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All the news for Thursday 20 December 2018

Haier Hockey Series Open, Pakistan, 2018 - Day 3
Lahore (PAK)

Results 19 December

AFG v KAZ (RR)     0 - 8

Note: Pakistan is taking part as an invitational team and their results are not recorded

FIH Match Centre

Kazakhstan beat Afghanistan in FIH Hockey Series



LAHORE - Kazakhstan’s Aman Yelubyev scored a hat-trick and captain Daulet Urmanov scored a brace in their team’s easy 8-0 win over Afghanistan in the Haier FIH Hockey Series Open only match played here at the National Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.

Kazakhstan, who along with Uzbekistan, have emerged as the clear favourites to win this event, attacked from the off and repeatedly entered the opponent’s circle. They created a number of chances in the first quarter and availed two of them. A neat little three touch move saw the ball with an unmarked Aman Yelubyev near the left pole who easily put it in.

Daulet Urmanove doubled the advantage. After receiving a good ball in the circle, his low reverse flick found the far side of the board. Two goals arrived in the second quarter also. Daulet’s second was a superb individual effort. He sprinted into the circle and with an angular top of the circle hit sounded the left corner of the board. Penalty corner goal came off their fifth PC of the day. Nurbol Kazhym flicked high into the net. It was 4-0 at the half time.

Third quarter was spectator’s delight as three beautiful goals were added. On the eighth PC, a variation was wonderfully deflected into the goal by diving Tilek Uzbek. Then Aman Yelubyev eliminated two with a superb dribbling run parallel to the goal line before finding the target from a  tight angle. Seventh goal was scored by Yermik Tashkeyev who covered more than 20 metres in an exhilarating run beating a defender and the goal keeper before hitting it in.

Aman Yelubyev completed his hat trick in the first minute of the last quarter, finishing a right side move. Eight goals up, Kazakhstan apparently took foot off the gas and Afghanistan had their best spell, earning a penalty stroke and a penalty corner. But they wasted these opportunities. Today (Thursday), the only match will be contested between Uzbekistan and Nepal.

The Nation

SPAR South Africa show improved display in International All-Stars defeat



The SPAR South Africa women are gearing up for their January tour to Switzerland and Czech Republic where they will play ten test matches. With the focus on that, the Psi All-Star series has been an excellent opportunity for the ladies to train and play together as they build towards the tour.

On the third night of the series SPAR South Africa team took the game to their much-fancied opponents and twice took the lead deservingly through Kelly Reed and then again through Jessica Lardant. But as good as South Africa were in the first half, the internationals kept fighting back with Janne Muller-Wieland and Kiki van Wijk pulling the strings. At half-time it was 2-2 thanks to Kiana Cormack from a stroke and Marlena Rybacha from a penalty corner.

If there was ever a performance to epitomize what an All-Star is, Rybacha, the Polish captain, produced it in the second half. Her no nonsense all action approach delighted the crowd and her player of the match performance was crowned with her own hat-trick. To settle the result Allison Meeke, a world cup silver medallist, and Muller-Wieland got late goals to add gloss to a fantastic match of indoor hockey.

There were many positives for coach Lennie Botha. His team contested the match brilliantly in the first half and created some great opportunities that the World Class Alexander Heerbaart. The form of some of the youngsters in Jessica Lardant, Jamie Southgate and Tegan Fourie is looking good, while Cindy Hack is arguably playing the best hockey of her life. Her connections with Kelly Reed are sublime and something the internationals have taken note of.

Another player who has been tremendous for South Africa since her debut against Zimbabwe earlier this year is Edith Molikoe. She shared her feelings after the game:

“It’s so amazing to play for the national team. I am still a “PSI Kid” but I am already living my dream. It’s been such an honour to play for the national team. To the kids, don’t give up, no dream is to big!”

After the game Rybacha, the energetic player of the match, shared her thoughts on Psi and the game of indoor hockey:

“Psi is an amazing event. I have played at three World Cups, but this crowd is special in such a different way. The kids want to enjoy the hockey, but they also want to learn from us. I would love to say to the kids, play with fun. You can play hockey for a long time, so never give up, keep trying, keep training and have fun!”

Psi Exhibition Series – Game 3

South Africa 2 (Kelly Reed & Jessica Lardant)
International All-Stars 6 (Marlena Rybacha [3], Kiana Cormack, Allison Meeke & Janne Muller-Wieland)

SA Hockey Association media release

SPAR South Africa unlucky to lose final Psi Exhibition Match


The South African Womens team vs The All Star International Womens Team match held as part of the PSI 2018 Nationals U16 & U18 played at UCT Sports Centre on 19th December 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Shaun Roy

The final game of the Psi Exhibition series was played in front of another capacity crowd at UCT Sports Centre. SPAR South Africa were using the series to prepare for their upcoming test series against world number 5 Czech Republic and world number 7 Switzerland. For the coaching staff featuring Lennie Botha, Robyn Morgan, Brighty Mashaba and AJ Spieringshoek, they will be largely satisfied with the progress the team has made in a thrilling series.

