News for 04 April 2018
All the news for Wednesday 4 April 2018
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Hockey begins Thursday
One of the world’s biggest international multi-sport events gets underway today as the 21st edition of the quadrennial Commonwealth Games begins in Australia, with the men’s and women’s hockey competitions starting on Thursday.
The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will see more than 6,600 athletes and team officials representing 71 Commonwealth nations and territories welcomed to the event cities of Gold Coast, Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville, all sharing in the celebration of sport, entertainment and culture.
It is the biggest sporting event to be staged in Australia this decade, and will feature the largest integrated sports programme in Commonwealth Games history, comprising 18 sports and seven para-sports.
Hockey is a core sport at the Commonwealth Games, having been part of the schedule since debuting at the 1998 event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The men’s and women’s hockey competitions, which will be played at the newly-upgraded Gold Coast Hockey Centre in Labrador, features some of the world’s finest international teams and looks set to be utterly compelling from start to finish.
With no fewer than 13 of the 20 teams that will compete at Gold Coast 2018 having also qualified for the respective Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 (21 Jul - 5 Aug 2018, England) and Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 (28 Nov -16 Dec 2018, India) events later this year, they will know that glory on the Gold Coast would be a welcome boost ahead of those iconic competitions.
As well as featuring some undisputed heavyweights, one of the beauties of the hockey competitions at the Commonwealth Games is the prospect of compelling match-ups between nations that rarely play each other.
It is these scenarios where acts of ‘giant killing’ can take place and players who normally compete in front of a handful of spectators suddenly find themselves in the role of hero, with an in venue audience of thousands plus millions more watching on TV across the world.
In the first phase of both the men’s and women’s competition, the ten teams will be divided into two pools of five nations. With only the top two finishers securing a place in the competition semi-finals, which in turn lead to the all-important medal matches, there will be a considerable amount of pressure for the teams to start their campaigns with a victory and get crucial points on the board as early as possible.
With three current continental champions - not to mention a team that is blessed with numerous Olympic gold medallists - it is clear that the women’s competition will be fiercely contested and difficult to predict.
In Pool A, England (FIH Hero World Ranking: 2) will be seen as favourites to win the pool but face stern challenges from Asian continental champions India (WR:10) and African champions South Africa (WR:14) as well as Malaysia (WR:22) and Wales (WR:26) - two rapidly progressing nations.
The England team selected by master tactician Danny Kerry contains a glittering array of world class talent including ace striker Alex Danson, reigning FIH Hockey Stars Goalkeeper of the Year Maddie Hinch and brilliant defender Hollie Webb, players who were all members of Great Britain’s Olympic gold medal-winning team from Rio 2016.
However, Kerry’s team will need to be at their best if they are to fulfil their ambition of winning a first ever Commonwealth Games gold medal after finishing runners up at the Kuala Lumpur 1998, Manchester 2002 and Glasgow 2014 events.
In Manchester England’s defeat came at the hands of India, a team that will fancy their chances of medalling at Gold Coast 2018, especially on the back of their outstanding title success at last year’s Asia Cup, which was played in Kakamigahara, Japan. Star striker Rani remains a talismanic figure for the Eves and could well inspire her team to their first podium finish at a Commonwealth Games since their silver medal at the Melbourne 2006 event.
Like India, South Africa are also continental champions, having claimed the Africa Cup for Nations last year in Egypt. Dirkie Chamberlain was a key player in that continental championship winning side and will once again again be one to watch. Although Malaysia and Wales sit further down the FIH Hero World Rankings, they both have enough quality to give their higher ranked opponents a serious run for their money at this event.
Women’s Pool B will be equally competitive, especially with fierce Oceania rivals Australia (WR: 5) and New Zealand (WR:4) in action alongside Scotland (WR:18), Canada (WR:21) and Ghana (WR:30).
Australia's Hockeyroos may sit one place below New Zealand's Black Sticks in the FIH Hero World Rankings but come into this event not just as reigning Commonwealth Games champions but also as the champions of Oceania, having beaten New Zealand to the title at last year’s continental championship. Australian penalty corner ace Jodie Kenny and Black Sticks attacker Anita McLaren are likely to be influential players for their respective teams on the Gold Coast.
While the rankings gap between the Oceania giants and fellow Pool B competitors Scotland, Canada and Ghana is significant, they are certainly not teams to be taken lightly.
Scotland have some real talent in their ranks such as Great Britain internationals Sarah Robertson, Amy Gibson, Nicola Cochrane and Amy Costello while Canada and Ghana both performed well in their respective continental championships last year. The Canadians were beaten to a place on the podium by USA in the Pan American Cup, while Ghana finished second behind winners South Africa in the Africa Cup for Nations.
In the men’s event, Australia (WR:1) will be seen as hot favourites to claim a remarkable sixth successive title. Not only are they the top ranked team in the game and have the advantage of playing at home, they are also the current holders of the World Cup, Hockey World League, Oceania and Champions Trophy titles, making it understandable why many believe that they will give iconic team captain Mark Knowles the perfect ending to his international career with a gold medal on the Gold Coast.
Australia will definitely not be given an easy ride in Pool A, with New Zealand (WR:9), Canada (WR:11), South Africa (WR:15) and Scotland (WR:23) all extremely motivated by the prospect of potentially causing a huge upset against the mighty Kookaburras in their own back yard.
New Zealand, twice podium finishers in previous editions of the Commonwealth Games, will fancy their chances of medalling at this event, while Canada - lead by hugely experienced defender Scott Tupper - are always dangerous and unpredictable.
With African continental champions South Africa and a talented, improving Scotland team also in the mix, Pool A looks capable of producing some surprise results.
With India (WR:6), England (WR:7), Malaysia (WR:12), Pakistan (WR:13) and Wales (WR:24) all featuring, Pool B looks extremely hard to predict and has plenty of sub-plots.
As well as the always intriguing clash between eternal rivals India and Pakistan, the latter of which is now coached by former India boss Roelant Oltmans, there is also the chance for Malaysia to gain a measure of revenge against an England team that thrashed them 7-2 in the semi-finals of the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh.
As suggested by their rankings, Asian continental champions India and England, who eventually finished second behind Australia at the Azlan Shah event, should be the front-runners for the two available semi-final berths.
Both sides are blessed with numerous outstanding individuals, with India captain Manpreet Singh and England attacker Barry Middleton being two of numerous world class individuals contained in their respective ranks.
In recent months Malaysia have shown that on their day they are capable of beating the very best in the world, a fact proven by their impressive 2-1 victory over Olympic champions Argentina at the Azlan Shah event.
2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallists Pakistan will be boosted by the arrival of celebrated Dutchman Oltmans and could well challenge, while Wales will grab the opportunity to prove themselves against higher-ranked opponents with both hands.
The hockey competitions of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games get underway on Thursday 5 April. The opening four matches at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre all take place in women’s tournament, with the Pool A meeting between the India and Wales getting things started at 09:30 Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC/GMT +10 hours) before Scotland take on New Zealand in Pool B at 11:30. England’s Pool A clash against South Africa begins at 14:30, with home favourites Australia playing Canada in Pool B at 16:30.
The opening day’s play will be completed by the first two matches of the men’s competition, with Pool B rivals Pakistan and Wales taking to the field at 19:30 ahead of the Pool A face-off between South Africa and Scotland, which begins at 21:30. The full schedule can be viewed here.
Follow the action at www.fih.ch and through our social channels where we will post regular updates and reports.
#CG2018
FIH site
XXI Commonwealth Games - Day 1
Gold Coast (AUS) 5 - 14 Apr 2018
Fixtures (GMT+10)
09:32 Women Pool A India - Wales
11:32 Women Pool B Scotland - New Zealand
14:32 Women Pool A England - South Africa
16:32 Women Pool B Australia - Canada
19:32 Men Pool B Pakistan - Wales
21:32 Men Pool A South Africa - Scotland
Official Gold Coast CWG site
England's Hockey Family ready for Gold
England siblings Hannah and Harry Martin are looking forward to competing together at Gold Coast Photo: FIH/WSP
The Commonwealth Games are also known as the ‘Friendly Games’ but there is an argument they could also be termed the ‘Family Games’ as a number of siblings and other family members are preparing to compete alongside each other in their nation’s colours.
In the case of England Hockey, the Martin family will be glued to the screen as brother and sister Harry and Hannah both chase gold medals, while the Pinner and Hunter families will be watching as married couple George Pinner and Jo Hunter also seek a double victory.
“The hockey venue is looking incredible, and there will certainly be some atmosphere when it is full. I’m just very excited to get going!”
Hannah Martin, England
Both sets of families have been through the emotional rollercoaster that comes with having elite athletes competing in major internationals before. At the Rabobank EuroHockey Championships in 2017 both Harry and Hannah and Jo and George competed, bringing home bronze medals all round. Now they are looking for Commonwealth Gold to add to the family trophy cabinets.
We caught up with 22-year-old Hannah, who has been a silky-skilled sensation in the 24 matches she has played so far in the England senior shirt. She scored one of the goals against Germany that brought home bronze from the Rabobank EuroHockey Championships and is looking forward to another good tournament on the Australia Gold Coast.
“We are all settled into the village, and have had a good few training sessions on the competition pitch,” says the speedy midfielder.
“The hockey venue is looking incredible, and there will certainly be some atmosphere when it is full. I’m just very excited to get going!”
Since the England team landed it has been a non-stop whirl of on-pitch training, gym sessions and meetings. Coach Danny Kerry is renowned for his attention to detail so this is no surprise, even to one of the youngest members of the squad.
“Preparations are definitely in full swing, we have managed to fit in a lot; gym, training, meetings. All of which are ensuring that we are in the best possible place mentally and physically come our first pool game against South Africa.”
