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All the news for Thursday 9 May 2019

FIH Pro League Grand Final: the first team is known!



Lausanne, Switzerland: While all participating teams are battling it out on the field of play for a much sought-after berth at the Grand Final of the very first edition of the FIH Pro League, one team is already known: the Officials’ one.

Indeed, with about 50 days to go until the start of the finale of the League, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has appointed the Officials (Umpires, Umpires Managers and Match Managers/Judges) who will be involved at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) next month (27-30 June).

The FIH is very happy with the overall performance of all Officials on the FIH Pro League Panel, which has made the selection highly competitive. The Grand Final Officials have been chosen in accordance with the following criteria:

•  Performance and experience – throughout this season’s FIH Pro League as well as during 2018 (for example, both male and female 2018 Umpires of the Year will officiate at the Grand Final)
•  Spread of nations to provide neutrality – with the qualifying nations for the Grand Final not yet known, a spread of national representation has been chosen so that neutral Officials can be appointed for every match, whatever the combination of competing teams turns out to be

Here’s the full list of Officials for the FIH Pro League:

Umpires (Men)
BLASCH Christian (GER)
GROCHAL Marcin (POL)
TAYLOR Simon (NZL)
van BUNGE Coen (NED)
WRIGHT Peter (RSA)

Umpires (Women)
CHURCH Amber (NZL)
DELFORGE Laurine (BEL)
JOUBERT Michelle (RSA)
MEISTER Michelle (GER)
WILSON Sarah (GBR)

Umpires Managers
ten CATE Rob (NED)
HUNNABALL Margaret (GBR)

Match Managers/Judges
ISBERG Bjorn (SWE)
BENNETT Sarah (ZIM)
DELLA MATTIA Adrian (ARG)
PETITJEAN Sylvie (FRA)
WARRIS Rogier (NED)

To find out all information about the FIH Pro League, view the official event website here.

#FIHProLeague

Official FIH Pro League Site

Hockeyroos Unchanged For Clash With Struggling USA

Ben Somerford



Hockey Australia today confirms the Hockeyroos will take an unchanged 18-member team for the upcoming FIH Pro League matches against USA in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on Saturday morning.

The Hockeyroos arrived in the USA earlier this week after Sunday morning's 3-1 shootout defeat to Argentina in Buenos Aires.

Experienced midfielder Jane Claxton did not play against Argentina but remains in the 18-member team to face 12th ranked USA, who currently sit bottom of the FIH Pro League standings.

USA have recently returned to their homeland after a series of matches in Europe, where they collected just one point from four matches.

USA have only managed four points from 10 matches throughout the FIH Pro League but Hockeyroos coach Paul Gaudoin won't take them lightly, having only edged them 2-1 in Sydney in March thanks to two last-quarter goals.

Gaudoin said: "We're looking forward to it. To travel that far to the USA and play a one-off match is a real challenge for us. We're looking to do well."

The Hockeyroos, who are third on the FIH world rankings, are currently fourth in the FIH Pro League standings.

The match will be televised live by Kayo Sports and on FOX SPORTS 505. Follow @Hockeyroos on Twitter for live match updates.

Saturday 11 May 2019 – Lancaster, Pennsylvania
USA v Hockeyroos – 9am AEST

Hockeyroos 18-member team:
Athlete (Hometown, State)
Kristina Bates (Port Melbourne, VIC)
Edwina Bone (Orange, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Lily Brazel (Sydney, NSW) *Plays for VIC
Emily Chalker (Crookwell, NSW)
Jane Claxton (Adelaide, SA)
Kalindi Commerford (Ulladulla, NSW) *Plays for ACT
Madison Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Savannah Fitzpatrick (Cabarita Beach, NSW) *Plays for QLD
Kate Jenner (Tamworth, NSW)
Rachael Lynch (Warrandyte, VIC)
Ambrosia Malone (Burleigh, QLD)
Kaitlin Nobbs (Newington, NSW)
Brooke Peris (Darwin, NT)
Michaela Spano (Adelaide, SA)
Grace Stewart (Gerringong, NSW)
Sophie Taylor (Melbourne, VIC)
Ashlee Wells (Morwell, VIC)
Georgia Wilson (Mahogany Creek, WA)

Hockey Australia media release

Pearne-Webb focused on retaining women’s hockey title in Tokyo



She took the last, winning penalty of the final at Rio 2016, but Hollie Pearne-Webb isn’t looking back. In one of the most unpredictable women’s team sports, hockey, the Great Britain star is focused on trying to win back-to-back golds at Tokyo 2020.

