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All the news for Friday 9 March 2018

27th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (M) - Friday 9 March
Ipoh (MAS)

Fixtures (GMT +5)
16:05     ARG - AUS   
18:05     IRL - IND
20:35     ENG - MAS

Pool Stansings

FIH Match Centre

Beat England or bust

By Jugjet Singh

IPOH: Three teams will be battling for one final slot in the 27th Edition of the Azlan Shah Cup Friday.

Australia checked in early on 12 points while Argentina, Malaysia and England will be playing for the other final slot Friday.

For Malaysian coach Stephen van Huizen and his men, they must first hope world No 1 Australia beats world No 2 Argentina in the first match of the day.

And then Malaysia needs to beat England, to play in the final.

"We know the situation well, and were really hoping to claim the final ticket by beating India but it did not happen.

"Now, it's out of our hands as Australia needs to beat Argentina to keep our hopes alive. Nevertheless, we will play all out for a win against England for the highest possible finish in the tournament," said van Huizen.

Malaysia played their worse match against India and lost 5-1, and on Friday they will be hoping to play like they did in the 2-1 win against Argentina.

"All the players have knocks and bruises but only Marhan (Jalil) might not be available for Friday as he received a nasty knock against India.

"We know there is a good chance to beat England, and we will not throw it away regardless the outcome of the first match (Argentina v Australia)."

And on the India match, van Huizen said: "I am certainly not happy with the way we played against India. We did not expect this sort of result coming into the game. We thought that after the Argentina game we have a chance to put ourselves in the final.

"We just have to regroup and try to play a good game against England, as I said coming into this tournament, if we can get some good results, it's good enough (as preparation for the Commonwealth, Asian Games and World Cup).

FRIDAY: Argentina v Australia (4pm), Ireland v India (6pm), Malaysia v England (8.30pm).

STANDINGS
                  P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
AUSTRALIA         4  4  0  0  15 5  12
ARGENTINA         4  2  1  1  10 8  7
MALAYSIA          4  2  0  2  8  10 6
ENGLAND           4  1  2  1  7  7  5
INDIA             4  1  1  2  10 9  4
IRELAND           4  0  0  4  6  17 0

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey

Malaysia have a mountain to climb to reach final

By Aftar Singh



KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia have made things difficult for themselves in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after suffering a 5-1 defeat to India’s second stringers.

With the defeat, Malaysia have to contend with Argentina, England and India for a spot in the final.

World champions Australia have secured a place in the final with four consecutive wins.

Argentina, ranked No. 2 in the world, have seven points from four matches and they want to secure full points against Australia today to reach the final.

Malaysia have six points and wrap up the round-robin fixtures against world No. 7 England.

England, on the other hand, have five points and they too will be going all out against the hosts to secure full points to reach the final.

If the South American champions beat Australia, then Malaysia still need to beat England to play for the bronze-medal match.

If England collect full points against Malaysia and India – who have four points, defeat winless Ireland, then Stephen van Huizen’s boys will play the Irish team for the fifth-placing match.

So the pressure will be on Malaysia to avoid another defeat.

Fitri Saari (pic), playing for the sixth time in the tournament, said it was a do-or-die situation for Malaysia against England.

“If Argentina lose to Australia, then we must beat England to qualify for the final. But it’s easier said than done.

“England too will be going all out against us to secure a place in the final,” said the hard-working midfielder, who has represented Malaysia 141 times.

Fitri added that the defeat to India was a lesson to Malaysia as they paid the price for poor defending and poor marking.

“Our performances are inconsistent – we stunned world No. 2 Argentina (2-1) on Tuesday but got hammered by India’s second stringers India (5-1) on Wednesday,” said Fitri.

“Against England, we need to be on our toes throughout the match and also make our chances count.”

Malaysia last played England in the third placing playoff in the World League Semi-Finals in London last June and were beaten 4-1.

The Star of Malaysia

India need big win over Ireland to keep hopes alive

IPOH: A young and inexperienced India will be eyeing a big win over Ireland on Friday to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the final of Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament and hope for favourable results in other matches.

After a below-par outing in the first three matches, India rekindled their hopes by registering their first win of the tournament on Thursday, mauling hosts Malaysia 5-1.

Before the win, India had earlier lost 2-3 to Olympic champions Argentina, 2-4 against world champions Australia and drew 1-1 against England.

World champions Australia are already through to the final with four wins from as many games but barring Ireland, all other four teams have a chance to make it to the summit clash.

Australia are leading the points table with 12 points ahead of second-placed and Olympic champions Argentina (7 points), Malaysia (6), England (5) and India (4). Ireland are already out of the race with four consecutive defeats.

