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All the news for Tuesday 21 August 2018

2018 Asian Games - Day 2
Jakarta (INA)

Men's Results Monday 20th August

Pool A     KOR - HKG     11 - 0
Pool B     PAK - THA     10 - 0
Pool A     JPN - SRI     11 - 0
Pool B     BAN - OMA     2 - 1
Pool B      MAS - KAZ     16 - 2
Pool A     IND - INA     17 - 0

Pool StandingsPool A

	Played	Won	Draw	Lost	GD	Points
India	1	1	0	0	17	3
Japan	1	1	0	0	11	3
Korea	1	1	0	0	11	3
Hong Kong China	1	0	0	1	0	0
Sri Lanka	1	0	0	1	0	0
Indonesia	1	0	0	1	0	0

Pool B

	Played	Won	Draw	Lost	GD	Points
Malaysia	1	1	0	0	16	3
Pakistan	1	1	0	0	10	3
Bangladesh	1	1	0	0	2	3
Oman	1	0	0	1	1	0
Thailand	1	0	0	1	0	0
Kazakhstan	1	0	0	1	2	0

Asian Hockey Federation site

18th Asian Games Jakarta Palembang 2018 - Day 2 Review



12 Teams faced-off in a 70 goal inaugural thriller at the first day of the Men's Event at the 18th Asian Games Jakarta Palembang 2018. India, Korea, and Japan won with double-digits in Pool A while Pakistan scored 10 and Malaysia scored 16, while Bangladesh clenched victory Pool B.

Match 01 - South Korea 11 - 0 Hong Kong China

South Korea put in a spectacular performance as they beat Hong Kong China 11-0 in the opening men’s hockey event in the Asian Games.

The Group A match at the GBK Hockey Stadium was a one-sided affair with the Koreans in full control of the match.

South Korean coach Kim Young-kyu said that the aim was to get used to the pitch conditions ahead of the bigger games. “It was a good match for us. We played well, and the players moved the ball with purpose. We had 13 penalty corners, but the scoring rate was not that good.

Our usual flicker Jang Jong-hyun was not in good form. But I am sure he will improve with the next game,” he said.

Jong-hyun still managed to score four goals in the match, He converted a penalty stroke in the 11th minute and followed it up with three penalty corner goals in the 20th, 31st and 52nd minutes.

It was Jeong Jung-woo who started the scoring in the second minute with a field goal. He was also on target in the 24th and 32nd to seal a hattrick in the game. The other goal scorers were Seo In-woo (18th), Kim Seong-kyu (37), yang Ji-hyun (55) amd Kim Jung-hoo (59th minute).

The world 14th ranked Koreans will play Sri Lanka in their next match and Kim reckons that will be just another practice match for them.

“Yes, it will be easier against Sri Lanka. But we must be more clinical. There is no point making chances and not scoring. We need to improve overall with our finishing both on field and penalty corners,” said Kim Young-kyu.

The 38th ranked Sri Lanka will certainly have a tough time keeping the score down against the inform South Koreans.





Match 02 - PAK 10 - 0 THA

Former champions Pakistan began their men hockey campaign on a winning note as they thumped Thailand 10-0 in their opening Group B match at the GBK Hockey Stadium.

It turned out to be a routine win for the Pakistanis as they look towards rediscovering their form in the bid to win the gold medal.

Pakistan skipper Mohamed Rizwan said that it was a good workout for the team as they managed to get both field and penalty corner goals. “It was not a tough match, but our focus was on keeping the structure and keeping the mistakes down”. “We treat every match seriously and hope that the teams will give a good fight. But not good enough for the win,” he said in jest.

This the third tournament that the Pakistanis are playing under Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans. The first was the Commonwealth Games in Australia and then the second the Champions Trophy in Holland.

Rizwan said that the team has improved under the Dutch coach and hope to see better results here in Jakarta

“We will be better, and I hope we can go all the way to the final. That’s the target but we need to make the semis first. After that we will have to see how it goes,” he added.

After struggling for much of the first quarter the Pakistanis finally broke the duck with a penalty corner goal scored by Mohamed Toseeq in the 13th minute.

