Welcome to the Fieldhockey.com Archives

All the news for Wednesday 20 February 2019

Scotland women denied win by last-gasp equaliser in Rome



Scotland women were denied victory over Italy in Rome by a last gasp equaliser from Federica Carta to make it a 2-2 finish. Scotland had taken the lead through strikes by Fiona Burnet and Kate Holmes, and also had a goal from Louise Campbell disallowed. The result follows Italy’s win in the opening match of the series, with the third and final contest between the two to take place on Thursday.

Scotland looked hungry from the outset with Jen Eadie and Lucy Lanigan both battling hard for the ball in the early stages.

Amy Gibson was called into making two good saves early doors; the first at her near post before a powerful shot on the turn by Federica Carta was batted clear by the Scotland keeper.

But it was Italy who opened the scoring a short time later. Celina Traverso provided the goal to make it 1-0 to the hosts.

Scotland battled back and some recovery defending by Chiara Tiddi prevented Charlotte Watson from shooting on goal as the Tartan Hearts looked to retaliate.

Fiona Burnet bagged the equaliser for Scotland when she got down low and tapped home from a well-worked move down the right by Laura Swanson. 1-1.

Emily Dark then nearly put the Scots in front when she blasted a penalty corner just wide of the mark.

Louise Campbell had the ball in the back of the net after a delightful piece of skill saw her run down the middle of the Italian defence, but her goal was disallowed as the umpire hadn’t given advantage before she got her shot away.

Scotland took the lead when they were awarded a penalty flick after a Sarah Jamieson penalty corner was stopped by a foot on the line. Kate Holmes stepped up to strike it and she picked her spot in the bottom right corner to put Scotland 2-1 up.

In the last minute of the contest Italy found an equaliser through the influential Carta. The Italians broke into the Scots D down the left and the cut back found Carta who slotted home despite a desperate attempt on the line by Bex Condie to block. 2-2.

Scotland women’s Head Coach Jen Wilson said, “It was a really good game and I’m pleased with how the girls’ turned round a performance like that in 24 hours.

“Fiona Burnet showed good commitment to get down low for her goal after Laura Swanson was excellent on the baseline, and Kate Holmes did really well with the penalty for our second. Louise Campbell was so unlucky to have her goal disallowed too.

“Once we went 2-1 up Italy piled on a lot of pressure, and took risks, but we were solid and dealt with it well. We were a little sloppy at the end and got punished for it with the equaliser but it was a good performance. We’re playing good exciting hockey.

“Tomorrow we’ll have two training sessions and prepare for the final match on Thursday. We have plenty to work on and it’s still all to play for in the series, so we’ll make every moment we have together count.”

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Goalkeepers of the Year 2018: Maddie Hinch and Vincent Vanasch



Maddie Hinch and Vincent Vanasch are both serial winners of the Best Goalkeeper awards. While the Belgium ‘keeper seems to be on an ever-rising trajectory of success, for Maddie Hinch, the year has been one of reflection and a gradual stepping away from the international game that has given her so much success. But both ‘keepers have given their position a new level of respect as they have been true purveyors of the art of goalkeeping throughout their careers.

Olympic gold in 2016 earned Maddie Hinch the Hockey Stars Best Female Goalkeeper award in 2016 and a phenomenal year in 2017 saw her repeat the feat. This year, Hinch was again at her best as she took to the field for England in the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in London, and her remarkable consistency as England and Great Britain’s best goalkeeper sees her pick up her third consecutive FIH Best Female Goalkeeper Award.

"I’m struggling to express how I feel about being awarded this again for the third consecutive year. I have very mixed feelings. I’m grateful for every single vote. That means the world to me."
- Maddie Hinch

Hinch is now taking a break from the international game but her legacy towards goalkeeping continues as numerous young boys and girls cite her as their role model and inspiration for pulling on the goalkeeping kit. Among her many achievements, Hinch’s in-depth research into her opponents has opened the world’s eyes to the science behind goalkeeping and elevated the position from being seen as simply a last-ditch ‘shot-stopper’ to being a position that calls for a special blend of mental acuity, agility and courage.

In an emotional message to fans, Hinch said: “I’m struggling to express how I feel about being awarded this again for the third consecutive year. I have very mixed feelings.

“Of course, I’m honoured to receive the award and I’m humbled to win FIH Goalkeeper of the Year for 2018. There were some great goalkeepers in this category who put in huge standout performances last year and I felt were more worthy of the award.