Brother Harry, who is four years older than Hannah, is a veteran of the England side. He has competed in two Olympics (London 2012 and Rio 2016) and has proven an inspiration to his sister over the years. “It is really special to be competing at the same event as Harry. I have watched him in all these major tournaments over the years, so being able to compete alongside him is something I will always treasure.”
While a gold at the Commonwealth Games is the immediate target for both England men and women’s teams, there is also the question of the Vitality Women’s Hockey World Cup in London in July and the Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup, Bhubaneswar in November. Martin is not allowing herself to look too far ahead.
“We will just be taking it game by game, focusing on putting in good performances and hopefully the results will speak for themselves. It is brilliant that we have the opportunity of competing at the Commonwealth Games, playing different hockey nations in terms of style/tactics etc. to perhaps the European sides we play on a more regular basis.
“We are looking forward to embracing the challenges of the Commonwealth Games, and with a home World Cup coming up in the summer, we are excited to continue developing and making strides as a squad."
England women play their opening match at 2:30 local time against South Africa on 5 April, England men face Malaysia at 9.30am local time on 6 April.
FIH site
Kookaburras: A History At The Commonwealth Games
Alexie Beovich
The Kookaburras have taken top prize in every Commonwealth Games to date, will 2018 be any different?
The 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, saw the inaugural field hockey competition in which the Australian men’s team won the gold medal, 20 years later and they are yet to come away with anything less than the coveted first place prize.
In April Australia’s men’s team, the Kookaburras, will be competing in their home country for a sixth consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medal, a historic feat if the team can achieve it.
The Kookaburras enter the Gold Coast based Commonwealth Games as the number one ranked side in the world after a dominant performance at the Hockey World League Final in 2017 and their expectations are set high.
The team has changed a lot over the last 20 years and we’ve seen the roster and staff turnover a number of times. But one thing remains true, Australia’s men’s team has always performed well at the Commonwealth Games.
In fact, the Kookaburras have only ever lost one single game in the Commonwealth Games, their record currently sits at 29-1 with five of five gold medals.
The Kookaburras first Commonwealth Games appearance in 1998 was a dominant one. The squad, led by Coach Terry Walsh, allowed only five goals whilst scoring 27 of their own.
Michael Brennan was the Kookaburras leading goal scorer for the 1998 Commonwealth Games with seven goals including two in the gold medal match against home side Malaysia.
Interestingly this was current Hockeyroos Coach Paul Gaudoin’s first Commonwealth Games appearance, 2018 will be his fifth (two as player, three as coach).
The Kookaburras only ever defeat in the Commonwealth Games came in 1998 against South Africa.
The second time hockey was run in the Commonwealth Games, Australia faced off against a number of strong opponents including home side England and rivals New Zealand.
Led by Coach Barry Dancer, the Kookaburras allowed just six goals in 2002 and scored 38 of their own, 20 of which came from their match against Barbados. The one sided affair saw four Australian players notch up hat tricks including hockey legend Jamie Dwyer.
Dwyer scored his second hat trick in the Kookaburras 5-2 gold medal match victory against New Zealand.
The 2006 Commonwealth Games provided the Kookaburras with their first opportunity to compete in the Games in front of a home crowd.
In Barry Dancer’s second Commonwealth Games as Coach, the Kookaburras focused heavily on strong defence and lightning fast scoring.
The game plan was clearly a winner as the Kookaburras once again finished the tournament undefeated.
Australia defeated Scotland, Canada, England, New Zealand and Malaysia on their way to a 3-0 victory over Pakistan in the gold medal match.
Brent Livermore and Victorian Luke Doerner were Australia’s top goal scorers with five goals apiece.
Even after a number of personnel changes from 2006 to 2010, Australia entered the New Delhi Games as heavy favourites and for good reason.
2010 saw Coach Ric Charlesworth and many of Australia’s current squad compete in their first Commonwealth Games and it was quickly apparent that they were a special team.
The Kookaburras set the tone for 2010 when they blitzed Scotland 9-0 in their first match. The Aussies subsequently defeated India, Pakistan, Malaysia and New Zealand, allowing just four goals in the process.
Current captain Mark Knowles said he'd "never heard anything so loud" heading into the final against India.
When it came to the gold medal match Australia went unchallenged, defeating India 8-0. Jason Wilson, Chris Ciriello, Luke Doerner, Simon Orchard, Glenn Turner and Jamie Dwyer all found the back of the net in the final match.
The Games in Glasgow saw a historic performance by the Australian team, for the fourth year in a row they went undefeated through the tournament and secured a fifth consecutive gold medal.
Under their new coach Graham Reid (previously Assistant Coach under Charlesworth) the Kookaburras were once again a dominant attacking team.
Led largely by Chris Ciriello who scored in every match and finished as the tournament’s top goal scorer with nine goals, the Kookaburras crushed Wales, South Africa, India, Scotland and England prior to their gold medal rematch against India.
Australia took on India in the gold medal rematch and were once again favourites. The game saw the same result as in 2010 and Australia comfortably took home the top prize defeating India 4-0.
Eddie Ockenden scored a late goal while Chris Ciriello scored a hat trick making him Australia’s highest total Commonwealth Games goal scorer.
Australia enters their second Australian based Commonwealth Games ranked number one in the world after a successful World League campaign in 2017.
The team will be looking for their sixth consecutive gold medal and expectations are high.
Hockey Australia media release
Hockeyroos Commonwealth Games Preview
Ben Somerford
The Hockeyroos will be aiming for a fourth consecutive gold medal at the Commonwealth Games but 2018’s line-up on the Gold Coast arguably represents their toughest challenge ever.
HISTORY
Australia may have won four of the five Commonwealth Games gold medals since hockey was first played at the tournament in 1998 but go into Gold Coast as the third highest ranked nation.
England (second) and New Zealand (fourth) loom as Australia’s big threats, with the Hockeyroos ranked fifth in the world. India are next best ranked 10th in the world.
Australia did it the hard way four years ago, with Jodie Kenny equalising with 12 seconds to go in the gold medal match against England, before winning in a shootout.
Kenny, who gave birth to her first child Harrison in June, was the top scorer in 2014, with 10 goals.
Playing on home turf will be a big factor for the Hockeyroos, who won gold in Melbourne in 2006.
RIVALRY
Australia are in Pool B alongside the Black Sticks, who they beat in Sydney in October last year to win the Oceania Cup. Scotland (18th), Canada (21st) and Ghana (30th) are also in Pool B.
New Zealand knocked Australia out of the 2016 Olympics in the quarter-finals so there’s history there which adds another layer to the fierce Trans-Tasman rivalry.
The Kiwis, who made last year’s World League Final decider, lost midfielder Tessa Jopp to injury last week, ruling her out of the Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile, several members of the England side were part of the Great Britain team which won gold in Rio, however they’ll be without Olympic gold medallists Lily Owsley, Shona McCallin and Nicola White due to injury.
Australia haven’t played England or Great Britain since losing 2-1 in their opening game in Rio.
PROSPECTS
The Hockeyroos have undergone a period of evolution since their Rio disappointment, with Paul Gaudoin taking over as coach, while Madonna Blyth, Georgie Parker and Ashleigh Nelson have all retired.
Ten of Australia’s 18-member team have never played at a Commonwealth Games before, while five being 22 years-young or under.
Blyth’s retirement means there’s a new captain in green and gold, with Crookwell product Emily Smith taking the reins as skipper in September last year.
In Smith’s first tournament as captain she led the Hockeyroos to their Oceania Cup success, with disciplined midfielder Jane Claxton impressing, scoring in the 2-0 triumph in the final.
Townsville midfielder Stephanie Kershaw has emerged as a star over the past 12 months following an ACL injury which ruled her out of Rio. Goalkeeper Rachael Lynch enters her third Commonwealth Games and is a veteran arguably in career-best form.
Australia are without long-term injury absentees Georgina Morgan, Mariah Williams and Georgia Wilson.
Australia’s first match is against Canada on Thursday 5 April from 4.30pm AEST.
Hockey Australia media release
Knowles Represents ’Character, Integrity & Leadership’
Ben Somerford
Kookaburras skipper Mark Knowles epitomises everything good about Australia according to Team Chef De Mission Steve Moneghetti.
Knowles will be Australia’s Flag Bearer at Wednesday night’s 2018 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast.
The veteran Kookaburra, who hails from Rockhampton and resides in Brisbane, has won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and will retire immediately after the Gold Coast event.
“It’s not about ability on the field, it’s the way that Mark carries himself off the field, especially at the Commonwealth Games,” Moneghetti said.
“That’s what distinguishes this choice. This is a homegrown boy whose made good.
“There’s something about the Australian outback, the spirit, the dirt, this bloke is all of that and he represents it unbelievably well.”
Moneghetti explained his choice of Knowles, identifying several key criteria with Knowles ticking all the boxes.
“You need to look at your character, integrity and leadership,” he said.
“Mark has been a person who has believed in the Australian team at the Commonwealth Games which is significant. The way he carries himself, he’s an absolute rock. He’s an inspiring leader.”
Knowles said he was humbled by the honour, having stepped on stage with most of Australia’s previous Flag Bearers including Kieren Perkins, Lisa Curry, Sharelle McMahon and fellow Rockhampton product Anna Meares.
“I think because of the person that I am and where I’ve come from, this is really important for me,” he said.
“I’ve prided myself on being a very team oriented person for most of my career. I’m at the end of my career so I know these amazing moments don’t come around very often.
“I was actually most emotional about being on stage with the people who were already there. I couldn’t believe it.
“They were people who were role models or idols to me.”
Hockey Australia media release
Kooka Insight - Tales From Inside The Games Athletes’ Village
By Jeremy Edwards from the Gold Coast.jpg)
CG on the GC!
We don’t often find ourselves playing in front of a home crowd, and it’s even more unique that we get to do it at a multi sport event. The coast that runs with gold has so far been very good to us, the array of countries and cultures throughout the village makes for a really vibrant community full of diversity and fun.