Taking a penalty to win an Olympic gold medal – for both yourself and your teammates – is about as high-pressure as sporting moments can get. For Hollie Pearne-Webb, Great Britain hockey’s final shuffle penalty taker at Rio 2016, however, there were no nerves or cold sweats. Displaying the mental strength that the British side had intensely focused on developing during their preparation, she walked up to the ball to face the Netherlands’ goalkeeper feeling: “Calm. It sounds weird but I was really calm.

“I was just going through a process,” she said. “We’d done our homework as potential shuffle takers and everyone had prepared by looking at the Dutch goalie and what she did. So I knew what I was going to do. I remember telling myself to not rush, otherwise I could duff it up. I thought, ‘There’s no point being nervous. You’re just on a hockey pitch, it’s just a goal and you’ve done this so many times’.

“We had prepared in the run-up for every scenario. We had rehearsed it. That made the penalties quite simple. If the goalie had made a great save, I couldn’t control that. But it felt like forever, making sure the ball was in the net, before I turned round to celebrate.”

The wild scenes that followed revealed true emotion, however. GB had beaten the red-hot favourites, the Netherlands, who were looking to clinch their third consecutive Olympic title.

With the game finishing 3-3 at full time, the majority of pressure was suddenly on the Dutch. “Going into the final we were huge underdogs,” Pearne-Webb said. “They had that experience. They had individuals who were technically superstars. We were more reliant on being a team than on individuals.


Getty Images

“We had to defend for large parts of the final, they were on top for long periods. But we were putting away our opportunities to score. Because we had been hanging on, and defending really well, the momentum swung our way. I think the Dutch confidence was getting low. You could see in their body language, after the game, they couldn’t believe that they were in this situation. We were feeling excited.”

Pearne-Webb was one of many players in Rio from the England side that had defeated the Netherlands on penalties in the final of the 2015 EuroHockey Championships, and the defender said her Olympic teammates suddenly felt “confident in ourselves – it was just a case of ‘deep breath, this is fine’”.

Pearne-Webb claims she doesn’t think back to Rio much now. She is laser-focused on what lies ahead: trying to defend the title in Tokyo. “It’s a very different squad and a very different challenge,” she said. “A lot of experienced players have retired but then we’ve also gained a lot of exciting young talent. We’re in a rebuilding phase at the moment. And I think it’s harder to retain a title than win it for the first time.”


Getty Images

The sheer number of roughly even teams currently competing in women’s international hockey will make their defence tough, too. “Anyone can beat anyone on any given day at the moment. Yes, Holland have been winning all there is to win since the Olympics, but they’re not unbeatable. Holland lost to Australia recently, then Australia lost to Belgium. People are beating each other left, right and centre. Argentina are looking strong, and then there’s New Zealand, China, Germany.”

Some lessons from Rio 2016 can help Team GB on their way, however. “We had a real mixture of players in the squad,” Pearne-Webb said, “and it was the strength of the squad – not the team – that was the biggest reason that we succeeded. There were 31 girls that trained together for four years, and competition was so high because we all wanted to be on the plane.

“Everyone was pushing one another. You also wanted to get your teammate to become better because that’d force you to improve, too. We created a ‘team first’ culture that worked. Every session and minute mattered. It gelled us together. And the mental strength and resilience that came with that was a massive part of why we did so well.”

The players even decided to enforce a social media shutdown to prevent distractions. “We had no idea what was going on back home,” Pearne-Webb said. “We decided as a squad that we wouldn’t use social media – because if any tiny comment could affect just one player on one day, we didn’t want that risk. It meant we had no idea what was going on back home. When we turned our phones on at the end, they were crashing from so many messages. We’d united the nation, so many people had been watching us. It gives you goosebumps.”


