buccaneers in their semi final, with East Grinstead and Surbiton playing each other in a bid to reach the final on January 28.
Wimbledon secured top spot when they beat Sevenoaks 5-2, with England star Ed Horler hitting a hat-trick and Phil Ball adding a goal in each half.
In their second game of the day, Wimbledon underlined their top form with a 6-0 defeat of Team Bath Buccaneers. Phil Ball hit three goals to take his tally up to 13.
There were no wins for Team Bath Buccaneers today with their other game against Sevenoaks ending in a 4-4 draw, but they still finish fourth.
East Grinstead also secured a finals berth with two big wins, scoring 14 goals in the process. They opened the day against Reading, coming away with a 5-1 win. Wesley Jackson led the scoring with a brace and England and GB international Ashley Jackson, Tijn Van Groesen and Ben Allberry all scored too.
That result effectively ended Reading’s slim chances of making the finals and they finished in fifth place after beating Loughborough Students 4-2. Goals from James Carson and Duncan Riddell made the difference with the game being drawn 2-2 at the break.
It was Allberry that was the star of East Grinstead’s second game against Loughborough Students, hitting four goals in a big 9-3 win. Tijn Van Groesen grabbed a brace as did Simon Faulkner, with Ashley Jackson and Ross Stott were also on target.
Surbiton finish third despite losing twice on Sunday. They suffered an early setback in a 5-4 defeat to Holcombe. Surbiton looked to have the win in the bag as they led 3-0 at half time, but a comeback from Holcombe saw them score five in the second half with Dan Webster scoring twice.
It didn’t get any better for Surbiton as they closed proceedings with a 8-5 defeat at the hands of seventh placed Brooklands MU. Scotland and GB star Alan Forsyth scored four but couldn’t stop Surbiton from losing as Stefan Ray-Hills hit a hat-trick for Brooklands.
At the wrong end of the table, it is Loughborough Students who finish bottom with just one point after losing both of their games today and Sevenoaks are second from bottom.
* For goalscorers and full competition details, including live updates click here
England Hockey Board Media release
East Grinstead are finals bound in the Jaffa Super 6s
Holcombe captain Steph Elliott in action against Reading. Credit Andy Smith.
East Grinstead booked their place at the finals of the Jaffa Super 6s at the iconic Copper Box Arena in London on January 28 with two more victories in the Women’s Premier Division on Sunday.
They went into the final day of the group stages at the Phoenix Sport and Leisure Centre in Telford needing just one point to secure their place in the finals, and they did that in the opening game of the day, beating Clifton Robinsons 5-2.
Bowdon Hightown, Holcombe and Leicester will also compete for the title after finishing in the top four.
East Grinstead were 3-1 up after just 13 minutes against Clifton Robinsons. Helen Richardson-Walsh scored twice while Kate Richardson-Walsh, Abi Harper, Ashlie Caddick and Ellie Cockburn scored the rest.
Sutton Coldfield’s Vicky Woolford couldn’t help stop the East Grinstead onslaught despite scoring twice as Helen Richardson-Walsh scored her third and fourth goals of the day as East Grinstead won 5-3.
There were also two wins on the day for Bowdon Hightown who secured second spot with 19 points.
A double for Sally Walton and strikes from England and GB Olympians Tina Cullen and Sam Quek guided them to a 4-0 win over Canterbury, and in their second game against Slough, Walton once again scored twice as they won 5-2. Cullen also found the target twice and Quek added another.
Slough’s loss cost them their place at the finals with Leicester pipping them to fourth spot, finishing equal on points with third-placed Holcombe. It was Holcombe’s higher number of wins that saw them claim third.
Holcombe and Leicester played each other and the game was as tight as expected with Holcombe taking a 6-5 win.
With the scores tied 3-3 at the break, it was a Dirkie Chamberlain double and England and GB international Ellie Watton’s goal that finally sealed the win for Holcombe. Leicester’s Lauren Turner has been in top form and scored a hat-trick here.
In their second game of the day, Leicester faced bottom club Reading and won 8-1 with Chloe Rogers hitting a hat-trick. Turner added two more to her tally which now stands at an impressive 22.
Holcombe also played Reading and ran out 6-1 winners. Watton showed great form and hit four of her side’s goals.
It has been a campaign to forget for Reading who finish bottom without recording a single point. Sutton Coldfield finish second from bottom on five points.
* For goalscorers and full competition details, including live updates click here
England Hockey Board Media release
Australian Indoor Hockey Festival 2018 - Open Championships Review
Alexie Beovich
The Indoor Festival of Hockey had the New South Wales (NSW) Men’s and Western Australia (WA) Women’s teams seeing gold in Goulburn this past week.
