News for 04 September 2019
All the news for Wednesday 4 September 2019
2019 Oceania Intercontinental Hockey 5s - Day 1
Results from the Oceania Intercontinental Hockey 5s Men's and Women's competition
2019 Oceania Intercontinental Hockey 5s (Men)
Rockhampton Queensland (AUS)
Results
4 Sep 2019 PNG v SOL 5 - 2
4 Sep 2019 SOL v PNG 1 - 4
2019 Oceania Intercontinental Hockey 5s (Women)
Rockhampton Queensland (AUS)
Results
4 Sep 2019 PNG v SOL 5 - 1
4 Sep 2019 SOL v PNG 1 - 8
FIH Match Centre
Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey: TN bows out without a win, PNB routs Indian Army
Punjab and National Bank and Punjab and Sind Bank registered comfortable wins over Indian Army and Tamil Nadu respectively.
Samarnath Soory
Punjab and National Bank players celebrate scoring a goal against the Indian Army. - R. Ravindran
Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu's hopes of reaching the semifinals of the Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey tournament were dashed by Punjab and Sind Bank, which secured a 3-1 win at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai on Tuesday. Tamil Nadu's 2-2 draw with Central Secretariat on Sunday gave it a chance of reaching the last-four, but Punjab and Sind Bank proved a formidable opponent and won comfortably despite TN having chances to score in the final quarter.
PSB took a 1-0 lead through Satbir Singh’s 18th-minute strike after missing two good chances in the first quarter. After a couple of half-chances, TN found the equaliser in the 40th minute when V. Vinod Rayer got to the baseline and passed it to Joshva at the near post to finish. Ganganpreet Singh compounded TN’s woes when he stepped up to convert a penalty stroke in the 42nd minute.
TN saw two more corners saved in the final quarter while its goalkeeper Shabaz made a brilliant save to keep out a second penalty stroke as the match ended in 3-1 in PSB’s favour.
Heavy rain descended on the second game shortly after push-back, but was unable to break Punjab National Bank’s (PNB) rhythm against a lacklustre Indian Army. PNB was 3-0 up by the third quarter as Army resorted to unnecessary challenges inside the area, giving away easy corners. Indian junior team dragflicker Mandeep Mor (5’, 42’) scored on either side of a Gurjinder Singh’s 27th-minute strike and completed his hat-trick with a penalty stroke in the 55th minute.
Rajnesh Salaria grabbed a consolation goal in the 59th minute, but it was not enough for Indian Army which is without a point after three matches. The win took PNB to joint top of Pool A alongside defending champion IOC and Bengaluru Hockey Association. PNB will look to upset the holder in its final group match on Thursday and seal a semifinal berth.
Sportstar
Taylor and Hockeyroos primed for Olympic qualifiers
Nic Kerber
Bring on the heat! That is the call from defender Sophie Taylor as the Hockeyroos prepare to launch into their best-of-three Olympic qualifiers against New Zealand in Rockhampton.
Taylor and the rest of the Hockeyroos team touched down in the regional Queensland city on Sunday confident of a positive result but at the same time fully aware of the magnitude of the task in front of them.
Overcoming the Black Sticks Women will be one thing, but the ability to perform under pressure in the hot early September conditions of Central Queensland adds another layer to the challenge.
However, with the Hockeyroos having recently returned from an Olympic Test Event in Tokyo where they played in high humidity and hot temperatures, Taylor says that experience was invaluable heading into the Oceania Cup.
“Considering we had that Test Event in Tokyo, the conditions there have prepared us perfectly for Rockhampton,” said Taylor.
“We’re ready to embrace the conditions in Rockhampton and make it an advantage, so bring on the heat.”
The fact the Hockeyroos played four matches in five days in Tokyo is also a plus, considering they face three games in four days against the Black Sticks Women.
Further to being match hardened, Taylor says another key take away from the Test Event was how fine the line is between the top 15 women’s hockey nations in the world.
The Hockeyroos recorded a win, two draws and a loss in their four matches in Tokyo against India (ranked 10), China (ranked 11) and Japan (ranked 14). The Black Sticks Women currently sit sixth in the rankings, just four places below the second ranked Hockeyroos, and Taylor knows bringing anything less than their ‘A’ game could have dire consequences.
“From the Test Event we learnt how close every country in the top 15 are in the world at the moment and that you need to be on top of your game in every match you play,” said Taylor.
The 24 year old, who is in the final stages of a degree in physiotherapy, says the Hockeyroos have been building all year towards these three matches considering what is on the line. While there has been more than due diligence done in reviewing and researching their opponents, Taylor says the Hockeyroos’ emphasis has been primarily on ensuring they do everything in their power to be the ones booking their ticket to Tokyo 2020.
“We have been focussing a lot on ourselves. We have spent a lot of time analysing NZ and how they play, but mostly the focus has been on ourselves in order to get the desired outcomes,” said Taylor, who made her Hockeyroos debut just under a year ago.
“There has been an emphasis among the group that all 18 players who are playing at the Oceania Cup will be needed and everyone will need to fulfil their roles if we are to qualify.”
The Hockeyroos head into Thursday’s opening match off the back of a 3-1 win over China in their last hit out, followed by a thorough training load to have the team in the best possible shape, both physically and mentally, to perform in Rockhampton.
“Since we returned from the Test Event, training has been very sharp and intense,” said Taylor.
“There have been lots of challenging hockey sessions, both physically and mentally. We’ve done everything we can to best prepare ourselves for the qualifiers.”
Now all that is left to do is get the job done. The first of the matches between the Hockeyroos and Black Sticks Women begins at 6pm AEST this Thursday following the Kookaburras’ match against the Black Sticks which commences at 4pm.
All of the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras’ Oceania Cup matches against New Zealand will be LIVE streamed on the Oceania Hockey Federation Facebook page or by going to https://livestream.com/accounts/9457344/events/8747921
There will also be LIVE coverage on the official @Hockeyroos and @Kookaburras Twitter channels.
Hockey Australia media release
Kookas Rockhampton royalty - Part 2
Nic Kerber
In the second of these special Q&A’s, we check in with the man affectionately known as ‘Knowlesy’.