Getty Images

It’s a feeling Pearne-Webb is desperate to recreate in Tokyo. “I’m so excited for it. I remember standing on the pitch in Rio and thinking, ‘I definitely want to do this again’. We just want to qualify, and then you want to make it into that team. It’s a huge goal that motivates me every day when I get up.”

Pearne-Webb combines training with a high-flying accountancy job for the British government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. “It is hard and it means I have to be organised,” she admitted. “If I’m not training, then I’m in the office. But it has a massive positive benefit because it gives me something else to focus on. I’m an over-thinker. If I wasn’t at work I’d be thinking about mistakes I’d made.”

Olympic.org

India start Oz tour with 2-0 victory



The Indian men’s hockey team defeated WA Thundersticks 2-0 to start its Australia tour on a positive note here today. Goals from Birendra Lakra (23rd minute) and Harmanpreet Singh (50th) secured the win for the visitors.

Debutant Jaskaran Singh got the first real chance for India in the fifth minute but failed to keep his shot on target. Akashdeep Singh had a shot on goal towards the end of the first quarter, but Thundersticks’ goalkeeper Ben Rennie made a fine save.

India started dominating proceedings in the second quarter, with captain Manpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh both denied by Rennie. But patience finally paid off as India took the lead through a field goal by Lakra. India got their second goal through a penalty corner conversion by Harmanpreet 10 minutes from time. Three minutes from the final hooter, the home side earned back-to-back penalty corners but India defended stoutly.

India will play against Australia A on May 10, before taking on the Australian team on May 15 and May 17

Result: India (Birendra Lakra 23’, Harmanpreet Singh 50’) beat WA Thundersticks 2-0

The Tribune

SA Men’s Squad named for the FIH Hockey Series Final


Tim Drummond will captain the side

The South African Hockey Association has today announced the SA Men’s side that will take part in the FIH Hockey Series Final in Bhubaneswar from the 6-15 June 2019. The tournament will be the first under the stewardship of Garreth Ewing with the goal of trying to finish in the top 2 to qualify for the FIH Olympic Qualifiers.

South Africa will be in Pool B alongside USA, Mexico and Japan. With India, Poland, Russia and Uzbekistan competing in Pool A. The top team from each pool progresses to the Semi-Finals directly while the teams in 2nd and 3rd play a crossover Quarter Final.

Ewing has taken the opportunity to call up a few players who missed out on the 2018 FIH World Cup at the same venue. Siya Nolutshungu returns to the line-up alongside Ryan Julius, Alex Stewart and Matt de Sousa. Matt Brown, who is lethal at penalty corner time, will get the opportunity to earn his first cap for his country. With Rhett Halkett and Julian Hykes having announced their retirement from the International game, there is an opportunity for others to cement their spots in the squad.

“Selection was a tough series of decisions because there were a lot of conversations between the selection panel and me regarding player availability. I am sure that some guys will be thrilled, and some will be disappointed.” Shared Ewing, “I’m happy with the balance of the team and our depth in terms of penalty corner attack. Some players will be in slightly different positional roles which I believe will be mentally stimulating for them. I’m very positive about this group both in terms of its talent and the balance between experience and youthful energy. I believe we will compete well and take a positive step in the team’s process.”

South African Men’s Hockey Squad

*Caps per FIH Tournament Management System at 08 May 2019, Province is most recently represented province.

Fixtures – Hockey Series Final

06 June – South Africa vs. USA
08 June – South Africa vs. Japan
10 June – South Africa vs. Mexico
12 June – Crossovers
14 June – Semi-Finals
15 June – Final

SA Hockey Association media release

Pegasus become latest side to qualify for EHL Women


©: Adrian Boehm

Pegasus became the latest side to qualify for EHL Women in 2020 when they won Ireland’s EY Champions Trophy last Sunday at Banbridge’s Havelock Park with a shoot-out win over Loreto.

Pegasus had topped the regular season title but were in serious trouble in the playoffs final when they went behind against Loreto to a Siofra O’Brien goal three minutes from the end.