The match started with a bit of a scary incident as Tegan Fourie took a bad knock to the eye and the game was stopped for a few minutes for her to receive treatment. Fourie was taken to hospital and received the news that she would be okay for the European tour. That scare seemed to set a bit of a surreal environment at the arena, but the game sprung to life just before half-time when Lena Lindstrom finished a team move to give the All-Stars the lead.

SPAR South Africa surged forward though and got the goal through a superbly worked penalty corner as Cindy Hack set up Kelly Reed for the finish. It was a goal that was fully deserving and a half-time score of 1-1 was a fair score line based on the match seen so far.

The second half followed the same tactical route with both teams reducing opportunities and space to a minimum. When called upon Alexander Heerbaart and Cheree Greyvenstein were in superb form to keep the scores level. The All-Stars finally took the lead with a trademark powerful flick from Marlena Rybacha.

SPAR South Africa once again surged forward and thought they had levelled as an infringement in their D was allowed to play on and then they went up the other end and Kelly Reed scored past on onrushing Heerbaart. The decision left the crowd disappointed as a short corner was awarded to the International All-Stars and Rybacha smashed it home. 3-1 the final score.


Photo by Shaun Roy

After the game Jessica O’Connor the vice-captain of SPAR South Africa was full of praise for Pro Series Indoor and the teams development:

“It is unbelievable what Pro Series Indoor is doing for the country and for the development of the game of indoor hockey. We hadn’t played together as a team too much when we got here, and we quickly learnt to fight for each other and grow as a team. I am excited for the tour to Europe in January. We are a team that plays with full hearts and that’s what really matters!”

Psi Exhibition Series – Game 4

South Africa 1 (Kelly Reed)
International All-Stars 3 (Marlena Rybacha [2] & Lena Lindstrom)

SA Hockey Association media release

FIH Pro League – One Month To Go!



Lausanne, Switzerland: In exactly one month’s time the FIH Pro League – the ground-breaking home and away league involving many of the world’s leading hockey nations – will get underway when newly crowned men’s world champions Belgium travel to Valencia to take on Spain.

The battle between Belgium’s Red Lions, who defeated the Netherlands on Sunday to win the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, and the Red Sticks of Spain on Saturday 19 January 2019 will be the start of a very special six months for our sport.

Over 20 venues across 11 nations will play host to a staggering 144 international matches, providing a global spread of world-class hockey, across multiple time-zones, from January to June in a competition that is very much seen a genuine game-changer for hockey.

The ‘power of home’ will be key to success in this event, with packed stadiums throughout the season providing a huge boost to the nine men’s and nine women’s teams competing in the FIH Pro League, giving fans the chance to watch their nation taking on the world’s best in eight matches on home soil. Tickets for these home and away matches are being purchased in their thousands, while millions of hockey fans and general sport lovers will be able to tune in to the action via a global network of broadcast partners as well as on the new FIH.live platform which will be launched on 10 January 2019.

After the completion of the 144 matches that will feature in the ‘League’, a further eight matches will then be played at the showpiece Grand Final, which will take place at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam, the Netherlands between 27-30 June 2019. The winning men’s and women’s nations will be crowned as the FIH Pro League champions and will receive the single largest financial prize in the sport.

With the FIH Pro League starting one month today, we can confirm that all 18 of the competing men’s and women’s teams have finalised their squads in anticipation of the start of the inaugural edition of the FIH Pro League.

Belgium – who on Tuesday received a glorious homecoming by thousands of fans who flocked to Brussels’ iconic Grand-Place to celebrate the arrival of both the team and the newly-claimed World Cup trophy – will be rightly regarded as one of the pre-competition favourites. It is hardly surprising, with the squad selected by Head Coach Shane McLeod containing superstars from Bhubaneswar such as team captain Thomas Briels, Vincent Vanasch (FIH Goalkeeper of the Year 2017) and penalty corner ace Alexander Hendrickx, not to mention Arthur Van Doren (FIH Player and Young Player of the Year 2017), the man named player of the tournament at the Men’s World Cup in India.

Although Spain – who Belgium will meet in the opening FIH Pro League fixture on 19 January at Valencia’s Estadio Betero – did not enjoy the happiest of times in Bhubaneswar, the squad selected for the FIH Pro League by Head Coach Frederic Soyez is packed full of players determined to show the Red Lions and the world that they are very much a force to be reckoned with. Hugely gifted young attacker Enrique Gonzalez is a player capable of hurting any team, while the vast experience coming from veterans Pau Quemada, Miguel Delas, Sergi Enrique and goalkeeper Quico Cortes ensures that the Red Sticks remain a very dangerous side. It promises to be a fascinating fixture, kicking off a wonderful six months of action.

The Estadio Betero will also be the venue for game two of the FIH Pro League, with Spain’s men facing Great Britain on 25 January. The GB team features the vast majority of the England side that Head Coach Danny Kerry guided to a fourth-place finish in Bhubaneswar including Phil Roper, Liam Ansell and goalkeeper George Pinner.

