News for 11 February 2018
All the news for Sunday 11 February 2018
Indoor Hockey World Cup 2018 (Men) - Day 4
Berlin (GER)
Results
AUS - AUT Semi Final 1 - 2 (0 - 1)
GER - IRI Semi Final 6 - 2 (3 - 1)
TTO - RUS 9th/10th Place 2 - 3 (1 - 2)
KAZ - RSA 11th/12th Place 1 - 6 (0 - 2)
Upcoming Sunday 11 February 2018 (GMT+1)
12:00 IRI - AUS Bronze Meda
15:00 GER - AUT Final
Final Standings
9. Trinidad & Tobago
10. Russia
11. South Africa
12. Kazakhstan
FIH Match Centre
Ruhr runs riot for Germany and Korper shines for Austria
Christopher Ruhr celebrates three goals. Pic credit: Frank Uiljenbroek/WSP
It was the Christopher Ruhr show as the competition's leading scorer added another three to his tally (18) as Germany booked their place in the gold medal match. Joining the host nation in the final of the 5th Men's Indoor Hockey World Cup are Austria, who put paid to Australia's hopes.
Germany 6, Iran 2.
In the first semi-final of the day, the world number one side Germany and Iran (WR:7) walked out into the cauldron-like atmosphere of the Max-Schmeling-Halle to the noise of nearly 8,000 ardent hockey fans. If the home nation were nervous it didn't show as they went straight into attack mode.
The attacking press slowly stifled the Iran team and Germany earned a penalty stroke with four minutes played. At this point, perhaps a moment of nervous tension crept in, as Christopher Ruhr sent his shot high over the bar. Ruhr atoned just seconds later as he flicked the ball over goalkeeper Sasan Hataminejad to give his side the lead.
Three minutes later and Alexander Otte attempted to flick the ball in a similar manner. The saved shot rebounded to Fabian Pehlke who slammed home to double the German lead.
Ruhr scored his second from an acute angle, although the Iranian goalkeeper Hataminejad will be annoyed that he let a relatively easy shot go past him.
Iran came back in the 20th minute when Navid Taherirad pounced on a rebounded ball and shot past Tobias Walter in the German goal, giving Iran a confidence boost going into the half-time break.
Classic counter-attacking play was behind Germany's fourth goal, which came in the 23rd minute. Walter saved from an Iranian attack, the ball bounced to Tobias Hauke, who found Ruhr. The scoring machine turned the defender marking him and made no mistake as he shot home.
As the second half counted down, spaces began to open across the pitch as Iran sought a way back into the game. This gave the German team licence to play some lovely connecting passes. As has been the case throughout the competition however, Iran's players dug deep across the pitch to shut down Germany's attack.
Iran came back with a second goal with five minutes left on the clock. A foul in the German circle gave Iran a penalty stroke and Reza Norouzzadeh made no mistake as he sent Walter the wrong way.
The game was all but over when captain Martin Haner made it 5-2 from a penalty corner. The icing on the cake was a final minute goal from Ferdinand Weinke, who rarely scores but made no mistake as he slotted the ball smartly past Hataminejad.
"We used the energy of the crowd, it certainly wasn't a problem with nerves," said Haner after the game, "But at times it was so loud out there we has trouble communicating. It was something we had to get used to but we won't find it a problem in the final. For now, we are going to relax, have a lot of sports massage treatment, watch the other semi-final and get some rest."
Australia 1, Austria 2.
Two very different styles of play were evident in the second semi-final as Australia (WR:11) brought their route one game and Austria (WR:2) focused on a strong defence from which to build.
For the first 19 minutes of the game, the two styles cancelled each other out. Australia attacked and Austria defended and, although it was intriguing, there was no breakthrough on either side. It took until the 20th minute for the deadlock to end. Austria's talismanic captain Michael Korper opened the scoring with a trademark penalty corner on the stroke of half-time. His ferocious penalty corner flew past Banjamin Rennie to send his team into the break on a high note.
In the second half, Australia found their touch as Jack Hayes burst through the centre of the field and found James Knee who slammed the ball home for an equaliser.
The danger-man that is Korper struck again to put his side 2-1 up. The slipped penalty corner strike, which keeps proving so successful for Austria, evaded Rennie's outstretched leg to nestle in the bottom corner of the goal.
Rennie was on high alert as the clock ticked down and he pulled off a tremendous reaction save when Banjamin Stanzl whipped in a searching shot.
At the other end, Jake Sherren was unlucky as his glancing shot flew just wide of Mateusz Szymczyk's goal. A few seconds later Australia won a penalty corner but the shot went wide.
Australia spent the last two minutes seeking a break through the disciplined Austrian defence. The team in gold and green played with an increasing sense of urgency but their forays forward were tempered by the knowledge they could not afford to concede. The tension on the pitch was palpable from both sides.
Despite the best efforts of Australia, the Austrian defence held firm and they booked themselves into a final that will be a re-run of the semi-finals of the EuroHockey Indoor Championships just one month ago. On that occasion Austria won on shoot-out and went on to become European Indoor Champions. 2018 would be a very special year for Korper and his team if they repeated that feat at World Cup level.
9-12th place matches
In the play-off matches for 9-12th places, South Africa and Russia finished their respective tournaments in winning style. South Africa hit the ground running and racked up six goals against Kazakhstan. The 11th place finish equals South Africa's performance at the 2015 Indoor Hockey World Cup in Leipzig.
For Russia, this was a consolation prize after they dropped out of the quarter-final qualification spots on day three. Their 3-2 win against Trinidad & Tobago included two goals for Pavel Golubev.
Russia's ninth place finish is their lowest finishing place since 2003, when they also ended in ninth position.
For Trinidad & Tobago, 10th place is their highest finish at the Indoor Hockey World Cup [in 2007 they were placed 12th].
The final day of action at the 5th Men's Indoor Hockey World Cup will see Australia and Iran battle for bronze at 12:00 then Germany will play Austria in the gold medal match at 15:00. (All times CET - Central European Time).
#IHWC2018
FIH site
Ruhr and Korper’s star turns to set up Germany-Austria final
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
It was the Christopher Ruhr show as the competition's leading scorer added another three to his tally – ending the dayon 18 – as Germany booked their place in the gold medal match.
Joining the host nation in the final of the 5th Men's Indoor Hockey World Cup are Austria, who put paid to Australia's hopes in front of a near capacity, 8,000-strong audience at the Max-Schmeling-Halle stadium in Berlin.
In the first semi-final, the Germans won 6-2 with Ruhr giving his side the lead, augmented by Fabian Pehlke’s rebound. Ruhr made It three form an acute angle.
