News for 19 August 2020
All the news for Wednesday 19 August 2020
Africa Hockey Qualifier Still On
By Helge Schütz, The Namibian
The South African Hockey Association will still try and host the Indoor Africa Cup at the end of September following the easing of lockdown regulations over the weekend.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday announced that all gatherings will be limited to 50 people, while spectators will not be allowed at sporting events.
With indoor hockey squads consisting of 12 players, it would be possible to stay within the 50-mark limit, the website mycomlink.co.za reported on Sunday.
"Following the President's announcement last night that professional sport is allowed to continue without spectators, the South African Hockey Association is sticking to their plan of trying to host the African Indoor tournament scheduled for the last week of September at Ashton College," it said.
All Africa
India campers start practicing at Bengaluru, after all
Players in the India camp start practicing is a run of the mill affair for long. But now, due to COVID-19, even the routine has become a news if not headline. Yes, Indian girls and boys, juniors and seniors, have completed their self-quarantine time, and started outdoor practicing today at the SAI facility in Bengaluru.
Arjuna Savita, who is elated to be outdoor and start preliminary phase of practicing, reflects the mood of the teams: “It is a good moment for all of us. We are finally able to resume sports activities, and do outdoor running as well. In our rooms, we were engaging ourselves only with weight exercises and using resistance bands. Doing some sort of outdoor activities is a positive sign, and relief. We followed all the SAI SOPs in a very secure environment. It was more about staying fit and maintaining your well-being when we were in our rooms, but the feel-good factor is back now.”
Jakarta Silver Medallist Savita. Photo: K. Arumugam
Having had the opportunity to be all by themselves for a period of 14 days, Savita said it was one-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of them to self-evaluate and take out time for themselves. “When you are a professional athlete, it gets really hectic sometimes because you are travelling every other day, and playing often. As such you don’t really get the chance to introspect at length, but these few months and especially the past 14 days, I’ve had the chance to look back on a lot of things and understand myself better,” said the veteran Goalkeeper who hails from Sirsa, Haryana.
“What I’ve realized is that this is the only time I might get in my life where I can analyse a lot of things – personal and professional – and work towards bettering them. It may be the choices I’ve made at certain stages, or something that I can add to my personality on and off the field to make it better. It might vary for different people, but I totally believe that it has been one of the most important phases in my life as I’ve had to be very strong mentally as well.”
Appreciating the SAI and the Hockey India for their remarkable work to provide the team a safe environment she said: What it means is that we were really confident and excited to step outside of our rooms, and resume the sports activities. Credit also goes to our team management for providing us with a schedule that ensured we stayed fit during these months, and can now get our rhythm back.”
The 30-year-old also shared insights on her team’s new routine post the quarantine period. “We have to get back to full fitness so we will be including outdoor running, high-intensity workouts and a bit of stick-work to our schedule. We started today with an outdoor exercise session maintaining social distancing, and will be resuming sports activities on the hockey pitch to get our rhythm back while also following safety protocols as stated in the SOPs.”
Stick2Hockey.com
Indian women’s hockey team mulling to go abroad: Coach Sjoerd Marijne after lockdown
With the Olympics less than a year away, coach Sjoerd Marijne is hoping the Sports Authority of India (SAI) gives them permission.
By Swaroop Swaminathan
Indian women's hockey team Sjoerd Marijne (Photo | Facebook)
CHENNAI: The senior women’s hockey team could be going abroad in search of friendly matches with other nations. With the pandemic showing no signs of stopping in the country, inviting sides to India may not be practical for sometime yet.
But with the Olympics less than a year away, coach Sjoerd Marijne is hoping the Sports Authority of India (SAI) gives them permission. In a chat with this daily, the Dutchman, who just finished his quarantine after arriving back from the Netherlands, also spoke about the need to take things slowly as the campers return to the turf after more than two months of inactivity. Excerpts:
Q. You went home... only to turn around halfway to the airport. Then there was some training, then the whole team left for a break. Now you are back from the Netherlands. How have the last 3-4 months been?
A. (Laughs)... it’s fair to say the whole world has changed in the last 4-5 months. When I was going back the first time, I took the call to turn around because I wasn’t sure if I could come back and that turned out to be the correct decision.
