News for 07 March 2019
All the news for Thursday 7 March 2018
Spain make every second count
Spain are the lowest ranked men’s team in the FIH Pro League [9th] and were the last nation to be confirmed as participants in the inaugural competition but their performances in the competition suggest they are a side eminently suited to Pro League hockey.
Every match Spain has played so far has been fiercely contested and breathlessly exciting. They held the world number one side, Belgium to a 2-2 draw in the opening match, scoring twice in the final two minutes of the match. They then audaciously won the ensuing shoot-out to take a bonus point. They were then involved in a 5-6 thriller against Great Britain, bursting into a 4-1 lead before the first quarter was finished but then unable to halt a Great Britain comeback of epic proportions. The result caused Head Coach Frederic Soyez to reflect that hockey really was a game where the intense speed of the play meant a match wasn’t over until the final whistle went.
In their most recent encounter, Spain lost 2-1 to the FIH World Ranked number two side Australia, but again this was a match that could have gone either way and a stalwart Spanish defence ensured the Kookaburras had to work hard for the three points.
Speaking to Soyez as he and his players prepared for their first away games of the Pro League in Australia and New Zealand, the Head Coach was positive about his team’s opening matches.
“Our opening matches have been okay. We have taken two points against the two 2018 World Cup finalists [2-2 against Belgium and 3-3 against Netherlands, where Spain also won the shoot-out], so I am very happy with that.”
For Soyez, who represented France 196 times, scoring 195 goals, each match is providing more learning points. “In the match against Great Britain, it’s hard to lose when you are 4-1 up but that is sport, we have to accept it. We must learn from that defeat and keep going forward. It’s a new competition with a new format and we have to adapt.”
The Spanish players will remain in the southern hemisphere for their next match against New Zealand [8 March] before they fly home for an encounter with Germany in Valencia on the 18 March. Soyez says it is a schedule that is tough, particularly when combined with the demands of the club leagues back in Europe. “The players are working hard though to mitigate the travel and stay competitive in each and every game.
“We have shown that we can be competitive with every team in the league. And I know that with consistency, we are capable of getting results to reflect all the hard work we are putting in.”
And just as Spain fell foul to a tenacious finish by Great Britain, so Soyez has made sure that his team make every second of a match count. In every match except the most recent, they have scored one, if not two, goals in the final three minutes of the game. “We have learnt a lot in the past few weeks but the biggest thing is that we know a game is never done until that final whistle goes.”
Spain's next FIH Pro League match is against New Zealand on Friday 8 March.
#FIHProLeague
Official FIH Pro League Site
Black Sticks ace Olivia Merry calls the shots
David Leggat
Olivia Merry celebrates after scoring her team's second goal during the women's gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games last year. GETTY IMAGES
For some athletes, statistics are a vital component in their pursuit of excellence. They act as an ideal motivating tool.
To others, they don't really matter, and certainly don't tell the full story of their worth as an athlete.
Olivia Merry is congratulated by team-mates after scoring a goal against Great Britain in Christchurch last month. GETTY IMAGES
Take Olivia Merry. She's up to 210 internationals for the Black Sticks and scored 85 goals since her debut in late 2012. Only the recently-retired Anita McLaren, with 105, has scored more.
Right now, Merry leads the new world Pro League scoring table, with five goals from five games.
Of course she knows that, right?
Well, she might be aware of it, but she certainly isn't interested in it.
"No, not at all. I don't really play for them," the free-scoring attacker says of personal statistics, as she and her team-mates prepare for an important Pro League double-header against the United States and Argentina at North Harbour this weekend.
"They sort of happen. It's all part of being in a team."
It's that four-letter 'T' word that really matters to Merry, who's a week short of her 27th birthday. It's clear given the choice she'd take a team over an individual sport every day of the week.
"It's probably my personality. I really like the camaraderie you get with your team and being among people who are really like-minded and have a common goal is fantastic," she says.
If she had to stick to individual sport: "I think I'd be very lonely".
Let's put Merry's value to the Black Sticks into some context.
She has scored eight of New Zealand's last 14 goals, is the leading scorer internationally in the women's Pro League going into this weekend, and McLaren's national record mark is on the horizon. Not that Merry professes to be particularly interested in chasing that.
