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All the news for Tuesday 3 November 2020

Preview: Top two prepare for Low Countries derby match in FIH Hockey Pro League



The two highest placed teams in the men’s FIH Hockey Pro League standings will go head to head on Wednesday (4 November), as pace-setters Belgium welcome the Netherlands to the Royal Uccle Sports Complex in Brussels for what promises to be an enthralling clash between the two European powerhouses.

Both teams come into the fixture on the back of double victories against Great Britain, with Belgium’s Red Lions recording 3-2 and 2-1 wins in Brussels a matter of days after the Oranje had beaten the Brits 1-0 and 3-1.

As the World and European champions, league leaders Belgium will start the contest as favourites, but Red Lions head coach Shane McLeod will be acutely aware of the threat posed by Max Caldas’s team. The Netherlands twice defeated Belgium in the 2019 edition of the competition, although the Lions did claim a 3-1 win in the semi-finals on the way to a second-place finish behind Australia.  

The Belgium and Netherlands women’s national teams will also be in action on Wednesday, with top-of-the-table Dutch looking to extend their advantage over second placed Argentina, who have played one game more than the Oranje, to six points. The reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions remain the team to beat, although Belgium – who sit sixth in the standings – will be determined to bring their A-game to the Low Countries derby match.  

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic, the FIH Hockey Pro League fixtures between Belgium and the Netherlands are a one-off departure from the standard double-header format, with the second matches between the two nations scheduled to take place on Belgian soil in May 2021. The decision was reached in agreement with the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Royal Belgian Hockey Association (KBHB), the Royal Dutch Hockey Association (KNHB) as well as our broadcasting partners.

As has been the case with all of the recent FIH Hockey Pro League matches, the health and safety requirements in relation to the COVID-19 global health pandemic means that spectators will be unable to attend the upcoming clashes, which will be played behind closed doors. However, the TV cameras will be present to capture all of the action via the global broadcast.  

More information about the matches can be found below.

Belgium v Netherlands (Women & Men)
Where: Royal Uccle Sports Complex, Brussels (BEL)
Dates: 4 November 2020

WOMEN’S MATCH  
Times: 15:30 (local time)
Match page: click here.

The essentials…

Current FIH World Ranking: Belgium: 12 | Netherlands: 1
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Belgium: 6 | Netherlands: 1
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Belgium: 5 | Netherlands: 1

Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 16 matches)
Wins: Belgium: 2 | Netherlands: 13 | Draws: 1
Goals scored: Belgium: 8 | Netherlands: 41

Team pages (squads & statistics): Belgium | Netherlands 

MEN’S MATCH
Times: 1800 (local time)
Match page: click here.

The essentials…

Current FIH World Ranking: Belgium: 1 | Netherlands: 3
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Belgium: 1 | Netherlands: 2
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Belgium: 2 | Netherlands: 3

Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 17 matches)
Wins: Belgium: 7 | Netherlands: 8 | Draws: 2
Goals scored: Belgium: 40 | Netherlands: 42

Team pages (squads & statistics): Belgium | Netherlands 

Six FIH Hockey Pro League matches are set to be played this month, with the remaining 76 scheduled between January and May 2021. 

Although the fans will not be allowed into the stadium itself, all four matches will be available to watch via television or digital streaming thanks to our broadcast partnerships, as well as on the new Watch.Hockey app in every country where a rights holding broadcaster is not showing the matches live.

You can also keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook,Instagram and Twitter.

#FIHProLeague
#HockeyInvites
#PlayHockeyStayHealthy

Official FIH Pro League Site

Wallace faces headache

By Jugjet Singh


Wallace Tan. NSTP FILE PIC

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian National Junior coach Wallace Tan is expected to trim his squad of 28 trainees later this week.

But the yet again postponement of the Junior Asia Cup (JAC) has thrown his plans into turmoil.

The JAC was initially scheduled on June 4-12 this year before it was pushed to Jan 21-30 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) have yet again postponed the tournament as hosts Bangladesh HA are unable to accommodate the visiting teams due to visa issues.

Furthermore, teams need to observe the 14-day quarantine period, which makes it almost impossible to organise a tournament.

Eight teams are involved in the JAC which offers four Junior World Cup slots.

The bad news for Malaysia is that the International Hockey Federation (IHF) and the AHF have said that only if the postponed JAC is held by the first quarter of 2021, can the teams field 22-year-old players.

Malaysia will lose out on eight of their best if the tournament is held after March.

