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All the news for Friday 6 April 2018

XXI Commonwealth Games - Day 2
Gold Coast (AUS) 5 - 14 Apr 2018

Fixtures and results Friday 6 April 2018 (GMT +10)
Men Pool B England - Malaysia 7 - 0
Men Pool A New Zealand - Canada 6 - 2
Women Pool A India - Malaysia 4 - 1
Pool B New Zealand - Ghana 12 - 0
19:30 Women Pool A England - Wales
21:30 Women Pool B Canada - Scotland

Fixtures Saturday 7 April 2018 (GMT +10)
9:30 Men Pool B Malaysia - Wales
11:30 Men Pool A Canada - Scotland
14:30 Men Pool BvIndia - Pakistan
16:30 Men Pool A Australia - South Africa
19:30 Women Pool A South Africa - Malaysia
21:30 Women Pool B Australia - Ghana

Official Gold Coast CWG site

England and New Zealand men record big wins on day two of Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games hockey



Day two of the men’s hockey competition at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games saw 15 goals scored over two matches as England beat Malaysia 7-0 and New Zealand won 6-2 against Canada.

Thousands of fans once again turned out for the morning session and were treated to an England masterclass as they outplayed Asian opponents Malaysia in a dominant performance.

A sign of things to come were evident when Malaysia faced three penalty corners in the first two minutes.

They conceded their first goal after 13 minutes as England’s Sam Ward deflected in a shot from William Weir. This proved a double blow for Malaysia, who lost their team video referral after claiming an English foot had touched the ball in the circle.

Despite excellent work by Tengku Tajuddin, the Malaysians were left to rue poor final passes time and time again throughout the match, and their mistakes were clinically punished.

Ward got his and England’s second goal after 19 minutes, before David Goodfield added a third a minute later.

England led 4-0 at halftime when Mark Gleghorne slotted home a penalty stroke minutes before the break.

Goals for Harry Martin, Phillip Roper, and Gleghorne with his second, sealed the victory for England.

In the second and final men’s match of the day, New Zealand out-muscled Canada as they ran out 6-2 winners in their opening match.

“Canada would have been lining that game up and they’re a tough team, so to be able to do a good job was a really good result for us.”
Darren Smith, Head Coach New Zealand Men

New Zealand’s Black Sticks held a 1-0 half-time lead after a tightly fought opening period before the floodgates opened with a wave of black after the break.

Kane Russell got his side off the mark in the 28th minute when he flicked a penalty corner variation into the back of the net.

Less than a minute into the third quarter, Nic Woods doubled New Zealand’s lead with a powerful drag flick of his own, beating all defenders on its way into the goal.

With Canada pushing for a comeback, the Black Sticks were off running in the other direction and made it 3-0 in the 40th minute when George Muir pulled off an athletic sliding touch to score.

New Zealand added two more in the following two minutes with Dane Lett flicking in a penalty corner before Stephen Jenness delivered a punishing goal shot from the top of the circle.

Canada pulled two goals back through James Kirkpatrick and Gordon Johnston but it was New Zealand’s day with a 60th minute Hugo Inglis field goal concluding the game.

Head Coach Darren Smith said it was pleasing to put together a strong performance against a high quality Canada side. He said: “Canada would have been lining that game up and they’re a tough team so to be able to do a good job, particularly in the middle of the game was a really good result for us.”

He continued: “I was really happy with how we accumulated (goals) through the second and third quarters and we played some good hockey, we also left a few opportunities on the park through some solid attacking play.”

Matches in both the women’s and men’s hockey events at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will be taking place until 14 April. For the full event schedule, click here.

The men’s hockey event at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games is one of the last major international events before the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 taking place in India between 28 November and 16 December. For more information about that event, click here.

For Gold Coast 2018 hockey tickets, click here.

Results
MEN
Pool A: New Zealand 6, Canada 2.
Pool B: England 7, Malaysia 0.

#GC2018Hockey

FIH site

England men hit magnificent seven against Malaysia


England v Malaysia

England hit a magnificent seven as they began their Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign in style.

Doubles from Sam Ward and Mark Gleghorne along with strikes from David Goodfield, Harry Martin and Phil Roper completed a dominant win.

England flew out the blocks and immediately piled the pressure on Malaysia, ranked 12th in the world, winning three penalty corners in the first three minutes.

This pressure and intensity continued from England and they were rewarded for this shortly before the first break. Henry Weir found space out wide to fire in a cross where Ward was on hand to touch home from close range.

England were straight on the front foot again in the second quarter and Ward soon had his second. Gleghorne fired in a reverse stick strike and Ward’s clever touch in front of goal ensured it beat the keeper.

Ward then turned provider as he fed Goodfield in the circle who finished well and Gleghorne’s cool penalty stroke into the top left corner completed a dominant first half.

The third quarter was a tighter affair as Malaysia improved but it was still England who looked the more threatening and would go on to add to their four goals in the final fifteen minutes.

A flowing team move saw Barry Middleton release Ward and his cross was met by a diving Martin who deflected high into the net. Gleghorne grabbed his second minutes later with a fierce drag-flick and Roper completed the scoring with England’s seventh with a clever backhand finish.

Next up for England are Pakistan on Sunday morning at 5.30am UK time.

England Hockey Board Media release

Sam Ward leads England men’s rout over Malaysia

By Rod Gilmour on the Gold Coast


Adam Dixon England

Whisper it quietly – and there is a long way to go yet on the Gold Coast – but England men are an increasingly gelling team. One which has serious aspirations now of ending its Commonwealth hoodoo.

In their pool opener on Friday, a swathe of counter-attacking hockey was laced with an authoritative performance as they outgunned and outmanoeuvred a lagging Malaysia outfit by 7-0.

In the heat of Malaysia last month, England got into their strides, only to be outdone by Australia in the final. Yet, there is always the feeling with major tournaments looming that teams are holding back on formations and plans. So can they go one better here?

“We feel like we’ve got a team that can go and achieve something and that is what keeps you going and gets you out of bed,” was Barry Middleton’s verdict after this romp.

The 34-year-old clearly feels that the connection needed for an England side to finally achieve global success could well be dawning. The three-man captaincy, the tighter defensive links, the attacking verve – and the all-important goal finishing. All clicked against Malaysia.

Sam Ward continues to excel. A man for the big tournaments, he bagged another two goals in an England shirt. Mark Gleghorne too, followed by David Goodfield, Harry Martin and Phil Roper.

The energy was distinctive in the early forays as they forced three early penalty corners, playing it patiently before Ward finally touched home before the end of the first quarter.

Four goals in the final 15 minutes added gloss to proceedings ahead of Pakistan on Sunday.

Middleton then toed the party line. “For me, it’s the continued challenge of competing against the best players and teams in the world,” he said.

“I’m part of a team where we’ve learned our individual roles and everyone has bought into the team culture.”

Yet there is the growing sense that since he has stepped down, the team is ready to close the classroom door on their learning and make inroads to a first Commonwealth men’s final.

The contrast could not be more different for Malaysia. “We need to watch the video of the game and learn from our mistakes,” admitted a downbeat Syed Cholan.