Being based in a village for a tournament is a new experience for some of us, however we have a good portion of players who have been to previous Commonwealth Games and Olympics to lean on for experience in regards to managing the daily hustle and bustle. It would be no surprise that the most traffic we come across is in the large dining hall where there are stalls for every appetite including Western, Asian, African and Halal options. Not to mention a fridge in every corner full of complimentary refreshments.
In our Australian part of the village we are treated exceptionally well, we have a ‘hangout’ area where athletes and staff can get food and drinks, play some FIFA or for the more seasoned athletes, a few board games. We also have our own pool available for use with an on site barista, our coffee snobs are pretty happy with that inclusion as they take photos of each other sipping their brews and uploading them to social media. #grindandshine #thanksalatte just to name a few.
The challenge of being in the village is finding the right balance of work and play, which is something that we find we have done quite well in previous tournaments. Whilst there are extra external distractions, the enthusiasm of the group to play in front of a parochial home crowd full of family and friends is keeping our minds on the job, and we are all itching to play our first game on Saturday against South Africa.
The guys have extra curricular activities to keep on top of too, some have little ones to check in with, some have university study to do, and Lachi Sharp has been thrown the challenge to overtake Daniel Beale as ‘king snoozer’. The ability to nap during the day and still get 10+ hours of sleep a night may seem simple, but don't underestimate how much training is required to reach this feat.
Jeremy (Jerry) Hayward has really been sharpening up his AFL tagging skills so far, covering every step that Eddie Ockenden has taken. When he’s not shadowing Ed he’s been working away with his university study, aiming to become a Primary School Teacher. I helped proof read his latest assignment and had to remind him that you can just press backspace on your laptop for a spelling mistake instead of using white out on the screen to cover it up, I guess a multi sport event does need a village idiot after all. Just joking Jez!
For the history enthusiasts, the Kookaburras have quite an impressive record for Commonwealth Games since Hockey was introduced in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur. I still remember watching those games and the semi final against England where Michael Brennan scored in extra time to take the win 3-2. They then followed this up with a 4-0 win against the hosts Malaysia to take the gold and lay the foundations for the future, a feat which has been achieved every edition since then. 
Because of the proud history there is a heightened level of expectation which goes along with it, and in hockey we find that a multi sport event gives us more air time and coverage then we traditionally get during our usual tournaments. Too often we see teams and athletes at these events not win a gold medal and be seen as a disappointment, or that they have let down their nation. Despite this I firmly believe our group will manage the external pressure and play the same way we always do, the excitement overrides the expectation and the cliche of process over outcome is what we preach, and abide by every time we play.
My belief in regards to high performance sport is that you need to enjoy the challenges that come your way, and try to find the positives even when it may seem you are up against the world. In the example of a home Commonwealth Games it is the joy we have wearing our nations colours in front of our family and friends which will trump the fear of not winning a match or a medal of a particular colour. With a clear mind the irrelevant stuff won’t impact you, and we can do what we love which is play with a high level of intensity, but also a high level of fun.
We have a few more training sessions coming up, one of them is the graveyard shift where we won’t finish up until 10pm! This simulates our evening game against Scotland on Sunday, but also the playoff games we are hopeful of reaching later in the tournament. We will prepare well and give the same absolute effort we always do, I encourage you all to tune in and watch us play as the spectacle is something which is truly humbling, and one that I along with my team mates are really looking forward to doing.
Be sure to book in your couch at 4.30pm AEST on Saturday, it should be a lot of fun!
Hockey Australia media release
New Zealand hockey teams ready for battle
Dane Lett is ready for action. Photo: www.photosport.nz
The New Zealand Men’s and Women’s hockey teams are all set to get underway at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, which starts on Thursday.
The Commonwealth Games will see more than 6,000 athletes and officials representing 71 Commonwealth nations and territories welcomed to the event cities of Gold Coast, Brisbane, Cairns and Townsville, all sharing in the celebration of sport, entertainment and culture.
The Men’s and Women’s hockey competitions will be played at the newly-upgraded Gold Coast Hockey Centre in Labrador, north of Surfer's Paradise.
As well as featuring some undisputed heavyweights, one of the beauties of the hockey competitions at the Commonwealth Games is the prospect of compelling match-ups between nations that rarely play each other.
In the first phase of competition, the 10 teams from each gender will be divided into two pools of five nations. With only the top two finishers securing a place in the competition semi-finals, there will be a considerable amount of pressure for the teams to start their campaigns with a victory and get crucial points on the board as early as possible.
WOMEN’S PREVIEW
With three current continental champions the women’s competition will be fiercely contested and difficult to predict.
In Pool A, England (FIH Hero World Ranking: 2) will be seen as favourites to win the pool but face stern challenges from Asian continental champions India (WR:10) and African champions South Africa (WR:14) as well as Malaysia (WR:22) and Wales (WR:26) - two rapidly progressing nations.
England will need to be at their best if they are to fulfil their ambition of winning a first ever Commonwealth Games gold medal after finishing runners up at the Kuala Lumpur 1998, Manchester 2002 and Glasgow 2014 events.
In Manchester England’s defeat came at the hands of India, a team that will fancy their chances of medalling at Gold Coast 2018, especially on the back of their outstanding title success at last year’s Asia Cup, which was played in Kakamigahara, Japan. Star striker Rani remains a talismanic figure for the Eves and could well inspire her team to their first podium finish at a Commonwealth Games since their silver medal at the Melbourne 2006 event.
Like India, South Africa are also continental champions, having claimed the Africa Cup for Nations last year in Egypt. Dirkie Chamberlain was a key player in that continental championship winning side and will once again again be one to watch. Although Malaysia and Wales sit further down the FIH Hero World Rankings, they both have enough quality to give their higher ranked opponents a serious run for their money at this event.
Women’s Pool B will be equally competitive, especially with fierce Oceania rivals New Zealand (WR:4) and Australia (WR: 5) in action alongside Scotland (WR:18), Canada (WR:21) and Ghana (WR:30).
The New Zealand Women are top seeded in the Pool at fourth in the world with hosts Australia one place behind. The Kiwis are spearheaded by the vastly experienced duo of captain Stacey Michelsen and Anita McLaren, who will both be competing at their third successive Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
Michelsen, recently named a finalist for World Player of the Year, carries immense talent and experience having amassed 248 test caps for New Zealand while McLaren (252 caps) brings genuine firepower as the women’s all-time leading goal scorer, currently just one shy of her 100th goal. Both players will be hungry to complete their set of Commonwealth Games medals having won silver at Delhi 2010 and bronze at Glasgow 2014.
While the rankings gap between the Oceania giants and fellow Pool B competitors Scotland, Canada and Ghana is significant, they are certainly not teams to be taken lightly.
Scotland have some real talent in their ranks such as Great Britain internationals Sarah Robertson, Amy Gibson, Nicola Cochrane and Amy Costello while Canada and Ghana both performed well in their respective continental championships last year. The Canadians were beaten to a place on the podium by USA in the Pan American Cup, while Ghana finished second behind winners South Africa in the Africa Cup for Nations.
MEN’S PREVIEW
In the men’s event, Australia (WR:1) will be seen as favourites to claim a sixth successive title. Not only are they the top ranked team in the game and have the advantage of playing at home, they are also the current holders of the World Cup, Hockey World League, Oceania and Champions Trophy titles.
Australia will definitely not be given an easy ride in Pool A, with New Zealand (WR:9), Canada (WR:11), South Africa (WR:15) and Scotland (WR:23) all extremely motivated by the prospect of downing the Aussies on their own turf.
New Zealand, twice podium finishers in previous editions of the Commonwealth Games, will fancy their chances of medalling at this event, led by captain Arun Panchia.
Shea McAleese is the most experienced player in the team having played 258 tests, in what will serve as his fourth straight Commonwealth Games. The campaign will boost the 33-year-old’s career record at major tournaments to three Olympic Games, four Commonwealth Games and three World Cups.
Canada, led by experienced defender Scott Tupper are always dangerous and unpredictable while African continental champions South Africa and an improving Scotland team are also in the mix.
India (WR:6), England (WR:7), Malaysia (WR:12), Pakistan (WR:13) and Wales (WR:24) all feature in Pool B which looks extremely hard to predict.
As well as the always intriguing clash between rivals India and Pakistan, the latter of which is now coached by former India boss Roelant Oltmans, there is also the chance for Malaysia to gain a measure of revenge against an England team that thrashed them 7-2 in the semi-finals of the recent Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh.
As suggested by their rankings, Asian continental champions India and England, who eventually finished second behind Australia at the Azlan Shah event, should be the front-runners for the two available semi-final berths.
Both sides are blessed with numerous outstanding individuals, with India captain Manpreet Singh and England attacker Barry Middleton being two of numerous world class individuals contained in their respective ranks.
In recent months Malaysia have shown that on their day they are capable of beating the very best in the world, a fact proven by their impressive 2-1 victory over Olympic champions Argentina at the Azlan Shah event.
2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallists Pakistan will be boosted by the arrival of celebrated Dutchman Oltmans and could well challenge, while Wales will grab the opportunity to prove themselves against higher-ranked opponents with both hands.
The hockey competitions of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games get underway on the opening day of competition with the New Zealand Women going up against Scotland at 1:30pm (NZT) on Thursday 5th April before the New Zealand Men tackle Canada at the same time on Friday 6th April.
Both New Zealand’s opening matches will be broadcast live on TVNZ’s Duke channel.
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Roper: "We are feeling really good."
Phil Roper in action v Germany
After a strong year in 2017 England’s men have began 2018 in impressive fashion and head to the Commonwealth Games in Australia full of confidence.
The squad travel to the Gold Coast on the back of a successful training block and a silver medal at the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia where they were runners up to Australia.
Co-captain Phil Roper believes their time in Ipoh has set them in good stead ahead of their trip to the Gold Coast, he said: “We are feeling really good. There was a bit of jet lag after returning from Malaysia but it was really good preparation.
