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News for 03 December 2018

All the news for Monday 3 December 2018


Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 - Day 5
Bhubaneswar (IND)

Results 2 December

CAN v RSA (Pool C)     1 - 1
IND v BEL (Pool C)             2 - 2

Fixtures 3 December (GMT +5:30)

17:00     ESP v FRA (Pool A)
19:00     NZL v ARG (Pool A)

Upcoming pool fixtures (GMT +5:30)

4 Dec 2018 17:00     ENG v AUS (Pool B)
4 Dec 2018 19:00     IRL v CHN (Pool B)

5 Dec 2018 17:00     GER v NED (Pool D)
5 Dec 2018 19:00     MAS v PAK (Pool D)

6 Dec 2018 17:00     ESP v NZL (Pool A)
6 Dec 2018 19:00     ARG v FRA (Pool A)

Pool Standings

Pool A
  Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Argentina 1 1 0 0 4 3 1 3
2 New Zealand 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
3 Spain 1 0 0 1 3 4 -1 0
4 France 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
Pool B
  Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Australia 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
2 China 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 1
2 England 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 1
4 Ireland 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1 0
Pool C
  Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 India 2 1 1 0 7 2 5 4
2 Belgium 2 1 1 0 4 3 1 4
3 Canada 2 0 1 1 2 3 -1 1
4 South Africa 2 0 1 1 1 6 -5 1
Pool D
  Team P W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Netherlands 1 1 0 0 7 0 7 3
2 Germany 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 3
3 Pakistan 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0
4 Malaysia 1 0 0 1 0 7 -7 0

FIH Match Centre



South Africa held to a draw by Canada leaving World Cup hopes in the balance


SA Men celebrate the opening goal scored by Bili Ntuli - Picture - FIH

It was a pulsating match between the fifteenth ranked South Africa and Canada ranked four places higher in the second group C match up. With the both sides having lost their openers the match had added importance that the losers would face an early elimination from the FIH Hockey World Cup. The South African men also knew that previous coach Gregg Clark was in the Canadian camp, adding an extra bit of spice to the match.

The South Africans started the match like the only team that wanted to win, Canada knew due to goal difference a draw would suit them slightly better and created numerous chances in the first half. The best opportunity of the half came through a superb piece of work by Nic Spooner down the left-hand side before setting up Bili Ntuli who was unable to direct his effort into the goal.

South Africa were also awarded three penalty corners in the half with one superbly saved by David Carter. South Africa will be bitterly disappointed that they were unable to make their penalty corner dominance count throughout the match, but that one was nothing short of a world-class save.

Having been mostly a spectator for the first half, Rassie Pieterse was called into action on the verge of half-time and produced a superb save to deny Scott Tupper. It was a reminder to the African Champions that all the pressure counted for nothing if they couldn’t put a goal on the scoresheet.

The goal however did come for the South Africans in the second half and it was superb and emotional. Bili Ntuli, whose brother Sihle Ntuli is one of the Assistant Coaches, received the ball under immense pressure, created space for himself and shot a beautiful tomahawk into the corner. The Ntuli brother’s younger sister passed away in February and it was clearly an emotional moment for the younger brother who wanted to score at the World Cup in honour of his late sister.

The lead would not last long enough and Canada levelled when their second penalty corner beat Gowan Jones and hit Rhett Halketts foot on the line. The Penalty stroke, rightfully awarded, was dispatched by Scott Tupper.

South Africa would create numerous goal-scoring opportunities late on including four penalty corners but were unable to finish one of them. It was clear at the final whistle that the Canadians were the happier of the two sides knowing they had escaped with a point and that South Africa would have it all to do in the final group game where goal difference is not in our favour.

FIH Hockey World Cup 2018 – Group C – 2 December Results

South Africa 1-1 Canada
India 2-2 Belgium

Group C Standings After 2 Rounds (Goal Difference in Brackets)

    India 4 pts (+5)
    Belgium 4 pts (+1)
    Canada 1 pt. (-1)
    South Africa 1 pt. (-5)

Group C – 8 December Fixtures

13:30 South Africa vs. Belgium
15:30 India vs. Canada

SA Hockey Association media release



Canada plays to 1-1 draw against Commonwealth rival South Africa

Scott Tupper’s penalty stroke lifts Canada to 1-1 decision against South Africa


Photo: Yan Huckendubler

Stingy defense and opportunistic scoring: These are the themes that Canada has shown throughout this World Cup. Terrific goalkeeping and a second-half goal by captain Scott Tupper forces a tie with South Africa leaving Canada in a favourable position heading into their final pool-play game.

Canada weathered the initial South African attack in the first quarter in what has become somewhat of a theme. The same defensive unit led by Tupper and Gordon Johnston that remained steadfast against a Belgian attack earlier this week, stood tall again against South Africa.

South Africa pressured an earned a three first-half penalty corners but Canada’s David Carter rose to the occasion and made three brilliant saves. Canada pressured back at the end of the first half when James Kirkpatrick had a quick chance inside the South African circle.

In the third quarter, Canada attacked with more vigour and pressed for chances. A missed PC and the ensuing green card led to a set of South African penalty corners. Once again Canada stood strong and David Carter continued to shine in the Canadian net.

Carter, the 37-year-old Canadian netminder felt the team didn’t come out of the gate strong enough but held their defensive structure well.

“Obviously we all wanted to come out of this game with a win,” Carter said. “But I thought we protected against their corners well and played overall really great defense.

South Africa broke the deadlock with three minutes left in the third quarter. The goal, off the stick of Nqobile Ntuli seemed to add life to the Canadian attack who responded two minutes later with an earned penalty corner and a subsequent stroke that Tupper buried with no mistake.

With the tournament format the way it is, Carter said every game is so vital to moving on.

“It’s pretty much do or die during every game,” he said. “So when they scored, we knew we had to really press and really try to get that goal back, really try to get at least some points out of this game.”

South Africa, with the net empty applied heavy pressure and earned a penalty corner with only a few minutes remaining. As Canada has done all World Cup long, they protected their net as Matt Sarmento dove to deflect the danger away.

Tupper, the Canadian goal scorer, echoed Carter’s words and added that it’s all about moving on and continuing to perform.

“It was nice to see that when we did go one down, we bought in and get it back to even. We know we have a few things to work on before taking on India in front of a packed stadium,” Tupper said.

The clock ticked out on tonight’s game and Canada walked off the pitch with a positive result. Canada maintains third position in Pool C. A good result against India or a Belgium win over South Africa will likely spell Canada through to the pre-quarterfinals.

Canada will now take on the host-nation, India in their final pool play game. A win would surely push Canada through to the next round. Tupper feels that although India poses a tough challenge, Canada does have a history of playing well against them when it matters most.

“We’ve had success at the last two major tournaments against India,” he said. “Hopefully we can have another really good performance and get a win.”

Canada takes on India in prime-time on Saturday December 8th at Kalinga Stadium. Stay tuned for viewing information and broadcast times.

Field Hockey Canada media release



Canada hold SA to 1-1 draw

Indervir grewal

Canada gave themselves of a chance of finishing second in the pool after a relatively comfortable 1-1 draw against the more attacking South Africa.

Facing India next, Canada can finish second if they beat the hosts, but the goal difference will have to be big. Nevertheless, they would feel the third place is more attainable after the draw.

South Africa, who lost 5-0 to India and face Belgium next; went all out for a win. They created more chances, got the lead in the 43rd minute through Nqobile Ntuli but captain Scott Tupper equalised two minutes later.

Desperate for the win, South Africa took off their goalkeeper late in the game. Strangely, though, the goalkeeper walked off while South Africa were defending a long corner. The extra man couldn’t get them the goal, and they are left with a near impossible task of beating Belgium for a chance to qualify for the crossover match.

The Tribune



Canada, South Africa play out 1-1 draw to stay alive in WC


South Africa's Julian Hykes makes a break.