Like Jamie Dwyer, Mark Knowles was born and bred in Rockhampton and enjoyed an illustrious international career.
Just days out from the Olympic qualifiers in his hometown, and just over 15 years since the Kookaburras won their only Olympic gold medal to date, it is a fitting time to catch up with Knowlesy.
Great to chat with you. What are you up to these days and how is life going post Kookaburras?
MK: It has been awesome. I’ve had a great year. I am the Senior Personal Development Advisor at the Queensland Academy of Sport. I work with 24 Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports and about 650 elite athletes in Queensland. So I’m loving this next phase of my life which is a bit more work and family and community engagement.
How did you get into the job you are in now?
I’ve been working there since May 2017. I moved back from Perth after the Rio Olympic campaign to be closer to my wife and family and friends. I played that year and the start of 2018 with the Kookaburras from Brisbane and I was working three days a week in my role while I was still playing, so it was a really nice soft transition for me to understand the workforce and a different way of preparing, getting my feet on the ground in a career I was really passionate about. Then when I retired at the Commonwealth Games last year, I went full time the day after I finished. I was working as an advisor and then I got the manager position in October last year. So there are some nice new challenges, I love working with like minded people, elite athletes, but it’s a bit more of the life away from sport that I’m focussed on in my role.
What about physically – does it make you still feel young being around elite athletes day to day?
I’m still playing Division One hockey in Brisbane. I’m the player/coach of that team so I’m still keeping active. On top of that I’m doing public speaking and appearances and with time away with ambassadors and sponsors and charity work, it has been a pretty crazy 18 months. I guess the biggest thing that I’ve noticed is I’m really busy during the days and still away a little bit for some of that stuff that I’m doing but it’s not the every morning and every night of the national programs and I’m never way for three or four weeks anymore, it’s generally only two or three nights.
So you’re enjoying that work life balance outside of hockey now after you finished up with the Kookaburras?
I think I’m one of the very lucky athletes that got to leave the game I love. I love the game now maybe even more than I ever have before I retired. I was as fit as I’ve been playing with a group of guys that I really enjoyed being around, a group of coaches who put a lot of trust in me to be away from the national program and still be the captain of the national team. We had success at the Commonwealth Games, so I’m very lucky that I got to get out at a time that was exactly right. I miss the comradery of playing for Australia but I haven’t felt like I’ve really missed or wanted to play for the Kookas since I retired. That makes me feel like the timing was right.
You were the recipient of an Order of Australia back in 2004. What does that mean to be acknowledged and recognised in that way?
When I was acknowledged back in 2004, I was very young and naive, so I think for me it was similar to the Olympic gold medal, I didn’t really understand how important that was. And then now when you speak to people in my professional career in work, they are like, “wow, what did you get an OAM for?” I love that, that it’s something you can share about your life and your journey and where you come from. I still say I’m that country kid from Rockhampton and that’s pretty bloody awesome.
There have been some amazing athletes come out of Rockhampton. What do you think that’s down to?
I think growing up in the country, when Jamie (Dwyer) and I were coming through, there wasn’t a lot to do, so that’s one thing. You could put your mind to something if you really wanted to because there weren’t that many external influences. I think the second thing for us was access to facilities. We were five minutes from a hockey field and we grew up playing on grass, so you could just go down to hockey every single afternoon after school and practise your skills. You never had to worry about turf bookings or the field being used by someone else, so I think that was as big advantage for us. We also had an amazing support network of family and friends. People in country sport and especially hockey, it’s extremely family orientated. All of our friends were hockey people so you get a bit addicted to that life and the people you have around you. That is certainly what happened to me, I just became addicted to the game through my parents and my brother and sister and my friends. Then you start getting better and get even more addicted.
Your mother is the president of the Rockhampton Hockey Association, did you get into hockey through your parents?
Both mum and dad played State level hockey for Queensland and Tasmania. They were certainly the driving factors. Mum is president of the Association in Rocky, dad was president of my club team there and our life was based around hockey, especially on the grass fields we would go and play from 8 o’clock in the morning. I’d play in the Under 6’s and under 8’s, dad would coach the under 11’s, my brother would coach the under 13’s, mum would coach the under 15 girls, then mum would play division 1 women’s and then dad would play, so it was 8am until 8pm every Saturday.
Do you think it helped you playing on grass when you were young?
Absolutely. I use it regularly when I speak with young kids. It’s amazing how previous we get and I always say if you tell me that you can’t play or train on grass then I’m going to laugh at you. The greatest player of all time in our sport, Jamie Dwyer, grew up playing on the grass fields – dirty, rocky, hard, bumpy surfaces in Rockhampton and he went on to become the best player of all time in most people’s eyes by far. I say if he can do it until he was 17 years old, you can do it here in Brisbane or Melbourne or wherever else.
What reaction do you get when you tell them that?
I think they probably understand and I think they like hearing it, especially the parents. To take away a bit of that previous nature we have around our kids. But you can talk as much as you like, and it was like my captaincy and leadership, I could talk as much as I like but if there wasn’t any follow up it doesn’t count for much. You just hope they take on board a few of those little messages that you don’t have to play on Olympic turf every day. We get kids complaining that they’re playing on hybrid fields and on turf. I grew up in Rocky and all we wanted was something apart from the dirty, rocky grass fields, so I just think it’s a nice story that Jamie and I went on and played at four Olympic Games and if we can do that I think everyone else can do it as well.
There are some great stories that have come from humble beginnings.
There is, as long as you keep sharing them. I’m very proud of where I grew up. I never say that we missed out on some things like going to a State training session on a Wednesday afternoon like the kids do in Brisbane. We would do our own training and then mum and dad used to drive us the eight hours to Brisbane or eight hours to Townsville for camps. In some ways I think that shaped the person I am because every time I got an opportunity I wanted to do it two or three times as hard as everyone else because that’s what I thought was just normal.
How often do you make the trip back home to Rockhampton?