Iran came back into it in the 20th minute when Navid Taherirad pounced on a rebounded ball and shot past Tobias Walter, giving Iran a confidence boost going into the half-time break.
Ruhr spun the lead out to 4-1 before Iran came back with a second goal with five minutes left on the clock. But Martin Haner and Ferdinand Weinke’s late goals meant Germany had safely secured a final place.
"We used the energy of the crowd, it certainly wasn't a problem with nerves," said Haner after the game, "But at times it was so loud out there was trouble communicating. It was something we had to get used to but we won't find it a problem in the final. For now, we are going to relax, have a lot of sports massage treatment, watch the other semi-final and get some rest."
European champions Austria beat Australia 2-1 to keep their double dream alive. It took until the 20th minute for the deadlock to end. Austria's talismanic captain Michael Korper opened the scoring with a trademark penalty corner on the stroke of half-time. His ferocious penalty corner flew past Banjamin Rennie to send his team into the break on a high note.
In the second half, Australia found their touch as Jack Hayes burst through the centre of the field and found James Knee who slammed the ball home for an equaliser.
Korper, though, won it from a slipped penalty corner strike, which keeps proving so successful for Austria.
Euro Hockey League media release
Australia’s Quest For Glory Over At Indoor Hockey World Cup
Ben Somerford
Australia's men's and women's teams both were beaten on day four of the Indoor Hockey World Cup in Berlin on Saturday ending their respective quests for glory.
Both sides reached the knockout stage, with the men suffering a tight 2-1 loss to Austria in the semi-finals on Sunday morning (AEDT), meaning they'll meet Iran in the third place match on Sunday (10pm AEDT).
The women were beaten 5-2 by European Championship bronze medalists Belarus in the quarter-finals on Saturday night (AEDT), ending their run which included an outstanding 2-2 draw with Germany.
Women’s
Australia produced a valiant display but could not join their male counterparts in the competition semi-finals, going down to a 5-2 defeat against in-form Belarus.
There was very little to choose between the two sides in the first half, with Pool B runners-up Belarus twice leading through goals from captain Ryta Batura and Yulia Kikheichyk only for Australia, who finished third in Pool A, to level thanks to strikes from Shelley Watson and Karri Somerville.
The Belarusians took their game to another level after half time, with Nastassia Syrayezhka and Maryna Nikitsina moving the score to 4-2 before Australia went for broke by replacing their goalkeeper with an outfield player.
It was a tactic that almost paid off when Australia rattled the frame of the goal with five minutes remaining, but their hopes were finally ended when a rapid Belarus counter-attack was passed into an open goal by Yulia Kurhanskaya to complete the scoring.
“I think we played a controlled match,” Belarus Head Coach Herman Kruis said after the game.
“We saw Australia’s match against Germany yesterday and identified some possible weaknesses. We knew we needed to produce some quick transfers to exploit those weaknesses and the girls did it very well.”
Men’s
Two very different styles of play were evident in the second semi-final as Australia brought their route one game and Austria focused on a strong defence from which to build.
For the first 19 minutes of the game, the two styles cancelled each other out. Australia attacked and Austria defended and, although it was intriguing, there was no breakthrough on either side.
It took until the 20th minute for the deadlock to end. Austria's talismanic captain Michael Korper opened the scoring with a trademark penalty corner on the stroke of half-time. His ferocious penalty corner flew past Banjamin Rennie to send his team into the break on a high note.
In the second half, Australia found their touch as Jack Hayes burst through the centre of the field and found James Knee who slammed the ball home for an equaliser.
The danger-man Korper struck again to put his side 2-1 up. The slipped penalty corner strike, which keeps proving so successful for Austria, evaded Rennie's outstretched leg to nestle in the bottom corner of the goal.
Rennie was on high alert as the clock ticked down and he pulled off a tremendous reaction save when Banjamin Stanzl whipped in a searching shot. At the other end, Jake Sherren was unlucky as his glancing shot flew just wide of Mateusz Szymczyk's goal. A few seconds later Australia won a penalty corner but the shot went wide.
Australia spent the last two minutes seeking a break through the disciplined Austrian defence. The team in gold and green played with an increasing sense of urgency but their forays forward were tempered by the knowledge they could not afford to concede. The tension on the pitch was palpable from both sides.
Despite the best efforts of Australia, the Austrian defence held firm and they booked themselves into a final against Germany that will be a re-run of the semi-finals of the EuroHockey Indoor Championships just one month ago.
On that occasion Austria won on shoot-out and went on to become European Indoor Champions. 2018 would be a very special year for Korper and his team if they repeated that feat at World Cup level.
Hockey Australia media release
Calypso Stickmen end 10th with heart-breaking loss
Nigel Simon
T&T’s midfield/forward Kristien Emmanuel, right, fires a shot towards Czech Republic goalkeeper Pavel Hraba, left, while Czech defender Ales Perinka looks on, during Wednesday’s encounter which T&T lost 7-2.
T&T senior men’s indoor hockey squad ended their campaign at the Fifth FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup with a heart-breaking 3-2 last minute defeat at the hands of Russia at the 7,000 seater Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin, Germany, yesterday.
Beaten by the same Russians 5-4 on Tuesday in their final warm-up match before the start of 12-team competition, the 18th ranked T&T stickmen found themselves behind 2-0 down after ten minutes courtesy goals from Dimitrii Kuraev in the sixth minute and Pavel Golubev.
However, a minute before the half-time interval, Jordan Vieira pulled a goal back for the ‘Calypso Stickmen’ before Akim Toussaint drew the Solomon Eccles-captain squad level at 2-2 with seven minutes left to play.
The match then seemed headed for penalty-stroke with the seconds ticking down in the final minute, but a gamble from T&T came back to prove its undoing as Golubev fired in the decisive item with time running out to earn his team ninth spot, one ahead of T&T.
Overall, the loss was the fifth in six matches for the Raphael Govia-coached T&T men who ended in fifth spot in their six-team Pool A round-robin series after a 10-2 loss at the hands of three-time champions and host country Germany and was beaten as well by Czech Republic (7-2), Poland (11-5), and Australia (7-6) before registering a first ever victory at the event, 6-4 over Kazakhstan on Thursday.
Speaking after his team’s final match, Govia said his team had a great tournament considering they had just three matches at this level of preparation.
He pondered, "Imagine if we had a month of prep at high level teams."
With regards to the loss against the Russians, Govia, a former national indoor and outdoor player said, “We took the game to Russia and converted two beautiful penalty corners while vice-captain and goalkeeper Ron Alexander kept us in the game after being 2-0 down.’
