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All the news for Friday 8 March 2019

2019 FIH Pro League (Men) - 8 March

Black Sticks Women come away with an impressive win over the USA



The Vantage Black Sticks Women have come away with an impressive 3-1 win over the United States Women on a cold and blustery Auckland evening. The Black Sticks looked sharp on the attacking end and rewarded for some great patience and build up play.

After a 20-minute delay in the action due to some torrid Auckland rain play finally got underway in this must win Pro League match for both sides.

The Vantage Black Sticks started the match strongly taking the ball off the United States on the first play of the match and going close to opening the score. The United States managed scramble on defence and deflected the ball wide of the goal. The Black Sticks continued to push hard and were making life difficult for the USA to clear their half. Despite a number of attacking plays the USA Women were holding solidly in defence. Even though the weight of possession was against them the United States ended up with the first penalty corner of the match after finding a NZ foot in the circle. Grace O’Hanlon stopped the shot and the Black Sticks then looked to counter down the other end of the field. The United States then earned a second penalty corner. This time the Black Sticks post defender managed to deflect the straight shot wide. At the end of the first quarter neither side was able to take their chances and the score remained 0-0.

The second quarter started much the same way as the first had finished with both sides creating some scoring opportunities, neither side looked to be able to break through the final line of defence until Katie Doar entered the circle on the right side and sent a cross to Olivia Merry who deflected it into the goal. Late in the second quarter the Black Sticks increased their lead when Kirsten Pearce deflected home an amazing ball across the circle. At half time the score was 2-0 and the Black Sticks Women were looking incredibly strong on the offensive end and looked to close out the USA Women and seal the much needed 3 points.

The Black Sticks looked positive early in the second half and were rewarded with their first penalty corner of the match. Ella Gunson stepped up and found a deft touch past the goalkeeper to put the Black Sticks up 3-0. The United States continued to search for the goal to get themselves back in the match and earned their first penalty corner of the second half. The Black Sticks goal line defence was once more up to the task to keep the Black Sticks lead intact. With 3 minutes to go Olivia Merry found herself open in the circle and reversed a shot which pinged straight off the crossbar. At the end of 3 quarters the Black Sticks were looking in a commanding position up 3-0 in the game.

As we entered an important final quarter the Vantage Black Sticks were in a strong position, they continued to attack with flair and creativity. The United States had the first penalty corner of the 4thquarter and were finally rewarded with a great set piece which featured two deflections. Late in the 4thquarter the United States earned another penalty corner this time however the Black Sticks defence kept the ball away from the goal and the Black Sticks kept their lead at 3-1. That was the way the match finished with the Vantage Black Sticks taking the win.

Vantage Black Sticks Women 3 (Olivia Merry 19’, Kirsten Pearce 25’, Ella Gunson 34’)
United States Women 1 (Danielle Grega 51’)

Hockey New Zealand Media release

USWNT Falls to New Zealand in FIH Pro League


Image Taken by FIH/Getty Images

AUCKLAND, New Zealand –  Following a delay because of weather, the No. 12 U.S. Women’s National Team took to the turf at the North Harbour Hockey Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand on the hunt to add positive points in the FIH Pro League standings. Scoreless after the first quarter, No. 6 New Zealand converted twice in the second and once in the third as USA translated on one of their seven penalty corners, but the Black Sticks took the match 3-1.

Following the opening whistle, USA immediately turned possession over which led to New Zealand’s circle penetration that fell to a wide-open goal but was cleared away by Ali Froede (Burke, Va.). Two more close chances came for the Black Sticks before USA goalkeeper Kealsie Robles (Yorktown, Va.) registered her first save on a shot from Olivia Merry. That was quickly followed by an attempt from Kathleen Sharkey (Moosic, Pa.) who was met by Black Stick goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon. In the 11th minute, Sharkey found Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) up field who earned USA their first penalty corner. The straight shot by Sharkey was stopped by O’Hanlon and the clear fell right to Caitlin Van Sickle (Wilmington, Del.) who was unable to finish after being pressure by two Black Stick defenders. Before the end of the quarter, Allessie single handedly earned two penalty corners but USA was unable to convert as the quarter finished deadlocked at zeroes.