“We had a lot of good performances and results and reaching the final again was a big achievement for the group and now we look forward to the Commonwealth Games.”
England celebrate in Malaysia
England are still looking for their first gold medal in Hockey at the Commonwealth Games and Roper is confident the squad can compete for top spot.
Roper added: “Heading to a big multi-sport event anyone would be lying if they said they aren’t thinking about gold. But our focus is very much on the team and our processes, getting better and how we can come good at back end of tournament.
England face Malaysia, Pakistan, Wales and India in their pool, the clashes with Wales and India though have sparked extra attention for Roper: “I’m looking forward to playing Wales, obviously a home nation battle and against some players I know. The games are always great fun against competitive opposition.
“It’ll be great facing India also, number 6 against number 7 in the world and they have a lot of talent in their ranks.”
This won’t be the first time Roper has played out in Australia, and he is looking forward to competing down under once again: “I played out there in the Youth Olympics in 2013 winning silver which was amazing. It’s a brilliant place to play hockey, a beautiful climate with good friendly crowds and I can’t wait to get back out there.”
England Hockey Board Media release
Hinch aims to fix Commonwealth Games heartbreak
Hinch
The feeling of heartbreak from defeat in the 2014 Commonwealth Games final has been hard to shake for Maddie Hinch.
Despite two gold medals at the Rio 2016 Olympics and 2015 EuroHockey Championships, England’s goalkeeper admits that the disappointment from Glasgow is still ‘raw’.
England’s women head out to the Gold Coast of Australia looking to win their first Commonwealth Games Gold medal after taking silver at Glasgow 2014 and bronze at Delhi 2010.
Hinch explained: “The memories experienced in Glasgow are still quite raw. To lose a gold medal from our grasp with 12 seconds remaining was pretty heartbreaking.
“It would be nice to get one over the Aussies in their own backyard, but at the end of the day we need to make sure we deal with our group first which is full of tough opposition, we have to take it one game at a time.
Hinch
“We are all really excited about the tournament and we have a really exciting group of girls out here in Australia. We are excited to see what we can do.
“Everyone is in good shape and it’s a massive tournament play at and it’s all about being ready for that first game with South Africa, making a really strong start to build momentum and hit the ground running.”
The Commonwealth Games sits at the front of the minds of the squad but Hinch admits the thought of the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in London this summer is an exciting one: “At the end of the day with the World Cup it’s hard to forget its round the corner and it’s incredibly exciting.
“But our focus right now goes all on the Commonwealth Games to give our all and to bring home a medal.”
England Hockey Board Media release
How England women rose after 2014 shoot-out loss to Australia
By Rod Gilmour on the Gold Coast
“I’ve stood there myself and, in my eyes, just to take one means you are a hero. The silence that descends in the stadium is epic. Your legs are starting to shake and you’re like ‘come on umpire, blow the whistle’. But they all still do it.”
With adrenaline still surging through the England captain, this was Kate Richardson-Walsh’s assertion on those who avoided wobbly legs following her side’s slender win – after succumbing to a late goal and then surviving a shoot-out – over New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games women’s semi-final four years ago.
Yet England were still 24 hours away from a match which had a seismic role reversal. Leading 1-0 in the final, Australia – those dastardly then world No.2 Hockeyroos – equalised with seconds to spare. Search match reports and there are different score times: 16 seconds, 17 seconds, 18 seconds left on the clock. The latter looks the best bet as the penalty corner zings about in the D for six seconds before passing Maddie Hinch. It was the last strike in anger of normal time.
Richardson-Walsh is right on the silence. Of all the theatrics created by the shoot-out from the 23 metre line, that day will be remembered for Glasgow’s easterly wind and barely another sound as each player undertook their eight seconds to try and cast away nerves and make the backboard as one of the next noises heard.
The loss proved devastating for England, yet there was significant pride in defeat. This was a team still nursing the shock of finishing way down the pecking order at that summer’s World Cup in the Netherlands, which saw the exit of Jason Lee as coach and the appointment of Danny Kerry as interim coach for Glasgow.
Nearly four years on and midfielder Susannah Townsend believes that those few months in The Hague, then in Scotland, paved the way for their subsequent and rapid injection of success with their 2015 European gold and unbeaten Olympic qualification campaign.
“Initially it was devastating, as we were that close to a gold medal but looking back on it, it really set us up for the next couple of years, to be a lot more clinical at the end of game and to make sure it didn’t happen again,” she says.
“Yes, we want to go to a Commonwealths and win a medal but we looked at the stats afterwards and we didn’t have enough chances to win the game outright. So on reflection a silver medal was a fair result. But we are now a much better team with what we built with Great Britain and now back with England here.”
Giselle Ansley, meanwhile, was playing her first major final after failing to gain inclusion for the World Cup squad. Who knows the outcome if England had reached the podium in the Netherlands? Would the firepower of Ansley have been in contention for Glasgow?
The Surbiton defender is all too aware.
“There are real fine lines with selections and non-selections,” she admits today. “The main thing is to make your team mates look good and fitting in within the team. There’s no point you as an individual trying to be a super star – that’s not how you will get in the team. It’s about everyone.”
So to recollections of the final against Australia. “There were points where we controlled the game and times where we were under the cosh. I remember running from side to side and throwing aerials down the pitch. That was my first experience of a major final like that and we learned so much from that period and what set us up from those moments. With 10 minutes and five minutes to go, it showed that you are never out of the game.”
They had been leading through a fine strike by Lily Owsley in Glasgow. One year later, when cutting their teeth into the Dutch with a memorable, surging late double to then secure the Euro title in London, below, Kerry and Co talked about those last few minutes in the Commonwealth final.
“We talked about not sitting on a 1-0 or 2-1 lead, but really finishing it off,” recalls Townsend, who says she is approaching her peak once more after knee surgery and recovery back to the international fold. “You don’t sit and take the pressure. When you’re 1-0 up with 20 seconds to go, and with an inexperienced team after the World Cup it was a case of ‘we’re so close, let’s hold on’. So, yes, we learned a lot from it.”
Conversely, England also had to fend off a gritty Scotland side as they tried to keep their medal hopes alive. In the end they won 2-1 to reach the semi-finals. But it was a close run thing at times.
Ansley says: “It’s about how you grind out results and potentially when you’re not playing well as a team or the other team is playing brilliantly. Tournament hockey is about winning and how you do it. Sometimes it’s not pretty.”
With the Gold Coast sun beating down and England favourites to reach the final – which would mark their fourth in the six Commonwealth editions, with gold yet to be sealed – there is a bigger prize to be landed this year in the World Cup. So Ansley is keen for England to get one over their green and gold rivals heading deeper into 2018.
“Australia have had a big turnover in a rebuilding phase. They will be strong and will be desperate to back up their Glasgow win. It’s all about gaining momentum against those teams but also how they will play ahead of the World Cup as well.”
After Rio retirements and an influx of new faces, coupled with the wise, international savvy heads already embedded at Bisham, Townsend is also optimistic for what the rest of the year yields.
“We are a very attacking team but we are also the best defensive team in the world. Something I learned at a young age was that you had to be very good in defence to be good in attacking. That’s one of our strengths and our pace in midfield but defensively we are good in those areas which sets us up for the attacks.”
And this time they hope to make hay with those forays up field and by delivering the goods in normal time.
The Hockey Paper
Pakistan out to end Commonwealth Games jinx
THE Pakistan men’s hockey team have won all major titles in the world except the Commonwealth Games gold medal.
And they will be determined to end their jinx in Gold Coast.
The team have won the World Cup four times, Olympic Games (three), Champions Trophy (three), Asian Games (eight), Asia Cup (three) and Asian Champions Trophy (twice).
In the Commonwealth Games, Pakistan have only managed to win medals twice – bronze in 2002 Manchester and silver in 2006 Melbourne.
Pakistan’s performance has taken a nosedive in the last few years and they brought in Dutchman Roelant Oltmans as the head coach early this year to turn their fortunes around.
Oltmans is a coach with vast experience and guided Holland to winning the World Cup in Utrecht, Holland in 1998. Team manager Hassan Sardar said they would use the Gold Coast Games as a launchpad for greater success.
“This is the first assignment for Oltmans and we would be more than pleased if the team can reach at least the semi-finals,” said Hassan.
The Star of Malaysia
Juliani’s injury a blow to women’s hockey squad
THE Games have not even started but one Malaysian athlete is already down with an injury.
The national women’s hockey defender Juliani Mohamad Din injured her right knee during training at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre on Monday.
Juliani, who will be featuring in her fourth consecutive Games, said it was unfortunate that she picked up the injury.
“I was looking forward to featuring in my fourth consecutive Games but it all had been shattered after I suffered the injury,” said the 31-year-old.
“I feel pain in my knee and I limped out of the field. I am not sure how bad my injury is. I will go for an X-ray to see whether I tore a muscle in my knee. I pray that my injury is not serious as it can jeopardise my chances of playing,” said Juliani.
Malaysia will open their Group A campaign against world No. 10 India on Friday while the other matches are against world No. 14 South Africa (Saturday), world No. 2 England (April 9) and World No. 26 Wales (April 11).
Group B comprises Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scotland and Ghana.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian men’s hockey team lost 2-0 to defending champions Australia in a friendly match yesterday.
In the match, Australia earned five penalty corners while Malaysia failed to earn even one.
In the first two friendly matches, Malaysia defeated New South Wales Institute of Sports (NSWIS) 4-2 and 5-2.
The Star of Malaysia
Indian women's hockey team look to make most of recent form at Gold Coast
There is a buzz around Indian women's hockey team. From the lows of finishing last at the 2016 Rio Olympics to highs of winning the Asia Cup last year, women's hockey team has come a long way in a very short span. When Hockey India (HI) appoint Harendra Singh as head coach of the women's team, with Sjoerd Marijne, who was originally in charge of the women's side, taking charge of the men's, quite a few eyebrows were raised. After the sacking of Roelant Oltmans, Harendra was the front-runner for the men's team head coach job. But looking retrospectively, Hockey India's decision seems to be working wonders for the women's team.
