News for 05 June 2018
All the news for Tuesday 5 June 2018
XI South American Games Cochabamba 2018 (M) - Day 4
Cochabamba (BOL)
Results 4 June 2018
ARG v BRA (SF 1) 5 - 0
CHI v VEN (SF 2) 4 - 0
URU v PAR (Cross-over 1) 2 - 0
PER v BOL (Cross-over 2) 2 - 1
FIH Match Centre
Argentina and Chile will play Odesur’s final for the gold medal
Macarena Ilabaca / Patrick Espejo - PAHF
South American Games (2018mODESUR) Cochabamba 2018: Chile vs. Venezuela. Photo Oscar Munoz Badilla
Cochabamba. The final game of the South American Games will have a continental classic when this Wednesday Argentina and Chile will play and pursuit the gold medal of the men's hockey tournament Cochabamba 2018. Los Leones took over Brazil in the semifinals 5- 0 while the Los Diablos scored four against Venezuela.
The gold medal game will be played at 15:30 hours (+4 GMT), always in the auxiliary field of the Félix Capriles stadium, in Cochabamba.
LOS LEONES UNBEATEN
With five goals, two by penalty corners and three achieved by field plays, 'Los Leones' were the first team to qualify for the final of the South American Games.
In the 7th minute of the game, Juan Catan opened the score after he capitalized the first penalty corner that Argentina quickly got.
Despite the difference left by the scoreboard, Brazil pressed throughout the, achieving an intense game that would see his second goal at minute 30’ by Ian Rothbart, who also capitalized a penalty corner.
As for the last three goals, they were made in the third and the last quarter of the game, achieved through collective team work that Martin Ferreiro, Agustín Bugallo and Marc Ganly took advantage of and scored.
CHILE’S GREAT WORK
In the second match, Chile worked intensely, but he was calm enough to make Venezuela run a lot and know how to find the moments of area penetration in order to convert the goals that led them into the final. Juan Ignacio Amoroso, 'Juani', took advantage of a loose ball and opened the score.
Venezuela did a great job, and although they had a couple of chances they could not make it. The scoreboard did not move until the third quarter when Jaime Zarhi broke the Venezuelan goalkeeper and capitalized the penalty corner .
Venezuela, try to attack and this caused more spaces for the Diablos . Felipe Renz and Sven Richter took advantage of the situation and sealed the game for Chile.
URUGUAY AND PERU WILL PLAY FOR THE FIFTH PLACE
The teams of Uruguay and Peru will play on Wednesday the game that will define the fifth and sixth place of the South American Games. Uruguay won 2-0 against Paraguay and Peru won 2-1 against Bolivia.
Agustín Rivero (14 ') and Federico Iglesias (45') scored for Uruguay.
Sebastian Dennison scored 2 gols for Peru while Juan Yevara scored the first international goal for Bolivia.
Next Games: Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. Paraguay and Bolivia ( 7th & 8th place)
10:30 Peru and Uruguay (5th & 6th place). The hockey in Cochabamba 2018 will continue tomorrow with women’s semifinals: 10:30 Peru vs. Paraguay; 13:00 Argentina vs. Chile; and at 15:30 Uruguay vs. Brazil.
Pan American Hockey Federation media release
Previewing the Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup
By Sarah Juggins, freelance hockey writer and author of The History Makers
Kat Sharkey in full flight for USWNT
Welcome to London as England’s capital city prepares for the opening day of the most prestigious field hockey event in the world.
It is Women’s World Cup time and London’s home of hockey, the Queen Elizabeth Hockey Centre, has been brushing the turf, painting the lines and hanging out the flags to welcome the best 16 women’s teams in the world.
The World Cup is one of two blue ribbon events in field hockey, the other is the Olympic Games. Like the Olympic Games, the World Cup is contested every four years, mid-way through the Olympic cycle. This year’s edition will be the fourteenth edition of the event and, with 16 teams, it is the largest field of competitors since 2002 – the previous three editions have featured 12 teams. Over the entire history of the competition, the number of competing teams has varied between 10 and 16, but for the majority of events, 12 was the common number. This year’s extended field of competitors means there will be more lower-ranked teams, all looking to cause an upset and defy their International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hero World Rankings.
By far the most successful nation at the World Cup are the current title holders and world number one side, The Netherlands. The Dutch team has won the trophy on no fewer than seven occasions, including in front of a huge 15,000 strong home crowd at The Hague in 2014.
The other three teams to have raised the trophy are: Argentina (2002 and 2010), Australia (1994 and 1998) and Germany (1976 and 1981). The sole medal won by the USA was a bronze medal in 1994.