The Hockey Paper

Malaysia suffer another mauling at the hands of England

By Aftar Singh


The Malaysian men's team trudging off after suffering a 7-0 hammering by England at the Commonwealth Games. - GLENN GUAN / The Star

GOLD COAST: It is a disastrous start for the Malaysian men's hockey team at the Commonwealth Games.

Malaysia, who are in the Podium Programme, suffered a 7-0 thrashing by England in their opening Group B match at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre on Friday.

Malaysia ranked 12 in the world failed to earn a single penalty corner in the match while England converted two of the eight they earned in the match.

Sam Ward (14th, 20th) and Mark Gleghorne (27th, 53rd) each scored a brace for England.

David Goodfield (21st), Harry Martin (49th) and Philip Poper (59th) contributed the other goals for the English team.

It is the second straight heavy defeat to the English. They were thumped 7-2 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament last month.

Stephen Van Huizen's men now need to bounce back strong when they take on Wales on Saturday.

The Star of Malaysia

New Zealand Men hit Canada for six


Photo: www.photosport.nz

The New Zealand Men have muscled their way past Canada with a 6-2 result in their opening match at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Kiwis held a 1-0 halftime lead after a tightly fought opening period before the floodgates opened with a wave of black after the break.

Kane Russell got his side off the mark in the 28th minute when he flicked a penalty corner variation into the back of the net.

Less than a minute into the third quarter Nic Woods doubled New Zealand’s lead with a powerful drag flick of his own beating all defenders on its way into the goal.

With Canada pushing desperately to muster a comeback, the Kiwis were off running in the other direction and made it 3-0 in the 40th minute when George Muir pulled off a fantastic sliding touch to score.

New Zealand added two more in the following two minutes with Dane Lett flicking in a penalty corner before Stephen Jenness delivered a punishing goal shot from the top of the circle.

Canada pulled two goals back through James Kirkpatrick and Gordon Johnston but it was the Kiwis’ day with a 60th minute Hugo Inglis field goal icing the result.

Head coach Darren Smith said it was pleasing to put together a strong performance against a high quality Canada side.

“Canada would have been lining that game up and they’re a tough team so to be able to do a good job, particularly in the middle of the game was a really good result for us,” he said.

“I was really happy with how we accumulated through the second and third quarters and we played some good hockey, we also left a few opportunities on the park through some solid attacking play.

“We now focus on our next game against South Africa and we know they will come ready to rock, you can guarantee it. We always have tough battles against them - they’ll be quick and aggressive.”

The New Zealand Men have a recovery day tomorrow ahead of their next clash against South Africa at 6:30pm (NZ time) on Sunday, with live coverage on TVNZ Games Online (www.tvnz.co.nz).

New Zealand 6: (Kane Russell, Nic Woods, George Muir, Dane Lett, Stephen Jenness, Hugo Inglis)
Canada 2: (James Kirkpatrick, Gordon Johnston)
Halftime: New Zealand 1-0

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Late conversions not enough as Canada drops opening match to ninth-ranked New Zealand

New Zealand rides four-goal third quarter to a convincing first-match win over Team Canada



Canada’s Head Coach, Paul Bundy said before the Commonwealth Games began that it was imperative that the team start well. After a back-and-forth first half against New Zealand on Friday morning, where the teams traded chances, it would have appeared that the fans were in for a tight battle.

Keegan Pereira, Floris Van Son and James Kirkpatrick all had great chances in the opening frame. Antoni Kindler was standing tall between the pipes turning away a plethora of Black Stick chances including two penalty corners. A penalty corner goal from New Zealand late in the first half was the only marker of the first 30 minutes but it was a dangerous sign of what was to come.

New Zealand came flying out of half and tallied four goals in the third quarter, all but putting it out of reach for the Red Caribou. Canada had a bounce-back fourth quarter potting two goals of their own but it wasn’t enough to close the gap.

Canada’s two goals came on penalty corners. The first was a slick finish by James Kirkpatrick as he deflected a creative penalty corner set piece past the New Zealand keeper. The second goal was Gordon Johnston and this one was pure power. Johnston fired the classic drag flick right under the bar on the right side of the net pulling Canada within three goals.

It was too little, too late for Team Canada as the New Zealand Black Sticks cruised to a 6-2 victory to kick off their Commonwealth Games campaign. In the end, Canada made good on two of their four penalty corner opportunities where as New Zealand punched in three and added three from the field.

Team Canada’s path to podium contention just got a little bit tougher but Canada will have an opportunity to bounce back against Scotland tomorrow. Start time is 11:30am on Saturday April 7th (For viewing in Canada that will be April 6th at 6:30pm PDT).

Field Hockey Canada media release

Black Sticks off to good start with 6-2 victory over Canada


New Zealand's Stephen Jenness scores his sides fifth goal. Photo / Getty Images

A 6-2 beating of Canada has given the men's Black Sticks a good start to their Commonwealth Games campaign.

The world No 9-ranked team were well worth the win, scoring in the first quarter and then shortly before the end.

There were set piece goals from penalty corners scored by Kane Russell and Nic Woods.

In a productive third quarter New Zealand raced out to a 5-1 advantage with Stephen Jenness, George Muir and Dane Lett getting on the scoresheet before Otago striker Hugo Inglis finished things off near the final whistle.

Canada are ranked two places below New Zealand. They would have fancied their chances but on a warm afternoon were clear second best. They got goals from James Kirkpatrick and Gordon Hamilton.

New Zealand next faced world No 15 South Africa on Sunday, followed by No 23 Scotland on Tuesday before finishing their pool against world No 1 and hosts Australia on Wednesday.

The women's Black Sticks play Ghana in their second game later today, after winning their first game 6-1 against Scotland yesterday.

The New Zealand Herald

New Zealand Black Sticks men defeat Canada in Commonwealth Games opener


New Zealand's Nic Woods celebrates his goal. PHOTOSPORT

A ferocious start to the third quarter saw the Black Sticks men thrash Canada 6-2 at the Commonwealth Games on Friday.

Up just 1-0 at the half, New Zealand blasted four goals home during the third quarter to pull well clear of their opponents, and although the North Americans pulled two goals back in the final quarter, it was too little, too late.

The goals were shared around with six different men getting on the scoresheet for New Zealand, including three penalty corners by Dane Lett, Nic Woods and Kane Russell.


New Zealand's Hugo Inglis scored the final goal of the game. PHOTOSPORT

Both of Canada's strikes came through penalty corners, from Gordon Johnston and James Kirkpatrick.

It was Russell who opened the scoring for New Zealand with just two minutes left in the first half, slamming a penalty corner home after returning from a green card.


New Zealand's Hayden Phillips flicks the ball to a team mate. PHOTOSPORT

Russell had a second penalty corner saved 30 seconds into the second half, and while that earned another penalty corner, this time Woods stepped up to bury the chance.

George Muir, Lett and Stephen Jenness then scored goals in the space of two minutes to blitz Canada and secure victory.

Canada may have pulled two goals back, but Hugo Inglis had the final say with a goal in the final minute to confirm the three points in pool A.

The Black Sticks men next play South Africa on Sunday night.