‘We took the fight to the Russians ranked fourth in world and lost it devastatingly 3-2 going for the win cause we had them under pressure with stunning attacks from Toussaint, Veira and Pierre (Mickell). We lost playing our brand and which won the hearts of everyone up here who watched us play as assistant coach Darren Cowie says it's our identity. In general, I believe the boys can hold their heads high and proud as Lara said , "We Entertained."
Govia added, "And that's the call I made from day one, absolutely "No Fear". Eccles also led this team well along with the other senior players. The staff also did their part looking after the players well as our manager worked round the clock from Holland to here. I take this loss off the boys as I went for the jugular as we had them on the back foot and lost it with mere seconds on the clock."
Ten years ago on debut in the second edition of the tournament held in Vienna, Austria, the T&T men’s team ended in the 12th and final spot after losing to South Africa 4-2 in their play-off encounter.
The T&T squad were also beaten by Germany (9-2), Russia (9-2), Switzerland (6-1), Australia (5-1) and Czech Republic (6-1) back then in their group matches.
The Russians, meanwhile, had wins over South Africa (5-0) and Belgium (5-4) while losing to Switzerland (3-1), Australia (8-4) and Iran 4-3, in their final Pool B match to end with six points and a 2-3 record.
Yesterday, in the other matches, South Africa ended in 11th spot for the second tournament running with a 6-1 defeat of Kazakhstan.
RESULTS & FIXTURES
11th - 12th play-off: South Africa 6 bt Kazakhstan 1
Ninth - Tenth play-off: Russia 3 bt T&T 2
Semifinal 1: Germany 6 bt Iran 2
Semifinal 2: Austria 2 bt Australia 1
Today
Third place play-off: Iran vs Australia, 7 am
Final: Germany vs Austria 10 am.
The Trinidad Guardian
Indoor Hockey World Cup 2018 (Women) - Day 4
Berlin (GER)
Results
BLR - GER Semi Final 2 - 3 (1 - 1)
NED - UKR Semi Final 6 - 1 (4 - 0)
USA - NAM 9th/10th Place 5 - 5 (3 - 1) (0 - 1 SO)
NED - CZE QF 8 - 3 (4 - 0)
KAZ - RUS 11th/12th Place 1 - 7 (1 - 3)
GER - POL QF 3 - 1 (2 - 0)
UKR - SUI QF 8 - 3 (3 - 2)
BLR - AUS QF 5 - 2 (2 - 2)
Upcoming Sunday 11 February 2018 (GMT+1)
10:30 UKR - BLR Bronze Meda
13:30 NED - GER Final
Final Standings
9. Namibia
10. United States
11. Russia
12. Kazakhstan
FIH Match Centre
Belarus, Germany, Ukraine and Netherlands storm into semi-finals at 5th Women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup 2018
Belarus Head Coach Herman Kruis saw his side secure a place in the competition semi-finals. Credit: FIH / World Sport Pics
Berlin, Germany: Belarus, Germany, Ukraine and Netherlands have secured their places in the semi-finals of the 5th Women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup 2018, which is currently taking place at Berlin’s Max-Schmeling-Halle.
The semi-finals, which take place later today (Friday 10 February), will see title holders the Netherlands facing Ukraine at 1930 (Central European Time) before an expected 8000 people witness Belarus taking on home favourites Germany at 2100.
More information about the quarter-final matches can be found below.
Belarus 5, Australia 2.
Australia (FIH Hero Indoor World Ranking: 8) produced a valiant display but could not join their male counterparts in the competition semi-finals, going down to a 5-2 defeat against in-form Belarus (WR: 5).
There was very little to choose between the two sides in the first half, with Pool B runners-up Belarus twice leading through goals from captain Ryta Batura and Yulia Kikheichyk only for Australia, who finished third in Pool A, to level thanks to strikes from Shelley Watson and Karri Somerville.
The Belarusians took their game to another level after half time, with Nastassia Syrayezhka and Maryna Nikitsina moving the score to 4-2 before Australia went for broke by replacing their goalkeeper with an outfield player. It was a tactic that almost paid off when Australia rattled the frame of the goal with five minutes remaining, but their hopes were finally ended when a rapid Belarus counter-attack was passed into an open goal by Yulia Kurhanskaya to complete the scoring.
“I think we played a controlled match”, said Belarus Head Coach Herman Kruis after the game. “We saw Australia’s match against Germany yesterday and identified some possible weaknesses. We knew we needed to produce some quick transfers to exploit those weaknesses and the girls did it very well.”
Ukraine 8, Switzerland 3.
Pool B runners up Ukraine (WR:7) booked their ticket to this evening’s semi-final matches with a superb 8-3 triumph over Pool A third place finishers Switzerland (WR: 19), with their performance in the second half being particularly impressive.
The two sides traded blows in an entertaining first period, with Switzerland’s Stephanie Wälti twice pulling her team level after goals from Yana Vorushylo and Maryna Khilko. Vorushylo made it 3-2 to Ukraine on the stroke of half time before her team stepped up the pace considerably in the second half.
The Ukrainians scored five times without a Swiss reply, with Khilko completing her hat-trick alongside goals from Yulia Shevchenko, Katerina Shokalenko and Viktoriia Stetsenko before Switzerland’s Linda Haussener netted a superb field goal to complete the match scoring. Ukraine are clearly in confident mood and will fancy their chances of success in the semi-finals later today.
Germany 3, Poland 1.
Germany, the winners of Pool B, reached the last four of the competition by recording a 3-1 victory over Pool A’s fourth-placed team Poland, where the large and extremely vocal partisan crowd made their presence felt throughout.
Poland produced a far better performance than what was predicted based on their pool placement, seemingly unintimidated by the terrific noise being generated by the home fans. They hold the hosts back until the 13th minute when Lisa Altenburg fired home. Die Danas doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time thanks to a cool finish from Marie Mävers, although Poland hit back two minutes after break when Oriana Walasek slammed home a penalty corner. Any anxiety amongst the players and fans of Germany disappeared in the 25th minute thanks to Altenburg, who nicked the ball from a Polish defender and fired through the legs of Polish shot-stopper Dominika Nowicka to score her second goal of the game and put Germany into the semi-finals.
“The atmosphere in the hall was fantastic”, said Germany’s Marie Mävers after the match. “We were a little bit nervous before the match because we have never played in front of such a crowd. We started well and are happy to win but we have to be better going into the semis.”
Netherlands 8, Czech Republic 3.