The competition is bound to be fierce in 2018. A number of teams will feel they have a lot to prove after a less than successful Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Chief among these will be No. 3 Argentina, whose seventh place finish in Rio was well below what this fanatical hockey nation would have expected. Captain of Las Leonas, Delfina Merino, is confident that her young side will peak at exactly the right moment in London. “We have been rebuilding since Rio,” said Menno in a recent interview. “And the young players, who have experienced success at the Junior World Cup, are now reaching maturity in the senior side.”
Another team that will be looking to re-establish themselves as hockey champions are the double World Cup winners Australia. In recent years the Hockeyroos have slipped down the world rankings – they are currently fifth in the world – and they know they have underperformed at both Hockey World League level and at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, where they finished sixth. Australia won silver at the 2014 World Cup but the team has changed dramatically since then and the intervening years have seen a rebuilding process. 2018 is a big year for the new look Hockeyroos. First they contest the Commonwealth Games at home, where they are defending champions and then they will switch their focus to the World Cup.
One person who knows what it takes to win in the green and gold of Australia is The Netherlands’ coach Alyson Annan. The former FIH Player of the Year was part of the World Cup winning squads in 1994 and 1998. Now she will be hoping to add to her medal haul with a gold as coach of The Netherlands. Her squad will arrive in London as favorites for the title. Since they won silver in Rio, The Netherlands have been on a winning streak. They won the FIH Hockey World League Final in Auckland, New Zealand, and have now gone 23 games without a loss. The team has a lot of new faces but stability is added by the presence of Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Margot van Geffen and Lidewij Welten. Talking about their chances of winning gold again, van Geffen said, “If we didn’t think we could win, we might as well stop playing now.”
The last team to beat The Netherlands was Great Britain, who defeated them for gold medal in Rio. Playing in the World Cup as England, many of the Olympic gold medalists are still competing and will be hungry for success in front of the home crowd. England had a torrid time at the 2014 World Cup, as they began the competition as one of the teams expected to win a medal and ended up in 11th. There will be psychological issues related to that experience for some of this team to overcome but with Head Coach Danny Kerry and his coaching staff, they have one of the most experienced backroom staff in the game.
Four teams will be in London representing Asia, with NO. 8 China, No. 9 Korea, No. 10 India and No. 12 Japan all qualifying through Hockey World League events. India also sealed their qualification by winning the Asia Cup. Whether any of these teams has what it takes to win gold is debatable. But in China and Korea there is an obdurate defensive spirit that means they are desperately hard teams to break down. China in particular has made a strong defense and a quick counter-attack their specialty. On their day, China could hold a stronger opposition and then get a quick break to snatch unexpected victory. Korea have recently upped their game and their reward for a more attacking style of play was a bronze medal at the FIH Hockey World League Final, where they beat England.
No. 11 Spain, No. 13 Belgium, No. 14 South Africa, No. 16 Ireland and No. 17 Italy are all teams whose medal prospects are remote but who are capable of giving the higher ranked teams a shock. All five have played and defeated teams above them in the world rankings in order to qualify, showing the immense spirit among these teams. But, as Spain’s Head Coach coach Adrian Lock said when talking about his team’s prospects, for any of these teams to progress to the medal matches, they will need to show greater levels of consistency throughout the course of the tournament. Flashes of brilliance and one-off games will work in quarterfinal, knockout matches but for a tournament such as the World Cup, sustained high levels of performance are needed for the duration.
Two teams who will have high hopes of winning a medal are No. 4 New Zealand and No. 6 Germany. The Black Sticks have come tantalizingly close to medals in the past few years, losing in semifinal matches at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games. They came in fifth at the 2014 World Cup but are a far more experienced team now. They won silver at the 2017 FIH Hockey World League Final in Auckland and came within a whisker of inflicting defeat on The Netherlands at the Hockey World League Semifinal in Brussels in June 2017. The Black Sticks will definitely think that 2018 could be their year for a major medal.
Germany was recently crowned Indoor Hockey World Champions and captain Janne Muller-Wieland is already eyeing a potential World Cup ‘double’. Many of the squad who won Indoor Hockey gold in Berlin will also be on the roster for the outdoor World Cup and confidence levels in the camp are high. It has been a long time since the German women won a major medal in the outdoor game but recent performances have seen them on the podium as bronze medalists in Rio and silver medalists at the Hockey World League Semifinals in Johannesburg. “We keep going until the final whistle,” said Muller-Wieland, “We learn and grow with each game during a tournament and often that means peaking at the right time.”