They were different players, but key parts of the first Black Sticks team who won a Commonwealth Games gold medal on the Gold Coast last year.
McLaren, who brought serious speed to the Black Sticks' game, became an immensely successful penalty corner drag flicker. Merry, physically more imposing and now one of the main figures at the critical set piece play, has deft stick skills and is an important figure among a young group of attacking players in the squad.
The departures of the likes of Gemma McCaw, Charlotte Harrison, and a little earlier, Katie Glynn, have pushed Merry up the ladder of senior attacking figures.
Once she was a promising player coming into the Black Sticks soon after the 2012 Olympics and learning on the job. Now, along with captain Stacey Michelsen and senior defender Sam Charlton, she's one of the trio the other players look to.
Glynn has no doubts about Merry's significance for the Black Sticks. Glynn knew her way to goal too - her 77 international goals puts her joint third for New Zealand scorers with Krystal Forgesson. She's now helping out as assistant Black Sticks coach.
"Her strength is a big attribute," Glynn says of Merry. "She's obviously got good size but it's how you use it. In the attacking circle she's very smart, uses her body and strength to get into good positions. But it's also about timing and how you read the game."
Few players have Merry's ball striking power. Add in with that opponents acknowledging her as a threat, she can open space for fellow attackers to take advantage.
Then add in the drag flick ability of defender Brooke Neal, and the Black Sticks have a nice blend of Merry's power shot and Neal's flick as good options at the set piece.
"That's hard to counteract from a defensive point of view," Glynn adds, pointing out that Merry is now taking a more active role as leader of the attack.
"She's got the opportunity to help the younger players grow. You've got to work together. Sometimes your role is to be a decoy. But when the going gets tough and you're under pressure, she's working really hard."
Merry first picked up a hockey stick at five, but admits her "real passion and desire" to become a Black Stick didn't kick in until about 13 or 14, while she was at Avonside Girls High School in Christchurch.
Former Black Stick Amanda Hooper – tragically killed in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake – was an early inspiration.
Merry has always been an attacker. "I think it was the fact I didn't have to do any defending. And the love for scoring goals and being on the end of a really good team play."
How about the best of those 85 goals?
A moment's thought, then, her effort against Britain in the semifinal of the world league four finals at North Harbour in late 2017.
It came against the formidable goalkeeper Maddie Hinch – "and it was probably the circumstances of playing at home in our first big [home] tournament, and we hadn't played well in the pool games. Then we won our quarter-final against Argentina and the semi."
Scoring in the stunning 4-1 drubbing of favourites Australia to win Commonwealth Games gold stands out too – especially as she'd broken a finger four hours before the opening game.
"I was probably in a bit of pain, so to be able to put the ball in the back of the net was pretty special."
Again, it's not a particular part of the game this self-effacing striker focuses on. "It's the luck of the draw, sometimes you're on the end of a really good team play and are the one putting the ball in the net," she says.
That Games gold was achieved when Mark Hager was coaching the Black Sticks. The former Australian star striker's resignation came during a lengthy and ultimately damning review of the team's culture, that revealed a "negative environment". That prompted Hockey NZ to apologise to the players, and promise "resources and support to ensure athlete wellbeing."
Hager's assistant, Sean Dancer, has been acting coach. But yesterday Hockey NZ announced the appointment of Graham Shaw as the new Black Sticks coach.
Shaw was the man who guided the Irish women to the final of last year's Hockey World Cup, and lifted Ireland from 16th to eighth in the world rankings. A former Irish international, Shaw will start his new role on May 1 – his first international will be the Black Sticks' away match against the United States in Pennsylvania a month later.
In all the turmoil the Black Sticks have gone through, Merry takes a 'steady as she goes' line.
"Our team has put processes in place to deal with what's been going on. It's not ideal for any party," Merry says
"But we've got a great group of girls and management and we think we're pretty good at dealing with what crops up. We're on the right track at the moment."
So far in the Pro League the Black Sticks, ranked No. 6 in the world, have had two wins – over Britain and China - and three defeats, to the Dutch, Belgians and Germany.
But the Pro League, featuring the top nine teams in the world, in its inaugural year and locked in for four years at this point, involves a learning process for teams more used to tournament play, with games generally every second day for a week.