Since taking charge, Harendra has changed quite a few things with regard to the game the team plays, but it didn't happen overnight. He was appointed with less than a month left for the Asia Cup. First, he started setting up a team with a blend of youth and experience. He appointed Rani Rampal as the captain of the team, also recalled Sushila Chanu back into the side. Apart from tinkering with the team, Harendra also laid emphasis on improving the fitness of the team. In the training camps, Indian players worked hard to increase their endurance levels.
In the group stages of the Asia Cup, India had won all their matches, beating Malaysia, Singapore and China. After making it to the semis, India knocked out defending champions Japan 4-2 to reach the final where they beat China 5-4 in the shootout. By winning their second Asia Cup gold, India also qualified for 2018 World Cup.
More than the victory, Harendra took pride in the fact that the team got the winning belief back. "The important thing about the win was that the team got the belief that they can do it. I asked for pace and aggression. There were moments in some matches we had to defend. But we kept looking for counters and that made the opposition uneasy,” Harendra said after the match.
At the upcoming Commonwealth Games, the Indian team has been grouped in Pool A along with Malaysia, Wales, England and South Africa. The Indian team is currently ranked No 10 in the world and will face stiff competition from higher ranked teams such as England (2), New Zealand (4) and hosts Australia (5).
India started their preparation with a tour of South Korea and clinching the five-match series. Beating a higher-ranked side like South Korea, the Indian team showed that the Asia Cup triumph was not a lucky affair.
“We have played with the same set of players for a long period so the players have formed a great understanding among themselves which was evident during our 2017 Asia Cup triumph," Harendra said. "The team also performed well in South Korea to beat a higher-ranked side and we will be looking to cause a few upsets and aim for the podium as the morale is high going into the prestigious Gold Coast 2018 XXI Commonwealth Games,” he added.
Skipper Rani Rampal also believes that team is in good form and they would try to recreate the glory of 2002 when the women's team won the Commonwealth Games gold medal.
“We go into the tournament in good form after winning the series in South Korea and while we have only finished fifth in the two previous occasions, this time we will look to finish on the podium as we have a great set of players with a mixture of experience and youth. The team's hunger to win will certainly be a key factor in us performing well at the Games,” Rani said.
If Rampal and Co can script a memorable performance at the Gold Coast Games then it will be a huge boost of the team ahead of two important competitions this year — Asian Games and World Cup. It will be a tough task but not an impossible one.
FIrstpost
Canada seeks podium finish at Gold Coast Games
Canada takes on rival, New Zealand in Commonwealth Games opener
Canada defeating India last spring to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Canada’s heartbreaking, last minute defeat in the 2010 Commonwealth Games to put them out of contention. Canada’s opening match with “healthy rival,’ New Zealand. Canada sniffing out a podium spot for the first time in team history.
We don’t have to look far to hunt down a good story line for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. Canada’s Men’s National Team (world number 11) opens the tournament against 9th-ranked New Zealand, a team they have a “healthy rivalry” with according to Canada’s head coach, Paul Bundy.
Field Hockey fans across the world will remember Canada’s thrilling victory over the Black Sticks in the 2015 World League Semi-Final, clinching their spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics. In a pool that also features Australia (1), Scotland (23), and South Africa (15), both Canada and New Zealand know the importance of the opening match. Coach Bundy is prioritizing a fast start from his team, knowing that at this competition, a single loss can make the difference between a medal hope and consolation.
“For us, it starts in that first minute of the tournament. It’s absolutely fundamental that we start well,” said Bundy. “That first game against New Zealand is going to be a great game. A good start there can set us up in the best position moving forward in the competition.”
The cutthroat nature of the Commonwealth Games adds importance to every match. The top two teams from each pool advance to semi-finals and the remaining teams are eliminated from contention. On the men’s side, Canada has never made the semifinals at the Commonwealth Games. When asked if he had an outcome goal for the team over the next two weeks, Bundy said it’s more about executing the game plan and performing well on demand.
“We have a performance culture within our group. It’s about the process and being able to win when it counts,” Bundy said. “It doesn’t have to be stated to the team, but we know we want to put ourselves in a position to win a medal.”
A year building to major competitions
2017 was built largely around qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. 2018 is built around executing at two major competitions (Gold Coast 2018 and World Cup) and keeping a longer-term eye on 2020 Olympic qualification.
As is customary from the September – April European Club season, Canada’s national team has off-shored several players abroad in order to get more playing experience. In addition, the entirety of the Junior Development Squad was overseas in March. As a result, the past month of National Team preparation featured a smaller group of athletes. Bundy pointed out the obvious challenges about training with a smaller group but said sometimes it can be an advantage.
“When the training group gets smaller, often the quality goes up,” Bundy said. “You can get more repetitions and the coaches can give very specific feedback.”
In order to work out any lack of cohesion, the team has already arrived in Australia and had two training sessions and two warm-up games. Bundy said in order to start sharply against New Zealand in the opening game, they needed some good training sessions and games before the competition.
A team poised for a run
Canada has no shortage of experience on this roster. With an average age of 27.5 years old and an average cap count of 114, they lead the tournament in both categories. Mark Pearson is one of Canada’s most experienced players and will be suiting up in his fourth Commonwealth Games in his career. Pearson said he has a really good feeling about this team’s chances.
“We’re feeling really confident going in. We’ve had a good 16-months and over the past two years, we’ve had a lot of consistency,” Pearson said. “The core of the group has stayed the same.”
Just to name a few, the Canadian roster includes defensive stalwarts Scott Tupper and Gordon Johnston, the steady midfield presence of Pearson and Sukhi Panesar and an all-out attacking unit featuring Floris van Son and Keegan Pereira. They have consistency in goal as well with veteran David Carter and Antoni Kindler.
In total, the 2018 Commonwealth Games roster features 11 players returning from the 2016 Rio Olympics and 16 returners from last year’s World League Semi-Final tournament. That type of consistency and experience can go a long way in major games.
“We have good experience playing with each other,” Pearson said. “…and we seem to have a nice blend of all the attributes you want in a team.”
It’s that consistency start to finish that Bundy is expecting from the team.
“Obviously we want to start well,” Bundy said. “But we also want to have that consistency throughout the event. And then we want to finish well. Finishing tournaments well is something we want to have bred into our culture. Those final days are the ones that really define you.”
Catch Team Canada take on New Zealand live on Thursday April 5, at 630pm PST on DAZN sports streaming website.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Canadian hockey pride - Ludhiana’s Panesar brothers
Sukhpal Singh Panesar and brother Balraj, who originally hail from Ludhiana, will play for the Canadian national hockey team at the Commonwealth Games 2018.
Saurabh Duggal
Sukhpal Singh Panesar, whose father hails from Ludhiana, will play hockey for Canadian national team at the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast.(HT Photo)
Hockey was his first love but financial constraints didn’t let Balbir Singh Panesar, a resident of Chacharali village in Ludhiana, pursue his dream. He had to move to Canada in 1976, four years after his father, Waryam Singh, had migrated there for greener pastures.
Then only 14, Balbir gave up his passion to help his father and support their family. But four decades later, Panesar’s two sons have realised his dream.
The siblings — Sukhpal and Balraj —have made it to the Canadian hockey team and are part of the country’s contingent for the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Gold Coast that starts on Wednesday.
“It is a memorable moment for the family. As a hockey lover, what more can Balbir ji ask for? Both his sons have made it to the national squad for a prestigious outing such as the Commonwealth Games,” said former Canadian hockey player and Olympian Sukhwinder Singh, who has closely followed the Panesar brothers graduating to international level.
Balraj is the younger of the two Panesar brothers. He will hockey for Canada at the Commonwealth Games 2018. (HT Photo)
Balbir along with his wife will be in Gold Coast to watch their sons donning the jersey of their adopted country. Elder son Sukhpal, 27, who is known as Sukhi in hockey circles, made his international debut in 2010 and has played over 100 games for Canada, including the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and 2016 Rio Olympics.
The younger one, 25-year-old Balraj, will be competing in his first major multi-discipline event. He made his debut in 2014 and has played 27 matches.
Adding to the legacy of United Brother hockey club
United Brother Club, which was established in 1987, traces its lineage to migrated Indians. Balbir, who used to play for the club, introduced his three kids to the sport and eventually Sukhpal and Balraj made it big.
“Ours is among the top hockey clubs in Canada and except for the goalkeeper, all other players in the team are of Indian-origin,” says Sukhwinder, who migrated to Canada in 2000.
Hindustan Times
Canadian women’s field hockey team looking to turn heads at Commonwealth Games
Neil Davidson
The Canadian women’s field hockey team arrives at the Commonwealth Games on a high, looking to do some damage on the Gold Coast.
And unlike the Pan American Games, which serve as the region’s primary Olympic qualifier, they can play relatively stress-free.
“With the Commonwealth Games, we’re really itching to win a medal,” Canadian captain Kate Wright said. “I think we can do great things. The pressure’s kind of off but it gives us an opportunity to just play our game.”
That approach is more attack-minded under interim coach Giles Bonnet, a South African.
The Canadian women arrive at the Games on a roll after going undefeated in a series against No. 15 Chile before defeating the seventh-ranked Americans twice in a four-game series (2-1-1) in California. It had been 18 years since Canada’s last win over the United States.
“A great start to the year for us,” Wright said.
Canada, which missed out last spring on qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, is 4-1-4 this year heading into the Games.
Currently ranked 21st in the world and seventh best in the Commonwealth, Canada is in a pool with No. 4 New Zealand, No. 5 Australia, No. 18 Scotland and No. 30 Ghana in the 10-team competition, which runs April 5-14 at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre.