The final team in our World Cup analysis is the USA. The team shook the world of hockey at the 2014 World Cup as they came in as definite underdogs and left with a fourth place finish. Their opening game destroyed the hopes of England and from then on Team USA just kept producing results. In the pool games, they drew with continental rivals Argentina before thrashing higher-ranked Germany, China and South Africa. The USA dream finally came to an end in the semifinals when they lost in a shootout to Australia. 
The 2014 World Cup signaled the start of an upward trajectory for USA. Now, at every major event, the team in red, white and blue are feared for their unrelenting work rate and refusal to ever hold up their hands in defeat. This culminated with a gold medal at the 2017 FIH Hockey World League Semifinal in Johannesburg.
Can USA go one better than 2014 and win a medal? With the leadership and inspiration provided by FIH Player of the Year nominee Melissa Gonzalez, this is a team with direction and drive. Head Coach Janneke Schopman is a World Cup winner with the Netherlands and she is name-checked by a number of top players, including Delfina Merino and Margot van Geffen, as a hugely talented coach. If things go their way and they get early momentum, no-one will be writing off USA’s chances of winning a medal.
The competition gets underway on July 21, with the opening day seeing eight teams in action. First, Germany take on South Africa, then it is the home nation England against India; this match is followed by a humdinger between the USA and Ireland before Australia faces Japan.
USFHA media release
Hockey Series Open begins tomorrow
The first Hockey Series Open starts this week with two exciting five-team events taking place in Salamanca, Mexico between 5-10 June.
The Mexican events comprise nations from the Pan American continent and will provide a colourful and entertaining curtain-raiser for the new global competition.
The 10 teams taking part are Canada (women), Costa Rica (men), Guatemala (women), Mexico (men and women), Panama (men and women), Puerto Rico (men and women) and USA (men).
There's a lot at stake in Mexico as 15 nations from the Hockey Series Open events will qualify for next year's Hockey Series Finals. Vital FIH Hero World Ranking points will also be on offer which could prove vital in respect of qualification for future events.
A tense men's match between Puerto Rico and Panama will get things started at 10:30 (local time) on 5 June, while the first match in the women’s competition involves the same two teams at 14:30.
Early favourites in the women’s competition are Canada. The top ranked team, standing at 21 in the FIH Hero World Rankings, have made significant progress under experienced international coach Giles Bonnet. His influence appears be showing results with some impressive performances at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games where they came up against some of the world's top nations.
Mexico women (WR: 29) are the team likely to push Canada for top spot, particularly given their home advantage. Captain Marlet Correa is an experienced campaigner, as is Michel Navarro and Jesus Castillo in goal. Mexico finished sixth in the 2017 Pan American Cup, but will have gained much knowledge from encounters against Argentina, USA, Chile and Uruguay – all teams with much higher world rankings.
For Guatemala women (WR: 69), entry into the Hockey Series Open is another major step along the way for this rapidly developing hockey nation. Guatemala began to ramp up their hockey activity in 2012 and since then, they have entered their first Central American and Caribbean Games and also participated in the Hockey World League Round One in 2016-17. They are the lowest ranked team in the women’s competition but will be looking to gain invaluable experience on the international stage.
The men’s competition sees the USA leading the way with their FIH Hero World Ranking 26 while at the other end of the scale is Costa Rica who are yet to receive a World Ranking.
Mexico men are ranked 39th in the world and, like the Mexican women’s team, will enjoy home advantage. They finished seventh in the recent Pan American Cup, but there were signs of an emerging talents within the squad. Despite the disparity in rankings, expect Mexico to push the US team hard for top spot.
For many of these teams, the Hockey Series Open offers valuable experience of international competition. For some it also provides an opportunity to make their first step towards Tokyo 2020 qualification. By reaching the Hockey Series Finals, they will give themselves the chance to qualify for the Olympic Qualification Events in 2019.
This event will be streamed live on the FIH YouTube Channel. In addition, more information can be found on the official event website here while FIH will also begin posting on the new Hockey Series Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts once the first event begins.
For detailed information about the Hockey Series and Olympic Qualification, visit the Q&A page on the FIH website here.
#HockeySeries2018
FIH site
Pakistan legend recalls glory days of '94
Pakistan will be looking to follow in the footsteps of their legendary 1994 team Photo: Yan Huckendubler
Shahbaz Ahmad is a legendary Pakistan hockey player who starred in 11 editions of the Hockey Champions Trophy, captaining his country for six of those events, including Pakistan’s gold medal campaign in 1994.