Canada and South Africa played out a 1-1 draw in their second Pool C match to stay afloat in the Men's Hockey World Cup in Bhubneshwar on Sunday.

It was a hard-fought battle with little separating the two teams.

In the contest between world no 11. Canada and world no 15. South Africa, both teams fought hard in the opening two quarters and did not give each other an inch of advantage to remain goalless at half time.

It was South Africa who took the lead in the 43rd minute through a fine reverse stick field goal by Nqobile Ntuli.

But South Africa's joy was shortlived as Canada equalised two minutes later when they were awarded a penalty stroke and skipper Scott Tupper took the onus on himself to level the match.

Thereafter, both Canada and South Africa pressed hard in search of the winner but they failed to breach the rival defence to eventually share the spoils.

The result kept both the teams in the hunt for a place in the knock-out round. While Canada will play hosts India in their last pool match on December 8, South Africa will face world no. 3 Belgium on the same day.

Daily News & Analysis



Crucial draw for Belgium and India

s2h Team



This is one situation both India and Belgium would not welcome. They would have wanted an outright victory on Day 5 of the World Cup. They drew their much awaited encounter 2-2, Belgium striking the equalizer four minutes from hooter time. A win would have put one of them straight into the quarters after easy looking next match. However, each team undefined outplaying the other in either half, the world's top three and five ranked teams settled for a honourable and exciting draw.

When the Belgians came all cylinders firing in the first half, it appeared the Red Lions will make mincemeat of India. Excellent game sense that included two successful referrals that fetched them PCs and the first goal, Belgium juggernaut seemed rolling in the land of Juggernaut but India changed gears early in the second half to tilt the tide in its favour. Harmanpreet Singh through a stroke and then Simranjeet Singh with a deft deflection off Kothajit Singh got India crucial 2-1 lead. But four minutes before the end time, playing without goalie Vincent Vanasch, Belgium extracted the elusive equalizer in the 56th minute through enterprising effort of Simon Gougnard. Simon cut through from the right before flatfooting Surender Kumar and then goalie PR Sreejesh.

India had created enough chances to increase the lead after the 2-2 draw, but nerves got over the precision. Varun, who was deservedly adjudged the Man of the Match, provided a couple of overheads in that spell, but once Lalit Upadhyay and then Mandeep Singh frittered away the gilt edged chances to again go up and finish the game in their favour.

Now, the results of last pool matches, one between Canada and India and the other with Belgium-South Africa, will throw clear picture as to the crucial pool topper who can avoid cross over match for grabbing the quarters' slot. India now has +5 goal difference four more than Belgium's. Today's draw has put Belgium on the gigantic task of scoring plenty of goals, in the range of 7-10 against Africa. If India can produce good win against Canada, Belgium will be relegated to cross over spell. Interestingly, India will take on Canada after Belgium-South Africa match. This will give India to plan its game well so as to top the pool.

The way India emerged after lemon time after playing a subdue role in the entire 30 minutes before, is hert warming. Tightening the midfield, India did not allow any elbow room for Belgium who had a free time earlier to send a battery of pushes into the circle, that got them nuanced penalty corners out of which they took the lead (1-0).

Belgium started the match ferociously. Couple of long pushes saw them getting penalty corners due to clever referrals. Within a minute, a foot in tackling Surender Kumar inside the circle got them first penalty corner, and then Birendra got the other.

Hendricks Alexander managed to send the ball between the legs of Sreejesh who was diving to his right. This 8th minute goal silenced the crowd. The full crowd came to live when Varun's penalty corner struck a defender at the far end of the post, resulting in the only stroke of the tournament so far. Harmanpreet Singh had no difficulty in placing the ball inside the cage.

India would not have gone through such a long spell of struggling before this goal had only Dilpreet Singh been a bit of unselfish, and then on occasions Mandeep Singh be more alert and purposeful in his acts.

Akashdeep Singh could not shine as linkman unlike against South Africa, but once he was shifted to his usual attacking position, the team jelled well.

Stick2Hockey.com



India, Belgium share honours in a spirited encounter

India will play Canada in their last pool match on December 8, while Belgium will be up against South Africa.

Uthra Ganesan


Indian players celebrate after scoring the second goal against Belgium in the men’s Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar on December 2, 2018. Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

Unforced errors, vertical passes and exceptional trapping and control from the opponent. India coach Harendra Singh had warned his side of all these ahead of the crucial Pool C game on Sunday. For 30 minutes, it looked like his wards had forgotten all the lessons.

The next 30, they went all out to make up for lost time and left Belgium shaken and stirred before the Red Lions recovered right at the end. A match of two halves with both teams dominating one each, a 2-2 draw was fair result at the World Cup on Sunday, keeping the pool and the race to quarterfinals wide open.

Pushed on the back-foot

The Indian hockey team has declared defensive play as persona non grata for some time now, regardless of competition or circumstances. But on Sunday, it was forced to do that for the first two quarters as Belgium pushed the host on the back-foot. The full press attack from the Belgians saw Harendra’s team take time to settle, the Indian players admitting the slow start was a concern.

Belgium took an early lead, Alexander Hendrickx slotting the ball through Sreejesh’s legs off a penalty corner, to stun the crowd and leave the Indians chasing the ball. With precise passing, dead-stop trapping and exceptional ball control, Belgium dominated in every department even as the host struggled to even break into the opposition circle.

It was a relief that the score was only 1-0 at half time, Belgium coach Shane McLeod admitting his team would have preferred more fruits for its labour while crediting the Indian defence for keeping his strikers at bay.

Hunted turns hunter

From 31st minute onwards, it was a different story. India attacked with vengeance, began finding the gaps and kept stealing the balls to effect turnovers. Having conceded them by the dozen in the first half, the Indians now began taking the ball back.

The midfield, erratic and disorganised, became more structured. The strikers improved their positioning inside the circle, and it paid off. India earned two penalty corners, the second of which was turned into a stroke and converted by Harmanpreet Singh to bring parity and the voice back to a capacity crowd that strangely missed the buzz nevertheless.

Simranjeet Singh made it 2-1 eight minutes later but just as it looked like India would get one foot into the quarterfinals, Belgium fought back. It took off goalkeeper Vincent Vanasche, added an outfield player, went for broke and got the equaliser four minutes from time.

The result leaves both teams needing a win in their final games that would be played after a five-day break, India with the slightest of advantages in terms of goal difference but a tricky Canada to deal with.

Earlier in the day, South Africa fought out a 1-1 draw with Canada to fight another day in the competition.

The results:

Canada 1 (Scott Tupper) drew with South Africa 1 (Nqobile Ntuli).

India 2 (Harmanpreet Singh, Simranjeet Singh) drew with Belgium 2 (Alexander Hendrickx, Simon Gougnard).

The Hindu



No winner in India-Belgium face-off

Red Lions find an equaliser in the 56th minute to escape with a thrilling 2-2 draw

INDERVIR GREWAL IN BHUBANESWAR


Mandeep Singh reacts after missing a chance to score against Belgium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. AFP

World No. 5 India showed uncharacteristic tactical maturity and mental strength to take the lead despite falling behind early, but Belgium reminded everyone why they are world No. 3 and serious title-contenders by snatching a late draw in the most thrilling encounter of the tournament so far.

A match with pool supremacy on the line, it turned out to be a great tactical battle, with the momentum shifting almost completely from one team to the other. If not for great defensive work from both teams, the match could have been a one-sided affair. Both sides enjoyed long passages of dominance at different times but couldn’t find the goals to show for it.

Belgium’s aggressive start against India was obvious. India have generally been more vulnerable at the start. Belgium’s plan worked but not completely. They started with high pressure, closing down the channels in the midfield. The stifling pressure on India’s midfielders by the triple-teaming Belgians meant that the hosts didn’t get past the half-line for the first five minutes. Belgium did get a penalty corner in the second minute, but it was saved on the line by Surendra Kumar. And if the Red Lions were looking for quick turnovers, they were left disappointed by India’s quick recovery in defence.