"It's completely different to what it is when you go away to a tournament. It's pretty exciting to train all week for one game. We have to keep performing week after week to our highest standards."
If the Black Sticks are to make the top four at the end of the round robin, and qualify for the playoffs, it's looking like the more Merry the better.
This story was originally published on Locker Room
Stuff
Manpreet to lead a young Indian team
Several key players out due to injuries
Manpreet Singh.
India on Wednesday named a relatively young 18-member team, to be led by midfielder Manpreet Singh, for the 28th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup after several key players were ruled out of the prestigious hockey tournament due to injuries. Manpreet will be assisted by a new deputy in defender Surender Kumar in the tournament to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia, from March 23 to 30.
India, which starts its campaign against Japan on March 23, will miss the services of experienced forwards S.V. Sunil, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Lalit Upadhyay, besides defenders Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh as well as midfielder Chinglensana Singh, who all are sidelined due to injuries.
Two junior players, Vishal Antil and Pardeep Singh, also missed the cut owing to injuries.
According to a statement from Hockey India, all the injured players will continue their rehabilitation at the Sports Authority of India South Centre in Bengaluru.
The team will have the experienced P.R. Sreejesh under the goalpost while Krishan B. Pathak will be the second custodian.
The backline will be spearheaded by vice-captain Surender in the company of Gurinder Singh, Birendra Lakra, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam and the dragflick duo of Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas.
Skipper Manpreet will man the midfield alongside young guns Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh, Sumit and Nilakanta Sharma.
India’s forwardline consists of Mandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Shilanand Lakra and Sumit Kumar.
The team will leave for Ipoh from Bengaluru on March 18.
The team:
Goalkeepers: P.R. Sreejesh, Krishan B. Pathak.
Defenders: Gurinder Singh, Surender Kumar (vice-capt.), Varun Kumar, Birendra Lakra, Amit Rohidas, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam.
Midfielders: Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Manpreet Singh (capt.).
Forwards: Mandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Shilanand Lakra, Sumit Kumar.
The Hindu
How did Irish hockey lose two national coaches in 10 months?
Graham Shaw’s resignation leaves Hockey Ireland to find another replacement
Mary Hannigan
Graham Shaw who was under contract with Ireland through to the 2020 Olympic Games, will take over as New Zealand women’s coach . Photograph: Christopher Lee/Getty Images
For Jerome Pels it was a case of déjà vu. In May of last year, Hockey Ireland’s chief executive was taken by surprise when Craig Fulton informed him that he was leaving his position as coach of the Irish men’s team, just five months ahead of their first World Cup appearance in 28 years, to take up the role of assistant coach with Belgium.
And last Monday afternoon Graham Shaw walked in to his office in Belfield to announce that he was quitting his job as coach of the Irish women’s team, just three months before the start of the first phase of their Olympic qualifying campaign, having been offered the same position with New Zealand.
David Balbirnie, steeped in Irish hockey all his life and a former general secretary of the European Hockey Federation, took to Twitter to express his exasperation. “For Irish Hockey to lose one national team coach before a major tournament was unfortunate, but to lose a second national team coach before another major tournament does not leave one with confidence in the administration of hockey in Ireland.”
That, said Pels, was unfair. “I don’t know why he would jump to that conclusion,” he said, insisting that in both cases the coaches had simply made personal choices when irresistible career offers came their way, and that while Hockey Ireland “did everything within our control to retain the services of Graham”, there was nothing they could do to persuade him to stay.
Shaw was under contract through to the 2020 Olympic Games, Pels confirmed, but he dismissed Balbirnie’s suggestion that Hockey Ireland should, therefore, be compensated by their New Zealand counterparts.
“It doesn’t work like that in a legal way, the times of slave trade are over. It seems commonplace in football and some other sports, but in hockey we work more in a normal employment circumstances.”
Hockey Ireland chief executive Jerome Pels. Photograph: Rowland White
Of course there is a sense of disappointment that he’s leaving, but on the other hand we are pleased for him personally that he has this opportunity. So there are mixed feelings.
You could have held him to his contract but chose not to stand in his way?
“Those are details that are very private, they are not relevant to this whole situation.”