But India's fate completely depends on lots of permutations and combinations. For India to qualify for the final, they will hope that Australia beat Argentina in the first match of the day, then they will have to beat Ireland by a big margin and then hope that the match between Malaysia and England ends in a draw.

With four big-ticket events lined up this year, including the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, the Indians have opted to field a young and inexperienced side under veteran Sardar Singh.

India chief coach Sjoerd Marijne wanted to test all his options before deciding on his squads for the big tournaments.

And as expected the Indians took time to get their game going in the tournament. Marijne's boys looked erratic in the first three games before dishing out their best display against Malaysia.


Against Malaysia, Shilanand Lakra, Gurjant Singh, Sumit Kumar and Ramandeep Singh scored and Marijne would be hoping for the same spark from his forwards on Friday.

Skipper Sardar especially need to produce an inspiring performance as an ordinary show in the tournament could well draw the curtains on his illustrious career.

This could well be make or break tournament for Sardar if he wants to prolong his career till 2020 Olympics as the team management have already shown their interest on younger legs keeping the busy year in mind.

The Times of India

Kooka Insight - Tales From Within The Camp In Malaysia 2.0

Storms, Sushi and Homework.

By Jeremy Edwards from Ipoh, Malaysia



We are nearing the business end here in Ipoh, four wins from four games means we have booked ourselves a spot in Saturday's final. However we have one final pool game against the Olympic champions Argentina to worry about first.

The first match of a tournament always has a certain buzz to it, it's when the fun stuff starts and the competitive beasts we all have within us come out to play. Our new number 1 Lachi Sharp is a pretty cool customer and a man of few words, so much so we gave him an incentive of 50 cents for each word he says. We were all pretty excited for game one, but none more so than Lachi as he was pretty vocal and his tally is currently at $1.50.

Up first was the old enemy, England. Adding even more spice to the contest is the fact that they are on the same floor as us at our hotel, quite literally a few doors down. The heat certainly effects everyone in some way, the geezers down the hall spent the first week thinking its county cricket season and have played their fair share of hallway cricket. As tempting as it may be, I don’t think the staff would appreciate an indoor Ashes Test.

It wouldn’t be an Azlan Shah unless there was a tropical storm to go along with the heat and humidity. This tournament is notorious for its delays due to rain and lightning, so it was typical that once the tournament started we were met with a thunderstorm. We started to warm up in the driving rain for all of two minutes before the lightning came, so back inside we went to wait until it passed. Fortunately the delay was only 30 minutes.



In these particular instances you need to embrace the challenge, which was reinforced by our coaches and leaders. Unfortunately we can’t do anything about the weather, when we ask the locals if it will rain they just shrug their shoulders and smile awkwardly, talk about a daily lottery! Professional sport throws plenty of curve balls and you have to adapt and focus on what you can control. We were able to do this really well and despite the first half being played in heavy rain, we had a strong lead and held it to run out 4-1 winners.

We followed up the next day against the hosts Malaysia. The 8.30pm time slot brings with it a cool change in conditions, a large home crowd chanting constantly and a throwback to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the vuvuzela. These are the types of games which everyone wants to play in, not quite at the same level as playing India in India but memorable never the less. Another good start had us in a strong position being 3-0 up heading into the last quarter and despite a late goal against we killed off the game and came away with the chocolates again, winning 3-1.

Rest days are crucial for recovery and to help switch off from hockey. We use the pool here at the hotel to do our aqua recovery with some off legs movement, and also get some respite from the sun. At the end of each pool session we finish with a challenge which involves throwing and catching a footy whilst in the air, the aim is it gets from one end to the other with everyone touching the ball and it never hitting the water. Tim Howard has found the challenge quite tough and will require a catching bucket for the duration of the trip.

A large portion of the boys have found some culinary enjoyment at a sushi joint situated in the shopping mall not far from our hotel. From all reports they have consumed their own body weight in garlic fried rice and meat gyoza, I think they are abusing the carb loading theory! After a good feed a lot of guys will also get in some extra sleep, it can be difficult to have the same sleeping patterns when away on tour as opposed to being home. Game day naps are utilised by some, however Daniel Beale has gone above and beyond by actually being asleep for longer than he has been awake since we landed in Ipoh, he is definitely the most recovered person in the team currently!



We put a lot of time and effort into studying ourselves and our opponents, the use of video is one of the most valuable tools to help with the education and understanding of the game. We were tested with our third and fourth match when we had a short turnaround between games to review our match against India, and have a thorough look at our next opponent Ireland.

Our coaching staff do a great job in preparing us, our video analyst Mark Hickman spends all day at the hockey coding (live editing of games) all the matches so we can be best prepared. We were able to again rise to the challenge and put together two more wins, 4-2 against India and 4-1 in the 4pm heat against Ireland. I felt a bit for the Irish lads, they have come from the middle of their winter, and even have the moon tans to prove it.

