News for 20 March 2020
All the news for Friday 20 March 2020
FIH President and CEO message to the hockey community
Dear all,
In such unprecedented times, we would like, in our personal names and on behalf of the International Hockey Federation, to extend words of support to all members of the global hockey community.
In all parts of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our daily life and we have to adjust our behaviour to the decisions and recommendations of the expert bodies. This is of paramount importance for our own health and the health of others. More than ever, solidarity is required.
Therefore, we can only urge you to please follow the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and your local public authorities, and relay this message relentlessly to your local hockey community.
We wish you, your families and friends all the very best. Take good care of yourselves!
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra Thierry Weil
FIH President FIH CEO
FIH site
FIH Hockey Pro League: postponement extended to 17 May
Based on the latest developments of the COVID-19 outbreak and in particular of the response to it by the relevant public authorities globally, FIH, with the support of all participating National Associations, has today decided to extend the postponement period of the FIH Hockey Pro League to 17 May.
Consequently, all matches currently scheduled until 17 May are on hold.
FIH will keep on monitoring the situation closely, following the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the decisions of the public authorities.
Official FIH Pro League Site
Postponement of FIH Pro League extended
By Nancy Gillen
The postponement of the FIH Pro League has been extended to May 17 ©Getty Images
The postponement of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Pro League has been extended to May 17 as the coronavirus crisis continues.
Earlier this week, FIH announced the Pro League would be suspended until April 15.
This has now been extended to May 17 as the world responds to coronavirus, which has infected more than 231,000 people worldwide and killed more than 9,300.
"Based on the latest developments of the coronavirus outbreak and in particular of the response to it by the relevant public authorities globally, FIH, with the support of all participating national associations, has today decided to extend the postponement period of the FIH Hockey Pro League to May 17," said an FIH statement.
"FIH will keep on monitoring the situation closely, following the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and the decisions of the public authorities."
The FIH Pro League will now be suspended until May 17 due to coronavirus ©Getty Images
Before the initial postponement was made, New Zealand and Australia had already decided not to travel to Europe for their upcoming games, while the Australian women's team's contests in China had been called off.
After deciding to suspend competition, the FIH Health and Safety Committee released advice for the extended hockey family.
As well as following local Government advice, it suggests not shaking hands before or after games, reducing the number of participants, ensuring sufficient ventilation if indoor hockey is played and stopping anyone with "acute respiratory symptoms" from playing the sport at this time.
Inside the Games
FIH Pro League to be suspended until May 17
“All matches currently scheduled until 17 May are on hold,” the hockey world governing body says in a statement.
India had been scheduled to play against Germany and Great Britain before May 17. - PTI
The International Hockey Federation on Thursday extended its suspension of all Pro League matches, including fixtures involving India, to May 17, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last week, the world governing body had postponed all Pro League matches scheduled before April 15 because of the pandemic.
“Based on the latest developments of the COVID-19 outbreak and in particular of the response to it by the relevant public authorities globally, FIH, with the support of all participating National Associations, has today decided to extend the postponement period of the FIH Hockey Pro League to 17 May,” FIH said in a statement.
“Consequently, all matches currently scheduled until 17 May are on hold. FIH will keep on monitoring the situation closely, following the recommendations of the World Health Organisation and the decisions of the public authorities.”
The Indian men’s team had been scheduled to play against Germany in Berlin on April 25 and April 26 before taking on Great Britain in London on May 2 and May 3. India is then scheduled to host New Zealand on May 23 and May 24 before travelling to Tucuman, Argentina, for matches on June 5-6.
India’s last tie in FIH Pro League is against Spain in Valencia on June 13 and June 14.
New Zealand and Australia had already decided not to travel to Europe for their upcoming games.
Sportstar
FIH Hockey Pro League matches against Argentina, China and India postponed
Great Britain Hockey at the Twickenham Stoop
Further to the British Government and Public Health England’s guidance around major sports events and international travel restrictions, regrettably Great Britain's FIH Hockey Pro League games against China/India at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on 2/3 May and Argentina at the Twickenham Stoop on 16/17 May have been postponed.