“I’m grateful for every single vote. That means the world to me. To win amidst a break from the international stage, knowing that so many people remember and recognise my contribution to the game is something that has been emotionally overwhelming.

“The goalkeeper is now seen as one of the coolest positions on the pitch with people young and old eagerly donning the equipment… this is a brilliant legacy and one that I am very proud to be part of creating.”

Vincent Vanasch is one of a trio of Belgium male players winning a FIH players’ award and, in a two-year period that has seen the Red Lions move to the top of the world rankings and win a World Cup gold medal, some would say that the goalkeeper is the platform upon which Belgium’s success has been built. Certainly, his nomination as Player of the Match in the World Cup final – where Belgium beat the Netherlands 3-2 after shoot-out – is testimony to how important his presence is to his team.

The international team’s success has been a long time in the making and Vanasch is one of the squads most enduring players. To date, he has represented his country 211 times, in an international career that took off at a 2009 World Cup qualification event where Belgium took the silver medal.

"Hockey is beautiful. I’m lucky and proud today to win this award for the second time, and even more to be part of this amazing team, the Red Lions."
- Vincent Vanasch

Vanasch, who was also crowned FIH Goalkeeper of the Year in 2017, was always destined to be a goalkeeper. Aged five he first put on a pair of goalkeeping pads, made from bamboo. The small boy had to be constantly picked up by his father as he dived around the goal - he was light and agile on his feet but too small to be able to get up again with the huge pads weighing him down.

In a memorable year, Vanasch says his standout moment was appearing with the World Cup in Belgium’s Grand Place in front of 6,000 cheering fans as the team made a triumphant return from the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup.

It was an emotional goalkeeper who accepted the award for the second consecutive year: “Hockey is beautiful. I’m lucky and proud today to win this award for the second time, and even more to be part of this amazing team, the Red Lions.

“This journey is not only about sport, it’s also about living your passion, working really hard to achieve your dreams, inspiring a team, a generation, and a country. I couldn’t be more proud to have written history for Belgium at the 2018 World Cup.

“Winning this award for the second time means a lot to me because it represents all the sacrifices, all these hours, days, and years of training as well as all the ups and downs throughout my career.

“At one point I almost gave up hockey. Fortunately, back then I had the support of my family, my wife, and my friends. I will forever be grateful to them because today I’m living my dream, and it’s only the beginning of the Red Lions’ story... Thank you all.”

#HockeyStarsAwards

FIH site

New Zealand Hockey sees player funding suspended after Mark Hager exit

By The Hockey Paper


New Zealand celebrate Commonwealth gold in 2018 PIC: www.photosport.nz

Hockey New Zealand confirmed to The Hockey Paper on Tuesday that it is hopeful of a “positive outcome” after reports surfaced that millionaire businessman Sir Owen Glenn has frozen funding to the Black Sticks women’s hockey programme.

Last year Glenn invested $1 (NZ) million each to the Black Sticks men’s and women’s teams to support the programmes up until Tokyo 2020.

But the controversy surrounding an ongoing review into a volatile team culture – first commissioned last September – coupled with the resignation of coach Mark Hager, has seen Glenn suspend payments to the squad, with Hockey New Zealand reportedly paying this month’s funds to the players directly while talks continue to resolve the issue.

A keen supporter of Black Sticks hockey, Glenn’s concerns hinge over the departure of Hager and the businessman told the New Zealand Herald that he had “inadvertently” supported and backed the Australian, as well as persuading him to stay in his role.

“If I’m putting $2 million behind hockey I think there should at the very least be courtesy and respect so I know what’s going on,” he told the paper.

“I want proper governance and transparency, and I think the whole of hockey does too. The guy [Hager] took us from 12th in Beijing [Olympics] to winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal. What did he do wrong?”

Hager left New Zealand to join Great Britain women last month following a successful tenure which culminated in Commonwealth gold last April.

Glenn was hopeful that Hager would stay on in his role leading up to Tokyo (the time frame of his financial support), but has since been left dissatisfied over Hockey NZ’s governance.

However Hockey New Zealand told The Hockey Paper that it was in discussions with Glenn and working through his concerns over the off-field plight currently engulfing the sport.

“Sir Owen has a highly valued and longstanding relationship with Hockey in which he has provided significant funding and support for nearly 10 years – both for our Black Sticks teams and at grass roots level,” Hockey NZ said in a statement.