The other pool features No. 2 England, No. 10 India, No. 14 South Africa, No. 22 Malaysia and No. 26 Wales.
The top two teams from each pool advance to the semi-finals, with the others playing in the classification round to decide fifth through 10th.
“For us coming in ranked seventh, it puts us in a little bit of a disadvantage just within our pool play, but we’re excited,” said Wright, who also played in the 2010 and ’14 games. “We haven’t played the Commonwealth teams in a while ... I think a lot of teams don’t really know what to expect from us, because we don’t match up quite regularly like we do with the Pan American teams, per se.
“So we’re really excited to go in with guns blazing and take that first opportunity against Australia and really just play the way we want to play. I have a couple of friends on that [Australia] team and I think they’re a bit nervous maybe because they haven’t seen us play in a while, so we’re really using that to our advantage.”
Australia is three-time defending champion at the games and has won four of the five Commonwealth competitions. The Canadian women were eighth in 2014, sixth in 2010, eighth in 2006 and seventh in 2002.
“We know the competition is tough but we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Wright said. “We want to play the best teams in the world and measure up against them.”
While the 28-year-old Wright is the only veteran remaining from the 2010 Commonwealth Games with 170-plus caps – a Canadian women’s record – there is an experienced core group on the team.
“That’s definitely played into our game now,” she said. “Field hockey is such an experience game, so getting those caps and keeping the same team together is really important.”
“We’re really excited to see where we fit. ... We’re hoping the time is now for us,” she added.
Wright, whose husband, Philip, also represented Canada in field hockey, comes from a sports family.
Her mother, Diane Gillis (née Coffey) was a Canadian international long jumper. Father Mike Gillis played 246 NHL games for Colorado and Boston before coaching the Queen’s University team, becoming a player agent and then running the Vancouver Canucks as general manager and president of hockey operations from 2008 to 2014.
Both parents will be in Australia to take in the games.
Philip Wright is now retired from field hockey and, after completing an MBA with a specialization in sports business at the University of Oregon, is working at EA Sports. He is part of the marketing management team behind the hit FIFA soccer video-game franchise.
Kate Wright led the family charge to the West Coast, leaving Kingston to join the national team at 17. She finished Grade 12 by correspondence and then headed to Boston College before switching to the University of Melbourne and finally the University of British Columbia to be closer to the national team.
Known for her durability as a player, Wright led the Canadians to a bronze medal on home soil at the 2015 Pan American Games and fourth place at the 2011 games in Guadalajara.
“I have two speeds – zero or 100,” she said. “Just managing how I take care of my body is pretty important. Being one of the older athletes, you have to take care of yourself a little more.”
Olympic qualification will start in June in Mexico via the World League, with the 2019 Pan American Games also offering a road to Tokyo.
Now focusing on field hockey full-time, Wright gets some support as a carded athlete – although some of that goes back to help the program. She also has a fundraising page to help make up for lost government funding (https://chimp.net/groups/kate-wright-gillis-trek-to-tokyo-2020).
“We’re trying to get ahead of that now,” Wright said of the money crunch. “As you can imagine, it’s pretty difficult to live on a carding cheque in Vancouver. But we’re hoping there are some new opportunities coming up in our future where our program can hopefully move forward and reapply for Own The Podium funding and hopefully find some other sources of income.”
Turning heads Down Under would help the cause.
The Globe and Mail
India's hockey legend remembers his Olympic exploits, World Cup triumph and more
Shantanu Srivastava
Balbir Singh Senior at his residence in Chandigarh. At 94, he is India's oldest hockey player. Shantanu Srivastava/Firstpost
There are two parts to his first name — Balbir — which is spelled as one. They translate to ‘power’ and ‘bravery’. But like most men who have withstood the vicissitudes and vagaries of time, Balbir Singh Senior doesn’t read much into anything: neither his name, nor his fame. He is a frail man now. 94 years of existence can do that to you. His hand trembles as he tries to hold the saucer, his voice quivers at the end of each sentence he delicately speaks. The skin is a thin sheet of pale brown; the beard is a pristine, cascading fluff.
He is a proud man too. He arrives for this interview in his Olympic blazer that has seen better days. The gait is slow and limpless. It doesn’t take long for one to realise that India’s oldest living hockey player is a man of indiscreet concoctions — frail and firm, slender and solid – and like most such brews, he is high and heady.
They call him ‘nananji’ in the neighbourhood – a title that translates to maternal grandfather but also what people in north India use to address a wizened soul with affection. “He is nanaji to everyone,” informs his daughter Sushbir Bhomia. Sushbir briefly played hockey at the University and state levels during 1967-68, and had the good fortune of watching our venerable old man in full flight.
“Oh he was just so quick and effortless. A lot of times he would not even look at the post and score. The opposition would employ 4-5 defenders to mark him, but once he got the ball in the ‘D’, fir toh…” she says with a snap of her fingers.
One may be forgiven to mistake him for the apocryphal genial saint who rides a sleigh. And much like Santa Claus – or nanaji, if you will — he is a treasure trove of tales. It does help that he possesses an enviable memory.
Athletes are an inscrutable lot: they may welcome you warmly to their palatial mansions but won’t give the slightest peek into the obscurity of their mindspace, they are unbelievably sceptical of how you would interpret their idiosyncrasies, inexplicably unsure if you would notice and exploit their insecurities. Balbir Singh is different. He lets himself flow.
In a hall overflowing with trophies collected over a stellar 20-year career (1942-62), it’s his joi de vivre that shines the brightest. He remembers his school days, his college days, his first trophy – the tiny ubiquitous Cup that has lost its shine but not its lustre, and his days of practising his pin-point strikes by placing a solitary brick in his backyard and aiming at it from a distance. He also remembers being identified by Sardar Harbail Singh who coaxed him and his family to let Balbir move from Sikh National College in Lahore to Khalsa College in Amritsar, a move that would change his and Indian hockey’s destiny forever.
Balbir was born to Karam Kaur and Dalip Singh Dosanjh on 31 December, 1924. World Wide Web records his birthday as 10 October, but that was a random date registered by his freedom-fighter-teacher father who was too busy getting in and out of prisons to record his correct date. Young Balbir would spend evenings watching kids play hockey near his house in Moga, Punjab, and the game grew on him. He started as a goalkeeper, before moving up as a full-back, and eventually a centre-forward.
“I never missed a class, but never paid attention either. I used to make hockey nakshas (maps) in my notebooks. Not surprisingly, I failed my Class 12 exams. My father was a strict disciplinarian, but he didn’t say anything,” he remembers.
It so happened that Professor RS Gill from Lahore’s Sikh National College saw him play at Moga’s Basant Memorial Tournament. Balbir, representing DM College where he then studied, finished the event as its leading goal-scorer, and so impressed was Gill with the young boy’s skills that he persuaded Dalip Singh to send his son to Lahore. “Boarding and lodging included,” Balbir adds, “because in those days we didn’t have much money, and we couldn’t have afforded college otherwise. My father thought if I stay in Moga, I might end up loitering around with other boys.”
Instant success followed. Balbir pulled Sikh National College from Division B to Division A in Lahore’s local league. He also met his future wife, Sushil Sandhu, there.
As Balbir’s sharpened his skills in Lahore, word spread about a young Sikh with lightning speed and unmistakable precision. Next, Harbail Singh, Director of Physical Education at Amritsar’s Khalsa College, spotted him at a match against his college.
“The rest, as they say, is history,” recalls Balbir. He packed his bags and came to Amritsar where Harbail put him through a punishing regimen.
“Harbail was an excellent coach. He made me a player. At the end of long practices sessions, he would make me stand at the top of ‘D’ and aim powerful shots at my ankle. I had to save myself, intercept the ball and hit it in the goalpost,” he says.
“Kya zamaana tha! He taught me about combinations, passes, co-ordination with side-halfs and wings. He taught me not to go overboard with dodging. It’s alright to go one-two with a defender, but you should not overdo it, else other defenders will catch up and you may lose the ball. We see it a lot nowadays; it’s an epidemic. He taught me to play for the team, to pass to the wings,” he says.
Balbir met Maqbool Hashmat, Aziz, Shahrukh, Ali Iqtidar Shah Dara and Khurram – all future Pakistan players – at Khalsa College. He became a key member of the Punjab University team that won three consecutive All-India Inter-University titles from 1943 to 1945, the last under Balbir’s captaincy.
“Maqbool (Hashmat) was my senior and my right wing. An excellent player, and an even better human being. He taught me to look left and pass right. Aziz was my left wing. Those were very fine players, maybe better than me.
“Then there were Khurram and Shahrukh. Khurram was an excellent full-back. Shahrukh was a very good left-half, and a fine human being. He came from Afghan royal family, and was also an Olympic cyclist. He came to India with the Pakistan cricket team in 2005-06. Someone asked him why he was in India, since he was not part of the cricket team. He simply said, ‘I am here to meet my yaar, Balbir.’ What a man!”
It’s hard to keep pace with Balbir’s mind that leaps decades and eras with unfair ease. It’s this mind, now over nine decades old but once incredibly sprightly, that decoded the best of formations on the hockey pitch and made burly defenders look like clueless storekeepers who have been duped by a ten-year-old. That, in an age when specialist coaches were unheared of and analytics was yet to take over creative thinking.
Tales of Balbir’s outrageous talents continued to travel far and wide, and Sir John Bennett, the then Chief of Punjab Police, was the next to be charmed. Word was sent to Balbir – who was completing his post-graduation in English – that Sir Bennett wanted him to join Punjab Police so that his services could be used as a player. The offer, though lucrative, failed to impress the young man.
“There was no question of me accepting it. My father was a freedom fighter. I could not think of taking that police job,” he remembers.
Refusing an offer extended by the Police Chief was not easy, and Balbir sneaked out of Amritsar to save himself from the consequences. He fled to Delhi and joined the Public Works Department (PWD) and played a couple of tournaments for them. True to form, he excelled, and made headlines.