Stuff

Scotland stun South Africa as Wales hold Pakistan in first men’s hockey matches at Gold Coast 2018



Wales held hockey giants Pakistan to a draw whilst South Africa were stunned 4-2 by Scotland in the opening day of the men’s hockey competition at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Following the women’s matches earlier in the day, thousands of fans continued to turn out to support the men’s teams at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre.

Wales, ranked 24th in the FIH Hero World Rankings, have every right to be proud of their draw against 13th ranked Pakistan.

Taking inspiration from their women’s win against India earlier in the day, Wales were tough in their tackles and composed in possession - penetrating their opponents circle more often than Pakistan entered theirs throughout the match.

And it was Wales who took the lead in open play, after 33 minutes, through Rupert Shipperley. That did not last long however as, six minutes later, Pakistan levelled the match through an Ali Mubashar penalty corner.

After the two goals, both teams cancelled each other out across the field, with no other shots at goal or penalty corners conceded for the remainder of the game.

Despite riding their luck on occasion, Wales did more than enough to justify their share of the spoils and record what some believe to be one of their best men’s results in their history. Pakistan meanwhile will rue dropped points against a team they would have hoped to beat.

The last match of the day saw African champions South Africa come up against a Scottish side buzzing with energy and passion.

The Blue Sticks raced into a 3-0 lead by the end of the first quarter - all goals through open play. The highlight was the second goal when a neat ball was slipped through two South African defenders to find Kenneth Bain who fired a beautiful back stick strike high into the roof of the net. Alan Forsyth followed that up in the 13th minute as he smashed home a goal at the back post after South Africa failed to clear the danger.

Scotland's energy continued into the second quarter, their confidence allowing them to spread the ball around the field - a fact reflected by statistics showing they had 89% of possession in the match.

It was however South Africa who got on the scoresheet next as Gareth Heyns scored from a penalty corner. Their captain, Tim Drummond, then brought the score back to 3-2 through a fantastic diving shot after a pass was edged through the entire Scottish defence.

Although their fans may have feared a typical Scottish collapse, the Blue Sticks held on and Kenneth Bain squeezed in his second goal of the night to guarantee a hugely important win both in terms of points and for confidence.

Results

Pool A: South Africa 2, Scotland 4.
Pool B: Pakistan 1, Wales 1.

#GC2018Hockey

FIH site

Wales, New Zealand, England and Australia earn opening day wins at Gold Coast 2018 women’s hockey



The opening day of play in the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games women’s hockey event saw Wales, New Zealand, England and Australia pick up their first wins of the competition.

Wales were the giant-killers at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre as they defeated reigning Asian champions India 3-2 in a thrilling opening encounter.

Ranked 16 places below world number 10 ranked India, Wales came out firing and led 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Lisa Daley and Sian French.

India looked sluggish, with captain Rani admitting her side "lacked energy" in the first half. However, after the break they were a different side, pressing higher and playing more aggressively.

Their persistence paid off when the captain halved the deficit in the 33rd minute as she scored a brilliant diving deflection, before Nikki Pradhan levelled the match with 19 minutes to go.

Wales were not to be denied however, with striker Natasha Marke-Jones scoring the winning goal with three minutes left on the clock to record a memorable win, which, according to their captain and now record Welsh cap-holder, Leah Wilkinson (142 caps), was their biggest victory in recent history.

In the other morning match, New Zealand’s Black Sticks made an impressive start to their campaign, crushing Scotland 6-1.

Four first half goals set up the resounding win, amongst them a fantastic penalty corner conversion by Shiloh Gloyn to mark her first appearance at a Commonwealth Games.

England meanwhile resisted the challenge of African champions South Africa. Goals from Grace Balsdon and Susannah Townsend were enough to secure their 2-0 victory, however it could have been more if it was not for an outstanding performance by South African goalkeeper Phumelela Mbande.

There was no stopping Balsdon’s corner flick in the 11th minute as she slammed the ball past the goalkeeper’s left foot to open the scoring.

England then doubled their lead nine minutes later as Townsend squeezed a shot beyond Mbande after brilliant build up play from Ellie Rayer and Alex Danson down the right.

Hosts Australia experienced a frustrating start to the defence of their title as Canada, ranked 21 in the FIH Hero World Rankings, forced the Hockeyroos to settle for a 1-0 victory.

Whilst Canada will be pleased with their discipline and defence throughout the match, Australia were left frustrated having not converted more opportunities.

Australia, led by experienced players Jodie Kenny, Eddie Bone and Emily Smith, attacked from the opening whistle.

Whilst It took some time, Commonwealth Games veteran Jodie Kenny finally broke through the Canadian defence deep into the second quarter and earned the first penalty corner of the game. Australia’s attempt at goal was illegally stopped from going over the line therefore a Penalty Stroke was awarded and duly converted by Kenny.

The Canadians gave Australia a scare late in the game, creating a penalty corner and an open strike at goal which sailed wide. However the Hockeyroos held on to delight thousands of local fans who packed the stands.

RESULTS
Women Pool A: India 2, Wales 3; England 2, South Africa 0.
Women Pool B: Scotland 1, New Zealand 6; Australia 1, Canada 0.

#GC2018

FIH site

Wales steal the show with a 3 - 2 victory over India in final few minutes

During the early hours of Thursday 5th April (00:30 BST) Wales’ women’s hockey team opened the hockey competition for the 2018 Commonwealth Games; taking on first opponents and higher ranked team, India; in what can only be described as a nail biting first match!

Within the opening few minutes of the game, Wales made sure India knew they meant business, with a painfully close goal attempt from midfielder Eloise Laity and some skilful, fast paced play from the team; efforts, rewarded by a sensational first goal from Forward, Lisa Daley half way through the first quarter.

The first half ended 2-0 to Wales, courtesy of a further goal quickly tapped in by Vice-Captain, Sian French; the consequence of a penalty stroke awarded to Wales after India’s Deepika performed a bad defensive tackle against Phoebe Richards.

During the second half India gained momentum, finding their way into the game; drawing level with Wales in the third; throwing the Welsh squad into disorder. Wales’ possession looked weaker throughout the second half; with the ball primarily on the end of India’s sticks; forcing Wales into making some unfortunate errors.

The final quarter saw a disallowed goal for India on the back of a penalty corner; a mistake that cost them dearly; after Wales’ Natasha Marke-Jones smashed in a brilliant one handed third and final goal for Wales, just 3 minutes from time; sealing India’s fate!

Although India’s recovery was admirable showing some sublime skills against the Welsh defence, it wasn’t meant to be.

Reflecting on the match, Captain Leah Wilkinson:

We are incredibly proud of our performance today, we kept to our game plan throughout and that was backed up with our fight, passion and desire to never give up. We also know that this was just one game of the tournament and we need to do all we can to prepare and go again tomorrow against England.

Wilkinson not only made her debut as captain during this game, she also broke the record for most capped Welsh female hockey player; once held jointly by both Leah and former Wales Captain, Abi Welsford. Wilkinson now sits on 142 caps.

Wales will now take on England on Friday 6th April at 10:30am BST.