But former Irish captain Alex Speers touched home a Shirley McCay corner slap 71 seconds from the end saw Pegs earn a shoot-out chance.
And they held their nerve to win that section 4-2 with goalkeeper Megan Todd making the key stops before Taite Doherty got the winning finish.

“It’s awesome to be back in Europe next season. We already had a spot which took a little pressure off but we wanted to win this to and give an opportunity to play in the new top flight EHL Women,” said captain Michelle Harvey following the win.

“We definitely endured a lot of pressure in the first half but absolutely amazing to get back into it and keep fighting all the way to the end,” she added about the game.

“We always knew we had it in us to get the draw at least today and then have a good shot in the shoot-out.

“At that point, we just wanted to give everything we had. We got this far, won the league and so it was one last effort!”

As for the shoot-out, Harvey paid tribute to her goalkeeper while also taking a deep breath of relief after her heart-stopping attempt when she missed with her first shot but made no mistake second time around.

“Megan has been a legend for us this season, keeping us in so many games. It was her time to shine and we knew she would be able to do it. Mine was intentional to keep everyone on their toes! I knew I had time to slot it in!”

The victory means Pegasus will represent Ireland in the new EHL Women’s competition in 2020 at Easter in the top tier of European club competition. Loreto will contest the EuroHockey Trophy.

Pegasus were most recently in Europe in 2017 at the EuroHockey Club Trophy event where they finished sixth. Before that, they played in the Cup in 2016 which ended in an eighth place position.

Euro Hockey League media release

Glass full of memories as Pegs legend retires

By John Flack


Pamela Glass celebrates with the EY Champions Trophy. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Pamela Glass has been reflecting on her decision to retire from first team hockey after a glittering career with club and country spanning a quarter of a century, writes John Flack.

The Pegasus and former Ireland defender hung up her boots in stylish fashion with two typically impressive displays at the EY Champions Trophy last weekend when the club completed a Champions Trophy-regulation season title double.

Now 39, she made her Pegasus debut at the tender age of 14 and went on to win every trophy on offer, completing the clean sweep at Banbridge on Sunday.

Her list of achievements makes hugely impressive reading with, in addition to her weekend swansong, seven all Ireland titles under the old format, six Irish Senior Cup winner’s medals, 13 Ulster Shield successes, 12 domestic league triumphs and numerous inter-provincial crowns at U21 and senior level.

Glass also excelled on the wider stage, having played club hockey in Europe on eight occasions, winning two gold medals in the process and represented Ireland 52 times.

She quit the international arena at the age of just 22 after playing at the 2002 World Cup in Perth, Australia.

Her retirement marks the end of an era on that front as she now becomes the last player from the class of 2002 to stop playing first team hockey.

Glass explained: “I had been in the Irish squad for five years and the commitment required was huge so although it might have seemed a young age to quit international hockey, I have no regrets.”

“I had taken a year out of university to play for Ireland and was planning at the time to start up my own business so something had to give and, having played at a World Cup and in two European Championships, I certainly had a good innings.”

After the trip to Australia, Glass concentrated all her efforts on her club hockey with her beloved Pegasus, having joined them at the age of 13 and gone on to have a stellar career with the club.

She added: “There have been so many highlights and playing in my first Europeans and scoring my first Pegasus goal at the age of 14 were just two fond memories.”

“The most satisfying achievement was on Sunday though, having previously come in 2012 when I won an Irish Cup – all Ireland league double playing alongside some of my best mates in Arlene Boyles, Sharon Moffett, Nadine Graham, Claire McMahon and Suzanne Beaney.

Glass admitted she had toyed with the idea of retirement several times in recent years but always discovered a motivating factor to continue playing.


Glass in action against Cork Harlequins. Pic: Adrian Boehm

She explained: “What kept me going was not being satisfied with how the previous season ended and then training hard during the summer and staying fit in order to get better.”

“Then when one of my best friends, Shirley McCay, arrived at the club, that was another reason to stay on for another two seasons and playing alongside her and Stephanie Thompson in the Pegasus defence has been a privilege.”