The NSW Men’s team once again defended their national title, defeating the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) team 4-3 despite a spirited comeback from the boys in yellow and blue.
NSW found themselves leading 3-0 in the twelfth minute of the gold medal match before ACT were able to mount a strong defence. ACT were able to post three of the next four goals but ultimately there wasn’t enough time on the clock for the visiting team to extend the game
The impressive NSW side were led by a dominant Jack Hayes over the four day tournament. The 23-year-old Australian representative managed to find the back of the net 23 times, scoring 13 field goals, eight penalty corners and two penalty shots.
Hayes’ 23 goals tallied ten more than next best goal scorer, Queensland’s Jared Taylor who posted 13 goals for the tournament. ACT’s most effective scorer proved to be Ben Staines with 10 goals for the tournament.
Final Standings:
Team Goal Scoring:
The Women’s tournament saw a deeper pool of competition than the men’s with teams from Western Australia (WA), Queensland (QLD), Australian Capital Territory (ACT), New South Wales (NSW) and Tasmania (TAS) all vying for the national title.
WA defeated QLD 5-3 in the gold medal match whilst ACT defeated NSW in the bronze.
WA found themselves in a strong position early on in the final after scoring the first two goals of the game before QLD quickly found some form and replied with two of their own.
WA were able to score three of the next four goals in the match and were ultimately very convincing in their win.
Two of WA’s final goals came via Australian representative Karri Somerville who finished the tournament as the leading goal scorer with 14 to her name.
Somerville was impressive from the field with 9 field goals to go with her four penalty corners for the tournament and will be aiming to replicate this form in the upcoming World Cup in Germany.
The women’s bronze medal match was a defensive grudge match which saw ACT defeat NSW 3-1.
Final Standings:
Team Goal Scoring:
You can follow the rest of the tournament live at https://hockeyaustralia.altiusrt.com/or keep up to date by following Hockey Australia on Twitter.
For more information including the interactive tournament event program head here.
Hockey Australia media release
Australian Indoor Hockey Festival 2018 - U21 Championships Preview
Alexie Beovich
The 2018 Under 21 Indoor National Championship is upon us.
The Men’s and Women’s Under 21 Indoor National Championships begins on Tuesday 9 of January and will see 11 teams compete in 37 matches across the four day tournament.
The Goulburn based tournament is sure to garner the attention of hockey fans wanting to see future Australian representatives show their skills on the court.
Some names to look out for:
Ben Staines (ACT) – Scored ten goals in the 2018 Open Championships and came third in goal scoring at the 2017 Indoor Championships
Jake Staines (ACT) – Scored three goals in the 2018 Open Championships and came tenth in goal scoring at the 2017 Indoor Championships
Aleisha Price (ACT) – Placed in fourth for goal scoring at the 2017 Indoor Championships with five goals
Kelsey Hughes (NSW) – Scored six goals from penalty corners in the 2017 Indoor Championships
Kiarra Marsh (NSW) – Came eighth in goal scoring with five goals at the 2017 Indoor Championships
Between the two competitions fans will get to see ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, WA and QLD sides compete for a gold medal.
The 2017 competition saw NSW win the Women’s competition and WA take out the Men’s. Expectations will be high for both sides but history says they’ll compete well.
You can follow the games live at https://hockeyaustralia.altiusrt.com/or keep up to date by following Hockey Australia on Twitter.
For more information including the interactive tournament event program head here.
Hockey Australia media release
Pembroke and Mossley win through dramatic ISC ties
South Antrim in action against Pembroke. Pic: Eleni Henry
Pembroke and Mossley advanced to an Irish Senior Cup quarter-final date next Saturday with dramatic wins in the two refixed ties to beat the frost in Ulster.
For Pembroke – fourth in the national EY Hockey League – they were given by mid-table Ulster Premier side South Antrim. The last time Souths played in the competition two seasons ago, they were smashed 9-1 by the same Dublin club.
And they looked on course for a similarly heavy defeat when Tim Hill scored for Pembroke inside 75 seconds. Alan Sothern added another from close range soon after and Greg Chambers was also on the mark as they looked set to romp clear when Sothern added a fourth before half-time.
But they took the foot off the throttle completely in the second half, though, with Adam Glass netting a corner before Chris Henry scored moments later to build their confidence further.
Rory Brown reduced the gap further but Pembroke held on for a 4-3 win and a place in the last eight of the competition.
