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All the news for Friday 7 September 2018

Hockey Series Open - Lousada 2018 (Men) - Day 3
Lousada (POR)

Results 6 September

BLR v RUS (RR)     2 - 2
GIB v SCO (RR)     0 - 2
POR v TUR (RR)     5 - 4

Pool standings

FIH Match Centre

Scotland men beat Gibraltar to top Hockey Open Series in Lousada



Scotland men went top of the Hockey Open Series in Lousada with a 2-0 win over Gibraltar. Goals from Cammy Golden and Rob Harwood ensured the Scots are the only team to maintain a 100% record in the tournament so far, with two games to go.

It was another swift start to the match for Scotland and they took the lead inside three minutes. Cammy Golden found the net with a looping deflection over the goalkeeper, after connecting to a fizzing pass into the D from the right, to make it 1-0.

Scotland dominated the second quarter and came close on a number of occasions to furthering their advantage. Willie Marshall had two penalty corners blocked by charging defenders while Golden was denied by a near post save to keep the score 1-0 at half time.

Early in the second half and Marshall was again denied a penalty corner goal, this time his drag flick was deflected into the air by the leg guard of the diving goalkeeper.

Scotland’s second goal of the match would come soon enough. Rob Harwood made it 2-0 for Scotland when he finished off a lovely team goal. Scotland carved Gibraltar open on the right and the final pass zipped across goal, first Robbie Shepherdson dived in but couldn’t connected, however, Harwood was right behind him and he connected at the far post for 2-0.

Scotland set about adding a third goal at the start of the fourth quarter. A swift counter attack sent Golden tearing into the D and he let fly across the goalkeeper but just wide of the left post.

The Blue Sticks won a couple of penalty corners later in the quarter as they continued to turn the screw on Gibraltar.

First a Tim Atkins drag flick was well saved by the keeper before Kyle White had his penalty corner blocked into the air and clear.

In the end it was a comfortable victory for Scotland over Gibraltar as the Scots maintain their 100% record in Lousada with two games to play.

Schedule

September 4 2018 | 14:30 | Scotland 7-2 Turkey
September 5 2018 | 16:30 | Scotland 2-0 Portugal
September 6 2018 | 14:30 | Gibraltar 0-2 Scotland
September 8 2018 | 14:30 | Scotland v Russia
September 9 2018 | 12:30 | Belarus v Scotland

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Hockeyroos Arrive In Japan After Typhoon Alters Travel Plans

Ben Somerford



The Hockeyroos have arrived in Japan ahead of the Four Nations Women's Ibaraki International Tournament from 12-16 September in Osaka.

Typhoon Jebi which hit Osaka earlier this week forced Hockey Australia to re-arrange travel plans with the Hockeyroos flying into Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya on Friday morning.

Hockey Australia was informed conditions in Japan would improve and there was no danger for the travelling group.

The Hockeyroos had originally planned to fly into Kansai International Airport, which was closed on Wednesday after an oil tanker hit and damaged the only bridge from the airport to the mainland.

After arriving in Nagoya on Friday morning, the Hockeyroos travelled two hours by bus to Osaka before arriving at their accommodation for the Four Nations to be played at OIC Field at the Ritsumeikan University Osaka Ibaraki Campus.

Australia (ranked third in the world) will play against South Korea (10th), United States (12th) and hosts Japan (14th) in the Four Nations which runs from 12-16 September.

The event gives the Hockeyroos a taste of Japanese conditions with less than two years until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin along with Kookaburras coach Colin Batch and Hockey Australia High Performance director Toni Cumpston travelled to Japan last year but this is Australia’s first trip with athletes ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Gaudoin said: “There was a Development Tour go to Japan last year which was great but to take more of our senior group to Japan and start to get a feel for what it’s going to be like in two years’ time is a big goal. We want to immerse ourselves there.”

The Hockeyroos’ opening match of the Four Nations is against Japan on Wednesday 12 eptember.

Follow @Hockeyroos on Twitter for match updates and @HockeyroosOfficial on Instagram throughout the Four Nations.

The Japan Hockey Association will live stream each game online, via this link: https://sompocup-hockey-ibaraki.com.

Hockeyroos team for Four-Nations:
Athlete (Home town, State):
Jocelyn Bartram (Albury, NSW)
Kristina Bates (Mont Albert, VIC)
Edwina Bone (Orange, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Lily Brazel (Sydney, NSW) *Plays for VIC
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA)
Naomi Evans (Goulburn, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Ashlea Fey (Sunshine Coast, QLD)
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Savannah Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Stephanie Kershaw (Townsville, QLD)
Ambrosia Malone (Burleigh, QLD)
Georgina Morgan (Armidale, NSW)
Hayley Padget (Doncaster, VIC)
Mikaela Patterson (Blackbutt, NSW)
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW)
Renee Taylor (Everton Park, QLD)
Sophie Taylor (Camberwell, VIC)
Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC)

Match Schedule:
Wednesday 12 September 2018 5:30pm AEST – South Korea v USA
Wednesday 12 September 2018 7:30pm AEST – Japan v Australia
Thursday 13 September 2018 5:30pm AEST – Australia v South Korea
Thursday 13 September 2018 7:30pm AEST – Japan v USA
Saturday 15 September 2018 3pm AEST – Australia v USA
Saturday 15 September 2018 5pm AEST – Japan v South Korea
Sunday 16 September 2018 2:45pm AEST – Third place play-off
Sunday 16 September 2018 5pm AEST – Final

Hockey Australia media release

Meister and Delforge set to become first female umpires in EHL at ROUND1 in Barcelona in October


©: Frank Uijlenbroek/ World Sport Pics

Michelle Meister and Laurine Delforge will become the first female umpires to officiate in the EHL at ROUND1 in Barcelona in October in the world’s best club hockey competition.