But Belgium kept chipping away at the Indian defence and earned another penalty corner in the eighth minute. Alexander Hendrickx scored with a fierce drag-flick, but PR Sreejesh would be disappointed to the let the ball in through his pads.

Happy with their lead, Belgium settled back a bit, but they still controlled the midfield. India failed to hold possession and had few good attacks. Mandeep Singh had a chance in the last minute of the first quarter but his touch was too heavy, and the deflection harmlessly rolled over the baseline.

The second half wasn’t much different. India were still struggling to find free players and link up to start any dangerous move, relapsing to hitting long balls into the circle. But the Belgian defence intercepted each ball with ease. Having suffered two heartbreaking losses to India in Bhubaneswar, Belgium had come prepared and were pumped-up. Victor Wegnez, standing at the top of the circle, intercepted Harmanpreet Singh’s intended hit into the danger area, cleared it away and let out a loud roar while staring straight at the Indian defender. Wegnez won a personal battle. The two share some history as well. Two years ago, Harmanpreet had won the Junior World Cup after beating Wegnez-led Belgium in the final. Belgium were winning the mental battle, while India were getting frustrated.

Middle men

The second half, though, started with a tactical change. India started with an extra midfielder or an inside-forward in a withdrawn role in place of a deep striker. The strategy worked. They got more control over the ball, started rotating it more. “It opened up space in the middle,” India coach Harendra Singh said. With a few attacks, they shook Belgium’s composure. The game became a little more open and chaotic, which worked in India’s favour. The counterattacks started working for India. They started making more use of the long high ball behind the Belgian defence. Belgium panicked further and started making individual errors. 

India earned a penalty corner, but FIH goalkeeper of the year Vincent Vanasch produced a great save to deflect out Harmanpreet’s high drag-flick aimed for the left corner with his stick. India earned another penalty corner a few minutes later, and Varun Kumar — the star of the match in defence — got India a penalty stroke with his low drag-flick. Vanasch’s padded save deflected into the body of the defender on the goal-line. Harmanpreet, off-field during the PC, came in, faked right, hit left and returned to the sideline amidst thunderous cheer.

For the next 10 minutes, India had almost complete control of the ball, but did not have too many dangerous attacks. Until Simranjeet Singh, squatting down at the far post, calmly deflected in a cross from Kothajit Singh, who had made a surprising run along the goal-line. With 13 minutes to go, India had the lead and the momentum. Belgium were still struggling to get an attack going, while India were bursting with confidence. With just over four minutes to go, a desperate Belgium took their goalkeeper off. The gampelan paid off instantly. The extra man helped in stretching the Indian defence, and Simon Gougnard struck — again through Sreejesh’s pads. But Belgium were not satisfied with the draw, so they kept their goalkeeper off. Both teams had attacks in the final few minutes, but in the end, a draw seemed the fairest result.

The Tribune



Spirited India play out 2-2 draw against Belgium


Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 , AFP

Hosts India produced a spirited effort to eke out a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists Belgium in an evenly-contested Pool C match of the men's hockey World Cup in Bhubneshwar on Sunday.

Pegged back by Alenander Hendricks' goal in the eighth minute, India made a valiant comeback after the change of ends, scoring two goals in the third and fourth quarter through Harmanpreet Singh (39th) and Simranjeet Singh (47th) to take the lead.

But the hosts defence faltered in the final minutes and conceded a late goal when Simon Gougnard scored in the 56th minute to draw level.

The draw, however, enabled world no. 5 India to take the top spot in Pool C ahead of Belgium on goal difference. Both teams have a win and a draw from two outings.

India had earlier blanked South Africa 5-0 in their opener, while world no. 3 Belgium pulled off a close 2-1 win over Canada.

India will play Canada in their last pool match on December 8, while Belgium will be up against South Africa on the same day.

Contrary to their last match, the Indians completely looked out of sorts in the opening two quarters against Belgium.

The hosts lacked co-ordination in the midfield and that gave them hardly any scoring opportunities.

The Indians were slow to get off the blocks as the Red Lions dominated the proceedings in the first two quarters, threatening the hosts defence on a number of occasions.

Belgium got their first scoring opportunity in the second minute in the form of back-to-back penalty corners but failed to get past the Indian defence.

Another penalty corner in the eighth minute resulted in Belgium's first goal through Hendricks, who sounded the board with a ground flick in between the legs of Indian custodian P R Sreejesh.

Seconds from the first quarter, India had their first real scoring chance when Mandeep deflected wide a Dilpreet Singh lay over from Birendra Lakra's inch-perfect pass from the midfield. Five minutes into the second quarter,

Dilpreet Singh shot wide from top right after being fed by skipper Manpreet Singh.

Two minutes from half time, Tom Boon came tantalisingly close to doubling Belgium's lead when his neat deflection struck the post and went out.

But after the change of ends, the Indians changed gears and looked a completely different side.

The home team looked more organised and their mid-field finally started to create opportunities.

Three minutes into the third quarter, Dilpreet was denied by Belgium goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch from close range after being fed by Simranjeet.

Two minutes later India earned their first penalty corner and it took a gem of save from Vanasch to keep Harmanpreet Singh's powerful high flick out of the target.

Minutes later, Belgium had a chance but an alert Sreejesh denied Cedric Charlier. India's relentless pressure earned them back-to-back penalty corners in the 39th minute, the second of which resulted in a penalty stroke which was ably converted by Harmanpreet to drew parity for the hosts.

Two minutes into the fourth and final quarter, Simranjeet scored his third goal of the tournament by tapping in from close range after being set up by Kothajit Singh's fine stick work from the left flank to hand India the lead.

Thereafter, the game witnessed end-to-end attacking stuff with both the teams pressing hard in search of the decisive goal.

Belgium withdrew their goal keeper for an extra player with little less than five minutes from the hooter and their move struck gold when Gougnard scored with a slap shot in between Sreejesh's legs late into the game.

The Indians made a few impressive moves in the remaining few minutes but Belgium defended stoutly despite the absence of their goalkeeper to share the spoils.

Daily News & Analysis



India coach Harendra Singh says change of structure, game plan at half-time worked against Belgium


Simranjeet Singh scored India's second goal against Belgium. PTI/Ashok Bhaumik

Bhubaneswar: India's chief coach Harendra Singh said a change of structure and game plan at half-time turned things around for his side after conceding an early goal in the 2-2 draw against Belgium in a Pool C match of the men's hockey World Cup on Sunday.

India gave away a goal in the eighth minute before bouncing back strongly after half-time to lead 2-1. But Belgium struck four minutes from the hooter to snatch a 2-2 draw in an evenly-contested match.

Harendra said he was not surprised by Belgium's full press tactics early on.

"We were not surprised in the first quarter with Belgium's full press. We had discussed it. They knew as the match progresses, India will be dangerous. My boys utilised the crowd's energy," the Harendra said after the match.

"In the first half, we were running behind the ball, we didn't have enough possession. We changed the structure slightly (at half-time). That worked really well. We started shifting the ball vertically," he said.

He said Belgium were left with little gas in the third and fourth quarters.

"We did double tackling. Whether we are behind the ball or chasing it, we maintain pace."

Harendra said fitness played a big part in India's performance.

"I feel proud about our fitness. Credit goes to Robin (Arkell). I have never seen such a fit Indian team," he said.

"Whether we have the ball or not, we can't drop our energy. We need to make opponents' life miserable."

The coach said India's USP was playing attacking hockey and they can't compromise on that.

"We have decided what suits Indian hockey, that is more important. India can't play with a defensive approach," he said.

Harendra said Belgium scored the equaliser because of his side's defensive lapse.

"I don't call it misfortune (conceding in final few minutes). The ball was with us. We snatched the ball, we tried to run with it, we should have passed. Getting turnover is an art but giving turnovers is suicide," he said.

