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All the news for Wednesday 11 September 2019

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India men's hockey team to tour Belgium ahead of Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifiers against Russia


File image of Manpreet Singh. Image courtesy: Hockey India

Bengaluru: Indian men's hockey captain Manpreet Singh on Tuesday said that his team will tour Belgium to prepare for the Olympic qualifiers match against Russia.

In a favourable draw, the Indian men's team was on Monday pitted against lower-ranked Russia in the final round of the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers. The men's team will play back-to-matches against Russia in Bhubaneswar on 1 and 2 November to make it to the Tokyo Games.

"First, we will play with Belgium and there is the (Olympic) qualifying round match later. We should not underestimate Russia as well because they have a very good defence. They also want to qualify for the Olympics," Manpreet told PTI here.

Eight-time Olympic champions India are ranked five in the world while the Russians are placed 22 in the FIH world rankings. India had mauled Russia 10-0 during the FIH Series Final in Bhubaneswar earlier this year.

The Indian women's team, on the other hand, has been drawn against United States of America, and the two sides will take on each other on the same dates as men's matches in Bhubaneswar.

Speaking about the preparations, the women's team captain Rani Rampal said, "Our team is very well prepared for that match. We are focusing on how to perform well. Our focus is not on the US team but on us, how better we perform."

Rampal said the fitness of the team was beyond anybody's imagination, which will help them face any team in the world.

"We have been playing together for a quite long time and now we have to implement the coordination in the match as well," she added.

The coaches of the men's and women's teams too were equally excited about the matches lined up till November.

"We will prepare for these games like we prepare for the Olympic Games. So, we are looking forward to a good challenge for us," said men's team head coach Graham Reid.

Women's team head coach Sjoerd Marijne expressed his satisfaction over the fitness of the players.

"The fitness of the girls has improved significantly. They are very fit. It has been a long process but now we are there where we want to be," he said.

Firstpost

We must guard against complacency: Reid

Reid said that Russia will be just as desperate to qualify for the Olympics as we are, so we must work our socks off to defeat them.

Ashwin Achal


Chalking out the plan: India coach Graham Reid discusses strategy with Manpreet Singh at the SAI in Bengaluru. 

The Indian men’s hockey team had huddled up in a room at the SAI complex here on Monday to watch the telecast of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers draw, held at Lausanne (Switzerland).

The players were relieved when it was announced that they would face World No. 22 Russia, the weakest team in Pot 1. The two others teams in Pot 1 — Pakistan (World No. 17) and Austria (World No. 20) — could have posed sterner tests. Russia is the preferred opponent, considering that India (World No. 5) had whipped Russia 10-0 in the FIH Series Final in Bhubaneswar earlier this year.

But any sense of complacency vanished when coach Graham Reid got up to address the room. “Coach Reid said that we must not underestimate any team. He said that Russia will be just as desperate to qualify for the Olympics as we are, so we must work our socks off to defeat them.

Focused

“We are now focused purely on Russia — we will watch their match videos and be thorough with our preparation,” regular skipper Manpreet Singh said here on Tuesday.

The two teams face each other in a two-legged tie, at Bhubaneswar, on November 1 and 2. The winner will seal a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics main draw.

Before this crucial tie, the Indian team will tour Belgium — sure to serve as great preparation. “Belgium (World No. 2) is an all-round unit, good in both attack and defence. It will be a very useful tour for us to assess our strengths and weaknesses,” Manpreet said.

Not a big gulf

Reid, meanwhile, stressed that the 10-0 victory over Russia does not imply that there is a big gulf in quality between the two sides. “We played Russia in Bhubaneswar in April, when it was very hot. The Russians struggled to cope with the heat; they won’t have that problem when we meet in November.

“This is the point I made to the team yesterday. We must guard against complacency. I really hate complacency. If I see any complacency in the run up to the qualifier, I will stomp it out. We must focus on preparing as best we can, and treat Russia with respect,” Reid said.

There was a chance that India could have faced Pakistan, in what could have been an exciting, high-stakes Olympic Qualifiers affair. Reid, for one, is pleased to have avoided a high-profile clash.

“Playing against Pakistan could have been very exciting, but I think it (the hype and anticipation) could have also been distracting. The last thing you want in an Olympic qualifier is distractions,” Reid said.