Reigning world champions the Netherlands (WR: 1) produced a devastating first half performance in their 8-3 victory over Czech Republic (WR: 3) to keep their title defence very much on track.
The winners of Pool A have been in sparkling form here at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, something which very much continued against the Czechs when Gabrielle Mosch, Elin van Erk (2) and Pien van Ness took the score to 4-0 going into half time.
Czech Republic were much improved in the second period and reduced the deficit to 4-2 thanks to efforts from Renata Capouchova and Barbora Haklova, breathing new life into their own hopes of reaching the semi-finals. Noor de Baat put the Netherlands into a 5-2 lead moments before Katerina Lacina made it 5-3 to keep the Czech dream alive. However, with Czechs chasing the game, the Dutch scored three breakaway goals to kill the contest and book their ticket into this evening’s semi-finals.
As well as the quarter-finals there were also two classification matches played this afternoon. Namibia claiming a ninth place finish at the event thanks to a shootout victory over USA while Russia defeated Kazakhstan in the 11-12 classification match.
Women's Results - Quarter-finals
Belarus 5, Australia 2.
Ukraine 8, Switzerland 3.
Germany 3, Poland 1.
Netherlands 8, Czech Republic 3.
Classification matches
11-12: Kazakhstan 1, Russia 7.
9-10: USA 5, Namibia 5. (Namibia win 0-1 in shootout)
Semi-final match schedule - Saturday 10th February 2018 (All times CET - Central European Time)
1930: Netherlands v Ukraine
2100: Belarus v Germany
#IHWC2018
FIH site
Netherlands & Germany set up dream final at 5th Women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup 2018
The Netherlands reached their fifth successive Indoor World Cup final by defeating Ukraine on Saturday. Credit: FIH / World Sport Pics
Berlin, Germany: The final of the 5th Women’s indoor Hockey World Cup 2018 will be contested between the two top ranked teams, with reigning world champions and world number one the Netherlands playing host nation Germany, the European champions and number two in the FIH Hero Indoor World Rankings.
In a thrilling evening at Berlin’s Max-Schmeling-Halle, the Netherlands produced another stellar performance to defeat Ukraine in the first of the semi-final matches, before Germany thrilled the home fans with a narrow triumph against a Belarus team that delivered a wonderful performance.
The medal matches will take place on Sunday, with another sell-out crowd of more than 8,000 people set to witness the action. The women’s bronze medal match will begin at 1030 with Ukraine taking on Belarus, while the gold medal game between the Netherlands and Germany - who both currently hold two Indoor World Cup titles apiece - getting underway at 1330. The men’s medal matches will also take place on Sunday, with Iran facing Australia in the bronze medal match at 1200 before Germany and Austria compete for the title at 1500.
More information about the semi-finals can be found below.
Netherlands 6, Ukraine 1.
The Netherlands (FIH Hero Indoor World Ranking:1) proved too good for Ukraine (WR:7) in the first semi-final, powering to a 6-1 triumph to reach their fifth successive Indoor World Cup final.
Following their 8-3 quarter-final success over Czech Republic (WR:3) earlier in the day, the reigning world champions produced another high quality performance, starving Ukraine of possession while regularly creating goal-scoring chances. The Dutch established a 4-0 lead at half time and it was no more than the team deserved, with Fabienne Roosen, Donja Zwinkels, Lieke van Wijk and Gabrielle Mosch all registering.
The Netherlands continued their domination after the break, with Elin van Erk and Pien van Nes taking the score to 6-0 before Ukraine’s Yuliia Shevchenko netted a late consolation effort. It was a fine performance from the team coached by Marieke Dijkstra, who won the Indoor World Cup as a player with the Netherlands in Vienna, Austria 11 years ago. With her team having scored 42 goals in seven matches, they have every chance of adding a third Indoor World Cup title to their collection here in Berlin.
Speaking after the match, Netherlands scorer Pien van Nes was more than satisfied with the team’s display against Ukraine. “We played a good game and created a lot of chances. It is amazing to play in this stadium. We had a lot of Dutch fans in the crowd which was great, and we are really looking forward to playing tomorrow’s final.”
While Ukraine will be disappointed with the result, with a bronze medal still to play for, all is not lost. A win in that game would seal a joint highest finish at an Indoor World Cup, matching their bronze medal win at the 2011 competition in Poznan, Poland.
Belarus 2, Germany 3.
In the second semi-final, Germany (WR:2) were pushed all the way by Belarus (WR:5) before emerging with a 3-2 victory, thrilling the thousands of home fans packed into the Max-Schmeling-Halle in the process.
Nike Lorenz put Germany on track with a second minute penalty corner, but Belarus gave as good as they got and levelled the scores Sviatlana Bahushevich scored a superb individual goal, surging down the right before slamming her shot inside the left post. Second half goals from Lisa Altenburg and Marie Mävers moved Germany into a 3-1 lead before Belarus threw caution to the wind, replacing their goalkeeper with an outfield player. It was a tactic that paid off when Nastassia Syrayezhka scored from close range after sustained pressure on the Germany backline. However, despite an immense effort, Belarus could not get the equaliser as Germany maintained their hopes of winning a third Indoor World Cup title.
“None of us have ever played in front of a crowd like this, and it was a tough match for us but we were so powerful and full of energy so in the end we are happy to win it”, said German goalscorer Lisa Altenburg after the contest. “We knew that we had to work hard until the end and it was tough, especially when they had six playing outfield, but we defended very well.”
Looking ahead to the final against the Netherlands, Altenburg said: “It will be a really tough match, they have played very well but maybe haven’t had that much pressure against them. Hopefully we will win it in the end.”
The match schedule and all other official information for the event will be available on FIH.CH, with extended coverage coming via the FIH social media channels.
Women's Results - Semi-finals
Netherlands 6, Ukraine 1.
Belarus 2, Germany 3.
Combined Match schedule - Saturday 10th February 2018 (All times CET - Central European Time)
1030: Women’s Bronze Medal Match - Belarus v Ukraine
1200: Men’s Bronze Medal Match - Iran v Australia
1330: Women’s Final - Netherlands v Germany
1500: Men’s Final - Germany v Austria
#IHWC2018
FIH site
After an Impressive Comeback, Indoor USWNT Falls to Namibia in Indoor Hockey World Cup Shootout
Image Courtesy of Yan Huckendubler
BERLIN, Germany – In the 9th/10th place at the women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup in Berlin, Germany, the U.S. Women’s National Indoor Team met familiar opponent No. 14 Namibia, as the squads played in a friendly the day before competition got underway. After trailing early, USA displayed true fight responding with three goals to lead 3-1 at halftime. Namibia tallied four unanswered but not before USA rallied to add two back to force the game into a shootout as regulation finished 5-5. Namibia netted the only goal in the shootout to prevail as victors.