India are currently placed at the top of Pool C because of a better goal difference than Belgium but Harendra feels the pool is still wide open.

"There are no ifs and buts for us. In the last game, we have a target what to do to get into top two. That one match will decide if we play the quarters directly or go to crossovers," he said.

"The pool is wide open because Belgium is 1 up, we are 5 up (on goal difference). Both of us have six-day rest. We will recover, regenerate.

Firstpost



Belgium snag late draw but still trail India on goal difference


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

India maintain a slight advantage over Belgium in Pool C at the World Cup in Bhubaneswar following a hard-fought 2-2 battle with the hosts ahead on goal difference in the group.

A sensational atmosphere greeted the players of India and Belgium as they walked out onto the turf at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium, with a sell-out 15,000 people packed into the venue to witness a key match in the race for a first place pool finish and the subsequent place in the quarter-finals that comes with it.

The Red Lions had the best of the first quarter and got their reward eight minutes in, using a clever video referral to win a penalty corner that was clinically dispatched by Alexander Hendrickx.

India had chances either side of the first quarter break, although a moment of inspiration from Tom Boon in the second quarter almost doubled the advantage when his improvised deflection hit the frame of the Indian goal.

Much to the delight of the home crowd, India came out firing in the third quarter, piling pressure on the Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallists.

Eventually the leveller arrived from the penalty spot, with a stroke being awarded after a goal-bound penalty corner effort hit the body of a Belgian player on the goal-line.

Harmanpreet Singh proved to be the coolest man in the stadium, soaking up all the tension and channelling it into an effort that was hard and true, wrongfooting Belgium goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch to find the bottom left corner.

The Kalinga Stadium erupted two minutes into the fourth and final quarter when Simranjeet Singh scored his third goal of the competition from close range, putting India very much in the driving seat for that crucial first place finish in the pool.

It proved to be temporary, with Belgium replacing their goalkeeper with an outfield player to turn up the heat on the home favourites. It paid off four minutes from the end when Simon Gougnard slapped home an equaliser after a decisive Belgium move ripped through the Indian defence to complete the scoring.

The outcome means that Belgium will probably be goal-hungry in their final group game against South Africa as they will probably need a big win to overhaul India on goal difference.

Earlier in the day, Canada and South Africa drew 1-1. The result gives the red caribous the advantage over South Africa on goal difference at this stage in the race to finish third and snag a crossover place.

On Monday, it’s the second round of Pool A matches. Spain face France while New Zealand meet Argentina.

Speaking ahead of his team’s meeting with Argentina match, Black Sticks Head Coach Darren Smith said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us to match up against the Olympic Champions at the World Cup.

“They are a high-quality team with very skillful forwards, composure and a deadly penalty corner. We also know that the points for this game are critical to get to the next round so we will be targeting the three on offer. We are looking forward to matching up against them.

Argentina Head Coach German Orozco said: “For us, we need to improve our game both when we are in possession and also without it. We want to continue building confidence in the team.”

Euro Hockey League media release



Pakistan and Bhubaneswar patch-up after four years as Kalinga crowd hails neighbours

Shantanu Srivastava


Pakistan opened their campaign with a 1-0 loss to Germany on Saturday. AFP

Bhubaneswar: When Pakistan last played a hockey match in the Odisha capital, the South Stand of the Kalinga Stadium didn't exist. On Saturday, the local crowd showed the changes are more concrete than they appear.

After the Champions Trophy semi-final in 2014, where Pakistan beat India 4-3, some Pakistani players — allegedly unprovoked — took off their shirts and made obscene gestures at the packed East Stand. Hockey India pulled its weight and no Pakistani hockey team visited India until this World Cup, not even in the Junior World Cup held a couple of years back.

However, it was the warmest welcome they could have imagined on Saturday, as a sizeable crowd cheered the neighbours in a tidal wave of sound and euphoria.

Pakistan's manager Hassan Sardar and captain Muhammad Rizwan Sr have made all the right noises since they landed here, almost extending an olive branch to the Indians. "We want to treat Indians to some good hockey. They have always loved us and the sport," Sardar had said. Pakistan coach and an accomplished forward of his time, Rehan Butt, too had suggested that it's time to move on from that incident.

Finally, it was Bhubaneswar's chance to respond, and respond they did. Each touch on the ball by a Green Shirt, every move from the flank, and every shot in the German circle was applauded. What's more, there were chants of 'jeetega bhai jeetega, Pakistan jeetega' (a familiar slogan that Pakistani fans use to cheer their teams) from the South Stand. The chants grew louder each time a Pakistani defender approached that end, and it helped that the German goalpost stood right underneath that Stand in the first half.

"Our reception in India has been excellent, and the crowd response was terrific. I really appreciate their response, and it was nice to see so many people turn up for a non-India game," Sardar told Firstpost.

Political tension between the two nations have ensured India and Pakistan continue to avoid bilateral engagements across sports, with a number of Pakistani artists being refused Indian visas in recent past. Even for this World Cup, some Pakistani sports journalists were denied visas to cover the event.

Sardar, the architect of Pakistan's famous Asian Games (Delhi) and World Cup (Bombay) wins in 1982, said India have always been receptive to good hockey.

"I still remember 1982. I was the key player who helped Pakistan beat India in both those events, but the love we got from the crowd was incredible. They simply loved us, and they appreciated good hockey. Of course, during the match, they cheered for India, but after the match, we were treated really well.

"I still remember the Asian Games final where we beat India 7-1 in Delhi. After the final, we went to local bazaars, but the shopkeepers didn't charge us a penny," Sardar said.

Pakistan hockey player Muhammad Irfan also lauded the crowd for their consistent support despite a 1-0 result in Germany's favour.

"I would really like to thank them. It was a memorable experience playing here, and ever since we have landed here, the people of India have shown us immense love. Inshallah, we will get similar support in future games," he said.

Pakistan's head coach Tauquir Dar, who, along with his team had visited a local mosque to offer Friday prayers, also praised the fans.

"It's been a dream landing for us in Bhubaneswar. The hospitality has been very warm and the crowd was cheering for us, which was very motivating for the players. We will hope to treat them with some good hockey," he said.

Bhubaneswar's response to the Pakistani players was in sharp contrast to the Champions Trophy final in 2014, played days after that incident of crowd trouble. Then, the team was booed even as Pakistan's national anthem was being played, and the crowd became Germany's 12th man, who coasted to a 2-0 win.

All that, however, seems to be a thing of past now. If the opening ceremony of the event was a throwback to the one that Delhi hosted eight years back for the Commonwealth Games — where Pakistani contingent received the loudest applause after India — Saturday showed that sport doesn't really need jingoism to sustain itself.

Firstpost



Hockey loving crowd puts the past behind

‘Accepts’ Pakistan’s apology for incidents from four years ago

Y.B. Sarangi


Peace: After the acrimony of 2014, it was a better experience for all when Pakistan played against Germany. 

‘Let bygones be bygones’ was the motto of the hockey loving crowd of Odisha’s capital city as they forgot the Pakistan team’s offensive behaviour four years ago and cheered for it during its first match of the Hockey World Cup against Germany here on Saturday night.

It was another Saturday, on December 13, 2014, when Pakistan defeated India in a Champions Trophy semifinal at the same venue to silence the home supporters. What happened later was shocking as some Pakistan players burst into ugly celebrations, taking off their jerseys and making obscene gestures at the crowd.

The spectators reacted angrily and booed the team not only that evening but also the following day when it played the final against Germany. The Germans felt at home and benefited from the partisan backing to outplay Pakistan and emerge champion.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) suspended two Pakistan players, Muhammad Tousiq and Ali Amjad, and reprimanded one, Shafqat Rasool. Pakistan coach Shahnaz Sheikh apologised for the incident, which generated some bitterness between Hockey India and the Pakistan Hockey Federation.