Money was not an issue, he said, there was no bargaining to be done, Shaw just felt this was an opportunity, with a team with far greater resources, that is competing in the FIH Pro League and has Olympic-winning ambitions, that he could not turn down. “That’s how he brought it to us. And it shows the character of Graham, he’s not in to driving for the highest bidder or anything like that. He came to us and told us he had made his decision, so no, money was not an issue. It wasn’t a case of New Zealand offering him this and us offering him that.”
While Pels, the Dutchman who was chief executive of the International Sailing Federation before being appointed to the Irish job in January 2017, had not anticipated Shaw being interested in the New Zealand job, which became available in January, he knew that his success in guiding Ireland to last summer’s World Cup final would catch the attention of hockey’s bigger guns.
“Graham had a very high profile after the World Cup because of what he achieved, as did the players. We have more girls playing now for clubs overseas than ever before, so, like Graham, they had put themselves in the shop window by what they did in London.”
“When Ned [Fulton] left, the opportunity that he got with Belgium was fantastic, he is working for a team that is higher in the rankings, has better resources and a full-time programme. And Graham is in a similar position now too. As I said, in the end it’s a personal choice.”
“Of course there is a sense of disappointment that he’s leaving, but on the other hand we are pleased for him personally that he has this opportunity. So there are mixed feelings. The staff are a close knit group, we’ve worked together with Graham for years and years and we are, of course, sad to see him go.”
As for the impact of Shaw’s departure on the Ireland squad, who were told the news on Tuesday night, are there concerns that it could be demoralising?
“I don’t know how this will work out,” said Pels, “no doubt there is a level of uncertainty that has naturally been created, we have to work through that and find a solution. But I am convinced that the group is really strong, it’s the same group that performed so well last year in the World Cup, and that hasn’t changed. It is still intact. And I think they’re feeling very strong in taking the journey on, trying to qualify for Tokyo and do well there.”
For now, the urgency of finding a successor has to be balanced with making sure Hockey Ireland’s choice is a wise one. “There is a bit of a trade-off between short term and long term needs, but we need to get it right. And we need to take time to do that, we will put a process in place. It’s not easy because it depends on what people are available, you can see there is a whole lot of movement going on; the coach in New Zealand [Mark Hager] has moved to England, Graham is moving to New Zealand, it’s typical high performance sport where everybody shifts. We’ll see what is available, who wants to put their hand up.”
Ironically, Ireland’s next games are against the Hager-coached Great Britain at Bisham Abbey between March 10th and 14th, Shaw’s team of coaching assistants – Arlene Boyles, Joe Brennan and Colin Stewart – taking charge until a successor is found.
Will either pitch be ready for the FIH Series Finals? “That is a critical point, we still need to know exactly what is going on there, but we will make decisions quite quickly on that.”
After that there are four games against Canada in Dublin in May, before Ireland host the FIH Series Finals in June, the opening phase of their attempt to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.
Where that tournament will be played, though, is yet to be confirmed with work still to begin on pitches at Belfield and the National Sports Centre in Abbotstown. The Belfield pitch, which is over 10 years old, was deemed no longer up to international standard over two years ago, while international matches cannot be played on the sand-based surface in Abbotstown.
What is the latest? “It’s all positive,” said Pels, “I think contractors are starting shortly on both the pitches in UCD and Abbotstown. Facilities wise we’re going to make massive improvements going forward.”
Will either pitch be ready for the FIH Series Finals? “That is a critical point, we still need to know exactly what is going on there, but we will make decisions quite quickly on that.”
Shaw, meanwhile, will find some turbulence in New Zealand hockey on his arrival in the country, the Dubliner scheduled to take charge of the team for the first time in May when they play the United States in Pennsylvania.
Craig Fulton resigned as Ireland men’s coach in May of last year, just five months ahead of their first World Cup appearance in 28 years. Photograph: Gary Carr/Inpho
An independent review was carried out by a lawyer after complaints from a number of players about the “negative environment” they experienced under Hager before he left for England with 24 of 33 players interviewed expressing disquiet. The rest, though, were supportive of Hager, as was the team’s chief benefactor, businessman Owen Glenn.