My wife is Jamie Dwyer’s sister so our families are very closely linked so we’ll go up for Christmas and then randomly go up throughout the year so the kids can see their grandparents and we can get away for a bit and get some cheap babysitters (laughs). We’ve got an eight year old, a five year old and three year old who are all starting to get into sport so our weekends are made up of Aussie Rules and hockey. My wife plays hockey and then I play hockey so our weekends are very much like our youth was growing up.
Do you still feel like you show up the younger brigade when you play now?
We’ve got the major semi final this weekend against Dylan Wotherspoon (current Kookaburra) so I’ll have to mark him so we’ll see what happens. I think the part for me is that I love that life of being an athlete still. So I’m doing as much training now as I used to, I’m just doing it on the bike for charities and a bit more strength stuff at the gym at work. I’m doing less hockey but every Saturday at 3pm when I get out on the field I still think I’m playing for Australia. Some of the guys I play with say, “why are you taking it so seriously?” And I tell them, I’m not playing Div 2or 3, I’m here to win a premiership and I’ve got to be one of the best players in this competition. They say, “yeah, but it’s like you’re playing for Australia.” I said, I know, I’ve been doing that for 20 years and I’m going to keep doing it until I stop.
What do you think it means to the region in Rockhampton to be hosting the Oceania Cup?
It’s massive. I was up there last Wednesday night and it’s absolutely unbelievable how good the facility is. I knew it was going to be good, but I never imagined it was going to look as good as it does. They are putting a lot of time and effort into it up there because they know the players will appreciate it. The region is right up and about. They changed the timing of their local finals series, they finished their club season a weekend early, so they’ve gone all out for this and that is driven by some people who are absolutely passionate about it. It has been amazing what they have been able to do.
Do you have any recollections or memories from past Oceania Cups that you have been involved in?
I wouldn’t say there is one thing that sticks out. The thing for me with the Oceania Cup is the absolute pressure and intensity you put yourself under because there is such a prize at the end of it in qualifying for the Olympics. It’s not just a home series, it’s as big as it gets. It’s for world ranking points as well and it’s the chance to get your team and your country onto the plane to Tokyo next year. I just remember the pressure we put ourselves under. We never talked specifically about the rivalry between Australia and New Zealand because all of the players know that, but we did talk about this amazing way you put yourself under pressure like it’s the Olympics. In Australia, we don’t get to play at home and in front of our supporters that often, and you don’t get to prepare under full blooded pressure very often in four years. You have one major tournament a year and the rest of the time there is nothing high stakes on the line, whereas in the Oceania Cup there is. I think the players will be really excited about putting themselves under that pressure, and also to play in a regional area.
When the Kookaburras teams you were part of were in their element and in a rich vein of form, how did the players handle that expectation?
We wanted to be the best team in the world so that internal pressure was there no matter what anybody spoke about. Whatever the media and other teams talked about, we had it double among the coaching staff and the Kookas. So I’m sure the current group will be preparing for this tournament for what it is – an Olympic qualifier – and they will put everything into it. But that internal pressure is something that drives people. We’ve had some really disappointing results as well and sometimes the pressure can get to you – we got knocked out in the semi finals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, the quarter finals in 2016, so it’s not something everyone is great at. It’s bloody hard to be at your best when it is required but that’s what you’ve got to do if you want to be an Olympic champion and that’s what these guys are striving for.
Talking about the Olympics, it’s 15 years since the Kookaburras gold medal in Athens, the team’s only Olympic gold medal, does that sit at the top of individual and team achievements in your career?
If I had to say one I would say yes. Olympic gold is what we dream of as kids. It’s what every player in the world who plays hockey wants. The world Cup in 2014 is the only thing that would come close. The way that team performed after such disappointment the years before in the London Olympics, the way we conducted ourselves, the absolute manner we went about our business. In a proper elite team environment the way umpires, opponents and spectators talked about our team is something I’m as proud of as the winning. So that would be the only one that comes relatively close, but Olympic gold is the dream of every kid in Australia playing hockey.
What do you think the key was to those teams?
A team right at the peak of their powers was one and it being the right time of their career. The second thing was extremely good coaching. Ric (Charlesworth) was amazing in what he was able to do and how he was able to inspire and change the game of hockey. And I think just the collective buy in, and that’s an interesting one because teams talk about culture and buying into a process, but it is very rare when 18 players all buy in at the same level. You might have 10 or 11 who are there, three or four who are pretty much there, and then two who don’t really care as much. We had 18 guys who were absolutely on the same page and had bought into the way we played and the philosophy and who we were as Kookas and what we wanted. The performances were led by six to 12 months of a lot of hard work. It makes me smile when I look back at those times.
You recently had a lunch with some of the Queensland based former Kookaburras and up in Rockhampton there is a reunion where 12 of the 16 guys from the Athens gold medal team are catching up together. How much are you looking forward to reminiscing and seeing those guys?
I can’t wait. It’s pretty hard to concentrate at work at the moment. We had a good luncheon in Brisbane and that wasn’t primarily about Athens, it was more a Kookas catch up on Olympic day, that’s how we described it. Certainly it was an awesome day to share stories. There were some guys who only played about five or 10 games for Australia and they were asking us why we invited them, and we said you played for Australia. This isn’t an Olympic catch up, how cool is it to catch up and hear about their journeys. It was awesome to catch up, have a lunch and have some fun. Then in Rockhampton is the Athens reunion, which has been supported by a sponsor up there, who is making it all happen, so I can’t wait to get up there.
Looking from the outside, how do you see the current Kookaburras team? Do you see aspects of them in the successful teams you were involved in?
Absolutely. If you go back to some of the key pillars of high performance sport, one is you have to have a group of guys who want to be there and that is absolutely true with this Kookas group. You have to be extremely well coached, and Colin Batch and Rob Hammond and Anthony Potter are three of the best coaches I ever had towards the end of my career, the way they understand the game and make relationships and make the guys feel cared for and important, but they also drive some heavy standards. Then you also have to have enough quality. I think they’re pretty close at the moment.
What do you put your longevity down to in terms of how you were able to maintain your level over such a long period?