It is one of the new developments this season in the EHL with females officials also appointed as Margaret Hunnaball is forming one half of the umpire’s manager team with Hamish Jamson and Denmark’s Janne Camilla Nielsen will be one of the four judges.

Welcoming the new development, EHF President Marijke Fleuren is excited to see this come to pass.

“Being a member of the IOC ‘Women in Sport’ Commission, I really celebrate these women’s appointments in a men’s tournament. In this way, EHL gives another best practice of breaking down barriers: appointing female umpires to men's international ranking matches. Doing the job together is my motto and now we are doing that!”

Meister has been one of the top umpires on the world stage for the last ten years or so, officiating at the indoor World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2012. She has gone to umpire at the last two outdoor World Cups as well as the 2016 Olympics.

For Meister, she says she is delighted to be part of the EHL ROUND1 team and is looking forward to the challenge: “I was and still am very happy. I had a big smile on my face! It is a great honour and, above all, an appreciation of what we do to receive the appointment.”

Delforge, meanwhile, has umpired both the 2016 Olympic final and the 2018 World Cup final. In addition to being a top umpire, she is a top class player and has represented Belgium internationally indoors.

“Being presented with the opportunity to umpire men’s games on the biggest club competition in Europe is such an honour and a privilege. Sharing it with Michi makes it even more special as we have started our international career at the same tournament [Euro Under-18s in Belgium, 2008] and shared so many precious moments since then. In October, we will celebrate another milestone together!”

The Belgian says her initial journey into umpiring started “pretty much on a dare”.

“To be honest, I never really dreamed of becoming an umpire; who does, right? As a player, I was often very upset by the umpires’ decisions. My dad suggested that, since I seemed so confident about calling games, I should give umpiring a try. I took up the challenge aged 16 and what started pretty much as a joke quickly turned into a real passion, just like playing the game!

“Ten years after taking the whistle for the first time, I found myself amongst the officials appointed for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. I was living the dream and I wanted to make the most of it. So I started a very specific preparation, involving physical training, sports psychology and eyes exercises to improve my peripheral vision.”

For Meister, she previously played for 20 years from the age of seven to 27 before a herniated disc in her lower back put an end to that side of the game.

“I wanted to stay involved in my beloved sport so I tried umpiring. Obviously, I was not so bad and I was allowed to umpire within two years in the women's first division.

“And the journey continued! I was invited to a European Club Cup indoors in 2009 as my first international tournament. I liked the atmosphere, the quality of hockey and meeting people from all over the world.

“Umpiring internationally is a great honor to me. And when I realised after the World Cup 2014, I had a chance to go to the Olympics, I worked even harder to become better and better.”

To help her along the way, she has been umpiring in the top two men’s divisions for a number of years in her native Germany. Initially, it was only a rare occurrence but now she is one of the most frequently appointed umpires on the circuit and has taken charge of 24 top tier games and 52 in the second division.

“Last season, I had more men's than women's matches to umpire. In that sense, it's already a regular thing. Only our Final Four are reserved for the gentlemen - so far!

Delforge took on her first men’s Honor Division game in 2012 and now primarily umpires in this competition due to still being a high-level player.

“Belgium was leading the way at the time as I was one of the first female umpires to be appointed to men's matches. Not long after, I also started to umpire practice games of the Red Lions.

“Two weeks after Rio Olympics 2016, I even got the chance to umpire the rematch of the final, Argentina v Belgium, in front of 5,000 people. It was amazing.

“Because I am still playing in the first women's league, I am not allowed to umpire women's games. So I either whistle Under-19 boys or men's games, depending on the agenda!”

Asked about the differences between the men’s and women’s games, both agree the fundamentals of the game remain but there are certain differences she feels which require different styles of game management.

“The speed of the game is the main difference so you have to change slightly your positioning during the game. For me personally, the management in a men's game is a bit easier,” Meister says.

“The men play until the whistle interrupts them. Here, you can easily play an advantage and see if it develops well.”

Delforge adds: “Men run faster than women, which means we have to adapt our running lines to be in a good position to make the right call.

“Game management is also very different. Men and women process emotions differently and management of emotions is, of course, a big part of our job.

“This is why I will probably handle the exact same situation in a different way depending on whether I am umpiring men or women.”

And now they are looking forward to the challenge of umpiring in EHL ROUND1, a possible stepping stone to more new avenues.

“It's amazing to be part of the EHL,” Meister adds. “It's a great honour to me and recognition of our hard work. And I'm very proud and I'm really looking forward to umpire the men’s on an international level as well.”

Delforge concludes: “I hope it's just the start and others female umpires will soon also get the opportunity to feel ‘equally amazing’!”

