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All the news for Sunday 9 December 2018

Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 - Day 11
Bhubaneswar (IND)

Results 8 December

BEL v RSA (Pool C         5 - 1
CAN v IND (Pool C)     1 - 5

Fixtures 9 December (GMT +5:30)

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

Cross-overs
   
10 Dec 2018 16:45     ENG v NZL (Cross-over)
10 Dec 2018 19:00     FRA v CHN (Cross-over)

11 Dec 2018 16:45     BEL v 3rd Pool D (Cross-over)
11 Dec 2018 19:00     2nd Pool D v CAN (Cross-over)

Pool Standings

Out of the Competition
Spain
Ireland
South Africa

FIH Match Centre

South Africa eliminated from the Word Cup on Goal Difference


Nick Spooner celebrates scoring South Africa's only goal of the game

The odds were stacked massively against the South African Hockey men as they took on World number 3 Belgium in a backs-against-the-wall battle to try and secure progress to the cross overs. They would also be up against another South African coach as Belgium have the services of Craig Fulton, an Olympian for South Africa, as their assistant Coach.

Having not beaten Belgium in their competitive matches before, South Africa could not have asked for a better start when Rhett Halkett set up Nic Spooner after just 35 seconds and South Africa’s most impressive player fired home an early advantage.

Unfortunately for South Africa Belgium are too good to just take it. Alexander Hendrickx is the in-form penalty corner specialist for Belgium at the moment and his two goals from penalty corners in the first half sandwiched a neatly taken field goal by Player of the Match Simon Gougnard. A fourth goal was added when Loick Luypaert also showed his prowess from the top of the circle. The half-time stats spoke for themselves, while possession was nearly equal between the teams, the significant figures for Belgium were three penalty corners, three goals.

South Africa themselves produced two outstanding opportunities where Julian Hykes and Dayaan Cassiem both failed to capitalise on the space they were afforded and pull the game closer to a contest.

Belgium continued to seek chances as they looked to up their goal difference to try and take top spot in the pool, they were denied this by a combination of things. Gowan Jones was impressive in goal, South Africa defended better, and Belgium were wasteful of their opportunities.

The final score of 5-1 coupled with India’s 5-1 victory against Canada meant that the host team took top spot and advanced to the Quarter-Finals. Canada joined Belgium in the cross overs simply by having a better goal difference than South Africa.

For South Africa there will be a short amount of time before the SA Men return to India for the Hockey Series Finals in July 2019, an Olympic Qualifying tournament. There were signs of an improvement for the South African men in the tournament, with some new young players getting their opportunities, but there is a long journey ahead for the country to close the gap on the other nations. 

FIH Hockey World Cup 2018 – Group C – 8 December Results

South Africa 1-5 Belgium
India 5-1 Canada

Group C Final Standings (Goal Difference in Brackets)

    India 7 pts (+9) – Progress to Quarter-finals
    Belgium 7 pts (+5) – Progress to Cross overs
    Canada 1 pt. (-5) – Progress to Cross overs
    South Africa 1 pt. (-9) - eliminated

SA Hockey Association media release

SA sent packing at HWC

South Africa were knocked out of the Hockey World Cup, going down to Belgium in their final group game on Saturday.

South Africa needed at least a draw to keep their hopes of staying in the competition alive and they got off to the perfect start , grabbing the lead through Nic Spooner with a field goal in the first minute.

Belguim leveled terms after 14 minutes and kicked on in the second quarter scoring three more times to take a 4-1 lead into halftime.

One more goal from the Europeans gave them a 5-1 victory which booked and early flight home for the Africans.

SuperSport

Belgium rout South Africa to reach second round


Hitting hard: South Africa’s Rhet Halkett (right) in action against Belgium’s Simon Gougnard during the Group C match yesterday.

BELGIUM came back from a goal down to outplay South Africa 5-1 in the Group C match at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

Belgium completed the group fixtures with seven points from two wins and a draw and they have qualified for the second round while the African side have only one point from three matches.

The South African team shocked world No. 3 Belgium by taking the lead in the very first minute through Nicholas Spooner.

But Belgium, who needed a big margin win to top the group, came back strongly to score five goals.

Alexander Hendrick scored a brace in the 14th and 22nd minutes. Simon Gougnard (18th), Loick Luypaert (30th) and Cedric Charlier (48th) contributed the other goals.

The Star of Malaysia

Belgium thrashes South Africa 5-1

An India win against Canada will mean Belgium will finish the pool in the second place


BHUBANESWAR, 08/12/2018: Belgium’s Antoine Kina (White-no.24, second from right) fights to receive the ball from South Africa’s Taine Paton (No.18) in the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 at the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar. Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

Olympic silver medallist Belgium thrashed South Africa 5-1 in their last Pool C match to remain in the hunt for a direct quarterfinal berth at the men’s hockey World Cup here on Saturday.

Alexander Hendrickx (14th, 22nd minutes) scored a brace while Simon Gougnard (18th), Loick Luypaert (30th) and Cedric Charlier (48th) were the other goal getters for Belgium.

South Africa, on the other hand, stunned the world no.3 side just 36 seconds from the start through Nicholas Spooner’s field strike.

By virtue of this win, Belgium have progressed to the top of Pool C with seven points from three games while South Africa are currently placed last.

In the last Pool C match, India will take on Canada and the hosts will need a win over the world no. 11 side to top the pool and book a direct berth in the last eight round.

An India win will mean Belgium will finish the pool in the second place and will have to play in the cross-overs to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Canada are well placed in the third spot and are in with a bright chance to play in the cross-overs. Only a defeat by eight or more goals against India can ruin Canada’s chances and bring South Africa back into the fray.

South Africa are virtually out of the tournament and will now depend on India to demolish Canada by a big margin to remain in the competition.

The Hindu

Canada advances to crossover stage despite 5-1 loss to India

With a draw against South Africa and two losses, Canada punches ticket to next stage of Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup



With South Africa losing 5-1 against Belgium earlier in the day, Canada knew they just had to keep things tight against host India in order to advance to the next stage of the Hockey World Cup. But keeping things close was not what Canada had in mind, they had a win on their mind.

In the first half, India carried the majority of pressure and possession but weren’t without fault. Jamie Wallace, Floris Van Son and Gabe Ho-Garcia led the Canadian attack. Defenders Gordon Johnston, Scott Tupper and goalkeeper, Antoni Kindler protected the Canadian backend and they escaped the first half trailing by one goal.

The third quarter belonged to Canada as they defended well and capitalized on a beautiful counter-attack goal. Johnston smashed a stunning through-ball to Wallace who gathered it up, flipped it to Van Son who made no mistake inside the D to tie the game at one goal apiece.

Floris Van Son is playing in his first game of the 2018 Hockey World Cup. He was named to the reserve list in November and was called up when defender Brandon Pereira injured his knee in the second game of the tournament. He made his mark known by pocketing Canada’s only goal of the game and helping Canada secure the necessary point differential to move on to the next stage.

