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All the news for Tuesday 18 August 2020

Hockey players recover from COVID-19, discharged from hospital


Manpreet and five other players had tested COVID-19 positive on their return to the national hockey camp at the SAI South Centre in Bengaluru.   -  Biswaranjan Rout

Six Indian men’s hockey team players, including skipper Manpreet Singh, were on Monday discharged from a Bengaluru hospital after recovering from COVID-19.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) said in a statement that Manpreet, defender Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar, goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak and striker Mandeep Singh have been placed under quarantine at its Bengaluru centre after they were discharged from the hospital.

“Manpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh, Varun Kumar, Krishan B Pathak and Mandeep Singh, who had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and were later shifted to hospital as a precautionary measure and for better monitoring were discharged from hospital earlier today,” the statement read.

“They are now under quarantine at Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bengaluru.”

Speaking about the health condition of the players, Dr Arun Kumar of SS Sparsh Multispeciality hospital in Bengaluru said, “All the six players have recovered fully and their vitals are absolutely stable.

“They will be in quarantine at SAI’s Bengaluru centre and will be given the anti-body test after 10 days to check if they have built immunity against the virus.”

"All the six players are housed in the ground floor of the hostel where other members of the camp have no access," SAI said.

“This is a precautionary measure to ensure there is no contact between the six players and the other campers over the next 10 days.”

The SAI said the rest of the players of the Indian hockey teams, men and women, will resume sporting activities from Wednesday as scheduled.

Earlier, a SAI source had told PTI that all the six players have tested negative twice and their vitals are normal. They returned positive for the virus between August 10 and 12.

“All the hockey players have completely recovered from COVID-19 and will be discharged this evening,” the source said.

Although asymptomatic, Mandeep was the first to be shifted to the hospital by the SAI after a dip in his blood oxygen level.

Later, Manpreet and four other players were also moved to the same hospital as a precautionary measure.

Currently, 33 male and 24 female players are in Bengaluru for the camp. The light intensity national camp is expected to continue till September 30.

All the women players tested negative in the on-arrival tests conducted by SAI.

Sportstar

Ready, Set, Go for Indian Hockey teams feels SV Sunil



Bengaluru: The 14-day quarantine for the Indian hockey teams come to an end Tomorrow. It means the team will start combined practice soon.  The entire Core Group of players barring the six who got affected by COVID-19 virus and are in hospital, were living in isolation for the last two weeks. Forward SV Sunil speaks about his experience of living in isolation since returning to SAI’s National Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Indications are that the team is in Ready, Set, Go mode now.

“We all realized from these past two weeks that we all needed to be really strong mentally, and to make sure that we were always in touch with our friends, family and teammates.”

Having gained first-hand experience, the Indian forward said he has huge respect for people who have spent time in quarantine centres or home isolation during the pandemic.

“Sometimes you don’t realize how much effort goes into something. After having lived in isolation, I can relate to what everyone who has lived in quarantine centres or home isolation has gone through. It is a great challenge of mental strength and really tests your patience, so I have tremendous respect for people who have managed to get through such phases during the pandemic,” said the 2014 Asian Games Gold Medallist.

“It was important for us to stay busy, because you can’t always be on the television or play games on the phone to get through the day. So our Chief Coach and members of support staff decided to make sure we were doing something or the other. We were asked to do some research on the greatest Olympians ever, and then present to the team on our video calls. It was a nice activity as we learned a fair bit from all the players choosing various legends and talking in detail.”

“We have also been able to maintain our fitness levels by following the indoor-fitness schedule that we’ve been given. Personally, I have also enjoyed taking part in our activations which include stretching and foam rolling. So we have been having one hour sessions in the morning over video call where all the players join in, and follow what our Scientific Advisor and Physio asks us to do. It has been a different experience to do it over video call for sure.”

“It was so good to see how we got our food served, which was through contact-less delivery at our doorstep. All of us felt really safe, and I am really happy that we can resume sports activities from Wednesday onwards. It is good for us that we have been able to maintain our fitness through indoor body-weight exercises, but it will be good to start outdoor running as well in a very safe environment’.

Stick2Hockey.com

India hockey player SV Sunil says spending quarantine at SAI centre was test of 'mental strength'

Sunil said it was important for every member of the group to stay strong mentally to get through the challenge of staying in isolation for a lengthy period.