Officials list for EHL ROUND1 (October 5-7, 2018; Pau Negre Stadium, Barcelona)
Technical Delegate: Erdhard HIESSMAYR (Austria)
Technical Officer: Michiel BRUNING (Netherlands)
Judge: Amadeo BOIX (Spain)
Judge Cristian FERRER (Spain)
Judge Andreas KNECHTEN (Germany)
Judge Janne Camilla NIELSEN (Denmark)
Media Officer Stephen FINDLATER (Ireland)
Umpires Manager Margaret HUNNABALL (England)
Umpires Manager Hamish JAMSON (England)
Umpire Rob ABBOTT (Ireland)
Umpire Laurine DELFORGE (Belgium)
Umpire Sean EDWARDS (England)
Umpire Alex FEDENCZUK (Scotland)
Umpire Luca FERRARA (Italy)
Umpire Tim MEISSNER (Germany)
Umpire Michelle MEISTER (Germany)
Umpire Andres ORTIZ (Spain)
Umpire Michiel OTTEN (Netherlands)
Umpire Luka ZUPANCIC (Austria)

Euro Hockey League media release

Railways scores a dour win

Navy comes on top against CHA in battle of debutants

K. Keerthivasan


Match-winner: Kuldeep Singh beats the CHA defence to ensure full points for Indian Navy. 

On a balmy evening at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here on Thursday, matches didn’t rise to expected levels, with Indian Railways and Indian Navy scripting dour wins over their opponents in the MCC-Murugappa Gold Cup 92nd All-India hockey tournament.

Railways, champion in 2016, played well below its best in beating Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) 2-1 in a Group A contest, while in a battle of debutants earlier, Navy beat Chennai Hockey Association (CHA) 3-1 in Group B.

As was expected, Railways started aggressively by making quick inroads into the Mumbai territory, which struggled to keep the rival’s forward-line at bay. But the domination lasted only for a while.

The first goal was a clear example of the former champion’s intention. Pardeep Singh’s stinging pass from the right saw the goalkeeper stretch his pad and the resultant rebound witnessed Kunwar Dilraj Singh unleash a stinging shot straight into the roof.

Inexplicably, Railways slowed down but its defence didn’t allow any room for MHA.

MHA, which didn’t appear threatening till then, scored a stunning equaliser in the 41st minute. With two defenders literally covering him and the Railways’ keeper Mujahid Khan covering the angle, Victo Singh unleashed a backhander from the left that beat Mujahid all ends up.

Railways controlled the show pretty much and it got the winner from Ajmer Singh. A current senior international, Nilakanta Sharma's drive on-the-run from the edge of the circle was deflected well by Ajmer.

CHA impressed in patches and played better in the first half but scoring both its goals in the second. Trailing 1-0, Veera Thamizhan struck with a brilliant backhander. Navy made it 3-1 in pretty quick time, and the last goal by Shyam Kumar failed to make any impact.

The results: Group A: Indian Railways 2 (Kunwar Dilraj Singh 15, Ajmer Singh 62) bt MHA 1 (Victo Singh 41). Group B: Indian Navy 3 (Rajat Sharma 28, Rana Pratap 56, Kuldeep Singh 63) bt CHA 2 (Veera Thamizhan 44, Shyam Kumar 68).

The Hindu

Semi-Final Picture takes shape at 2018 Under 21 IPT

After four days of action we are much closer to knowing who will compete in the semi-finals on Friday with a clear eye on the 2018 South African Under 21 IPT final on Saturday. Today we start with the ladies.

In Pool B the Northern Blues and Western Province have both secured a semi-final berth ahead of the final day of group games. Western Province were comfortably victors in their match with Northern Daisies winning 6-0 largely thanks to a Catherine Stacey hat-trick. Nicole Koenig got 2 and Andrea Leader chipped in with one in a very one-sided match.

The hosts secured their spot in the semi-finals when they beat Witsies 4-0 to make it four out of four. Once again, the goals were shared with the impressive Thati Segaole, Megan Anderson, Jean-Leigh du Toit and Shelmy Hall doing the damage.

In pool B’s other game Pens narrowly beat EP 2-1 in a tight battle for position below the top 2. Pens two goals were scored by Jessica Rossouw while Kiara Meyer scored for EP.

In pool A it is down to a three-way battle for the 2 spots as North West, Southern Gauteng and KZN Raiders are split by just 1 point with one game remaining. Southerns and North West played out a tough 1-1 draw that kept the pool open ahead of the final group games. Lezaan Janse van Vuuren, the young player of the tournament at the PHL, scored first for Southerns before Carli Pretorius equalised for Sulette Damons team.

On the final day of group play North West take on KZN Raiders knowing a draw will be enough while Southerns will play Free State and you would expect them to safely navigate that hurdle.

Ladies Under 21 IPT Results – Day 4

Pool A

Free State 4-2 Mpumalanga
Southern Gauteng 1-1 North West

Pool B

Northern Blues 4-0 SG Witsies
Western Province 6-0 Northern Daisies
WP Pens 2-1 Eastern Province

In the men’s tournament Pool B is done and dusted as both the Northern Blues and their neighbours Southern Gauteng have qualified after SG Witsies shock 3-2 win against the KZN Raiders. It was the game of the day that saw Witsies come from behind to win. Carlyle Volmink got both goals for the Raiders while Michael le Forestier and a double from Armand Scorgie saw the Witsies home.