India retook the lead with two quick goals at the beginning of the fourth quarter, taking the wind out of Canada’s sails. India never looked back and added another a pair of markers later in the fourth when Canada was down a man. Once India took control in the fourth quarter, they maintained pressure and cruised to a 5-1 victory. Although it wasn’t pretty tonight, Canada’s gritty three-game effort has been enough to push them through to the knockout stage of the Hockey World Cup.

Canada finishes third in their pool and will likely play against the Netherlands, pending the results from Pool D. Stay tuned for a crossover preview and for viewing information as Canada treks forward in the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar.

Field Hockey Canada media release

Brave Canada succumbs late, India into Quarters

s2h Team



What appeared a tense outing in the first three quarters turned out be an one-sided affair when India changed gears in the opening minutes of the last quarter, and struck a brace of goal, in the vital third and last pool match today at Kalinga stadium. Canada had the measure of India in the first half with their brand of aggression, and let the crowd-packed hosts lead just by a solitary goal till half time. The game changing last quarter saw India unleashing unbound energy and enterprise to romp home with a majestic 5-1 win against Canada, identical as Belgium's over South Africa earlier in the day.

with two wins and a draw, by far the best opening phase for India in the last six World Cups, India qualified for the Quarters directly. Belgium and Canada will now play cross-over match for the quarterfinal slot.

But Canada was not disgraced in the encounter and held nerves till Harmanpreet Singh sough to change the flow of the match with his immaculate conversion off India's second penalty corner. India held the 12th minute lead gamely till fouth minutes in to the third quarter. At that point, Canada broke the defence to puncture an authoritative field goal by Floris van Son.

It was a full house and the roars and applauds can dim any team's pressure. But thanks to the guts of the Pan American champions, they checked the Indians, who were stuttering in front of the goal, from dictating terms. Conversely, it was the visitors who often turned out to be thorn in the flesh of the hosts.

India had to deploy otherwise a regular forward Lalit Upadhyay in the midfield to serve dual purpose. First to give rest to captain Manpreet Singh who is running fever and also has a sore throat. Secondly, his services were utilized in the upfront later in the last quarter, which turned out to be golden spell for both crowd and India.

A few seconds after vice-captain Chinglensana managed to slip in a close range ball, Lalit Upadhyay connected and deflected a perfect feed from right flank to enlarge the lead to 4-1.

Local hero Amit Rohidas did a Harmanpreet off another penalty corner to take the game into safe custody. Not to be undone, Lalit it was again who added another goal in a stylish way to force the fierly contested match into a ritual for inform India.

"What more I can ask from my boys" was the first reaction of victorious coach Harendra Singh on the stupendous home win.

Stick2Hockey.com

India breaks Canada’s back, earns direct entry into last eight

Host turns up for the party in the final quarter after failing to breakthrough for 45 minutes

Uthra Ganesan


Pumped up: Lalit Upadhyay, left, made amends for a missed chance by scoring a brace. Photo Credit: BiswaranjanRout

What India needed to do to make the quarterfinals depended on how many Belgium pumped in against South Africa. What it eventually required was just a win.

What the host ended up doing was comprehensively dismantle Canada 5-1 in its final Pool C match of the World Cup here on Saturday.

A six-minute period in the final quarter was enough for the host. In fact, one would have loved to be a fly on the wall during the two-minute break at the end of the third quarter.

Unfruitful forays

For 45 minutes, India had been constantly attacking but was unable to break past the Canadian defence. Aerial scoops were mistrapped, short passes went awry.

India kept parking itself in the opposition half but the forwards just could not find the final pass or shot that would reflect on the scoreboard.

Instead, it kept conceding turnovers and ran the risk of conceding a goal, which it did in the 39th minute when Floris van Son shot in over a grounded Sreejesh and an absent defence.

That was the equaliser Canada had been looking for after Harmanpreet Singh’s rasping hit in the 11th minute off the second PC.

Wake-up call

It was also the wake-up call the team needed to finally pull up its socks, with a little help from a screaming Sreejesh and some choice words from coach Harendra Singh.

The fourth quarter saw a different India turn up and the way things spiced up and turned around stunned the crowd and the Canadians - for completely contrasting reasons.

It began with Chinglensana Singh slotting in a rebound after Kothajit Singh’s shot hit David Carter’s pads in the 46th.

A minute later, Lalit Upadhyay stole the ball from Sukhi Panesar on the edge of the circle and shot in on the move.

Four minutes later, Amit Rohidas converted a PC. It was 4-1.

Canada, which had hoped to keep the game tight and pull off an upset, was left clueless. The same Indians who had been unable to get a shot at goal despite at least six clear chances, were putting everything on target.

Their defence crumbling, Canada had no choice but to go for the attack, opening up further gaps at the back and Upadhyay got one more, this time put through by Sumit.

It made up for the easy chance he had missed earlier in the game. It also earned India a direct entry into the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Goal that hurt

Belgium, meanwhile, managed an identical 5-1 win against SA but the one goal that SA scored - in 36 seconds, the fastest of the tournament - and one that was disallowed right at the end as the clock had wound down - hurt them more.

India made sure it wouldn’t matter in the end.

Reprieve for Pakistan

Meanwhile, Pakistan got a reprieve after vice-captain Ammad Butt was let off with a reprimand by the FIH Appeals Jury on Saturday for injuring Malaysia’a Faisal Saari during its Pool D match.

Butt had been handed a one match suspension by FIH Technical Delegate Christian Deckenbrock but the Jury decided to reduce the punishment after accepting that Butt ran carelessly but not recklessly into Saari.

However, it also recommended suspension if Butt received a yellow card in the remainder of the tournament.

The results: Belgium 5 (Alexander Hendrickx 2, Loick Luypaert, Simon Gougnard, Cedric Charlier) bt SA 1 (Nicholas Spooner).

India 5 (Lalit Upadhyay 2, Chinglensana Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas) bt Canada 1 (Floris van Son).

The Hindu

5-star India do quarters job

Indervir Grewal in Bhubaneswar


Amit Rohidas celebrates after scoring India’s fourth goal. FIH

It never looked too difficult a task. Belgium had already helped India by not putting any extra goal difference pressure on the hosts. The Olympics silver medallists’ 5-1 win over South Africa earlier in the day meant that India only needed to beat Canada by a one-goal margin to top the pool. A 1-0 win over the world No. 11 side was going to be enough for a direct entry into the quarterfinals.

India started confidently, yet cautiously. They were not looking too anxious to get that first goal. At the same time, they didn’t want to get caught off-guard and concede first, like Belgium did in the first minute. As the quarter progressed, India grip over the match became firmer. The urgency to score made India a little more focused in the final third. A goal seemed imminent; the capacity crowd felt it as well, but the collective gasps suggested impatience was growing. Until Harmanpreet Singh fired a low drag-flick past the goalkeeper’s right kicker to send the spectators into frenzy.

The goal sent a wave of comfort around the stadium and would have settled any nerves the players may have felt at the start of the match. At that point, it looked like India were not going to have too much trouble topping the pool. But that lasted until nine minutes into the third quarter, when Floris van Son finished off a brilliant counterattack by Canada with a fluffed shot over the goalkeeper.