As the Indian men's hockey team gears up to resume training from Wednesday, striker SV Sunil believes the coronavirus-forced 14-day quarantine period inside the Sports Authority of India South Centre was a test of their mental strength and patience.

The 31-year-old said it was important for every member of the group to stay strong mentally to get through the challenge of staying in isolation for a lengthy period.

"I think what we all realised from these past two weeks was the fact that we all need to be really strong mentally, and to make sure that we were always in touch with our friends, family and teammates," said Sunil.

"Sometimes you don't realise how much effort goes into something, but after having lived in isolation, I can relate to what everyone who has lived in quarantine centres or home isolation has gone through. It is a great challenge of mental strength and really tests your patience," he added.

The Indian men and women hockey players are currently serving a mandatory 14-day quarantine period after returning from a home break and will resume training from Wednesday for the national camp that will last till 30 September.

Sunil lauded the efforts of the team's support staff, including chief coach Graham Reid, who did their best in keeping the players occupied during the quarantine period.

"It was important for us to stay busy, because you can't always be on the television or play games on the phone to get through the day. So, our chief coach and members of support staff decided to make sure we were doing something or the other.

"We were asked to do some research on the greatest Olympians ever, and then present to the team on our video calls. It was a nice activity as we learned a fair bit from all the players choosing various legends and talking in detail," he said.

He thanked Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Hockey India for ensuring a safe and healthy return to training.

Firstpost

Turning Point: Rani Rampal reveals how selection in World Team XI made her believe she was good enough to play for India

In the latest edition of our Turning Point series, India women's hockey team captain Rani Rampal talks about the moment which gave her confidence that she was good enough to play for the country.

Amit Kamath



Rani Rampal recalls the moment when she was asked by the national women’s hockey coach if she thought she was good enough to play for India.

It was a fairly simple question. Rani was still in her early teens then, but her prodigious talent and promise were very evident even at that stage.

“I said ‘no, I don’t think I am,’” confesses Rani, who was first named among India probables in 2008 and, a year later, at the age of 15, made her debut for India at the FIH Champions Challenge II tournament in Russia.

A decade since, Rani has not just answered that question, she has put any sliver of self-doubt to bed. Self-assured, but not arrogant, Rani’s 11 years as part of the national team have made her a different person.

But what was the turning point in her career?

“I made my entry into the national team (probables) at a very young age in 2008. But in 2010, when I was named in the FIH’s World XI team, that was a turning point for me,” Rani tells Firstpost. “To be picked as one of the top XI players in the world at such a young age. That’s when I started to believe in my potential. That recognition gave me confidence.

“When I had made my debut, I was constantly beset by self-doubt. I didn’t think I could stay in the team because there were a lot of seniors in the team who had been playing for 10-11 years. When the national coach asked me if I could make it to the team, I said no because I didn’t think I could take the place of those seniors. But he assured me that if I worked hard and performed to my potential, I would be in the team.”

Rani has a knack for scoring decisive goals. The Indian team made it to Rio Olympics after 36 years thanks to Rani’s goal against Japan in the FIH Hockey World League which helped them seal fifth position, which was later deemed good enough for a Olympics quota place. Then, she scored the decisive goal against USA as India chased qualification for the Tokyo Olympics.

Over the years, Rani hasn’t just carved a place in the team. As her confidence grew, she was handed the captaincy. From leading the team to victory at the 2017 Women’s Asia Cup after 13 years to guiding them to a silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, her time at the helm is starting to reap rewards.

“Success gets to your head sometimes,” says Rani as she talks about how she kept herself grounded after she was named in the World XI as a teenager. “You start to believe that you know everything. But I told myself that I have just taken one step in my career.

“As a player, I used to feel that to achieve something you have to perform consistently. I’ve seen a lot of times that players achieve something and then feel that sense of satisfaction. I’ve always told myself that you should not get satisfied with success or recognition achieved at a young age. I have always believed that despite whatever you achieve in life, you should stay down to earth. Only then can I achieve true admiration from fans.”


Captain of the Indian women's hockey team, Rani Rampal, in action against New Zealand at the National Hockey Stadium in Rosedale, Auckland in January this year. Image courtesy: Hockey India

For younger players coming into the team, Rani has always been a source of inspiration. But as the coronavirus pandemic has put a stop to sporting competitions and raised the level of anxiety across the world, the forward has been a calming influence, especially on youngsters in the team like Lalremsiami.