Mohamed Irfan put them further ahead with a penalty corner goal in the 20th minute and Mohamed Atif was on target with a field goal one minute later. Pakistan ended the first half with another penalty corner goal in the 30th minute through Mohamed Irfan for a 4-0 lead.

After the breather, the Pakistanis took just one minute to start scoring again. This time Mubashaar Ali was on target in the 31st minute from the penalty corner attempt.

Atif, playing only in his second tournament for Pakistan, scored his second goal in the 38th minute and followed it up with his hat-trick in the 46th minute. His earlier tournament was the Asia Cup in Dhaka last year.

Mohamed Abu Bakar scored a brace in the 41st and 47th minutes while Toseeq ended the game with his second goal in the 48th minute.

Pakistan’s next match on Wednesday is against Oman which is coached by former Pakistan international Tahir Zaman.




Match 03 - JPN 11 - 0 SRI

On a day of high scoring matches, Japan joined the fray with an 11-0 victory over Sri Lanka in Group A at the GBK Hockey Stadium.

The Japanese, unlike other teams, do not need to win the gold medal to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

But coach Siegfried Aikman said it was important for the team to prove their worth and at least make the semi-finals. “How we finish is important and our target is to make the semis. We want to prove that we are deserving of a place in the Olympics. So, taking on the elite teams here at the Asian Games means a lot to us”. He added, “The match today seemed easy, but Sri Lanka did make it hard for us. It is good we scored 11 goals and I am also pleased that we had seven goal scorers in the game. I do not see any easy game here and we have to keep on fighting and ensure that we have our structure in place and play a consistent game.

Contrary to the Japanese coach said, it was a rather easy contest for the world 16th ranked team. The Japanese had the run of play throughout the match and scored with rather easy in all quarters.

Kento Tanaka and Kazuma Murata scored a hat-trick in the match while there were another five other goals scorers. Kenta scored his hat-trick in the match with goals in the eighth, ninth and 18th minutes. It was Hirotaka Zendana who started the rout in the first minute. Once they scored the first goal it was downhill all the way for the Japanese as they run rings around the Sri Lanka defense. Then in quick succession Manabu Yamashita (10th), Koji Yamasaki (12th) and Genki Mitani (13th) scored to give the Japanese a healthy lead.

Koji scored his second goal in the 27th minute followed by Kazuma Murata with a brace in the 31and 33rd minutes. The onslaught continued with Yoshiki Kirishita adding the 10th goal in the 51st minute off another penalty corner. Murata completed his hat-trick in the 53rd minute.

Japan play Indonesia in their next match on Wednesday.




Match 04 - BAN 2 - 1 OMA

Bangladesh edged Oman 2-1 in a closely contested Group B match at the GBK Hockey Stadium in Jakarta.

It was a crucial match for both teams as they have heavyweights Malaysia and Pakistan in their group as well. A win for either side would give them a boost to fight for a place in the semis, while a defeat would have ruled them out early.

“It was a good win and we made use of our chances and that was what counts in tight games,” said Bangladesh coach K. Gobinathan. “This win will give the team tremendous boost for our upcoming matches”.

Bangladesh forced two early penalty corners in the 4th and 6th minutes but failed to execute them well. Oman, after that let off, started stringing passes together and tested the Bangladesh defense a couple of times.

However, Bangladesh weathered the storm and opened the scoring with Mohammad Arshad Hussain getting the final touch in the 14th minute to give his team the lead in the first quarter.

Aammaar Juma Salim Al Shaaibi put Oman on level terms by converting their first penalty corner in the 23rd minute.

Undeterred Bangladesh hit back as they made full use of their fourth penalty corner with Mohd Ashraful Islam scorning in the 27th minute.to give Bangladesh a 2-1 lead at the end of the half.

Oman strode up the gear to force two penalty corners in the first part of the third quarter but both attempts were off target.

Bangladesh managed to stave off late Omani pressure to notch all three points.