Southerns knew a win against Border would be enough and they did it emphatically winning 12-0. Courtney Halle got a hat-trick, the Cavemen’s Rayner York got a brace and there were also goals for Dylan Butler, Michael Horan, Delpiarro Langford, Jesse Martin, Tristan le Forrestier, Michael Newland-Nel and Brandon Spence.

The hosts the Northern Blues also knew a victory would secure their place and produced a solid display in a 6-0 win against Free State. Nicholas Church (2), Bradley Sherwood, Cody van Breemen, Michael Forrest and Steven Paulo got the goals for one of the tournament favourites.

In Pool B North West and the Northern Daisies played out a 1-1 draw courtesy of goals from Clayton Tait and Tyron Denton, meaning the second spot from Pool B will likely go down to goal difference!

The first spot was secured by Western Province with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Eastern Province with Bayanda Simetu dramatically scoring in the last minute of the game. EP were incredibly unfortunate not to take something from the game.

So, one day is left of group stage action. Who will it be to join the already qualified three in the semi-finals???

Mens Under 21 IPT Results – Day 3

Pool A

Western Province 1-0 Eastern Province
WP Pens 7-0 Mpumalanga
North West 1-1 Northern Daisies

Pool B

KZN Raiders 2-3 SG Witsies
Southern Gauteng 12-0 Border
Northern Blues 6-0 Free State

SA Hockey Association media release

"One Minute & 27 Seconds" Away Burns Suns

Ben Somerford



“One minute and 27 seconds,” says SA Suns coach Mark Dedman. The relevance of that time you ask? For the Suns, it was how far away from last year’s Australian Hockey League (AHL) semi-finals they were.

Needing to win their final group game to progress, SA led the NSW Arrows 1-0 going into the penultimate minute of the contest, before Abigail Wilson scored a heartbreaking equaliser.

The result left SA in third spot, behind NSW, short on goal difference only, missing out on the semi-finals.

“Last year, we went with an inexperienced group who rose to the occasion,” Dedman says. “We were one minute and 27 seconds away from the top four, so to be able to retain that core group bodes well for us in 2018. Hopefully we can go a bit further.”

The Suns have lost international midfielder Gabrielle Nance, who will be playing in the Netherlands during this year’s month-long AHL in October.

However, Dedman moved to bolster their midfield with the aid of ex-SA star Georgie Parker.

“As far as the overall squad is concerned, we’re happy to retain the core elite athletes in Jane (Claxton), Karri (McMahon) and Ash (Wells), and to have bolstered with Chilean international midfielder Mariana Lagos is great,” he said.

“We lose Gabi who is playing overseas, but Mariana helps our midfield strength.

“It came about through club contacts. Georgie Parker and Ash Wells are from the same club team in Perth as her, North Coast Raiders. Georgie mentioned she was there and we went from there.”

Lagos, known to her Raiders’ teammates as Meme, is “fit, athletic and a good citizen” according to Dedman.

The Chilean isn’t the only addition, with Dedman revealing the change in format of the AHL to a month-long weekend-based home-and-away format had aided his squad depth.

“In terms of experience, Holly Evans is back into the programme having not been involved for the last few years,” he said.

“The change to the home-and-away format has supported that given the time commitment.



“It’s also helped us with a few others, namely Leah Welstead who had previously been unable to attend the AHL with university studies.

“She’s coming off winning back-to-back competition Best and Fairests on Monday night. She had a good Under-21s recently, so it’s good to have her back.”

Dedman said the change in format would also bring some challenges.

“It’s a good blend but there’s a bit of the unknown where you can’t scout and we don’t know how much video we’ll get,” he said. “It will lead itself to maintaining a fit and fresh squad with the breaks.”

The Suns have also got an exciting group of youngsters coming through too, to compliment their ranks and with two home games in Adelaide during the 2018 AHL, it’s easy to make a case for them to contend for the medals, although Dedman isn’t getting carried away.

“In the next age group, we’ve got Miki Spano, Euleena MacLachlan and Hattie Shand who debuted last year, so we’re happy with our depth,” he said.

“We’ve got a good amount of local athletes in our programme this year, which is probably the best from a selection point of view for three or four years.”

Meanwhile, new SA Hotshots coach Michael Nobbs announced his squad on Thursday, including Monday night’s Premier League Best and Fairest winner Andy Leat and runners-up Cameron White, as well as Scott Germein and Lachlan Busiko.

The Hotshots don’t have any Kookaburras in their current ranks but have added imports Sijbrand Bolhuis, from the Netherlands, and Dong Hyung Lee, from South Korea.