Hockey Wales media release

Canada drops thrilling opening match against host Australia


Canadian goalkeeper Kaitlyn Williams shines in opening night 1-0 loss

Canada may have been the heavy underdogs on Thursday afternoon at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre but they delivered a gutsy performance against the world number-5 Australia. Canadian coach, Giles Bonnet said there are lots of positives to take forward into the rest of the event.

“We created quality chances and got good goal scoring opportunities,” he said in an interview after the loss. “That’s encouraging to see and definitely something we will take forward.”

Bonnet’s side started the game looking a little tentative but after the teams felt each other out in the first quarter, things really started to heat up. Led by Rachel Donohoe, Hannah Haughn and Natalie Sourisseau, Canada brought the intensity and ratcheted up the attack.

Canada suffered a major blow at the 13-minute mark of the second quarter when Donohoe went down with an ankle injury, taking her out of the game. Losing a top player, especially an offensive playmaker like Donohoe is never easy. Bonnet said the team did a good job refocusing and getting themselves back in the moment.

“We were all concerned for Rachel, but it’s out of our hands and there’s nothing we can do about it,” Bonnet said. “We had to keep focused on the task at hand.”

Then with five minutes remaining in the first half, Australia struck. After a penalty corner effort wound up deflecting off of a Canadian defender’s arm, Jodie Kenny stepped up and broke the ice with a penalty stroke goal, firing the ball into the top left corner.

Trailing by one at the half, Canada stepped up the intensity and really pushed the pace in the second half. Canadian goal keeper, Kaitlyn Williams stood tall in net making several brilliant saves in the second half, keeping Canada within reach. Williams said the atmosphere was amazing on opening night at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre and it wasn’t hard to get hyped up for the game.

“Those are the type of games I look forward to the most,” she said. “Obviously we wanted a different result, but it was incredible atmosphere playing in front of a full house.”

Williams played lights out in the second half, making several clutch saves including a three-save sequence late in the game, deflecting away a flurry of Australian chances. Her performance in net allowed for the attacking unit of Steph Norlander, Brie Stairs and Sourisseau to get to work. Norlander had two terrific chances in the second half but both times, Australian keeper, Rachael Lynch was equal to the task.

Bonnet knows the team was an underdog coming into this match but he also knows a win or tie wasn’t out of the question. On top of that, the cutthroat nature of this competition means Canada needs positive results from now on out if they want a shot at the semifinals. He said they will review today’s game and take what they can into the upcoming match against Scotland.

“I think we played well enough tonight to earn at least one point, so in that end it’s frustrating. We definitely had a lot of positives in tonight’s game,” Bonnet said. “Now, it’s just about refocusing the group and getting ready to play against Scotland tomorrow.”

Williams, who put on a terrific display of goal keeping on opening night knows Canada is here to compete and is looking forward to the rest of the competition.

“I’m really proud of how the team fought and battled through today’s game. I think we were a bit of an unknown coming into the competition,” Williams said. “…but today we showed that we are here to compete. Now we have to debrief and prepare ourselves for tomorrow’s game.”

All losses count the same in the tournament record books, but this loss showed promise. Canada carried the play for a lot of the second half, they had a number of great chances and they had four penalty corners to Australia’s two. They may have been a relative unknown coming into this event, but if they continue to perform like they did tonight, they won’t be unknown for much longer.

Field Hockey Canada media release

Pakistan pulls off draw against Wales at Commonwealth Games

By Nabil Tahir


PHOTO COURTESY: ASIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION

KARACHI: Pakistan national men’s team drew their first match 1-1 against Wales in the opening encounter of the field hockey event at the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast Hockey Centre on Thursday.

The 13th-ranked Pakistan team, with experienced players in their ranks, were only able to score one goal against the 24th-ranked Wales.

Both teams started the match aggressively and played two goalless quarters, but unexpectedly Wales drew first blood and Pakistan were seen looking to comeback in the match in the remaining time.

“This was our first game here and we are getting used to the conditions here,” Pakistan skipper Muhammad Rizwan senior told The Express Tribune. “Our coach had told us that we have to concentrate on the game and get used to the conditions for the next big match against India.”

Rizwan Sr then blamed poor showing by the team for the draw but hoped team would gee up for the next encounter against India on April 7.

“We made mistakes and missed chances which caused this draw. We could have won the match since Wales is an inexperienced team and we have experienced players. However, we are hoping to recover and prepare better for the match against India,” he said.

The Express Tribune

Fantastic win for Scotland men in intense Gold Coast opener


Photo by Team Scotland

Scotland men’s hockey team kicked off their Commonwealth Games 2018 debut against South Africa, ranked number 15 in the world, with an excellent 4-2 victory in the Gold Coast.

The Blue Sticks’ fighting spirit could be seen straight away in the first quarter, with Rob Harwood showing great initiative and positional instinct to put Scotland into a 1-0 lead.

This lead was quickly doubled with a cracking reverse stick strike from Kenny Bain arrowing straight into the top corner of the net to make it 2-0.

Just before quarter one ended, birthday boy Alan Forsyth managed to celebrate his big day in style scoring a lovely goal, bringing Scotland’s lead up to 3-0. The Scots were on fire.

Quarter two came with more intensity from the Scots with Gavin Byers setting up a strike, however, Forsyth was just short on this occasion.

In the third quarter South Africa was determined to pull back some goals. They were unlucky in their first attempt from a penalty corner, prompting a great save from Tommy Alexander. However, not long after their first, they gained a second penalty corner and a fantastic straight strike right from the top of the D by Gareth Heyns, brought the score to 3-1.

Around seven minutes later, South Africa doubled their tally by a strike from Tim Drummond; it was clear South Africa were not going down without a fight.

This gave Scotland more determination to come out on top and this was proven by Bain scoring his second goal of the match, two minutes into the final quarter. This brought the score up to 4-2 for Scotland.

An incredible match for Scotland came to a close with a great 4-2 win, setting the Scots up nicely for their next Gold Coast match on Saturday 7th April against Canada.

Afterward, Kenny Bain spoke on scoring a double,

“The win is way more important, obviously as a striker scoring goals is great but the way we scored the goals was exactly how we did it in training. The boys were perfect – put it on a plate for me and I kept my focus to score.

“Coming into these tournaments we’re always the underdogs but now that we’ve gained promotion in the Europeans we’re starting to take steps to see ourselves as a bigger team at these tournaments, we’ve really started focussing on attacking hockey rather than being defensive. We’ve got such a talented group of players and we scored good goals against a good team like South Africa.

“First game and first win, so we’re really happy with that.”

Scotland captain Chris Grassick said, “Getting that fourth goal gave us some breathing space and allowed us to be potent on the ball again. Four years ago we lost our opening game in Glasgow but today we’ve come away with a good win. We’re a team that’s on the up and I think we showed that today.”

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Tough day one for SA Men and Women

Clinton Panther gets 100th cap


Photo: Quanita Bobbs in action, courtesy Anton Geyser/Saspa

The South African Women’s hockey team were always going to face a tough encounter as they opened their 2018 Commonwealth Games against the much fancied England. There was a cautious optimism in the South African fan base as the ladies have shown glimpses of truly world-class performance in the past, and the team was eager to make that fan base proud!

South Africa started on the back foot but a great triple save by Phumelela Mbande kept England out before a good opportunity was just out of reach for the diminutive Stephanie Baxter from a Dirkie Chamberlain cross.