“We did not play up to expectations and thus paid the price for poor defending,” said Oman coach Tahir Zaman




Match 05 - MAS 16 - 2 KAZ

Malaysia routed Kazakhstan 16-2 to launch their campaign for the gold medal of the men’s Hockey competition at the GBK Hockey Stadium.

The huge margin of victory, as well as the clinical finishing coupled with a good conversion rate of obesity corners, will surely be a boost to Coach Stephen van Huizen’s side. Although Kazakhstan were not formidable opponents, the fact that the Malaysians showed good individual skills as well as teamwork will surely make others sit up and take notice.

“It has been a long time since I scored so many goals in an international match,” said Malaysia’s five-goal hero Razie Rahim. “While we are Glad with the margin of the victory. We need to analyses the two goals we conceded and plug the defensive lapses.

It took Malaysia only a minute to open scoring via Faisal Sabri who converted a penalty corner. Faiz Helmi (6th minute), Razie Rahim (8th) and Nik Aiman Nik Rozemi (9th and 13th gave Malaysia a 5-0 lead. Kazakhstan pulled one back when Aman Yelubayev converted a penalty stroke in the 14th minute against the run of play. That did not deter the Malaysians as they dominated the second quarter adding goals through Shahril Saabah (20th and 21st minutes), Meor Muhamad Hassan ( 22nd minute) and Mohd Syafiq Syed Choulan (30th minute) for a 9-1 lead at halftime.

Razie got his second and Malaysia’s tenth goal in the 34th minute and it was a matter of how many more Malaysia would add to the score. Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Ahmad made it 11-1 in the 38th minute. Two penalty corner goals from Razie (42nd) and Faisal (43rd) made it 13-1. Razie scored his fourth in the 48th minute for a 14-1 lead before Faisal completed his hat-trick in the 53rd minute. Kazakhstan scored their second goal in the 55th minute courtesy of Iigam Abdilabsyev for a 15-2 scoreline. But Malaysia had the final say as RRazziecompleted the rout, scoring his fifth in the 56th minute for a 16-2 final scoreline.




Match 06 - IND 17 - 0 INA

It was a harsh day for the hosts Indonesia as they were undone by the masters from India, who inflicted them with a 17-0 defeat at the GBK Hockey Stadium in Jakarta.

It was the biggest margin of win in the competition so far, eclipsing Malaysia’s 16-2 victory over Kazakhstan in an earlier match.

Despite the scoreline, the Indonesians could walk with their heads held high as they gave it their best but obviously it was never going to be good enough to match the fifth world ranked team.

“We gave all players a chance to play and get a feel of the conditions and pitch ahead of the tough matches,” said Indian coach Harendra Singh. “We made use of the chances and the performance today is not reflective of our ability.”

India only needed 46 seconds to get on the score sheet with Rupinderpal Singh converting a penalty corner. Two minutes later he doubled India’s advantage and the goal avalanche started. Dilpreet Singh made it 3-0 in the 7th minute before Akashdeep Singh scored the fourth in the 10th minute. Goal number five was contributed by Simranjeet Singh in the 13th minute. Indonesia regrouped after the two-minute break and played much better to give India a tough time to increase the margin. But the Indians managed to prise open the defensive shell to add goals through the efforts of SV Sunil in the 25th minute, Vivek Prasad in the 26th minute, Mandeep Singh in the 29th minute and Dilpreet in the 30th minute for a 9-0 lead at halftime. Harmanpreet Singh was not to left behind as he got into the scoring act, driving home a penalty corner in the 31st minute.

And next, it was the turn of Dilpreet to complete his hat trick with a goal in the 33rd minute to make it 11-0 for India. A goal from Simranjeet in the 38th minute gave India their 12th goal. Lalit Kumar made it 13-0 in the 44th minute and it was only a question of just how many India would add to their tally in the final quarter. And Mandeep ( 46th 49th and 53rd minutes), as well as Amit Rohidass in the 54th minute, completed a goal feast for India




Asian Hockey Federation media release

Goals galore as Pakistan thump Thailand 10-0 in Asian Games opener

Abdul Ghaffar


Muhammad Faisal Qadir sweeps a ball during the men's hockey Pool B match between Pakistan and Thailand at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta - AFP

Pakistan national hockey team kicked off their Asian Games campaign in style, thumping Thailand 10-0 in their match played at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Sports Complex in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday.