The Hindu

No question of feeling pressure: Rani

‘The crowd will act as the 12th player for us’

Ashwin Achal



The Indian women’s hockey team (World No. 9) will face high expectations when it takes on USA (World No. 13), in the FIH Olympic qualifier at Bhubaneswar, on November 1 and 2. A victory in the two-legged tie will give the Indian women a third appearance at the Olympics (after 1980 and 2016).

For skipper Rani Rampal, the key lies in enjoying the occasion and overcoming the nerves associated with a big occasion. “There is no question of feeling pressure; it is about being excited. We must remain cool, and stick to our plans. We will play in front of our home fans, which will work to our advantage. The crowd will act as the 12th player for us. We will use the positive energy of the crowd. We have the belief that we can do well,” Rani said here on Tuesday.

It was Rani who scored the equaliser when the two teams last met, in the 2018 World Cup. Rani explained that the Indian side has considerably improved since, pointing to the victorious campaign at the recent Olympic test event where India defeated the likes of Australia and Japan.

“We put up consistently good shows in the test event, and we will carry that confidence against USA. Each player knows her role very well, and when every individual does her part, we will find success,” Rani said.

Coach Sjoerd Marijne believes that the upcoming tour of England will help the side prepare for the tricky outing against USA.

“We play five matches against England. The timing of the tour is great, as England is a physical team, similar to the USA,” Marijne said.

On what to expect from USA, Marijne said, “USA is a physical team, but we can match them. We feel confident. It doesn’t matter who we play; we are just happy to know who we are playing against. Playing in front of our home crowd at Bhubaneswar will be a first for some of our girls, but I see it as an advantage.”

The Hindu

We are one of the strictest federations when it comes to anti-doping: Norman

HI CEO says she is more than happy being behind the scenes and co-ordinating work

Uthra Ganesan


Tough talk: Elena Norman says she is lucky to have a great team to work with. 

For someone considered all-powerful in Indian hockey, Elena Norman is content being a ‘project manager’ and a co-ordinator for the federation.

The Hockey India CEO, in an interaction with The Hindu on Tuesday, admitted it was easier for her to act tough as a non-native to get work done but wished away any suggestions that she was the main decision-maker for the sport in the country.

“I am more than happy being behind the scenes and co-ordinating work from all around to make sure things function smoothly. I am lucky to have a great team to work with, people who have been together for almost five-six years, but I am more of a manager than anything else. It is a lot more than people realise and I have neither the inclination nor time to get into stuff that is being handled perfectly fine by the experts,” she said.

Easier to work

Given that Australia is considered the Holy Grail for sports and the often-derided bureaucracy in India, it was a surprise when Elena declared that it was actually easier to work here. “I would think it is as good or bad as anywhere else. To be honest, I believe it is actually easier to get work done here, even if the exact on-paper procedures are not always followed,” Elena said.

She was also proud of the fact that Hockey India was one of the few federations that has had little trouble with the Sports Ministry or SAI over years. “The kind of discussions we are having now is refreshing. There is a lot of emphasis on transparency and streamlining of process including getting ACTCs online, managing clearances etc.

“We have already done ours in May. We constantly upload our camp and tour details on the NADA database as part of the whereabouts clause. Till June, the rules required both team and individual whereabouts of two players each from men and women (in the RTP) but now the FIH has conveyed that only team details are needed. We write to NADA before every camp and competition.

“In fact, there is a certificate that FIH provides to players for attending presentations on anti-doping, valid for two years. These are done routinely and every player needs to have a valid certificate to be eligible for an FIH tournament! We are one of the strictest federations when it comes to anti-doping,” she said with pride.

Asked if there was one thing she wished to change, Elena was thoughtful. “Six months ago, I would have said maybe a little more work on development of coaches and knowledge. But we are doing it now but yes, we could have started much earlier,” she signed off.

The Hindu

Kumar: No mountain too high for Malaysian hockey team in Olympic bid



PETALING JAYA: National hockey goalkeeper S. Kumar (pic) is confident of a positive result despite the herculean task to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Roelant Oltmans’ men will play world No. 7 and three-time Olympic gold medallists Britain in a two-legged playoff which will be held at the Lee Valley Hockey Stadium in London from Nov 1-3.

The 39-year-old is banking on the Speedy Tigers’ top finish in a four-nation invitation tournament in Barcelona, Spain, last month. The team beat Spain 4-3, Ireland 2-1 and drew 3-3 with England.