The first goal of the game did arrive in the first chukka and unfortunately, it was in the favour of England as Grace Balsdon rocketed a short corner into the back net with a venomous drive. Such was the velocity on the drive that the ball rebounded out of the D after it hit the board!

England then doubled their lead nine minutes later as Susannah Townsend squeezed a shot beyond Mbande after brilliant build-up play from Ellie Rayer and Alex Danson down the right. Although Mbande and later le Fleur were the busier goalkeepers, South Africa created some great chances but Maddie Hinch, the FIH Goalkeeper of the year for 2016 & 2017, was dominant to deny Jade Mayne, Sulette Damons the skipper and Dirkie Chamberlain. Keeping the game goalless.

Final Score
South Africa 0-2 England

Next Fixture
7 April – 11:32 – South Africa vs. Malaysia


(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

The South African Men are a young side and were keen to gain experience and show a gritty performance in front of a large Gold Coast Crowd, in Clinton Panther’s 100th test cap. They were to meet a regular foe of the SA Hockey men in the game against Scotland. That foe would be their lack of cutting edge in front of goal.

The Scottish men were in glorious form and mood and raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter incredibly through three field goals. Robert Hardwood and Alan Forsyth scored either side of the goal of the game by Kenneth Bain as he roofed the ball with an incredible back stick.

In the third quarter, South Africa finally fought back from the shell-shocked first quarter and Gareth Heyns, the former UJ captain, netted from a penalty corner before skipper Tim Drummond pulled us back to within a goal of the Scots.

But just as hope had emerged, it quickly vanished with Bain again netting from a field goal and made it 4-2 which it would remain until the end of the game. The men will be feeling frustrated not just by the result but the inability to deny goal scoring opportunities from open play, while also failing to create enough chances from their 18 circle penetrations.

Final Score
South Africa 2-4 Scotland

Next Fixture
7 April – 08:32 – South Africa vs. Australia

SA Hockey Association media release

Kookaburras Commonwealth Games Preview

Ben Somerford



The world number one Kookaburras will be out to retain their perfect gold medal record at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast where they head in as favourites.

HISTORY

Australia have won gold at every Commonwealth Games since hockey’s introduction into the event in 1998. It’s a proud history, where the Kookaburras’ only ever defeat occurred in 1998.

In fact, the Kookaburras have won 27 matches straight in Commonwealth Games competition, so expectations will clearly be high.

A lot has changed among the Kookaburras’ team since 2014, with 11 players without Commonwealth Games experience in the 2018 group.

Australia defeated India 4-0 in the gold medal match four years ago in Glasgow, with top scorer Chris Ciriello netting a hat-trick in the decider, but he’s since retired. The Kookaburras also toppled the Indians 8-0 in Delhi in 2010.

The Kookaburras are ranked first in the world currently, while India (sixth), England (seventh), New Zealand (ninth), Canada (11th) and Malaysia (12th) are all contenders.

Australia recently won the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia where they overcame India, England and the hosts in a positive sign, finishing with a perfect six wins from six games.

RIVALRY

Australia are grouped in Pool A against Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand who they’ll face in a huge round robin fixture on Wednesday 11 April.

Canada, South Africa (15th) and Scotland (23rd) are also in the Kookas’ pool, with little recent experience against any of those sides.

The Kookaburras have had the wood on the Black Sticks in recent times, winning their past seven encounters, including twice during the Oceania Cup in Sydney in October where Australia triumphed 6-0 in the decider.

Remarkably, Australia have a dominant history over the Black Sticks at the Oceania Cup, winning all 10 events.

The old Australia-England rivalry also simmers away, with the Kookaburras knocking off England in the Azlan Shah Cup final recently, although it was far from comfortable, triumphing 2-1.

PROSPECTS

The Kookaburras’ failure to win a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics has been well-documented but this is a new group playing under a new coaching staff with a new style.

There are constants, such as retiring skipper Mark Knowles and 300-gamer Eddie Ockenden but there’s also a new breed of exciting young talent given opportunities under experienced coach Colin Batch.

Cool bespectacled defender Matt Dawson has overcome a freak training ground eye injury to take his part, while speedy midfielder Tom Craig and penalty corner specialist Jeremy Hayward are players to watch in their maiden Commonwealth Games.

Australia’s first match is against South Africa on Saturday 7 April from 4.30pm AEST.

Hockey Australia media release

Kookaburras Forced Into Late Injury Replacement

Ben Somerford



The Kookaburras have received official approval of a late injury replacement with Blake Govers ruled out of the 18-player 2018 Commonwealth Games team due to a fractured finger.

Govers has been replaced in the Kookaburras’ 18-player team by fellow forward Tom Wickham after approval from Commonwealth Games Australia and tournament directors.

Kookaburras coach Colin Batch said: “Blake Govers sustained a broken finger at training earlier this week and late last night we had our replacement player request approved.

“It’s really bad luck for Blake because he’s still a young athlete, he’s experienced an Olympic Games and he’s handled the situation extremely well.”

The 21-year-old forward from Wollongong requires surgery on the fractured finger.

Wickham, 27, has scored 15 goals in 36 caps for the Kookaburras having debuted in 2013.

Batch added: “To his credit, (Tom’s) first question when we said he’s a possible replacement was about Blake. That’s part of the culture we’re building within the team.

“It's not ideal but I'm really pleased for Tom who was close to selection in the first place. He'll come in late so he's got some catch-up to do."

The Kookaburras’ first match at the 2018 Commonwealth Games is against South Africa on Saturday from 4.30pm AEST.

Hockey Australia media release

Malaysia confident of upsetting fancied India



THE Malaysian women’s hockey team have never beaten India in a tournament.

They have met 30 times but lost 27 times and drew thrice. But the outcome may change when the two teams clash in a Group A match at the Gold Coast Hockey Centre today.

World No. 10 India’s invincibility is waning and it showed in their shocking 2-3 loss to world No. 26 Wales in the opening match yesterday.

India dominated the match against Wales and earned 16 penalty corners but converted only one.

National player Fazilla Sylvester Silin (pic) believes they have a fighting chance to upset fancied India.

“If Wales, one of the lowest ranked teams in the Games, can beat them, then we can too,” said the Sabahan.

“India will be going all out to stay in contention for a place in the semi-finals. The challenge is on us to try and get at least a point.

“A win will be a big boost for us. There is always a first time,” said Fazilla, who is making her third appearance in the Games.

The 31-year-old is a prolific goal scorer and she is back in the national team after a seven-month training stint with the Fire and Rescue Department.

The Star of Malaysia

India ready to win hockey gold again

IT'S not easy to turn a team into champions in just seven months.

But experienced coach Harendra Singh has done it when the India's women's team won the gold at the Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Japan last December.

They upset China 5-4 in penalty shootout after both teams were tied 1-1 in regulation time.

It was only his first assignment and this has whetted his appetite and he wants his team to defy the odds again by winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal for the second time.

India, who are ranked 10th in the world, have featured in women’s hockey since the 1998 KL Games and were the gold medallists in Manchester in 2002 and bagged a silver in Melbourne in 2006. They finished empty-handed in New Delhi in 2010 and Glasgow in 2014.