After the game started static, Namibia opened up the scoring in the 4th minute when Margeth Mengo tallied her first mark. As USA settled a bit and started to produce some positive build us, three minutes later Madison Orobono (Macungie, Pa.) found room and the equalizer to tie the game. USA wasted no time and a minute later Mary Beth Barham (Fairfax, Va.) received the ball in front of the goalkeeper and netted the go-ahead to give USA a 2-1 lead. For a period, USA tolerated Namibia’s constant pressure by holding strong as a collective unit. The solid defense led to a few offensive threats and as USA continued to punish, they earned a penalty corner in the 13th minute. Ali Campbell (Boyertown, Pa.) converted on a drag flick to extend the lead to 3-1. Namibia followed with a timeout and although they held much of the possession for the remaining minutes, the halftime score stood in favor of USA, 3-1.
When the second half started, the crowd started to get into the match a bit as play started to become more physical. Namibia was issued a green card a minute in and some great ball movement came from USA but there was no outcome to show. Once at full strength again, Namibia continued to show dominance on the attacking side, being scrappy as they tried to cut the goal margin. On the other end, USA displayed great ball movement but were unable to get it past Namibia’s goalkeeper.
Evidently showing more fight for a period, Namibia persisted and after a hard USA foul outside the circle, they received their first penalty corner. Successful on the attempt, Kiana-Che Cormack buried a drag to make it 3-2. With the goal margin closer, the crowd really started to pick up the chants as the intensity of the match grew. A close chance came for USA when Abigail Pitcairn (Aspinwall, Pa.) used her quick stick skills to beat a defender and pass it off to Barham but Namibia’s goalkeeper came up big saving the shot.
USA was tested on defense as they continued to withstand the strength and pressure displayed by Namibia. Eventually becoming frustrated, USA called a timeout to regroup. Namibia did not let up and the constant determination sparked a two-minute period where they tallied three goals. The first two came in the 34th minute when a poised build up that started deep on the court was finished between Samantha Carlino (Kennett Square, Pa.) legs by Dure Boshoff to even the match and Mengo grabbed her second of the game and the go-ahead seconds later. The third came from Cormack when her hard-low shot hit the backboard to make it USA 3, Namibia 5.
In true American fashion, USA showed a ‘never-give-up’ attitude and a minute later Samantha Popper (Blue Bell, Pa.) ran the right baseline, passed it across the goalmouth and Barham was there to finish and add one back. With time ticking down, USA knew they had to do whatever it took to find the tying goal. Carlino came up big on a few Namibia shots but it was Barham who made a great run up field and was taken down hard outside the circle by Namibia’s Joelle Deysel that resulted in a USA penalty corner and a yellow card. With 8 second left, Campbell found the equalizer and force the game into a shootout.
Set to go first, Pitcairn’s initial shot was blocked by Namibia’s goalkeeper and her second attempt sailed over the goal. Namibia produced a similar chance when Carlino made the first save and the second try went over the baseline. In set two, Corinne Zanolli (Newtown Square, Pa.) ran out of time as Namibia’s Cormack scored. Popper’s blocked shot in the final round resulted in Namibia prevailing to win the shootout.
The U.S. Women’s National Indoor Team would like to thank all fans who followed along during their time at the women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup. Check out the official Indoor Hockey World Cup Event Page for all game recaps. #IHWC2018
Image Courtesy of Yan Huckendubler
USFHA media release
Hockeyroos Clinch China Series Victory
Ben Somerford
The Hockeyroos have sealed an impressive Test Series victory over China PR with a hard-fought but exciting 4-2 win on Saturday night at Guildford Grammar Turf.
The sides were locked at 1-1 at the final change before a frantic four-goal last quarter where Gabi Nance thundered Australia ahead only for Gu to level for China from a penalty corner two minutes later.
The Hockeyroos wouldn’t be denied despite the setback, with Stephanie Kershaw and Savannah Fitzpatrick hitting back to secure the victory.
The result means Australia claims the series with three wins, one draw and one loss over the past week, in a positive sign ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in April.
Earlier, China took a third minute lead when Peng Yang deflected Gu’s drag flick past Hockeyroos keeper Rachael Lynch.
Australia levelled with barely two seconds left on the clock in the first quarter, when Ashlea Fey drove a speculative ball into the D, with Madi Ratcliffe diverting it past China keeper Ye Jiao.
China mounted the pressure in the second quarter but were repeatedly thwarted by Lynch who made a string of fine saves.
Lynch first denied Gu from a 24th minute drag flick, before a brilliant save with her pads when China countered with Song in on goal one-on-one.
The Warrandyte product was also forced into a double save from shots from Zhong and Zhang, before another block from a high Gu drag flick with her outstretched arm.
Australia rallied in the third quarter, but chances were few and far between, before an explosive final quarter.
Nance put the Hockeyroos ahead in the 57th minute with a wonderful reverse stick strike which cannoned in off the crossbar.
China levelled two minutes later when Gu’s drag flick trickled over the line despite Jodie Kenny’s best efforts on the line.
Australia responded immediately, with Kershaw firing an angled drive into the backboard to make it 3-2.
Fitzpatrick gave Australia breathing space at the end, netting the fourth with a cool finish past Ye Jiao.
Australia’s next competitive matches will take place in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast from April 5-14.
Australia 4 (Ratcliffe 17’, Nance 57’, Kershaw 62’, S. Fitzpatrick 66’)
China PR 2 (Peng Yang 3’, Gu 59’)
Hockey Australia media release
Spain Edge Encounter With Green Army
The Green Army started this fixture with the same intensity that earned them a 2-0 victory on Thursday. Sarah Torrans, the young Loreto striker, appeared to be causing the Spanish defence some trouble from the opening whistle as she forced an error from Maialen Garcia to turn the ball over. Torrans followed up with a run along the baseline before pulling the pass back to Katie Mullan at the top of the circle who saw her shot fly just over the crossbar. Torrans again wasn’t giving the Spanish defence a moment to find their structure and drew an initial save from Melania Garcia, with Gillian Pinder’s rebound shot forcing another fine clearance from the Spanish goalie. Anna O’Flanagan, captaining the Green Army, could only be stopped by fouls from the Spanish defence as Ireland poured the pressure on in the opening 15 minutes. Emma Buckley made her first save of the encounter as Spain began to settle into the game and build up their possession but it was Ireland who took the lead on the cusp of half time. The ever-threatening O’Flanagan sent a pin-point cross into the circle for Aisling Naughton to fire into the net to make it 1-0.