The national team took their team to open their account, with the opening goal not coming till the last minute of the opening quarter when Tauseeq Arshad converted a penalty corner.

That first breach of the goal opened up the floodgates as Pakistan scored thrice in the second quarter.

They kept up their scoring spree in the second period as well, finding the net an astonishing six times to finish the game with an overall 10-0 win.

Atiq Arshad was the most prolific of all scorers as he hit a hat-trick of goals. His sibling Tauseeq was among the trio who scored a brace each.

Mubashar Ali was the odd man out among all the goalscorers, with him scoring just once in the goal-fest.

Next up for the Green Shirts is Oman, whom they face off with on Wednesday.

Dawn

Asian Games hockey: Pakistan thrash Thailand 10-0 in opener

By Nabil Tahir


ATTACKING MENTALITY: The silver medallists of the last edition of the Asian Games, Pakistan, did not give any chance to the opposition as they struck 21 shots at the goal and converted 10 of them into goals. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: Forward Muhammad Atiq’s hat-trick on Monday helped Pakistan hockey team thrash low-ranked opponents Thailand 10-0 in the former’s campaign opener during the Asian Games in Jakarta.

The silver medallists of the last edition of the Games did not give any chance to the opposition as they struck 21 shots at the goal — 12 through field moves and nine through penalty corners — and converted 10 chances. Meanwhile, Thailand had only one shot at the goal which was saved by goalkeeper Muhammad Imran.

Pakistan opened their goal tally with Toseeq Arshad scoring in the last minute of the first 15-minute quarter courtesy a penalty corner.

In the second quarter, former captain Muhammad Irfan senior scored the second for Pakistan in the 22nd minute through a penalty corner, followed by Atiq who completed a move on the field to give Pakistan a 3-0 lead. Irfan scored his second goal in the 30th minute to end the first half with a lead of 4-0.

After a timeout of 15 minutes, Pakistan team did not slow down and scored their fifth goal in the 33rd minute as Mubashir Ali scored a goal through a penalty corner. The hero of the day Atiq scored his second and team’s sixth goal in the 39th minute of the game through a field goal.

In the 42nd minute of the game Abu Bakar Mehmood scored through a penalty corner and his goal was followed by the third goal of Atiq, a field goal, as Pakistan gained an unassailable 8-0 lead in the game at the end of the third quarter.

In the final 15 minutes, Pakistan scored two more goals in the 48th and the 50th minute of the game courtesy Mehmood’s penalty corner conversion and Toseeq’s field goal, respectively, to end the game with a convincing 10-0 win.

The player of the day Atiq told The Express Tribune after the match from Jakarta that he was well assisted by fellow players. “We went in to win the match,” he said. “Thailand is an easy side to play against, but still we didn’t give them any chance to score. As soon as we got the ball, we went in to score and ended up with 10 goals. I feel good to have scored three goals which will help me in the matches against tougher teams.

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Rizwan Senior said that the defenders did a great job as they didn’t let the Thailand attackers’ enter the area to make goal-scoring attempts. “Today we saw a perfect show by our defenders, attackers and mid-fielders. They all did their job well and we hope to see the same in next matches,” he said.

The Express Tribune

Pakistan thrash Thailand 10-0 in Asiad hockey



LAHORE - Atiq Arshad’s hat-trick helped Pakistan hammer Thailand 10-0 to take a victorious start in the Asian Games hockey competition on Monday at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia.

Record eight time champions Pakistan were off to a flying start at the Asian Games with the thrashing of little known Thailand with a volley of goals, said the information made available here. Atiq excelled with a hat-trick while his brother Tauseeq Arshad, M Irfan and Abu Bakr, all had a brace and Mubashar Ali converted one goal.

Pakistan took time to open the account. It was the last minute of the first quarter when Tauseeq Arshad converted a penalty corner. Three more goals were added in the second quarter and they led 4-0 at the half time. Pakistan found the target six times in the second half to complete the tally. The green shirts will take on Oman on August 22 in their second outing.