Got comfortable

The goal came against the tide but was not completely unexpected. India had gotten too comfortable after the first goal. They were not fighting hard enough for the balls, not shifting the ball enough. From 57 percent possession in the first quarter, India fell to 44. Their passing accuracy fell below Canada’s. From making just one circle entry in the first half, Canada’s number went up to four, and they even got a shot.

The third quarter became a bit chaotic for India. Canada knew that staying close to India would make the hosts nervous. “We wanted to keep the tension in the game by keeping it close for as long as possible,” said Scott Tupper.

Canada were successful in doing that. India moved away from their strategy and felt they could run over Canada. Their control on the ball returned (64 percent possession), and Canada were pegged back for most part. But the patience was no longer there. It showed in the final passes. The players held on to the ball for too long. It led to counterattacks, one of which led to the equaliser. In the six minutes that followed, India’s anxiousness returned. Canada were not made to work too hard in defence and were content sitting back. That complacency cost them dearly.

Flat Canada

While Canada came out a little flat, India’s start was electric. An interception, three quick passes and a dangerous cross led to the ball being kicked out by the goalkeeper. But the weak kick from a surprised Antoni Kindler sent the ball just as far as the top of the circle. Chinglensana Singh, rushing in, smashed the ball into the far corner. Before Canada could refocus, Lalit Upadhyay made it 3-1. Canada’s Sukhi Panesar made a suicidal error, of not releasing the ball early, just outside his own circle. Upadhyay stole the ball and smashed it through the goalkeeper’s pads.

The match was over. But India weren’t done yet. Amit Rohidas got one with an improvised penalty corner shot after the stop wasn’t clean, before Upadhyay deflected Sumit’s cross in the 57th minute.

Pak news: Butt relief, but coach reprimanded

Bhubaneswar: Pakistan’s Ammad Butt’s one-match suspension was revoked by an FIH Appeal Jury, and he will be available against the Netherlands on Sunday. He was suspended for an incident in the match against Malaysia. The jury found that Butt was at fault for carelessly, but not recklessly, running into a Malaysian player, noting that he later showed concern for the Malaysian player. The jury reprimanded Butt, adding that a yellow card in the remainder of the tournament could result in a suspension. Meanwhile, assistant coach Danish Kaleem was reprimanded for moving in the stadium without his accreditation card during the match against Malaysia. IG

The Tribune

India qualify for quarterfinals

By Jugjet Singh

BHUBANESWAR: Hosts India hammered Canada 5-1 on Saturday to top Group C and qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup here.

Even though, Belgium also had seven points from three matches, they finished second on goal difference, while Canada took third in the group.

Fourth placed South Africa was eliminated from the tournament.

Harmanpreet Singh (12th), K. Chinglensana (46th), Lalit Upadhyay (47th, 57th) and Amit Rohidas (51st) deliverd for India.

Canada replied through Floris Son in the 39th minute.

In another Group C match, South Africa shocked Belgium with an early goal from Nicholas Spooner in the first minute , but it was as far as they went.

Belgium, the World No 3, then hit five goals with ease through Alexander Hendrickx (14th, 22nd), Simon Gougnard (18th), Loick Luypaert (30th) and Cedric Charlier (48th).

New Straits Times

India comprehensively defeat Canada to top Pool C and seal direct berth in quarter-finals


Harmanpreet Singh celebrates during India's 5-1 victory against Canada. Twitter@sports_odisha

Bhubaneswar: An impressive India thrashed Canada 5-1 to top Pool C and seal a direct berth in the quarter-finals of the men's hockey World Cup in front of a capacity crowd at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday.

India scored four goals in the fourth quarter through Chinglensana Singh (46th minute), Lalit Upadhyay (47th, 57th) and Amit Rohidas (51st) after Harmanpreet Singh gave home team the lead in the 12th minute. Canada's lone goal came from the sticks of Floris van Son in the 39th minute.

By virtue of this win, India finished on top of Pool C with seven points ahead of world no.3 Belgium on account of better goal difference.

Belgium, also on seven points, finished second ahead of third placed Canada after thrashing South Africa 5-1 in the other Pool C game earlier in the day. South Africa crashed out of the tournament.

While India qualified directly for the quarter-finals by being the toppers, Belgium and Canada will play in the cross-overs for a place in the last-eight round.

Canada too overcame South Africa by virtue of a better goal difference. Both the teams finished their pool engagements with one point apiece. India will play their quarterfinal match on 13 December.

Earlier in the day, Olympic silver medallists Belgium outclassed South Africa 5-1 in their last pool game.

The match between India and Canada was touted to be a battle between attack and defence and it panned out exactly the same as the hosts attacked in numbers from the onset to create quite a few scoring chances.

India's first scoring chance came in the ninth minute when skipper Manpreet Singh's cross from the left flank was met by Dilpreet Singh in the near post but the Canadian goalkeeper Antoni Kindler positioned himself at the right spot to thwart the danger.

In the next minute, India got their first penalty corner but Canada defended stoutly. Mandeep Singh was then denied by a good reflex save by the Canada keeper.

The Canadian defence finally surrendered in front of India's relentless attack when Harmanpreet converted the home team's second penalty corner in the 12th minute.

The Indians had another penalty corner in the next minute but Amit fluffed the chance. The hosts couldn't live up to the tempo with which they played in the first quarter, which meant scoring chances subsided as Canada tried to make a comeback.

Canada goalkeeper Kindler came to his side's rescue twice in the second quarter to keep the scoreline under check.

First Kindler saved Sumit's reverse shot from top of the box in the 22nd minute and then kept away Akashdeep Singh's attempt after he was set up by Simranjeet Singh's burst from 25 yards.

The script, however, changed a little bit after the change of ends with Canada slowly clawing back into the match with some impressive counter-attacks.

Canada are considered as a solid defensive unit and they played like one. Whenever India attacked, a sea of red assembled inside their circle to keep the hosts at bay.

Canada drew parity against the run of play in the 39th minute through a counter-attack. Gordon Johnston found James Wallace just outside the circle, who dribbled past two Indian defenders to set it up for Floris van Son who didn't make any mistake to complete a fine goal.

Stunned by the equaliser, India went all out and, in the process, scored two quick goals to take a 3-1 lead.

First Chinglensana scored from a rebound and then in the very next minute Lalit slotted the ball in after snatching it just outside the box from Sukhi Panesar.

    "We missed few chances in the first half, but in the second half we were rock solid in our focus to win this match," says @lalithockey, who netted a brace & was adjudged the Man of the Match in today's encounter against @FieldHockeyCan.#IndiaKaGame #DilHockey #HWC2018 #INDvCAN pic.twitter.com/eyWh4KEdFo

    — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) December 8, 2018

Four minutes later, Amit converted India's fourth penalty corner before Lalit scored his second goal of the day, tapping in Sumit's pass.