As a result of his anger over the coach’s treatment and departure, Hager having led the team to the semi-finals of the 2016 Olympics and gold at last year’s Commonwealth Games, Glenn has withdrawn $2 million in funding to the national men’s and women’s teams. It remains to be seen whether he will resume his support after Shaw’s appointment.
Back home, there’s some turbulence to be overcome too for Irish hockey, last summer’s World Cup adventure now seeming like a distant enough memory. Losing two gifted and successful national coaches in the space of 10 months is certainly unfortunate, but perhaps unavoidable given the opportunities that came their way from nations that walk the walk when it comes to investing in sport.
The Irish Times
Junior USMNT Head to Chile for First Test Series of 2019
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Junior U.S. Men’s National Teams are set to return to Chile later this week to take part in a test series with the host nation from March 10-15 in Santiago, Chile. As USA’s first international competition of the year, the U-16 and U-20 squads will play back-to-back across four days, as well as have team practices. Matches will not be live streamed.
"The coaching staff is looking forward to the first international series of this year for the juniors," said Rutger Wiese, Junior USMNT Head Coach. "It will give players from both squads a good chance to compete."
This series in Santiago comes one year after the Junior USMNT faced Chile in a similar test series, where the U-16 and U-19 teams saw high growth as a unit despite going winless in all matches. Last August, the team hosted Chile in Greenwich, Conn. for the second half of the two countries’ test series, where USA claimed one victory and three losses.
Junior USMNT vs. Chile Schedule:
Sunday, March 10
U-16 USA vs. Chile 3:30 p.m. ET
U-20 USA vs. Chile 5:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, March 12
U-16 USA vs. Chile 8:00 a.m. ET
U-20 USA vs. Chile 9:30 a.m. ET
Thursday, March 14
U-16 USA vs. Chile 8:00 a.m. ET
U-20 USA vs. Chile 9:30 a.m. ET
Friday, March 15
U-16 USA vs. Chile 3:00 p.m. ET
U-20 USA vs. Chile 5:00 p.m. ET
U.S. U-16 Men’s National Team Roster:
Leo Baumgardner (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Gavin Chung (Glen Ridge, N.J.), Angad Dhami (Sunnyvale, Calif.), Corey Dykema (Newport News, Va.), Brett Eisner (Lafayette, Calif.), Lucas Frejenal (Indianapolis, Ind.), Mehtab (Mohan) Grewal (Somis, Calif.), Jack Hawley (Ventura, Calif.), Gurcharan Johal (Phoenix, Ariz.), Wyatt Katz (Santa Rose Valley, Calif.), Tyler Kim (Fredericksburg, Va.), Colin Kirkpatrick (Annville, Pa.), Namit Mangat (Glendale, Ariz.), Rafael Martell (Miami, Fla.), Shiven Patel (Los Altos, Calif.), Jasper Pouw (Santa Rose Valley, Calif.), Agam Sidhu (Fremont, Calif.), Danish Singh (Phoenix, Ariz.), Russell Smith (Camarillo, Calif.), Ronan Swadling (Jamaica Plain, Mass.), Mason Wong (Alamo, Calif.)
U.S. U-20 Men’s National Team Roster:
Alex Curtis (London, United Kingdom), Gerald Cutone (Reading, Mass.), Christian DeAngelis (Doylestown, Pa.), Zaid Hassan (Santa Clara, Calif.), Liam Hawley (Ventura, Calif.), Colin Hennessy (Marlborough, Mass.), Alberto Montilla (Allen, Texas), Dean Schiller (Alexandria, Va.), Phil Schofield (Moorpark, Calif.), Jatin Sharma (South San Francisco, Calif.), Amar Singh (Santa Clara, Calif.), Puneet Singh (San Jose, Calif.), Cameron Spach (Thousand Oaks, Calif.), Eric Velge (Brussels, Belgium), Matthew Wong (Alamo, Calif.)
USFHA media release
Hope and new horizons for hockey exiles
Sarah Juggins
Andy Adrians (right) in action vs. Argentina at the 2017 Pan American Cup in Lancaster
Andy Adrians quit his career in the police force to concentrate full-time on hockey, as both captain of the national men’s hockey team and as a development worker for the sport.
This is not an unusual situation in some countries where playing hockey can be a paid profession and the country’s infrastructure supports sporting initiatives.