“The players proved themselves when we won against top European countries. We tried out a few new things while there and it paid dividends, so there’s much hope for the match against Britain, ” said Kumar.

“We have played against them before and I think they are beatable, especially looking at their game in the last two years. The gap is definitely closer now, ” said Kumar.

“We have a good blend of players to take them on. We have the speed and the youngsters are combining well with the seniors.”

The Tampin-born custodian have played in all major tournaments except the Olympics since donning the national team jersey in 1999.

Malaysia last played in the Olympics in 2000 when the side captained by Mirnawan Nawawi finished 11th in Sydney.

“This is my fifth attempt at qualifying. We failed to make the cut at the Asian Games, we must not squander it now, ” added Kumar.

The Star of Malaysia

Mariah Williams, Matt Dawson take different paths for Olympic Games qualification

Josh Callinan


ATTACK: Mariah Williams playing for the Hockeyroos in Rockhampton last week. Picture: Getty Images

HUNTER hockey players Mariah Williams and Matt Dawson are now taking different roads towards next year's Olympics after Australia's national squads wrapped up Games qualifiers against New Zealand in Queensland on the weekend.

Williams and the women's Hockeyroos team will face Russia in a must-win series in Perth next month, having missed an automatic 2020 spot based on goal difference, while Dawson and the men's Kookaburras side booked a ticket to Tokyo with success at the Oceania Cup.

The upcoming draw for the Hockeyroos was announced by the International Federation of Hockey (FIH) from Switzerland in the early hours of Tuesday morning (AEST).

READ MORE:Norths advance to Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League decider after shootout with Gosford

Back-to-back matches with relatively unknown opponents Russia at the Curtain University venue on October 25 and 26 will determine whether or not three-time Olympic women's champions Australia contest the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Williams said it was "disappointing" for the Hockeyroos to find themselves in this situation, however, all efforts would be made to ensure they don't let another qualification opportunity slip by and it means being unavailable for a large portion of the inaugural Hockey One tournament due to start on September 29.

"It obviously changes a lot of things," former Hunter Sports High School student Williams told the Newcastle Herald.

"The end of this month is the start of the first Hockey One, but our coach wants us to stay here [Hockey Australia headquarters in Perth] and train together for the Olympic qualifiers.

"It's a shame to miss a few games in a new tournament, but this [making Tokyo 2020] now becomes more important."

Williams opened the scoring in Sunday's 1-all draw with New Zealand in Rockhampton, but following a 3-2 win and 3-1 loss earlier at the Oceania Cup this third result saw the visitors finish top of the overall standings based on a superior for-and-against record.

"It was pretty disappointing," she said.

"We're obviously ranked higher than New Zealand and would have been expected to go through but we didn't perform at our best.

"That first game really cost us, losing straight up and letting in too many goals."

Norths defender Dawson and the Kookaburras fared much better, beating the Kiwis 3-0 in Sunday's decider to guarantee Olympic progression.

The door had been left slightly ajar after a 2-all draw in the second Test followed a 4-0 win at the Oceania Cup opener in Rockhampton.

"It was obviously pleasing to get the job done in the end," Dawson said.

"We could have wrapped it up in game two, but we were able to bounce back."

Newcastle Herald

Maryland field hockey drops two spots to No. 4 in latest NFHCA poll

David Suggs


The Maryland field hockey team gives fans high-fives after a 5-1 win over the Richmond Spiders. (Gabby Baniqued/The Diamondback)

After suffering its first loss of the season Sunday, the Maryland field hockey team fell to No. 4 in the latest NFHCA poll released Tuesday.

Maryland (3-1) began its 2019 campaign with convincing home victories against Richmond and New Hampshire, combining to score 10 goals while conceding just one.

Last weekend, though, the Terps faced their stiffest competition yet. Coach Missy Meharg’s squad traveled to Evanston, Illinois, to take on then-No. 13 Boston College and then-No. 3 Duke in the Big Ten/ACC Cup. And while the Terps secured a 3-1 victory over the Eagles, they couldn’t find the back of the net against the Blue Devils, losing 1-0. Duke replaced Maryland at No. 2 in this week’s poll.

The Terps will look to get back on track in short order, with three games in the next five days.

Maryland will travel to Towson to take on the Tigers on Wednesday before returning to the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex this weekend to face off against No. 6 Virginia and James Madison in the annual Terrapin Invitational.

The Diamondback