Firstpost

The World Cup starts now, says Harendra

s2h Team



Much relaxed and eloquent, victorious coach of the day Harendra Singh feels the real world cup will commence henceforth and what was held so far was much like a 4-Nation. Speaking to the press elaboratively after his team put out a sterling 5-1 win, Harendra said: "Four-Nation tournament is over. Now the actual world cup starts".

A new format with 16 teams of four pools with cross over matches for identifying second QF qualifier from each pool has been completed for four pools.

After cross, scheduled in the coming days, India will play its quarterfinal. Emphasising the significance of the quarterfinal, and obviously not to infuse a sense of achievement in the players, Harendra says the world Cup starts from quarterfinal.

"Actual World Cup starts from next game. I am happy on our success so far, but can't be very happy", the coach said.

Today India defeated Canada 5-1, such an imposing victory margin coming after many years.

Analysing the match against Canada and the way the Indians were tied down for better part of first three quarters, he said: "Final passes we are missing. We were unduly running for the goal. We have to wait for our moment, can't rush towards the ball all the time".

"We did too much running in the first half, but were hurrying the final pass. We have to get rid of this habit. We discussed this at halftime.

Dwelling on using Lalit as a centre-half for most part of the game Harendra Said: " This team has the strength, we can change any player any time".

Refusing to dwell on the outcome of Belgium-South Africa match which took place before Indian match today, ad whether the one-sided outcome affected India, he opined: "This team doesn't look into any other team's bedroom. Our target was 6-0, we won 5-1. We have to do our homework. We cannot depend on outcome of other matches. We have a target and we know if we achieve that we will reach where we want to".

On using kick-packer even when India was leading well, he generously shared his thought on this aspect: "It was decided to remove goalkeeper eight minutes before hooter, but we missed that somehow. This we wanted to experiment irrespective of the result".

When a particular scribe insisted on his view of Amit Rohidas who struck a goal through penalty corner, he shot back: "This team has 18 Rohidas. Which Rohidas you want me to talk about?"

India will play quarterfinal on Thursday

Stick2Hockey.com

Our World Cup begins now, says India coach Harendra Singh after sealing QF berth


Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 , AFP

Chief India coach Harendra Singh on Saturday said for him the pool matches were a four-nation event and the real World Cup begins now after the hosts grabbed a direct entry into the quarterfinal with a 5-1 thrashing of Canada in Bhubneshwar.

India topped Pool C with seven points on account of a better goal difference than Olympic silver medallist Belgium and will play their quarterfinal game on December 13.

"Those who have visited my room know I have already written who we will play in the quarterfinals and who in the semifinals. For me a four-nation tournament has finished and the World Cup starts now," Harendra said.

"From quarterfinals you can smell a medal. The actual tournament starts with the next game." Harendra said India were guilty of running too much with the ball in search of goals in the opening two quarters.

"We are missing in the final pass, we were running for goals. We have to wait for our moment, can't rush towards the ball. I think the first half, we did too much running," he said.

"We were too much in a hurry. We were lacking in the final execution. I think we have to throw out the childish instinct." He, however, rued the fact that India failed to keep a clean slate.

"We were running for the ball. I want the players to tackle irrespective of their position. We failed to keep a clean-sheet and I feel bad about it," Harendra said.

"By conceding you give away the momentum to opponents. It puts pressure on the (future) opponents when they see the team has kept a clean sheet.

"This team doesn't look into any other team's bedroom. Our target was 6-0, we won 5-1. This team is working on that for the last 4-5 years. We have a target and we know if we achieve that we will reach where we want to," he added.

Despite leading 5-1, India removed goalkeeper PR Sreejesh for a kicking back with three minutes remaining and Harendra said it was a premeditated tactic.

"I should have done (removed goalkeeper) 3 minutes ago. It was decided that in the 8th minute we will remove, but we missed that somehow. Irrespective of the result, we had decided we will take out the keeper (shortly before the end)," he said.

The coach informed that skipper Manpreet Singh didn't play the full match as he was unwell.

"We knew Manpreet was having cough and sore throat. We could not use him for the entire match. So, we had one less midfielder. That's why Lalit's (Upadhyay) role changed. I pulled Lalit back a little," Harendra said.

Man-of-the-match Lalit, who scored two goals on Saturday, said their main focus was to maintain the structure.

"As the coach told us, our structure and energy should be the focus. We were going all out. He (coach) knows each and every player, how to use them. He wants us to play fearlessly," he said.

Daily News & Analysis

By far the best going World Cup for India

s2h Team

India did not lose any match in the first three ( 2 wins and a draw) held so far at Kalinga stadium. This show is by far the best opening stage performance for India on World Cups played on artificial turf.

Indian hockey's edition wise win-loss performance in the World Cup on synthetic turf era (1986 to 2018) is disappointing. On 8 World Cups held so far India posted single victory in four of them (1986, 1990, 2006, 2010) over all.

On split up, India returned with nil victories in the pool on two occasions (1990, 2006). Only in 1994 (12 team competition) India posted two wins in the pool, while it was two wins in 2002 (16-team competition). In 1998, India had 2 wins in the classification matches, just one in pool.

With two wins and draw in first three matches, Harendra's Indian team is poised for best ever performance eclipsing 1994 (where India finished fifth, best ever show of WCs on synthetic era).

1986       1       out of 7
1990       1       out of 7
1994       3       out of 7
1998       3       out of 7 (1 win pool)
2002       3       out of 7
2006       1       out of 6
2010       1       out of 6
2014       2       out of 6
2018       2       out of 3 & 1 draw (event underway

Stick2Hockey.com

Attack is the only option - Oltmans

By Jugjet Singh

BHUBANESWAR: National coach Roelant Oltmans has made up his mind on what to do against Germany in Sunday’s crucial World Cup Group D encounter at the Kalinga Stadium here.

The writing is on the wall — if Malaysia lose, they would be exiting the tournament early as there are no classification matches for the last placed team in each group.

Pakistan play the Netherlands in the other Group D match, and if Malaysia and the former Asian champions both lose against the European giants, it will come down to goal difference.

However, Malaysia do not have a healthy goal count.

The World No 12 were hammered 7-0 by the Dutch, while Pakistan only lost 1-0 to Germany.

"We are left with no choice but to play attacking hockey when possible, and counter attacks when we get the breaks.

"This is because if we defend, we will be hit by the Germans in penalty corners, which they are very efficient in earning and converting them," said Oltmans.

And what about Malaysia's penalty corners? Malaysia only netted once from a penalty corner, netted by Faizal Saari in the 1-1 draw with Pakistan on Wednesday, in two matches.

"Out penalty corner set-pieces did not work against Pakistan. We, however, have been working on them in the last three days and the seven-man battery looks much more comfortable now," said Oltmans.

Malaysia won seven penalty corners against Pakistan but only scored one. They missed other set-piece attempts due to lack of practice during actual match situations.

The coaches were holding back the set-pieces for special occasions to shock the opponents, but in the end, the players could not execute them properly.

As for German coach Stefan Kermas: "We want to top the group and qualify directly for the quarter-finals, so our match against Malaysia is also very important.