For me, I’m driven from within. I’ve never been satisfied with my own standards. I’ve always wanted to be better. If I became the fittest bloke in the team I wanted to be the fastest guy. If I became the fastest I wanted to have the best skills. You become a great hockey player and then you want to become a better leader. I honestly think my longevity was bought about by the standard I set myself and most of my team mates will probably say that I was probably the hardest trainer they’ve seen and that’s what I wanted to be. I think that’s the biggest thing that drove me. I was a pretty heavy self-critic, I wanted to get better and maybe that’s the country boy coming out of me. You don’t get much for free so when you get there you’ve got to just keep working hard and I love that I was able to do that throughout my career.
Finally, tell us about the legends game that has been organised to be played after the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras on the opening night of the Oceania Cup?
It is going to be great. There will be 12 of the Athens gold medal team in Rockhampton to play against the Central Queensland Mud Turtles, who play in the State competition up there. There are seven blokes in our side who haven’t played for ten years, so that’s going to be interesting. It has been organised as part of the 15 year anniversary of the gold medal we won in Athens.
It’s going to be a lot of fun, and I think for us it’s the chance to give a bit back. When the game became a reality, I said how cool would it be playing after the Hockeyroos and the Kookaburras. Jamie Dywer, Matt Ghodes who wasn’t part of the Athens team but was part of other Olympic teams is going to play, and myself are all Rocky boys and Kim Ireland, our only female Olympian from Rockhampton, is umpiring the game. We’ve got a replica Athens uniform made with a 15 year reunion badge on it, so it’s going to be awesome.
Hockey Australia media release
Argentina men and women are Tokyo-bound
Sarah Juggins
ARG v CAN. Photo: Yan Huckendubler
Hockey arrived with a bang in Lima as two new water-based pitches were thrust into the international spotlight. Players and coaches unanimously praised the quality of the pitches, with one veteran of the game, Trinidad and Tobago’s Kwan Browne, pronouncing the facilities as “world class” and “amazing”.
The entire event was a huge success. Teams loved the atmosphere and the vibrancy of a multi-sport event. The spectators were treated to day after day of exciting, fast hockey action. And by the end of the event, two world class teams, Argentina men and women, had booked their tickets to Tokyo 2020, with professional and classy displays that had set them apart from the opposition.
Argentina men beat Canada 5-2 in a gold-medal match that began evenly but tilted the way of the South Americans when they scored three goals in quick succession in the second quarter. The women’s final saw Argentina inexorably taking apart their Canadian counterparts in a 5-1 show of strength.
Both the men’s and women’s top scorer tables were also headed by Argentina players. Maico Casella and Jose Tolini scored 10 goals apiece while Julieta Junkunas led the women’s table with 11 goals, four more than team mate Carla Rebecchi, who was in second place.
“We improved match by match,” said Rebecchi as she reflected on her team’s performance. “We finished the tournament playing really well so that was very good. As a team we stayed very focused throughout the competition and we defended very well – that was why we were so effective in the final game.”
As someone who is a veteran of the Pan Am Games, Rebecchi says she has seen a lot of evolution among the participating nations. “There is real improvement among the other nations, I have even seen huge improvements between now and the previous Pan Am Games."
Despite the growth and development among the lower ranked teams, going into the semi-finals of the Pan American Games hockey competition there was a familiarity about the line-up of teams contesting the top four places. In the men’s competition, Argentina, Canada and Chile have all appeared in every semi-final since 1999.
The women’s competition has seen the same four teams – Argentina, Canada, Chile and USA take the top four places in the previous two editions – 2015 and 2011.
But look a little closer and there are signs that the world order is changing and it is within the USA teams where the change is most noticeable.
USA men have been on an upward trajectory in recent years and that progress under head coach Rutger Wiese culminated in their first bronze medal at the Pan Am Games since 1995.
Adam Miller is a 73 times international with the USA men’s hockey team and he puts the new found success down to the hard work and dedication of the players, increased maturity and familiarity among squad members and an improved test match schedule in preparation for major events.
“We’ve been together as a core group for a long time now. The value each of us places on the pack and the way we’ve prioritised it over our own personal goals and life events when it’s still an amateur sport has allowed the team to achieve some initial successes and take steps forward with the programme.
“As performances improves, the quality of international opponents improves. We’ve got huge respect for the hard graft the coaching staff are doing to make sure we’ve got the schedule in place that we need to succeed.”
The squad is now aiming for qualification for the 2022 World Cup and with positive performances at the past few international events, Miller believes the ambition is on track.
Looking back at this event, Miller, who lives in the UK, says: “Undoubtedly the highlight of the Pan Am Games was winning bronze with your best mates in front of family, friends and girlfriend for the country you’ve come to know and love. But we also scored a shed load of goals and put in some ruthless performances against teams that in the past we’ve only scraped results against.”
For the USA women’s team, the direction of travel has been reversed. After flying up the rankings between 2014 and 2017, where they hit an all-time high of sixth in the world in 2016, they are now on a downwards spiral. USA are currently 13th and likely to drop further after this round of continental qualifiers is finished.
While the USA men have no chance of qualifying for Tokyo 2020, USA women may still stand a chance through the rankings but it will be a close call.
Meanwhile, north of the border and things are hotting up for Canada. A strong performance by both the men’s and women’s teams at the FIH Series Finals means that the Red Caribous and the Wolfpack are still in with a shout of qualifying for Tokyo 2020. Canada men won their Series Final in Malaysia so will have home advantage in their FIH Qualifying event in October/November. The women finished second to Spain, and that result also earns them another shot at qualification.
Mastermind behind the women’s success has been South African Giles Bonnet. He professed himself “satisfied” with the silver medal performance in Lima, especially given the team’s ranking going into the event. [Canada are currently ranked 18th in the FIH World Rankings, behind Chile (WR:15) and USA (WR:13)].
“We learnt a lot from this event,” adds Bonnet, “And we will be using these key learnings in our preparation for the Olympic qualifying event in October. It was the first major tournament for many of the players since the 2018 Commonwealth Games and this experience is vital for the players.
“Reaching the final was another important step for this team to take at this time.”