Spain’s equaliser arose out of confusion between the umpires as the hosts caught the Irish unawares and Marta Segu took advantage of an out of place defence to draw the game level in the 33rd minute. O’Flanagan very nearly regained the lead for Ireland as she saw her reverse shot spin past the post before she forced another save from Garcia minutes later with a ball across the face of goal. But Spain put the game to bed with 2 goals in 5 minutes in the final quarter with field goals from Alicia Magaz and a second for Segu to make the final score 3-1, perhaps not reflecting the close nature of much of the tie.
The final match of the series takes place tomorrow at 11am (Irish time)
Ireland 1 (Naughton)
Spain 3 (Segu x2, Magaz)
Starting: E Buckley, Y O’Byrne, N Evans, K Mullan, S McCay, E Tice, G Pinder, R Upton, S Torrans, A O’Flanagan (Captain), Z Wilson
Subs: C Cassin, A Naughton, N Carroll, L Colvin, H Matthews, R Barry, L McGuire
Match Details vs Spain in CHP Benalmadena:
February 6th at 4:30pm Ireland 0 vs 7 Spain
February 8th at 1pm Ireland 2 vs 0 Spain
February 10th 1pm Ireland 1 vs 3 Spain
February 11th 12pm Ireland vs Spain
*All times listed are local
Irish Hockey Association media release
2018 Hong Kong Triangular Hockey Tournament
Hong Kong
HKG - TPE 2 - 3
| Rank | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese Taipei | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Oman | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Hong Kong China | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
Three-nation tourney to serve as impetus for major events: Hasan Sardar
Anwar Zuberi
KARACHI: The first batch of Pakistan hockey team embarks for Muscat on Sunday to compete in the three-nation tournament being played there from Feb 14 to 20.
The first batch comprises 12 players while the second batch of nine players and five team officials will fly the following day.
The national carrier has provided free return air tickets to the team and officials.
Besides Pakistan, other two nations in the event include Japan and Oman. The competition will be played on double league basis.
“All the players are physically fit and looking forward to start the year on a winning note,” former Olympian and manager-cum-head-coach Hasan Sardar told Dawn on the eve of departure at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium on Saturday as the players underwent their last practice session in the camp.
First batch of national hockey players leave for Muscat today
Sardar said besides giving the much needed international exposure to the players, the event will also serve as impetus for the tougher assignments ahead.
He said the team is shaping well and much stress has been laid on stopping goals, conversion of penalty corners and physical fitness. “The ratio of PC conversion is bit slow and needs further improvement,” he remarked.
The former Olympian said Mubashir Ali, who emerged as highest scorer of the national hockey championship at Sukkur, has been groomed to score goals on penalty corners.
The former centre-forward, who was declared Man of the Tournament at the Mumbai World Cup in 1981-82, reiterated that he had set his sight on the Jakarta Asian Games gold that gives direct ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
However, he was optimistic that a winning combination will be ready for the Commonwealth Games being held at Gold Coast, Austalia, in April.
He added that upon their return from Muscat, the players will re-assemble in the camp at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium on Feb 27th or 28th to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.
Team:
Imran Butt, Mubashir Ali, Mohammad Rizwan Jr, Tasawwar Abbas, Abu Bakar, Fareed Ahmed, Mohammad Tauseeq Arshad, Umer Bhutta, Arsalan Qadir (vice-captain), Mohammad Rizwan Sr (captain), Shafqat Rasool, Amjad Ali, Faisal Qadir, Ammad Shakeel Butt, Azfar Yaqoob, Ijaz Ahmed, Ali Shan, Atiq Arshad, Shajeeh Ahmed, Atif Mushtaq and Tazeem-ul-Hasan.
Officials:
Hasan Sardar (manager-cum-head coach), Mohammad Saqlain and Rehan Butt (coaches), Shahid Ali Khan (goal-keeping coach), Nadeem Lodhi (video analyst), Waqas Mahmood (physiotherapist).
Dawn
Hockey sets plan
Pravin Narain
NATIONAL hockey coach Hector Smith hopes the Fiji Hockey Federation will have a bright future after the federation set its four-year strategic plans a fortnight ago.
Smith said finance was the major hardship for the federation.
"We met and set up our four-year strategic plan and trying to activate our competitions in the various centers around Fiji," Smith said.
"Fiji Hockey Federation is also planning to have some coaches clinic going so we can be all on the same page when preparing for the competitions and managing teams.
"We want to start the season on time which is expected to start with the primary school season, but we have to get the approval from the Ministry of Education as there are certain requirements to be met."
Fiji is expected to compete in the three international outing which includes Fiji Invitation in December, Hockey World League One and could also compete in the qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games, however, it would depend on FASANOC as which sport is selected to compete at the qualifiers.
"From my point of view we need to have strong competition and pocket-friendly to the athletes since it is very expensive to move around, hire the grounds and people in our sport are volunteers," he said.
"Competition is the best form of teaching.
"It is hard to find sponsors and then if we have more than one international competition in a year then players cannot come away from their work as they need to hold their jobs. It is something which is hard to solve."
The Fiji Times
Battling Canterbury hold Surbiton to a draw
Leicester's Rachael Mack and Buckingham scorer Eloise Laity. Credit Andrew Smith
Bottom of the table Canterbury held leaders Surbiton to a 1-1 draw in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division as their battle to avoid relegation continued.
Canterbury, who have now drawn six of their 12 games so far this season, opened the scoring through Grace Balsdon in the 23rd minute, only for Rebecca Middleton to tie the scores after the break.
Leicester staged a late comeback to draw 2-2 with hosts Buckingham. The visitors looked finished as Abbie Brant and Eloise Laity’s first half strikes saw Buckingham lead 2-0 with just three minutes left to play.
But Nikki Laybourne and then Kathryn Lane struck in quick succession to rescue a point for Leicester. The result keeps Buckingham in the hunt for a top four place and Leicester are second from bottom.
The University of Birmingham are in second spot after a narrow 1-0 defeat of Bowdon Hightown. Erica Sanders was their hero, slotting home after just five minutes.
Two other sides with play-off hopes, Holcombe and East Grinstead faced off and it was Holcombe that moved up to third with a 1-0 win.
The contest looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw but Joanne Westwood struck from a penalty corner in the last few seconds of the game to snatch the points.
Just a point separates Clifton Robinsons and Slough in the table and they cancelled each other out as they met, drawing 0-0.
Investec Conference North
Beeston needed a late comeback against Ben Rhydding to maintain their 100% record this season and stay top of the Investec Women’s Conference North.