Hockey SA will announce details on tickets shortly for their two home matches against Western Australia on Sunday 7 October and Northern Territory on Saturday 13 October at the State Hockey Centre in Gepps Cross.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE 2018 AHL TICKETS

Suns Squad

Jane Claxton (Hockey Australia), Holly Evans (North East), Celeste Foord (Port Adelaide), Emily Grist (Adelaide), Amy Hammond (Grange Royals), Kate Holland-Smith (Adelaide University), Lucy Holland-Smith (Adelaide University), Amy Hunt (Adelaide University), Mariana Lagos (Chile), Euleena MacLachlan (Burnside), Karri McMahon (Hockey Australia), Ashleigh Morrison (Seacliff), Alison Penington (Adelaide), Hattie Shand (Adelaide), Miki Spano (Adelaide University), Lucy Talbot (Burnside), Leah Welstead (Port Adelaide), Ash Wells (Hockey Australia)

Hotshots Squad

William Abbott (Grange Royals), Sijbrand Bolhuis (Netherlands), Simon Brown (Burnside), Lachlan Busiko (Seacliff), Scott Germein (Port Adelaide), Brodie Gleeson (Adelaide), Fred Gray (Adelaide), Ross Hetem (Port Adelaide), Dong Hyung Lee (South Korea), James Keeves (Burnside), Brad Kitto (Seacliff), Luke Larwood (Port Adelaide), Andy Leat (Port Adelaide), Daniel Mitchell (Seacliff), Alistair Oliver (Seacliff), Glyn Tamlin (Seacliff), Michael Wells (Seacliff), Cameron White (Grange Royals), Kurtis Willson (Forestville)

Hockey Australia media release

Blair Hilton makes NHL return after injury forced him to miss Commonwealth Games

George Fisher


Blair Hilton is back for Capital after suffering a serious injury during last year's NHL. STUFF

Blair Hilton is looking to reclaim his spot in the Black Sticks in the National Hockey League (NHL) after missing the Commonwealth Games with a knee injury.

The Capital striker has not added to his 167 caps for the Black Sticks since fracturing his patella and tearing his meniscus and MCL in a clash against Southern last year's NHL.

Hilton said it was disappointing to miss the Commonwealth Games, where New Zealand won silver after a final defeat to Australia, but it gave him time to focus on the recovery of his knee.

"It is obviously one of the tournaments everyone keeps an eye out for and wants to play in, so it was unfortunate not to be there, but in hindsight It was probably a good thing," he said, ahead of Sunday's opening round of the NHL.

"If I had of maybe done it a month or so earlier I would have been pushing it quite hard to make the team. It gave me a bit of time to relax and make sure I got my recovery right."

The injury kept him out for seven months after surgery, but the 29-year-old feels he is now ready to give the Black Sticks another crack as Capital prepare to host Central on Sunday.

"I still have that desire to play for New Zealand, whether it comes about or not we will have to see.

"It is good to see a lot of young guys coming through, so I will have to see how I go at NHL and if I have still got it we will see what happens later on in the year," Hilton said.

This weekend sees a solitary round before the remaining games are played in nine days of action beginning on September 15 at the National Hockey Stadium in Wellington.

Last year Capital missed the injured Hilton for the entire knockout stage of the competition, placing third after losing 2-1 to Auckland in the semifinals.

Hilton said this year will be one of the closest competitions for the Challenge Shield in recent times and Capital would certainly be contenders.

"We always back ourselves, but it is going to be one of the closest tournaments there has been in a while … the belief is there in the group that we can definitely win the title."

The defending champions, North Harbour, will begin their campaign in a replay of last year's final against Auckland, who play Midlands two days earlier in Hamilton.

On the women's side of the draw defending champions Midlands will travel to Auckland on Sunday.

Hilton said "his guess was as good as yours" at picking a favourite to win the closely contested women's competition.

AT A GLANCE

Draw for the first round of NHL matches:

Men:

Midlands v Auckland, Sunday 2pm, Hamilton
Capital v Central, Sunday 2pm, Wellington
Southern v Canterbury, Sunday 2pm, Dunedin
North Harbour v Auckland, Tuesday TBC, Auckland
Midlands v North Harbour, Thursday TBC, North Harbour

Women:

Northland v North Harbour, Sunday 2pm, Whangarei
Auckland v Midlands, Sunday 2pm, Auckland
Central v Capital, Sunday 2pm, Hawke's Bay
Canterbury v Southern, Sunday 2pm, Christchurch

Stuff

KDA unveils plan to form women’s hockey team soon

KARACHI: The Karachi Develop­ment Authority (KDA) will form a women’s hockey team alongside its men’s team in a move aimed at providing equal opportunities to womenfolk of the metropolis.

This was announced by the director general of KDA Samiuddin Siddiqui while speaking as the chief guest at the Defence Day of Pakistan exhibition hockey matches for men’s and women’s at the Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) Complex in Gulshan Iqbal on Thursday.

Acceding to the KHA secretary Syed Haider Hussain’s request, the DG KDA responded positively to set a precedent by offering contract to 16 women players soon amidst applause.

It is pertinent to mention that the KDA had re-launched its men’s hockey team about a year back. He had also raised players monthly emoluments from Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 recently.

The DG KDA also paid glowing tributes to the personnel of armed forces who had sacrificed their lives for the beloved motherland.

Meanwhile, inside right Shahzaib Khan’s hat-trick guided Samiullah XI to a fine win over Hanif Khan XI by 3-1 and win the men’s exhibition match.

Hunain Khalid slammed the consolation goal for the losers.

Asma Shah XI held Shehla Raza XI to a one-all draw in the women’s exhibition match.

Iqra Javed put Shehla Raza XI in front in the 17th minute while Ayesha Ali drew level for Asma Shah XI in the 17th minute.