The team also used the downtime in April to start a fundraising campaign to raise money for those whose livelihoods had taken a hit due to the pandemic.

At the time, Rani had spoken of how her father had told her that if she hadn’t been a hockey player and elevated them out of poverty, they too could have been struggling to get food.

“That broke my heart,” Rani had said at the time. “Everyone in the team has faced so many challenges due to poverty and we know the pain of not getting food. It’s thanks to hockey our lives are comfortable today. But not everyone is this fortunate.”

The team eventually raised over Rs 20 lakh through an 18-day fitness challenge, which it donated to Uday Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO.

“We had never done a fundraising campaign before,” says Rani. “When lockdown initially began, we kept ourselves busy by starting that campaign. The idea was to keep ourselves busy and positive while also helping people in need.”

The pandemic has also meant that the Olympics in Tokyo have been pushed forward by a year.

“When I heard about the Tokyo Olympics getting postponed, it was heartbreaking at first. We worked so hard towards competing at the Olympics, and then when something like this happens it gets difficult to push yourself for one more year. You have to manage your physical and mental conditioning at a very high level to peak at the Olympics."

"Then we started looking at the brighter side, we had another year to improve ourselves,” says Rani, who has been spending her 14-day mandatory quarantine at the SAI campus in Bengaluru reading Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable (written by Tim Grover, who has been a trainer to NBA legend like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade) and studying for her Masters in English Literature.

Firstpost

Hockey India provides financial assistance to 61 core probable athletes

Hockey players including 30 junior women, 26 junior men, four senior women and one senior from the men's core probables will benefit from this initiative.

Hockey India announced on Monday that it would provide a financial aid of Rs 10,000 to each of the 61 core probable athletes not holding employment amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

With sports activities across India slowly opening up post the nation wide lockdown, the Hockey India executive board announced its immediate support to 61 athletes -- 30 junior women, 26 junior men, four senior women and one senior from the men's core probables.

The objective is to provide basic financial relief for the athletes to be able to assist them to resume sporting activities.

"Hockey India was keen to find a way to give them some immediate relief and has decided to help these players with Rs 10,000 each as financial assistance in these difficult times, which would mean they would not add any additional burden on their families as they look to resume sports activities in the near future," said Hockey India's officiating resident Gyanendro Ningombam.

"We hope this assistance will help the players to soon resume sporting activities and give them the necessary confidence to focus their energies on excelling for the country," he added.

List of athletes to receive financial assistance:

Sportstar

Mark Gleghorne retires from international hockey


Mark Gleghorne Rio 2016

After representing England and Great Britain on 164 occasions across nine years, Mark Gleghorne has announced he is retiring from international hockey.

The Rio 2016 Olympian has made the decision after believing it was ‘my time’ to step away from the sport and will take up a teaching role at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

Gleghorne made the perfect start to his GB career by scoring on his debut in a 3-1 win over Belgium in November 2011, having switched allegiances after representing Ireland 80 times between 2004-2008. He then made his England bow at the 2012 Champions Trophy a year later, scoring in just his third match in a 1-1 draw against New Zealand.

He went on to represent England at two World Cups, won bronze medals at both the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and featured for Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics.

Throughout his career he also notched up an impressive 46 goals, with his immense power from penalty corners proving to be one of the biggest threats in world hockey. No better was this demonstrated than in 2017 when he helped Great Britain win the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and led England to European and Hockey World League Semi-Final bronze medals, scoring 17 goals in the process.

Speaking about the decision to step away, the 35-year-old said: “I just felt that it was my time. Whilst my decision to retire wasn’t due to any one single reason, my body was a major factor.

“It’s a strange feeling - hockey has been a huge part of my life so I will definitely miss being a hockey player but I’m equally glad that I won’t have to do another fitness test!

“Winning the 2017 Azlan Shah Cup with GB and a bronze medal at Europeans in 2017 with England are my favourite memories. I feel I was playing some of my best hockey at that time and also in my opinion the team performed to our potential at the time. It was also great fun.

“I will miss the few minutes from singing the national anthem before a game and also being in the changing room after a good win. It’s hard to describe those feelings but they are very special.”

Speaking about Gleghorne, England and GB men’s head coach Danny Kerry said: “Mark quite simply was ‘all-in’. He would be first on his team-mates list for having your back and giving absolutely everything.