We have a rest day on Thursday before our final pool match against Argentina at 4pm, then the final on Saturday at 8.30pm. We all appreciate the support from back home and will be striving to do our best as we always aim to do, hopefully returning with some gold!

Hockey Australia media release

Men's Asian Games Qualifier 2018 - Day 1
Muscat (OMA)

OMA - TPE     Pool B     4 - 3
SRI - KAZ     Pool B     6 - 0

Pool Standings

Pool A

Pool B

Upcoming 9 March 2018 (GMT +4)

18:00 HKG - AFG     Pool A
20:00 BAN - THA     Pool A

FIH Match Centre

2018 Test Matches: KOR v IND (W) - 4th Test
Seoul (KOR)

KOR - IND 1 - 3

India win the 5 Test series having already won 3 of the encounters

FMC

India women lose 1-2 to Korea in third match

SEOUL: A determined Indian Women's Hockey Team slipped to their first defeat of South Korea Tour as the hosts registered 2-1 victory over the visitors in the third match of the five-match series here at the Jinchun National Athletic Centre on Thursday. Two goals in the first quarter from South Korea's Seul Ki Cheon (12') and Yurim Lee (14') were enough for the hosts as India's fightback, led by Lalremsiami's goal in the 16th minute, was not enough on the day.

The win for South Korea means that India still maintain a 2-1 lead in the five-match series with two matches to play.

Earlier in the day, India looked to continue their winning momentum from the first two matches and were quick off the blocks to put some pressure on the hosts in the midfield as they played with high intensity, however the hosts South Korea were equally commanding in their play as they also found space regularly in India's striking circle.

The opening 10 minutes of the first quarter saw both teams play with exuberance but it was South Korea who went ahead in the match when Seul Ki Cheon converted a Penalty Corner in the 12th minute to give her team the lead. Two minutes later, India's defense were beaten again through a PC as Yurim Lee continued her goal-scoring form to make it 2-0 in the 14th minute. Even with the game being balanced in the opening quarter, it was South Korea who ended the first quarter with a two-goal advantage.

India took the field in the second quarter with the intent of making a comeback into the match and were instantly rewarded as foward Lalremsiami found the back of the net in the 16th minute to pull one goal back for the visitors. The Indian team took control of the match and were threatening to find the equalizer but the hosts' defense were also stuck to their task as chances went in vain with the South Korean goalkeeper Heabin Jung making a couple of saves to deny the visitors of finding the second goal before the half-time whistle.

The third quarter of the match saw jitters from both the teams as neither wanted to give the opposing team a firm grip on the game. It was South Korea who had the better chances of scoring in the penultimate quarter as they were awarded three Penalty Corners but failed to convert any of them into a goal as the Indian defense stuck to their tasks with goalkeeper Rajani Etimarpu making the saves. It was a crucial period in the match if India were to find the equalizer but the hosts were not going to budge as they maintained their 2-1 lead at the end of the third quarter.

In the final quarter, it was important for India to create significant goal-scoring chances if they were to find the equalizer and maintain their undefeated streak on the South Korea Tour. During their tour so far, the visitors have thrived under pressure and in demanding circumstances, and had to find a goal once again to earn themselves a hard-fought draw. India kept piling the pressure on the hosts and earned themselves two Penalty Corners in the last four minutes of the match, but credit went to the South Korea goalkeeper Heabin Jung who made two fantastic saves to deny India a way back as South Korea ran away with a 2-1 victory.

Indian Women's Hockey team will play their fourth match of the five match series against South Korea on Friday.

The Times of India

Indian women suffer first defeat in hockey tour of South Korea


Indian women's hockey team - File Photo, AFP

Indian women's hockey team suffered its first defeat in the tour of South Korea after they lost 1-2 against the hosts in a hard-fought third game of the five-match series in Seoul on Thursday.

Two goals in the first quarter from South Korea's Seul Ki Cheon (12th minute) and Yurim Lee (14th) sealed the win for the hosts at the Jinchun National Athletic Centre. India, however, did not give up without a fight a pulled a goal back through Lalremsiami in the 16th minute. Despite the loss, India continue to lead the series 2-1 following victories in the first two games.

Earlier in the day, India looked to continue their winning momentum and were quick off the blocks to put some pressure on South Korea's midfield. However, the South Koreans matched their rivals equally as the opening 10 minutes of the first quarter witnessed tough tussle between both the teams for supremacy. But it was South Korea who took the lead when Seul Ki Cheon converted a penalty corner in the 12th minute.

If that was not enough, the Indian defense was beaten once again two minutes later when Yurim Lee scored from another penalty corner. Trailing by two goals, India took the field in the second quarter looking to make a comeback and were instantly rewarded when foward Lalremsiami found the back of the net in the 16th minute to pull one back for the visitors.