Heading towards the all-important Olympic qualifiers, the Canada squad will be pulling out all the stops. The squad’s preparations to this point – including moving en-masse to Belgium to train and play for a year – are well documented. Now they will be upping the ante even higher as they seek to build on all they have learnt at the Series Finals and the Pan Am Games.
“We have improved our speed in the game, our restarts, our decision making and we are able to manage better the phases in the game,” says Bonnet. “However there are many areas that we have to improve. We are coming from a long way back in the field and have had to make choices in the past 18 months, some not ideal, in order to fast track our performance to become competitive. Lima highlighted again the gap between ourselves currently and the top teams in world hockey. We will be looking to reduce the gap in some selected performance areas that we feel we can close in the limited time we have.”
So, for now it is back to Belgium for the Canadian women’s team and a tough schedule of matches and training, all with the single-minded aim of getting 16 players onto the pitch in Tokyo.
Canada men’s head coach is the sometimes taciturn but tactically astute Paul Bundy. Three weeks on and he is still smarting from not winning gold and booking the ticket to the 2020 Olympics.
“Winning the Pan Ams and punching our ticket to Tokyo was the objective for us at these games,” he says. “We knew we would need to play very well in the final – and for Argentina to have an average game – for us to reach our objective. And up until the end of the first period in the final, I thought we did well and were on track – but we had too many big errors and unfortunate injuries. That gave a world class side the opportunity to push the game out of reach for us to win the game. For me, I’m still pretty disappointed, it’s the one tournament you really want to win as a Canadian coach.”
The next two months will see Bundy and his squad working hard to eradicate the small errors that were the difference between gold and silver. While Bundy rues a missed opportunity, he is also phlegmatic enough to see the learning to be gained from losing to the reigning Olympic champions.
“It’s back to training for us in September to close the gaps on the errors we made in the final. Failing in these big games, and the disappointment which comes with it, makes you focus on the small details which you would otherwise overlook. There are many things we need to work on, but for me the most important area would be to have longer periods of consistency in big games and that all our players are consistently contributing. It’s these details we need to focus on, to ensure we are successful in October.”
For one player, this Pan Am Games was a swan song. Kwan Browne has been a mainstay of the Trinidad and Tobago team for more than 25 years and, as he lined up for his last match in his country’s colours, the emotions got the better of him.
“I lined up to play the last game but I was only able to sing the first two words of the national anthem before I broke down. I needed to get myself together by the time the anthem finished. I managed to hide the tears and emotions from my colleagues and get myself into a position to play the game.”
His Trinidad and Tobago colleagues might not have realised the emotions Browne was fighting back during the anthems but, as they won their final game, 2-1 against Cuba, to secure fifth place, the joyous celebrations among the squad were testimony to the esteem in which their talismanic captain is held.
Browne said he was very happy with the way his career ended, although he rued the lack of preparation in the lead-up to the event. “We did really well, in fact our performance was superb given that we had no preparation. The last time the squad competed on a water based pitch was at the 2017 Pan Am Cup and our first training game in Lima against Canada was first time we had played together for a while. By the time we got fully into the tournament it was nearing the end and we won our last two games. What could we have done with more preparations?”
One person who really appreciates the value of good preparation is Chilean umpire Catalina Montesino. The sparky 34 year old has been an international umpire for the past nine years and, as she lined up to take charge of the women’s final, she celebrated her 100th international.
“The whole event was amazing. The stadium and the atmosphere was really good, especially because it was a multi-sport event and there were many other sports at our site. But walking out to umpire that final and celebrating 100 caps was the best moment for me. I was full of emotion as I remembered the path I had taken to get there.”
For Catalina, that path had included a strict training and diet regime that had seen her shed weight and reach new standards of fitness. She says: “Now I feel I am performing near my top level. And that moment in the final made me realise that hard work takes you somewhere. If you really want something, then work for it and it is then in your hands to achieve it.”
Aside from the action on the pitch, the PAHF and the International Hockey Federation were also hosting a four-day PAHF/FIH Academy Level 3 Coaching Course. The course, which is stage three of a five stage global coaching pathway, focuses on developing competencies for coaches operating at a top domestic and junior international level. With 22 coaches from PAHF nations attending, the future of coaching in the region looks bright.
Certainly President of PAHF, Albert 'Coco' Budeisky was happy to see so many coaches on the course: "The coaching course carried out in Lima allowed us to share knowledge and experiences with potential Pan American coaches that we hope will bear fruit in the coming years.”
But Budeisky did offer the following qualification: “The reality of the current situation among PAHF countries was reflected in the final positions. The countries that finished in the top four places have shown that they are at the top level while the other teams remain in need of greater development and international skills to improve and get to a point where they can compete on the continental stage.”
Of course the Pan Am Games was not perfect. Members of the media, players and officials all reported transport and logistical issues in the opening days of the event. Players, coaches and umpires all spoke out about the lack of television coverage, saying that “hockey should be celebrated and be visible to wider audiences.”
But those niggles aside it was a colourful and entertaining representation of sport and, as Budeisky says: “Like at any large, international multi-games event, there were problems at the start but these were quickly resolved and I think we can definitely say the Pan Am Games went very well and was a success.”
Pan American Hockey Federation media release
No plans to have Indo-Pak Olympic qualifier in Europe if they draw each other: FIH
India and Pakistan have been seeded in two separate halves of the draw by FIH and there is a possibility that they could meet in the Olympics qualifying tournament.
As per current rankings and eight spots confirmed by the FIH, India will host both the Olympic qualifiers of its men’s and women’s teams in late October or early November. (File photo) - Getty Images
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has no plans to conduct the Olympic qualifying matches between India and Pakistan in Europe if the arch-rivals draw each other in the battle for a 2020 Tokyo Games berth.
A Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) official last week claimed that the FIH was mulling the idea of conducting the potential Olympic qualifying clashes between India and Pakistan in Europe due to recent political tensions between the two nations.
India’s opponent for the two-leg Olympic qualifier would be confirmed on September 9 after a live draw at the FIH headquarters in Laussane with a likely clash at home against Pakistan on the cards.
But the world body made it clear that there are no plans to have the matches in Europe if India and Pakistan draw each other and as already announced, the top-eight ranked teams will host the matches.