Maturity

Anxiety was in the air when Pakistan returned to the Kalinga Stadium for its World Cup campaign. However, the friendly crowd showed a lot of maturity to forget the four-year-old episode and applauded the team Green Shirts whenever they displayed their brilliance on the turf.

Pakistan’s players were also happy with the atmosphere. “People were supportive here. Ever since we have landed in Bhubaneswar, we have received a warm reception. We were at a mall last week and people expressed their love for us,” said captain Muhammad Rizwan.

The players also distributed tickets to some locals when they visited a local mosque to offer Friday prayers.

Irfana Qureshi, an ardent hockey lover from the city, put things into perspective. “Bhubaneswar celebrates the sport and cheers any team that plays good hockey. The Pakistan team had apologised for that incident and had come to the ground with flowers. By appreciating Pakistan’s game, the spectators accepted their apology,” said Irfana.

The Hindu



No bad vibes between rivals India and Pakistan

RELATIONS between India and Pakistan have been complicated due to a number of historical and political events.

But the Pakistan hockey team featuring in the World Cup, are just happy to play in the tournament.

Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt said that despite the political differences between the two neighbouring countries, they felt like they are in their own country.

“We are happy with the warm welcome we received since arriving in India last week. It feels really nice to receive such tremendous support from the Indian fans in our opening match against Germany at Kalinga Stadium (on Saturday night),” said Imran.

“There is so much of similarity between Pakistan and India as we speak the same language and also eat the same food.

“And it will be good if we can revive the hockey matches series between India and Pakistan, which we used to play the past few years.

“We are also pleased with the pitch condition at Kalinga Stadium as I believe it is one of the best hockey stadiums in the world.

“The atmosphere here is really good, and I believe that all the teams are enjoying their stay in India,” said Imran.

Pakistan used to be the powerhouse in hockey as they won the World Cup four times in Barcelona in 1971, Buenos Aires in 1978, Bombay in 1982 and Sydney in 1994.

World No. 13 Pakistan, who failed to qualify in the last World Cup in The Hague, Holland in 2014, lost 0-1 to Germany on Saturday.

Asked about the match against Germany, Imran said that they played well but were unlucky to lose the match.

“The defeat is a wake-up call for us that we need to play much better in our next match against Malaysia (on Dec 5).

“We need a win over Malaysia to book our place in the second round,” said Imran, who has represented Pakistan 138 times since 2009.

The Star of Malaysia



Firhan: We need to buck up and play better in our next match

By Aftar Singh


Joy and despair: Holland’s Mirco Pruijser (third from right) celebrate with teammates after scoring the third goal while Malaysian players look on agonisingly during their Group A clash on Saturday. Holland won 7-0.

DOWN but not out.

The Malaysia hockey team suffered an embarrassing 0-7 defeat to Holland in the first match of the Group D in the World Cup at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday night.

It was the worst ever defeat for Malaysia in their nine appearance in the World Cup since 1973 in Amstelveen, Holland.

It was also the biggest margin of defeat in the ongoing edition in Bhubaneswar.

The Malaysian players and officials looked lost as Holland made a mockery of the Malaysian team in the match.

Holland penetrated the Malaysian semi-circle 36 times and made 25 attempts at goal.

On the other hand, Malaysia only managed one attempt at goal.

Malaysia played well in the first 10 minutes of the match and once Holland scored their first goal in the 12th minute, the defence marshalled by Muhd Razie Abdul Rahim collapsed.

Malaysia had 11 players who are playing in their second World Cup but their performance were pathetic and disappointing as they were totally lost in the match.

In the entire match, Malaysia only had one chance to score when they earned a penalty corner in the 14th minute but forward Faizal Saari’s drag flick was saved by goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak.

The Malaysian players walked off the pitch with their head down and could not face the fans and also the journalists.

Forward Muhd Firhan Ashari, who is featuring in his second World Cup, was speechless when asked about the match.

The 25-year-old Firhan said that it was really demoralising to lose by such a big margin.

“We were no match against Holland, who played a fast attacking game.

“Our defence was shaky and we could not match them. They were a far more better team and they kept attacking until the final whistle,” said Firhan.

“The losing scoreline could have been higher if not for goalkeeper S. Kumar, who made some excellent saves.

“Despite the defeat, we have four days’ rest to recuperate and plan for our next match against Pakistan.

“It is not end of the world for us. We need to buck up and play much better in our next match against Pakistan.

“We need to beat Pakistan to finish in the top three in our group and seal a place in the second round,” said Firhan.

Pakistan lost 0-1 to Germany in their first match on Saturday night and they too will be going all out to get the better of Malaysia to book a place in the second round.

The Star of Malaysia



Hattrick against Malaysia a booster for striker Hertzberger



JEROEN Hertzberger (pic) is on cloud nine after scoring the first hattrick in the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup.

Three-time world champions Holland thrashed coach Roelant Oltmans’ men 7-0 in the opening Group D match at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday.

The 32-year-old Holland forward, who is featuring in his third consecutive World Cup, netted the goals against Malaysia in 12th, 29th and 60th minutes.

It was the biggest ever win for Holland over Malaysia in the history of the tournament.

Hertzberger was proud to score his hattrick in a big tournament like the World Cup.

“I never ever thought of doing so especially in the opening match against Malaysia.

“It is a big boost for me and also my teammates to start the World Cup with a big win.

“We never expected to beat a strong team like Malaysia with a big scoreline,” said Hertzberger, who played for Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) this year.

Hertzberger said he knows most of the Malaysian players because he played in the MHL and felt sorry for their defeat in the World Cup.

“Malaysian players like Mohd Marhan (Jalil) and Joel (van Huizen) played for UniKL with me but in the World Cup, I am playing for Holland and every team are here to play well and win matches.

“I hope the Malaysian team can recover fast to give their best in the next match,” said Hertzberger, who scored 12 goals in the MHL to help UniKL to win the overall title in the TNB Cup.

Hertzberger made his debut in the World Cup in 2010 in New Delhi and netted one goal.

Four years later, he scored four goals in The Hague, Holland.

Hertzberger said scoring a hatrrick has whetted his appetite to score more goals in other matches.

“I am already 32 and I don’t think that I will be around until the next World Cup in four years.

“I just want to enjoy playing hockey in the World Cup and help my country to finish as high as possible in the tournament,” said Hertz­ berger.

Holland, who have featured in all the past 13 World Cups, will take on Germany on Dec 5 before they wrap up the fixtures against Pakistan on Dec 9.

The Star of Malaysia



Vantage Black Sticks take on Olympic Champions Argentina in Game 2



The Vantage Black Sticks take on the reigning Olympic Champions Argentina at 2:30am on Tuesday the 4th December on Sky Sport 3. 

After starting their campaign in great fashion by beating France 2-1 in their opening game the Vantage Black Sticks will be looking to secure 3 points against a formidable opponent. The winner of this game is looking likely to earn top place in the pool and automatically qualify for the quarter finals. 

In game one both Kane Russell and Stephen Jenness got on the score board with two well-constructed goals. The Vantage Black Sticks will be needing to get production out of their whole strike line if they are going to beat a clinical Argentina team.

Argentinas key player to watch is Gonzalo Peillat who is one of the most feared drag flickers in the world. In Argentinas first game against Spain, Gonzalo scored two drag flicks including the 4th goal which the victory for Argentina. Gonzalo has an enviable goal scoring record in international hockey, he has played 132 matches and has scored 159 goals. Keeping Argentina from having penalty corner opportunities is essential to shutting down Argentinas chances.

On the Vantage Black Sticks side, the key player to watch is going to be Kane Russell. He got on the score sheet in game one with a great run down the right-hand side of the field and got a great field goal. His set piece play is a strength of his though. The Vantage Black Sticks didn’t have any penalty corners in their first game and will be looking to correct this in game 2 and give Kane the opportunity to add to his 53 goals that he has scored for his country so far. 