The Indian team then took control of the match and looked threatening but the South Korean defenders stuck to their task as the visitors wasted a number of chances. South Korean goalkeeper Heabin Jung also made a couple of fine saves to deny India equaliser before half-time.

In the third quarter South Korea had the better chances of scoring as they earned three penalty Corners but failed to convert a single one with Rajani Etimarpu standing tall in front of the Indian goal. It was important for India to create significant goal-scoring chances in the final quarter if they were to find the equaliser and expectedly the visitors kept piling up the pressure on South Korea and in the process earned two penalty corners in the last four minutes of the match. But the chances went wasted as South Korean goalkeeper Heabin Jung made two brilliant saves to deny India the all-important equaliser.

India will play their fourth match of the series against South Korea on Friday.

Daily News & Analysis

Leicester double-header in Investec Women's Premier Division


Leicester's Katie Mason (R) tracks a Buckingham rival. Credit Andy Smith

Bottom of the table Leicester face two important matches in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division this weekend as they battle to avoid relegation.

A tough trip to Kent to play high-flying Holcombe on Saturday is followed by a home match against second-bottom Slough. Depending on other results, Leicester could climb to seventh.

“The last two or three years have been difficult for us because we’ve lost some good players and haven’t really been able to replace them with people of the same calibre,” said Leicester’s 1st XI manager Sue Holwell.

“The players we have got are playing some good stuff and we’re creating chances, but we just can’t seem to convert goals. These games are must win games for us.”

It could also be a crucial weekend for Slough who, as well as playing Leicester on Sunday, entertain leaders Surbiton on Saturday.

The University of Birmingham travel to Kent on Saturday to play Canterbury, while in other top flight action East Grinstead are at home against Buckingham and Bowdon Hightown entertain Clifton Robinsons.

The top two face off in the Investec Women’s Conference West, with leaders Trojans playing host to second-placed Stourport, who will leapfrog their rivals if they can win.

Meanwhile, third-placed Reading are at home against Olton & West Warwicks, while Swansea City are fourth and could also challenge for promotion. They go to bottom of the table Team Bath Buccaneers on Saturday.

Leaders Hampstead & Westminster go to Harleston Magpies aiming to extend their unbeaten run in the Investec Women’s Conference East, while second-placed Wimbledon go to bottom of the table Chelmsford.

Level on points with Wimbledon, Sevenoaks could climb into second spot if they can beat visitors St Albans on Saturday.

And in the Investec Women’s Conference North, Loughborough Students face a tough match at runaway leaders Beeston who have won all 15 of their league matches so far. Elsewhere, Brooklands-Poynton are at home against Sutton Coldfield.

* Following last week’s postponements due to weather all games have been rescheduled. The majority of these are on the slip date - 18 March - while a small number have been rearranged for this weekend. We are grateful to the great cooperation from clubs with these rearrangements. Full details are below.

FIXTURES

Saturday, March 10 2018

Investec Women’s Hockey League

Investec Premier Division
Holcombe v Leicester 12:00
Slough v Surbiton 12:30
East Grinstead v Buckingham 13:30
Bowdon Hightown v Clifton Robinsons 13:45
Canterbury v Univ of Birmingham 14:00

Investec Conference East
Barnes v Southgate 13:30
Chelmsford v Wimbledon 14:00
Harleston Magpies v Hampstead & Westminster 14:00
Cambridge City v Bedford 15:30
Sevenoaks v St Albans 17:00

Investec Conference North
Brooklands-Poynton v Sutton Coldfield 12:00
Liverpool Sefton v Univ of Durham 12:30
Timperley v Fylde 12:30
Ben Rhydding v Wakefield 13:30
Beeston v Loughborough Students 14:00

Investec Conference West
Isca v Gloucester City 12:00
Oxford Hawks v Cannock 12:00
Trojans v Stourport 12:00
Team Bath Buccaneers v Swansea City 12:30
Reading v Olton & West Warwicks 16:30

Sunday, March 11 2018

Investec Premier Division
Leicester v Slough 13:00

Investec Conference West
Trojans v Isca 14:00

Saturday, March 17 2018

Investec Premier Division
Leicester v Univ of Birmingham 12:00
Slough v Bowdon 12:30
Clifton Robinsons v Buckingham 13:00
Surbiton v East Grinstead 14:00
Holcombe v Canterbury 16:00

Investec Conference East
St Albans v Hampstead & Westminster 13:00
Chelmsford v Barnes 14:00
Harleston Magpies v Bedford 14:00
Wimbledon v Cambridge City 14:00
Southgate v Sevenoaks 15:30