However, Glass won’t be lost to the game entirely as she will play down the club as she prepares to continue a new career at veterans’ level.

She explained: “I made my veterans debut a fortnight ago playing for Ulster over 40s as, with my birth date, I was eligible and it was nice being the baby of a team for once.

“I also still want to play with my mates and Suzanne and Nadine are on Pegasus seconds, so I plan to join them next season.”

“I’ll always try to give something back to Pegasus, as the club have given me and my dad so many happy memories.

“It’s the best club in Ireland for so many reasons and that’s why I’ve been there for so long. It’s more than just a club – a bit like Barcelona FC.”

The Hook

Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland Announced as Title Sponsor of the U21 International Tournament



Hockey Ireland are delighted to announce that investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland has been confirmed as title sponsor for the U21 Women’s tournament being hosted from 31 May to 4 June at Pembroke Wanderers.  Four competitive matches against Canada, India and Scotland in addition to a number of friendly games before and after the tournament, present an ideal opportunity for the Juniorgreenarmy to build towards the EuroChampionships in Valencia.

Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland’s CEO, Ronan Reid, explained “we are delighted to partner with Hockey Ireland and to support young and upcoming hockey talent during the development years, even more so to champion female participation in sport. Celebrating up and coming talent and promoting the spirit of the game instils so many positive values. We recognise how important supporting the younger team is, in preparing for the future, and we share many of the same values in our own organisation, from commitment and discipline, to integrity and passion. We will be rooting for Team Ireland.”

Jerome Pels CEO commented “Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland will provide some much needed support for this tournament which will cover the peripheral costs associated with hosting a world level tournament such as officials, umpires and transport costs.  We are thankful to Cantor Fitzgerald for their support at this late stage of the development of this group as it is important in driving the long term success of our senior women’s team”

Head Coach David Passmore has announced a squad of 22 for this tournament from which he can select 18 on a daily basis. At present this includes senior squad players who may be selected for the World Series event in Banbridge.  While due to leaving certificate exams he is forced to do without the services of Amy Elliott (Railway Union), Caoimhe Perdue (Cork Harlequins) and Caitlin Sherin (Loreto), Passmore names a strong squad which will be co-captained by Erin Getty (Queens) and Cork Harlequins favourite Michelle Barry.

Passmore commented “It is an enormous boost for the team to have this support for the tournament along with shirts sponsors Eugene F Collins.  Competitive matches tell us so much about players and how they react to given situations, and for us to be able to play this event in Dublin is largely thanks to both these sponsors and our fantastic parents group who have taken on much of the event organisation”.

Players Name, Club
1 Hannah Humphries (GK), UCC
2 Lizzie Murphy (GK) **, Loreto
3 Emma Buckley (GK) **, Royal Racing, BEL
4 Hannah McLoughlin**, UCD
5 Erin Getty (Co-Captain), Queens
6 Ellen Reid, Banbridge
7 Alana Doyle, Ards
8 Jane Kilpatrick, Loughboro Students
9 Grace McLoughlin, Loreto
10 Christina Hamill, Loreto
11 Michelle Barry (Co-Captain), Cork Harlequins
12 Michelle Carey, UCD
13 Erica Markey, Trinity
14 Ellen Curran **, UCD
15 Abbie Russell, UCD
16 Sarah Torrans ** Loreto
17 Jessica McMaster, Queens
18 Siofra O'Brien, Loreto
19 Laura Foley, C. Institute
20 Niamh Carey, UCD
21 Mia Jennings, Loreto
22 Yasmin Pratt, Muckross

** denotes - if not selected for the World Series for the Senior Women

Cantor Fitzgerald International 4 Nations Tournament Schedule:

Friday 31 May 2019

4.30pm   India v Canada
6.30pm   IRELAND v Scotland

Saturday 1 June 2019

4.30pm   Scotland v Canada
6.30pm   IRELAND v India

Monday 3 June 2019

1.30pm   India v Scotland
3.30pm   IRELAND v Canada

Tuesday 4 June 2019

1.30pm   3rd v 4th Play-off
3.45pm   Final

Friendly Matches

Sun 26 May           Ireland v Canada at 6.30pm (Senior men play USA at 12 Noon)
Mon 27 May         Ireland v Canada at 6pm
Thus 6 June           Ireland v India at 4pm
Fri 7 June               Ireland v India at 3pm