The eight trainees who will turn 22 next year are Aidil Shah (goalkeeper), Azrai Aizad (forward), Shello Silverious (midfield), Nur Asyraf Ishak (defender), Izham Azhar (midfielder), Shafiq Hassan (defender), Nursyahmi Zukifli (midfielder) and Adam Aiman (defender).

So, if Wallace still keeps the eight in his training squad and the JAC is held after March, it will be disastrous.

And if he drops the eight and the tournament is held by March, it will also be disastrous.

It is, however, best for Wallace to keep his squad intact including Shello, who was dropped from the senior squad recently, as well as one player who could not show up for centralised training.

Granson Noel Goden was in Sabah when included in Wallace's squad.

He, however, has not reported due to travel restrictions.

One official said: "Granson is eligible to play in the Junior World Cup (if Malaysia qualify), and even though he did not report for centralised training, he is a valuable player.

And so, Wallace should include more trainees to prepare for any eventualities.

New Straits Times

Sabah hockey player learns he made national team – after flying home

By Jugjet Singh


Granson Noel Goden

SABAH'S Granson Noel Goden happily returned to the Land Below the Wind after helping his state finish sixth in the Razak Cup in Bukit Jalil in September.

The 19-year-old thought it was the end of his hockey season.

However, he was wrong as national junior coach Wallace Tan included Granson in his 28-member training squad.

It was then too late for the player to make a dash back to Bukit Jalil.

Wallace, however, gave him a training schedule, which he has been following diligently back home in interior Tenom, a three-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu.

And Granson did not just enjoy Tenom's famous coffee for the last one month but also burned the calories as instructed.

Granson will likely retain his place in Wallace's squad, even though he did not attend a day of centralised training in Bukit Jalil.

"I left Kuala Lumpur after the Razak Cup and was delighted when I had earned a call-up. However, I could not return to KL to join the rest.

"But the coach gave me a training schedule, which I have been following for five days a week. I have no access to an artificial pitch in Tenom, but I do physical and other training sessions on a grassy area near my house," said Granson.

Granson has never played for the nation, not even the Sultan of Johor Cup, and he is excited about the possibility of breaking into the national junior team for the Junior Asia Cup.

"My dream is to play in the Junior Asia Cup and help Malaysia qualify for the (Junior) World Cup.

"That's why I will keep pushing myself to the limit in training, even though I am alone in Tenom while the rest are in KL.

"I hope I will be part of the next phase of training and will travel to KL to join my teammates when I get the chance."

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) will give an update on the junior team today.

Wallace, however, is not expected to drop any of his trainees as the Asian Hockey Federation have yet to finalise the new dates for the twice-postponed Junior Asia Cup.

New Straits Times

Full throttle to a standstill - One year since Ireland made history

By Nigel Ringland


Ayeisha  McFerran made two saves in the shootout

For some of the Ireland women's hockey squad it feels like yesterday, for others a lifetime ago.

It is, in fact, a year since that dramatic night at Donnybrook in Dublin.

Ireland and Canada had just played out a second forgettable scoreless game in twenty-four hours, with the nerves and occasion getting to both countries.

A place in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would be decided in a shootout. In front of the largest ever crowd to attend a women's sporting fixture in Ireland, the evening went from forgettable to unforgettable in an instant.

At 3-1 up in the shootout, the Canadians now with four opportunities to dash Irish Olympic dreams once again after the tears of 2012 and 2016,

However Ireland produced the comeback of all comebacks to win in sudden death and make history, and in doing so they became the first Irish women's team in any sport to qualify for an Olympic Games.

The emotion was genuine as the squad acknowledged those players who had gone before them, setting the platform for this group who had already shocked the world in 2018 by reaching the World Cup Final.

The uncertainty was hard

2020 was going to be their year.

And then...the world changed.

Like everyone else the women had to come to terms with the Olympics being postponed and then focus on not only how lockdown affected their training but more importantly their families and livelihoods.

"Qualifying didn't sink in for quite some time, in fact I don't think it will until we step out on the pitch in Tokyo and see the rings," said midfielder Chloe Watkins.

"The last few months of training before the postponement, things were getting very real and we were getting to the point of selection dates coming up and the final stages of preparation when things were being pulled."


Ireland celebrate qualifying for the Olympics. Ireland's Olympic dream has been delayed until 2021

Major life decisions had to be taken by members of the squad. Many had put college or job opportunities on hold, could they afford to do that for another year? Others had planned international hockey retirement following the Games. Could they hold on especially with the uncertainty that still remains that the Olympics could yet be cancelled?

"The time around the postponement was the toughest. It was quite abrupt and from training for the biggest tournament of your life you're suddenly training by yourself and the uncertainty was hard, as it was for everyone," added Watkins.