Harendra wants nothing less than a gold from the girls.

“My players are in high spirit after winning the Asia Cup and they are ready to take on strong teams such as England and Australia in the Games,” he said the former international, who represented India from 1985 to 1991.

The Star of Malaysia

India-Pakistan sub-continental rivalry set to light up Gold Coast games


India-Pakistan locked in a hockey clash - File Photo, PTI

A sporting clash which is never short of political undertones, India and Pakistan will be up against each other in their Commonwealth Games hockey opener here on Saturday -- a match touted as the blockbuster showdown of the preliminary stage.

"We start favourites," declared India coach Sjoerd Marijne after his two-time defending silver-medallist team's practice session here on Friday.

More than the politics though, Marijne was concerned about the high temperatures in Gold Coast for their Group B match. "It's really hot, 28-29 degrees and we play at 2:30pm (Local Time), so, that will be difficult circumstances. That's why we have to stay calm for ourselves," he said.

Also he doesn't want his side to panic if an early goal doesn't come along. "If it is happening, it is good, if not then we have to be patient. Let the ball do the work."

The two sides' last Commonwealth Games face-off happened eight years ago in the 2010 Delhi edition and it turned out to be a memorable outing for both for contrasting reasons. The Indians ended up jubilant after slamming seven goals, while the Pakistanis were left to agonise after securing just four in that match.

Overall, the record stands 1-1 between the two sides as Pakistan had the last laugh in the 2006 Games in Melbourne. The two teams squared off most recently at last year's Asia Cup in Bangladesh where India claimed the honours.

Here at the Games, the two south asian rivals are placed in a group that also features England, Wales and Malaysia. The Indians are favourites to advance along with England and they would be aiming to get the perfect start. And what better to get the adrenaline going than beating the nemesis from across the border.

In fact, the Indians simply dominated Pakistan in all the four clashes the two teams were involved in last year. Under the guidance of new coach Marijne, form also seems to be on India's side, having claimed the Asia Cup in October.

Marijne took over compatriot Roelant Oltmans, who is interestingly now the chief coach of Pakistan after being unceremoinously dumped by Hockey India in a bitter parting. The team boasts of four penalty corner specialists in Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas but this particular aspect of the game has always been bit of a bother for the team.

It remains to be seen how much of a difference Marijne is able to make in improving the poor penalty corner conversion rate. Skipper Manpreet Singh, who has taken over from the now out-of-favour Sardar Singh, will be handling the midfield, while SV Sunil and the power of Gurjant Singh will be expected to lead precise attacks on the opposition citadel.

Speaking of citadels, the ever-reliable PR Sreejesh will be guarding the Indian net. For Pakistan too, there has been change of guard on the coaching front with Oltmans coming in last month for a second stint as their coach.

The team has not had good results in the last few months, losing early in the Asia Cup before going down in the four-nation invitational in Australia. Given the turmoil, they are not expected to be much of a challenge to India but then an Indo-Pak showdown has always been known to bring out something special from both sides.

So much so that even Australian captain Mark Knowles is looking forward to it. "...that is the one people should get out and watch, that is colour, that is flair, that is excitement. It is two sports mad nations going at each other. It will be very exciting," he promised.

Daily News & Analysis

Meet Phumelela "Phumz" Mbande



The South African Hockey Women are currently in Australia at the Commonwealth Games with a goal to try and secure a medal against the odds. If they are going to be successful then they will be looking towards Phumelela Mbande in goals to be a differentiating factor.

The Carter High School product has earned 25 caps since her debut against Chile in 2013 and before she darted off to Australia we had a chat with her about all things hockey

There seems no more obvious place to start than to ask, why goalkeeper?

I initially started playing goalkeeper because no one else wanted to play there, and I was the newest kid in the school! It didn’t take very long for me to realize that GK was 100% the position I preferred... I find a nice balance of being part of the team while being my own team within the team. I’m a person who finds comfort in order and control, and in clarity and understanding of the task at hand, and I believe being a goalkeeper allows me to tap into that aspect of the game a lot more than playing outfield (we can’t lose if I don’t let them score).

So you dream about one day scoring a goal for your country?

If the German keeper could do it, what in the world could stand in my way?


How are you feeling about your preparation for the Commonwealth Games?

I think that we as the SAW team were very fortunate to have had a 2-week preparation camp in the last 3 weeks before heading off to Australia. After missing out on our first training camp earlier in the year due to a very busy work schedule, I was feeling a bit nervous and uncomfortable. I believe this last bit of preparation combined with all the work we’ve done building up to this moment has really put us all in a good position and we’re going in with confidence

You already have a great hockey CV at such a young age, what has been the highlight of your hockey career so far?

This one’s easy, being part of #teammzansi for Gold Coast 2018.

The SA Women’s Hockey team strikes the general public as a team who have a lot of fun, who is the biggest prankster or joker in the team?

Nicole La Fleur! She gives me surprise hugs all the time!



You are almost a Chartered Accountant as well, how do you manage the work-life balance?

I'm still busy with my 3 years of articles to try and qualify as a CA. I have been fortunate enough that my employer, PWC, has done their best to ensure that I'm given enough time off in order to attend my national hockey camps and tours, for which I am very grateful! That, combined with the coaching and management’s staff’s patience, understanding and assistance has been paramount to the functionality of my two worlds. The team has also been very supportive, knowing that we all have our struggles in trying to be as professional as possible while still maintaining careers outside of Hockey. Balancing the two comes with many challenges, but I am doing what I love which makes it more than just okay.

You have now played in both of the PHL tournaments, what have your PHL experiences been?

I absolutely loved the first PHL, nothing will ever beat a gold medal finish in the inaugural edition of the tournament. I think PHL has brought a lovely dynamic to South African hockey. It provides a unique opportunity for young players to play with more experienced and even national players, and it also challenges the more senior players who have youngsters looking up to them to ensure they set the standard and keep pushing boundaries. The equal distribution of talent across the teams makes for a very unpredictable tournament outcome: PHL 2017 - Case in point (still a sore topic).

There are many young talented players coming through, which young South African hockey player excites you the most?

Without a doubt, Ongeziwe Mali! She’s a great finisher and a genuine threat in the circle. If she carries on the way she’s headed, I think we will see some very exciting things from her in the future!



Who is your hockey hero?

Marsha Cox. Not only for her on field hockey achievements, but for the manner in which she captained and lead the team and supported me as a young player in the team.

You can continue to support the rise of Phumz by following her on social media @phumz_24 on Twitter and @Phumz024 on Instagram.

SA Hockey Association media release

No word yet on Kumar's case

By SAIFUL AFFENDY SAPRAN


(Archive image) The current situation leaves Kumar still anxiously waiting to know his fate and what punishment will be meted out after having to miss out on two major international tournaments with the national hockey squad, namely the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia because of his temporary suspension for testing positive for banned substances.

KUALA LUMPUR: The doping case involving experienced first-choice national goalkeeper S. Kumar has not had any new developments, even as the 21 day period that was requested by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) in coming to a decision ends today (Thursday).