Players also included in friendly matches:

Jade Arundell (GK), Michigan State, USA
Jenny Clein, UCC
Katherine Egan, UCD
Amy Elliott, Railway Union
Katie Fearon, Railway Union
Gemma Ferguson (GK), Ulster Elks
Niamh Gowing, Muckross
Nina Heisterkamp, UCD
Hannah Irwin, Ulster Elks
Jade Lamont (GK), Notts Trent / Beeston, ENG
Caroline Mathews, Muckross
Rebecca McConnell, Mossley
Emily McStea, Queens
Siofra Murdoch, Havard Uni, USA
Caoimhe Perdue, Cork Harlequins
Caitlin Sherin, Loreto
Holly Taggart, Bristol Uni. ENG
Emma Young, UCD

Irish Hockey Association media release

Positive progression from England NAGS teams in Scotland test series



Following on from the test series against the Netherlands over the Easter Weekend, England’s U18s girls and U16s boys and girls NAGS teams faced Scotland in a two-game series – read our report on how the teams got on:

U16s Boys

Game 1
England 2 - 1 Scotland
Collinson 2’ FG
Shelton 54’ FG
Scotland 39’ PC

England U16s boys continued their form of scoring early in matches, this time against Scotland with Ben Collinson striking from the top of the circle after beating two players to give England a second minute lead.

In the third quarter, Scotland continued to push for an equaliser and found it from a penalty corner as the ball was skilfully redirected over the England goalkeeper following a deflection. England’s winning goal came in the final-quarter when Ollie Shelton’s powerful backspace shot flew past the ‘keeper.



Game 2
England 2 - 4 Scotland
Chihota 18’ FG
Marshall 38’ PC
Scotland 4’ F, 23’ F, 34’ F, 54’ PC

In the second match of the series, Scotland quickly took the lead through a reverse stick shot from the top of the circle. England levelled it up in the second-quarter when Alex Chihota lifted the ball over the goalkeeper following good play from Ben Collinson. However, Scotland replied within five minutes to go into half-time ahead. Scotland extended their lead at the start of the second half too before Ed Marshall pulled one back as he fired into the back of the net following a penalty corner routine. Scotland secured the win with just over five minutes to go following a scramble after the initial penalty corner was well saved.

Head Coach’s Comments:
“Overall, the quality of our basic skills was not of the standard we expect of ourselves and this limited our ability to play with any real fluency over the two days.

“Competing against highly motivated sides is par for the course in International sport and along with developing the ability to execute our game plan against different teams, there are a number of areas we can look to improve on as part of the team’s progression.”



U16s girls

Game 1
England 3 - 0 Scotland
Long
O’Malley-Kumar
Macdonald-Gay

The first game of the test matches saw England’s U16s girls dominating possession and circle attacking opportunities in the first-half, but struggle to convert their chances as Scotland’s goal-keeper made numerous saves and clearances.

Controlling the movement of the ball out of defence and through midfield whilst also defending resiliently against Scotland’s attacking moments were two areas that England wanted to see real progression after the Holland series at Easter.

Better application of individual and team-based principles meant that England continued to dominate the game but were far more clinical in front of goal during the second-half, running out 3-0 winners.

Game 2
England 2 – 1 Scotland
Long
O’Malley-Kumar

England’s scoring threat continued into the second match with two high-quality goals inside the first quarter providing the perfect start. Scotland defended their D for the remainder of the game with strong numbers, denying numerous opportunities and creating their own scoring chances through counter-attacks, eventually making one count to put the score at 2-1.

As England move on to the series against Germany and Belgium in June & July, attention to detail when in possession in the final third and individual defending will be two crucial areas of focus.