Mossley will be their hosts for that one next Saturday in the only confirmed quarter-final match-up. The Newtonabbey side beat Belfast Harlequins in a shoot-out with Jordan Robinson scoring the crucial effort in sudden death.
Luke McClelland had Quins one up but a Harry Dow effort with 16 minutes to go ultimately sent the tie to the shoot-out.
Elsewhere, Lisnagarvey’s tie against Railway Union was frustratingly delayed yet again. Originally due to be played in November, it was frozen off once again with the Dubliners counting the petrol costs.
On departure from Sandymount, the pitch was playable but it began to freeze in the lead-up to their 3pm tip-off and so was cancelled in the half hour before game time.
As a knock-on effect, a potential quarter-final with YMCA next weekend will be pushed back. Garvey also have two back matches in the league still to make up due to pre-Christmas weather conditions.
With a large number of internationals in their squad who will likely be called into Craig Fulton’s panel for trips to Spain in January and Malaysia in February, they have a serious fixture headache on their hands.
Mossley celebrate their strokes win over Belfast Harlequins. Pic: Philip McCloy
Next Saturday, two of the remaining second round ties are already scheduled with Queen’s hosting Glenanne and Three Rock Rovers up against Cookstown. Monkstown and Cork C of I are the other clubs waiting to see who they play next.
Men’s Irish Senior Cup, round 2: Mossley 1 (H Dow) Belfast Harlequins 1 (L McClelland), Mossley win shoot-out 5-4; South Antrim 3 (A Glass, C Henry, R Brown) Pembroke Wanderers 4 (A Sothern 2, G Chambers, T Hill)
Postponed due to frost: Lisnagarvey v Railway Union
Quarter-final draw: Mossley v Pembroke; Queen’s/Glenanne v Monkstown; Cork C of I v Three Rock Rovers/Cookstown; Lisnagarvey/Railway Union v YMCA
The Hook
Indoor interest ramps up around Ireland; Div 2 sides outdo Div 1 rivals in Jacqui Potter Cup
While Irish outdoor fixtures took a partial hit over the weekend, the indoor side of the game seems to be gathering momentum around the country with a series of new initiatives.
In Belfast and Limerick, the Pro Series Indoor groups enjoyed their first taster sessions with a view to March’s regional competitions. In Donabate, the annual Tommy O’Sullivan Memorial Cup competition got under way with the first of four Sundays of the Under-14 boys tournament while Connacht will host a tournament next weekend.
With Ulster Hockey hosting a first Under-15 tournament before Christmas with six boys and six girls clubs taking part, a variety of new initiatives appear to be putting greater emphasis on the version of the game for the first time in a while.
On the adult men’s front, the Leinster group stages came to a conclusion with Three Rock making it five wins from five with three Sunday wins, beating Pembroke (6-5) and Railway Union (4-1) to assure their passage to through. They completed their perfect record when they came back from 3-1 down to beat Glenanne 5-4 with Ross Canning netting a hat trick with Dylan Shirley and Luke Madeley also scoring.
Railway ended second with two narrow wins on Saturday at St Columba’s getting them over the line, beating Glenanne (4-3) and Corinthian (5-4). They will face the Glens in the semis after they finished the group with three wins from five.
Pembroke took the final semi-final spot with big wins in their last two games, beating Wicklow 11-2 and Corinthian 7-2 to snag a playoff date with Three Rock next Sunday. The semis are on January 14 at 5.30pm and 6.15pm.
On the women’s side, next Sunday is the big day in the playoff hunt. In Pool A, three sides are on three points with Railway in the best shape, having won their only game to date with a 4-3 success against Glenanne with two goals from Ruth Clifford and one each from Orla Fox and Kate McKenna.
The Glens and Pembroke have three points but have played a game extra. Pool B has seen one game a piece with UCD beating TRR 3-0 with Emma Young, Sarah Patton and Katie Mullan on the mark.
Emilie Ryan-Doyle and Neassa O’Malley gave North Kildare a solid 2-0 win over Avoca to give them a good start in the competition.
In the Tommy O’Sullivan tournament, YMCA and Railway Union recorded three wins a 2-2 draw with each other to reach the finals weekend at Under-14 boys level.
Outdoors, the Jacqui Potter Cup saw five Leinster Division Two sides going through with plenty of Division One sides bowing out. Perhaps the result of the round saw Avoca knock-out Old Alex on strokes.
They had led 1-0 at half-time courtesy of Susie Cannon’s goal before Lisa Jacob and Rebecca Evans combined for an equaliser. The Blackrock side won 4-2 in the shoot-out.