Coach Darren Smith talked about the upcoming fixture “This is an exciting opportunity for us to match up against the Olympic Champions at the World Cup. They are a high-quality team with very skillful strike forwards, composure and a deadly corner. We also know that the points for this game are critical to get to the next round so we will be targeting the 3 on offer and are looking forward to matching up against them”. 

Last 3 Matches

03/07/2016 Vantage Black Sticks Win 4-1
06/06/2014 Vantage Black Sticks Loss 1-3
15/01/2014 Vantage Black Sticks Draw 1-1

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Kookaburras Out To Continue Dominance Over Old Foes England

Ben Somerford



The Kookaburras can secure their spot in the 2018 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup knockout stage and put a big dent in old foe England’s hopes with victory in their upcoming encounter on Tuesday night in Bhubaneswar, India.

World number one Australia meet seventh-ranked England at 10:30pm AEDT on Tuesday night live on FOX SPORTS 503 having won all three meetings between the two nations this year.

England conceded late to have a 2-2 draw with 17th-ranked China in their World Cup opener on Friday night, while Australia edged Ireland 2-1 leaving the Kookaburras in a strong position.

Reflecting on Friday’s win, Kookaburras forward Trent Mitton said: “It’s always going to be a tough game, the opener at a World Cup.

“We’re pleased with the win and we’re up for the fight.”

The top team in each pool automatically qualifies for the quarter-finals, while second and third will progress to the crossovers for a spot in the final eight, with fourth eliminated.

An Australia win would seal the Kookaburras’ knockout spot and put them in a strong position for claim an automatic quarter-final berth ahead of their final pool match against China on Friday night.

Defeat would leave England on one point after two games ahead of their final pool match with 10th-ranked Ireland.

Australia and England last met in the 2018 Commonwealth Games semi-finals on the Gold Coast in April, with the Kookaburras winning 2-1 in a tense clash.

Australia also beat England 2-1 in the final of the Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in March and 4-1 in the pool phase of that tournament.

The two sides met in Bhubaneswar 12 months ago at last year’s World League Final with the match ending 2-2.

Australia and England have met nine times at World Cups, with the Kookaburras winning seven of their encounters, including in the 1986 final in London, and the English triumphing twice.

The Kookaburras won their last meeting at the 2014 World Cup 5-0 before going on to the lift the trophy to clinch back-to-back titles. England did beat Australia 3-2 in 2010.

Australia v England
Tuesday 4 December, 10:30pm AEDT
Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar
LIVE on FOX SPORTS 503 & kayosports.com.au

Follow @Kookaburras on Twitter for updates

Kookaburras’ 18-member team for the World Cup:
Athlete (City, State)
Daniel Beale (Brisbane, QLD)
Timothy Brand (Chatswood, NSW)
Andrew Charter (Canberra, ACT)
Tom Craig (Lane Cove, NSW)
Matthew Dawson (Killarney Vale, NSW)
Blake Govers (Wollongong, NSW)
Jake Harvie (Dardanup, WA)
Jeremy Hayward (Darwin, NT)
Tim Howard (Wakerley, QLD)
Tyler Lovell (Perth, WA)
Trent Mitton (Perth, WA)
Eddie Ockenden (Hobart, TAS)
Flynn Ogilvie (Wollongong, NSW)
Matthew Swann (Mackay, QLD)
Corey Weyer (Biggera Waters, QLD)
Jake Whetton (Brisbane, QLD)
Dylan Wotherspoon (Murwillumbah, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Aran Zalewski (Margaret River, WA)

Kookaburras’ 2018 World Cup schedule (all times AEDT):
Friday 30 November 10:30pm – Australia 2 Ireland 1
Tuesday 4 December 10:30pm – Australia v England
Friday 7 December 10:30pm – Australia v China
Monday 10 December – Crossovers
Wednesday 12 December – Quarter-Finals
Saturday 15 December – Semi-Finals
Sunday 16 December – Finals

Hockey Australia media release



Green Machine hail defence to go into China tie in upbeat mood


Conor and David Harte with their family and Irish supporters in Bhubaneswar. Pic: Billy Pollock

In the wake of the Irish game with Australia game, the Irish players reflected on a strong performance against the world number one side that ultimately ended in a 2-1 defeat. Here is what David Harte, Shane O’Donoghue and Matthew Nelson had to say:

David Harte: “I don’t think the 2-1 scoreline does the game justice as we were the better team in the first-half. Australia showed their class in the second. We know if we keep putting in performances like that then the World Cup will be a long one for us.

“The whole defence stood up today. Alex [Cox] said he wanted to see the Irish that he knows and we gave him exactly what he knows: scrappy and determined. I’m incredibly proud of what we did out there tonight.

“For many of us it is our first World Cup out there and also for many of the guys a first major tournament at this extent of level, in front of an electric crowd.

On the spaced out nature of the tournament compared to most tournaments: “…especially the way we are walking off the pitch, we’d love to get back on within 24 hours but it’s the same for the rest of the teams. Everyone has the same circumstances and we’ll be ready for China.

On the bugs in the stadium: “Too many inside the helmet for my liking. It can be a bit of a distraction but I keep tried to focus as much as I could!”



Matthew Nelson: “We came out well, took the game to them and give them a good go, doing all we could to try and win the game but came up short. It was a good game but not enough to get the win which is quite frustrating but we will come back stronger against China.

On his 50th cap, becoming the youngest Irish player to reach that milestone: “I am very privileged to do what I have done, getting to do it here in India in this atmosphere. It is something special to play in front of such passionate fans.

Shane O’Donoghue on the loss to Australia: “Bitterly disappointing; we had a very strong first half but didn’t match the intensity in the second. They brought it on to us in the second and we didn’t do the things we did in the first to give us that solid platform.

“These games are about execution at the right times. Unfortunately, our basics let us down once or twice.

On the stadium atmosphere: “these are the big stages we want to be on and we are looking forward to going one better next time out [against China]. We haven’t played them in recent times and so we will have to analyse to learn their strengths and come up against a game plan but we need to be more direct at times.”

The Hook



Kim’s Patiala lesson for China

Coach advocates mixing and matching of styles

Uthra Ganesan


Kim Sang Ryul. 

For long Indian hockey lived in denial, content in its past glory and believing it had little to learn from others.

That left it struggling, and now, even as the Indians wander the world in search of missing pieces to rise back to the top, there are those who continue to swear by the knowledge they acquired here.

Kim Sang Ryul is one such student.

Basic learning

Having learnt hockey at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, way back in 1985, the Korean first moulded his home team into Olympic medallists in 2000 and now, for more than a decade, has been working on building the Chinese side from scratch.

But he continues to go back to his NIS days. “I learnt hockey in Patiala from Balkishen Singh. There were five coaches then, all really fantastic and they taught me everything about hockey. That NIS certificate is still my most cherished possession.

“I learnt Indian hockey, but I create my own way by combining some things. My basic hockey is from India and it will always be in my system,” he says.

Other things include lessons learnt from Siegfried Aikman, the Dutchman who is a mentor to many of the current coaches here at the World Cup. Those lessons helped him beat India and Pakistan at the 2006 Asian Games with China and the development has continued.

But his targets are higher, and even an upset draw against England doesn’t satisfy Kim.

“They can play better, they can organise better in defence and attack. My aim is to teach them different types of hockey first and then, if they can do something, they can achieve different results,” he says with the ever-present smile that hides his grit and determination.

Happy to be back

“I feel very happy to come again to India after a long time, I remember Patiala and my classmates and friends. My aim has been to take their hockey and then change it. We cannot keep playing only our styles, we need to mix things,” he explains.

Kim has shown how.

The Hindu



AB Subbaiah remembers 1994 edition, where India's chances were undone by South Africa

AB Subbaiah

Playing as a goalkeeper for the Indian team, AB Subbaiah was part of the 1998 Asian Games gold medal winning side. He has been feted with the Arjuna Award. He spoke to Amit Kamath. 