The third match of the FIH Pro League is the first match of the women’s competition, with focus switching from Europe to South America as Belgium’s Red Panthers travel to Cordoba to play Argentina in front of an impassioned crowd at the Estadio Municipal de Hockey on 26 January. As always, Las Leonas’ squad contains some of the superstars of the world game including shot-stopper Belen Succi, midfield dynamo Maria Granatto (FIH Young Player of the Year 2016 & 2017) and sensational forward Delfina Merino (FIH Player of the Year 2017). While Argentina might be seen favourites to get their competition off to a flying start, Belgium’s women have made great strides forward in recent years and have some superb players of their own, including team captain Anouk Raes, Louise Versavel, Jill Boon and goalkeeper Aisling D’Hooghe.

As you would expect for an event featuring some of the world’s finest hockey playing nations, the squad lists named for the inaugural edition of the FIH Pro League is eye-catching to say the least. As well as the previously mentioned Arthur Van Doren, Vincent Vanasch, Delfina Merino and Maria Granatto, a host of other FIH individual award winners will also play starring roles including John-John Dohmen (Belgium – FIH Player of the Year 2016), Florian Fuchs (Germany - FIH Young Player of the Year 2012), Christopher Rühr (Germany - FIH Young Player of the Year 2013 & 2015), Matthew Swann (FIH Young Player of the Year 2011), Eddie Ockenden (Australia - FIH Young Player of the Year 2008), Gonzalo Peillat (Argentina – FIH Young Player of the Year 2014), Lily Owsley (Great Britain – FIH Young Player of the Year 2015), Florencia Habif (Argentina - FIH Young Player of the Year 2014), Maria Verschoor (Netherlands - FIH Young Player of the Year 2013) and Stacey Michelsen (New Zealand – FIH Young Player of the Year 2011).

Other key individuals named include some of the award winners from the recent Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, with best goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak (Netherlands) as well as joint top scorers Blake Govers (Australia) and Alexander Hendrickx (Belgium) all being named by their respective teams.  

Netherlands’ women’s Head Coach Alyson Annan has selected a fiercely strong squad in a bid to add the Pro League crown to the World and European titles that her brilliant team have claimed in recent years, with the extraordinary Lidewij Welten joined by true global stars such as Kelly Jonker, Eva de Goede and Xan de Waard. However, with Argentina, Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, and USA all in the fight for the title, the task for the Oranje is certainly not straight forward by any means.

To see the squad lists in full, click the following links: Men | Women.

You can visit the TMS event pages for the FIH Pro League by clicking the following links: Men | Women.

To see the confirmed match schedule for the FIH Pro League, which includes links to ticket sites for each of the matches, please click here.

For information about how to purchase tickets for the FIH Pro League matches, please click here.

#FIHProLeague

FIH site

Great Britain's men and women announce initial FIH Pro League squads



Great Britain Hockey have submitted their initial squads for the first round of matches in the brand new FIH Pro League (FIHPL).

2019 sees the first instalment of the event, with nine of the world's best nations doing battle in a ground-breaking global competition. The FIHPL will transform the future of international hockey at the top level and next year's competition is also a key component of qualification for the Tokyo Olympic games.

Competing consistently as Great Britain over the next two years provides an opportunity for our athletes to train, compete and grow as a squad in an unprecedented fashion.

At the moment, 22 players have been named in the women's squad, with 25 in the initial men's list. Players currently recovering from injury have not been included at this stage, but can be added at short notice once back in contention. Competing nations can use up to 32 players in each gender across the entire FIHPL, so there is plenty of flexibility still available.

Barry Middleton is taking a break from international hockey and is not scheduled to take part in the FIHPL in 2019.

Great Britain Hockey anticipate making an announcement with regards the position of women’s team head coach in January 2019.

Initial women's squad
Giselle Ansley
Grace Balsdon
Sophie Bray
Nicki Cochrane
Amy Costello
Emily Defroand
Sarah Evans
Sabbie Heesh
Tess Howard
Jo Hunter
Hannah Martin
Lizzie Neal
Lily Owsley
Hollie Pearne-Webb
Suzy Petty
Ellie Rayer
Sarah Robertson
Erica Sanders
Amy Tennant
Anna Toman
Susannah Townsend
Laura Unsworth

Initial men's squad
David Ames
Liam Ansell
Will Calnan
David Condon
Brendan Creed
Adam Dixon
Alan Forsyth
James Gall
Harry Gibson
Mark Gleghorne
David Goodfield
Chris Griffiths
Michael Hoare
Harry Martin
George Pinner
Phil Roper
Liam Sanford
Ian Sloan
Rhys Smith
Luke Taylor
Zach Wallace
Jack Waller
Sam Ward
Henry Weir
Ollie Willars

Our first game in the FIHPL sees the men's team travel to Spain on Friday 25 January. The women's debut match is two weeks later on Friday 8 February when they travel to New Zealand.

England Hockey Board Media release

Alex Danson and Barry Middleton not in GB squads


Alex Danson was a key figure as Great Britain claimed gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro

Great Britain women's captain Alex Danson has been left out of the squad for the inaugural FIH Pro League as she continues her recovery from concussion.

The 33-year-old missed the Champions Trophy in November after banging her head on a concrete chair on holiday.