Investec Conference North
Brooklands-Poynton v Ben Rhydding 12:00
Liverpool Sefton v Beeston 12:30
Loughborough Students v Wakefield 12:30
Sutton Coldfield v Timperley 12:30
Univ of Durham v Fylde 14:30

Investec Conference West
Oxford Hawks v Reading 12:00
Swansea City v Olton & West Warwicks 12:00
Cannock v Trojans 12:30
Team Bath Buccaneers v Gloucester City 13:00
Stourport v Isca

Sunday, March 18 2018

Investec Premier Division
Univ of Birmingham v Slough 12:45
Buckingham v Bowdon Hightown 13:00
Leicester v Clifton Robinsons 13:00
Canterbury v East Grinstead 14:00

Investec Conference East
St Albans v Chelmsford TBC
Southgate v Harleston Magpies 12:30
Hampstead & Westminster v Sevenoaks 13:30
Cambridge City v Barnes 14:30
Bedford v Wimbledon 15:00

Investec Conference North
Loughborough Students v Liverpool Sefton 12:30
Fylde v Ben Rhydding 13:30
Sutton Coldfield v Univ of Durham 13:30
Wakefield v Brooklands-Poynton 15:30

Investec Conference West
Cannock v Reading 12:30
Gloucester City v Swansea City 12:30
Stourport v Team Bath Buccaneers 14:15
Olton & West Warwicks v Oxford Hawks 14:30

England Hockey Board Media release

Tough weekend for Reading as they chase the Men's Premier Division title


Reading's James Carson challenges for the ball. Credit Simon Parker

Reading could give their title hopes a big boost as they face two matches against rival teams in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division this weekend.

Currently fourth, they face leaders Surbiton at Sonning Lane on Saturday before travelling to East Grinstead on Sunday. With just five points separating the teams from third to seventh, the race for a play-off spot is reaching a crucial stage.

“It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks for us,” Reading 1st XI manager Tim Hamilton said. “Winning both these games is vital to our ambition to win the league.

“We don’t fear anybody - on our day we can beat any team in the league. And with so many GB and England players being on international duty that suits us as we’re not massively affected.

“For that reason the Surbiton team we play on Saturday will be very different from the team that beat us earlier in the season. They are obviously still a very capable side and will have some quality such as Alan Forsyth, but we will do our homework and are confident we can win.”

Following their match with Reading on Saturday, Surbiton head to Hampstead & Westminster – another team who are desperate for points to boost their bid for the play-offs.

The other top flight games on Sunday see second-placed Beeston host strugglers Sevenoaks, Wimbledon go to Holcombe with both sides still in with a shout of reaching the play-offs, while Brooklands MU are at home against Canterbury.

Two teams targeting promotion, Brighton & Hove play host to Southgate in the Men’s Conference East on Sunday. Separated by just one point, the two sides will be looking to take the points and challenge leaders Oxted who go to Old Loughtonians.

Second-placed Bowdon have two matches this weekend in the Men’s Conference North, which could see them go top of the table. They host the University of Durham on Saturday before going to Doncaster 24 hours later.

Elsewhere, the bottom two play each other with Preston hosting Cannock, while leaders the University of Nottingham play at Deeside Ramblers on Saturday.

In the Men’s Conference West Team Bath Buccaneers could play an important part in the fate of other teams. They go to bottom of the table Clifton Robinsons on Saturday, then host leaders the University of Exeter on Sunday.

* Following last week’s postponements due to weather all games have been rescheduled. The majority of these are on the slip date - 17 March. A small number have been rearranged for this weekend and Havant v Cardiff & Met in the Conference West will be played on Saturday 24 March. To accommodate the rearranged games some matches that had been moved from a Sunday to a Saturday have switched back to Sunday. We are grateful to the great cooperation from clubs with these rearrangements. Full details are below.

FIXTURES

Saturday, March 10 2018

Men’s Premier Division
Reading v Surbiton 14:30

Men’s Conference North
Bowdon v Univ of Durham 11:45
Deeside Ramblers v Univ of Nottingham 12:00

Men’s Conference West
Clifton Robinsons v Team Bath Buccaneers 09:30

Sunday, March 11 2018

Men’s Premier Division
Hampstead & Westminster v Surbiton 13:30
Beeston v Sevenoaks 14:00
Brooklands MU v Canterbury 14:00
East Grinstead v Reading 14:00
Holcombe v Wimbledon 14:00

Men’s Conference East
Cambridge City v Old Georgians 12:30
Brighton & Hove v Southgate 13:00
Richmond v West Herts 13:30
Teddington v Chichester 13:30
Old Loughtonians v Oxted 14:30

Men’s Conference North
Doncaster v Bowdon 14:00
Loughborough Students v Leeds 14:00
Preston v Cannock 14:00
Univ of Durham v Sheffield Hallam 14:00