The Nation

Stephen all smiles after hockey boys hammer Kazakhstan 16-2 in Asiad opener

By K. Rajan


Stay grounded. Stephen (in blue) giving pep talk to team in a file photo.

JAKARTA:  National coach Stephen van Huizen tells his hockey boys to ride on the momentum after pulling off a big win against minnows Kazakhstan.

Malaysia whipped Kazakhstan 16-2 to begin their quest for Asian Games gold medal in a Group B match at the Gelora Bung Karno Hockey Stadium on Monday.

Seasoned hand Mohd Razie Rahim was the toast of the team after scoring five goals (seventh, 33rd, 42nd, 47th, 55th) and followed with a hattrick by striker Faisal Saari.

The other goals were scored by Nik Muhammad Aiman Nik Rozemi (eighth and 12th), Mohd Shahril Saabah (19th and 20th), Faiz Helmi Jali (fifth), Meor Muhamad Azuan Hassan (22nd), Syed Mohamad Syafiq Syed Cholan (30th) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (37th).

Kazakhstan’s goals were scored by Aman Yelubayev (14th) and Iigam Abdilabsyev (55th).

Stephen hoped the huge margin victory would keep the team more fired up against tougher teams.

“I’m happy with all the players performance. It’s get tougher from here and we hope to keep this going,” said a jubilant Stephen after the match.

Malaysia will take on minnows Thailand on Wednesday.

The Star of Malaysia

17-0 romp for Indian men

Uthra Ganesan

Competition in Asian hockey might not be exceptional but even by its limited standards, a 17-0 walloping is unheard of in the tournament.

The Indian men did just that to hapless host Indonesia here on Monday to open their account in the competition in style, bettering their own record at the Asian Games in the progress.

The previous highest margin for the country was 12-0, against Iran in 1974 and Bangladesh in 1982.

The goalfest started in the first minute of the game and continued till the end.

Experimentation

In between, coach Harendra Singh experimented with his plans and personnel and ensured everyone got enough play time to get a feel of the turf.

The experimenting saw Sardar Singh playing much ahead in the attack and creating chances while the two central midfielders Manpreet Singh and Vivek Prasad held back.

It may all change in the coming games, though, when the competition would get tougher.

India converted six of its nine penalty-corners. Youngsters Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Simranjeet Singh scored thrice each, the last being impressive with a 100 percent conversion rate — scoring in each of his three attempts at goal.

Rupinder Pal Singh scored twice while Harmanpreet Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, S.V. Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Amit Rohidas and Vivek scored one apiece.

The Hindu

India maul hapless Indonesia 17-0 in men's hockey


Asian Games 2018 Indian players celebrate after scoring a goal during the men's hockey pool A match between India and Indonesia at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 20, 2018.

Indian men's hockey team hammered a lowly Indonesia 17-0 to open its title defence in a rousing fashion at the Asian Games on Monday.

As many as three Indian players scored a hat-trick each as India toyed with the Indonesians in the lop-sided Pool A encounter.

Dilpreet Singh (6th, 29th, 32nd min), Simranjeet Singh (13th, 38th, 53rd) and Mandeep Singh (29th, 44th, 49th) scored a hat-trick each for India, while Rupinder Pal Singh (1st, 2nd), Akashdeep Singh (10th, 44th), S V Sunil (25th), Vivek Sagar (26th), Harmanpreet Singh (31st) and Amit Rohidas (54th) were the other scorers.

It was expected to be a goal feast as Indonesians were never a match for the world No 5 Indians. Indonesia got a chance to play in the event only by virtue of being hosts.

The floodgates opened from the onset and continued till the final hooter was blown.

The Indians had 40 shots at the goal out of which they converted 17.

India scored 10 field goals, six from penalty corners and one from the spot.

They converted six out of 11 penalty corners earned. Such was the difference in quality between the two sides that Indonesia had only one crack at Indian goal. India will next play Hong Kong China on Wednesday.