Then, there was some training. And, yes, spending time at home was great. I had moved to a new house in December and had only spent around two weeks there. To spend close to six weeks there was nice.
The kids had their holidays so I did a lot of things with them. In fact, when it was time to head back one of them had a tough time because the children had gotten so used to me being around them.
Q. The players returned to doing some outdoor activity from Monday. What are the next 10 days going to be like?
A. The most important thing is the health of the players, you cannot underestimate the physical aspect of them. When you have gone without hockey sessions for two months, you cannot directly jump in, you have to be careful.
We will take it step by step. We have got permission for 'sporting activities' so that’s what we will be focusing on now. It’s really important to obey the rules.
Q. What is the difference between ‘sporting activities’ and full-fledged training sessions?
A. So the players will be working amongst themselves and the coaches will be on the sidelines, guiding them. Our role in such a scenario will be ensuring they follow the rules. So there will be no matches amongst the team, no one-on-one training and so on.
The players will be working on basic skills — passing, dribbling and so on. It’s also important to focus on that aspect, maintaining our skills. Once we get permission from SAI, we will go back to having matches within the squad.
Q. Have you considered the prospect of inviting other nations to India for friendly matches ?
A. That’s my hope... everybody is seeing what’s happening around the world. But is it necessary to play practice matches with the Olympics coming up? Yes, it is crucial. But I’m more living in the moment more than anything now. We will have to see what is allowed and what is not.
Q. And what about going abroad?
A. Absolutely... we would love to. If we can play matches at this time, it will be a bonus. We are looking for that option. We are busy with that. But I cannot tell where because I don’t know if I can. You of course can ask that question but I’m going to be on the safe side and not tell where.
New Indian Express
Bharat Chhetri on why Indian hockey teams can win medals in Tokyo Olympics
The former skipper reckons both the men’s and women’s teams’ distinctive style makes them capable of a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics.
By Rahul Venkat
Bharat Chhetri believes there is the right mixture of youth and experience in Indian hockey now. Photo: Hockey India
Former Indian hockey captain and goalkeeper Bharat Chhetri is confident that both the men’s and women’s teams are looking good for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
Both teams made the Tokyo cut in November last year, with the Indian men’s team beating Russia while the women went through a more nerve-wracking qualifying win over the USA, with skipper Rani Rampal’s goal sending them through.
Bharat Chhetri draws “immense joy and satisfaction” to see the current state of the teams having watched both from close quarters.
“I feel the current teams are probably the best in terms of their fitness, their style of play and the coordination,” Bharat Chhetri told Hockey India.
“This level of coordination was something that was lacking in our teams of the past which perhaps was one of the reasons we have been unable to perform exceptionally on occasions, despite having all the talent.”
In recent times, the Indian hockey teams have been defined by their energy and ability to mount relentless attacks, with chief coaches Graham Reid and Sjoerd Marijne emphasising a need to promote younger players.
It’s why a 27-year-old Manpreet Singh is captain of the men’s team and though Rani Rampal has spent a lot of time as women’s team captain, she is still only 25 years old.
“There is the right mixture of youth and experience in our ranks. The midfield and attack for both the teams is quite potent, lively, efficient and effective,” opined Chhetri.
“Both teams are also similar in their composition - both Savita Punia and PR Sreejesh are experienced goalkeepers and have a steady defence ahead of them.”
Chhetri, a London 2012 Olympian, who has worked with the Indian hockey teams as goalkeeping and assistant coach, was unable to fulfill his aim of winning a medal for his country.
But his love for the game has not diminished and the 38-year-old Chhetri sees a potential chance to live through the dream experience of winning an Olympic medal next year.
“The older Bharat, as a fan of Indian hockey, just wants to see these amazing teams win medals at Tokyo. It is not just a dream, it is a belief,” Chhetri signed off.
Olympic Channel
Umpire Javid on Hockey India's lockdown time digital events
Olympic umpire Javed Sheikh assesses Hockey India’s lockdown time digital events and feels these have helped technical officials in a big way.
Olympic level umpire Javed Sheikh
“Back when I began umpiring in the year 1999-2000, things were very different. We had to seek guidance from senior umpires at our own interest and there was never any courses or seminars as such. The lack of encouragement and knowledge base to learn often kept people from pursuing hockey officiating. Now things are better,” says Javed Shaikh, who has umpired a Commonwealth Games, an Asian Games and two World Cups.