"We're used to having our next twelve months planned out to the day and to have no plan and no clue what would be happening was hard.

"Everyone needed their own space and to process what was going on and other aspects of their lives had been affected as well so everyone needed a break."
'Plenty of reasons to smile'

Goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, who made those two crucial saves in the shootout, spent lockdown in the Netherlands where she plays her club hockey. She hasn't been home since Christmas.

"When the delay was announced I was actually having quite a tough time with my hockey, I wasn't playing well, I wasn't in a good space with it and I didn't really want to play if I'm being honest," she said.

"Ultimately it worked out for the best in a bad situation for me. I needed to get away from the sport and not have to think about it.

"The mental side was tough however, I had no routine, I was living in Holland, I was by myself and it was a challenge but I've learnt a lot about myself as a person and the hope that the Olympics will happen takes all the negatives away and gives you something to hold on to."

The squad have been back in socially distanced training for the past few months and while there is a provisional plan in place moving forward it is subject to change as life in general is at the moment.

Even before the Olympics is scheduled next July there are the European Championships and World Cup qualification to think about but ultimately Tokyo is the goal and there is plenty of recent positivity from both the Japanese government and International Olympic Committee that the Games will go ahead, albeit not as we've known it before.

"We don't have too much to complain about in the grand scheme of things," added Roisin Upton.

"Yes, we had gone full throttle for the Olympics and it was disappointing but I guess the good news is that things at the moment are sounding so positive that Tokyo 2021 will go ahead with or without a vaccine and that has definitely spurred us on to continue training.

"The reassurance that we received from the Olympic Federation of Ireland in recent days was fantastic and it has realigned our focus.

"It is a new norm and it can still be challenging but we are still very grateful that we still have the opportunity that this squad will still be going to an Olympics in Tokyo next summer."

BBC Sport

Ireland's Olympic hockey qualification one year on: 'It feels like only yesterday'

"The people you normally need to lean on, you couldn’t be with them. That made it even more difficult," says Katie Mullan

Stephen Findlater


Katie Mullan is happy simply to take the reassurances and skip the fear of missing out on the Tokyo Olympics.

Exactly a year since that electrifying night in Donnybrook’s Energia Park, Katie Mullan was probably expecting to be basking in the afterglow of a maiden Irish women’s Olympic hockey campaign.

Instead, a global pandemic means those Tokyo qualifiers remain fresh in the memory. Two drenched contests in the repurposed rugby stadium drew record crowds of over 6,000 each time, enduring the conditions and two emotionally agonising scoreless battles before Canada were eventually defeated in a sudden death shootout.

The conditions and the occasion prevented an expansive performance with the temporary surface holding huge amounts of water; the litres that did drain off wreaking havoc with RTÉ’s booth just above the Dodder.

But, like the 2018 World Cup, the set-piece of the one-on-one shootout duels provide a focal point.

The ice cold “Watkins’ wink” and Roisin Upton unknowingly scoring the vital goal with a broken wrist created a folklore and ecstasy which a 3-0 cruise could never have provided.

“We are well aware the fashion it happened in added to the celebrations!” Mullan grins on the anniversary.

“With such a huge crowd and atmosphere, our competitive nature as athletes, we definitely reflect with some disappointment that we didn’t give the crowd more to scream about during normal time and score a few goals.

“But because it went to the wire, there are youngsters in the stand who will never forget that night. That is the power of it and what it did for our sport. It’s huge.”

The Green Army entered the arena with big smiles, the Coleraine woman’s beam stretching across the huge screen.

But, in front of an expectant home crowd, there was a tangible “nervous energy” they struggled to tame.

While London 2018 was a shot to nothing, now everything was on the line. There, they existed in their own bubble, embracing each contest like Christmas Eve in gleeful anticipation — this time, the full media and public glare was on.

“There was huge pressure to perform. We don’t have a whole lot of experience of that within Ireland, playing in front of a home crowd and such a spectacle. That will stand to us in time and maybe there won’t be the same nerves around us as players.

“It was a very special day and it’s hard to believe it’s a full year ago. In some ways, it feels like only yesterday. There’s a huge amount of pride to be part of it to get over the line; doing it in front of such an amazing crowd is unimaginable and it will go down as a special moment in history for Irish hockey.”

With the ticket to Tokyo booked, what should have followed was a relatively quick turnaround en route to the pinnacle of their sport.

Several training camps in January and February set the base layer for the final run-in before the abrupt halt.

A second South African tour of the year, scheduled for mid-March, was pulled at the last minute with the news Tokyo 2020 was becoming Tokyo 2021 arriving four days later and reality bit.