She can be added at a later date for the tournament, which takes place between January and June.

Barry Middleton is not included in the men's squad as he takes a break from international hockey.

The 34-year-old has 432 combined caps for Great Britain and England following his fourth World Cup earlier this month, in which England finished fourth after being thrashed by Australia in the third-place play-off.

The Pro League sees nine teams in each of the men's and women's events face each other home and away, with the top four teams advancing to a grand final in Amstelveen in the Netherlands.

The competition, set up by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), replaces the Hockey World League and serves as qualification for the World Cup and Olympics.

Great Britain will compete in the 2019 and 2020 editions in the build-up to the Tokyo Games, with England taking over in 2021 and 2022.

Great Britain's women take on New Zealand away in their opening game on 10 February, with their first home tie against United States on 27 April.

The men start their campaign away to Spain on 25 January, with the return fixture their first home tie of the year on 4 May.

The women's side have named 22 players in their squad, with the men naming 25, while nations can use up to 32 players across the entire Pro League.

Holcombe midfielder Middleton is not scheduled to feature at all in the tournament.


England midfielder Barry Middleton celebrates after scoring against Argentina in the World Cup

Barry Middleton is 21 caps short of the all-time record of 453 held by the Netherlands' Teun de Nooijer

GB women's squad: Giselle Ansley, Grace Balsdon, Sophie Bray, Nicki Cochrane, Amy Costello, Emily Defroand, Sarah Evans, Sabbie Heesh, Tess Howard, Jo Hunter, Hannah Martin, Lizzie Neal, Lily Owsley, Hollie Pearne-Webb, Suzy Petty, Ellie Rayer, Sarah Robertson, Erica Sanders, Amy Tennant, Anna Toman, Susannah Townsend, Laura Unsworth.

GB men's squad: David Ames, Liam Ansell, Will Calnan, David Condon, Brendan Creed, Adam Dixon, Alan Forsyth, James Gall, Harry Gibson, Mark Gleghorne, David Goodfield, Chris Griffiths, Michael Hoare, Harry Martin, George Pinner, Phil Roper, Liam Sanford, Ian Sloan, Rhys Smith, Luke Taylor, Zach Wallace, Jack Waller, Sam Ward, Henry Weir, Ollie Willars.

BBC Sport

HA Congratulates Butturini On International Career

Ben Somerford



Hockey Australia today congratulates Kookaburras midfielder Matthew Butturini who has announced his retirement from international hockey effective immediately.

The 31-year-old, who hails from Murwillumbah in New South Wales’ Tweed Coast, hangs up the boots after 89 caps and 18 goals for the Kookaburras.

Butturini debuted for Australia in January 2009 against the Netherlands in WA, before going on to numerous honours including winning an Olympic bronze medal at the 2012 London Games.

He was also part of the side that won the 2010 World Cup, the 2009 and 2011 Champions Trophies and the 2009, 2011 and 2013 Oceania Cup.

After representing Australia at the 2013 Oceania Cup, Butturini was hampered by a significant knee injury in recent years before striving to break back into the Kookaburras side in 2018.

Butturini earned selection in the 2018 National Development Squad and played for Australia A in the August series against Malaysia, pressing his case for a recall which ultimately never eventuated.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed being back around the Kookaburras group over the past year,” Butturini said.

“It was an environment that I didn't think I would have the privilege of being in again after my knee injury and am grateful for the opportunity provided to me by coaches Colin Batch, Rob Hammond and Anthony Potter.

"One of the most difficult things about having a long-term injury and being dropped out of the program is not being able to end your career on your own terms and whilst I didn't get back to playing for Australia, being able to retire and finish up off my own decision is one that I am thankfully able to do this time around.

“It wasn't an easy decision to make but I feel as though now is the right time to finish up, with my career outside of hockey progressing and my wife Cassandra and I expecting our first child in May, other aspects of your life take priority and that's what has brought about my decision.

"I'd like to thank all the people who have been involved in my career over the years and have allowed me to chase and fulfill a dream that I had for as long as I can remember.

“In particular my parents John and Janelle, who, without them none of this would have been a possibility, my brothers Nicholas and Andrew and to my beautiful wife Cassandra who has been with me for the entire journey and supported me along the way."

Kookaburras coach Colin Batch paid tribute to Butturini for his determination to fight back from his knee injury along with his outstanding contribution prior to his cruel setback.

“We would like to acknowledge the significant contribution Matthew has made to the National Men's High Performance Program,” Batch said.

“As a member of the Kookaburras team, Matthew was part of a successful era which included winning an Olympic bronze medal and World Cup gold medal.

“Matthew was an excellent and skilful player but a significant knee injury cruelly stalled his progress.

“In this context, he showed great commitment this year, overcoming the injury, being part of our National Development Squad and playing some good Hockey and we commend him on that.

“We would like to wish Matthew all the very best for the future with wife Cassandra.”

Hockey Australia media release

India’s sixth place finish at Odisha gives cause for optimism

K Arumugam


India's Akashdeep Singh (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the field hockey quarter-final match between India and the Netherlands at the 2018 Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar. AFP

Two wins and a draw out from four matches, from the view of substance and numbers, was by far the best outcome since Sydney 1994 when the team finished fifth after missing semi-final qualification by a whisker.