I was India's goalkeeper in the 1994 World Cup, which was held in Sydney. What a memorable tournament it was!

We had a great team consisting of players like Dhanraj Pillay, Mukesh Kumar and Mohammed Riaz.

Our preparation for the World Cup was also excellent. The 1994 World Cup was one of the first coaching assignments of Cedric D'Souza and he had prepared the team really well. I remember that a lot of players came from either Mumbai or Karnataka at that time.

While most of our other coaches used to train us by working on our strengths, Cedric was the one who made us prepare by focusing on our rivals' strengths and tactics. Cedric had a technical style of coaching which involved studying other teams. It was a modern style of training which helped us prepare for each and every situation.

We played some great hockey against the best teams in the world. That tournament saw us register wins over South Korea and Belgium in the group stage. We also had close matches against Germany and the Netherlands.

It was a great team and we had done very well but one unfortunate thing was the 2-2 draw against South Africa in the league stage. That proved to be the difference between us and Germany in qualifying for the semi-finals. At that time, just two teams from the group were to qualify for the semis.

I remember that after our last group match, we had to wait for the match between the Netherlands and Germany to end to see if we could qualify. They played out a draw, which led some of us to feel like they had an understanding.

But there were a few things which proved to be our undoing in that tournament. Against the good teams in our group we performed really well, but against an under-rated team like South Africa, we were a little slack in our approach. That was probably because we were focusing on the bigger teams in the tournament. When you play at an event as big as the World Cup, you have to prepare equally for each opponent however big or small it is.

What also hurt us was a misplaced pass by Shakeel Ahmed when we were up 1-0 against Germany. The Germans capitalised on the error, stormed into out D and equalised!

Another memory that sticks out from that tournament is the goal the Netherlands' Taco van den Honert scored against me in our group match. At that time, players would whack or slap-hit the ball towards goal in penalty corners. But when the Netherlands played us, Taco drag-flicked the ball into the top right corner. It surprised all of us! It was the onset of the era of drag-flicks.

What also went against us was that one of our most prominent forwards, Sabu Varkey, was not available during the tournament. If he had played, he would have been a livewire at the front and the results would have been different.

Eventually, we could not qualify for the semis and had to play Argentina in the playoffs for the 5th to 8th position spots. We won that match in an exhilarating tiebreaker. We beat them comprehensively! At that time, finishing 5th and 6th was commendable because it also meant that the team would qualify for the Champions Trophy. So, on one hand, we were happy, but on the other hand, we felt that since a lot of young players had come from the junior team, so we could have done really well in this tournament.

And then we beat England for the fifth-sixth position match which made it a memorable tournament for us. Finishing fifth at that tournament was not that bad because it was just one step away from the semi-finals. We were unfortunate to miss the chance in that way. But what was more unfortunate was that at the Atlanta Olympics two years later, we again missed the semi-final cut narrowly like that.

That was what teams need to realise! We were good enough to make it to the semis at the 1994 World Cup. But it was just because of one underrated team beating us in one match that we missed out.

Firstpost



Suffocated!


The World Cup organisers have been fumigating the stadium to keep the bugs away.

The insect problem in the Kalinga stadium is getting worse with each passing day.

With the floodlights coming on during the second match, the stadium is swarmed by insects of all kinds, making it difficult for the spectators to watch the matches and the cheerleaders to dance.

Even the players are constantly seen flailing about them, trying to get the bugs off.

On Friday, an insect flew into Australia coach Colin Batch’s mouth, causing a fit of cough.

Trying to resolve the problem, the organisers have been fumigating around the stadiums before and after the matches. However, that caused more inconvenience to the players. Some Belgian players complained of having difficulty training with the nauseating smell of the insecticides.

The Tribune



New Zealand Under-21 women remain calm to claim inaugural crown against Australia

by Anendra Singh


Photo: Hilary Finn

It came down to a nail-biting decider but New Zealand clinched the inaugural under-21 hockey Trans-Tasman test series bragging rights today.

The Greg Nicol-coached Kiwis came from 1-0 down against the gritty Australians in the first quarter to prevail 2-1 in the final test match at the Park Island turf in Napier.

Australia captain Michaela Spano epitomised the never-say-die attitude of the tourists with a goal in the first quarter but New Zealand skipper Ella Hyatt-Brown and her young charges didn't lose faith.

Striker Hope Ralph, of New Plymouth, struck twice in the third quarter to give the Kiwi fans something to cheer about.

"I just went hunting for the ball," said a modest Ralph, revealing Nicol had impressed on them not to leave anything in the tank while toiling for each other.

The 18-year-old, who is pursing a sport and recreation degree in her first year at the Auckland University of Technology, said the New Zealander defenders displayed tenacity in thwarting any attacks the Aussies had mounted in the final 15-minute quarter.

They had adhered to Nicol's advise of winning the 50-50 battles, staying composed and pushing the Aussies to the peripheral parts of the pitch and keeping them there.

The Australians, who remarkably played as a unit for the first time because of the scattered nature of their yawning catchment areas, had bounced back from a 3-2 loss on Thursday last week with a victory in the second test match by the same margin yesterday.

Abigail Wilson, 20, had taken ownership with a hat trick of goals for the Aussies.

Ralph said it was a cracker affair with the visitors making the most of the opportunities they had created while the Kiwis had come up a tad shy.

"It was just the finishing for us [that was lacking on Saturday]," she said but adding they were extremely proud of their efforts over the three series.

A laughing Ralph said it would be great to have the series remain although she had no qualms if it wasn't going to be staged in her hometown as long as everyone got to play.

"We got some support from New Plymouth, which is cool," she said after her family members made the trip here with those of Holly Pearson, 20, who enjoyed rain-free games at the weekend after it dictated terms on Thursday.

Spano echoed similar sentiments about the test series.

"These series are so great for us as a nation and even for the New Zealand girls it's a perfect opportunity to develop as a team," she said.

The 21-year-old from South Australia said competing in such age-group tournaments created a sense of continuity in the transition to, hopefully, representing the Hockeyroos or the Black Sticks women later in their careers.

Unsure what was next due to funding limitations, she said the Trans-Tasman rivals relished bringing the best out in each other.

Considering they had a young outfit still working on finding a modicum of cohesiveness, Spano said it was a great hit out for them.

"We learned a lot about how we want to play and how to play [alongside] each other so we've developed a lot," she said. "When you lose you often learn a lot more so we're pretty happy although obviously we wanted to win but sometimes you develop more when you lose."

Spano said they would make a few minor tweaks to the Aussie brand of playing although it wasn't close to the senior Hockeyroos' structure but there was always some room for variations, technically and tactically.

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Australia Beaten In Tight Under-21 Trans-Tasman Series

Ben Somerford

The Australian Under-21 Women’s Development Team have lost their three-game Trans-Tasman Series 2-1 to New Zealand in Hawke’s Bay over the weekend.

New Zealand won Sunday’s decider 2-1 to clinch the series win, after Australia had levelled the series with a 3-2 victory on Saturday. The hosts won the first game on Thursday 3-2.

On Sunday, captain Michaela Spano had given Australia a 14th minute lead before New Zealand responded with two third-quarter goals from Hope Ralph.

NSW’s Abigail Watson netted a hat-trick in Saturday’s 3-2 win, including the 54th minute winner.

On Thursday, Amy Lawton, fresh from competing at the 2018 Youth Olympics, scored Australia’s two goals in the 3-2 loss.

Under-21 Australian team for Trans-Tasman Series:
Sienna Archer (WA)
Alice Arnott (NSW)
Hannah Astbury (QLD)
Morgan Blamey (NSW)
Olivia Colasurdo (VIC)
Talei Forrest (ACT)
Morgan Gallagher (QLD)
Andrea Gillard (NSW)
Carly James (VIC)
Amy Lawton (VIC)
Morgan Mathison (QLD)
Pippa Morgan (WA)
Courtney Schonell (NSW)
Jolie Sertorio (WA)
Hattie Shand (SA)
Maddi Smith (NSW)
Michaela Spano (SA)
Abigail Wilson (NSW)

Hockey Australia media release



2019 Development Squads Named



Hockey New Zealand is pleased to announce the 2019 National Development Squads. Both squads feature a range of up and coming players and some experienced international players.