The current situation leaves Kumar still anxiously waiting to know his fate and what punishment will be meted out after having to miss out on two major international tournaments with the national hockey squad, namely the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia because of his temporary suspension for testing positive for banned substances.

In fact Kumar himself has not received any news or latest developments on his case after being found to have used the banned substance Sibutramine by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) during the Asia Cup that was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in October last year.

"I am made to understand that a decision will be made and announced sometime this month but the date for the hearing is still unknown,” said Kumar.

Kumar admits that he is helpless to do anything other than just be patient and wait for word or response from FIH.

MHC president, Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal could not be contacted for comment while the lawyer involved in the case, Jaddish Chandra has declined to make any comments.

Last month Subahan had said that FIH had requested for a 21 day period as part of efforts to come to a decision where there could be two probabilities, where FIH hand out a punishment straight to Kumar, or a date is set for a hearing.

MHC are hoping that Kumar’s case can be resolved as soon as possible to allow the goalkeeper to return to action with the national team as soon as possible, especially for the upcoming Asian Games that will be held in Indonesia this August where Malaysia stand a good chance of winning gold and therefore qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

New Straits Times

Peillat extends his contract with Mannheimer HC until 2021


©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics

Olympic champion Gonzalo Peillat and Mannheimer HC have renewed their contract with each other for another three years, extending his commitment to the club until 2021.

"I feel very comfortable in Mannheim and simply have a good feeling about it. The club has done everything from the very first minute for me to settle in well," Peillat said of his decision.

"Our team is developing really well and I believe we will still achieve some goals in the future. I share the philosophy of the coaches and that's why I didn't doubt a minute [about re-signing].“

The 25-year-old Argentinean is one of the best corner shooters in the world. With his 11 goals in the 2016 Olympic tournament in Rio de Janeiro, he was instrumental in winning the gold medal.

He currently leads the MHC men's scorer list with 10 goals and has scored 45 goals in 33 Bundesliga matches for Mannheim.

"Gonzalo is a world-class player, incredible athlete and just a likeable guy. I'm grateful to work with him. He is a very important part of our team and he played a decisive role in last year's DM title," says Michael McCann, Mannheimer HC’c coach.

"Both sides wanted to plan more long-term. The challenge was to include the impact of the Hockey Pro League next year. It was very important to us to find a solution to this deadline problem and we managed that together. That we have now agreed on three years is the result of good cooperation," added MHC’s Sports Director Peter Lemmen.

Euro Hockey League media release

Leading trio set for final day shoot-out in Division One


UCD’s Jazze Henry and Corinthian’s David Winn will both be hoping their side runs up the goals. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Judgement day and time have been set with 3pm on Saturday the crucial time for Corinthian, UCD and YMCA all battling to land the Leinster Division One title on goal difference.

All three are on 41 points and have lots of different permutations to play for. All three have an EYHL playoff ticket assured but top spot earns a crucial skip past the first round of that series.

The top two are assured, at the very least, of a place in IHL Division 2. Third place is on shakier ground, particularly if Railway Union are relegated from the EYHL, a situation which would mean a third place finish is not good enough for an IHL2 spot.

As such, each side will bid to run up big scorelines and hope it is enough for them against sides with little more than pride on the final day of the regular season.

To that end, the reds closed the gap by a large margin last week with a 9-1 win over Dublin North with Ian Stewart scoring six times, adding to a double from Davy Howard and Jack Perdue.

That came a couple of days after a 6-1 win over Clontarf, meaning they have already made some significant inroads into the deficit they had on the other two sides.

And they will travel out to Santry Avenue on Saturday to face a Dublin University side hoping to not feel too many after-effects of Friday’s Trinity Ball.

They have four goals to make up on leaders YMCA and three on UCD. The Y will perhaps rue not forcing home even more of an advantage against Weston when they built up a 5-0 half-time lead in their last meeting, eventually ending seven-goal victors.

It does give them the current pole position but face the highest-rated opponent of the three, a Rathgar who could finish in the top half if they manage a result.

UCD face the lowest-rated opposition in Dublin North, a side with just one win since the turn of the year. As such, all three clubs have reason to believe they can end up on top and will be anxiously checking the updates for news from around the grounds.

All three games have been set for 3pm, meaning no high-jinks or targets can be taken into account, just a straight shoot-out with each game set to be keenly viewed.

Men’s Leinster Division One (all Saturday): Dublin University v Corinthian, 3pm, Santry Avenue; UCD v Dublin North, 3pm, Belfield; YMCA v Rathgar, 3pm, Wesley College

The Hook

Cork playing host to a hockey revolution on the western front

Stephen Findlater


Clonakilty celebrate their Irish Hockey Challenge win in 2014. The Clon club was only set up in 2011. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Where once just Bandon was the last outpost beyond Cork’s city limits, a hockey revolution of sorts is spreading south and west of the county, giving optimism for further expansion.

In early December, Baltimore became the latest club to hit the turf, lining out against Clonakilty after six weeks of the Hockey Ireland Tricks 4 Sticks programme.

Along with Kinsale and Clon, they became the third new club in the region since 2011, boosting Munster hockey’s youth playing population year on year by between 5% and 7%.

Beyond stretching the reach and boundaries of hockey outside of its traditional strongholds in the cities and old garrison towns, Baltimore is part of Hockey Ireland’s evolving vision of how to grow the game.

Dee Griffiths, a former county player in England who now works in Rath NS, was frustrated that she could not pass on her passion for the sport to her 11-year-old daughter locally.

Not fancying a weekly 40-minute commute to Clonakilty — itself only formed in 2011 — she took on the challenge herself.

Nearby Ilen Rovers GAA had a “tiny bit of indoor astro” but it was enough to get started out. With the help of Hockey Ireland’s development officer Phil Oakley, they secured funding for pitch rental and equipment.

There, they had capacity for 16 players but they have already outgrown the venue and moved to Abbeystrewry — outside Skibbereen — to a larger astroturf facility to keep up with demand.

Again it is not a formal, full-sized pitch but Hockey Ireland is coming to the realisation this is no barrier to development.

Now the focus turns to the number of coaches available and this has become Griffiths’ next big challenge.

Clon was set up in 2011. For the coastal town, a key driver was the construction of the full-sized astroturf pitch at the Sacred Heart College. With a feeder school in place, Oakley says they needed “minimal support” from Hockey Ireland to get up and running and quickly grew to three senior women’s teams.

Many of the club’s 2009 All-Ireland junior winning ladies footballers would go on to play a part in their Irish Hockey Challenge glory in 2014.

Crucially, the senior club soon developed a junior section, “exactly what you want to see so there is a conveyor belt that makes it sustainable”.

Baltimore, though, is following the model a little further up the road in Kinsale. There, Kieran Harte has been pivotal in developing the club since 2012 with Kinsale now operating at a capacity of 155 children up to U14 level.

They have done so despite having access to an astro surface that measures about a third of a regular size pitch.

“It’s not a hockey surface but we found the ball rolled absolutely perfectly,” Harte told the Examiner.

Harte, a goalkeeper with Tyrone’s senior footballers in his day, was briefly on the committee of Saile Community Centre where the turf is located.