BUY TICKETS HERE!
Ahmad is the current Secretary General of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and hockey journalist Ijaz Chaudhry caught up with him on behalf of FIH to hear the Pakistan Olympian’s memories of the hugely competitive event.
“The Champions Trophy holds very fond memories for me,” says Ahmad. “I had made my international debut in the bilateral series versus India in February 1986 but my first big event was the Champions Trophy in April that year in Karachi.”
And the self-professed 'skinny 19-year-old' made an immediate impression as he played defence-carving passes and generally caused mayhem within the opposition’s ranks with his mesmerising skills.
At that first event, the then president of Pakistan, General Ziaul Haq was in the crowd. He was overheard telling Air Marshal Waqar Azeem, the President of the PHF, to award the youngster a gold medal and a buffalo, so he could drink plenty of milk and fill out a little.
Their 1994 Champions Trophy victory was the catalyst towards their World Cup triumph later that year in which captain Shabaz played an influential role as they beat Netherlands in the final. All six nations competing in this year's Champions Trophy will be hoping to follow in their footsteps as they build momentum towards the Odisha Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 which begins in November.
Watch Pakistan's 1994 World Cup final victory against Netherlands on FIH YouTube
Pakistan’s ties with the Champions Trophy are deeply ingrained. The event was introduced by Air Marshal Nur Khan, a former president of the PHF; the trophy was donated by the PHF; and Pakistan have hosted the event 11 times during its history. The Green Shirts also won the first two editions.
"The Hockey Pro League has all the potential to be the game changer for hockey. But hopefully, the last edition of the Champions Trophy will be a memorable one"
Shabaz Ahmen, Former Pakistan Captain and current Secretary General
Although Ahmad enjoyed a long career with his national side, representing Pakistan from 1986 to 2002, one year stands out above the rest. “The year 1994 holds special importance in Pakistan hockey’s history. We had not been able to win a big title since 1984 (Pakistan won gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games).
“For the 1994 Champions Trophy in Lahore, preparations were made in earnest. For the first time Pakistan hired a foreign coach, Holland’s Hans Jorritsma. Video analysis was employed. It paid off as we won the 16th Champions Trophy. Our people expected more. The momentum was carried on and Pakistan, under my captaincy, went on to lift the World Cup later that year.”
Ahmad has broken a few records along the way to securing a place in Champions Trophy history. He has made more appearances at the Champions Trophy than any other Pakistan player. He captained the side to six Champions Trophies and picked up two silvers and three bronze medals to accompany the 1994 gold medal. The left-sided midfielder was also voted Player of the Tournament twice - the only Pakistan player to achieve that honour.
But as Secretary General of the PHF, Ahmad is pragmatic enough to see that the Champions Trophy has come to its natural end.
“Things move in every sphere of the life. The annual event became biennial in 2012, to accommodate the Hockey World League. Now, with the advent of the high profile annual Hockey Pro League starting next year, there will be no window for the Champions Trophy. The Champions Trophy and Hockey World League has evolved into the HPL. The HPL has all the potential to be the game changer for hockey. But hopefully, the last edition of the Champions Trophy will be a memorable one.”
As befits the nation where it all began, Pakistan will open the final edition of the Rabobank Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy, Breda against long-term continental rivals India.
For a full schedule and all the tournament details click here.
FIH site
Can Ireland hockey go the New Zealand way?
By The Hockey Paper
Craig Fulton has joined Belgium men as assistant coach (PIC: Hockey Ireland)
On the day that Hockey Ireland announced that Craig Fulton was to step down as head coach of the men’s team last Thursday, a keynote address was taking place at Trinity College, Dublin.
Peter Miskimmin, a two-time hockey Olympian and chief executive of Sport New Zealand, delivered the address at a conference entitled, ‘The New Zealand Way. Grassroots to Greats. What Can Ireland Learn?’
The premise behind the event, according to the blurb, was several fold with the similarities between the two island nations: almost identical populations and climate, sports mad, huge pride in both nations’ sporting achievements, a major commitment to both participation and inclusivity.
Since the Sydney 2000 Olympics, New Zealand has accrued 50 medals – from five in 2004 to 19 at the Rio Games – in both the summer and winter Olympics. Ireland, meanwhile, have only won 12 medals in that time.
Yet, according to Miskimmin, the tide is turning Ireland’s way, having seemingly refused to accept failure against the bigger, well-remunerated countries and highlighted, for example, by the rugby side’s Six Nations campaigns in recent seasons.