Before the Odisha edition, the Indian men were ranked fifth on the FIH charts. In Bhubaneswar, India couldn’t pull off something remarkable to jump up the ladder but they more or less maintained status quo.

Sad as fans of Manpreet Singh’s team may be, they should draw cheer at how India did not buckle under the pressure of public expectation.

Surely, when you reflect on the last time the country hosted the World Cup in Delhi eight years ago, all the team could do was post a victory – 4-1 over Pakistan in their opener – and go winless in the remaining five matches.

Odisha was clearly different. India topped their pool, thereby avoiding the cross-overs, and sealed a direct spot in the quarter-finals.

They took South Africa apart in the opener 5-0, held eventual champions Belgium to a 2-2 draw before surging into the quarter-finals with a 5-1 win over Canada.

On reflection, it is fathomable that India are one of the best in the world – if not the best.

In hindsight, many would harp on team selection. Especially when it comes to the dropped trio of Sardar Singh, SV Sunil and Rupinderpal Singh.

Their contention does not cut ice. India failed to clinch gold in a weaker field of the Asian Games and returned empty handed from the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games held earlier in the year. Either squad contained at least two of these stars.

Harendra Singh was then compelled to go in for fresh legs and the coach opted for the tougher route. He decided to give form and fitness a priority rather than experience and reputation.

He knew the proportion and repercussion of risk – but it paid off. The team did not let him down and dividends were obtained. We are now in a position to compare Bhubaneswar to Sydney.

The inexperienced quartet of Dilpreet Singh, Nilakanta Singh, Simranjeet Singh and Hardik Singh, however, did not sparkle or surprise the stands. They were thought to be wonder boys but none turned out to be a Thijs van Dam or Tim Brand they were projected to be in the run up to the event.

Wonders, after all, don’t happen just like that. Behind a spectacular success lies the dint of hand work, day in and day out.

Then again, you don’t present the likes of Thijs van Dam or Tim Brand in every country and every tournament. They emerge occasionally and rule the roost till their physiology permits them.

The two teams that India played — Belgium in the pool and The Netherlands in the quarterfinals — went on to play the grand finale. One cannot escape the fact that India did creditably well against both: Draw against epoch making Belgium and losing a keen battle 1-2 to the Netherlands.

The clash against the Dutch could have gone either way. Defeat wasn’t a death blow to Indian hockey but taught good lessons on how to go the extra mile.

The last quarter-final of a global major – the 2016 Rio Olympics – ended in a 1-3 defeat to Belgium. The team was outplayed then and it wasn’t the case in the rousing quarter-final in Bhubaneswar.

Therefore, without resorting to micro-analysis and going into the nitty-gritty of criticism, the present team gives cause for optimism.

India is among the top six nations and if the team stays its course, it probably will enjoy its moment in the sun.

Australia have only one Olympic (men’s) gold medal and three World Cup titles in their kitty. For a country that has been a semi-final fixture (save the Rio Olympics) since the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the return is disappointing.

Germany, another strong hockey nation like Australia, have only two World Cup titles but four Olympic gold medals. In the World Cup, at least, the Germans have underachieved.

India should not expect the present generation of players to carry its historical baggage. Comparisons with Indian teams of the distant past is irrelevant.

In recent times, there are few Indian teams that have played with the same energy as this one. The team should be given consideration and spared from a totally uncalled for castigation.

The future lies in continuity. India has been doing things more or less correctly for a decade now. The Government has extended support in terms of infrastructure and monetary assistance to pay for coaches, support staff as well as exposure tours.

Hockey India has powered the elite group of players forward with frequent participation in top competitions. Even hosting events if it came to it.

The Odisha Government’s  massive effort in sponsoring the 14th World Cup in Bhubaneswar and that of Uttar Pradesh who did likewise for the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow suggests that there is a commitment to promote and render visibility for hockey in a big way on a regional level.

With so many doing their bit, there is every hope that little things will add up to something big in the near future.

Australian legend Richard Charlsworth in his latest work ‘World’s Best’ summed up what makes the best team. “The best teams are replete with athletes who make the right choice at the right time for the right reason.”

A huge concept simplified as only Ric can.

The Indian team needs time to develop such a character. They also need the support and guidance of coaches, support staff and a system space and time to reach their goal.

The team we observed in Bhubaneswar reached half-way. An extended spell of continuity may just about pave way to the destination.

Any move, mild or strong, to disturb the existing equilibrium will put the clock back. It has happened so often in the past and it would be worth avoiding a tendency to do so now.

Firstpost

A positive take on the last 8 months of Pakistan hockey

Moosa Waraich



Pakistan's cricket team is notorious for its frustrating displays but it makes up for it with unexpected brilliance every once in a while. Our hockey team does not even do that.

The last time our men with sticks did something notable, it was a second-placed finish at the 2014 Hockey Champions Trophy. That podium finish was an anomaly though, a rare escape from the modern plight of Pakistan hockey.