Apart from these continued online workshops, Hockey India has also formed WhatsApp groups with one experienced International Umpire in each group consisting 15 upcoming officials to engage in healthy debate and discussions on different challenges that arise while officiating.
“These groups are constantly active where we share ready material with videos to provide clarity on various match situations. From Maharashtra alone, 70 young officials actively took part in these discussions on the group. I feel by using technology to guide young officials, umpires and technical officials, Hockey India has rekindled interest among many youngsters, both men and women, especially below 25 to take up officiating,” adds Shaikh, who will also umpire at the Tokyo Olympics Games.
“In the 90s, a handful of international Umpires were available in India to officiate matches in prestigious International events. Today Hockey India’s efforts has resulted in over 14-15 International Umpires being graded by FIH and often called-up for international assignments”.
“Even a decade ago, taking up umpiring was always a ‘second option’ for many. It was mostly ex-players, around 35-38 years, whose careers would have ended playing for their employers that often took umpiring to stay relevant in the sport. But these days, with the kind of encouragement and opportunities being provided by the Federation, we have many who are 25 years and younger who take up umpiring. This really makes me feel proud.”
Officiating at top International events requires a lot of mettle, confidence and most of all possess the ability to hold your ground with the right decision no matter the kind of pressure coaches or players put during the matches.
“In my own experience, senior players always try to dominant over a junior umpire, especially when a decision goes against them. When I began, top players like Dhanraj Pillay were actively playing domestic matches and it was never easy to officiate their matches. But I always tell youngsters that they must hold their ground. They need to be mentally strong, possess good communication and also build a rapport with players off the field so there is mutual respect,” he opined.
Looking back at his career in umpiring that has spanned over two decades, Shaikh says it has been the most satisfying experience.
“Umpiring has helped me in a big way to improve my own personality. To be able to stand on the field with 10,000 to 15,000 spectators, managing 22 top players was something unimaginable for a shy, reserved type of person like me but umpiring has changed my life and instilled tremendous self-confidence. Representing the country in top tournaments like the World Cup and Olympics too has been a huge honour and I hope many more youngsters grab the opportunities provided today to make a path for themselves in officiating,” he concluded.
Hockey India press release adds: With domestic events put on a hold due to the ongoing pandemic, Hockey India has ensured this period is not lost on technical officials and umpires in the country. Since the nation-wide lockdown began in March-April, Hockey India has conducted regular online courses for technical officials and umpires in the country. They have also encouraged many of them to attend the recent online courses conducted by Asian Hockey Federation which was aimed at providing technical expertise on various aspects of officiating and managing international matches. All of these courses have been conducted free of cost.
Stick2Hockey.com
Malaysian coaches more worried about the boys than the girls
By Jugjet Singh
THE girls have no problems, but eight boys might not be able to play in the Junior Asia Cup after it was postponed to next year.
Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) CEO Datuk Tayyab Ikram confirmed on Saturday the Junior Asia Cup, which also acts as a Junior World Cup qualifier, will not be held this year. They will look for a suitable window next year.
With the global war on the Covid-19 pandemic far from over, the 14-day quarantine period enforced by many countries, has made sporting activities a cumbersome and expensive affair.
"All my trainees will still be under-21 next year and so we don't have a problem with the tournament being moved to next year," said national women's coach Lailin Abu Hassan.
However, Lailin felt that to be fair to other countries, the age qualification should be calculated based on this year.
"Even though all my players are safe, what about the other countries? I am sure they will be unhappy if their best players are not eligible to play even though it is not their fault.
"I believe the AHF will take it into consideration when they announce the new dates for next year," said Lailin a former Olympian.
Junior men's coach Wallace Tan has 25 players in training, and eight will be overaged by next year.
"Eight of my trainees will be 22 and overaged to play next year. We will make a decision to appeal on behalf of them when the AHF announces the new dates," said Wallace.
The eight are Aidil Shah (goalkeeper), Azrai Aizad (foward), Shello Silverious (midfield), Nur Asyraf Ishak (defender), Izham Azhar (midfielder), Shafiq Hassan (defender), Nursyahmi Zukifli (midfielder), Adam Aiman (defender).