“We were always up against Australia, you were up against England, and I think being seen as the smaller island got in the way of competing,” Miskimmin told The Times newspaper last week,
“Success breeds success and expectations keep rising in light of that. We looked Australia in the eye and said, ‘We are here to compete’, and I think that attitude gives everyone confidence. There is no better way to fuel success than with confidence and pride in the ability to stand your ground.”
New Zealand’s success – highlighted by the women’s hockey gold at the Commonwealth Games – has stemmed from a change in funding criteria 11 years ago, which stated that podium access would usher in a long-term funding commitment.
It received short shrift on its introduction but the results are laid bare: New Zealand’s Rio haul of 19 was a record return.
South African Fulton, who joined in 2014, had led an Ireland side to those Rio Games for the first time in 68 years, followed by a EuroHockey Championship medal the following year and a qualification ticket to the 2018 World Cup in India.
After such a steep curve of success – coupled with the sudden departure to Belgium, where he will take up the post of assistant coach – Ireland now have it all to do six months out from the World Cup.
Ireland have achieved accolades against a backdrop of limited funding and subsequent fundraisers, led by Fulton, just to play international tournaments. In the previous cycle, they fell short of the London 2012 Olympics by a matter of seconds in losing to Korea via a deflected strike.
Little wonder, then, that goalkeeper David Harte told the Irish Examiner that Fulton “essentially unleashed the potential in the group and did so in a belief-driven and calculated manner.”
The Green Machine – the world No 10 side – will now have to work together under a new coach when Fulton leaves this month, with the island ideals laid out by Miskimmin tested to the hilt this December.
But as Fulton said in his departing statement, there is clearly the will and drive.
“Great teams are made up of great individuals,” he said, “and I am very proud to say that this has been the case with the players that I have been fortunate enough to coach.”
The Hockey Paper
Polo win 14th national title as Junior FC land their maiden EHL ticket
©: Jm Llorens
Real Club de Polo claimed their 14th Spanish national title while Junior FC – despite losing in the national final – will join them in next year’s Euro Hockey League following their super run this season.
In the decider, Polo eventually won 3-1 in a shoot-out over Junior after normal time had ended 2-2 in a hotly contested battle in Barcelona.
On Saturday, Max Plennevaux’s single goal put Polo into the final with a 1-0 win over Atletic Terrassa, meaning the winner of the second semi-final between Junior and Club de Campo would take an EHL place.
There, Oriol Salvador scored a 70th minute goal to win the tie 3-2, completing a remarkable comeback. Campo had led 2-0 with 11 minutes to go but goals from Javier Garcia and Nil Escude saw Junior draw level before the last minute winner.
It means the Sant Cugat side will become just the fifth Spanish club to take part in the EHL when they line out next season.
As for Sunday’s final, Borja Llorens put Polo in front in the 23rd minute from a corner but Nil Mari levelled a minute later.
Plennevaux put Polo in front once more before half-time and the game remained that way for a long spell before Junior eventually got their equaliser in the 69th minute.
But an historic title was to prove elusive as Mario Fernandez in the Polo goal conceded just once while his side scored three of their efforts to win the crown.
It completed a super season for Polo who won the regular season title as well along with the Catalonian Cup. Club Egara will also go to the EHL following their Copa del Rey victory with Junior completing the Spanish trio of entrants.
Euro Hockey League media release
Fuerste brings curtain down on UHC club career
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
EHL and German legend Moritz Fuerste played his final club game for UHC Hamburg on Sunday in a 4-3 loss against Harvestehuder THC in the German league.
It brought to a close an incredible career in which he won three Euro Hockey League titles with UHC in addition to Olympic and Indoor and Outdoor World Cup gold medals with the national team.
The league loss, which ended with Fuerste shown a yellow card 15 seconds before the end, was not quite the fairytale end but he can look back on a season in which UHC won their first national title with the national indoor success earlier this year.
So often, he was the figurehead and talisman for these teams and was named in the EHF Hall of Fame in 2017 following his retirement from international hockey.
Club hockey was always an important part of his life, starting at UHC at the age of four as part of a lifeline connection as he detailed in an EHF interview.
“My Dad took me to the hockey field long before; when I was one, I was watching with my mum and running around on the training ground. I was always part of the UHC family and thought of it as my second home, sometimes even my first!”
VHS footage of his youth at the club still exists of those early years when his love for the club – and the sport – were forged.
He spent one season outside of the club, joining Club de Campo in Madrid to learn Spanish in 2010/11. “I remember our first little games [at UHC]. We were really unsuccessful which we still laugh about! My club, UHC, always kept going and is always a big part of my heart. They were always there for me and I am happy to have given something back.”