The second frame started with shared possession before the host nation found the back of the goal in the 19th minute. A great combination give-and-go between Katie Doar and Stacey Michelsen was finished on a tip in from Merry to give the Black Sticks a 1-0 advantage. USA continued to threaten, and a close chance came three minutes later after Allessie weaved into the circle, got a backhand sweep off that went over a sliding goalkeeper O’Hanlon to hit the cross bar but was saved on the goal line by the upright stick of Brooke Neal. New Zealand started to connect more up field possession passes and in the 25th minute a hard ball into the circle from Merry was deflected into the goal by Kirsten Pearce to put the Black Sticks up 2-0. USA’s fourth penalty corner was earned in the final minutes of the quarter but the red, white and blue again were unable to convert.

The start of the third quarter saw USA’s defense tested more with high pressuring and quick Black Stick strikers. The combined effort of defenders Alyssa Manley (Lititz, Pa.) and Julia Young (Yorktown, Va.) kept New Zealand at bay but not before the hosts earned their first penalty corner in the 34th minute. A textbook deflection conversation off the stick of Ella Gunson extended New Zealand’s lead to 3-0. Although they were trailing, USA didn’t reduce their effort and continued to fight as Sharkey earned their fifth penalty corner with no result. The Blacks sticks almost tallied another when a powerful backhand shot from Merry cracked off the cross bar.

Determined to add a goal to the scoreboard, USA produced some great connections up field and earned their sixth penalty corner five minutes into the fourth quarter. A well-executed option saw Froede sweep it down to the far post where Danielle Grega (Kingston, Pa.) deflect it in and add one back to make it 3-1. The final minutes saw USA have a few more circle penetrations and a final penalty corner of the match but they were unable to make the most of their scoring opportunities as they fell to the Black Sticks.

Following the game, New Zealand’s Brooke Neal earned Player of the Match for her workhorse effort on defense.

The U.S. Women’s National Team will head back to the United States where they will welcome two teams to Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. at the end of the month. In their fifth FIH Pro League game they will play No. 13 Belgium on Friday, March 29 and in their sixth contest they will face No. 2 Great Britain on Sunday, March 31. Tickets for these games are available and can be purchased by clicking here.

#FIHProLeague

USFHA media release

Black Sticks Men draw in physical match with Spain



The Vantage Black Sticks Men and Spain have played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at North Harbour Hockey Stadium. The Black Sticks looked to be heading for the win before 2 late goals to Spain tied the match up. Spain would go on to win the penalty shootout with some clinical shots.

The Black Sticks Men lined up for what was going to be an incredibly tough match against the ever-improving Spanish Men who have already beaten the Netherlands and Belgium in the FIH Pro League.

The Spanish side looked to put the Black Sticks on the back foot from the start and that’s what they did when Pau Quemada found himself in space at the top of the circle and rocketed a shot past Richard Joyce. The Black Sticks then found their feet in the match and earned their first penalty corner of the match. Unfortunately, Cory Bennett’s drag flick went just wide of the goal. Despite the attacking opportunities it was Spain who ended the first quarter up 1-0.

Spain started the 2ndquarter strongly and earned the first penalty corner of the period. Richard Joyce stood up tall and kept the ball out of the goal. New Zealand then moments later put a great ball into the circle that Jared Panchia deflected past the goalkeeper. The Vantage Black Sticks were playing with more confidence and earned a penalty corner late in the second period. The Spanish goalkeeper managed to pull off a fantastic stick save to deny the Black Sticks. Despite an attacking game of hockey, the two sides couldn’t be separated at the half we were tied at 1 goal apiece.