The ceremony was attended among others by former Olympian Jahangir Butt, ex-international Jamil Ahmed Khan, KHA officials Gulfraz Khan, Dr S. A. Majid, Haider Hussain and Ehtisham Warsi.

The KHA has also named a selection committee to pick a women’s team for appointment in the KDA. To be headed by former noted Olympian Samiullah, the committee includes Hanif Khan, Haider Hussain and former Pakistan goal-keeper Beenish Mohammad Ali.

The date of the trials will be announced soon.

Dawn

SASCOC announce the Girls Youth Olympic Hockey Team

Today the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee have announced the final 42 squad members to represent the country at Youth Olympic Games from the 6-18 October in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Included in this team is the South African girl’s hockey side that qualified when they won the African Youth Games in Algeria.

The tournament will be the second played in the new innovative hockey 5's format that was used in Nanjing in 2014. The South African girls will be playing for the third time at the Youth Olympic Games, looking to build on their status as African Champions.

The team features six of the girls that were victorious over Namibia in Algiers including the incredibly exciting Ammaarah Hendriks and the lethal duo of Kayla de Waal and Angela Welham who were the top scorers in the African Youth Games.

The coaching staff have also stuck with Mishka Ellis in goals after she conceded only five goals over the 7 matches in Algeria. The new players in the squad are Samantha Smuts, Nepo Serage and Zimkhita Weston.

The team will once again be led by the duo of Tsoanelo Pholo as the coach, whose voice was a regular for viewers of the CTM Premier Hockey League as she commentated on Supersport, and Tarrin Ramsden as manager. Ramsden was the assistant coach of the Madikwe Rangers who lost in the final this year. Both ladies are busy coaching sides, Southern Gauteng and Free State respectively, at the SA Hockey Under 21 IPT.

SA Hockey wishes the ladies all the best for the tournament and looks forwards to supporting the ladies as they go out and make our country proud.

South African Girls Side

No, Name
1, Mishka Ellis
2, Jacolene McLaren
3, Samantha Smuts
4, Angela Welham
5, Ammaarah Hendricks
6, Kayla de Waal
7, Nepo Serage
8, Angel Nkosi
9, Zimkhitha Weston
Coach, Tsoanelo Pholo
Manager, Tarrin Ramsden

SA Hockey Association media release

Sponsors step in to help run Sultan of Johor Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: A whopping RM2.15mil has been raised for the 8th edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup.

Six teams – defending champions Britain, Australia, India, New Zealand, Japan and hosts Malaysia – will battle it out for the title at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru from Oct 6-13.

“Sponsors have stepped forward to support this tournament and we’re grateful for it,” said organising committee secretary Datuk Manjit Majid Abdullah.

The sponsors are – Johor State Government (RM500,000), RITZ Corporation Holding Berhad (RM500,000), Astaka Padu Sdn Bhd (RM200,000), WM Era (RM200,000), Johor Corporation (RM100,000), JBB Builders (M) Sdn Bhd (RM100,000), UM Land (RM100,000), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (RM100,000), SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), KH Land Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), The Zon (RM50,000), Iskandar Waterfront Holding Berhad (RM50,000), Genting Berhad (RM50,000) and Berjaya Times Square (RM30,000).

Sports Depot will provide apparel for match officials as well as special awards for man of the match in all 18 matches.

“There were many requests from other countries to participate in this years’s tournament but we can only accommodate six.

“The Johor Hockey Association (JHA) are also thankful to the various state agencies, officials and volunteers for their involvement in this tournament,” said Manjit, who is also the deputy president of JHA and the vice-president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).

The Star of Malaysia

Malaysia will miss six players

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will be without six players for the Sultan of Johor Cup at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru on Oct 6-18.

The six are unavailable as they will be representing the country at the Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.

Defending champions Britain, Australia, India, New Zealand and Japan make up the teams in the Under-21 invitational tournament.

Malaysia target is to finish fourth.

Coached by former Olympian Nor Saiful Zaini, the team will start their final phase of training on Sept 25 before moving their base to Johor Baru on Oct 1.

Coached by former Olympian Nor Saiful Zaini, the team will start their final phase of training on Sept 25 before moving their base to Johor Baru on Oct 1. NSTP file pic

“We currently have 20 players in training. We have had six sessions of training since June this year,” said Nor Saiful.

“I expect India, Australia and Britain to be the front runners for the title, but we hope to make it tough for them even though we will be without six players.”

A ceremony to recognise the sponsors was held on Monday. The tournament received RM2.15 million in sponsorship.

“We are thankful that sponsors have generously stepped forward to help the organisational cost of this tournament,” said organising secretary Datuk Manjit Majid Abdullah who is also the vice-president of Malaysian Hockey Confederation,

Those who presented their contributions were the Johor State Government (RM500,000), RITZ Corporation Holding Berhad (RM500,000), Astaka Padu Sdn Bhd (RM200,000), WM Era (RM200,000), Johor Corporation (RM100,000), JBB Builders (M) Sdn Bhd (RM100,000), UM Land ( RM100,000), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (RM100,000), SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), KH Land Sdn Bhd (RM50,000), The Zon (RM50,000), Iskandar Waterfront Holding Berhad (RM50,000), Genting Berhad (RM50,000) and Berjaya Times Square (RM30,000).

Sports Depot will provide apparel for match officials as well as special man-of-the-match awards for all 18 matches.