With them, he has won three Euro Hockey League crowns, including the inaugural edition of the premier club competition in 2007/08.
“I would never compare titles or prizes because they all have their own history but the EHL is something I won with the people I grew up with, the group of my best friends, most of whom I see every day even when they stop playing.
“In 2008, it was amazing to reach something like that with my club where we have yet to win the German championship; it was very emotional and a very important step in my career!”
More than the titles, though, it was Fuerste’s sparkling personality that made him an icon of the sport. His spirit and passion shone through in every game, playing his part in so many big fightbacks, while his gleaming smile and sense of fun showed his passion.
He will be missed on the pitch but, in a Facebook post about his retirement, said that it may not be too long before we see him again.
“It's hard for me to play in the UHC jersey for the last time but it's the right time. I'd like to thank my family again. You made it possible for me to go this way.
“And if Emma and Lotta have half as much fun in hockey as I did, we'll all see each other in a few years. As for the next stage, I am looking forward to it!”
Euro Hockey League media release
Dutch hockey urges clubs to stop junior competitions below under-12 level
By The Hockey Paper
Dutch hockey’s governing body wants clubs to stop selection training and competitive hockey for children below under-12 level.
The Royal Dutch Hockey Association (KNHB) believes that the small timeframe to prove themselves leads to stress.
“In 90 minutes they have to show what they can, which creates a lot of pressure for these children”, Karien Meuleman told a youth show on NOS, the Dutch broadcaster.
“Sports must be fun, especially at a young age. We just want children at that age to have fun and play with friends and girlfriends, but they should not be concerned about who the best hockey player is.”
Selection sessions at Dutch clubs determine which team boys and girls compete in ahead of each season.
One young player at Hilversum HC said that there was undue stress as the club sent out its selection results to members.
She said: “Every day at 9am I sat at the computer to see if the result was there, and when it was there, I did not dare to open it, so I did not open it until 12 o’clock, and then I was very glad I was in it.”
KNHB’s initiative has been backed by the University of Amsterdam following research.
However, the proposals did not find universal approval.
Johnny van Bochove, posting on Twitter, wrote: “…Or do #KNHB not know exactly how to complete these training and competitions in a proper way?
“There is nothing wrong with a dose of healthy tension for an achievement for children between 8 and 12 years old, even above that the tension has to remain healthy to be able to perform.”
Another hockey fan said: “Parents bring that stress and meddling over that performance urge to their children. I am sick of it.”
Speaking on selection criteria for youths, Gerald Weltevreden, of the sport psychology unit at the University of Amsterdam, told NOS: “If you say ‘this is really a very important moment. Today is a selection training and next year depends on it’, then children soon think ‘now nothing can go wrong. And then it often goes wrong.'”
The Hockey Paper
1Mas programme runs out of money
By Jugjet Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: The 1Mas Hockey Development programme, that has produced players for the men and women’s national teams, will be discontinued.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal said funds for the programme has dried out.
The 1Mas programme was started by the MHC in 2010 with an aim to widen the base of quality young players in the country.
While it did not work out in some states, the others are still actively involved with the grassroots initiative.
"The funding for 1Mas has dried out and we will stop the programme,” said Subahan.
“However, 1Mas development director Tai Beng Hai has been entrusted to come up with a new module on how to continue development at state level, under a new name, of course," said Subahan.
The programme, which focuses on the 13 and under group, produced several players who went on to represent the country.
"The 1Mas did help strengthen the base and also provided quality players for the national team but we have to discontinue it,” he said.
Beng Hai has been given a month to come up with a new plan and present it to MHC.
The decision to stop the programme could affect development in states.
At the recent National Under-16 Championships, 1Mas boys chief coach S. Velappan noted that players are of better quality in the tournament thanks to the development initiative.
“Some boys, who were under 1Mas, had very good basics and were skillful compared to the previous editions,” said Velappan.
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Long Time Coach Cathy Keiser Calls it a Career After 34 Seasons
Scott Dudinskie
Cathy Keiser said Wednesday she lives “to do the best I can at everything I do.”
However, she came to the realization during the recent junior high field hockey season that could no longer be the case for coaching the sport she loves and caring for the man she loves.
Keiser made the difficult decision to step away from the Selinsgrove program she led to 619 wins and 25 district championships over the last 34 varsity seasons. Her husband of 33 years, Ben, suffered a serious stoke last summer and his recovery “that we’re continuing to believe could happen,” Keiser said, “is not happening in the timing we were hoping for.