The Black Sticks Men took the front for the first time in the game when a massive overhead from the defensive 25 found an open Stephen Jenness in the circle who then powered it past the Spain goalkeeper making it 2-1 to the Vantage Black Sticks. Spain looked to get the equaliser and put some long crash balls into the Black Sticks circle looking to unnerve the Black Sticks defence. Richard Joyce was proving to be very active in goal and kept the Black Sticks in the lead 2-1. The Black Sticks extended their lead midway through the 3rdquarter when Aidan Sarikaya found him open in the circle and he swept a reverse shot home. The Black Sticks finished the quarter with a 3-1 lead heading into the final quarter.

Starting the 4thquarter on the back foot with Nic Woods in the penalty bin the Black Sticks looked to consolidate and hold possession which was frustrating the Spanish side. Spain earned a penalty corner midway through the 4thquarter. Richard Joyce made the initial save however Marc Miralles was there to put the ball in the back of the net. Spain then found the equaliser when a break down in communication gave Pau Quemada his second goal of the evening. Despite the flurry of goals neither side was able to break the deadlock and we went into a shootout to decide the match.

Vantage Black Sticks 3 (Jared Panchia 22’, Stephen Jenness 34’, Dylan Thomas 38’)
Spain 3 (Pau Quemada 1’ 53’, Marc Miralles 53’)

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Black Sticks women ease past United States, men draw with Spain in Pro League

Andrew Voerman


Black Stick Kirsten Pearce celebrates scoring against the United States. DAVID ROWLAND/PHOTOSPORT

The Black Sticks women eased to a 3-1 win over the United States in world hockey's Pro League on Friday, while the men let a two-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 with Spain and lost the shootout for a bonus point.

The women began brightly in the early match at North Harbour Hockey Stadium in Auckland, but had to withstand strong pressure from the Americans later in the period before taking control in the second quarter.

It was Olivia Merry who got the Black Sticks on the board, four minutes into the second spell, poking home after captain Stacey Michelsen combined with Katie Doar on the edge of the D, setting the latter up to send a pass into the middle of the area.

​The United States came close to equalising soon after, as teen standout Mackenzie Allessie wriggled her way into a shooting position and lifted the ball over Black Sticks keeper Grace O'Hanlon, only for Brooke Neal to get her stick in the way and deflect the ball into the crossbar.

Kirsten Pearce doubled the Black Sticks' lead five minutes before halftime getting a deft touch on a rocket of a ball in from Merry and sending it past American stopper Kealsie Robles.

Four minutes after the break, it was Ella Gunson who got the Black Sticks their third goal, deflecting Neal's drag flick at a penalty corner.

The United States pulled one back through Danielle Grega at a penalty corner of their own with just under 10 minutes to play, but couldn't stop the Black Sticks from getting the win, which moved them past Germany and up to fifth on the ladder.


Kane Russell had a pair of valuable assists for the Black Sticks men against Spain. DAVID ROWLAND/PHOTOSPORT

In the second match of the double-header, the Black Sticks men found themselves trailing Spain inside a minute, as Pau Quemada took a touch at the top of the D then sent a shot flying past Richard Joyce in the Kiwi goal.

It was end-to-end action from there between the teams sitting eighth and seventh on the ladder, both seeking their first win in the Pro League.

The Black Sticks' drew level midway through the second quarter, when a diving Jared Panchia got a touch on a rocket of a cross from Kane Russell on the right.

Spain had a goal ruled out after a scramble early in the third quarter, allowing the Black Sticks to take the lead in the 34th minute, when Stephen Jenness got on the end of a long ball from Russell and finished sharply.

They extended their advantage four minutes later when Dylan Thomas scored from a narrow angle, his first international goal, but Spain reduced the lead back to one midway through the final quarter, when Marc Miralles struck at a penalty corner.

The equaliser came within a minute, Quemada taking advantage after Black Sticks midfielder Nic Woods got a touch on a cross that meant it fell to him with an open goal to aim at.

Neither side could find a winner in the final seven minutes, and it was Spain who took the extra point on offer for winning the penalty shootout.

Both Black Sticks teams are next in action again against Argentina in Auckland on Sunday.