Daily News & Analysis

India equaled the biggest wins record in Asian Games Hockey

By B.G.Joshi (Sehore-Bhopal, India)


Simranjeet Singh (caps-18, goals-3) has scripted his name in Indian Goal scorers list with maiden hat trick.

Reigning Asian Games Champions India beat hosts Indonesia 17-0 in first pool match. Thus India equaled the record of 17-0 wins of Pakistan against Bangladesh in Bangkok (1978), Shahnaz Sheikh has scored 7 goals in that Pakistani triumph over Bangladesh.

Yesterday 3 Indian players Dilpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Simranjeet Singh have netted 3 goals each. It was maiden hat trick of Dilpreet and Simranjeet in their international career.

In Asian Games Women Hockey India beat Hong Kong 22-0 in New Delhi (1982) - a record. Here are the statistical highlights of India’s (men) 10 biggest wins in Asian level tournaments:

 Fieldhockey.com

India puts up a record 17 goals win

s2h team

Indian men today defeated Indonesia 17-0 today in its Asian Games opener which is its best ever score in the continental championship. India's previous biggest win was identical 12-0 against Iran in 1974 and Bangladesh in 1982.

53 Goal : Amit Rohidoss sends top of goal cage off PC
52 Goal : Lalit sets up Simranjit Sigh to score tem's 16th goal
49 Goal : Mandeep Singh after three diagonal passes
46 Goal : Manpreet Singh's perfect reverse, Mandeep deflects
44 Goal : Sardar sends feed to Akash, who hits GK, Lalit taps in the rebound
33 Goal : Sunil-Lalit sends a deep minus, Simranjit Singh scoops from centre of circle
32 Goal : Dilpreet Singh strikes off Surender Kumar's feed
31Goal : Harmanpreet, low flick for Goal No.10
29 Goal : Dilpreet Singh in a melee
28 Goal : Akash from left of circle to Mandeep Singh, who deflects
26 Goal : SV Suni's minus, Vivek Prasad taps in from close range
25 Goal : SV Sunil and Sardr combine well, Sunil deflects from the centre of the circle, to score the team's sixth goal
13 Goal : Simranjeet Singh
10 Goal : Akashdeep Singh
07 Goal : Dilpreet Singh in a follow throuh to a PC
02 Goal : He adds another next minute, fiery start for India
01 Goal : Rupinder Pal Singh scores inside first minute



Stick2Hockey.com

‘Harendra and Kaushik are players’ managers’

Dhanraj sees similarities in the coaching styles of both

Nandakumar Marar


Keen listener: Harendra Singh is a coach who can be easily approached by the players. 

Former India skipper Dhanraj Pillay will be following the Asian Games hockey competition closely.

Chief coach Harendra Singh’s approach will be of special interest due to the similarity with M.K. Kaushik (1998 Bangkok Asiad chief coach) when it comes to team building.

“Harendra is the kind of coach whom players can approach with suggestions. He listens to seniors, is approachable to the youngsters and then takes his own decision. Having a coach ready to listen helps in improving understanding,” said Dhanraj.

India is the defending champion in men’s hockey. The previous champion men’s team was led by Dhanraj at Bangkok 1998 and coached by Kaushik who believed in carrying everyone along.

“Harendra had travelled to Bangkok on his own expense, to watch hockey and keep in touch with latest developments. He may have observed Kaushik managing the team on and off the field, assisted by M.R. Negi, an expert in lifting the mood of of players.”

India had beaten South Korea on penalty strokes to win the Bangkok final, two strokes saved by goalkeeper Ashish Ballal. The highest goal-scorer of the competition (11 goals) points out that successful sides have coaches who can bring out the best in a diverse group of players.

“Kaushik gave seniors the space and respect, held team meetings to prevent infighting. As captain I took certain decisions on the pitch like retaining Ballal for the penalty strokes in the final, he backed me. Credit for keeping the players together goes to his mature handling,” said the forward.

Methods explained

Dhanraj explained the chief coach’s methods. “He put seniors in charge of specific positions, for example the forwardline had to be handled by Mukesh Kumar and me, midfield by Ramandeep Singh and Baljit Saini, defence by Dilip Tirkey, etc.”