U18s girls

Match 1 - Saturday 4th May
Scotland 0 - England 3
Lottie Summers (23’, FG)
Alice Klugman (33’, FG)
Maddie Axford (37’, FG)

England U18s girls broke the deadlock in the second-quarter when Lottie Summers fired in a shot on the reverse from the top of the D. England doubled their lead in the third-quarter with two further field goals. The first of these coming from a strong run down the right by Flo Fletcher, whose slip across goal was cleverly brought under control and into the goal by Alice Klugman. Maddie Axford scored the third, running onto a through pass from Emily Guckian.

Match 2 - Sunday 5th May
Scotland 1 - England 4
Issy Carey (4’,FG)
Sian Emslie (23’,FG)
Maddie Axford (27’,PC)
Sally Sime (30’,PC)
Scotland (51’,FG)

England were quickly ahead in the second-match, Issy Carey’s shot from the top of the D beating the Scottish GK after just 4 minutes. The second-quarter saw three further England goals as Sian Emslie tapped in a slip from Flo Fletcher, whilst Maddie Axford scored directly from a penalty corner strike before seeing her next penalty corner strike deflected in by Sally Sime. Despite enjoying a very strong third-quarter England failed to add another before Scotland tucked away a late consolation goal to see the final game finish 4-1 in England’s favour.

Head coach, Sarah Kelleher, commented:
“A successful, if short trip, to Scotland provided another good opportunity to progress as a squad and build on our recent trip to Holland.

“There were some really pleasing phases of connected play that we can extend to longer periods while we continue our focus on upgrading our possession into outcomes. Strides were also made in our tactical understanding where we are aiming to be fluid in moving between formations.

“It is clear to see the players are committed and motivated to do what it takes to continue to grow and develop, with the final phase of the programme going to be a real opportunity for the squad to move to another level of play.”



England Hockey Board Media release

Olak will be sorely missed in MJHL


Gutted: Team manager Joseph De Silva (right) feels it’s a pity that Olak will not be taking part in the MJHL anymore.

KUALA LUMPUR: Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) are one of the pioneer teams that have featured in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) since its inception in 1995.

But the Klang team that have produced some quality national players in the last two decades will no longer feature in the Under-19 national league.

Long-serving team manager Joseph de Silva said they decided to stop competing in the MJHL after 23 years as the Olak committee members don’t support the team any more.

“They say that I spent a lot of money for the junior league. There were times when I used to fork out my own money for the team.

“It’s sad that Olak, who have won six titles in the MJHL and produced national players, will stop competing in all tournaments.

“Olak was a platform for hockey players as we had players from all over Malaysia playing for us in the Junior league.

“We’re also proud to produce some talented players who went on to represent Malaysia in tournaments,” said the 64-year-old Joseph.

Olak won their first title in 1997 when they became the league champions.

In 1998 and 1999, they bagged the double (league and overall titles).

In 2000, Olak won the overall title and finished as league runners-up.

Among the national players who have played for Olak are defender and penalty corner specialist Mohd Amin Rahim, goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin, former national captain Mohd Madzli Ikmar, Redzuan Ponirin, B. Namasivayam and Mohd Badrul Hisham.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) competitions committee manager Brian Fernandez said the MJHL will begin on June 21 and only 14 teams will feature in Division One.

“There will be no second division as we want to focus on quality,” said Brian.

Last year, 30 teams featured in the MJHL and 10 featured in Division One and 20 in Division Two.

The Star of Malaysia

UJ receive massive boost with win over Wits

By Coetzee Gouws


UJ's Kaylim Bowers

University of Johannesburg coach Tsoanelo Pholo says their narrow win over Wits on Monday will provide a massive boost for the team in the second leg of the South African Varsity Hockey tournament this weekend.

In winning a tense Johannesburg derby 2-1 in their final game in Cape Town, the UJ outfit have placed themselves in fifth position on the log and they are still in with a chance of qualifying for the semifinals.

The second leg takes place at North-West University in Potchefstroom from Friday to Sunday, followed by a round of play-off matches on Monday.

Pholo said they would need to get off to a good start in their opening match in Potch against University of Cape Town.

“The win over Wits gave us a huge psychological lift, but we have a big match against UCT on Friday,” she said.