Black Sticks women 3 (Olivia Merry 19', Kirsten Pearce 25', Ella Gunson 34') United States 1 (Danielle Grega 51').
Q1: 0-0; HT: 2-0; Q3: 3-0

Black Sticks men 3 (Jared Panchia 22', Stephen Jenness 34', Dylan Thomas 38') Spain 3 (Pau Quemada 1', 53' Marc Miralles 53').
Spain win penalty shootout 4-2.
Q1: 0-1; HT: 1-1; Q3: 3-1

Stuff

Ahmad Tajuddin will soldier on despite Nabil's absence

By By Naqib Nor Said


National hockey player Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Ab Jalil says that the situation of being in and out of the national team is part of the process of being a top player, and like it or not one has to accept it.

KUALA LUMPUR: The call up to the national hockey team for prolific forward Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Ab Jalil will be somewhat different this time round.

The is because after close to ten years of linking up with Nabil Fikri Mohd Noor, this will be the first time where the Terengganu Hockey Team midfield maestro has not been listed among the list of twenty-eight players called up by national coach Roelant Oltmans yesterday (Wednesday).

Even though Nabil’s absence can be considered as a huge loss, Ahmad Tajuddin does not want to let such a situation disrupt his focus.

“Actually the situation of being in and out of the national team is part of the process of being a player and like it or not, one has to accept it. The decision has been made by the coach, so as players we must respect the decision.

“Perhaps such a decision was made after an evaluation of performances in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) and perhaps it could also be for the sake of Malaysian Hockey’s future as well,” said Ahmad Tajuddin who has been representing the country for the past 13 years since the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Ahmad Tajuddin hopes that Nabil and Azri Hassan who was also dropped will instead work hard to bounce back.

“It cannot be denied that Nabil’s absence will have an impact as we get along really well because we have been playing together for such a long time.

“I just hope that both Nabil and Azri do not give up and instead try as best they can to win back their places in the national side,” said Ahmad Tajuddin.

For the new teamsheet announced by Oltmans, there are four new, young faces who have been called up for the very first time, namely Akhimullah Anuar Esook, Firdaus Rosdi, Arif Syafie Ishak and Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal – with defender Najmi Farizal Jazlan getting a recall despite the fact that he suddenly pulled out of the national team eight months ago.

All 28 players called up are expected to report in for centralised training in Kuantan on March 10 to prepare for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh which takes place from March 23 – 30.

New Straits Times

Rajamanickam wants coaches to focus on developing youngsters

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Hockey League coaches are more concerned about winning trophies than developing youngsters.Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) secretary V. Rajamanickam claimed the league, which ended last week, did not showcase the young talents but instead relied more on beefing up their teams with national players and foreign imports.

“Our coaches are in the mood of winning at the expense of development. Coaches are not creating enough avenue for young players to show their talent.

“We need depth and this will come from the youngsters. If clubs do not develop these youngsters, what will happen to our national team in the future?” questioned Rajamanickam.

He added that clubs are also more concerned on the national leagues instead of state leagues.

“They want to participate in the national leagues but do not want to send teams in state leagues. Three clubs – Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Maybank and Tenaga Nasional – are affiliated to KLHA. When we hold the KLHA league, they do not take part.

“Is it because the league is not up to their standard? I think they should encourage their clubs to send teams for the lower leagues.

“This is where the youngsters can gain exposure and experience.”

Rajamanickam also said the influx of foreign players is killing the game.

“To win, they rely on these foreigners and youngsters are deprived of quality matches. To me, that is bad.

“In the 90s, clubs were only allowed to field two foreigners. These ruling helped hockey development and we qualified for the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.

“At that time, the national players competed in the state and national leagues.

“In Australia, clubs play in both levels. They have so many clubs and they consistently produce top talents.

“Clubs cannot say that Malaysia Hockey Confederation are not doing enough to produce talents when they should take the initiative.”

Rajamanickam also said if things don’t change Malaysian hockey will remain stagnant.

The Star of Malaysia

PREVIEWS: English Men's Hockey League

Relegation rivals Wimbledon and the University of Exeter face each other at Raynes Park on Saturday, in a match that could prove vital to both team’s ambitions in the Men’s Hockey League Premier Division.