“When we stood on the pitch that night in Donnybrook, we were ready to hit the ground running for preparation,” Mullan said.

The way things unfolded, everything was flipped upside down. We function in cycles; it’s four years of planning, training, preparation. Adding that extra year completely changes things.”

Potential retirements have been put on hold, wedding plans and job arrangements have all had to be readjusted but it is the mental side of being out of the team environment that proved the trickiest to cope with.

“That’s been a huge challenge for everyone, for their personal lives, their working lives and how we manage it all.

“The hardest part is the only people who knew how we felt were our team-mates, especially around May, June and July when it was all meant to be building and happening. For that period, we weren’t able to be together.

“The people you normally need to lean on, you couldn’t be with them. That made it even more difficult.”

The postponement and the pandemic did offer a rare chance to throw herself fully into her work at Axial3D where she is a visualisation engineer, specialising in 3D printing of medical supplies.

They provide anatomical models for surgeons to help them with complex case surgeries but pivoted to produce personal protective equipment for hospitals and the healthcare industry.

The workload barely slowed down since; lockdown created a large backlog of surgeries which Mullan and the company are now working through to assist. The 26-year-old was grateful for the distraction but has also relished being able to scale back that commitment to three days a week in recent times.

The Irish women’s team availing of an exemption to the level 5 restrictions for elite sports, finally allowing them to link up at Abbotstown on Mondays and Tuesdays as a group once again.

Last week, Olympic Chef de Mission Tricia Heberle outlined a series of proposed changes to normal protocols with the athletes’ village and overall experience likely to be far removed from years gone by.

But Mullan is happy simply to take the reassurances and skip the fear of missing out.

“We don’t know any better! None of us has been to a Games so we don’t have preconceived ideas or expectations which, in a way, is a good thing. We won’t be comparing it to anything before.

“There was a stage where a Tokyo Olympics may not even be happening a few months ago so I think there is relief it will go ahead and are very grateful for that.

“Whatever way we have to do it with the restrictions and precautions, we are fully in support. It’s a safety-first approach and hopefully, for those who get selected, it will be a Games to celebrate and remember after some of the biggest challenges people across the world have had to face over the last 18 months.”

The Irish Examiner

Confident about Indian hockey team doing well in Tokyo Olympics: Kiren Rijiju

Originally scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9 this year, the Tokyo Olympics was in March postponed to 2021 following the outbreak of coronavirus.


Union MoS Youth Affairs and Sports (Independent Charge) and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju addresses at the meeting of the National Sports Federations (NSFs) to discuss National Sports code and other issues, in New Delhi on Oct 11, 2019. (Photo: IANS/PIB)

Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday exuded confidence that both men’s and women’s hockey teams will come out with a good performance in the Olympic Games scheduled to be held next year in Tokyo.

“I’m saying it with full confidence and hopeful that both men’s and women’s hockey team will do well in Tokyo Olympics. Our boys and girls are really working very hard,” Rijiju said in a tweet.

“We are providing them with top facilities and best support systems,” he added.

Originally scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9 this year, the Tokyo Olympics was in March postponed to 2021 following the outbreak of coronavirus. It is now set to be held from July 23 to August 8 next year.

Last year, both the hockey teams secured their Olympic berth in Bhubaneswar following successful outing in the Olympic Qualifiers at the Kalinga Stadium.

The men’s team, led by Manpreet Singh, had comfortably defeated Russia on aggregate score of 11-3 while the women’s team, under Rani’s leadership, edged out USA 6-5 in closely fought matches.

“We are shaping up well as a team and thanks to a very systematic approach in training adopted by the chief coach (Graham Reid) and particularly our scientific advisor Robin Arkell, we have gone back to the same fitness levels and are able to bring about optimal levels in high intensity sessions,” Manpreet said recently.

“…now we are stronger mentally and that will be our strength when we meet teams like Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain etc at the Olympic Games in Tokyo,” said Rani.

Both the teams are currently taking part in the national coaching camp at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility in Bengaluru.

The Statesman

Wazalendo step up preps for continental showpiece

By Ayumba Ayodi


Wazalendo Hockey Club's Edwin Omondi (left) tries to dribble past teammate Steve Biko during their training session at Utawala grounds on November 1, 2020.
Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group

There is no relenting for Wazalendo Hockey Club as they step up their preparations for the Africa Cup for Clubs Championship despite Covid-19 challenges and fears that the event might be postponed.

Uncertainty shrouds the annual event that is due from November 30 to December 5 in Blantyre, Malawi due to Covid-19 situation in Africa.