But this was no simple or safe situation because Andy’s team and country is Venezuela, the South American country currently turn apart by politics. Even as Andy conducted the interview for this article, Venezuela was hitting the headlines across the world as the United Nations Security Council met to discuss escalating violence in the country, which had left a number of people dead.
When the political conflict began, Andy had no intention of leaving his homeland. The warring between the two main political groups did persuade him that he had no place in the police force but, as he says: “At that point leaving my homeland was never an option, I couldn't picture myself leaving everything behind. Family and friends....” The 29-year-old’s voice tails off.
Initially Andy threw himself into hockey coaching but as the situation worsened in Venezuela, so he began to question whether it would be better for him and his family if he were to leave the country. “When I realised the situation was getting worse I had to go away looking for something that might help my family have a future.
“It was one of the hardest things I have done in my life, I left my room with just the suitcases that I had been given when representing the country at hockey. I left not knowing when I was going to see my family again. I had to hide the depth of my emotions from my mother. Saying good bye to the people that care about me was just so difficult.”
Andy travelled with another national team player, Liseida Sarmiento. The pair embarked on a seven-day bus journey – a long haul trip through South America that saw them question their motives and consider turning back many, many times. As Andy says: Without Liseida, I might have not had the courage to make the move but we kept each other going. It was easier to have someone to talk to and share feelings with. We did have moments when we argued bitterly but she will always be the person I shared this journey, this adventure with.”
They were not the only two players fleeing the country. As far as Andy knows, another 28 players from the men’s and women’s national teams have left Venezuela and are setting up new lives in Peru, Chile, USA , Argentina, Dominican Republic and Spain.
Andy’s first stop was Lima, in Peru. His passage had been paid by coach Carlos Morales who had come across the young player at international tournaments. It was a leap of faith by both men. Andy was putting his trust in a man he had met only a handful of times; Carlos was funding a player not knowing if he would even leave Venezuela.
But it was a trust that paid off as Andy started playing hockey at Old Markham Hockey Club in Lima where Carlos was a player and club coach. He picked up work, helping with house maintenance and decoration and selling refreshments on the public transport system. This was followed by a job driving a delivery lorry, but he was soon looking for a new role as it was a working environment that saw a lot of mistreatment of the workers.
Eventually Andy found his way into hockey coaching and began to make better money. At this point his life began to look up and he was able to see a future for himself and his family.
“I received an offer from a Chilean hockey club, Sport Frances, to play for them and have more benefits. My experiences in Lima had been very tough for me, but I will remember it as a very important period of my life.”
Andy now sees himself as a citizen of the world. It is a situation, he says, that gives you a very different perspective on life. “My life has changed completely. I value everything around me. Being an immigrant has shown me all the really important things in life. I'm not the same person that left Venezuela, I now see myself as a son, brother, cousin, boyfriend and captain and so many other things.”
He now has regular employment as a hockey coach, has economic stability and is able to send money home to help the family members that remain in troubled Venezuela. He is a big part of the Sport Francés hockey club and has ambitions to lead the club to the national championships. He also would like the chance to play hockey in one of Europe’s big clubs. The sport, says Andy, has been his saviour through some really turbulent times.
“Hockey has been everything for me. Even as a teenager, hockey was a constant in my life. I had some complicated times as a youngster but taking up hockey is the best thing that could have happened to me. Everything I have achieved, my studies and jobs I have had through my life, have their roots in hockey. The sport enabled me to enter the police force, gave me the means to help my family. It has allowed me to help other kids to find their own paths in hockey. It's the centre of my life. It is thanks to hockey that I am living the life I want rather than the one I had to have.”
Andy has not turned his back on Venezuela. He hopes to return one day and even lead the national team into competition again, adding to the 49 caps he already has. “Venezuela is a country with enormous potential in hockey,” he says. “The teams have achieved incredible victories with very little equipment. Training takes place on concrete or dust/earth pitches and yet the teams go out and compete on artificial turf in international competitions.
“The players are young guys that day in, day out, fight against a system that is looking to extinguish their hopes and dreams. With this sort of backdrop, the Venezuelan national team has managed to break into the top four nations in South America and into the top 10 in the Pan American Hockey Federation (Venezuela men finished fourth in the 2018 South American Championships and eighth in the 2017 Pan Am Cup). Think what the team could do under different circumstances, particularly if we can ever get an artificial pitch to play and train on.