“There is no truth in this (claim by PHF official). This is wrong,” the FIH told PTI.
India and Pakistan have been seeded in two separate halves of the draw by FIH and there is a possibility that they could meet in the Olympics qualifying tournament.
The draw would see 14 teams drawn into seven pairs with the winners on aggregate going to Tokyo in 2020.
The FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers will each feature two nations playing two back-to-back matches, with nations drawn to play each other based on their rankings at the end of the last 2018 / 2019 Continental Championship, namely the Oceania Cup (8 September).
The matches will be hosted by the higher-ranked of the two competing nations.
As per current rankings and eight spots confirmed by the FIH, India will host both the Olympic qualifiers of its men’s and women’s teams in late October or early November.
Pakistan, currently ranked 17th in the world, had missed out on qualifying for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Sportstar
Canadian national teams to play in two-game Olympic qualifying matches
Different paths to the same spot: Canada’s women’s and men’s national teams on Olympic doorstep
The opponents aren’t confirmed but the implications are clear: Win and go to the Olympics, lose and try again in four years.
Both the women’s and men’s national teams have advanced to the final stages of Olympic qualification set for this fall. They will play a two-game series against an opponent yet to be determined, with the aggregate winner advancing to the 2020 Olympic Games. Every path to the Olympic games is different. And although the two national team pathways have looked very different over the last 18-months, they both stand on the precipice of Olympic qualification.
Women’s National Team rising through the ranks
For the Canadian Women’s National Team, the story starts with their fifth-place finish at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, planting the seed of hope that they could be a top-12 team. Under the encouragement and support of newly appointed head coach Giles Bonnet, the team centralized in Belgium in September 2018. The goal was to get quality competition reps and have access to high level training environment. Bonnet has experience coaching with this centralization method with the South African National Team and aims for similar levels of success with the Canadian Wolfpack.
By all accounts, the opportunity has been amazing. The Canadian athletes were dispersed in the Belgium and Dutch elite leagues, getting new and exciting training and competition exposure, all while training weekly as a part of the Canadian national program. The Wolfpack’s international results speak volumes to the dedication and commitment to improvement. They had successful series results in Mexico, USA, Spain, Ireland and China as well as other positive results against top-15 nations.
They manoeuvred through the FIH Hockey Series finishing second place in June in Valencia, securing them a spot in the two-game Olympic playoff series this fall. Their silver medal finish at the Pan American Games in August was their best since 1991 and will thrust them higher up the world ranking as well.
According to Giles Bonnet, the team will be ready regardless who their opponent is.
“These matches are new for every team. It’s about how one specifically prepares for these matches,” Bonnet said. “I think by the end of October; we will be ready to compete and able to withstand the enormous pressures that will be present.”
Bonnet said that riding the successful results from Pan Ams will set the team up nicely for this pressure-fuelled series with the Olympics on the line.
“Pan Am Games delivered a confidence boosting result in a semi-final match against the USA in a major tournament,” Bonnet said. “The second-place finish and silver medal gave the team enormous confidence.”
No matter, their opponent, the Women’s National Team will be ready to perform. Stay tuned for the opponent and final date announcement in the next ten days.
Men’s National Team hosting qualifying matches
The Men’s National Team earned their spot in the Olympic qualifier series by winning the Hockey Series Finals in Kuala Lumpur in April. They defeated host-nation Malaysia in a thrilling championship game securing their spot in the final stage. To add excitement to this whole process, because of their top-10 ranking, the Men’s National Team will be hosting these games at home in BC in West Vancouver. The opponents aren’t set, but we can’t wait to bring the best international to Canadian soil.
For a team coming off 2016 Olympic and 2018 FIH World Cup appearances, this is a veteran team with the pedigree to match. Their recent success at the FIH Hockey Series and the 2019 Pan American Games has put them on track for a successful home series.
Similar to the Women’s National Team, almost every player currently rostered on the Men’s National Team has spent time in Europe playing in the best leagues in the world. Although not all centralized, that competition exposure is encouraged by the coaching staff.
According to Head Coach Paul Bundy, the team will spend the next two months addressing gaps and weaknesses they’ve identified to make them as prepared as possible for whoever the opponent is.
“We’re going to focus on us,” he said. “Regardless of our opponent, we’re very excited to play these games at home and feel we can use the energy and the crowd to our advantage.”
“This is why we play,” Bundy continued. “We have a legacy and we can’t wait to take this opportunity to continue it.”
Support Team Canada
There are many ways to get involved and support the national teams this fall as they play for an Olympic berth. Read below for ways to leave your mark on this fall’s exciting action!
Donate to Team Canada
Field Hockey Canada is accepting donations to the national team programs. This money will go directly to contributing to these athlete’s Olympic dream. The Women’s National Team will be playing abroad, and the money will go towards assisting with team travel, accommodation and support staff. The Men’s National Team is hosting. There are all kinds of costs associated with hosting international events and the money you donate will help support Field Hockey Canada in hosting our international opponents and providing an amazing competition environment.
Volunteer
Specifically for hosting, Field Hockey Canada is looking for keen volunteers to help support the event. From field set up, to parking attendants, water and garbage and general support, it takes an army of dedicated staff and volunteers to put on an amazing event. Get involved today and support our hosting efforts. Fill out this volunteer form if you are interested.
Become a sponsor
Does your company want to get involved with our national team programs as they pursue their Olympic dreams? Get involved as a team sponsor and support them as the national teams compete for a coveted Olympic berth. Support our Women’s National Team as they travel abroad and attach your name to the local hosting package and support the Men’s National Team in their home effort! Email us to get involved today.
Field Hockey Canada media release
FIH reveals full match schedule of FIH Pro League 2020
FIH Pro League Trophy
Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) today confirmed the match schedule of the second edition of the FIH Pro League which includes 144 matches. The opening match will oppose China and the Netherlands (Women) on 11 January 2020 while a European dual between neighbours Belgium and the Netherlands, Men and Women, will conclude the League on 28 June 2020.