“As a key funding partner, Sir Owen has been concerned about Mark Hager’s resignation – like Hockey New Zealand, he considered Mark to be the coach who would take the Black Sticks women’s team to Tokyo.

“We are currently working through Sir Owen’s concerns with him, and are hopeful of a positive outcome of continued support for the team.”

Glenn was in attendance on the Gold Coast last year and watched every Black Sticks game as they beat Australia 4-1 in the final. The Kiwi businessman spoke to the players, as well as on a weekly basis with Hager. But he has been left mystified over the current situation.

He added to the New Zealand Herald: “The hockey board said they supported him, but thank God they’re not in the trenches next to me.”

Glenn added that he had not been able to see the independent review, which he said has been “mysteriously under wraps”.

The review findings are due to be released shortly, with reports suggesting this could be next week.

The Hockey Paper

Sir Owen Glenn freezes women's hockey funding over Mark Hager coaching saga

By Andrew Alderson


Former Black Sticks coach Mark Hager. Photosport

Sir Owen Glenn has frozen funding to the Black Sticks women's hockey programme because of dissatisfaction with the sport's governance.

In October the businessman committed $1 million each to the country's top male and female teams over the next two years.

That figure doubles this year with the taxpayer contribution through High Performance Sport New Zealand.

This month's Glenn payments, which are distributed directly to the 25-strong contracted squad members, have been suspended. Hockey New Zealand has dipped into its reserves while negotiations continue.

Glenn was a key supporter of former women's coach Mark Hager. Hager resigned last month to take over as coach of the British and English teams leading to the Tokyo Olympics.

His decade-long Black Sticks tenure culminated in a maiden gold medal at April's Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. Hager also took the team to two Olympic fourths, two World League finals and a Champions Trophy bronze.

However, a review into the women's environment was launched in September by employment lawyer Maria Dew after allegations of negativity. The findings are expected on Monday.

Hager, a former Australian international, accidentally sent an email to the entire team in August, admonishing individuals for their World Cup performance where the team finished 11th.

Glenn felt compelled to defend a beleaguered friend.

"I thought 'hang on a minute'. I supported Mark and persuaded him to stay, I backed him and inadvertently supported him financially.

"If I'm putting $2 million behind hockey [across the next two years] I think there should at the very least be courtesy and respect so I know what's going on. I put my terms and conditions to the hockey board of what I want to see, including the report [review] which has been mysteriously under wraps.

"I want proper governance and transparency, and I think the whole of hockey does too. The guy [Hager] took us from 12th in Beijing [Olympics] to winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal. What did he do wrong?"

Hockey New Zealand board chairman Mike Bignell was part of a delegation which met with Glenn recently in Sydney to discuss the funding issue.

"He's gone out of his way to help the players. It's a tough gig [being a top-level hockey player] so any support they get is really important.

"He's entitled to his views and we have to work them through with him. We respect those opinions and it's only reasonable in a partnership that we have that proper give-and-take.

"We've got to make him feel comfortable that his investment into hockey and the players is well worth it."

Bignell defended the decision to keep review details under lock and key, even away from Glenn's eyes.

"We've been mindful of everyone's privacy and confidentiality. That's why it's taken us until Monday to release this. We have to wait for players and others [consulted] to be in a position where they can hear those findings first."

Glenn says he struggled to find any issue with the team, and used the Commonwealth Games as an example.

"I was at every game, I'd talk to the players and coach – in fact Mark and I would talk every week – and for this to happen…

"The hockey board said they supported him, but thank God they're not in the trenches next to me."

Glenn also donated $3 million to the New Zealand Olympic Committee for their Tokyo 2020 campaign at a gala function in December.

The New Zealand Herald

Sir Owen Glenn suspends Black Sticks hockey funding


Sir Owen Glenn has reportedly suspended his funding for the Black Sticks programme. TOM LEE/STUFF

Auckland businessman Sir Owen Glenn has withdrawn funding for the Black Sticks programme in the wake of coach Mark Hager's controversial departure.

In October, Glenn committed $2 million to the New Zealand men's and women's hockey teams, with High Performance Sport New Zealand matching that figure to bring the overall financial boost to $4 million.

However, Glenn has frozen the funding following Hager's departure, which came during a review into the women's team's environment.

New Zealand Hockey released a statement on Wednesday morning saying they valued Glenn's contribution and confirmed he won't be adding the financial boost.

"As a key funding partner, Sir Owen has been concerned about Mark Hager's resignation – like Hockey New Zealand, he considered Mark to be the coach who would take the Black Sticks women's team to Tokyo.