Both teams have found form lately with Wimbledon having won their last two games while the University of Exeter have lost just once since the Winter break.

“Exeter are a good side, they’ve shown this season they can compete and take points off anyone really,” said Wimbledon coach Gareth Hall. “We take them seriously – they gave us a good game before Christmas, so we’ve had to prepare well for this match.

“It has been a tough season for us up to now, but we’ve got a number of players with international experience, but also experience of fighting it out in tough league matches too.”

Reading were beaten by Wimbledon two weeks ago, and they are not yet safe from relegation. They go to East Grinstead for a tough clash on Saturday evening.

At the top of the table, leaders Surbiton host Brooklands MU on Saturday, while second-placed Hampstead & Westminster are in action on Sunday at third-placed Beeston.

The other top flight match this weekend sees Holcombe go to Sevenoaks as they bid to push their way into the top four and the a play-off spot.

Title hopes are also in the balance in the Men’s Conference North, where second-placed University of Durham entertain fourth-placed Sheffield Hallam who both have promotion aspirations.

Lower down the table teams are fighting to stay in the second tier of the sport following the league restructure, and Doncaster go to Leeds on Sunday desperate for a win to boost their bid for a top six finish.

Old Loughtonians are battling to climb into the top six and second Division One hockey for next season, but they face a tough match at home against current Conference East leaders Old Georgians on Sunday.

Meanwhile, second-placed Southgate travel to a Richmond side who are also aiming to climb up the table and towards Division One hockey for next season.

In the Men’s Conference West leaders Havant go to the University of Bristol on Sunday, while the University of Birmingham go to Fareham as they bid to keep pace with Havant.

And in the battle for Division One hockey next season sixth-placed Team Bath Buccaneers entertain Cardiff & Met.

FIXTURES

Men’s Hockey League (Saturday, 9 March 2019)

Premier Division
Wimbledon v Univ of Exeter 16:00
Sevenoaks v Holcombe 17:00
East Grinstead v Reading 18:00
Surbiton v Brooklands MU 18:00

Conference North
Loughborough Students v Belper 18:00
Univ of Durham v Sheffield Hallam 18:00

Men’s Hockey League (Sunday, 10 March 2019)

Premier Division
Beeston v Hampstead & Westminster 14:00

Conference East
Richmond v Southgate
Brighton & Hove v Oxted 13:00
City of Peterborough v Teddington 13:00
Cambridge City v Canterbury 13:30
Old Loughtonians v Old Georgians 14:00

Conference West
Isca v Olton & West Warwicks 12:30
Chichester v Oxford Hawks 13:00
Team Bath Buccaneers v Cardiff & Met 13:00
Fareham v Univ of Birmingham 13:30
Univ of Bristol v Havant 13:30

Conference North
Preston v Univ of Nottingham 14:00
Bowdon v Alderley Edge 14:30
Leeds v Doncaster 14:30

England Hockey Board Media release

Putting the ‘cool’ into umpiring



“There is a growing awareness that umpiring is a cool and critical part of the game of hockey. Take away the emphasis on ‘us and them’ and people quickly realise umpires and players are a collective working towards a fun, fair spectacle. It is all about breaking down the stigma.”

Kelly Hudson is the perfect advocate hockey umpiring. A top-ranking FIH international umpire, Hudson has been at the forefront of umpire development for a number of years. Now she is in the third year of a unique role created by the Tauranga Hockey Association: a role in which she is able to combine her love of the sport with her natural aptitude for sharing her knowledge with others.

As Officiating Development Officer for Tauranga Hockey, Hudson is paid for 20 hours a week, during which she is charged with promoting training and development of officials. It provides, says Hudson, a chance for the local hockey community to tap into the knowledge she has gleaned from her own international experience.

"If you talk about what we hope to achieve, well retention is key for all officiating bodies in all sports"
- Kelly Hudson

It was a role that she took a part in creating, working with the Tauranga Hockey Association and other stakeholders to provide a service for officials that would be most effective but it was also a recruitment process that followed strict and transparent procedures. Once in position, she has been able to adjust and adapt the role to fully meet the requirements of the job, while delivering on all performance measures.