Along with Kim Kerins and Anne Murphy, the facility was looking to expand its reach and offer more sporting options.

All four of Harte’s children had become hockey aficionados during their time at Bandon Grammar. Twins Conor and David are both Olympians, the latter winning the FIH World Goalkeeper of the Year award in 2015 and 2016; Emer played for Ireland while Ciara also reached a high level.

It stoked a passion in Kieran to give something back but also left him with plenty of contacts to get the ball rolling.

He pitched the idea of hockey; after taster sessions with regional development officer Dave Egner in four of the local national schools and an end-of-term blitz, they had 69 players interested.

“Teaching skills proved to be no problem [on the turf]. It was just perfect,” Harte said, adding that plenty of other factors made the development of the club “really easy”.

“So many people have come to settle in Kinsale who have played hockey in school, a good portion of the population are blow-ins like myself and so we had plenty interested in helping a young hockey club so it was really easy.”


Kinsale HC Under-10s. Pic: Kinsale HC

Oakley, though, suggests its success is more down to Harte and his way of getting things done — “he’s an incredible motivator and if you ask him to do anything, he will get to it straight away — if you had one of him in every club, we would be close to one of the biggest sports in the country.”

Funding was secured from Hockey Ireland, the Women in Sport Programme, Kinsale UDC and the Cork Sports Partnership matched this euro for euro.

They now have the third biggest boys section in Munster and entered their first leagues, the girls at U14 level and the boys at U13. All games must be played away and so, until a pitch comes in, they will remain a feeder for other clubs beyond these age grades.

"Unlike most other clubs, we are non-competitive. It’s about fun and enjoyment. I am a really strong advocate for fun and making strong memories for life. For years to come, we hope they can enjoy their hockey after they leave us."

Key to the growth is the commitment to coaching, something the club founder readily admits he does not get involved in but is one of the elements he is especially proud of.

“As the kids have grown up, I coached hurling, Gaelic football, badminton, athletics — I cannot actually coach hockey,” said Harte. “I find it so difficult so that’s why all our coaches have to know how to do it! If I have given the club anything, it is that.”

As of last year, each coach has some form of either coaching certificate while there are five level one coaches, four helping in the club, that have been developed.

Oakley ran a stepping stones course on December 12, a time when “nobody has any business usually running a course” and yet there were 13 Kinsale volunteers in attendance.

Gaisce students add to the volunteer levels while they have also expanded into the indoor hall.

David Harte helped source top-of-the-line indoor hockey sideline boards from the Netherlands.

The price tag was over €4,000 for the wooden blocks but the club managed to get 100% sponsorship for them — the club is supported by Life Science Consultants, Water Babies and Granny’s Bottom Drawer in addition to the regular funding bodies.

By the third year, the numbers were getting so big considering we only take the kids from 3pm to 6pm on a Friday. So we took three of the teams and took them indoors every third week which sharpened up their reactions.

Kinsale have also added a beginners group on Thursday evenings for adults with a grade one coach followed by more experienced players later in the evening.

“It’s a lovely way of tying new people to the club. There’s a lot of young mothers in their early 30s and hopefully their kids will come up and join in when they hit eight, nine or 10.” Harte says widening the parameters of what is a suitable venue can have far-reaching outcomes.

“I think its wide open for expansion. Before the Olympics, I spoke to [interim Hockey Ireland CEO] Rob Johnson about all the things that could be done and highlighted the single biggest thing would be to introduce hockey on a multi-sport pitch. If you go to Macroom or Mallow or wherever there is a football pitch, we have found that for hurlers and footballers, it is the perfect fit for a winter sport and the guys absolutely love it.”

Oakley is coming around to that way of thinking.

“The exciting thing is we are now supporting hockey clubs that don’t necessarily have a hockey pitch to play on. That gives us hope for developing the sport elsewhere. We had a forum in Connacht last week and one of the things was how do we develop outside Sligo, Athlone, and Galway.”

Both also add that Ireland needs to finally start embracing indoor hockey properly.

The viewpoint comes off the back of January’s European Championships in Brussels and February’s Indoor World Cup in Berlin. The International Hockey Federation has copped that this variant of the sport can offer a unique fan experience while the technical skills on display become far more apparent on the smaller court.

“We don’t utilise indoor enough,” Oakley adds. “I had never seen a match properly before the World Cup and came away thinking ‘how come we don’t do this? How come we don’t have a national team?’ “It was phenomenal. And we can develop in areas where we don’t have a natural facility.”

The Irish Examiner

Butali Sugar Warriors bolster team with new players

By AYUMBA AYODI

The 2015 champions Butali Warriors have signed three players ahead of the 2018 Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) men’s Premier League season that gets underway on Saturday.

Butali team manager Kamal Sembi disclosed that they have raided Chase Sailors to snatch international striker George Mutira and sweeper Nickson Amadi.

Butali have also brought on board Kenya’s finest keeper Linus Sang from United States International United University-Africa (USIU-A).

However, Butali, who finished second behind winners Kenya Police last season, will be without their midfielder Arif Shah and striker Peter Njoroge, who have joined Nairobi Simba.

Sembi said lack of seriousness especially in the first leg of the season was their main undoing, but warned their rivals that they will leave not room for mistakes this time around.

“We dropped points on games we should have won and I don't think we were serious enough in the first leg of the season,” said Kamal, adding that the lost opportunity affected them even after they put up a good show in the second leg.

“There is still a lot of room for improvement hence we need to work hard and be better even after signing the likes of Mutira and Sang, who are some of the country finest players,” said Kamal.

Both defending champions Kenya Police and Butali start their 2018 season quest next weekend in Nairobi.

Police launch the defence against Nakuru on April 14, while Butali take on Nairobi Simba the following day, with both matches to be played at City Park Stadium.

New Police coach Patrick Mugambi indicates that they haven't signed any players for the new season.

"We have been caught off guard with the new season kick off dates. Most of my players are on leave and will resume on Monday," said Mugambi, who was quick to say that they will defend the title to the last sweat.

"We want to do it in honour of my predecessor the late Kenneth Kaunda."

Daily Nation

David Scott (Ireland Hockey Coach 2004)

It is with great sadness that Hockey Ireland learned of the passing of David Scott on Monday 2rd April in Belfast. David was a very popular figure in both Ulster and Irish hockey circles as a player and a coach who stepped in to assist Irish hockey as caretaker coach of the Irish Senior Men's team in 2004.

During his tenure Ireland played nine matches winning two, drawing three and losing four but of particular note was Ireland’s first ever win against India 3-2 in Leverkusen, Germany as they prepared for the Athens Olympics.

David stayed on as assistant coach to newly appointed Irish head coach Dave Passmore in 2005 and was part of the set up that won the European B Trophy in Rome and successfully secured promotion back to European A division.

“Scotty” as he was popularly known was an exceptionally well liked character and nothing gave him more pride than giving young players their international debuts and in total he awarded 9 Irish first caps (7 of which in his first match) and he started Irish legends Tim Cockram and Ronan Gormley, on their way in international hockey.

David will be very much missed by all who had the pleasure of working with him and our thoughts and sympathy are with his wife Maureen, son Andrew and daughter in law Judith at this time.

Irish Hockey Association media release