For the boys, the Junior Asia Cup semi-finalists will qualify for the Junior World Cup (next year) while for the girls, the women's tournament will hand out three tickets. For the record, the Malaysian girls have yet to make their Junior World Cup appearance.
New Straits Times
Australian Indoor veteran calls time on international career
Australia’s women’s indoor hockey squad will prepare for next year’s World Cup without one of its most experienced campaigners after Lauren Austin (pictured bottom right) announced her retirement from international indoor hockey.
Pressures to keep up with her demanding work schedule, the impact of COVID-19 restricting travel from Western Australia to Victoria (where her family are based), coupled with the time and investment required to compete at a World Cup, were all contributing factors to Austin’s decision.
“I run a cleaning company in Perth and the impact from COVID-19 has meant a huge increase in the amount of work we are getting,” said Austin.
“This has restricted the time I can dedicate to maintaining the appropriate preparations for the Australian squad as well as the ability to train and play for my local field hockey club.”
“In addition, I have family back in Victoria who I want to be able to visit and support through these very tough times.
“As a self-funded athlete, which is what every member of the Australian Indoor Hockey World Cup squad is, the choice to fund a World Cup against getting back to see and support loved ones has caused me to consider my future playing at international level and come to this decision.”
A perennial member of Australian Indoor Hockey squads since 2006, Austin represented her country at two Indoor Hockey World Cups in 2007 and 2018, scoring five goals across the two tournaments. She has also competed in a host of other international indoor tours, receiving Player of the Match awards on numerous occasions.
“My highlights would have to be scoring a penalty stroke in the last minute to draw against Germany who went on to win the 2018 World Cup, and playing with an array of not only amazing players, but people who I can say are now great friends that I have made for life,” said Austin.
In an international career that has spanned over a decade, Austin witnessed a gradual transition in the way Australian squads train and prepare around big tournaments, and believes the game is in an encouraging and positive position.
“There seems to be more of a push in the last 12 months to try and incorporate more indoor into club hockey and state hockey and there is definitely growing support from Hockey WA in both local and high performance indoor which is fantastic to see,” said Austin.
“With the additional support from our state associations and Hockey Australia, I feel we can continue to improve and develop younger talented players to be more competitive than ever on the international stage and continue to grow interest in what is definitely my favourite form of the game. We still have a long way to go but it always starts with change.”
Thankfully, Austin will not be lost to the Australian indoor hockey scene as she intends to stay involved in various capacities.
“Moving forward I still plan to be as involved in indoor hockey as much as I can be…I just love the game and the people involved in it,” said Austin.
“I will continue to develop my coaching skills and learn more in that area, as well as doing what I can to grow the game in WA and Australia, to help develop generations of players to come through and hopefully one day maybe be back at a World Cup in a coaching capacity.”
As she reflected on the experiences that indoor hockey at the highest level has given her over the years, Austin wanted to extend her gratitude for those who played a part over her journey.
“I want to massively thank all of my teammates and opponents over the years from club all the way to the international level for always helping me be the best I can be, especially those who I have played against for almost my entire career, you know who you are” said Austin.
“To the Victorian girls early on in my career and the WA girls for always supporting me and being there for me, to my Australian team mates it has been amazing playing with you all and to my coaches for your wisdom and for pushing me to be better.”
“To Atlas Hockey and Jinder for your amazing support with world class equipment and anything I have ever needed, you have always helped and couldn’t have done it without you.”
“But most of all thank you to my family for the 100% support of whatever it is I have wanted to do 95% of the time, and for pulling me into line the other 5% of the time. Indoor hockey has given me memories and friends that I will remember and cherish forever.”
Australian Women’s Indoor Head Coach Mark Sandhu took the call from Austin last week and felt firsthand the difficulty of her decision but also her comfort and acceptance in making it.
“It has been my pleasure to have been Lauren’s coach at the 2007 World Cup and in numerous squads over the years. She has been a valuable member of the Australian squad for a long time,” said Sandhu.
“She is a super competitor, aggressive, a highly skilful player and she reads the game really well...she will be missed.