In accordance with the statement made by the FIH last Friday (13 March), should the situation change, we will work with China, India and Argentina to reschedule the fixtures ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
All ticket buyers will receive a full refund. We will be communicating directly with affected ticket buyers by email over the coming days, and issuing refunds as soon as possible.
A decision about our remaining home fixtures against USA and Spain on 23/24 May and Germany on 13/14 June will be made no later than 15 April.
In addition, Great Britain's away matches against the Netherlands on 28 and 29 April have been postponed.
We share your disappointment that these matches cannot take place. We look forward to welcoming you back to our events in the future, at a time when we can all collectively enjoy watching top international hockey.
Great Britain Hockey media release
Green Army preparing as best they can in a world of social distancing
It is a good thing one of Sean Dancer’s mantras to the Irish women’s squad is “those that can adapt are the one who will succeed” as the Green Army attempt to keep up their training in a world of social distancing.
It means the panel have been innovating, making the best of the implements around them. For Nicci Daly, a dab hand at engineering, she has been keeping her touch in with home-made obstacle courses with the ensuing videos picking up plenty of internet air-time.
“People are doing what they can; I built a gym at the side of my house,” she told The Hook about how she is trying to keep herself busy.
“Luckily enough, I have a squat-rack and a bar. Some of the girls have had to make do with whatever they have in their houses. But is hard. Even going for a run, you are trying to figure out distances and things like that. It’s not ideal but you have to do what you can and hope in a few weeks’ time, or whatever, we can get back on the pitch.”
The side were due to be in Durban at this point but the rapid spread of the coronavirus saw that tour cancelled last Friday with all on-field action in Ireland also postponed until March 29th at the earliest.
“The South Africa tour was a huge event on our [Olympic] calendar; three weeks in the heat getting eight tests against three different nations with the humidity,” Roisin Upton told the Examiner.
“It’s something we are all looking forward to. There wasn’t a ban in place [at the time] to stop us travelling [at the time] so it was an in-house decision, a tough one at that, but there are more important things in life than sport.
“Essentially, we are in the same lockdown as everyone else. We can’t get together as a squad so much of the work we will be doing will be physical by ourselves.”
The Limerick native has access to nearby pitches at Crescent Comprehensive and Catholic Institute’s Rosbrien while she is borrowing some of her brother’s dumbells and kettle bell.
For Daly and Upton, they both have been hearing the growing calls for a postponement of the Olympic Games but they have to still focus on the competition going ahead as planned.
“You hear it! Everyone has an opinion about what should happen,” Upton said. “There’s just so much unknown and so much uncertainty; so many questions. It is hard to have a contingency plan for something like this.
“All we can try and do is stay focused on the day-to-day. The Olympics is still scheduled for the exact same time and the exact same place. Nothing has changed.
“We do have to adapt [our schedule] but that is one of the things Sean has echoed since he came into our squad – ‘those that can adapt are the ones who will succeed’.
“This is another test for us. It is a bigger picture and a lot more important than our team but we are trying to stay focused.”
Daly added: “There’s no point getting too hung up on what people are saying left, right and centre. Different countries are wanting different things to happen. The positive thing is Japan seems fairly set on it going ahead.
“We still have to train and prepare like it is happening and think that it is. It is out of our hands so we have to just control what we can as best we can.”
The Hook
Zoe Wilson reveals home training routines as Ireland hockey girls' Olympic warm-ups face axe
John Flack
Zoe Wilson
Ireland's Olympic warm-up matches against China which were scheduled to take place in Belfast next month look certain to be cancelled due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
The four games were due to be played on the new world-class water-based pitch at the Dub during Easter week but Queen's University have announced that all their sports facilities are to be closed indefinitely with immediate effect.
More pertinent, though, is the fact that the Chinese squad have been based in South Africa for several weeks and would have no way of getting to Belfast for the series.
The South African government has banned flights to and from Europe and further afield after declaring a 'state of national disaster' earlier this week.
So far, the coronavirus outbreak has had only a limited effect in South Africa although the total number of cases rose by 34 to 116 yesterday but, like in other parts of the world, the impact is expected to increase in the coming weeks and months and the authorities there are clearly taking no chances as they attempt to limit the spread of the disease.