"We are currently working through Sir Owen's concerns with him, and are hopeful of a positive outcome of continued support for the team."

The review was launched in September after it emerged that Hager mistakenly sent an email bagging players to the entire team. The email was sent during the team's Hockey World Cup campaign and was meant for team management only. The findings of the review are expected to be released next week.

Glenn told the New Zealand Herald that he supported Hager, who took led New Zealand to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, and wanted access to the review.


Mark Hager, right, left Hockey New Zealand during a review into the women's team's environment. GETTY IMAGES

"I thought 'hang on a minute'. I supported Mark and persuaded him to stay, I backed him and inadvertently supported him financially," Glenn told the Herald.

"If I'm putting $2 million behind hockey [across the next two years] I think there should at the very least be courtesy and respect so I know what's going on. I put my terms and conditions to the hockey board of what I want to see, including the report [review] which has been mysteriously under wraps.

"I want proper governance and transparency, and I think the whole of hockey does too. The guy [Hager] took us from 12th in Beijing [Olympics] to winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal. What did he do wrong?"

Glenn said he spoke to the Black Sticks players and was unaware of any issues within the environment.

"I was at every game, I'd talk to the players and coach – in fact Mark and I would talk every week – and for this to happen," he said.

"The hockey board said they supported him, but thank God they're not in the trenches next to me."

Hager was recently appointed coach of the Great Britain and England teams.

Stuff

Waterloo Ducks stunned by Oree on Belgian league’s return



The Waterloo Ducks fell to their first defeat of the season in their 10th game as the Belgian league returned for its second half last Sunday, falling 5-2 to Orée.

Pieter van Straaten had given the Ducks a 12th minute lead but the day’s star man Toni Domene turned things around when he equalised from a stroke and then scored a corner for a 2-1 lead.

Luca Masso snuck in to poach a third and the fourth arrived from Domene with five minutes to go. Victor Charlet pulled one back from a set piece but his French team mate Charles Masson was on the mark at the far end to complete Orée’s victory.

"We certainly surprised a lot of people today but not ourselves ," said Orée captain Alex de Paeuw. “We have, once again, proven that when we defend collectively, we can also show a lot of offensive quality. We proved it against Waterloo Ducks. The victory is well deserved."

A seventh win in 10 games for Orée sees them takes the lead in Group A, level on points with Racing. Dragons sit third thanks to their 3-1 win over Daring.

Waterloo retains first place in the other group, six points ahead of La Gantoise with Leopold in third following a 5-1 win over Antwerp. Leo face a big test at home against Dragons.

Euro Hockey League media release

Polo continue to lead the way with big win over Linia 22



The top four all won on day 12 of the Spanish Honor Division as Real Club de Polo continue to lead the way by five points.

They proved too strong for Linia 22 thanks to a brilliant first 20 minutes with David Alegre scoring twice in addition to goals from Alex Casasayas and Marc Reyne. Jan Amat got one back but Borja Llorens’ penalty corner made it 5-1 at half-time and they eventually won out 6-2 with another Llorens goal in the second half.

Club Egara had a similarly confident win as they saw off Barcelona at Pla de Bon Aire, winning 5-1, leading 4-1 at half-time thanks to a couple of Lluis Mercade goals.

Atletic Terrassa were 4-1 winners over Jolaseta. They were comfortably 3-0 in front at half-time with Lluis Mele getting them up and running before Quim Malgosa and Marc Vizcaino added further goals. Diego Arana pulled one back but Malgosa ensured Atletic got over the line with something to spare.

Junior FC remain fourth with Nil Mari’s 56th minute goal providing the defining moment in their 2-1 win over CD Terrassa after Sergi Enrique and Marc Miralles shared first half goals.

Junior have four points in hand over Club de Campo who drew 2-2 with RS Tenis with Santiago Miguel Montelli netting in the last minute for the Santander club.

Next weekend sees Campo host Polo while Junior come up against Club Egara which will have a big impact on the playoff places. Atletic, meanwhile, will come up against CD Terrassa in the live match on La Liga Sports.

Euro Hockey League media release

UniKL focus on winning match against Maybank

PETALING JAYA: A win against Maybank will gift Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) title for the first time.

The stage is set for them at the Tengku Abdullah Stadium in Bangi today as UniKL have beaten Maybank 5-1 in the earlier league fixture.

For UniKL head coach Arul Selvaraj, the aim today is to win and they are not thinking about the league title just yet.