Sir Bennett came to know of Balbir’s feats through newspapers, and the furious officer duly sent his men to bring Balbir back. The handcuffed man thus became a policeman who played every tournament for Punjab Police from 1945-61, and won most of them.
Balbir’s stickwork fetched six Nationals titles for Punjab Police (1946, 47, 49, 50, 51, 54) besides two runners-up trophies in 1952 and 1953.
Post-independence, Balbir became an integral part of national hockey team, and perhaps country’s first sporting superhero. He represented India in three Olympics, returning with gold medal on each occasion.
Balbir Singh in action at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Facebook: @Balbirsinghsenior
His mentor at Amritsar’s Khalsa College, Harbail Singh, went on to coach the Indian hockey teams that went to the 1952 and 1956 Olympics in Helsinki and Melbourne respectively. Balbir was the flag bearer of Indian contingent at both those Olympics and also the vice-captain (1952) and captain (1956) of the team. He would room with Harbail at the Olympics, and observed something revealing of his coach’s desire to win in 1956.
“Harbail’s promotion was due back then. One morning, I heard him pray, ‘Wahe guru, promotion ho nah ho, team jeet jaye’. I was so moved. It inspired the entire team.” Balbir’s men duly responded by winning the Olympic gold, beating Pakistan 1-0 in the final.
The 1952 Olympics saw Balbir at his imperious best. The team, led by KD Singh, defeated Netherlands 6-1 in the final, with Balbir sounding the board five times. It remains a world record for most individual goals in an Olympic final. In total, he scored nine of India’s 13 goals in the event, firmly establishing his credentials as the best centre-forward of the time.
He still remembers his goals from the final. “I scored thrice in the first half, and twice in the second half. We beat Britain 3-1 in the semi-finals. I scored all three goals, each in the first half.”
However, it’s the final of the 1948 London Olympics against Britain that holds a special place in Balbir’s heart.
He had already won the Nationals in 1946 and 1947, and given his stellar form in the lead-up to the 1948 Olympics, he was purportedly an automatic selection. As it turned out, the mandarins of Indian hockey didn’t invite him to the training camp in Bombay. When he was belatedly called at the insistence of an Anglo-Indian player, he was asked to play in the left wing and not in the forward line.
The snub continued deep into the Olympics. “More than once, I was asked to sit out. I was very angry, but obviously you can’t show your emotions on the field. At the start of our first match, after we had hopped on the field, our captain Kishan Lal pulled me from behind and said, ‘bhaiyya, aap aj nai khel rahe’ (Brother, you are not playing today).”
He played the second game, against Argentina, and pumped in six goals in India’s 9-1 romp. Curiously, he was ‘rested’ against Spain and in the semi-final against Poland. That’s when a number of foreign and Indian fans escalated the matter to VK Krishna Menon, India’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. It was only after Menon’s intervention that Balbir got a place in the team for the final.
“I was one of the 20 players shortlisted from the initial batch of 48 who went to the Olympics. Sir John Bennett greeted me at the Heathrow Airport and gave me a tip. He told me that the grounds in India are hard and fast and ball travels quickly there. However, in England, grounds are heavy and soggy, and ball travels a lot slower. He said, ‘Tell your boys to run for the ball,’” Balbir remembers.
Balbir and his boys did run for the ball, and ended up with an Olympic gold in their independent country’s first dig at the Olympics. Balbir played just two of India’s six matches – including the final in which he scored twice in India’s 4-0 win – and still emerged as the joint-highest scorer.
It was the first time that the flag of independent India was hoisted at a world sporting meet.
“I still remember the date. 12 August, 1948. In the backdrop of new-found freedom and the partition, it was an amazing feeling to see the tiranga flying high. I scored in seventh and 15th minute. Tarlochan Singh and Pat Jansen scored the third and the fourth goals,” he says.
In 1957, Balbir was conferred a Padma Shri and became the first ever sportsperson to get country’s fourth-highest civilian honour. He went on to win silver medals in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games, before calling time on an extraordinary career.
Second innings
In 1961, Balbir made his debut as an administrator when he helped set up sports department in the Punjab government. By the time the 1975 Hockey World Cup came about, he was far removed from active hockey, with little inclination to return.
Balbir was in the US as the chief guest for John F Kennedy Tournament when he got a call from KS Bains, Secretary, Education and Sports in Punjab Government. Balbir had casually mentioned to Bains about how he could improve India’s performances if he was given charge of a national camp. With India having failed to win the World Cup in its two earlier attempts, Balbir’s words stuck with Bains.
Balbir flew home for his second fling with Indian hockey.
First thing that the newly-appointed Chief Coach and Manager of the World Cup-bound team did upon assuming charge was doing away with the practice of preparatory tours, as he thought travel was a big distraction for the players. He also barred any foreign teams to visit India for preparations.
“They would come here, learn our skills and came better prepared against us in matches,” he reasons.
A national camp was set up in Chandigarh. The team stayed in the Punjab University campus – “Girls’ Hostel No 3, right opposite Hostel No 4, the Senior Girls’ Hostel,” Balbir remembers – and the brawny boys practised under the furtive glare of the occupants of Hostel No 4.
“Our boys were quite popular,” Balbir laughs. “A number of girls wanted to meet them. But I said we will come back here after winning the World Cup, and then you can meet them. Till then, it’s going to be serious hockey.”
“We laid lot of emphasis on building physical strength, technical passing, tactical team combinations, running, conditioning and yoga. I invested a lot of time on mental aspect of the game.”
The coach also introduced the concept of diet in Indian hockey. A nutritionist from Chandigarh’s SGPGI was contracted to chart the right diet for country’s elite hockey players, and Balbir personally oversaw the selection of ingredients and cooking methods.
The camp was not a smooth sailing though. Tragedy struck one week into the camp as Balbir’s father, Dalip Singh, passed away. The feisty coach put aside personal trauma and refused to leave the camp. He took a few hours off to perform the last rites, and returned to the camp. The shock of Dalip’s demise proved too much to handle for Sushil and she suffered a brain haemorrhage. Balbir would be by his wife’s side after ensuring the boys had slept, and would rush back before they would wake up.
“My father had drilled ‘duty first’ approach in me. I am a freedom fighter’s son and respect for tiranga means everything to me, and I thought I was on national duty. Also, the doctors did a fine job. They told me to concentrate on hockey, and they would take care of my wife,” he says.
The team beat England, Ghana, and West Germany, lost to Argentina and drew Australia to seal a semi-final spot against Malaysia. Trailing 1-2 and with time running out, Balbir unleashed a 21-year-old Aslam Sher Khan on the hosts.
Khan made instant impact, netting the equaliser via penalty corner, and the match went in extra time. India eventually prevailed 3-2 to set up a dream final against Pakistan. This was to be the third meeting at the World Cup between the two sub-continent giants, with both sides having won once; Pakistan had prevailed 2-1 in the 1971 semi-final, and India had exacted revenge in the last-four stage in 1973 by 1-0 margin.
“Pakistanis had superior build, and we needed a physically imposing presence to intimidate them. So I decided on Aslam Sher Khan. The great Aslam Sher Khan,” Balbir recollects.
There were stray innuendo regarding Aslam’s religion being a factor against Pakistan, and the coach quelled them with a simple statement of fact. “I just said, he is an Indian.”
Balbir, in fact, takes immense pride in his secularism, something he insists he inherited from his freedom-fighter father.
“I am a Sikh by birth, and a patriot by choice,” he says emphatically.
Back to 1975. Balbir, realising that the Indian hockey team was the proverbial melting pot of different religions, set up a common prayer room for his boys. So a copy of Quran lay next to Guru Granth Sahib, which sat next to the Holy Bible and the Ramayana. He built a team that prayed and preyed together.
“Two days before the final was jumme ki raat. Aslam asked me if he could go to a mosque. I said, why just you, all of us will go together and pray. As we came out after offering our prayers, we met the Pakistani team that was waiting to get in. Later, their coaches told me ‘Uss din Allah ne aapki sunn li.’”
In the final, Balbir fielded Surjit Singh and Michael Kindo as full-backs, two wiry players who, many thought, would not be able to stop the muscular Pakistani forwards.
“Surjit was an excellent full-back. He was very good at scoring too, but somehow his hits were finding goalkeepers a lot. But I persisted with him.”
The Jalandhar-player repaid his coach’s faith in style, scoring the equaliser before Ashok Singh nailed the winner, and won their first, and till date only senior men’s World Cup.
Balbir Singh Senior with the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi after guiding the team to World Cup glory in 1975. Balbir was the manager and chief coach of the team. Facebook: @Balbirsinghsenior
By the time the team returned, Balbir’s wife Sushil had recovered. “When I went to see her, the first thing she said was, ‘Where’s the Cup?’ She didn’t believe me until she actually saw it,” says Balbir.
He also kept his promise with Hostel No 4. A press conference was organised at the very venue where the boys had prepared to win the World Cup, and girls were indeed allowed to meet the world champions.
By the time we wrap this interview, Balbir seems to have entered a zone. His eyes are fixed to some yonder point, and going by their unmistakable glint, one can suitably imagine him flipping through vignettes from a lifetime dedicated to hockey.
Your correspondent took a moment out to ponder what could this frail man, who still keeps his hockey stick on his bedside, be thinking. Could he be revisiting the thrill of standing on the Olympic podium with the world at his feet, or is he reliving his fifth birthday, when he was gifted his first ever hockey stick? Is he remembering the sessions under Harbail Singh, or silently seething at the criminal indifference of country’s officialdom that has allowed his 36 medals and the 1956 Olympics blazer to disappear without a trace? There could also be the endearing image of him gifting his 1946 Nationals’ winners’ medal to his wife, or the warmth of the yaars he grew up with in Amritsar, some of who went to Pakistan in 1947 but ensured their friendships outlasted the blood and bile of Partition.