As approved in April by the FIH Executive Board upon recommendation from the National Associations participating in the FIH Pro League, this schedule includes the following principles:
- the League competition is maintained within the first six months of the year
- all games remain “home games”
- the home and away principle is kept too but this principle is now split over two consecutive seasons and work according to the following example:
-> in 2020, Team A will host Team B twice within a couple of days
-> in 2021, Team B will host Team A twice within a couple of days
As announced earlier this year, the 2020 edition welcomes another powerhouse of international hockey with India joining the Men’s competition.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil stated: “After a successful start of our very first global home and away league, we’re looking forward to pursue the growth of the FIH Pro League. This new match schedule enables to reduce by half the travel of the teams compared to last year, therefore decreasing costs for teams, benefitting athletes’ welfare and reducing the impact on the environment. We welcome India, a great addition to the League! I invite all hockey fans, but also all those who have not had the chance to experience a hockey match yet, to go to the stadiums, see hockey at its best and enjoy the spirit of our sport!”
Re-live the first edition of the FIH Pro League on www.fihproleague.com and www.fih.live!
#FIHProLeague
#MyProLeagueMoment
FIH site
FIH World Cups: with increased interest in hosting, FIH re-opens bidding process
Women's World Cup Trophy
Lausanne, Switzerland: With more National Associations having recently expressed their interest in hosting the next edition of the FIH Men’s and/or Women’s World Cup and with some of the current bidders considering to change their initial bid to host the other gender event, the Executive Board of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to re-open the bidding process for these events until the end of September 2019.
Consequently, all National Associations still interested in bidding will be able to submit the relevant dossier to FIH until the end of this month.
The bids received so far are:
For the preferred time window 1-17 July 2022:
- Germany: Men’s or Women’s World Cup
- Malaysia: Men’s World Cup
- Spain: Men’s World Cup
For the preferred time window 13-29 January 2023:
- India: Men’s or Women’s World Cup
- New Zealand: Women’s World Cup
Australia have withdrawn their bid.
The Executive Board will make the final decision on both hosts at their next meeting on 8-9 November 2019 in Lausanne.
FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “It’s really encouraging that additional National Associations have signaled their interest in bidding. Since there was no issue at all in re-opening the bidding process at this point in time, the Executive Board has logically taken this decision. Meanwhile the evaluation process of all bids already received continues.”
FIH site
This day 46 years ago: A near Indian triumph
Errol D’Cruz
The ultimate Victors, the Netherlands with the trophy, Courtesy: KNHB's 115th Year Souvenir
The Ganesh festival is on in India with its customary joy and gaiety. In 1973 as the festivities were on, India led by MP Ganesh attempted to win their first ever World Cup hockey title thousands of miles away in Amstelveen, The Netherlands.
The official logo
A photo of the magnificent trophy went along with the preview of the final in The Times of India with the caption: Will India win the World Cup with the Lord’s help?
It was a clever play on the name of the Indian captain while invoking the blessings of Lord Ganesh.
But on a fateful Sunday in September at the Wagener stadium, despite a spirited performance by Ganesh and his team, India did everything but lift the coveted trophy.
India, well placed at 2-0 up within 9 minutes minutes of play, went down to the hosts The Netherlands 2-4 in a penalty shoot-out after the teams were locked 2-2.
It was a defeat that rankles till this day. One suffered after coming agonizingly close to winning the final that India dominated.
None more so when in sudden-death extra-time Govinda stepped up to take a penalty stroke.
He just had to find the net and India would keep their rendezvous with the top podium.
Tension was palpable. Piling on the pressure was India’s abject record from the spot.
Harmeek had missed a stroke against Pakistan in the semifinals. Govinda himself came a cropper against West Germany in a 0-0 draw in the pool engagement.
His adversary Martin Sikking in the Dutch goal, by contrast, rode a crest.
Sporting a face mask, a rarity then, he was the shootout hero in the semifinal win over Germany.
You could hear a pin drop when Govinda, wearing his customary head band, crouched to deliver his essay. His body language, though, not the best.
Govinda’s flick was feeble and it went straight to Sikking who blocked with minimum of fuss.
Silence gave way to a deafening cheer and a return of the 12,000 partisan crowd’s chants of “H-o-l-l-a-n-d” along with a melodious clapping of hands.
Ganesh, the ebullient right-winger reflected on that moment. “My heart was in my mouth,” he said from New Delhi.
He agonizes over that defeat till this day. But he swells with pride when he thinks of the fitness levels his players had achieved.
“We played 115 minutes in the final and we proved that we were fitter than any of the other teams in the competition,” Ganesh reflected.
You couldn't dismiss the touch of destiny when you consider the Dutch came close to losing so often in the final. Even after Govinda muffing a penalty stroke.
And one such passage of play emanated from Ganesh’s electrifying run down the flank after stealing the ball from the Dutch in midfield.
Ganesh crossed for Ashok Kumar who thought he had scored but Andre Bolhuis saved the Dutch with a lunging goal line save.
“I don’t know where he (Bolhuis) came from. I wish Ashok had hit the ball instead of pushing it. I think he would have scored and we would have won the World Cup,” Ganesh added.
The hosts couldn’t be more delighted given India's travails with penalty strokes.
India, on their part, went into the tiebreaker with trepidation.
How different were things at the start of the match when Surjit Singh’s rasping drives shell shocked the Dutch and their vociferous fans.
Indian captain MP Ganesh
Ties Kruize then reduced the margin from a penalty stroke that came from a penalty corner. The Dutch star flicked high to the right of Charles Cornelius’ goal in the 16th minute.
Kruize scored his second from a penalty corner to level scores at 2-2 eight minutes into the second half but India held sway for much of the remainder of the match.
Even after two periods of extra time failed to resolve the deadlock, two periods of sudden-death followed but the scores remained level.
Paul Litjens beat Charles with the first stroke in the shootout, enjoying the rub of the green as the ball trickled into the right corner of the goal.
Poor Govinda failed again from the spot -- Sikking bringing off a spectacular save.
Kruize scored to make it 2-0, this time with a low flick. Harmeek then found the net for India. Zweerts, though, put Netherlands 3-1 ahead before Ajitpal pulled one back for India.