Naas beat higher tier opposition in Clontarf 2-0 at Caragh Road as did Railway II – against Genesis 3-0 and Pembroke II – 2-0 vs Our Ladys – while Old Alex II out-lasted their first team when they beat Glenanne 3-1 with Amy Giblin scoring twice.
Muckross and Corinthian avoided potential banana skins with wins over Three Rock Rovers and Loreto II, respectively. North Kildare vs YMCA was frozen out. Those two sides will face off next Saturday in the second round.
Indeed, the second round draw means plenty of big guns will fall, too. EYHL sides Railway Union meet Trinity while Hermes-Monkstown take on Loreto. Naas’s reward for their win is a cut at UCD.
Men
Leinster indoor league
Saturday: Glenanne 3 Railway Union 4; Corinthian 4 Railway Union 5; Glenanne 3 Corinthian 2
Sunday: Three Rock Rovers 6 (R Canning 2, P McConnell 2, D Walsh, L Madeley) Pembroke 5; Wicklow 2 Pembroke 11; Three Rock Rovers 4 (R Canning 2, D Walsh, H Morris) Railway Union 1 (A van As); Corinthian 2 Pembroke 7; Glenanne 12 Wicklow 6; Wicklow 4 Corinthian 6; Glenanne 4 Three Rock Rovers 5 (R Canning 3, D Shirley, L Madeley)
Standings: 1. Three Rock Rovers 15pts (+23) 2. Railway Union 12pts (+7) 3. Glenanne 9pts (+10) 4. Pembroke 6pts (+5) 5. Corinthian 3pts (-13) 6. Wicklow 0pts (-32)
Women
Leinster indoor league
Saturday: UCD 3 (E Young, S Patton, K Mullan) Three Rock Rovers 0; North Kildare 2 (E Ryan-Doyle, N O’Malley) Avoca 0
Sunday: Railway Union 4 Glenanne 3; Pembroke 8 Genesis 3
Pool A standings (played): 1. Pembroke (2) 3pts (+3) 2. Glenanne (2) 3pts (+1) 3. Railway Union (1) 3pts (+1) 4. Genesis 0pts (-5)
Pool B (all after one game): 1. UCD 3pts (+3) 2. North Kildare 3pts (+2) 3. Avoca 0pts (-2) 4. Three Rock Rovers 0pts (-3)
Jacqui Potter Cup, first round
Saturday: Naas 2 Clontarf 0; Railway Union II 3 (K Orr 2, K Dillon) Genesis 0; Loreto II 0 Corinthian 1 (L McGrane); Old Alex II 3 (A Giblin 2, Y Rogers) Glenanne 1 (S Rush); Pembroke II 2 Our Ladys 0
Sunday: Monkstown II 1 Bray 2 (M Shelley 2); Avoca 1 (S Cannon) Old Alex 1 (L Jacob), Avoca win 4-2 on strokes; Muckross 3 (J Gilsenan 2, S Barnwell) Three Rock Rovers 0
Postponed: North Kildare v YMCA
Jacqui Potter Cup, second round draw (January 13): Bray v UCD II; Hermes-Monkstown v Loreto; Naas v UCD; Old Alex II v North Kildare/YMCA; Pembroke II v Avoca; Pembroke v Railway Union II; Railway Union v Trinity; Corinthian v Muckross
The Hook
Players complain about lack of facilities
Elena Norman, Hockey India CEO
Imphal - The players that have arrived in Imphal to participate in the 8th senior men’s hockey National Championship (Division B) have complained about the facilities provided to them by the authorities.
The players complained that they have not been provided with blankets, adequate food or proper toilet facilities.
Carappa, a player from Bengaluru, said, “It is very cold here. We need thick blankets and hot water to take bath. Players are getting sick due to this. Earlier, when we had played at other Nationals, we had all the facilities.”
“It is difficult to play in such conditions. We expect the authorities to make all the arrangements and make it a little more comfortable,” he added.
Elena Norman, the CEO of Hockey India, has assured that the authorities would look into the matter and rectify the problems.
“We have done the assessment and there are some areas of improvement required, which is being addressed by the organising committee and the state officials. We have been assured that it will be rectified,” Norman said.
Praveen Singh, Manipur’s Youth Affairs and Sports Director, said that the players had some confusion initially regarding the facilities but the matter was sorted now.