The team started showing signs of deterioration soon after the golden generation of the 1980s and took a full-on nosedive post-2010; their stock fell so much that they didn't even qualify for the 2014 World Cup or the Olympics two years later.

Mediocrity has come to characterise this team. They were last in the Champions Trophy and it didn't matter; they finished seventh at this year's Commonwealth Games and no hell broke loose.

All of these reinforce the notion that failure has become second nature to Pakistan hockey. The consistency of their disappointing displays means they cannot be relied on even springing an occasional surprise — not even once every blue moon.

But the whole point of this article is to challenge this very idea. And to do that, context is of utmost importance.

Proper perspective

Roughly 13 months ago, Pakistan lost 9-1 to hosts Australia at the International Festival of Hockey in what was the worst defeat in the history of Pakistan hockey.

Mind you, we had suffered maulings before but those were almost always compensated for immediately, allowing the fans to tolerate such losses. A case in point would be the 8-2 thrashing at the hands of England in the 2014 Champions Trophy. We eventually finished second in the tournament after losing to Germany in the final.

After the lop-sided loss to Australia at the Festival of Hockey, however, there were no reactions. In fact, we went on to lose the next four matches as well: to New Zealand once and Japan twice, which consigned us to last spot.

To both the casuals and the die-hard fans, this was indisputably the nadir of nadirs. Something had to be done, and it was the government and the hockey federation's job to cure the team of its many maladies.

Within a month, we had a new coaching staff and half the team had been replaced. Would, or did, this move resolve Pakistan’s woes? In the aftermath of the recent World Cup debacle, it may sound odd but surprisingly, it may have.

    I should remind you: hockey still is the national sport

Dutchman Roelant Oltmans and his coaching staff turned individuals previously categorised as average to at least internationally competitive. He added fresher faces to the roster and carved out perhaps the team's best, or the least worst, version of recent times.

Raw facts, of course, show that we finished seventh at this year's Commonwealth Games in Australia in April and didn't win even a single game at the World Cup in November in India.

But what they don’t show, and what a contextual understanding does, is that at the Gold Coast, the side ranked 13th in the world, held the likes of England, India and Malaysia (ranked seventh, fifth, and 12th respectively) to draws and remained undefeated throughout the tournament.

This was merely five months after the 9-1 disaster in Sydney and just six months into the team's latest transformation kicked off. What did we expect? Another silver medal?

At this year's Champions Trophy in June, barring the game against India where a tactical error led to a 4-0 defeat, and the Netherlands game where we were outplayed in every regard, the young Pakistani outfit exceeded expectations in their four other appearances.

Defeating the world number two Argentina, holding Australia to a draw till the 56th minute — the same beast we leaked nine goals against less than a year ago — and almost defeating Belgium twice, should not be belittled, especially considering our recent results.

The Champions Trophy was thus, in context, a success.

Government apathy

But as expected, casual observers weren’t impressed. Unfortunately for the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), some of those casual observers became members of the provisional government.

Suddenly, the Rs200 million in funds earmarked for the PHF were withheld, with the paradoxical justification given that the move was due to a series of poor performances and that the team would have to perform in order to receive the funds.

This becomes even more farcical because finances (or a lack thereof) is precisely the factor that is often cited for hockey's plight, and by depriving the team of those funds, the policymakers actually fanned the problems.

Since then, the cash-strapped PHF has made constant requests to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government for funding and institutional backing, but to no avail.

    Hasn’t apathy, not failure, come to characterise Pakistan hockey?

These bureaucratic hurdles resulted in Oltmans' exit just a month before the start of the World Cup, a chastening blow to the already fragile state of hockey.

Thus, at the biggest event of the year, our players — after their strike threats failed — went unpaid. This was after what happened at the Asian Games where the team would surely have missed out had it not been for the PHF clearing the team's dues out of its own pockets.

The powers that be did not budge even after the team jointly won the gold medal at the Asia Champions Trophy in Oman in October.

The team, whose disappointing showing at the World Cup has led to the formation of a committee, almost didn't go to the tournament because of empty coffers. Only when Javed Afridi came to the PHF’s rescue did their trip to India became possible.

While hockey fans should be grateful to Afridi, no national kit should have the Pakistani logo on one side and the Peshawar Zalmi logo on the other.

Showing support

For the last eight months, I have actively followed the PHF’s struggles and furiously searched for livestreams to support the team in the most basic way possible: spectating.

At the World Cup, I witnessed Pakistan defend brilliantly against Germany in the presence of a hostile crowd, till eventually they let one slip; there was nothing to be ashamed of that 1-0 loss.

Days later, we held Malaysia — a side now coached by Oltmans — to a 1-1 draw; again, no mean feat considering our troubles.

The Netherlands and Belgium did brush us aside, but then they're the Netherlands and Belgium — one won the World Cup, the other almost won the World Cup.

The mainstream media did not broadcast the tournament, so not everyone has the contextual understanding of this side.

But the few of us who saw these two games online would know that the combined 10-1 scoreline does not reflect the potency of Aleem Bilal’s penalty corners, or take into account Imran Butt’s otherworldly saves.