“It’s for those reasons that Mark has the utmost respect of his peers and coaches alike and had such incredible longevity in the international game. He will be an incredible asset in his new role back in Northern Ireland and I wish him all the best for his future career.”

England and GB Performance Director Ed Barney added: “The commitment and dedication that Mark has made in order to compete for England and Great Britain Hockey is not underestimated – it is difficult to fully comprehend the personal sacrifice that Mark has made – and England and Great Britain Hockey want to formally recognise and thank Mark for everything that he has contributed to the international team.

“Mark is a revered team-mate, a fierce competitor and a true ambassador for the programme. We will certainly miss the intensity, passion and unwavering commitment that Mark brought every time he stepped onto the pitch.

“We wish Mark and his wife all the very best in the next chapter of their lives. We’ve no doubt that Mark will have a huge impact with all the players and his colleagues at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.”

Great Britain Hockey would like to thank Mark for everything he has given our sport over the last nine years and we wish him all the best for the future.

Great Britain Hockey media release

Mark Gleghorne: Northern Ireland-born forward announces international retirement


Mark Gleghorne played 164 times for Great Britain over nine years

Northern Ireland-born Mark Gleghorne has announced his retirement from international hockey.

Gleghorne made 80 appearances for Ireland before switching allegiances to England and Great Britain in 2008.

The 35-year-old played in two World Cups for England and represented Team GB at the 2016 Olympics.

"I just felt it was my time," said Gleghorne, who is set to take up a teaching role at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution.

"While my decision to retire wasn't due to any one single reason, my body was a major factor.

"It's a strange feeling. Hockey has been a huge part of my life so I will definitely miss being a hockey player, but I'm equally glad that I won't have to do another fitness test."

International switch


Mark Gleghorne (left) was a key player for Ireland before he switched allegiance 12 years ago

Gleghorne won the inaugural Men's EuroHockey Nations Trophy with Ireland in 2005 before switching allegiances in 2008.

The Antrim native helped England to fourth-placed finishes at the 2014 and 2018 Men's Hockey World Cups. With Great Britain he won the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

"Mark quite simply was 'all-in'," said England and GB men's head coach Danny Kerry.

"He would be first on his team-mates' list for having your back and giving absolutely everything.

"It's for those reasons that Mark has the utmost respect of his peers and coaches alike and had such incredible longevity in the international game.

"He will be an incredible asset in his new role back in Northern Ireland and I wish him all the best for his future career."

BBC Sport

Kaz Cuthbert: Retired Scotland captain grateful for 'wonderful' career

By Jane Lewis


Cuthbert featured at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games

Outgoing Scotland captain Kaz Cuthbert says she has "had a great run" after announcing her retirement from international hockey.

Cuthbert, 33, won 163 caps, scored 16 goals and represented Scotland at two Commonwealth Games.

She led her country to last year's EuroHockey Championship II win in Glasgow.

"That, to me, was just such a wonderful way to end my career," Cuthbert told BBC Scotland.

"I had no doubts that we were going to win. Winning last year as captain, to stand on a podium with my team and hear the national anthem, you can't beat that.

"I've played in some phenomenal events. It's been wonderful. All of them are just great memories. They'll last forever."

Cuthbert, who works as a physiotherapist, will still be involved with hockey at her local club in Milngavie and would consider being involved with the national set-up in the future.

"I'll definitely be around and I'll definitely be pushing hard for our sport because I just think it's such a phenomenal game," she said.

"It's the right time to step away now and let a new group take over, lead the way and see things go forward for the next cycle.

"There's such a great bunch of girls in the Scotland squad at the moment. I'm actually excited to see where they can take it as well. I'll still be there on the sidelines shouting.

"My employers are very good to me. They gave me time off when I wanted for my hockey. Now it's time to give back."

BBC Sport

Field Hockey Canada Inductee – Shelley Winter Andrews

A legendary team captain gets inducted into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame

By Josh Rey



Victoria’s Shelley Winter Andrews was the first Canadian player to reach 100 international matches. She was a captain of the winningest national team in Canadian history. And now she is being inducted into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame.

“It’s an honour to have your name put forward in the first place,” said Andrews. “And then to be picked is — everybody uses the word humbling — but it is humbling. It means that your peers or somebody has thought highly of you that they would want to nominate you so it was a lovely honour.”