"There is no letting up at this stage, as if we do not do well against Malaysia, the Dutch victory (4-1) will come to nothing.

"We have smart players who can read the game and change their plans to suit the moment and that's our strength and that's why we won the big game against the Dutch, and it will be applied in the Malaysian game as well," said Kermas.

New Straits Times

Custodian Kumar sees more than a flicker of hope against Germany

By Aftar Singh and S.S.Kanesan


Goalkeeper S. Kumar, the oldest player in the World Cup.

THE Malaysian hockey team must be hoping that Germany are in a magnanimous mood as it’s the Christmas season.

And that’s a comforting scenario ahead of the daunting do-or-die Group D match with the Germans at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubasneswar today.

Malaysia, with only a point after two matches, face a herculean task of upsetting world No. 6 Germany to finish in the top three and qualify for the second round.

Malaysia are bottom of the group and if they draw with or lose to Germany, their World Cup dream will be over as they can only play for the 13th-16th positions.

Malaysia played below par in their first two matches. They were given a lesson by the Dutch masters in a 7-0 drubbing and settled for a scrappy 1-1 draw with Pakistan.

Germany have been in superb form, edging Pakistan 1-0 but outplaying Holland 4-1.

World No. 12 Malaysia have played Germany 44 times but have only won four times, drawn seven and lost 33.

Goalkeeper S. Kumar, the oldest player in the World Cup, has urged his teammates to give it their all and make one final push against Germany.

“We’ve never beaten Germany for a long time, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do it this time.

“We know it’s do-or-die for us. The match will decide whether we continue to play in the World Cup or pack our bags and go home,” said the 39-year-old Kumar, who was praised for his heroics against Holland.

Kumar also views the match against Germany as a chance for them to salvage their battered pride.

“We were dismal in our first two matches. Against Holland, we only had one attempt at goal. Against Pakistan, we had seven penalty corners and were lucky to score one,” admitted Kumar.

“Our penalty corner set-pieces were a flop. We need to be more focused when executing our set-pieces.

“We also need to execute coach Roelant Oltmans’ game plan if we want to beat the mighty Germans,” said Kumar.

Kumar had a bitter experience in Malaysia’s last match against Germany in the World League Semi-Finals in Johor Baru in 2013 where Malaysia lost 6-0.

But trust the ever-optimistic Kumar to never give up.

“I have faith in my teammates and I believe we can do it,” said Kumar, who is playing in his last World Cup.

The omens, however, do not look good for Malaysia. In the last World Cup in The Hague, Holland, four years ago, Malaysia finished last among 12 nations.

The Star of Malaysia

Pakistan vs Holland- Anything Could Happen

By Ijaz Chaudhry

Pakistan’s last pool match is against Holland on Sunday.  The two sides share seven World Cup titles among themselves of the total 13 editions played.   

Pakistan has come across Holland no less than 10 times in the World Cup- more than any other country-including three finals.

Pakistan has won five times (including a shootout), Holland thrice, and two ended in a draw.

Though, presently there is a big gap in the rankings: Holland (no 4) and Pakistan (no 13).  Holland, the reigning European Champions defeated Pakistan 4-0 at the Champions Trophy this year in the last encounter between them.

All this makes Dutch favourites for the tie.  

But the way this World Cup has progressed so far, anything can happen.

France, the lowest ranked side among the 16 teams here, sent shock waves defeating Argentina, the world no 2 and the Olympics Champions,  to finish second in pool A.

China, the second lowest ranked and making its World Cup debut, drew with England (no 6) and Ireland (no 10) to make it to the next round from pool B.

In fact, after the completion of just two rounds of the pool matches, all the 16 teams had earned at least one point.

Coming to Pakistan’s pool, on the opening day, Holland trounced Malaysia 7-0 while Pakistan went down fighting 0-1 to Germany (no 6).  That made many predict wins for Holland and Pakistan over Germany and Malaysia respectively in the second round of the pool. While Pakistan was held by Malaysia 1-1, Holland was brought down to earth as Germany defeated them 4-1.   

Pakistan was hit with problems before this vital game. 

Captain M.RIzwan Sr has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament because of a toe fracture.

Vice-captain Ammad Shakeel Butt was given one match suspension for an alleged reckless tackle in the match vs Malaysia. In the latter case, good news came on Saturday.

Pakistan’s appeal against Ammad’s suspension has been successful. Terming it ‘harsh’ not ‘reckless’ the suspension has been overturned. Now, Shakeel can play against Holland but he will be on a yellow card; another yellow and he misses the next match.

Anything Could Happen.

Ijaz Chaudhry writes on hockey & other sports. For more about him and his work, visit: www.sportscorrespondent.info  

Fieldhockey.com

Pakistan vice-captain Ammad Butt, assistant coach Danish Kaleem let off without punishment by FIH


File image of Ammad Butt. Twitter@AmmadButt96

Bhubaneswar: In a major relief for Pakistan, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has let-off vice-captain Ammad Butt with a reprimand for carelessly running into a Malaysian player during their last match, clearing the striker to play the crucial last Pool D match against Netherlands on Sunday.

Besides Butt, assistant coach Danish Kaleem too escaped with a reprimand after the FIH initiated an inquiry against him on Hockey India's complaint for allegedly breaching security protocol and wondering around the stadium without his accreditation card.

Pakistan's campaign at the ongoing men's hockey World Cup went from bad to worse after the team suffered a twin blow Thursday.

While skipper Muhammad Rizwan Senior was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with an injury, his deputy Butt was banned for their last Pool D match against Netherlands because of a serious on-field offence against Malaysia's Faizal Saari.

The suspension was, however, revoked after Pakistan appealed against it with the FIH stating that Butt's offence was not "reckless" but "careless".

The suspension was invoked on Butt after Malaysia's coach Roelant Oltmans lodged an official complaint with the tournament's Technical Delegate Christian Deckenbrock of Germany.

While lifting the suspension, the FIH, however, warned that if Butt receives a yellow card in future matches of the tournament, the suspension can be invoked by the Technical Delegate.

"Following an incident at the 40th minute of the game between Malaysia-Pakistan on 5 December Pakistan player Ammad Butt had been suspended for one match by the FIH Technical Delegate. The Pakistan team had appealed against this decision," a statement from the FIH read.

"The FIH Appeal Jury found the appellant, Ammad Butt, breached the Code of Conduct carelessly, but not recklessly, running into the Malaysian players. The Jury accepted the additional evidence that the appellant did subsequently show concern for the Malaysian player's welfare."

The FIH further stated that: "Ammad Butt is reprimanded for carelessly running into an opponent. Should Ammad Butt receive a yellow card in the remainder of the tournament, the FIH Technical Delegate is recommended to suspend him."

The FIH also showed leniency toward Danish after he admitted to the breach of conduct during a hearing on Saturday. The FIH said that a second violation of any such manner from Danish will lead to his suspension from the remainder of the tournament.

In another good news for Pakistan, the FIH had approved Arslan Qadir as a replacement for injured Rizwan Senior in the 18-member squad for the remainder of the tournament.