“If you talk about what we hope to achieve, well retention is key for all officiating bodies in all sports. I don’t tend to focus on the figures but my key focus is to promote umpiring in a vibrant and engaging way, because that is how I see it. Umpiring is a much bigger picture than just standing there blowing the whistle.”

During the course of her 20-hour week, Hudson runs workshops and interactive sessions as well as providing and organising mentoring between experienced umpires and new recruits. Designing resources and creating fresh course content is a large part of the role.



Developing a supportive community of umpires is also a core element of her work, both formally and informally. A Facebook Page exists for the umpires to share discussion points, swap ideas and raise issues. Hudson herself will always make time to have one-on-one chats with fellow umpires and encourages other members of the umpiring community to do the same.

“It can be quite lonely being out on the field but if you can feel part of a community or part of a group then you can swap ideas, talk about the highs and lows of the learning process. Support is a massive part of this. It is always good to know someone has your back, at the same time learning coping tools and challenging you to think outside the box”

Hudson has also developed a log book, which she sees as an important part of the development process. “It allows the umpires to self-reflect and self-analyse. As mentor, I can take a look and work with the umpire to identify key areas for development strategies. That is where the growth comes in.”

The log book is just one part of a range of initiatives that Hudson has introduced. The Blue Badge umpire programme, for example,  has been instrumental in bringing new umpires into the fold, targeting teenagers and adults who are keen to develop umpiring knowledge.

She will also be helping umpires tap into the knowledge of umpire coaches. “We have a lot of hockey umpiring knowledge but not so much coaching knowledge – how to deal with people, how to react in certain situations, how to interact with players at different stages. It is casting the net a little wider but it also brings a different perspective.”

The biggest question for anyone who knows Hudson is how she fits it all in. The past few months have seen her umpiring at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup, the Asian Games and FIH Pro League Games in Argentina, New Zealand and China.

“I call it ‘fortunate juggling’,” she laughs. “I can work remotely on some of my work. I can also stack work into some weeks, so I can balance my 20 hours a week over 52 weeks of the year. So, over the Christmas and January period I was able to prepare for courses, so I was free to go to Argentina and Australia for the Pro League. I am very lucky that my General Manager allows for that style of working.”

#WomensDay
#WomenInSport

FIH site

Nepal aims for hockey summit



The Nepal national women’s team has ambitious plans to become the second best hockey nation in the South Asia region. If the team achieves this aim it will be a remarkably speedy rise up the ranks as the national team has only existed for three years and does not yet have a FIH World Ranking.

The fact that the Himalayan country has a national women’s team is largely due to the development work of the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), which has targeted gender equality through its Hockey Assisted Programmes. There is also a push by the AHF to develop hockey more generally in second and third tier nations, as the federation seeks to close the gap between India and the rest of the South Asia region.

The desire to create a successful women’s hockey programme in Nepal is shared by its national association. Anil Sharma, Vice President of the Nepal Hockey Association (NHA) says: “The objective of the association, it’s members and coaches is for the women’s team to become the second best team in South Asia region after India”.

Nepal Women’s team was formed in 2015; its squad of 30 players comprises high school and college students or women playing in an adult league, known as the Services Division. Those players who have left education are encouraged to work in the government services as they will then be supported as they represent their country.



The availability of training facilities and high level coaches has been a challenge but the AHF and NHA have worked together to find solutions. The result is a training camp in Lahore, Pakistan, where the national squad will be coached by FIH high performance educators and AHF experts. Nepal’s own home-grown coaches will also benefit from coach education courses and the chance to work alongside international coaching experts in Lahore.

In addition, while at the training camp, the Nepal team will be able to get some quality opposition from local Pakistan clubs and provincial teams.

While the long term aim is to rise up the rankings, the early stages of the team’s development is all about educating the players on becoming international hockey athletes. The training camp will help the players develop skills, tactics and game awareness and understand their own strengths and weaknesses.