“My hope is never lost for the future of Venezuela and I always dream of the day I enjoy an afternoon coffee watching the sunset on the beach, a game of baseball and a walk in my neighbourhood, a hug with my parents and a plate of rice and ribs at my mother-in-law's house. I hope that the situation changes in Venezuela and that we can all return to our homeland.”
With thanks to Michael Gibney and Karen Moreno for the interview and translation
an American Hockey Federation media release
PREVIEWS: Investec English Women's Hockey League
With three wins under their belts since Christmas, Buckingham head to Beeston in the Investec Women’s Hockey League Premier Division on Saturday, with a place in the play-offs firmly within their grasp.
Currently fifth, Buckingham could step up into the all-important top four if they can secure a victory. But they face a Beeston side who beat them earlier in the season – and who have international players returning to the squad.
“They are all big games at this point of the season,” said Buckingham’s Head Coach Zak Jones.
“Beeston are a team that have had a bit of a blip, but they have had a lot of players out on international duty. We played them in the Tier One Championships last weekend and they had two or three missing, but they were still a very good side.
“It will be a competitive game; they are very well coached and we always have good battles, so it will be tight and tense.”
Buckingham will be hoping Clifton Robinsons slip up at strugglers Slough so that they can leap-frog them in the table, while Buckingham could also move into third spot in East Grinstead lose against the University of Birmingham.
Elsewhere, leaders Holcombe head to Bowdon Hightown, while in the other top flight match of the weekend Surbiton play host to bottom of the table Canterbury.
In the Investec Conference East leaders Hampstead & Westminster go to Bedford on Saturday, a side who are desperate for points to boost their bid for a top six place and a spot in next season’s Division One.
Similarly, third-placed Sevenoaks go to Harleston Magpies who are fifth, with both teams looking to hold on to their place in the top half of the table.
Belper are on the road to leaders Loughborough Students in the Investec Conference North on Saturday. Currently fifth, Belper are one of several teams who are bidding to retain a top six place and stay in the second tier of hockey following the restructure for 2019-20.
Meanwhile, Leicester will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat to Loughborough when they go to Timperley.
And in the Investec Conference West leaders Stourport, who lost for the first time last week, have a home game against Isca, who are desperate for points as they bid to step up from their currently position of eighth.
Second-placed Gloucester City – who had to settle for a draw with Barnes and lost the chance to make up more ground on Stourport last weekend – go to Trojans this weekend.
FIXTURES
Investec Women’s Hockey League (Saturday, 9 March 2019)
Investec Premier Division
Slough v Clifton Robinsons 12:30
Bowdon Hightown v Holcombe 13:45
Beeston v Buckingham 14:00
East Grinstead v Univ of Birmingham 16:00
Surbiton v Canterbury 16:00
Investec Conference East
Wimbledon v Horsham 12:00
Bedford v Hampstead & Westminster 13:30
Harleston Magpies v Sevenoaks 13:30
Southgate v St Albans 14:00
Ipswich v Cambridge City 14:30
Investec Conference West
Barnes v Reading 12:00
Olton & West Warwicks v Oxford Hawks 12:00
Trojans v Gloucester City 12:00
Exe v Swansea City 13:00
Stourport v Isca 14:30
Investec Conference North
Leeds v Fylde 12:30
Sutton Coldfield v Brooklands-Poynton 12:30
Ben Rhydding v Univ of Durham 13:30
Timperley v Leicester 14:15
Loughborough Students v Belper 16:00
England Hockey Board Media release
Creating a sustainable hockey scene in Tanzania
Valentina Quaranta has been working in hockey development in the African nation of Tanzania since 2014. During that time she has seen exponential growth.
The Italian hockey player and coach was working and living in the Netherlands when she got together with Nick Isbout, Elly Duivesteijn and Ivo Caminada to create the Twende Foundation.
Five years on, hockey has spread from a small core in Dar Es Salaam to six regions across Tanzania. That translates into 1,500 eight to 18-year-olds playing hockey.
The sport is now played in approximately 50 primary and secondary schools.