It’s a sacred space to be in, one thinks. The endless tales from ‘nanaji’ have stopped, and exhaustion has little to do with it. He appears in some trance, looking intently at the tamrapatra that the Government of India gave to his father for his contribution in the freedom struggle. It occupies a pride of place not only in Balbir’s well-stocked trophy cabinet, but deep in his soul.
“I am a Sikh by birth, and a patriot by choice,” he repeats.
Firstpost
The Breakaway with Allistar Fredericks
Allistar Fredericks became a hero for many when he became the first player of colour to represent South Africa’s Hockey Men. In a career that saw Fredericks feature at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the striker collected 57 goals in his 59 caps.
The Atlanta Olympics stood out for Ally as a special moment in his career as he also got to make the whole Olympic Team speech to Nelson Mandela at his Pretoria home before they departed for the Olympic Games. Since retiring in 1998 I asked Ally what has been keeping him busy?
“Since then I have coached at National and Provincial Level, been the assistant coach to SA men for about Five years, a selector for a few years and now I am the Convenor of selectors. I also run the Allistar Fredericks Hockey Development Trust fund, we fund hockey-playing kids in need of a good academic foundation and quality hockey school, Beaulieu College offers all of these, I also run my own PSi Franchise called PSi Gauteng Gryphons and an indoor business which has kept a lot of us busy”
Speaking of being the convenor of selectors Ally admits there is much difficulty due to there being very little contact time with the players. “We only really get to see them at certain main events and that is where we select our current crop from, we also rely on past performances and the experience of the player and if importantly if the player can still add value to our set up within the National team.” There is also a host of exciting youngsters being called upon and Ally shared that he was particularly excited by the emergence of Dayaan Cassiem (who’s dad played alongside Ally): “I think he is an incredible quality player and he will develop incredibly well if we look after him”. Fredericks was also particularly impressed with the development of Bili Ntuli and Melrick Maddocks who he backs for future success at the highest level.
Digging into the PSi side of things, the Gauteng Gryphons are the biggest Franchises in the sport and recently celebrated their tenth anniversary. The Gryphons were started by Reza Rosenberg (part of the 2018 Indoor World Cup Squad) and Ally Fredericks and have grown remarkably. Kids like Kamal Ramburuth Hurt, Keegan Kieck, Brandon James and now Rusten Abrahams have gone through the Gryphons process to play for South Africa. Sticking to hockey development Ally is also the man behind the Beaulieu Hockey Academy.
“Beaulieu Hockey Academy we started about 8 years ago and our club now boasts one of the best Junior setups and Senior teams. The College is also now ranked amongst the best Hockey schools at Boys and Girls levels and we boast a staff complement that includes National players.” 
Ally is the father of three kids Keagan (24), Taylor (19) and Tristan (11). Naturally, I was interested if any of these have decided to follow their father’s legacy. “Tristan is the only one who has shown passion for the game and has become quite the little player, his destined to follow in his father’s footsteps”
And being actively involved in both indoor and outdoor hockey, I had to know which one has a fonder place in Ally’s heart. “Indoor is my first love, purely because of what it has done to the skills levels of our kids, parents enjoy it and all the kids prefer it.”
In closing, I asked Ally for his final message to share with the young hockey-playing children of South Africa. “My message is that no matter what circumstances you come from, nothing must deter you to achieve your dreams, as a boy from the dusty streets of Kimberley playing on sand will tell you, Hockey has allowed me to meet my Hero Mr. Nelson Mandela and travel the world”
The Breakaway is written for SA Hockey by Tyron “Jabu” Barnard
SA Hockey Association media release
U.S. U-17 Women's National Team Tallies Third Win of Uruguay Tour
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - In an exciting evening match yesterday, the U.S. U-17 Women's National Team won the third game of the tour, ultimately claiming the series against Uruguay. With three wins under their belt, USA has their final match of the tour today before heading back to the States.
In the most competitive game of the series so far, USA and Uruguay both showed great moments of individual skill and team play. The energy from the fans, with the game being played under the lights made for an exciting match. Following a scoreless first quarter USA got on the board in the second from a great individual effort from Margo Carlin (Drexel Hill, Pa.). In the 19th minute, Carlin applied pressure to a Uruguay defender causing a turnover which she took in to the circle and ripped a shot to the lower corner to put USA up 1-0.
It would be Carlin who would strike again four minutes later on some quick reflexes in front of net. USA had a quick attack up the right side that was crossed in to the circle. It deflected off a defender up into the air where Carlin juggled and finished the ball in the back of the cage. After the two goals, Uruguay came back with quite a bit of pressure and attack. They were able to generate a few penalty corners and some quality goal scoring chances, but USA was able to block them all as the 2-0 score held until halftime.
Uruguay would keep the momentum going to start the third quarter as they were able to counter on a press themselves. Uruguay applied some pressure to Team USA and caused a turnover in their attacking 25 which led to them burying a shot to cut the lead in half.
USA regrouped and established their quick passing game and team defense. It paid off three minutes after the Uruguay goal when USA found themselves with one of their seven penalty corners for the game. Alexandra Morgan (Winnetka, Ill.) took the initial shot that the Uruguay goalkeeper saved, but the rebound went right to Peyton Halsey (Reading, Pa.) who was there to put it away and give USA the two goal cushion.
The fourth quarter saw more USA pressure on the Uruguay defense with some dangerous scoring opportunities and great passing sequences. However, none would pay off on the scoreboard as the score finished at 3-1.
The U.S. U-17 Women's National Team has their final game of the series against Uruguay, today at 11:00 a.m. ET.
USFHA media release
U.S. U-17 Women's National Team Completes Perfect Uruguay Tour With Shutout Victory
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - The U.S. U-17 Women's National Team are heading home tonight following a final exclamation mark on their Uruguay tour. As both sides battled throughout the first half with most action in the midfield, USA struck first and never looked back en route to a 4-0 victory.
The opening half showed two battle tested squads take turns challenging the other's defensive strategy. Both USA and Uruguay earned penalty corner opportunities in addition to good circle penetration. At the end of each offensive push was the opposition's goalkeeper, which neither side could find a solution to as the score remained 0-0 at the halftime horn.
It was a much different tale on the pitch in the third quarter as USA came out of the gate with energy and passing, catching Uruguay off guard as the red, white and blue were able to up their attacking intensity. It didn't take long for the amped up offense to yield results. In the 35th minute, USA was awarded a penalty corner, where Kelsey Reznick (Drums, Pa.) was able to find Peyton Halsey (Reading, Pa.) for the deflection. The goal was Halsey’s third goal off a penalty corner for the series. Moments later in the 41st minute, as USA was putting pressure on the attacking circle, the ball bounced across over to an anticipating Kara Heck (Berlin, N.J.). Heck took the ball out of the air and finished on a perfect one-time effort to double up USA's score.
The goal resulted in USA gaining more control on the field, opening up the game much easier in the process. With time winding down in the quarter, Hannah Miller (Malvern, Pa.) made a strong individual effort as she sliced through the top of the circle and fired a forehand shot behind Uruguay's goalkeeper to end the quarter with USA firing on all cylinders. Three goals in nine minutes put USA in solid control of the game entering the final frame. A final USA score would put the game away for good in the 54th minute as Josie Varney (Smithfield, Maine) collected a rebound and lifted the ball into the net to make it 4-0.
"I am very proud of the team and what they did in the series," said Jarred Martin, U-17 USWNT Head Coach. "They were quick to make changes and played some really good hockey through the four games against a good Uruguayan side. Each game brought different challenges that the team handled well as a group. This young group brought intensity and focus to each day of the tour which paid off in the quality of play, great team defense, and some fantastic goal scoring. They were a pleasure to coach and made this tour truly enjoyable for me and the coaching staff, Kelly Doton and Jennifer Stone."
USA completed the sweep with the win, conceding one goal and scoring 17 in the four-game series. The team will return home for a short rest period before participating in a technical camp April 27-29.
USFHA media release
Uhlenhorst Mulheim the first ABN AMRO U14 EHL champions from Germany
©: Hannie Verhoeven
Uhlenhorst Mulheim landed the ABN AMRO U14 EHL on Monday morning in Rotterdam as Paul Bosserhoff scored the crucial goal to eventually win their final battle with Racing Club de Bruxelles.
It capped a 3-2 win in the final of the high octane tournament, two days of top quality action between some of the rising stars of the club game on the continent.
In so doing, they became the first German club to win the competition, taking over after two years of success from SV Kampong.
Uhlenhorst had won their group game against the same opponent by a single goal too before both won their respective semi-finals, seeing off Real Club de Polo and Three Rock Rovers to earn their shot at the title.
Racing burst into an early lead when Gaspard Cornez Massant netted just four minutes into the game. Leonard Dickel equalised in the 11th minute but Alexandre Tardieu restored the Racing lead moments later.
From there, Uhlenhorst turned things around, getting back on terms in the 22nd minute via Jannik Enaux before Bosserhoff completed the comeback and they held on for the victory.
In the bronze medal match, Ireland’s Three Rock came from a goal down to beat Polo 2-1, a fine finish from their first EHL journey for the country.
Santiago Zaldua gave Polo the perfect start between two evenly matched sides – who drew in the group stages – before Cian Tucker equaliseed just before half-time.
The vital goal came 35 minutes in when Mark Smyth scored from play and while the Spanish side threw everything forward in the closing 15 minutes, Rovers held on for the medal.
Bloemendaal closed out their campaign with a win over Wimbledon in the fifth place playoff game.
The players were presented with their medals in the clubhouse by EHF President Marijke Fleuren, HC Rotterdam chairman Diederik Chevalier and FIH World Player of the Year Arthur van Doren.
Uhlenhorst Mulheim were then presented to the packed crowd during half-time of the HC Rotterdam game against the German club’s senior team in the KO8.
Euro Hockey League media release