The Men's Development Squad features 4 uncapped players, including Reuben Andrews (Midlands), Benjamin Edwards (North Harbour), Sam Hiha (Central) and Xavier Guy (North Harbour). The squad also sees Simon Child named as the most experienced player in the group.

The Women's Development Squad features 7 uncapped players, including Madeleine Williamson (North Harbour), Alex Lukin (Midlands), Katie Doar (Auckland), Ella Hyatt-Brown (North Harbour), Holly Pearson (North Harbour), Hope Ralph (Central) and Kaitlin Cotter (Central). The most capped player in the group is Amy Robinson who has 56 caps for the Vantage Black Sticks Women.

Vantage Black Sticks Men's Development Squad

Player Name Region Position Age Caps
Reuben Andrews Midlands Defender 20 0
Malachi Buschl Southern Midfielder 19 7
Dominic Dixon Central Goalkeeper 22 3
Matt Rees-Gibbs Midlands Defender 26 10
Benjamin Edwards North Harbour Defender 20 0
Kieran O'Connor Auckland Striker 23 7
Sam Hiha Central Striker 21 0
Xavier Guy North Harbour Striker 20 0
Simon Child Auckland Striker 30 274
Daniel Harris Capital Defender 22 0

Vantage Black Sticks Women's Development Squad

Player Name Region Position Age Caps
Madeleine Williamson North Harbour Goalkeeper 21 0
Maddison Dowe Auckland Defender 21 8
Alex Lukin Midlands Defender 20 0
Katie Doar Auckland Midfielder 17 0
Ella Hyatt-Brown North Harbour Midfielder 21 0
Cat Tinning Canterbury Midfielder 22 4
Amy Robinson Midlands Midfielder 22 56
Holly Pearson North Harbour Midfielder 20 0
Hope Ralph Central Striker 18 0
Kaitlin Cotter Central Striker 17 0

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Signals win Dashmesh Hawks trophy


The Signals team poses with the trophy after beating Punjab and Sind Bank Akademy in the final at Ropar on Sunday. Tribune photo

Signals, Jalandhar, trounced Punjab and Sind Bank Academy 2-0 to win the Dashmesh Hawks All India Hockey Festival.

The match was played at a fast pace with both the teams matching each other in tactics. However, Signals scored a field goal through their captain Gansham Das, who made a superb solo effort.

Punjab and Sind Bank Academy made a number of quick raids but the Signals’ defence held firm. In 12th minute, Gansham Das again scored through a penalty corner to consolidate their lead. At the half time, Signals were leading 2-0.

In the second half, both the teams made some attacking moves but none of them could convert them into goals. Finally, Signals emerged winners with a 2-0 scoreline.

A cash prize of Rs 51,000 and the winners’ trophy was awarded to Signals. The runners-up Punjab and Sind Bank Academy got Rs 31,000.

The Tribune



Wapda face Lahore Colours in women hockey final

LAHORE - The two pool A teams reigning champions Wapda and Lahore Colours will meet again today (Monday) in the final of the 30th Pakistan National Women Hockey Championship here at the National Hockey Stadium.

The final’s start time has been moved forward to 11 am while the third position playoff between Army and HEC will start at 9am. Punjab Colours and Wapda won their semifinals in contrasting fashion. The first semifinal between Punjab and Army was a closely contested encounter. Both sides displayed attacking game and there were chances aplenty at either end, open play as well as penalty corners. But neither side could find the target and the match entered the dreaded penalty shootout phase.

Punjab Colours prevailed 3-2 in the penalty shootout to make it to the final. Noman A Khan, CEO of Al-Moiz Industries, who are one of the sponsors of the championship, was the chief guest at the second semifinal.

Wapda, who have been dominating the national scene for the last many years, faced the surprise package from Higher Education Commission. Wapda remained in cruise control throughout the first half. Their captain Ishrat Abbas converted two penalty corners with well placed hits to either corner of the tin in the first quarter. Just one minute before the end of the first half, nimble footed Afshan Noreen made it 3-0 with a field goal.

HEC had a better second half which was more evenly played. WAPDA apparently took foot off the gas. The students earned a couple of PCs and also made field attempts, but the experienced WAPDA defence saw it off. Wapda too had opportunities and Hammra netted the fourth goal in the 48th minute.

In the pool match, Wapda, studded with a number of internationals, had defeated Punjab Colours 5-0, and they started as the firm favourites for the final.

The Nation



Thunder bring the boom to win development series and claim second spot in Super Series

By Justin Bowie


Super Series: Glasgow Thunder v Dundee Devils – photo by Duncan Gray

Edinburgh Lightning are the Beatson Cancer Charity Super Series winners on 2018 on a day that Glasgow Thunder secured second spot with victory over the Dundee Devils.

First up, Glasgow Thunder Development secured the Super Series Development Series in spectacular fashion with a 7-2 win over the Dundee Devils.

Erin Stevens and Zara Mason both scored braces for the west coast side, while Mhairi Crooks, Bronwyn Shields and Georgia Crooks also found the net for them.

The eventual winners were strong from the start, creating a couple of dangerous chances in the first five minutes.


Super Series: Glasgow Thunder v Dundee Devils – photo by Duncan Gray

As the first quarter wore on Dundee started to pose a more dangerous threat, however they soon fell behind, Mhairi Crooks scoring the opening goal of the game from a penalty corner.

Unwilling to go down easily, however, the Devils struck back in the dying moments of the first quarter, Lucy Smith scoring in the aftermath of a penalty corner.

As the ball had drifted outside the box before being sent back in for the goal, a hotly debated running penalty was awarded for the Devils. Smith looked to double her tally, but was unable to take advantage of the golden opportunity.

Glasgow took the lead again shortly before half-time, Mason grabbing her first goal of the game. As it had come from opening play, it was now Thunder’s opportunity to try and take advantage of the running penalty rule, but like their opponents they feel short, Stevens unable to convert.

After the interval what had thus far been an even game was turned on its head again, Jen Tait equalising for a resilient Dundee side.

With all still to play for as the final quarter commenced, Stevens made up for her earlier penalty miss by grabbing her first goal of the game.

This time it was Shields who stepped up for the ensuing running penalty, and she kept her cool to send Glasgow into a two-goal lead with an impressive flick over the opposition goalkeeper.

An inspired Thunder side then started to run rampant. A superb counter-attacking move from Georgia Crooks found Eve Downie, who then slotted the ball to Mason who duly scored her second of the afternoon.

Georgia Crooks then stepped up to take the running penalty, and all but sealed the game for her side as she made it 6-2.

With not long to go, Stevens scored her second of the game to add insult to injury. Kirsten Cannon was unable to convert the running penalty which followed, but Glasgow nevertheless emerged with a superb 7-2 win, rounding off a fantastic weekend for their development side.


Super Series: Glasgow Thunder v Dundee Devils – photo by Duncan Gray

In the end it was a successful Sunday all-in for Glasgow, as their senior side emerged over Dundee with a 3-0 win, restoring some pride after Friday’s resounding defeat against Edinburgh.

Connie Lathe opened the scoring for Thunder towards the end of the first quarter, however Lexi Sabatelli missed the running penalty that followed, unable to give her side a two-goal advantage.

In what was an even contest, Glasgow had to wait until the final quarter to score a second, Millie Brown making it 2-0 with just six minutes of play remaining.

This time the west coast side were able to use the running penalty to their advantage, Rachel Bain converting to secure the game for her side, ensuring Glasgow finished second in the Super Series behind a triumphant Edinburgh Lightning.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

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