"Muhammad Rizwan Sr. has withdrawn from the Pakistan squad due to an injury. The team captain will be replaced by Arslan Qadir. Pakistan sought approval from the FIH and the request was assessed and evaluated before being approved," the world body said.

Rizwan Sr was ruled out after fracturing the little toe of left leg during the match against Malaysia.

Firstpost

Play attacking hockey against Dutch



ISLAMABAD - Former Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh has urged Pakistan team to play attacking hockey against Netherlands in their last pool match of the Hockey World Cup on Sunday in India.

Talking to APP, Shahnaz said it is a do or die situation for Pakistan team and players must give their all-out in the final pool match.

"Pakistani players played defensively in the match against Malaysia which resulted in a 1-1 draw. This type of game must be avoided against the Netherlands," he said.

Shahnaz, who was capped 68 times and scored 45 goals for the Pakistan team, referred Pool D as the death pool saying all teams in it are tough ones.

"If Pakistan comes 2nd in pool D then will face Canada but if gets at No. 3 then will play Belgium in the crossovers," he said.

The Nation

Rivals perhaps, but these brothers stick together

Errol D’Cruz

Hockey, a celebrated family sport, can produce some poignant moments. One such occurred on the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar after England beat Ireland 4-2 to make the cross-overs of the World Cup at the expense of their beaten opponents.

On either side of the pitch, a pair of siblings experienced contrasting emotions. Mark Gleghorne, 33, celebrated while brother Paul, 31, trudged back dejectedly to the dressing room. Mark, who has 233 international caps, moved to England from Antrim in Northern Ireland seven years ago and qualified to play for the more illustrious home country.

Paul, with 218 caps, stayed on and has been an integral part of Ireland’s surge up the ladder.

“It was a bloody good match,” Mark said. “It wasn’t pretty at times but it was an excellent match for both sides.”

He was inevitably drawn to the subject of his brother in the Ireland side.

“Yes, I feel disappointed for him. I don’t know how they’re going home but it happens in the World Cup,” Mark said while reflecting on the biggest duel between the siblings on a hockey pitch.

Ireland captain David Harte and his brother Connor are a pair of brothers in the squad and Hugo and Tom Genestet are siblings doing much for French fortunes in the current competition. Kevin-Prince and Jerome Boateng are half-brothers who grabbed headlines at the 2010 World Cup football tournament in South Africa when they found themselves on opposite sides -- the former representing Ghana, the latter Germany.

The Gleghornes, though, grew up together and inspired each other through thick and thin. “We are just two years apart and we’re close but I’ve got a responsibility to myself and the team,” Mark added.

A draw would have suited both teams and there’d be a collective celebration for the Gleghorne household. In case of a stalemate, the two nations along with China would have been locked on two points each which would ensure their survival in the tournament after Australia swamped the Asian side 11-0 earlier in the evening.

But there was no question of playing for a draw for Mark. “You have to play for a win. It’s dangerous playing for a draw,” he said.

Mark wasn’t sure he would have the opportunity to commiserate with his brother that night but he had already done so briefly at the end of the game.

For Mark, it was a cocktail of emotions. He scored a last-gasp goal to put England 4-2 up in the most bizarre fashion – a penalty corner with David Harte the captain and iconic goalkeeper off and a kicking-back in his place.

The drag-flick sailed into the net sealed and endorsed England’s passage to a cross-over meeting with New Zealand. Brother Paul, in a cruel twist, was sitting out a yellow-card suspension and watched his dreams go crashing into the blue turf from beyond the sidelines.

Stick2Hockey.com

Joy for Mark, heartbreak for brother Paul Gleghorne as England beat Ireland in Bhubaneswar


For Mark, it was business as usual and emotions hardly had any place on the turf. Image Courtesy: Twitter @EnglandHockey

Bhubaneswar: Brothers Mark and Paul Gleghorne are to hockey what Ed and Dom Joyce are to cricket, with a common Ireland and England connection.

The Gleghorne brothers are the epitome of hockey's sibling rivalry.

While Ed is a more famous name having played cricket for both Ireland and England, Dom represented Ireland in only three One-Day Internationals.

Similarly, in hockey the more ambitious Mark shifted allegiance to England in 2008 and had to serve a cooling-off period for three years before being eligible to represent his adopted country. Paul, on the other hand, stayed loyal to his native country.

On Friday, one of the brothers – Paul – was left heartbroken after his elder brother Mark scored late for England to sent Ireland packing from the ongoing men's hockey World Cup with a 4-2 result in a must-win final Pool B match.

For Mark, it was business as usual and emotions hardly had any place on the turf.

"It was a bloody tough match. It was an excellent game from both sides. It was end-to-end stuff. A draw would have been fine for both teams but it's very dangerous and so we went for the kill," Mark told PTI when asked about the match.

A draw between England and Ireland would have secured both the teams' place in the cross-overs, leaving China out of the tournament.

Mark is also disappointed that his younger brother is going home early.

"Yeah (I'm disappointed for Paul). Ireland is a very good team but World Cup throws up funny results. I am really disappointed for him," said the 33-year-old striker, who made his debut for England in 2011 after having served a three-year cooling-off period.

"He (Paul) is obviously going to be pretty disappointed. But I want to achieve something here just for myself and my teammates. I have got a responsibility just to play for my team and myself," Mark added.

While Mark has 233 international caps in total (105 with England, 80 for Ireland and rest with Great Britain), Paul's 218 caps are with Ireland.

Hailing from Antrim in Nothern Ireland, the Gleghorne brothers lived hockey from childhood and played the game together for their native club back home.

But Mark felt Great Britain would give him better opportunities to succeed at Olympics and world level.

Mark was in the scheme of things for the 2012 London Olympics but, as luck would have it, he failed to make the cut because of an injury.

Paul saw his dream come true when Ireland qualified for the 20016 Rio Games for the first time in Olympics' 108-year-old history.

"I came from Northern Ireland so I had the option of changing sides easily. I don't regret my decision (of shifting loyalty)," Mark said.

"We used to play for the same club but now I live in England and he lives in Ireland. We grew up in Antrim and played for Antrim. We are only two years apart so we are pretty close. We share a lot of experiences," he added.

Firstpost

Ireland left empty after devastating World Cup exit


Ireland depart the field following the England game. Pic: FIH/Getty

With emotions still raw in the wake of their World Cup departure, the Irish squad attempted to put into words their feelings following their departure from the competition.

It had started with a hugely encouraging performance against Australia before a frustrating 1-1 draw with China. Needing a draw from the final game against England, they twice got back on terms but fell 4-2 in the final reckoning, leaving them fourth in Pool B, bowing out in agonising fashion from their first World Cup in 28 years.

“I feel empty,” coach Alexander Cox said. “You never get used to losing and it is painful. I feel sorry for the boys; it’s not a nice feeling.”

Reflecting on the tie itself, coach Cox said Ireland were too passive in the early stages when he wanted the side to take the game to their opposition and put a few doubts in their mind.