Ben Rhydding led 2-1 with six minutes remaining thanks to goals from Rachael Doherty and Kate Wood. But Paige Gillott and Caroline Hulme found the net to snatch a 3-2 victory for Beeston.
Earlier in the day Brooklands-Poynton kept their title hopes alive with their ninth win of the season, a 2-0 defeat of Timperley with goals from Sophia Crawshay and Annie Mills.
Emma McCabe scored a brace as Sutton Coldfield beat Liverpool Sefton 3-2, with Jane Bazley-Harrison scoring twice for Liverpool.
Elsewhere, Loughborough Students beat Fylde 1-0 with a Hannah Bloy strike being the difference. The game between the University of Durham and Wakefield was postponed.
Investec Conference East
Harleston Magpies were big winners in the Investec Women’s Hockey Conference East, beating bottom-of-the-table Chelmsford 6-1. Louisa Greenacre, Lucy Whiting, Martha Lawrence, Rose Winter, Lottie Summers and Lauren Rowe were all on target for the Magpies.
Hampstead and Westminster still top the table with a Hayley Turner goal proving to be the difference in their 1-0 defeat of Cambridge City.
Second faced third with Sevenoaks hosting Wimbledon, and it was the visitors who came away with a 5-2 victory thanks to goals from Crista Cullen, Laura Bevan, Libby Sherriff, Fiona Bruce and Eliza Brett.
In the other game of the day, St Albans gave themselves a bit of berating space in the bottom half of the table with a 3-0 defeat of Southgate.
Investec Conference West
Trojans are still top of the Investec Women’s Conference West despite being held to a 0-0 draw with struggling Oxford Hawks, but there were plenty of goals in the other games of the day.
Isca took only their fourth win of the season, a 5-0 defeat of bottom of the table Team Bath Buccaneers with Emily Davies hitting a double.
Stourport are still second despite a 1-0 loss to Swansea City with Kat Budd scoring the only goal and Reading beat Gloucester City 2-0 to go third. Elsewhere, a Sally Walton brace saw Olton and West Warwicks take a 3-1 win against Cannock.
England Hockey Board Media release
UniKL lift their first-ever MHL trophy after downpour
By Aftar Singh
Historic: UniKL players celebrating after beating KLHC in the TNB Cup final at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday. — M. AZHAR ARIF / The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) finally had something to crow about in the domestic hockey scene.
The team finally lifted their first ever silverware in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) by winning the TNB Cup after beating KL Hockey Club (KLHC) in a sudden death penalty shootout.
UniKL edged KLHC 4-3 in the sudden death penalty shootout after both teams failed to break the 1-1 deadlock in regulation time at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil last night.
Jeroen Hertzberger was the hero for UniKL as he converted the sudden death shootout goal.
Glenn Turner gave UniKL the lead in the 33rd minute before KLHC equalised three minutes later through Jang Jong-hyun.
But both teams failed to get the winning goal and the match had to be decided by penalties in the end.
It started to pour and the rain was a good omen for UniKL as they finally won the penalty shootout to lift the TNB Cup since making their MHL debut in 2011.
In the first five penalty shooutout, Turner and Muhd Marhan Jalil scored for UniKL while KLHC goals were netted by Lee Nam-yong and Matthew Wills.
It was Hertzberger who delivered when it mattered most for UniKL.
Move it: KLHC’s Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor (right) is challenged by UniKL’s Muhd Marhan Jalil during the TNB Cup final last night.
“This is a historic win and we should have wrapped up the match in regulation time,” said UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj.
“All credit to the players and to KLHC as the final was of a high level.
“This win now allows me to move on in life and maybe look for other options as I have delivered.
“I was always confident we could do it even though it went into penalties,” said Arul.
KLHC coach Lim Chiow Chuan said it was a closely contested match and they played well but were let down by poor penalty conversions.
“Overall, I am happy with our team’s performance this season winning two titles – Tan Sri P.Alagendra Cup and the Charity Shield,” said Chiow Chuan.
Tenaga Nasional edged Premier Division champions Terengganu 4-3 to finish third.
Mohamad Akhimullah Anuar Esook scored a brace for Tenaga in the eighth and 34th minutes.
Shello Silverius (seventh) and Muhammad Azrai Aizad (38th) contributed the other goals for Tenaga.
Joaqin Menini (25th, 54th) also scored two goals for Terengganu while Gonzalo Peillat (51st) netted the other goal.
Defender Peillat won the top scorer award with a total of 16 goals.
The Star of Malaysia
Hertzberger hits winning shoot-out for UniKL in Malaysian league final
HC Rotterdam’s Jeroen Hertzberger and SV Kampong’s David Harte and Sander de Wijn helped UniKL to the Malaysian Hockey League TNB Cup title, beating Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club for their first title since joining the league.
They won a shoot-out 4-3 after normal time had ended 1-1, winning the 80,000 Malaysia Ringgit bounty (c. €16,500).
Hertzberger struck the winning shoot-out, getting the best of KLHC goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin to kickstart the celebrations.
The first half saw both teams in cautious form. UniKL could not score from their three corners while KLHC had two go begging. Glenn Turner finally made the breakthrough in the 33rd minute when he found space in the D to smash home.
The lead did not last long, though, with Jang Jong Hyun equalising three minutes later, ultimately sending the game to a shoot-out.
Euro Hockey League media release
UoN end season winless after Titans loss
By BRIAN YONGA
Olympia Chepchumba of Kenyatta University Titans drives the ball during a past Kenya Hockey Union women's Premier League match at City Park Stadium. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
University of Nairobi (UoN) on Saturday ended their Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier League campaign without a win after losing 1-0 to Kenyatta University (KU) Titans at the City Park Stadium, Nairobi.
Winger Alfine Muriel’s strike in the 28th minute was the difference between the two sides in their final match of the 2017/2018 season. UoN, who were making their debut this season, were looking to end their campaign with a win after losing 16 matches before Saturday’s encounter.
It was however not to be as the Titans, who missed a host of chances, finally found the opener to end their season with a win. The result left the Thika Road-based side in eighth place with 21 points, while UoN are rooted bottom with three points from three draws.
COMPLETED THE DOUBLE
The win saw Titans complete the double over their counterparts after winning 6-0 in the first leg fixture on May 6, 2017. Titans skipper Olympia Bett was disappointed that they couldn’t bag more goals and also failed to secure a top five finish.
“It has been an average season for us and we will look at the areas that we need to improve on next season so that we can achieve the target of breaking into the top five,” Bett told Nation Sport.