Ironically, Ireland had been due to travel to Durban on Monday for a 20-day warm-weather training camp before cancelling the proposed trip which has turned out to be a prudent move in the circumstances.
Sean Dancer's squad were to have played a total of seven internationals in South Africa - one against their hosts, four against the Chinese and two against Japan, who are also based there, having left their own country before the coronavirus gained a strong foothold in Asia.
The trip to Durban was hastily arranged after it had originally been planned for the squad to travel to Malaysia in order to replicate the heat and humidity that the players will experience in Tokyo but the visit to Kuala Lumpur also fell victim to fears over the virus.
Meanwhile, all of Ireland's squad training sessions have been put on hold until further notice but the players have been keeping sharp on an individual basis, although it's not quite a case of business as usual in that regard.
Zoe Wilson, who is one of nine Ulster players in the extended squad of 28, explained: "Yes, we are all training on our own and being creative with how we can still make the gains needed in preparation for the Olympics.
"The girls have made home gyms as far as possible and are using things they have in their houses to be able to do step-ups and squats and the like.
"We have also been doing stick and ball work in our back gardens and this is the sort of thing that is happening in every other hockey nation as they prepare for Tokyo, so we are no different in that respect.
"Most of us are 'home gym-ing', to coin a phrase, and we have also been having small group video calls during exercising, doing circuits, yoga or whatever and that helps keep everyone motivated."
Belfast Telegraph
'Not ideal' - Nicci Daly on Olympic preparation issues for Irish hockey team
'It's just important for us to control what we can control'
The Irish women's hockey team are among a host of athletes from around the globe feeling a sense of uncertainty when it comes to the Olympic Games.
The team booked their place at Tokyo 2020 in dramatic fashion last November but due to the coronavirus pandemic, early preparations for the Games were affected when they were forced to abandon plans for an important training camp in Malaysia.
As things stand, the International Olympic Committee insist that the Games will go ahead as planned despite calls from some quarters for Tokyo 2020 to be postponed.
Ireland hockey international Nicci Daly joined RTÉ 2fm Game On and spoke to Marie Crowe about the uncertainty that she and other athletes are facing.
"It's not nice. There is a lot of speculation going on and even different countries have their own different things about what should happen," she said.
Daly in action during the crucial Olympic qualifier against Canada
"But I think it's important to just try away from listening to too much of what's going on in the media. As far as we're concerned, [the Olympics] are going ahead.
"We haven't heard anything differently and it's just important for us to control what we can control and that's being active in whatever way.
"You have to keep focus on what the end goal is and for us that's Tokyo in July. As far as we're aware, it's still going ahead and that's the way we have to think."
With movement limited, the inability to go on training camps will impact preparations.
"It's not ideal at all," Daly admitted.
"We were supposed to go to South Africa for a three week camp which was a huge part of our preparation programme.
"And now we've lost that three weeks. I know the staff and the management team are trying to figure out what can happen in the future and how we can get some of that game-time back because we were in South Africa in January.
"They played a good few matches over there but without the match time and without the training all together, it's hard to continue on that preparation that we've set out.
"We've known that this is going to be in the plans for almost a year now so it's hard to understand that it's not happening and what's going to happen in the future."
RTE
Coronavirus will not deter athletes, says hockey champion Dwyer
By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted Olympic qualifying and put the whole Games in doubt but most athletes would be prepared to make big compromises to compete at Tokyo, Australia's field hockey gold medalist Jamie Dwyer has told Reuters.
The outbreak has infected over 242,000 people and killed nearly 10,000, bringing global sport to a virtual standstill and prompting calls for the July 24-Aug. 9 Olympics to be canceled or postponed.
Four-times Olympian Dwyer, however, said denying athletes the chance to compete at the Games was a decision that should not be taken lightly.
"The Olympics aren’t until the end of July, so there’s still a long time to go before we get to cancelling or making plan B," the 41-year-old Queenslander said in an interview.
"It’s every four years. It’s not like we get this shot every year or two."
A member of the Athletes' Commission of the Australian Olympic Committee, Dwyer says he has not heard concerns about the coronavirus from any aspiring Olympians Down Under.