Men’s Conference West
Cardiff & Met v Univ of Birmingham 12:30
Isca v Fareham 12:30
Olton & West Warwicks v Clifton Robinsons 12:30
Team Bath Buccaneers v Univ of Exeter 13:00
Cheltenham v Havant 14:00

Tuesday, March 13 2018

Men’s Conference East
Oxted v Brighton & Hove 20:00

Thursday, March 15 2018

Men’s Conference East
Southgate v Old Loughtonians 20:30

Saturday, March 17 2018

Men’s Premier Division
Sevenoaks v Wimbledon 13:30
Hampstead & Westminster v Beeston 15:00
Holcombe v Canterbury 18:00
Reading v Brooklands MU 18:00
Surbiton v East Grinstead 18:00

Men’s Conference East
Chichester v Old Georgians 12:00
Cambridge City v Richmond 16:30

Men’s Conference North
Loughborough Students v Doncaster TBC
Sheffield Hallam v Deeside Ramblers 13:30
Cannock v Leeds 14:30
Univ of Nottingham v Preston 14:30

Men’s Conference West
Univ of Exeter v Olton & West Warwicks 12:00
Fareham v Cardiff & Met 13:30
Havant v Isca 15:30
Univ of Birmingham v Cheltenham 17:00

Sunday, March 18 2018

Men’s Premier Division
Wimbledon v Brooklands MU TBC
Canterbury v East Grinstead 14:00
Sevenoaks v Hampstead & Westminster 14:00
Reading v Beeston 14:30

Men’s Conference East
Chichester v Oxted 12:30
Richmond v Brighton & Hove 13:30
Old Georgians v Old Loughtonians 14:00
West Herts v Cambridge City 14:00
Southgate v Teddington 14:30

Men’s Conference North
Univ of Nottingham v Univ of Durham 12:30
Deeside Ramblers v Preston 13:30
Bowdon v Loughborough Students 14:30
Cannock v Sheffield Hallam 14:30
Leeds v Doncaster 14:30

Men’s Conference West
Univ of Exeter v Cardiff & Met 12:30
Olton & West Warwicks v Isca 12:45
Clifton Robinsons v Cheltenham 13:00
Team Bath Buccaneers v Univ of Birmingham 13:00
Havant v Fareham 14:00

England Hockey Board Media release

Pahang Hockey Academy in rebuilding phase after losing key players

KUALA LUMPUR: Pahang Hockey Academy (AHP)-SSP-Thunderbolt are rebuilding their Division One team in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) this year following the loss of eight key players.

The East Coast team players were snapped up by the other Thunderbolt teams – four each to Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) and Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS).

The Pahang Academy team made their debut in the Under-19 league in 2015 and qualified for the overall Cup final last year before going down to SSTMI-Thunderbolt 4-3 in a penalty shootout after both teams were tied 2-2 in the regulation time.

Pahang coach Mohd Sufian Mohamad said losing eight players would affect their performance this season.

“But we are not concerned about it as we have retained seven players from last year’s squad. We also prepared early for the league since last year.

“We will be more than happy if we can finish in the top three in the league as well for the overall Cup,” said the former international.

Pahang team will open their campaign against Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Tigers at Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium in Kuantan today.

Sufian said that they want to avenge their 3-2 defeat to MBPJ team last year.

“We have home ground advantage and also believe we can get the better of them as they only managed a 1-1 draw against SSTMI Juniors in their first match on Wednesday.

“We want good result to boost our morale for our other matches,” said Sufian.

Defending overall champions SSTMI-Thunderbolt will face their juniors SSTMI Juniors and they are expected to register their second win at SSTMI pitch in Bandar Penawar, Johor, today.

SSTMI-Thunderbolt outplayed SMK Datuk Bentara Luar-UniKL-PHJ 4-0 in their opening match on Wednesday.

The Star of Malaysia

Hockey celebrates 'Equally Amazing' sport on International Women's Day



On International Women's Day 2018, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) reflects on what has been an important 12 months for the development of women's hockey which have reaffirmed the sport's claim to be 'Equally Amazing'.
 
A number of events across the world once again showcased women's hockey at its best. The Sentinel Homes Women’s Hockey World League Final in Auckland in November is a case in point. More than 595 million people were reached through one or more forms of media coverage, with audiences keeping up-to-date with news from the event through television, online streaming, social media platforms or website activity.

FIH itself published 95 articles relating to the event, giving in-depth interviews with players and coaches, daily match reports and roundups and background information pertaining to the Sentinel Homes Women’s Hockey World League Finals. This followed two hugely successful Hockey World League Semi-Finals earlier in the year which obtained mass coverage across the planet.