“It is always disappointing to lose a player of her calibre, however we support her decision and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”
The Hockey Australia Indoor Advisory Group and the indoor hockey community also conveyed their congratulations to Austin on her career.
“On behalf of the Hockey Australian Indoor Advisory Group and the Indoor Community, I pass on sincere congratulations to Lauren “Ozzie” as she retires from international competition representing the Australian Women’s Indoor Hockey Team since the World Cup in 2007,” said Hockey Australia Indoor Advisory Chair, Lyn Hill.
“Ozzie has been a respected leader and member of a number of Australian Teams. Her commitment, skills, passion and knowledge of the indoor game have been valued by many and we will miss seeing her on the International scene. It is fantastic to know that we can still look forward to her ongoing involvement in indoor within Australia.”
Hockey Australia media release
The hockey community gets creative with their time
Sabine Hahn, whose Hockey Kids series of books for children has become a global hit, took to her drawing pad to overcome the restrictions imposed by Covid-19
Members of the international hockey from across the globe have been tapping into their creatively to connect with the wider hockey family.
The lock down and the restrictions on playing and training has not stopped the hockey community continuing to spread love for the game. While we have all seen plenty of examples of online coaching courses that have helped players and coaches to develop their skills and knowledge, there are also an emerging number of stories demonstrating the creative side of hockey and showing how it can be used to connect to members of the hockey community around the globe.
In Chile, players from the men’s and women’s national teams joined forces with the Chile Hockey Federation to organise and run a nationwide contest. The challenge took the form of a video presentation. Clubs were asked to put together a video focused on passing the ball, making the activity as creative as possible.
The response was huge, with more than 70 hockey clubs from all areas of the South American country taking part.
“It was super enriching to know that there are teams that we didn't even know existed, that they are there and they train. In other words, there are hockey players everywhere” says Chile women’s national team midfielder Mariana Lagos who, along with Captain Camila Caram, was the driving force behind the initiative.
Not only did the clubs get to connect with the national team players but the Federation gained invaluable insight into where the game has extended in recent years. As men’s national team athlete Juan Ignacio Amoroso says: "I think we had very little information on how big the hockey family is in Chile. It has always been very centralised and this was a good opportunity to get to know regional hockey ”.
The Australian men’s and women’s teams have been tapping into their musical roots as they have shared some of their favourite tunes on social media.
For the opening playlist, Tom Craig, Lachlan Sharp and Tim Brand revealed a chilled and eclectic song choice. Craig went old school with ‘My Girl’ by the Temptations; among Sharp’s choice was Rudimental’s Feel the Love; while Brand turned to Danza Kuduro by Don Omar and Believe by Cher.
Sophie Taylor, Rachael Lynch and Laura Barden’s choices were equally eclectic and included numbers from Imogen Heap, Lewis Capaldi and Matt Corbin.
"It's just really another means to stay connected," says Lynch, "both with your team mates and people who follow the team. Plus, it might just bring an artist to people's attention that they hadn't heard before or that they had forgotten about. It's just a bit of fun."
Meanwhile, Sabine Hahn, whose Hockey Kids series of books for children has become a global hit, took to her drawing pad to overcome the restrictions imposed by Covid-19.
Among the free activities the author and illustrator has published in recent months are: an Online Puzzle entitled “All will be well”; a downloadable Activity Calendar, which is available in five languages and comprises 24 daily activities for kids: drawings, hockey exercises and riddles; an Activity sheet, which shows five exercises and is available in five languages, and a Drawing Contest.
Hahn, who prior to lock-down had been giving book readings at a number of top level hockey tournaments, said: “It was hard for me to accept this unreal situation, stealing from me all the lovely contact with my tiny readers and all happy reading moments that were planned,”
Hahn remembers the first shutdown moment. “I thought of all these kids who had now to stay at home, without hockey, without their friends … and I wanted to give them a little diversion accompanying and beyond my books.”
The activities, which are aimed at children from 5-11 years, are all available for free on her website www.sabinehahn.net in Dutch, French, English, German and Spanish.
“I can’t wait for my next readings that are planned in several German schools with around 400 children in November and those in Switzerland next year during the EuroHockey 2021 U16, U18 and U21 tournaments, where we can hopefully celebrate our loved sport together again.” says Hahn.
FIH site