Keiser was buoyed during the 2017 season by her assistant coaches, team parents and other volunteers who eased the burden of her coaching the Seals to a 20-2 record and the No. 13 national ranking while Ben was hospitalized in the Philadelphia area. Ben was released in October and has since been cared for at home.
“I thought I could make it work so I tried junior high and gave it my best shot, but it was far too stressful,” said Keiser. “At the end of the day I was exhausted and not able to give 100 percent to the junior high team and to my husband. I live to do the best I can at everything I do, but it’s family first and when I wasn’t home for him I realized it was time.
“Honestly, I wanted to (coach) a few more years but really (the decision to retire) wasn’t that far off.”
Keiser became the 12th high school field hockey coach in U.S. history to achieve 600 wins on Sept. 7. She amassed a career record of 619-109-29 with 25 district crowns, including the last 13 in a row.
“She’s impacted everyone’s lives on the team and in school,” said Danielle Alba, the lone senior starter on last season’s team. “She was big on family and made everyone feel like she was part of her family. She was also a great coach at helping everyone develop their skills on the field.”
Keli Smith-Puzo, a three-time All-American at Maryland and two-time U.S. Olympian (2008, 2012), was recently inducted to the USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame. The 1997 Selinsgrove graduate tweeted Wednesday, “I am forever indebted to Coach Keiser! She is truly one of the most compassionate, sincere and honest individuals in the game. We all love you, Cath and thanks for 35 years of greatness.”
Keiser said she broke the news to the team Tuesday, and that “it was difficult but the girls are just wonderful and so understanding. There were many tears ... but I know they will be in good hands.”
Keiser heaped praise on her assistant coaches over the years — the most recent group included Roz Erb (19 years), Missy Bingaman (nine), Donna Prince (who coached Keiser at Selinsgrove), Lauri Burns and Kara Rothermel, who volunteered on the staff — team parents, school administrators and supporters of the program. She gushed about the scores of girls who came through the program, “worked hard and loved it and had so much fun together.”
“When I was teaching and had some rough days, I would go to practice with those girls and be in heaven,” she said.
And Keiser said she was blessed to have the support of a husband who “was there with me from Day One,” doing whatever was needed so she could continue to coach while raising sons Ryan and Justin. “His support has been amazing.”
“It was such a joy and a pleasure to coach at Selinsgrove,” she said. “I’m very satisfied with what our community and our little hockey family has accomplished.”
Content courtesy of Scott Dudinskie, The Daily Item
USFHA media release
Disney and USA Field Hockey Join Forces for Signature Event at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for Next Three Years
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., and COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Disney Field Hockey Showcase at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will be sanctioned by USA Field Hockey next year as part of a three-year extension announced today.
With the extension, the Disney Field Hockey Showcase will take place at the sports complex at Walt Disney World Resort through 2021, but the tournament will move to an earlier time of the year in order to meet the growing demand from club field hockey teams to compete at Disney. The 2019 event will move to February 1-3; the 2020 tournament will run January 31 through February 2; and the 2021 event will be played January 29-31.
This year’s Disney Field Hockey Showcase took place in January and featured more than 120 teams. By moving the event to February in 2019, when the sports complex can make even more fields available for the competition, nearly 150 teams are expected to participate.
The expected increase in participating teams is part of the continued growth and expansion of the event, which began 12 years ago with 56 teams. The event attracted nearly 1,900 athletes this year and more than 2,200 athletes from around the country are planning to come to the 2019 tournament.
“The move to dates a bit later in the calendar is what coaches have been hoping for, so we are delighted that together with our great partners at Disney Sports, we have been able to shift the event to meet the needs of the field hockey community,” said Simon Hoskins, USA Field Hockey’s Executive Director. “Playing a major field hockey tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is truly a unique and memorable experience.”
The Disney Field Hockey Showcase, which attracts many of the top youth players in the nation, along with approximately 100 of the top collegiate coaches and recruiters, is one of several elite youth sports events at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the premier site for amateur sports in the nation. The complex hosts more than 100 entertainment and sporting events each year and has accommodated 70 different sports featuring athletes from 70 different countries since opening its doors in 1997. ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex is the host site for the AAU National Championships in basketball, volleyball and track and field, Pop Warner Super Bowl, Disney Soccer Showcase, Summit All-Star Championship and, coming in August 2018, the Jr. NBA World Championships.
Registration for the 2019 Disney Field Hockey Showcase will open on Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. ET. All team registrations will be conducted online or by phone through Disney Sports. A link will be provided to the official event website at a later date, but should teams have questions on the registration process, they should contact Disney Field Hockey at (407) 938-3806.