 Andrews played for the Women’s National Team from 1975 to 1986. She co-captained the team through four World Cups and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Andrews recalls those special years in the late 70s and 80s when Team Canada was surging onto the world stage.

“Well in the 1980s, I mean, coming second in the world, that’s obviously one of my biggest highlights,” said Andrews. “Even for me, ahead of the Olympics. The experience was amazing. The results [at the Olympics] were a little disappointing for our team. The World Championships in ‘83; I’d say it was a highlight.”

Andrews still plays the game even after her retirement. She plays for Oak Bay in the women’s league in Victoria. She is also involved in the community as an executive and coach and has been passing down her love of the game to the next generation.

“It’s lots of fun,” said Andrews. “And the game has certainly changed some since I first started playing and it’s way more exciting now, I think lots of different rule changes that have made it faster and sort of keep the spectators interested, that kind of thing. But it’s good to see and watch young kids learn certain skills and be able to pick up really cool skills.”

The 1983 National Team is also being inducted as a part of the 2019 class. For Andrews, being inducted alongside that group makes this moment extra-special.

“To me that is the nicest thing about this whole thing because field hockey is a team sport,” she said. “ So it always kind of amazes me that you have individuals who are, you know, honoured and selected and that kind of thing, when really without that team or those people around you.”

Andrews’ induction into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame is a celebration of her leadership and legendary career with Field Hockey Canada.

Click here for a presentation and interview with Shelly Winter Andrews

Field Hockey Canada media release

Canada enjoy a month of celebrations



It is a month of celebrations for Field Hockey Canada as the national governing body showcases some of its best known and most highly respected members of the hockey community.

The Hall of Fame Celebration Month is Field Hockey Canada’s answer to the enforced postponement of its annual Induction Ceremony. Covid-19 might have prevented the formal in-person induction that was due to take place in March 2019, but the governing body has swiftly turned disappointment into celebration.

Hall of Fame Celebration month, taking place throughout August, is celebrating those people who would have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019, with a pooled in-person induction ceremony taking place in 2021, if permitted by then.

There will be a short video outlining the work and achievements of each inductee as well as a written article about each person. As well as members of the hockey community from playing, officiating and development roles, the Women’s National Team of 1983 will also be inducted as the team that achieved the highest ranking of any Canadian hockey team to this day – the team reached the final of the 1983 Women’s World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, losing to the Netherlands in the final.

The individual inductees fit into one of three categories: Builder, Athlete or Official and will each have a day of celebration assigned to them throughout August.

Here are the 2019 inductees.

Four characters from the hockey community have been recognised for their role as ‘Builders” or developers. Dot Asuma was the organiser of the 1979 World Championship (IFWHA) in Vancouver, where there were a mammoth 18 teams taking part. 

Jenny John arrived in Canada from England 50 years ago for a two-year teaching contract… and stayed. She played for the National Team, then became an administrator and an avid promotor of hockey across Canada during more than 20 years.

Jack Taunton has been the doctor for the Canadian Teams (men and women) for close to 30 years.

Denys Cooper also came from England and has been an international umpire and technical official; he was involved in the organisation of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, then stayed involved to develop umpires in Ontario. He continued to umpire high school matches into his 70s. He also wrote a memoir entitled: “Field Hockey - A Century of Key Rule Changes - 1910 to 2010”.

There are three recipients in the “Athletes” category. Shelley Andrews (nee Winter) will be inducted as part of the 1983 team but will also receive individual recognition. Andrews played in the National Team from 1974 to 1986, competing in two IFWHA World Championships, four World Cups and the 1984 Olympic Games. She captained the team from 1981 to 1986, during the most successful period of the Canadian Team, topped by the silver medal at the 1983 World Cup followed by a bronze medal at the 1986 World Cup. Andrews was named Player of the Game when Canada defeated England for the first time in 1986, at Wembley, in front of 40,000 English school children

Alan Hobkirk represented Canada from 1971 to 1983. His international career included four Pan American Games, where he won one gold, two silver and one bronze medal. He also competed in the1976 Olympic Games in Montreal and the 1978 World Cup. At the 1978 World Cup, Hobkirk scored two goals in Canada’s unexpected defeat of reigning World Champions India.