Most would gladly sign up for Tokyo, he added, even if spectators were banned or some nations were blocked from participating due to the coronavirus.
"If I had a choice between playing at the Olympics with no crowd or not going at all, I’d take no crowds any day," said Dwyer, who won men's hockey gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics and bronze medals at Beijing in 2008 and London four years later.
He also competed at the 2016 Games in Rio.
"I know in Australia, the majority would take that option, too.
"I’m 100% sure, whether you’re a hockey player a swimmer or whatever, you’d take that opportunity to go.
“How big are the compromises? If one country can’t come, or even 10 countries can’t come, it’s a shame but it’s not the end of the world.
"If 50% can’t come, well, yeah, you’ve probably got a bit of a problem."
The immediate problem facing organizers is qualifying, with athletes struggling to train, travel or compete.
Tokyo is set to host some 11,000 athletes and almost 60% have already earned their spot. The remainder will clinch their places through modified qualifiers or previous performances based on ranking.
"Athletes do tend to roll with the punches, but I think qualifiers are the biggest issue -- how are they going to qualify over the next three months?" said Dwyer.
"All of these events are getting shut down.
"The lack of competition is quite difficult and a distraction but it’s the same for every country at the moment."
In his AOC capacity, Dwyer said he would support any athlete who decided to skip the Games for health concerns but would encourage them not to rush into such a decision.
"If they were that scared and didn’t want to go, that’s up to the athlete. But you don’t want to make that (decision) now," he said.
"You want to make that decision a couple of days before the team heads off to the Olympics if you decide you’re not going to go."
Running a hockey equipment company under his "JDH" brand, Dwyer is seeing first-hand how the coronavirus is affecting the sports business, with major competitions postponed or scrapped as part of containment efforts.
Cancelling the Olympics would mean another economic hit for an industry already suffering.
"What about the thousands of jobs, the billions of dollars spent?" he asked.
"I know retailers all round the world are really hurting and the small businesses, like myself.
"It’s pretty tough I guess when there’s no sport."
KFGO
Manpreet sets sight on Olympic training
India’s hockey skipper Manpreet Singh is focusing on his training in the Olympic year.
“We’re all very much aware of the current situation, but the important thing for us is to concentrate on what’s to be done right. We’ve all been briefed by doctors and our support staff in the best way possible, and currently we’re in the middle of our training camp, where we are undergoing training as usual,” said the 27-year-old Jalandhar-born player.
“Being an important phase in our preparations for the Olympics, we are not looking at the things which are not in our control, the only thing that is in our control is to train well, and make sure we’re following all the instructions,” he added.
Sportstar
Navneet Kaur: Improved fitness, fighting spirit helped India trump NZ
The striker says coach Sjoerd Marijne helped the women's team become more confident.
Navneet Kaur scored two goals in India's 3-0 win over New Zealand in the final match of the tour. - HOCKEY INDIA
Improved fitness and a ‘change in attitude’ helped the Indian women’s hockey team whitewash New Zealand 3-0 in New Zealand earlier this year, striker Navneet Kaur has said.
The confidence of the side had gone up with important wins under coach Sjoerd Marijne, pointed out Navneet, and fear of facing strong outfits disappeared. “Earlier, we feared playing against top teams like Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia. We lacked that match-winning confidence and this was perhaps why many teams even considered us as underdogs,” she said.
Navneet herself contributed to the success of her team in the New Zealand tour, scoring a brace in the final match for a 3-0 win over the host team. Marijne’s thrust towards an aggressive style of play has also been a factor in the team gaining in confidence, felt Navneet.
Aggressive style of play
“Apart from winning important matches, I think there are a lot of other factors that have contributed to this change and one of them being chief coach Sjoerd’s style of play. He likes aggression, he has instilled that belief in us that we are a team that can play with good speed in our attack,” she said.
She added: “The chief coach always tells us it’s not over until the last whistle. Even during the half-time of the Olympic Qualifiers, he said we will begin the third quarter as though the scores are 0-0. We have been instilled with that fighting spirit.”