Charles then thwarted Kranenberg in splendid fashion and it gave India a chance to level.
All eyes were on Harcharan Singh but he produced a wayward shot that went wide off Sikking's right post. Bart Taminiau then, confidence oozing, audaciously took the stroke as the umpire blew the whistle sending the ball high into the net, taking Cornelius completely by surprise.
It brought the Netherlands their first of three World Cup titles and their first ever major success.
Renowned journalist Patrick Rowley described it as “nothing more nor less than a fairy tale”.
After all, the Dutch came so close to bowing out of the title race so often in the tournament.
They made the semifinals with late goals in a 2-1 win over England after trailing with 13 minutes to go. They had drawn their opener 0-0 against Argentina who all but won and lost the next match against a new look Pakistan 1-2.
But, reportedly using the fluid formation of the famous Ajax Amsterdam football club, regrouped to beat Belgium 4-1 and Malaysia 4-0 before edging past an impressive England to enter the last four.
The contrasting emotions at the Wagener Stadium after the final said it all.
The Dutch fans swarmed the pitch, chairing their heroes. Distraught Indian players lay or stood transfixed to their spots, many sobbing disconsolately.
It was a cruel blow to a team that promised to live up to their pre-tournament billing.
Coach R.S. Gentle declared before the tournament, “I’ll eat my hat if this team doesn’t win the World Cup.”
India all but did. 
Indians celebrate after defeating Pakistan in the semis
They took the pitch in the final with a goal record of 13-1 with victories over Japan (5-0), Kenya (4-0), Spain (2-0) and draws against Olympic champions West Germany (0-0) and New Zealand (1-1).
A 1-0 win over arch rivals Pakistan decided by one of the best goals in history by Govinda -- a reverse flick on the run -- booked a place in the final and a chance to improve on bronze in Barcelona in the inaugural World Cup two years prior.
Govinda, however, failed with the simplest of opportunities in the final.
Ganesh, now 73, tries to soothe the pain 9lmost half a century later.
“The experience helped the players and it made for our first (and only) World Cup triumph in Kuala Lumpur two years later,” he said while calmly reflecting on one of Indian hockey’s greatest moments which arrived after he called a halt to his international career.
Stick2Hockey.com
Huskies debut with pair of victories over ranked opponents
By Andrew Morrison
The Huskies field hockey team walked away with two wins last weekend, beating Northwestern before besting Stanford. Photo by Charlotte Lao, Photo Editor/Daily Campus
It could not have been a better opening weekend for the UConn field hockey team, as they took down two ranked opponents on back-to-back days to open the season in Stanford.
The No. 4 Huskies notched a dominant 4-1 victory over No. 15 Northwestern on Saturday to kick things off and followed it with a 3-2 comeback win over No. 21 Stanford the next day.
Freshman Marie Auer didn’t take long to make a splash in a UConn uniform, scoring two goals in her collegiate debut on Saturday. Auer, who earned the start, gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead at the 8:04 mark of the first quarter off an assist from Jessica Dembrowski. She added the dagger in the third quarter, extending the lead to four goals. 
The Huskies outplayed and outshot their opponents in what were two very strong showing to start the season. Photo by Charlotte Lao, Photo Editor/Daily Campus
It was an even bigger weekend for senior Antonia Tiedtke, who got the game-winner to knock off the Cardinals on Sunday and added a pair of assists this weekend, earning her Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors.
It was a show of dominance on Saturday against No. 15 Northwestern, as the Huskies never trailed, holding a three-goal lead at the half. Besides Auer’s two-piece, sophomore Abby Gooderham and senior Svea Boker each found the back of the net. Goalkeeper Cheyenne Sprecher allowed just a single goal past her as time expired in the third quarter.
The Huskies had an 18-7 advantage in shots and 7-4 in penalty corners, converting one of those seven opportunities.
It was a very different story on Sunday, as UConn completely dominated on paper, but trailed host Stanford until Tiedtke put the Huskies ahead late in the fourth quarter. The Cardinal jumped out to a 2-0 lead, the second of which at the 16:39 mark.
It was a short-lived two-goal advantage, as Boker answered just 27 seconds later with her second goal of the season. UConn trailed 2-1 at the half, but the momentum had clearly shifted in favor of the Huskies.
Dembrowski continued her busy weekend, knotting things up late in the third on a corner. By now, the Huskies had firm control of the game, but the game remained deadlocked at 2-2 until more than halfway through the final quarter. Then came Tiedtke’s heroics, scooping up a shot that hit the crossbar and whipping it past the Stanford keeper.
Despite the drama, the scoresheet was not even close. The Huskies closed with a 20-6 advantage in shots and 8-2 in corners.
With two ranked victories under its belt, UConn makes its home debut next weekend, but things certainly don’t get easier. The Huskies welcome No. 19 Rutgers to town on Friday, followed by No. 6 Harvard on Sunday, both at the George J. Sherman Family Sports Complex.
Daily Campus
Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Cup for Shyam Lal College
s2h Team
Delhi's leading colleges hockey outfit, Shyam Lal College have won the first Rajiv Gandhi memorial Hockey tournament held recently in Shivaji Stadium.
National Students Union of India organized the inter-college tournament in the memory of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
About ten men's teams and five women's team took part in the inaugural edition.
In the Final of men’s section Shyam Lal College beat Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education & Sports Sciences 7-3.
Manish, Ashish and Vaibhav struck two goals each while Pankaj accounted for the remainder for the Shyam Lal College. A brace of goals by Basant and solitary one by Vikas made up for the loosing team.
In women section’s final Jesus & Mary College beat Shyama Prasad Mukherji College 5-0. Kanchan and Jyoti (two goals each) and saloni (one goal) were scorer of the match.
NSUI President Mr. Neeraj Kundan gave away the Trophies to the winners. Interestingly, both the men's section finals had One Thousand Hockey legs boys. While Ram Kumar appeared for the Indira Gandhi team, three players - goalie Rahul Jha, defenders Rohit Gharai and Gagan Yadav. All have joined their respective college after this year's selection trials.
Virender Singh Jaggi is the proud coach of the winning team.
Stick2Hockey.com