The aim of the Twende Foundation was to provide support, training and materials for local coaches who showed the desire and potential to be hockey leaders. To date, more than 100 hockey players and school teachers have been trained to be hockey coaches and most are now delivering hockey in schools and the local communities.
From the local coaching talent pool, the Foundation employs nine hockey coaches, four women and five men, to deliver coaching to children and to train the new coaching recruits. All nine are also hockey players and have been with the Foundation from day one. 
In a huge step forward, the Twende Foundation recently provided financial support for four experienced coaches from Tanzania to attend a FIH coaching course in Nairobi that was organised by the Africa Hockey Federation.
As Quaranta says: “This wasn’t just about increasing knowledge: it was also about gaining international exposure and seeing how hockey coaching is delivered in other countries.”
The four coaches – Sultan Kondo, Elieza Mwakamwema, Alice Ongoro and Rosemary Renatus – will now take their newly acquired coaching knowledge back to their clubs in Tanzania. Sustainability is a key part of the Twende Foundation strategy.
The energetic Quaranta is also working with the Tanzania Hockey Association to organise locally-run youth leagues. The most established of these take place in Dar Es Salaam. There is a league for primary schools and another which caters for secondary school and community-based teams.
The primary school league is open to children under 15, and is 6-a-side. The secondary school league is for 15-20-year-old students and is 11-a-side. A total of 40 teams take part across the two leagues. Quaranta’s aim for 2019 is to develop similar competitions in other regions of Tanzania where hockey is being developed.
“The foundation wasn’t just about increasing knowledge: it was also about gaining international exposure and seeing how hockey coaching is delivered in other countries.”
- Valentina Quaranta
There has also been movement at the elite end of the spectrum. Support from the IOC via the Olympic Solidarity Fund meant Quaranta and her team were able to hold National U15 and U18 Championships in 2017 with representative teams from six different regions. More than 300 young players took part in the inaugural event.
The following year, with the aim of promoting hockey to more girls and young women, Quaranta organised a national 5-a-side tournament. Her efforts were rewarded as 100 players took part in the female-only event.
As with all developing hockey nations, funding, skill and knowledge remain the major sticking points. The next step is to raise teams to represent Tanzania on the international stage but, as Quaranta says: “Tanzania cannot participate in international competitions because the national hockey association is not able to provide the funding. Twende can offer some support, but the main work has to be done by the local hockey association and, despite best efforts, there remains a lack of local knowledge when it comes to fund raising and development.”
There is also the question of facilities. Hockey remains a minority sport in Tanzania and, in a country that suffers high poverty levels and is economically challenged, the government is unlikely to hand money over for hockey facilities.
But it is these barriers that determined people such as Quaranta fight to overcome and in just five years, under her stewardship, hundreds of Tanzanians have become part of the global hockey community.
Quaranta herself has just returned to Europe to study for a Masters Degree Development Management, but she remains heavily involved in the work of the Twende Foundation. In a move that demonstrates how successful she has been in making the programme sustainable, Quaranta’s replacement is Alice Ongoro – one of the original recruits to the coaching programme and a recent beneficiary of the FIH Coaching Course.
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South African Schoolgirls’ hockey challenge kicks off
“We are all looking forward to the year ahead with loads of action anticipated.”
Preparing for the upcoming Durban Central Regional in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge are captains Anna Teversham (Durban Girls’ College) and Asanda Ncube (Durban Girls’ High School). PHOTO by Rogan Ward
HOT on the heels of the third regional, schools from around Durban converge at the 3 Schools Trust astro turf for the Durban Central Regional in the 2019 SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Sunday 10 March.
Nine teams will be donning their school’s kit at this year’s regional. They are defending champs, Durban Girls’ College, Port Natal High School, Brettonwood High School, a team representing the INK area and Maris Stella in Pool A. In Pool B teams from Inanda Seminary, St Henry’s Marist College, host team Durban Girls’ High School and Ridge Park College.
The teams taking to the pitch will hustle for 20 minute one way divided into two pools. A win will earn the team 4 points, a draw with goals 2 points and a goalless draw 1 point and a loss zero points. The semi finals and regional final are also 20 minutes. In the history of the tournament, Durban Girls’ College is the only team from the ten different regions with a 100% record of going through to the grand finals.
Berea Mail