“I wasn’t happy with our first quarter,” he said afterward. “I wanted to start off in an aggressive way, pressure their defence into mistakes and play attacking hockey.

“England needed a result so there must have been tension on their side. We didn’t and we were on the back foot and they kept the ball for the most part which I wasn’t happy about.

“We did turn it around and played better in the second half, gave it our all, created chances to get back in the game but they scored too soon after every equaliser. That broke us.”

Shane O’Donoghue concurred: “To fall out at the group stage of a big tournament once again is bitterly disappointing. We didn’t give ourselves a fair chance in the first half, to give ourselves a platform to dig our heels into the game. We knew it would be a battle and we weren’t up for it and gave them the foothold

“It gave us a big mountain to climb. We tried it and got level but conceded soon after. It’s uncharacteristic of us and we usually do thrive under pressure.”

As for the tournament as a whole, each game did have its elements of ‘what might have been’ with the China game the one that well and truly got away.

“That was the game for sure, a must-win three points,” O’Donoghue continued. “We weren’t clinical enough; with our corners and everything, we have to get better. You need that in these tournaments.

“There will be some regrets and things we look back on and not be overly happy about. We gave it our all from one to 20, we gave it everything and the staff alike, putting their plans in place. Everybody played their role but it just comes down to execution on the day.”

Cox added: “In every game, we had the opportunity to get a result. Even against Australia, we could have got something. Against China, we should have won with all the chances we had.


Shane O’Donoghue fires a drag-flick at goal. Pic: FIH/Getty

“Today, we had a new opportunity but we were not clinical enough in each game to get better results. There are areas we need to improve in the future to be more clinical.

“You need some luck in the last parts of the game. It’s creating a war zone in the nine yard area and getting the ball in there. We tried but didn’t succeed.”

“I am proud of the way players gave everything to the tournament. The next time, we have to make sure we are on the right end of the results but, in the big picture, we can be proud that we are here and giving it our all.”

“Heartbroken and so disappointed,” David Harte said. “I am so proud of how they’ve played but ultimately we’ve come up short. We can look back at a whole host of things on what we could do better.

“We wanted to get further than we’ve ever done in a World Cup and continue our rise in what we are doing and we have come short. It’s the small details at the top level and it’s gut-wrenching right now.”

“It’s months, years of sacrifice,” O’Donoghue concluded of the effort to reach this top table and the ambition to make their mark on the world stage.

“There is a reason why we sacrifice so much, putting in those hours upon hours of training, to have moments like this, to be in tournaments like this.

“The setup here is like nothing we have experienced before. It’s cut-throat and it will hurt deeply and it will take a while to get over this.”

The Hook

Zalewski says Australia shouldn’t take fine run for granted

MINNOWS China are having the last laugh despite losing 11-0 to Australia in the final Group B match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

China, who drew against England (2-2) and Ireland (1-1), have qualified for the second round by virtue of being third in the group and face Group A runners-up France on Dec 10.

And if they win the second round match, there is a possibility of facing defending champions Australia again in the quarter-finals.

Australian captain Aran Zalewski said there was disparity in standard between them and China after leading his team to their biggest margin win in the 14th edition of the World Cup.

Australia, who are gunning for their third consecutive World Cup title, have qualified for the quarter-finals by winning all their three group matches.

Said the 27-year-old Zalewski, who scored two goals on Friday: “We’ve never expected to win with a double-digit score against China. It was one-sided match.”

Zalewski, who is from Margaret River in Western Australia, however, did not want to take their fine run in the World Cup for granted.

“There are few areas that we still need to work on in preparation for the quarter-final match especially the penalty corners,” said Zalewski, who made his debut for Australia in 2011.

“We need to keep improving as the competition gets tougher in the quarters.

“We’ve five days break before we play in the quarters on Dec 12.

“The long break is not too good as we can lose focus,” he said.

The Star of Malaysia

An afternoon with Michael Kindo, India's world-beating defender who dazzled with his skills and smarts

Shantanu Srivastava


Former India defender Michael Kindo at his Rourkela residence. Image: Firstpost/Shantanu Srivastava

Rourkela: Peter Tirkey, Odisha's veteran hockey coach, points towards left goalpost at the SAIL Academy in Rourkela and goes, "He stays just there." The question posed to him was: Where does Michael Kindo live? Tirkey, obviously, meant a general direction, but he couldn't have been more accurate. Michael Kindo indeed hovered around India's goalpost for much of his playing career, fending off forwards with consummate ease.

Now 71, Kindo is leading a retired life in his Rourkela home, accompanied by his wife and his son's family. The years have taken their toll. His voice fades in a blur of incomprehensible sound, his memory is shaky, and his hearing is suspect. It's as if his brain processes sentences as certain keywords, for Kindo picks some words and elaborates.

One such word eventually registers. 1975.

"Oh, 1975! It was a memorable win of my career," he says in Sadri, an Odia dialect spoken chiefly by the Oran tribe that abounds the region.

"We were a good team. The team spirit was very good, and we played as a unit."

Kindo follows the ongoing Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar on television, and was invited at the event's opening ceremony last month. However, he didn't travel due to health reasons.

"I watch the matches on TV, but I don't recognise many players. I think Birendra Lakra is good. He is a very hardworking player. Dipsan Tirkey is also a good player.

"It's good that the World Cup is being held in Bhubaneswar. The home advantage will be with us," he says.

That's pretty much all he would say the entire afternoon until his memory is put to a further test with an archival photograph of the world-beating batch of 1975. Kindo tries his luck and identifies himself, Ashok Kumar and Aslam Sher Khan with a child-like chuckle.

"These were some very good players. Surjit Singh was our other full-back. (VJ) Phillips was the right-out, Ashok Kumar was right-in, Shivaji Pawar was centre-forward, (Leslie) Fernandez was the goalkeeper, Ajitpal Singh was our captain.

"Winning that World Cup was magical. The celebrations went on forever, and I remember a grand reception in Chandigarh."

When informed about the medical condition of Balbir Singh Senior, the team's then manager, Kindo's shock and sadness comes through in the form of an abrupt end to his speech. He sinks back in his seat and goes, "He is a nice man. He was a strict manager, but always wanted the welfare of Indian hockey. I wish he recovers soon."

Kindo's colleagues, Ashok Kumar and Aslam Sher Khan, remember him as a committed and honest player who was fun to be with.

"He had a clean heart and was very disciplined, something that he had inherited from the fauj. Kindo was among our most loved teammate, and always cracked jokes to keep the environment light. But once he stepped on the field, he meant business," says Ashok.

"Game-wise, he was very good with tackles and dodges. I would say he was among the best defenders of his time, and the team depended a lot on him. We knew if the ball is with Kindo, he won't let it pass.

"Another feature of Kindo's hockey was his accuracy. He couldn't hit long passes, but while taking the 16-yard hit, he would just glance at an unmarked teammate and look elsewhere. He wouldn't even look at that person, but the pass would land there with pin-point precision. That is something that I have not seen in any player and even today, I tell kids to practice that art," the three-time World Cup medallist says.