New Straits Times

UniKL, Pistoia seal tie-up

By Jugjet Singh


President Prof Datuk Dr Mazliham Mohd Su'ud (2nd right), Technical Director, Train Filippo (right) and Athlete of Pistoia Hockey Club, Masi Alessio (left) with players hockeys, from left, S Selvaraju, 33, Daniele Giordano, 22 and Abdul Khaliq Hamirin, 21 during visit and Collaboration Possibility - Pistoia Hockey Club (Italy) with UniKL Hockey Club (Malaysia) at University Kuala Lumpur, Bangi. Pic by NSTP/ NURUL SHAFINA JEMENON

KUALA LUMPUR: In a move to produce quality players, University Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Italy’s Pistoia Hockey Club (PHC) will work together to raise their profiles in hockey for the fourth straight year.

The two clubs cemented the collaboration in a ceremony in KL on Wednesday.

They will work together in recruitment, development, coaching and player-exchange initiatives.

UniKL president and chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mazliham Su'ud said: “Pistoia have agreed to use the UniKL logo on their jerseys and we will also help each other on many aspects to promote the sport in both countries," said Mazliham.

UniKL, the only hockey club in the country with their own stadium, plan to do well in the 2019 season.

"Since the club’s formation in 2009, we have won many junior titles as well as produced players for the national senior and junior teams.

“We hope to organise leagues for clubs, schools, universities and communities in Bangi, Nilai Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Kajang and Putrajaya," said Mazliham.

Pistoia technical director Train Filippo along with players Giordano Daniele and Masi Alessio are in Malaysia as part of the collaboration.

The club play in the second-tier competition in Italy.

New Straits Times

Stanford field hockey: Corinne Zanolli's effort leads to No. 15 Cardinal's highest score in 6 years



BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -  Corinne Zanolli's five-goal effort fueled No. 20 Stanford's 8-1 rout of Ohio on Thursday afternoon in a neutral-site match.

Playing the first of three matches over a four-day stretch, Stanford (1-3, 0-0 America East) picked up its first win of the season following three hard-fought losses against top-15 competition.

Stanford overwhelmed Ohio early and often, producing its best offensive performance since a 10-0 victory over La Salle on Aug. 24, 2012. The Cardinal built a 3-0 halftime lead and held a 31-5 shot advantage against the Bobcats (1-4, 0-0 MAC).

Zanolli, who led Stanford with 15 goals as a freshman in 2017, had been held scoreless over the first three games. However, Thursday's contest was a breakthrough, with Zanolli firing off a career-best nine shots and scoring three of her five goals after intermission.

Emma Alderton, Frances Carstens and Molly Redgrove all chipped in with a goal for Stanford, which led 7-0 until Brittany Keen's goal in the 64th minute finally put the Bobcats on the board.

The penalty corner was once again a weapon for Stanford, which owned a 10-2 edge. Kennedy Schumacher and Jessica Welch both finished with two assists, helping the Cardinal convert opportunities in the first and second periods.

Carstens and Phoebe Crosthwaite both contributed five shot attempts.

Kelsey Bing picked up the victory, holding Ohio scoreless for the first 57:42 in the cage. Hannah Santos made her collegiate debut, playing the final 13 minutes.

Stanford continues its road swing on Friday, facing host Indiana at 12:30 p.m. PT.

NCAA

Weekend College Games



Each week, USA Field Hockey highlights some of the top college games in Division I, II and III.

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7

DI: No. 4 Duke vs. No. 6 Princeton | 4 p.m. ET
This will be a great game to watch in Division I college field hockey this weekend. Duke suffered their first loss of the 2018 season last Sunday when they fell 4-3 to No. 3 Maryland. The game was a back and forth battle for the full 70 minutes with both teams scoring one after the other. The loss last weekend moved the Blue Devils to 3-1 overall. Duke is hoping that their depth can give them the upper hand when they take on Princeton this Friday. The Tigers split their opening weekend losing to No. 2 UNC on Friday 0-1 and then beat No. 18 Wake Forest 4-0 on Sunday. Last weekend's win improved Princeton to 1-1 overall this season. They will look to keep their momentum going with another win.

DII: Lindenwood vs. Molloy | 3 p.m. ET
Lindenwood will host Molloy this Friday in Rockville Centre, N.Y. The Lions started the 2018 season with one loss and one win this past weekend. On Saturday, Lindenwood lost 2-3 to No. 10 Bloomsburg University but went on to defeated higher ranked No. 7 Saint Anselm 2-1 on Sunday, the highest-ranked win for Lindenwood in program history. Molloy started off the 2018 season strong with back-to-back wins against Keystone College and Southern Connecticut State University this past weekend. The second consecutive victory is the first winning streak in program history. With both of these teams setting program records, expect this game to be a fun one to watch.