“We have come to a point where a win over Maybank is all that is needed to win the title although we still have one more game on the fixture against TNB Thunderbolt on Friday,” he said.

“Honestly, we are not thinking of the league title. It will come with a good result in the match. Our focus is the same as in every other match that is to play smart, improve on our tactical strategy and set pieces.

“I don’t think we should underestimate any team. We respect all the teams. Maybank have shown they are capable of playing great hockey on a good day and don’t forget they have won five matches too. So I do expect a strong challenge from Maybank on Wednesday.”

UniKL, who made their debut in 2011 and emerged TNB Cup champions in 2018, have been unbeaten in 10 matches.

The only blemish in their campaign was the 2-2 draw against Terengganu.

UniKL lead the league with 28 points – one clear of Tenaga and nine points ahead of Terengganu while fourth-placed Maybank have 15 points after 10 matches.

The team’s strength lies in foreign players Robert Kemperman, Martijn Havenga, Valentin Verga from Holland, Kieran Ian Govers and Timothy Deavin (Australia) and Ireland goalkeeper David Harte.

They are ably backed by Malaysian internationals Muhd Marhan Mohd Jalil, Muhammad Razie Abdul Rahim and national team captain Muhammad Sukri Abdul Mutalib.

The Star of Malaysia

Tenaga keeper Kumar sidelined for two months with injury

By Aftar Singh



KUALA LUMPUR: S. Kumar (pic) dealt a big blow to the national men’s hockey team as he has been ruled out of action for two months after suffering a muscle tear in his right thigh.

The Tenaga Nasional employee said he had a 7.5cm tear in his thigh, suffered during the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) match against TNB Thunderbolt last Friday, after he went for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan yesterday.

“I cannot do any movement with my right leg for the next two weeks. I have been advised by the doctor to rest for two months,” said Kumar.

The 39-year-old Kumar blamed his injury to the tight playing schedule.

“I hardly get any rest as I have to train on Mondays and Tuesdays with the national team, and Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with my club,” said Kumar. “On Fridays and Sundays, I have to play matches in the MHL.

“Even the younger national players are also complaining of the tight schedule.

“It is a blow to me as I won’t be able to play for Tenaga anymore in the ongoing MHL,” added Kumar, who helped Tenaga to win the Tan Sri P. Alagendra Cup last month.

The goalkeeper has been ruled out of the six-nation Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh from March 23-30.

The injury also casts a shadow on his participation in the World Series at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil from April 26-May 5.

Kumar did not feature in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last year as he was serving a six-month suspension after testing positive for sibutramine after the group match against Oman in the Asia Cup hockey tournament in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in 2017.

Kumar, who was named as Asia’s best player in 2010, played in the Asian Games in Jakarta last August, where Malaysia finished as runners-up to Japan.

Kumar, who has represented Malaysia 310 times since 1999, is keeping his fingers crossed that he can recover in time for the World Series, which is the qualifying tournament for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In Kumar’s absence, Tenaga will be banking on 18-year-old keeper Che Shahrul Azmi Che Saupi in the MHL.

Che Shahrul played a big part in helping Malaysia win their first ever gold medal in the Youth Olympics Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last year.

As for the national team, there are three keepers in the training team to replace Kumar. They are Hairi Abdul Rahman, Muhd Hafizuddin Othman and Muhd Zaimi Mat Deris.

Hairi was the reserve keeper in the World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, last December.

The Star of Malaysia

Four matches decided in National U-19 Hockey



ISLAMABAD - Four matches were decided on the third day of Pakistan's National U-19 Hockey Championship 2019 here at Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh Hockey Stadium, Rawalpindi on Tuesday.

In the first match, KP-B crushed FATA 14-0. Zareen scored four goals, Sufyan chipped in with three, Saqib and Muzmail scored two goals each while Yasir and Umair Marwat hit one goal apiece. In the second match, Punjab-C routed Islamabad 4-0 with Abdul Rehman emerging as top scorer with a hat-trick while Amad Zamir struck one.

In the third match of the day, Punjab-B outpaced Balochistan 4-0. Babar Bashir, Muhammad Ali, Waqar Ali and Faizan Alvi contributed one goal each for the winning side. In the fourth and last match of the day, Punjab-A thrashed Sindh-B 8-0. Rizwan Ali hammered a hat-trick, while Rana Waheed, Ali Aziz, M Hameeddin, Ali Hurara and Umair Sattar fired in a goal apiece.

The Nation