"Through hockey, they (Indian women's national team athletes have found financial stability, they have well-paying jobs through sports quota and winning major events always helps bring their inspiring stories to the fore.”
Elena Norman, Hockey India CEO

It is within hockey’s own power to drive equality and nowhere is this better illustrated than in India, where success by the women’s team at the 2017 Asia Cup and the subsequent qualification for the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 is fuelling a rise in hockey’s popularity among young women and girls.

This changing attitude is summed up by the captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, Rani, who said: "When I started playing hockey, there was very little awareness about women's hockey. Though in Shahbad (Haryana) where I come from, many kids played hockey from a young age, it was not certain whether women could make a career out of it. But over the past decade, Hockey India has promoted women's hockey considerably and our facilities are on par with men's hockey."

Elena Norman, the Chief Executive Officer for Hockey India is also delighted that Hockey India’s strategy is paying off: "The Indian Women's Hockey Team's recent success has given several young and upcoming players a new hope that they too can make their own mark.

"Many of the players in the Indian team come from economically challenged families, some from tribal regions in India while some have beaten the typical patriarchal barriers where women are discouraged from taking up a sport. Through hockey, they have found financial stability, they have well-paying jobs through sports quota and winning major events always helps bring their inspiring stories to the fore.”

A recent event which highlighted just how gender equality is being achieved in our sport was the Women’s Indoor Hockey World Cup in Berlin, Germany.

This event ran alongside the Men’s Indoor Hockey World Cup. Figures show that a capacity crowd of 8,000 people packed the Max-Schmeling Halle in Berlin to watch both the men’s and women’s finals and the coverage throughout the event was equal across all viewing channels. All of which makes for great news when it comes to inspiring a new generation of women and girls to pick up hockey sticks.

Taking a more reflective view of women's hockey, 2017 FIH Hockey Stars Player of the Year Delfina Merino from Argentina described what it meant to her to be a member of Las Leonas when she started out on a hockey career.

She said: “I had a choice as a teenager, tennis, swimming or hockey, but in Argentina, if you become a Leona, it is more than a sport, it is a way of life. It was an obvious and easy choice for me.”

The Argentina captain added that in her country hockey was the number one sporting choice for women and being an international player was the female equivalent of playing for the men’s Argentina football team.

Looking ahead, with London hosting the Vitality Hockey Women’s Hockey World Cup in July and August this year, Chief Executive of England Hockey, Sally Munday, is certain that this mega-watt hockey event will have similar impact to that of the London 2012 Olympics.

“Hosting the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in London this summer is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase hockey and provide further inspiration for people to take up the game,” says Munday. 

“We have seen the number of girls playing hockey in our clubs double since the London 2012 Olympic Games and we know high profile events like these can be the catalyst for getting more people active and involved in our sport.

“The Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup will dominate the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for almost three weeks this summer with more than 100,000 spectators watching top class women’s sport – we can’t wait!”

For England captain Alex Danson, the forthcoming World Cup recalls her own reasons for taking up the game. “As a young girl I remember my mum taking me along to watch the England team play a test game in Milton Keynes, that memory has been forever etched in my mind and was the first time I remember thinking this was exactly what I wanted to do.

“We live in a time when visibility is key, especially for women and young girls, I believe you can not be what you can not see. Having the best teams from all around the world compete in London I hope will be a memory that all who visit and tune in will never forget and the start for many to get involved.” 

Inspiring more women and girls to become involved in hockey, whether as a player, coach, umpire or in a boardroom capacity is one of the key aims of the FIH’s 10-year strategy, the Hockey Revolution. However, more importantly it is key to the sport maintaining its reputation as being a Equally Amazing for both genders.

With this year's International Women's Day movement calling on action to press forward and progress gender parity, FIH is encouraging everyone involved in our sport to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive. Join the movement: #PressForProgress

FIH site

Magnificent seven: FIH Executive Board pushing for progress in equality


FIH Executive Board Member Marijke Flueren is leading progress for change within the FIH

Throughout this week, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is celebrating International Women's Day (8 March) by highlighting the progress being made across all levels of the sport thanks to inspiring females. Today we look at the key women director the sport of hockey as Executive Board Members of the world's governing body.

“There are seven women on the FIH Executive Board and together, we are all aware of the need to empower and inspire a next step in breaking down barriers," said Marijke Fleuren, who is leading hockey's governing body in its quest for gender equality.

But, as she says: “It’s not a question of numbers but more about the strategy and the tangible results”.

The European Hockey Federation (EHF) President and FIH Executive Board member has been busy across a number of roles as she seeks to ensure that hockey remains at the forefront of promoting and sustaining gender equality.