“When the players arrived, they saw unused areas in the hostel and assumed those were for them. Things were sorted when they saw the designated rooms. We have provided heaters, blankets, carpets and mattresses. They’re comfortable now,” Singh said
Senior hockey national championship
It is very cold here. We need thick blankets and hot water to take bath. Players are getting sick due to this. Earlier, when we had played at other Nationals, we had all the facilities. It is difficult to play in such conditions. We expect the authorities to make all the arrangements and make it a little more comfortable,. —Carappa, a player from bengaluru
The Tribune
Shivay’s three goals help Hockey Him blank Puducherry 10-0
Chandigarh - Hockey Him scored a massive 10-0 win against Hockey Puducherry in the ongoing 8th Hockey India Sub Junior (B-Division) National Championship at Hojai (Assam). Shivay Vaid (17th minute, 25th, 35th) starred in the match with three goals while Neeraj Kumar Yadav (49th and 60th) scored twice. Simranjeet Singh (4th), Vipul Saini (45th), Dhananjay Prajapati (43rd), Mohd Idris (53rd) and Vishal Kumar (62th) scored a goal each to ensure the team got the winning points.
Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd beat Goans Hockey 7-0. Faraz Tadvi (34th, 44th, 47th, 61st and 68th) was impeccable in the match with five goals while Akkit Goud (46th) and Dilip Vishwanarayan (54th) scored a goal each in their impressive win in the Pool A match.
Citizen XI beat Vidarbha Hockey Association 8-0
Citizen Hockey XI continued their winning form as they beat Vidarbha Hockey Association 8-0. It was skipper Sanjay Kumar Soni who pumped two back-to-back goals in the 14th and 20th minutes to give a 2-0 lead. He later scored two more goals in the 44th and 45th minutes, while Pawan (27th, 35th, 58th) scored thrice and Gayan Singh scored a goal in the 55th minute to help their team register the win and stay in contention for a semifinal berth.
Central Secretariat XI outclass SAI 3-2
In the 8th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship, Central Secretariat beat Sports Authority of India (SAI) 3-2 in the closely-fought Pool A match. It was Central Secretariat who took an early 2-0 lead with goals from Jayesh Jadhav in the 7th minute and Thimmanna Puliyanda in the 9th minute. But the next few minutes went goalless with both teams showcasing good defensive skills.
SAI found a breakthrough in the 49th minute, thanks to a well-converted penalty corner by BN Sridhar. The following minute saw Dharambir Yadav score to increase Central Secretariat’s lead to 3-1. Though Ravi scored in the 52nd minute for SAI, it was not enough.
Telangana register 8-3 win over Assam
In another Pool A match, Telangana Hockey triumphed over Hockey Assam 8-3. It was Ramakrishna Bodigum (16th, 30th, 47th) and Aravind Banothu (38th, 48th, 50th) who scored hat-tricks to give Telangana Hockey a winning start. Feroz Bin Farhajh (27th, 40th), and Prasnth Kallem (11th) too scored in their victory. For Assam Hockey, Kabeer Prashant Sen (23th, 48th) and Mohammad Tanveer (37th) scored.
Hockey Andhra Pradesh beat Vidarbha Hockey 5-2. Avinash Challa (11th and 35th) scored twice with Kamal Rajaprabhakar (18th), Keerthi Nayyannar Appachi (44th) and Sree Balaji Venkata Aripeneni (49th) scored a goal each to help Hockey Andhra Pradesh register a win. For Vidarbha Hockey, Akbar Khan (21st) and Zaim Khan (51st) scored.
Food Corporation of India beat Hockey Madhya Pradesh 8-4. For Food Corporation of India, penalty corner specialist Lakhwinder Singh (9th, 21st, 27th, 29th, 36th) scored five goals. Ningombam Jen Jen (11th), Ganendrajit (38th) and Munish Rana (53rd) were the other goal scorers for the winning team.
For Hockey Madhya Pradesh, Rawar Prakash Singh (3rd, 25th, 46th and 59th) scored all the four goals but lack of a good defence gave Food Corporation of India the winning edge.
Canara Bank beat CISF 3-0
Canara Bank beat Central Industrial Security Force (CISG) 3-0 in a Pool B match. Somanna Karineravanda (2nd), KP Somaiah (22nd) and GN Pruthviraj (37th) scored a goal each. Sports Authority of Gujarat Hockey Academy beat Manipur Hockey 3-2 in a close encounter. Vaibhav Shah (18th) and Ruchit Patel (28th and 49th) scored for the Gujarat outfit.
For Manipur Hockey, Lisham Heramani Singh (53rd) and Debeshor Konjengbam (59th) scored.
The Tribune