“The federation (Indian Hockey Federation) had invited Merwyn Fernandes (multiple Olympian and famous inside forward) for a week to give motivational talks and guide forwards. When the tournament started, Kaushik did not put pressure on us. He understood that an experienced group was giving a robust display match after match till the final.” India beat Korea on penalty strokes, with two saves from Ballal.

Coming back to the current squad under goalkeeper P. Sreejesh’s captaincy, the ex-India skipper emphasised that playmaker Sardara Singh’s return under Harendra, after being dropped by the previous coach for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, is a realisation that experience is valued.

“Harendra prefers one-on-one chats with his players, will spend time with the youngest member in case inexperience is affecting performance. Both he and Kaushik believe in building a good atmosphere in the squad. Experienced sides need a players’ manager, not a headmaster.”

The Hindu

Open Series Squad Announced - Leah Wilkinson to secure 150th cap for Wales!

Stevie Marie Jones / Fern Burrage


Leah Wilkinson (R) will get her 150th cap for Wales

After weeks of intense training culminating in a test series win against Poland at the start of August, the Senior Women’s team are full of confidence going in to their Hockey Open Series Round 1, in Lithuania later this month. Following the accomplishments of the men’s squad earlier in the year, the women’s team will also be looking to secure qualification to one of three Hockey Series Finals hosted between April-June 2019. Competing in Lithuania and hopefully in the next round, will see Wales earn a number of coveted World ranking points, with the exact number being dependent on their finishing position in the overall competition. To see the current rankings click here.

The women’s recent success in Poland saw 5 players achieve their first International cap, proving the success of the development programme and the player pathway. The development squad have been tested recently in games against Ireland U21’s and Scotland U21’s and that preparation has been key in allowing players to transition between squads with ease. We caught up with Captain Leah Wilkinson following their recent trip to Poland, to discuss preparations for the Open Series since the Commonwealth Games.

I think it’s a really exciting time. I’ve played for the programme for perhaps 13-14 years and you always get these shifts, especially after the Commonwealths. I think for many they feel like that was their Olympic Games, and you always get players moving away from the programme and moving on to different things, and that is an evolution in our team again. I think it’s a very exciting time to be around the squad to see the youngsters come through.

Head Coach, Kevin Johnson, expressed his delight in releasing the squad for the Open Series, which showcases a wealth of experience with a fresh youthful twist:

After a rigorous training phase in the last two months which have included match series against both South Africa and Poland, we are all looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead in Lithuania. I am particularly pleased to see a number of our younger players step up with the opportunities they have had in this phase and witness how quickly they have connected with both our established player group and the principles of play we are trying to deliver.

Whilst it is fair to say it is a squad that has changed much from the Commonwealth Games, with only 9 of the 18 playing in the Gold Coast in this current selection, I am confident that we have all the tools at our disposal to deliver some very positive performances in Lithuania and continue to grow and improve as a team.

SQUAD

Beth Bingham (VC)  – Holcombe
Emma Brierley (GK) – Colwyn Bay
Amy Burton – Swansea
Hannah Cozens – Buckingham
Cari Davies – Ardudwy
Lauren Dunn – Swansea
Izzie Howell – Neston
Xenna Hughes – East Grinstead
Caro Hulme – Beeston
Ella Jackson (GK) – Buckingham
Danni Jordan – Royal Leopold (BEL)
Eloise Laity – Buckingham
Phoebe Richards – Buckingham
Jess Roe – Beeston
Emily Rowlands – Surbition
Sarah-Jayne Thorburn – Swansea
Joanne Westwood – Holcombe
Leah Wilkinson (C) – Holcombe

The Open Series campaign starts on Tuesday 21st August in Vilnius against Turkey, where Captain, Leah Wilkinson will earn her 150th cap for Wales! Johnson explains Wilkinson continues to be an exceptional role model and record breaker for Welsh women’s hockey and her leadership in this period with a number of new faces coming in has continued to be first class.