This team, under the most trying circumstances, played in India and held its own before being overpowered by two behemoths. Of course, the general public wouldn't know, the government wouldn't care.

Never before has a government and the Pakistani society been more apathetic to the hockey cause, which I should remind you still is the national sport.

Discarded, forgotten and underappreciated — alas hasn’t apathy, not failure, come to characterise Pakistan hockey?

Dawn

Malaysia’s world ranking suffer a drop after World Cup

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia fell one rung to 13th in the latest world ranking released by International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Malaysia’s ranking dropped after the national team finished 15th among 16 teams that featured in the World Cup, which ended on Sunday in Bhubaneswar, India.

The drop will affect Malaysia’s hope of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The FIH world ranking plays a vital role in determining Malaysia’s path towards the Tokyo Olympics.

Five continental champions will gain an automatic berth for the 2020 Olympics while seven more teams will qualify based on their performance at the World Series Finals.

Malaysia are likely to play one of the top seven ranked teams in the world to win a place for the Olympics.

Malaysia will host the FIH World Series at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil from April 23 to May 1, which is a qualifying tournament for the Olympics.

Malaysia are among eight countries to feature in the tournament and the other teams in the fray are Canada, China, Wales, Austria, Brazil, Italy and Vanuatu.

Belgium, who won the recent World Cup, moved up two rungs and are now ranked number one in the world.

Australia, who won the bronze medal at the World Cup, dropped to second while Holland, who lost to Belgium in the final, move up by one rung to third place.

France, who qualified for the quarter-finals by stunning 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics champion Argentina 3-2 in the second round of the World Cup, moved up five rungs to 15.

THE WORLD RANKINGS

1. Belgium, 2. Australia, 3. Holland, 4. Argentina, 5. India, 6. Germany, 7. England, 8. New Zealand, 9. Spain, 10. Canada, 11. Ireland, 12. Pakistan, 13. Malaysia, 14. China, 15. France, 16. South Africa, 17. S. Korea, 18. Japan, 19. Austria, 20. Egypt.

The Star of Malaysia

Black Sticks review delayed


Black Sticks coach Mark Hager. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The findings of an independent review into the environment within the national women's hockey side won't be released until the New Year.

The review by employment lawyer Maria Dew was launched after allegations of a negative environment in the Black Sticks squad under coach Mark Hager.

The allegations came in the wake of Hager accidentally sending an email to the entire team naming and shaming individual players for their performance and fitness.

Public revelations of the email led some players to raise concerns with the New Zealand Hockey Players Association, who passed that feedback onto the national body, although several former players have publicly expressed their support for the former Australian international.

The review was due to be completed by the end of November but in a statement Hockey New Zealand said the process has taken longer than expected.

"We are wanting to make sure that we are as thorough as possible with such an important review," said the statement.

Radio NZ

Telkom storm Africa Club Championship final

By BRIAN OTWAL IN ABUJA, NIGERIA


Telkom's Flavian Mutiva (left) vies for ball with USIU-A Spartans' Beatrice Mbugua during their Africa Cup for Club Championship match at the Abuja National Stadium on December 16, 2018. PHOTO | BRIAN OTWAL |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Telkom Kenya on Wednesday sealed their place in the final of the 2018 Africa Cup for Club Hockey Championship after a 1-0 win over hosts Kada Queens here at the Abuja National Stadium.

International Audrey Omaido's strike in the 47th minute was enough for the nine-time champions to see off the home side and seal their place in Saturday's final with one match to spare.

With the win, the Kenyan queens cannot be caught at the top of the women's standings after securing four wins which brings their points tally to 12.

They will play either champions Ghana Revenue Authority or Ghana Police, who sit second and third respectively in the standings, in Saturday's final.

Telkom face GRA in their final round robin clash on Thursday ahead of Saturday's final.

Telkom coach Jos Openda lauded his charges for making it to the final, but blasted their opponents for playing to deep.

"We are on course to reclaim the title and I thank the team for coming this far. We are ready for any team and tomorrow's (Thursday) game against GRA will be mere formality and a crucial one for them," Openda said.

"Kada Queens played a very strange game, they were happy to sit back event when they had the ball and this was very strange."

Telkom captain Tracy Karanja admits they will not relax against GRA as they look to avenge their 1-0 loss during last edition's final.

Daily Nation

Telkom seek revenge against Ghanaians

By BRIAN OTWAL IN ABUJA, NIGERIA


Telkom Kenya's Barbara Simiyu (right) stops the ball for Jackline Mwangi (centre) from a short corner in their match against Kada Queens at the ongoing Africa Hockey Club Championship in Abuja, Nigeria on December 19, 2018. Telkom won 1-0. PHOTO | BRIAN OTWAL |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Telkom Kenya will take on defending champions Ghana Revenue Authority Thursday at the Abuja National Stadium in the Africa Hockey Club Championship in a repeat of last year’s final held in Accra, Ghana.

The nine-time champions confirmed their spot in the final on Wednesday after beating Nigeria’s Kada Queens 1-0, in the process registering their fourth win of the tournament in the fifth day of the tournament.