Her work has seen her in discussion with the IOC Women in Sport Commission; meeting with the Ministry for Sport in the Netherlands; and sharing ideas with IOC President Thomas Bach. She will also be sitting on the International Federation’s Women’s Forum from the end of March.

Fleuren is quick to point out that she is just one of a number of people working within FIH who are pushing hard to achieve gender equality.

“All the women on the Board represent different areas and different cultures but we are all behind the FIH Gender Policy and work hard throughout the year, not just on International Women’s Day.”

And this is an important point. While Fleuren is a supporter of International Women’s Day, particularly because of the exposure it brings to all the great initiatives that are currently pushing for gender equality, she is also keen to remind the rest of the world that there are people working on this area every day.

“There are seven women on the FIH Executive Board and together, we are all aware of the need to empower and inspire a next step in breaking down barriers."
Marijke Fleuren, FIH Executive Board Member and European Hockey Federation President

One such person is Yolanda Brada, who Fleuren singles out for praise for her work on umpire education within the EHF. “Yolanda became an umpire and then an international umpire but her true calling has been the education of umpires. She has particularly concentrated on working with women umpires, giving them support and confidence to progress to the highest level. Like everyone, she needs support in this role but she is one of the people who really does work hard to make change happen.”

An exciting step forward was taken recently when the IOC Executive Board accepted 25 recommendations for achieving gender equality. The proposals, put forward by a working party, had already been accepted by the Women in Sport Commission in November.

For Fleuren this is a really positive step change as it focuses on strategies for change. The recommendations cover a range of issues, but at the heart of the strategy are three main areas: sport, facilities and governance.

Starting with sport makes huge sense to the Dutch woman. “In all parts of a sport you should see equality. It starts with participation and then the competition format and the rules — they should all be the same. Athletes should wear same uniforms as far as possible, made from the same materials; they should use the same equipment. The technical official should be of a similar high standard. And, my own particular bugbear – the prize giving. I hate it when the prize givers are only men.”

When it comes to facilities, there are still massive inequalities. Throughout the hockey world, at all levels, there are examples of tournaments and competitions in which men's matches are played on top quality pitches at prime times, while women's matches are on pitches of inferior quality and at the 'quieter' periods of the day.

“Of course, it is easy to pass comment but we need to recognise that big strides have already been made – it is only a short while ago there may not have been a women’s event at all,” she concedes.

The sticky area when it comes to sport governance is how to get women to even apply to sit on boards. Fleuren argues that it is not just about getting numbers of women on Boards but sports need to take a look at their recruitment processes.

“How do we attract women onto Boards. You want to get women who are really involved in the sport, so you need to work in advance to get them interested in taking up a role,” she says.

“The same is true of committees or in management. We will only achieve equality when it is the part of everything around, when the CEO, the Board Member and the receptionist are all saying the same thing.”

It is a sentiment that is shared by IOC President Thomas Bach. “He takes a very logical approach,” says Fleuren. “Thomas Bach is a big supporter of the HeforShe campaign because, as he says, why would you ignore the voices and capabilities of 50 per cent of the population?”

With seven active and strong women on the FIH Executive Board, could it be said that hockey is a sport that is leading the way in Gender equality?

“I am loathe to say we are leading the way for fear of appearing complacent,” says Fleuren. “But we are fortunate in that we are a sport where men and women can play together so if there are gaps we can identify them and talk about them.”

She cites umpiring as one area of hockey where enormous steps have been taken by the European Hockey Federation in recent years. “Within the EHF, we had a motion calling for women umpires to always be appointed to women’s international events and at the time, I didn’t think that would be possible. But no, we now have a professional body of strong, talented, extremely fit female umpires."

The EHF continues to drive the agenda. In December the EHF executive Board adopted a gender equality strategy that is all about leadership, participation and education. This was prepared by Tom Pedersen-Smith, another person who Fleuron praises for the quite but efficient way he is driving change.

“We should be proud of all we have achieved so far, but we have to keep pushing forwards," says Fleuren. "I think that I see it so often that sometimes I forget just how proud of our sport we should be.”

With this year's International Women's Day movement calling on action to press forward and progress gender parity, FIH is encouraging everyone involved in our sport to motivate and unite friends, colleagues and whole communities to think, act and be gender inclusive. Join the movement: #PressForProgress

To see all FIH Executive Board Members, click here.

FIH site

HA Congratulates Hocking On FIH Umpire Promotion

Ben Somerford

Hockey Australia congratulates umpire Ben Hocking after he was promoted to be an FIH International Umpire for Outdoor Hockey.

Hocking, who hails from Waverley Hockey Club in Melbourne, has emerged as a talent umpire and officiated the Men’s Under-21 National Championships Final in 2017.

The FIH Officials Committee has accepted a recommendation for Hocking to be promoted to an FIH International Umpire.

Hockey Australia media release