Hockey Wales Media release

New Zealand hockey set for independent review after email blunder

By Richard Bright


Japan scored a huge victory over NZ at the World Cup PIC: England Hockey

Hockey New Zealand will conduct an independent review centred on the Black Sticks after criticism over the women’s team culture and environment hit the spotlight over the last two weeks.

Following feedback from past and present players, Hockey NZ and the Hockey Players Association have appointed an independent reviewer after a three-hour meeting on Monday.

Several players have spoken out over team culture under women’s coach Mark Hager, who has been in the role since 2009 and guided the team to Commonwealth gold in April.

“We have agreed a plan to address the feedback, which involves an independent person to look into the feedback and gather more information if appropriate,” a statement said.

“There is absolutely no question that athlete welfare is paramount. At the same time, we must consider and protect the rights of employees.”

The review follows a critical email sent by Hager during the Women’s World Cup.

Hager apparently sent the missive ‘to all’ instead of one recipient, believed to be a coaching member, with the whole team able to view the email which criticised some players’ fitness and work levels.

“… is struggling to run, … struggles to do repeated efforts, … struggles to push through pain and heat,” the email read.

New Zealand lost to Japan in the group stages and then were beaten before the quarter-final stages by Argentina at the World Cup.

Hager apologised for his mistake but the incident saw several players come forward to speak out. That included former Black Sticks goalkeeper Amelia Gibson, who appeared on New Zealand’s two television networks saying that she had previously refrained from speaking out over a fear factor.

Hockey is the latest sport in New Zealand to come under fire from coach and athlete problems. Cycling, soccer and rowing have all had issues in recent months.

The Hockey Paper

Field Hockey Trio Named to Big Ten Players to Watch List

Senior Madison O'Neill, sophomore Cara Bonshak, and sophomore Lia Sinisi earned preseason honors.



ROSEMONT, Ill. – Michigan State University field hockey senior Madison O’Neill, sophomore Cara Bonshak, and sophomore Lia Sinisi were each named to the 2018 Big Ten Field Hockey Preseason Players to Watch list, as announced by the conference, on August 20, 2018.

O’Neill, a forward, appeared in and started all 19 games for the Spartans last season. She registered five shots on goal as a junior and ranked third on the team with four assists. O’Neill earned 2017 Academic All-Big Ten honors and was named to the 2018 Big Ten Distinguished Scholars list.

Bonshak, a midfielder, appeared in 14 games as a freshman and started in two last season. The Whitehall, Pa. native tallied one goal and one assist for the Green and White in 2017.

Sinisi, a forward, was the only freshman to appear in and start all 19 games for MSU last season. In 2017, Sinisi took 11 shots and registered four shots on goal for the Spartans.

Michigan State officially opens its 2018 regular season at home on Friday, August 24 with a 1 p.m. match against Old Dominion University at Ralph Young Field. Old Dominion finished its 2017 slate with an 8-10 record. Top returners for the Monarchs include forward Erin Huffman (25 points), Alexa Ostoich (14 points), and Lacey Frazier (2.28 GaAvg).

Big Ten Players to Watch List

Kelsey Giese, Indiana
Ciara Girouard, Indiana
Taylor Swope, Indiana
Katie Birch, Iowa
Maddy Murphy, Iowa
Sophie Sunderland, Iowa
Brooke DeBerdine, Maryland
Linnea Gonzalez, Maryland
Kelee Lepage, Maryland
Meg Dowthwaite, Michigan
Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, Michigan
Emma Way, Michigan
Cara Bonshak, Michigan State
Madison O’Neill, Michigan State
Lia Sinisi, Michigan State
Puck Pentenga, Northwestern
Eva van Agt, Northwestern
Charlotte Vaziri, Northwestern
Esther Clothet-Alsina, Ohio State
Casey Cole, Ohio State
Kelsey Nolan, Ohio State
Gini Bramley, Penn State
Cori Conley, Penn State
Jenny Rizzo, Penn State
Giana Glatz, Rutgers
Daphne Groothuis, Rutgers
Linde Van Schaik, Rutgers

Michigan State Spartans media release