“They had a great run on their home turf and it will be interesting to see how they perform at high altitude.

“We need to maintain our momentum because this weekend will decide the semifinalists, so everybody will be gunning for that.”

In winning two of their four matches in Cape Town, UJ were only outplayed by the quality Stellenbosch outfit, losing 7-0.

Their opening match against Free State went to a penalty shootout, which UJ narrowly lost 6-5, while they defeated defending champions UP-Tuks 4-3.

Pholo said she was encouraged by the way the players fought back each time after suffering a loss.

“Of course there is plenty of room for improvement, but what I am proud about is the way we were able to bounce back from those defeats.

“To beat the defending champs was a major boost for us mentally and we were able to show the same sort of resilience in beating Wits.

“The girls are very happy at this stage, if somewhat tired after four games in four days.

“They really executed well against Wits and worked hard on defence. I was delighted with the maturity they showed and it was a massive three points to take into this weekend.”

After Friday’s game against UCT, UJ face Madibaz on Saturday and North-West University, who lead them on goal difference, in their final round-robin match on Sunday.

Varsity Sports media release

Bajwa vows to improve Pakistan’s hockey fortunes

Anwar Zuberi



KARACHI: The newly-appointed secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Asif Bajwa has vowed to resurrect national team in phases and offered himself for accountability from day one of his second tenure.

“It’s a big challenge and I’ve accepted it in larger interest of the game,” Bajwa, who had served in similar role with former presidents retired Gen Aziz, Qasim Zia and Akhtar Rasool from 2008 to 2013 told reporters in a press conference at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.

He disclosed that he will be meeting PHF president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar on Thursday and will decide to convene Executive Board and Congress meetings next week which is mandatory to get the nod.

He said during his last tenure the Greenshirts were ranked fifth in the world and alarmingly they have slipped to 12th place.

Outlining his plans Bajwa said he will carry along all stakeholders to improve the domestic structure and will meet all the provincial chief ministers to seek their financial support for the national game.

Continuing his policy statement he said it is need of the hour to restructure the PHF by devolving powers and strengthening the institution which is working since 1947. “It’s unfortunate that every time when a change at the helm occurs, we’ve to start from scratch,” he lamented.

In this connection, he cited examples of Holland, Germany and Australia where change of guards doesn’t affect the system and policies continue.

Bajwa said in future PHF platform will not be used for mud-slinging of former Olympians and termed them as ‘jewels’.

Referring to the national hockey championship said it would be revived at an appropriate time perhaps after summer besides overcoming other backlogs.

“Hockey will be made a marketable product to attract sponsorship,” he added.

Answering a question about reports of alleged corruption of funds by his predecessor in connivance with the incumbent president he said: “Wait for the forensic report which is being conducted by the government”.

He was full of praise for Shahbaz Ahmed despite the fact that Shahbaz has said he has not resigned and disclosed that the PHF chief had himself carried out special audit of the PHF accounts.

“We have to pay hefty fine to the FIH that it had imposed for failing to compete in Pro Hockey League after confirmation,” he said.

Asked about the hot issue of parallel Karachi Hockey Association (KHA) he said he will try to resolve the issue amicably. “I’m in touch with both the factions and a way out will be found,” he added.

He went on to say that the PHF will start its pro league that couldn’t light of the day during his predecessor’s tenure.

Citing an example of the PCB whose earnings are enormous, he said no cricketer debates about financial issues in public while it’s vice-versa in hockey.

“During my last tenure I ensured that everyone from team officials, players, staff and trainees of 18 academies got their salaries on time,” he remarked.

When pressed he said he had left some Rs140m in PHF’s kitty at the end of his first assignment and today there’s only 0.7m in its account.

He said Pakistan last won the Asia Cup three decades back in 1989 on Indian soil at Delhi and no one has thought that once minnows Belgium and Argentina will scale new heights at Olympics and World Cup.

He said the road to 2020 Tokyo Olympics is extremely difficult and efforts would be made that Pakistan compete in pre-qualifiers in order to become eligible for qualifying round.

Dawn