USFHA media release
The day Zimbabwe won Moscow Olympic gold
The Olympic Games has produced many great hockey stories over the years. Perhaps the best came 28 years ago at the Moscow Games, when teams were depleted and the IOC frantically scratched around following the western boycott in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas Day 1979.
These were Zimbabwe hockey’s Games, with memories stirred following the passing of Liz Chase last month.
Chase had formed a team which had just over a month to prepare for the Games after five teams had pulled out.
The Times obituary of Chase set the scene. “In what was surely one of the most bizarre starts to an Olympic campaign, the Zimbabwe women’s hockey team set off from Harare for the 1980 Moscow Games in an aircraft used to transport meat. They had to cope with the overpowering stench, strapped in like paratroopers down either side, their luggage piled up in the middle.”
Robert Mugabe had been in charge of Zimbabwe, now an independent country, for only three months when the IOC came calling. On their return, Mrs Mugabe promised each member of the ‘Golden Girls’ an ox as they finished atop the podium during a whirlwind two weeks in Moscow.
The team had never seen an artificial pitch before and initially didn’t have the right shoes. Soon they were invited to the Kremlin as officials and athletes alike clamoured to know their story and be seen pictured with them.
Their gold was secured with a victory over Austria. As Chase told The Times: “Zimbabwe didn’t even have its own national anthem,” she said. “They played the Olympic anthem, that’s all. But there was the Zimbabwe flag and we were all so proud.”
They never did receive an ox when they returned to public adulation. Sally Mugabe gave them a packet of meat each which Chase and the team found ‘hilarious’.
Chase became a lecturer in PE and a sports administrator thereafter. Her legacy, according to The Times, is a synthetic pitch at Wits, opened three years ago to the tune of £750,000, a figure she was instrumental in finding funds for.
The Hockey Paper
Liquor to be served for select guests in 2018 Hockey World Cup
NEW DELHI: Liquor would be served at the Kalinga Stadium for select guests during this year's Hockey World Cup, to be held in Bhubaneswar from November 28 to December 16, a move that raised a few eyebrows.
Vishal Dev, the commissioner-cum-secretary of the Government of Odisha, which is hosting the prestigious event, had written a letter dated June 3 to the Commissioner of Excise, Odisha for issuance of license to serve liquor at the stadium during the tournament.
The copy of the letter, which is in possession of PTI, states: "Liquor/Beer will be served in the VIP Lounge for the officials/delegates of International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Hockey Federations of the participating nations at Kalinga Stadium. It is requested that Liquor license may be issued in favour of Department of Sports and YS from November 27 till December 16 over the premises at the Kalinga Stadium."
When contacted, Dev told PTI that serving liquor in big international events is not a new phenomenon. He also clarified that only beers and wines will be served to FIH delegates and national federation delegates at a highly restricted area.
"It is not something which is out of the blue for a big sporting event. In every World Cup of every sport liquor is served at a designated area. In every hockey World Cup also liquor is served for select people at a certain area but it is not hard liquor," Dev said.
"Being the hosts the state government has just applied for the license. It is being sponsored by host federation, Hockey India's beverage partner. The state government is not incurring any expense at this," he added.
International Hockey Federation president Narinder Batra, too, agreed with Dev and said the matter shouldn't be blown out of proportion, citing international sporting events where wine and beer is served for select guests at a designated area.
"I don't have any knowledge about it but this trend is not something new. In every big event, like cricket World Cup or IPL wine and beer are served for select dignitaries and a designated area as per the Excise rules," he told PTI.
"We shouldn't make it such a big matter."
The Times of India
Emerging hockey star Matthew Bird pleads guilty to drug dealing
Elle Farcic
Hockey player Matthew Bird.Picture: Mogens Johansen
EMERGING Australian hockey player Matthew Bird has pleaded guilty to three counts of selling prohibited drugs.
The 21-year-old, who made his Kookaburras debut this year, pleaded guilty to the charges in Fremantle Magistrate’s Court this morning.
He did not enter a plea to a charge of possessing a knuckle duster.
Bird, of Coolbellup, was caught selling drugs in Perth on February 18 and in Bateman on March 30 and May 3.
He resigned from the men’s national hockey team after his arrest.
In December, Bird said he was overwhelmed by the news he would be getting a place in the 2018 Kookaburras squad in such a big year for hockey.
He missed the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast but was in the mix for a spot in Australia’s World Cup campaign before his resignation.
Bird’s bail was renewed ahead of his next appearance in the District Court in August.
Perth Now