Hobkirk’s team mate, Reg Plummer, is also a 2019 inductee. Hobkirk played for Canada from 1974 to 1984 and his tournament tally includes three Pan American Games, the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. He also competed in the 1978 World Cup.

Plummer served as President of Field Hockey Canada and remains a coach at his local club to this day.

The final inductee is Alan Waterman, the only official in this year’s line-up. Waterman was an international umpire, officiating at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the 1994 World Cup and a number of Champions Trophies.

As the month long celebration continues, Jenny John sums up what it means for the hockey community to recognise its stalwart members in this way: “I’ve won a few awards along the way but this one, I’ve got goosebumps now thinking about it. It is absolutely wonderful because it’s a gift. It’s a gift to me from Canada.”

FIH site

Young players to get golden opportunity to develop their game



Imagine being a young player and having the opportunity to talk to some of the world’s greatest players and coaches about your own hockey development.

Imagine being given the opportunity to talk with other talented young players on other continents, sharing experiences, talking about challenges and learning about the sport as it is played elsewhere in the world.

Imagine being able to tap into the experiences of players with hundreds of international caps or multi medal winning coaches and discovering their thoughts on what it takes to be the best.

And imagine having the time to have a conversation with players about what it means to be an Olympian or what it feels like, as a coach, to lead a team to a gold medal.

The Young Athlete Academy offers just this opportunity. The FIH Academy, in collaboration with the Hockey Exchange and supported by Coach Logic, has brought together an incredible line-up of players, former players, coaches and FIH educators to provide an online support mechanism for tomorrow’s generation of superstars.

The programme will include workshops covering all aspects of the game; online mentor meetings; membership of the FIH Academy and a 12-month Coach Logic licence, allowing the players to gather detailed insight into their performances and development via the Coach Logic video analysis technology.

The 12-month support and mentoring programme will be available for young athletes from 14-21 years from all across the world.

The workshops will provide a solid educational base in the cornerstones of hockey performance. Technical skills, strength and conditioning advice, nutritional information, sports psychology will all be covered in the workshop sessions, delivered by experts in each field. There will also be instructional sessions on using the Coach Logic technology and advice on effective self-analysis.

The final part of the programme will be looking at principles of play and how you make sure your hockey is adhering to the collective playing principles of the team.

While the workshops are scheduled events, today’s technical savvy young players will also be able to undertake their own personalised learning in their own time. The FIH Academy will provide videos with a breakdown on how to perfect skills – these can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

Each young player will receive individual feedback in the form of assessment and development plans. And at the end of the 12-month programme, each player will receive a certificate of completion.

One of the added value components of the course is the chance to talk to other young players from all over the world. These may not be face-to-face meetings but they are a modern day continuation of hockey’s tradition of creating life-long friendships across the world.

Speaking about the initiative, FIH Academy Director Mike Joyce says: “Bringing together expertise and technology from The Hockey Exchange and Coach Logic has enabled the FIH Academy to create its very first education programme for young players. It is a unique opportunity to gain an FIH Academy Diploma and to access and learn from our team of World Class Educators and International Athlete mentors.”

FIH site

SA Hockey Release | Move to Level 2

South Africa will as of midnight 17 August 2020 move to Alert Level 2 of the Risk Adjusted Strategy.

With this move to Level 2 the country continues to gradually ease restrictions as announced by the President on Saturday 15th August 2020.  The current situation regarding COVID-19 is that the number of active cases is declining, the proportion of positive test results is declining and the number of admissions to healthcare facilities is declining. Whilst the situation is improving and a light at the end of the tunnel is on the horizon it is important to note that COVID-19 and the very real threat of a second wave remains a reality.

The National State of Disaster has been extended till 15 September 2020. Whilst the National State of Disaster remains in effect, South African Hockey as a National Federation need to continue to observe and comply with all regulations as issued by the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture. As such Government Gazette 43584 issued on 06 August 2020 remains in effect until such time that a new directive is given by the Minister. SA Hockey will be making a Return to Competition submission as per this gazette, and will at a later date, once approved issue the Return to Competition Guidelines.

We note that this time remains uncertain for many aspects of our sport and request that members continue to observe and comply with regulations as and when they are issued by national government and the relevant Ministers. School Sport remains under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Basic Education and the relevant directives issued by that department.

We are awaiting the issuance of the latest government gazettes by the various Ministers, in the wake of the President’s address and will in turn advise members accordingly.

SA Hockey Association media release