Telkom had to battle hard to overcome Kada’s resistance through the first three quarters with the umpire denying them the lead after Jackline Mwangi had scored in the last minute of the third quarter from a short corner.

Audrey Omaido gave Telkom the lead from a short corner as she netted her fourth goal of the tournament to ensure coach Jos Openda’s charges remain unbeaten and on top of the standings on 12 points.

Coach Openda decried the poor officiating noting that it was killing the spirit of the players.

“I want to congratulate the girls first for making it to the final, but we had goals denied by the umpire and I really fail to understand. Nonetheless, we take the three points. Next up we play GRA, the game matters more to them but we still have to fight for a win,” a furious Openda noted after the match.

Telkom have one more match of the tournament’s round robin format to go before the final and it is against Ghana Revenue Authority.

“We have got our goal, maximum points in every game, but we are going to come at GRA in our next tie with everything we have. We are hungry for the win as players, we need to prove a point to them because they beat us last year,” expressed an optimistic captain Tracy Karanja.

The defending champions’ recovery continued after they thrashed Delta Queens 7-0 in their fourth match of the round robin clash to remain second on 8 points.

The defending champions find themselves in a precarious position going into the match against Telkom, with Ghana Police also chasing a place in Saturday's final.

Kenya’s other representatives USIU Spartans were searching for their first victory of the tournament against Ghana Police by the time of going to press.

USIU lie bottom on one point from their 1-1 draw against Delta Queens in their opening match.

Daily Nation

Rivalry reloaded as Telkom face champions GRA

By Elizabeth Mburugu


Telkom player Terry Juma with the ball as her colleague guards Lucy Lichuma from JKUAT players when they played National Women premier at City Park. (Jenipher Wachie, Standard)

Nine-time women's Africa Cup of Club Championships winners Telkom will be out to exert revenge on Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in their last round robin match at Abuja National Stadium, Nigeria.

Telkom have had a good run winning all their matches and are currently at the summit of the standings with 12 points four more than defending champions GRA who lie second. It will be payback time as Kenyans seek to avenge their painful 1-0 final loss to the Ghanaians that saw them relinquish their title early this year in Accra, Ghana.

Telkom coach Jos Openda said they will need to remain focused as they take on their bitter rivals and defending champions GRA.

"One game at a time is our strategy and we need to remain focused so as to get our desired outcome. Going into this game we are more composed because pressure is on our opponents who are the defending champions. For us it is a preliminary match that we look forward to winning but for them they have to prove that they indeed deserve the continental crown," Openda said.

He added that playing under new rules has been a challenge but they are working hard to adapt to the new regulations. "We are playing under new rules which has proved challenging because back home we used the old rules and this has slowed us down. However, all is not lost because the players have been quick to learn and I believe that they will make a good account if themselves."

Yesterday, Telkom edged out home girls Kada Queens 1-0 to maintain their 100 percent win record and also qualify for Saturday's final.

Audrey Omaido's 47th minute penalty corner conversion was enough to give Telkom a fourth victory. Telkom had launched their campaign with a 2-1 win over Ghana Police before thrashing compatriots United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) 4-0 in their second tie.

Kenyan girls showed no regards for their hosts thumping Delta Queens 4-1 before edging out Kada Queens 1-0. USIU-A who made their international debut have struggled remain a float and have been locked out of the top two. The top two sides will clash in the final.

The Standard Digital

UniKL beef up squad with foreign players for MHL challenge

By Aftar Singh

KUALA LUMPUR: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) are hoping to retain the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) overall title following the hiring of two foreign players.

Two foreign players, goalkeeper David Harte of Ireland and Australian striker Kieren Govers, who played for UniKL this year, would continue playing for the 2019 season which begins on Jan 3.

The lanky Harte was the captain of the Ireland team for the World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India.

UniKL are also interested in hiring Australian skipper Mark Knowles who retired after the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in April, and two Holland players who played in the recent World Cup – Valentin Verga and Robert Kemperman.

The Dutch players are likely to be unavailable as they will be involved in the Pro League, which also begins in January.

National midfielder Mohd Marhan Mohd Jalil will captain the UniKL team.

It is learnt that UniKL are also interested in signing two national players – defenders Mohd Sukri Abdul Mutalib and Muhd Razie Abdul Rahim.

Sukri was the captain of the national side in the recent World Cup.

Sukri and Razie played for the KL Hockey Club (KLHC) in the last few years but the City side will not feature in the MHL next year.

Another former KLHC forward Harvinder Singh has confirmed to play for UniKL next season.

Najmi Farizal Jazlan, who quit as the national defender after the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in April, will remain with UniKL.

UniKL have dropped national midfielder Joel van Huizen, who played in the World Cup, from their squad.

Defender Baljit Singh Charun said that Harte and Govers are confirmed to play for UniKL as they have signed the forms.

“We are still waiting for other foreign players to sign up soon while Sukri and Razie are expected to do so in the next two days.

“We want to sign as many foreign players as our aim is to retain the overall title next season,” said the former international Baljit.

UniKL will feature in the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup and will open their campaign against Tunku Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt on Jan 3.

The Star of Malaysia