DIII: Vassar vs. No. 6 Christopher Newport | 3:00 p.m. ET
No. 6 Christopher Newport will host Vassar in Newport News, Va. After leading the NCAA in goals-against-average in 2017, sixth-ranked CNU is off to a good start in 2018. The Captains are 1-0 overall after defeating Bridgewater College 5-0 this past Friday. CNU outshot their opponent 39-2 and showed strength on both the defense and offense. Vassar has also start off 2018 strong with two wins over Manhattanville and Geneseo in the fifth-consecutive Berry Richey tournament. Vassar showed their scoring and finishing abilities throughout the tournament winning 10-0 against Manhattanville and 4-1 against Geneseo. Both of these teams are well rounded so expect this game to be a battle all of the field.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 8



DI: No. 17 Harvard vs. American | 1:30 p.m. ET
Harvard will take on American in the Terrapin Invitational in College Park, Md. this Saturday. Harvard is 2-0 overall after defeating New Hampshire 4-1 and Holy Cross 4-0 this past weekend. They showed that they can be an offensive threat tallying 33 shots on goal against Holy Cross. American had back-to-back wins last weekend to improve to 3-1 overall this season. This past weekend, the Eagles defeated James Madison 5-2 on Friday and then went on to defeat Virginia Commonwealth 3-2 in a thrilling double overtime match. American was down 0-2 to VCU before scoring two goals in the final four minutes to force the game to overtime. Tune into see if Harvard’s offensive threats will be strong enough to beat American’s never die attitude.

DII: No. 9 Merrimack vs. No. 2 East Stroudsburg | 1:00 p.m. ET
Merrimack will host East Stroudsburg this Saturday in North Andover, Mass. This game will be the game to watch this weekend in Division II field hockey. Merrimack is looking to build off last year’s successful 7-5 conference record and 11-7 record overall. The Warriors are off to a good start in 2018, defeating Seton Hill 9-0 this past Saturday. They are looking to build off last year’s successful 7-5 conference record and 11-7 overall record. Merrimack was selected ninth in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II Preseason National Coaches' Poll. The game this Saturday will be the first for East Stroudsburg this season. ESU was listed second in the NFHCA Division II Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The ESU Warriors finished last season 8-2 in the conference and 17-5 overall and have made three straight NCAA tournament appearances since 2015. The last time these two teams met Merrimack fell 2-1 to East Stroudsburg. This game is sure to be a close one so tune in!

DIII: No. 5 Salisbury vs. No. 2 Messiah | 1:00 p.m. ET
The game between these Top-5 ranked teams will be the game to watch in Division III field hockey this weekend. No. 2 Messiah will host No. 5 Salisbury this Saturday in Grantham, Pa. In 2017, Messiah made it all the way to the Division III National Championship Game but finished as the runner-up. This year, the Falcons were selected second in the NFHCA preseason poll. The Falcons started off their 2018 season last Friday with a 4-1 win over York College of Pennsylvania. Salisbury was selected fifth in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III Preseason National Coaches Poll. Salisbury finished opening weekend with back-to-back wins over Dickinson and Misericordia. The Sea Gulls showed their offensive strengths but it was their defensive efforts that really stood out by earning two shutouts. The last time these two teams met, Messiah defeated Salisbury 2-1 in a thrilling overtime game. This game is sure to be another thriller so don’t miss it!

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9



DI: Virginia Commonwealth vs. William & Mary | 1:00 p.m. ET
William and Mary will host Virginia Commonwealth this Sunday at Busch Field in Williamsburg, Va. This past weekend, the Tribe got their first win of the 2018 season when they defeated Lafayette 4-1. The win improved William and Mary to 1-2 overall after they loss back-to-back games to higher ranked Duke and Old Dominion during opening weekend. Despite the two losses, William and Mary bounced backed and is looking more connected as a team on the field. VCU is coming off a tough 2-3 double overtime loss to American this past weekend. The loss dropped the Rams to 1-2 overall this season. VCU will look to get back on track when they face William and Mary this weekend. The last time these two teams met, it was a very close match with William and Mary just beating VCU 5-4.

DII: Bellarmine vs. Seton Hill | 11:00 a.m. ET
Bellarmine will take on Seton Hill this Sunday in Greensburg, Pa. Both of these teams are coming off tough losses and are looking to get back on track. Bellarmine started off their 2018 campaign with a bang when they upset No. 7 Saint Anselm 2-1 in a thrilling overtime game. But, this past Monday, they lost 0-5 to No. 10 Bloomsburg. Despite the loss, the Knights recognize their potential for the season and will look to come back fundamentally stronger this week. Seton Hill is 0-1 overall after losing to No. 9 Merrimack 0-9 this past Saturday. Last season, the Griffins finished with four wins which was the most the team has had since 2013. Seton Hill are looking to build upon the success of last season by getting more wins in 2018. Tune into see if Bellarmine can bounce back or if Seton Hill will start making strides toward their 2018 aspirations.

DIII: Ferrum vs. Goucher | 2:00 p.m. ET
Goucher will host Ferrum this Sunday in Townson, Mass. Goucher opened their 2018 season with a tough 1-2 overtime loss to St. Mary’s this past Friday. Even though St. Mary’s outshot Goucher 33-7, they held strong with 19 saves and continued to stay in the game the entire 70 mins. Ferrum is also coming off a tough weekend posting back-to-back losses to Concordia Wisconsin and Wesley. Despite losing, Ferrum showed growth from their first loss to their second by showing their ability to continue to battle despite being down early. The hope is to continue on this growth and play a consistent 70 minutes against Goucher. Both of these teams have showed that they won’t go down without a fight and are continually growing every game. Tune into see which team can connect the best and play together.

USFHA media release