UoN coach John Waloti however picked positives from his team’s season noting that they will be better next season.
“Most of our players have not played at this level and I think there are a lot of good things we can take from the season. I think next season we will not finish bottom,” the coach said in post-match comments.
It was actually UoN who started brightly and almost caught out the Titans defence in the fifth minute.
Midfielder Hilda Juma dribbled past a host of Titans players and set up striker Faith Wanga but the latter just failed to beat keeper Daisy Odera. Titans would eventually settle in the match and Bett alongside midfield partner Brenda Omaido started controlling proceedings.
After a goalless first quarter, Titans took the lead two minutes to halftime as Bett and Omaido, a younger sister of Kenya international Audrey Omaido of Telkom, combined to put Muriel through to fire a backhand shot past UoN keeper Charity Karanja.
Titans’ top scorer Gloria Juma missed two clear-cut chances to add to the 12 goals she has scored this season but it did not matter as UoN failed to hit back.
In the men’s Premier League, 2012 champions Sikh Union Nairobi beat Technical University of Kenya 2-1 at the same venue to finish sixth in the log.
The season comes to a close next Sunday.
Daily Nation
Rob Lathouwers on World XI Tour of Pakistan
By Ijaz Chaudhry
Rob Lathouwers receiving momento from Shahbaz Ahmad
International hockey returned to Pakistan after a long time. A World XI comprising mega stars from the top ranked hockey nations played two matches against Pakistan in Karachi and Lahore. After a long time, hockey was in spotlight in the country for good reasons.
The legendary Dutch hockey umpire Rob Lathouwers, who whistled around the world from 1978 to 1994, played the pivotal role in arranging this memorable tour.
“Pakistan is like a second home to me. I have visited the country 11 times. I was delighted when somewhere in the middle of November; Secretary PHF Shahbaz Ahmad contacted me with the idea of a World XI tour of Pakistan.
The holiday season in Europe and Oceania meant the earliest possible time was the second half of January.”
Lathouwers dispels the impression created by some that the visiting side was made up of players no longer active in the sport.
“I wanted big names from big teams. Argentine are the Olympic champions and all the three Argentine players played in the Hockey League Final a few months back. Likewise, Spain’s Roc Oliva and David Alegre are members of the current national squad.
World Champion Australia and the European Champions Holland had a bilateral series down under while New Zealand were engaged in two back to back 4-nation tournaments. In Germany, unlike most of the other big hockey nations, the top outdoor players figure in the indoor season as well.
Hence, the next best option was to rope in the stars who have recently retired from the international scene but still active in the top tier of domestic league. As you know, the top tier clubs of leading countries only recruit players on form and fitness regardless of the CV.
I consider myself very fortunate that mega stars such as Australia’s Grant Schubert (gold medals from Olympics, World Cup and Commonwealth Games), Holland’s 27 year old Rob Reckers (Olympic silver, European gold and three Champions Trophy golds), New Zealand’s Phil Burrows (his country’s most capped player and top field goal scorer, among others, were part of the team. Holland’s 19 year old Hiddi Turkstra (2016 Olympian) was also there.
It was not an easy task to assemble such a galaxy of stars with a wonderful blend of youth and experience, and in so little time.”
-If there were any apprehensions regarding security situation in Pakistan
“Even I was taken aback as only one Australian player refused citing security concerns. Yes, some did ask questions but they all agreed to come to Pakistan as the law and order situation in the country is now quite good”.
-Rob appreciates the induction of six foreign and as many Pakistani legends into the Hall of Fame
“Lijens, Bovelander, Blunck and Escarre are not only great players of their time but they also have fond memories of Pakistan. Likewise, the two umpires Don Prior and I whistled in the country many times.
All the six Pakistani stalwarts played stellar roles in quite a few glorious global victories of Pakistan. For me, it was a great feeling to be honoured in a country which has contributed so much to the game of hockey in so many ways”.
-The hospitality and media coverage amazed him
“Most of us had visited Pakistan before and always had a good experience but it was even better this time. The social functions, Hall of Fame in Karachi and the dinner at Lahore, were memorable. We met many Pakistani stalwarts after a long time. A few of us called on the Army Chief, General Bajwa. He turned out to be a great hockey lover and recalled his memories especially pertaining to Litjens and Bovelander. In fact, these two were the most sought after- reportedly more than a thousand fans made selfies with each of them.
The two press conferences were very good and also well covered, and so were the social functions. There was more media as compared to the 1990 Lahore World Cup”.
-One aspect was a bit disappointing
“The crowds in the stadium were below expectations. Perhaps, the time was too short for publicity. The number would have been good for a European ground but I have seen overflowing stadiums in Karachi and Lahore.
-Like many others, Pakistan’s current standing depresses Lathouwers
“Pakistan hockey is very dear to my heart and I earnestly hope that the country climbs back to the top echelon of international hockey. To achieve this, concerted efforts are required in many spheres. I am looking forward to the launching of Pakistan Hockey League which could play a big role in the revival.
PHF’s President and secretary are very eager about it. One also hopes that after this World XI tour, Pakistanis see more international hockey in their backyard.”
‘Born with a whistle in his mouth’ holds true for the legendary Dutch umpire Rob Lathouwers.
Rob’s father Guust Lathouwers umpired in 67 international games including as many as three Olympics. His father’s younger brother Piet Lathouwers whistled in 65 matches including two Olympics.
Little wonder, Rob started umpiring at the age of 18. The umpiring career lasted 26 years. - 158 international matches including three Olympics, two World Cups and 11 editions of Champions Trophy.
Guust Lathouwers Memorial Trophy instituted in 1986 by the FIH, in the name of his father, is awarded every two years to an individual for outstanding services to the development and promotion of umpiring.
He has great association with Pakistan. Most of his 11 visits were related to umpiring assignments, mostly Champions Trophy.
Lately, he has been closely allied to the Dar Hockey Academy, Pakistan’s’ premier hockey nursery today. Since 2010, Dar HA has made five tours of Holland and it is Rob’s MOP club in Vught who have been their hosts each time.
“I have known Taqueer Dar since 1984 when he figured in Pakistan’s gold medal winning squad at the Los Angeles Olympics. It gives me a great sense of pride that the Dar HA is now Pakistan hockey’s biggest conveyer belt of young talent. In 2012, on Taqueer’s invitation, a Dutch Veterans team consisting mostly of Olympic and World Cup medallists had a wonderful tour of Lahore. Plans afoot for another visit later this year”
Ijaz Chaudhry writes on hockey & other sports. For more about him and his work, visit: www.sportscorrespondent.info
Fieldhockey.com