“I also believe our improvement in fitness has been another big factor. Every girl (including newcomers) is aware of the importance of fitness, recovery and diet. Apart from this, small things like support staff encouraging us to improve internal communication, point out openly in meetings about what we can do differently in training sessions etc. These things make us feel bold and confident,” she said.
‘Excited’
Navneet looked forward to India’s Olympic campaign. “We will play our first match against the Netherlands at the Olympics and quite frankly, we are really excited to play against them because we have not faced them in the past,” she said.
Elaborating on her team’s preparatory programme for the next few days, she said: “We don't fear playing against these teams and are focused on preparing well. We are currently undergoing a week-long recovery which involves light gym session, stretching and swimming pool recovery. Resting well is also emphasised before we resume intense training from next week.”
Sportstar
Raju gets Italian job – but it may be a no go
KUALA LUMPUR: After two seasons as assistant coach, former international S. Selvaraju was promoted as chief coach of the Pistoia club in the Italian Hockey League this season.
But the Covid-19 outbreak may have put paid to his chance of making his debut as chief coach. The Italian Hockey Federation (IHF) have informed him that the league has been postponed.
Italy is the European country which has been hit hardest by the virus.
More than 2,500 people have died in Italy and more than 31,000 are still in hospitals since last month.
Even the Euro 2020 football tournament, which was supposed to be held in 12 cities for a month starting on June 12, has been postponed to next year.
Besides Selvaraju, former national player Mohd Azri Hassan, who played for Terengganu in the Malaysia Hockey (MHL) which ended last month, was also supposed to feature for Pistoia Club.
The 35-year-old Selvaraju said he had been looking forward to the start of the season and hoped the postponement wouldn’t be for too long.
“The league was supposed to start this Saturday (tomorrow) but it will be held later this year. Italy is in a lockdown as the situation got really bad in the last few weeks,” said Selvaraju, who obtained his level three coaching certificate with the help of the IHF in May last year.
Selvaraju, who coached debutants Hockey Academy (Hockademy) of Kuala Lumpur in the MHL, is keeping his fingers crossed that the situation would improve in the next few weeks.
“I was looking forward to helping the players put up a strong challenge in the Division Two league but I am not sure whether the league will be held this season.
“To me, the safety and health of the players are far more important,” said Selvaraju, who played in Italian League in the last six years.
Raju, as he is known to his friends, made his debut for the national team in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2007 and was the member of the Malaysian team that won bronze in the Asia Cup in Chennai, India in 2007.
He played for Malaysia 99 times and his last outing was the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
He has also played hockey in eight different leagues. Besides Malaysia and Italy, he has played in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Star of Malaysia
We deserve to go up, says Cambridge City Hockey Club head coach
Season will probably finish a game short with Andrew's men top of the table
Cambridge City's Gareth Andrew
Player-coach Gareth Andrew hopes his Cambridge City Hockey Club men’s side will be handed promotion once hockey resumes.
Sunday’s 3-1 win at London Edwardians left City top of the EHL Men’s Conference East, on goal difference from Wapping, with just one game remaining.
The final round of games were due to be played this weekend, but the EHL this week suspended all hockey until April 15 in the wake of the spread of the coronavirus.
Had the games gone ahead, all City would have needed to do to grab the sole promotion spot was match or better Wapping’s result at Chichester in their home game against St Albans.
Andrew doesn’t expect the final round of games to ever be played, but hopes his side’s record and position in the table after 17 out of 18 fixtures means they will be deemed worthy of promotion.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen now,” he said. “I don’t think that final game will be played to be honest, as two months down the line we won’t have been training and players might not be available.
“I think they will just can it, but I hope the situation after 17 games is seen as a fair reflection of the season. Hopefully, if that’s the case, then it’s job done for us.
“If we do go up then the hard work really starts, as to play at the next level we will have to be a lot fitter, and there will be a summer of recruiting hard too. I don’t want to come straight back down.
“It’s all speculation for now, but once we know what’s happening and get the nod from the EHL we can prepare. There’s massive uncertainty at the moment, but hopefully it will go away by June or July and we can crack on.
“The lads deserve promotion. We were so far behind at Christmas, but while Wapping dropped points we kept churning out win after win, so credit where credit’s due, they have been exceptional.