Khan, who memorably replaced Kindo in the semi-final of the 1975 World Cup against Malaysia when India trailed 1-2 with few minutes to go, recalls the maturity with which Kindo accepted the decision.

"Our coach thought that replacing Surjit — who was missing a lot of penalty corners — will break his confidence. Eventually, they decided to replace Kindo, even though he was not a drag-flicker. But he took it very sportingly. He said he knew I deserved to be played," recalls Khan.

Khan went on to score the crucial equaliser in the 65th minute, and India beat Malaysia in the extra time. Khan's sizzling form ensured his place in the final against Pakistan, which meant Kindo missed that game completely.

"He never had any hard feelings. He had a very clean heart. He was very happy to win the World Cup," Khan recalls.

"He was a very good player; a very intelligent player. As a defender, he always knew where the ball would come from. His sense of positioning, tackle, and interception were all top of the line. His only limitation was that he didn't have a penalty corner shot, but overall, he was world class."

Far from such platitudes though, Kindo is leading an unhurried life in his quaint retreat where, apart from some local hockey enthusiasts, not many drop by. Among the first tribals to play for independent India and certainly the only one to win a World Cup, Kindo's legacy quietly lives on the region, just the way the unassuming armyman would have liked.

Firstpost

Hockey Series Open - Zimbabwe 2018 (Men) - Day 2
Bulawayo (ZIM)

Results 8 December

NAM v ZAM (RR)     4 - 4
EGY v ZIM (RR)     4 - 1

Pool standings

Hockey Series Open - Zimbabwe 2018 (Women)
Bulawayo (ZIM)

Result 8 December

ZAM v ZIM (RR)     3 - 2

Pool standings

FIH Match Centre

Irish Womens EYHL 2 Weekend Round Up

Catholic Institute, Trinity, UCC and Lurgan made the big moves to complete the pre-Christmas phase of the women’s EY Hockey League Division 2 which is now at the halfway point.

In Pool A, Trinity moved ahead of Corinthian courtesy of a 6-0 win over Greenfields while the reds fell to UCC, meaning four sides are very much in the running for the two playoff places.

Clodagh Fullston set Trin on their way when she touched in Rachel Burns’ shot. Ailish Long slotted a penalty corner and it was 3-0 via Amy Buttimer following lovely interplay between Fullston and Sally Campbell.

Sinead Collins was having a stormer in the Greenfields goal but she could not keep out final quarter goals from Isy Delamer, Fullston and an Erica Markey drag-flick.

UCC got right back into contention with an important 3-1 win over Corinthian, jumping up to 9 points, one behind the reds and Trinity. Aebhfhinn Bourke scored on the quarter-time whistle to give them a great start and Emma Cripps got the second from a penalty corner breakdown.

Aoife Collins put them three clear in the third quarter and while Lauren McGrane got one back for Corinthian, the Cork side had the four points for the win.

Queens have the lead in the group with 14 while Trinity and Corinthian are on 10 with UCC on nine at the halfway stage while Greenfields have one to their name.

In Pool B, Catholic Institute continued their perfect start to the campaign with a comfortable 5-2 win over Dungannon at Rosbrien. They dominated the first half to lead 3-0.

Roisin Upton played in Kim Daly for a sweet finish in the second minute to set the tone. Ciara Moloney added two more before half-time. Roisin Upton and Leah Cleary extended the lead out to five before Dungannon rallied with efforts from Zoe Henderson and Jill Elliott in the closing 12 minutes.

The Limerick side head the group on 16 points from four games, three ahead of Monkstown who did not play this weekend.

Lurgan defied the odds to beat NUIG in Galway, travelling with 13 players including two debutantes – Libby Jegou and Mia Proctor – to come back from 2-0 down for a 4-3 win.

Katie Codyre and Rachel Heskin gave the Galway side a brilliant start, building a two-goal lead in the first 26 minutes.

But Lurgan soon started to find their rhythm as they coped with the absence of Emma Lindsay, Carly Johnston, Nicola Thompson, Louise Murray and Chloe McCann.

Sarah McClure’s penalty corner strike gave them hope just before half-time and they were level two minutes into the second half when Ulster Under-18 Olivia Gibson shot home from mid-circle on her reverse.

They went in front in brilliant style, a move started by McClure’s turnover. She played it wide right to Lydia McNeill who beat a player and moved the ball on to Lauren Wright who lifted over her marker’s stick and burned off a couple more defenders before slipping to McClure to walk the ball into the goal.

Assistant coach-player Natalie Barr’s strike put them 4-2 up before NUIG made it interesting with eight minutes to go via Codyre.

The result lifts Lurgan to six points, level with Dungannon, and above NUIG who have two to their name.

Women’s EYHL Division 2 – day five results
Pool A: Trinity 6 (C Fullston 2, A Buttimer, I Delamer, A Long, E Markey) Greenfields 0; UCC 3 (A Bourke, E Cripps, A Collins) Corinthian 1 (L McGrane)

Pool B: Catholic Institute 5 (C Moloney 2, K Daly, L Cleary, R Upton) Dungannon 2 (Z Henderson, J Elliott); NUIG 3 (K Codyre, L Wright, R Heskin, K Langan Lurgan 4 (S McClure 2, O Gibson, N Barr)

Irish Hockey Association media release

Multiple formats can co-exist, says Dilip Tirkey

‘Hockey has changed in the last decade, has become faster’

Y.B. Sarangi


Dilip Tirkey. 

Three-time Olympian Dilip Tirkey feels the newly promoted Hockey5s, a shorter version of the sport, should complement and co-exist with the traditional 11-a-side format to make hockey more popular. At a time when the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is promoting Hockey5s, Tirkey said the traditional format should be protected to retain the charm of the sport.

“This (11-a-side) should continue as the main format. Duration of a match should be kept the same — 70 minutes (instead of the curtailed 60 minutes). I think it’s being played for less time now,” Tirkey told The Hindu while watching a Hockey World Cup match at Kalinga Stadium here.

“Hockey5s can emerge as a different avatar. In tennis, we have singles and doubles, in shooting and athletics there are different events too. Having two formats is always beneficial,” he said.

Tirkey was happy with the advancement the sport has made in recent times. “Hockey has changed in the last eight to 10 years. A lot of scientific inputs have enhanced performances.That’s the reason why new countries like France, Ireland and China are giving tough fights to traditional teams in this World Cup.

“Various rule changes like self-passing and the freedom to raise one’s stick have made the sport faster. Fitness level of players has increased. Players have become more confident because of their fitness.”

Fitness factor Tirkey added better fitness and new tactics had blurred the division between a defender and a midfielder. “Now there is a little difference between the full backs and midfielders. You can see a lot of interchanges.”

For Tirkey, finding new hockey followers in his home state is a novel experience. He is pleased to see the crowd appreciating quality contests instead of just rooting for the home country.

“This is a new dimension of the sport. Earlier, we have seen empty stands when the host is not in action. Not here though. Hockey has changed the profile of a place like Bhubaneswar. The number of fans has increased,” said Tirkey.

The Hindu