"We also aim to provide career development and job opportunities for women athletes, in order for them to mainly focus on the game with a sense of career security"
 - Taimoor Waqar, Asian Hockey Federation

As Taimoor Waqar of the AHF explains: “Opportunities will be presented for Nepal to participate in second and third tier competitions, but in the initial stages it is imperative to stimulate and activate the Nepal women’s team, rather than chasing the high performance route.”

There are challenges facing the Nepal women’s team in their pursuit of excellence. Travelling from Nepal to Lahore is costly, both in financial terms and in time. Many of the team work, others are studying full-time, so balancing hockey and career is a priority. Further down the line, once Nepal start playing international fixtures, then the cost of supporting the team rises.

These, along with global concerns about security issues, are all challenges that the AHF and its member nations are working hard to mitigate. Taimoor Waqar speaking on behalf of the AHF development department, says: “The geographical spread of Asia is a challenge for teams to play each other and participate in tournaments. Also, as of now the current global security situation is a limitation and a hindrance. Hence our main aim is to shorten the distances teams have to travel, making it more convenient for our national associations.

“We also aim to provide career development and job opportunities for women athletes, in order for them to mainly focus on the game with a sense of career security. Such efforts will allow us to develop expert coaches, that gain expertise through our programmes and then become educators in their own region.”

One of the AHF’s long-term goals is for more Asian teams to be represented at top level competition. The case of Nepal is a clear example of a national association working closely with the continental federation, tapping into the international hockey communities knowledge and expertise, to create a strategic development plan.

“It is definitely a challenge,” says Waqar. “But, with our aligned objectives, strategic direction, focus on development, highly skilled staff and very close ties with the national associations we are making progress across the South Asia region.

#WomensDay
#WomenInSport

FIH site

Media lesson for Indian hockey team: ‘Be like Virat Kohli, not Hardik Pandya’

The players were also given a list of dos and don’ts while talking in public, and encouraged to learn from Virat Kohli on how to deal with the media after a defeat.

by Mihir Vasavda


Indian players at the national camp in Bengaluru. File

Face the cameras like Virat Kohli, not Hardik Pandya. This was the key tip given to 33 players from the core group of the Indian hockey team by their national governing body at a media training workshop last Friday in Bengaluru where the national camp is underway.

The players were also given a list of dos and don’ts while talking in public, and encouraged to learn from Kohli on how to deal with the media after a defeat.

They were also warned against behaving like Pandya. The flamboyant all-rounder’s remarks on women during a TV show in January had triggered a massive controversy and saw him being sent home from the tour of Australia, along with teammate K L Rahul.

At Hockey India’s workshop, the players were shown clips of the talk show in which Pandya and Rahul made the remarks that were widely criticised as “misogynistic” and “racist”. Hockey team sources said the players were reminded of what is considered sexist and racist behaviour.

“Since a lot of them were playing domestic tournaments, they were unaware of how serious the episode had become. It’s when we started discussing various issues that they realised the seriousness of it and the importance of conducting themselves well,” sources said.

The players were also shown videos of Kohli’s press conference after the defeat to Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. The idea, sources said, was to show players how to react after losing an important match. At the same time, tennis star Novak Djokovic’s recent speech at an award function, where he spoke about his mindset during a slump in form, was also screened.

But almost 40 minutes of the hour-long session revolved around Pandya’s comments, sources said.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Hockey India CEO Elena Norman said: “It is absolutely important for hockey players to conduct themselves well and be aware of the fact that they represent the Indian national team. As national players, they have a fan-following and have youngsters looking up to them.”

She said this exercise has been on for a couple of years to give the players “holistic training across important avenues”. “However, this year onward, we have made this mandatory for all core probables, including junior and senior men, and women athletes, who come to the national camp… Since this is an important period leading up to the Olympic Games in 2020, there is bound to be more attention on these athletes and it is important that they are prepared for it,” Norman said.
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During the session, one of the senior players admitted that they feel the “pressure of being fun” while appearing on some TV programmes. “The main lesson was to not get provoked or overwhelmed. It’s okay to be humorous but without crossing the line,” sources said.

Indian Express