“To be honest, I would have been content with second place as we’ve got a lot of young players who could perhaps have done with another year at this level to develop.
“But if it happens, we will have an opportunity, so it will be sink or swim for them. As it stands, we are the best team in the league and we deserve to go up.”
Following a goalless first half ar London Edwardians, Andrew himself settled the nerves when he broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half, and Euan Gilmour doubled City’s lead soon after.
Edwardians pulled one back to make City sweat it going into the final 15 minutes, but Gilmour sealed the win with his second strike two minutes from time.
“We went into the game knowing Edwardians hadn’t lost in the second half of the season, so we knew it was going to be tough,” Andrew added.
“It was a bit of a cagey start and a very strange game. We were pretty quiet, and while Edwardians didn’t create a lot, they also defended very well.
“I managed to get the goal we needed in the third quarter, then Euan got a nice second goal, but we made a mistake which they scored from to let them back into it.
“However, Euan made sure of the win with a brilliant individual goal, and in the end it was a pretty comfortable win.”
Meanwhile, City’s ladies went down 4-0 to league leaders Wimbledon in Investec Women’s Hockey League Division One South. With one game remaining, which was due to be at home to Slough this Saturday, they sit firmly in mid-table, fifth out of ten teams.
Cambridgeshire Live
Hockey ACT season set to proceed despite virus
Chris Dutton
ANU, in blue and white, won the Hockey ACT women's grand final last year. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
Hockey ACT will buck the trend of sports postponing their competitions to start their season as scheduled next weekend.
Chief executive Rob Sheekey declared "we won't be reckless" with the health of players and officials, revealing the organisation's plans to limit risks when the first game is played at Lyneham on March 27.
Almost all Canberra sporting associations have cancelled or postponed their seasons as they work reduce the spread of coronavirus. The ACT government has urged sports to take a "commonsense risk-reduction approach" in their decisions to proceed or postpone their competitions.
The presidents of Hockey ACT clubs were set to meet officials on Wednesday night to discuss the season, but Sheekey was confident games would proceed as scheduled.
"It is our intention to start [next week] and we've put additional measures in place to reduce risks," Sheekey said.
"We will not be reckless with the health of our members. We will follow all medical advice ... and make sure people get the enjoyment of being involved in some physical activity if they can.
"We run 12 senior grades and at this stage all 12 of those are going to continue.
"We are following all government advice and there is no advice from the government at this stage that we shouldn't continue with our local competition. If that advice changes tomorrow, then we'll make the sensible call because we don't want to be reckless with our members' health or the ACT wider community.
"We'll be exceptionally cautious and we'll put some measures in place to bring those risks down as far as possible. If we get told to shut it down, we'll shut it down immediately."
Canberra's rugby union, rugby league, soccer and Australian football competitions have been shutdown to deal with the ongoing fallout of the spread of coronavirus.
Cricket ACT cancelled its grand final for the first time in 68 years and Gymnastics ACT has suspended competition for at least three months.
But most of those decisions were contributed to by national sporting bodies, who have recommended seasons be postponed at a grassroots level.
Hockey Australia has cancelled some upcoming events and said it had been working with state and territory associations to monitor the situations.
Hockey ACT is set to introduce 12 steps to limit the spread of coronavirus, including closing change rooms, telling players to only turn up for their game rather than arriving early or staying late, and refusing entry to spectators.
"We're putting some responsibility back on our members. If they are feeling unwell or showing any symptoms, they are not to attend the facilities," Sheekey said.
"We would rather you miss a game than shut down the Hockey ACT competitions.
"Our decision has been based around advice. We [spoke to ACT] sport and rec [on Tuesday], which was that if we're not going over that 500 threshold, they don't see any reason to stop community sport.
"Sport Australia had some communication overnight as well, which supported that. This time last week we weren't contemplating a shutdown and I'm aware there are still nine days until we start.
"A lot of water can pass under that bridge. If the overwhelming sentiment from the clubs is they believe we should postpone the season, then we'll follow that advice."
Meanwhile, the AIS is still working with several sports who are keen to use the Canberra campus facilities as a potential Olympic Games training base.
The AIS has told the public they will not be allowed to use swimming, athletics and gym equipment for the foreseeable future in attempt to protect athletes from the spread of the virus.
Swimming Australia and Athletics Australia are two of the sports who could relocate some of their athletes to the capital. Athletics Australia has postponed all activity until at last May 1, including local and state cross-country, track and field and road events.
The Canberra Times
Tournoi Jacques Levy LUC Ronchin, Lille, France 2020
By Mike Cleverley
Masters hockey is a wonderful thing.
Whilst in many sports any chance of playing in International tournaments across the world has long since faded when you have gone beyond your mid-30s, Masters hockey offers international hockey from over 35s all the way to over 80s.
Having been involved since the very first Home Nations as the Wales goalie, I have recently discovered being able to play outfield for the Dragons team, part of the LX hockey family (over 60 and counting), which sits just below the ‘international’ tier, but still playing representative hockey.
My first experience was in Durham last year playing in the Northern LX tournament. It was here that I heard of the fantastic trips to Lille for the tournament there. Duly selected, planning began.
With the news of the spread of COVID-19, the two Italian teams had to withdraw but, following advice from the French Hockey Federation, ourselves, the two Scottish Thistles, England LX and the French assembled at Lille.
As we arrived at the ground on the Friday morning the organisers, had just been told by the French Federation that all tournament hockey had been cancelled - but training matches were allowed. Since we were already there, we decided to play a round of training games and see what further instructions came during the day.
Unfortunately, most of the French players had to withdraw on the Saturday, but a few remained and augmented some of the other teams.
A further round of training matches took place and, although results are irrelevant (or just a little bit less important than taking part), Scottish Blue Thistles won all their games and would have been crowned champions. However, as the 79-year-old legend that is Glyn said,
“There was no tournament, so the Wales Dragons retain that accolade for a further year as the current holders.”
This is a difficult time for all with the current situation, but this group of Masters are now back in the UK safe and well. We were glad that we could support our French colleagues and hope that we were able to offset the financial consequences for Ronchin HC.
In hindsight perhaps it should have been called off, but I suppose a unique feature of LX hockey is that for long periods of the game everyone is well over a metre apart!
Hockey Wales media release
How England's national hockey league ended formidable Slough’s high times
Claire Middleton speaks to the inaugural women’s league champions of 30 years ago
Slough and mighty Back row l-r: Karen Brown, Jo Thompson, Helen Thornalley, Annette Stroud, Sue Frost, Sue Knight, Kim Beckett, Elaine Bushell, Amanda Pottow (mascot)
Front row l-r: Kate Parker, Lesley Hobley, Sue Chandler, Sarah Rimmer, Mel Hoskins, Jenny Mitchell
During the 2018 Women’s World Cup, England Hockey put on an event to which all former internationals were invited. It was fun, by all accounts, a lovely chance to meet up with past team-mates and reminisce on bygone days. Lots of photos were taken and shared: the Ipswich contingent, the Leicester contingent and then the Slough contingent, at which point the whole room, yes, the entire room, booed.
“It was good-natured and it didn’t help that we stood up there shouting ‘champ-ion-es, champ-ion-es’, but you could see we were the team everyone loved to beat – and they didn’t often get the chance,” said Sue Knight, a goalkeeper, formerly of Slough and England.
The Slough side of 1989, the inaugural season of the Typhoo National League, were a formidable outfit. The fact that Knight, who went on to represent her country, was the second goalkeeper behind Jo Thompson, illustrates their strength. There was strength of character too, which probably explains a lot: why they just kept on winning and why, on the pitch at least, nobody seemed to like them.
To be honest, you wouldn’t mess with Kate Parker or Lesley Hobley; Slough through-and-through, they took the first team by the scruff of the neck and drove it to sustained success, domestically at first and then as regular medalists in Europe.
“We started doing fitness as well as stick and ball,” said Knight. “Kate was just a nut. I was paired with her once. She did something like 83 push-ups and I did eight. The other girls thought I said I had done 18 but I had to admit it was eight.
“We also trained three nights a week and everybody turned up because they didn’t want to be dropped – but it was fun too. I don’t imagine too many clubs were training that hard – I am not sure how many would be even now.
“We had the internationals, Kate, Jo, Karen Brown and Sue Chandler, but we also had the unsung players who stepped up and contributed just as much. Mandy Pottow, Sarah Rimmer, Annette Stroud and Helen Thornalley come to mind, but the whole squad contributed and we all got on off the pitch as well.”
That inaugural National League season was the first baby-step towards a more professional women’s game.
“I remember Lesley saying that the National League was at last going to level the playing field when it came to competing with Dutch teams in Europe, and we took that to heart – it was always a European medal we were aiming for, preferably gold.”
The closest they came was silver, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves. They dominated that first National League season, winning it with two games to spare on a wet and windy night at Orpington, in front of a sparse crowd of die-hard supporters of both teams. In the end, they finished eight points ahead of Leicester and 12 ahead of Sutton Coldfield, who were third.
Annoyingly for everyone else, they won the cup too, the Typhoo Tea Cup, to complete the domestic double.
“It felt so professional just having a sponsor,” said Knight, who enjoyed a successful off-field career in marketing. “We actually had to put a banner up before each game and there was an official player of the match. Even having matching tracksuits was exciting. At the first game at Great Harwood there was actually a mascot.
“Later we got £1200 sponsorship from Canadian Club, one of my brands, but nobody then really knew how to look after a sponsor. Looking back, it was all still in its infancy; we didn’t have a proper outdoor coach, there were no rolling subs and I used to travel the length of the country without the guarantee I would even get on the pitch.”
Their success was maintained for a decade through attracting international players like Sam Wright, Jane Smith, Fiona Greenham, Alex Danson and Kate Richardson-Walsh, and it lasted until Reading’s women climbed up the leagues and provided an appealing alternative for those who were based around the national programmes at Bisham Abbey.
“Winning attracts players and we always did that – but they always stayed with us. We were never as transient as people think,” said Knight.
However, the National League eventually came at a cost – and Slough have not been the only club to suffer. Thirty years on, they have tumbled out of the National League Premier Division and the anniversary season of that first triumph will be spent trying to win promotion back to the elite.
“Our games were all over the country and we even had to travel to Bisham that first season to use the artificial turf for our home games – so we didn’t get back to the clubhouse to mix with the other teams or the cricket and football sections,” said Knight.
“For all the fun we had, and the success, the National League destroyed our infrastructure. It was probably the beginning of the end of the club as a whole.”
We have been celebrating 30 years of national women’s hockey this season
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The Hockey Paper
Hockey Australia and Fortescue extend sponsorship agreement
Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) has announced an extension of its long-term sponsorship of Australia’s national men’s and women’s hockey teams, bringing the duration of the Company’s commitment to the sport to a decade.
Announced during the Indigenous round of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Pro League this month, the new agreement will see Fortescue remain a Naming Rights Partner of the Kookaburras and Supporting Partner of the Hockeyroos until mid-2021.
The agreement encompasses the highly successful Fortescue Hockey Community Program, which provides Aboriginal students in the Pilbara the opportunity to engage in hockey and increase their engagement and attendance at school. The program has grown from its initial pilot status at Roebourne Primary School to now include 10 schools in Karratha and Port Hedland.
Hockey Australia Chief Executive Officer Matt Favier said, “Fortescue’s incredible support enables the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos to compete among the world’s best and continue to be regarded as two of Australia’s most successful and highly ranked national teams.
“In addition, the Community Program in the Pilbara remains one of our flagship community enterprises which is making a positive impact to the community and particularly to young people in regional WA.
“We look forward to continuing to maintain this standing and having Fortescue with us as we both strive for prolonged excellence and success in our respective fields.”
Fortescue Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Gaines said, “The Fortescue family is pleased to continue our long-standing commitment to the Australian national hockey teams.
“In line with our commitment to diversity, we are proud to support one of the most gender equal sports in Australia with our sponsorship contributing to pay parity for male and female athletes and to continue increasing the games’ footprint throughout the Pilbara.
“The Fortescue Hockey Community Program is an integral part of our approach to ensuring communities benefit from Fortescue’s growth and success and to help improve social and educational outcomes for children living in remote regions.”
Hockey Australia media release