Wazalendo, who transited from individualised training in May to small groups training six weeks ago at four different venues, are yearning for the next phase of full-fledged training if the Ministry of Sports will allow it.

Team Manager Ndungú Njogu said that despite the circumstances, they are determined to continue training hard with or without the continental showpiece taking place.

“The event in Malawi will be a big opportunity for us to showcase our talent. We were not able to compete at the 2007 event in Cairo after we arrived late for the tournament,” said Njogu.

Njogu said even though there is information that the event could be postponed owing to the Covid-19 situation, there has been no official communication from the Africa Hockey Federation (AHF).

“The best we can do is stay prepared and wait for any eventuality,” said Njogu, adding that it will be a big achievement for them if they are to reach the semi-finals of the African event.

“Realistically, our target is the semi-finals since we want to use the event as a stepping stone to future events.”

But before that, Njogu said they are waiting for a communication from the ministry to allow them to merge their smaller groups for a full-fledged training on the standard pitch at the City Park Stadium.

Wazalendo have  been training in small groups of not more than 12 players at Utawala Sports ground, Ngong Road, Rongai and Western Kenya.

“Moving to an AstroTurf pitch will be great since we are currently using the dusty football pitch like the one in Utawala.”

Wazalendo Hockey Club Secretary James Omondi said they intend to take 40 players for the continental event with the Africa Club Championships Local Steering Committee targeting to raise Sh7 million for the trip.

“We require a lot of funding owing since we need quality equipment for training and competition like the hockey sticks that cost not less than Sh 20,000 and balls,” said Omondi, adding that money raised also will go towards their air tickets and accommodation while in Malawi.

“Such tournaments require quality and we don’t want to come up with excuses.”

Omondi said they target taking a large number to Malawi for experience purposes. “We are one of the biggest clubs in the country, attracting a training field of 60 players. It will be good to inspire some of these players, said Omondi, adding that their long term plan is to lift the men's Premier League and qualify for every continental outing.

The Steering Committee chairman, Moses Majiwa, said fundraising is ongoing on M-changa, having also approached several potential corporate sponsors for help.

“This event is big for us to be able to sustain it from our internal resources. We have decided to open it up to the public, fans and corporates,” said Majiwa.

Wazalendo finished second behind Butali Sugar Warriors during the 2019 Premier League. Both clubs will represent the country in the continental event.

Daily Nation

Will Dutch hockey be gender equal by 2025? Top sponsor gives clubs ultimatum

By Rod Gilmour



Dutch hockey’s long term sponsor, ABN Amro, has launched a campaign to address inequality in the sport across pay salaries, coaching and the boardroom. However, this is no ordinary initiative. The banking giant has a premise for the multitude of clubs it supports: pledge equality by 2025 and your sponsorship will be renewed.

Last week, ABN Amro, which supports around 50 clubs and several Dutch Premier Division teams, launched its ‘Time to catch up’ campaign as it bids for equal representation on and off the pitch in under five years time.

“Fair play is of paramount importance,” said the bank, which also successfully lobbied for the EHL to become gender balanced with equal prize money. “Yet, looking at the position of men and women, it is anything but ‘fair’. Women in hockey don’t receive the same opportunities as men do.”

In figures released by ABN Amro:

Male players earn five to ten times more than women
70 per cent of coaches in all teams are male
80 per cent of hockey club presidents are male
80 per cent of sponsorship funds is spent on men

According to ABN Amro, the campaign offers sessions for board members of clubs focusing on benefits they may not be aware of. “For women, there are several inspiring workshops. How do you put your dreams into action?” it said. “How do you hold your ground during salary or position negotiations? How can you become more aware of what your body needs? And how can you present yourself more powerfully through personal branding? We are campaigning at major tournaments to raise awareness among players.”

In a poll run by hockey.nl this week, around 60 per cent of voters said that it wouldn’t be realistic that clubs would comply with the principle by 2025.


Sponsor has called on equal pay for men and women PIC: World Sport Pics

Diederik Chevalier, the HC Rotterdam chairman, said that some clubs may find it difficult to support given disparity with team success. “With us, the first women’s team plays one class [division] lower, then you compare apples with pears,” he told Dutch newspaper Het Parool. “But take a club like Bloemendaal, where the men are invariably champion candidates and the women are not, then you have to deal with different budgets.”

Alex Danson highlighted the news on social media last week and said that English hockey should look to follow suit. Although Dutch and English club hockey is vastly different in terms of finance and set up, it is certainly possible to address the balance of inequality.

The club administrators The Hockey Paper spoke to believe that male representation holds sway in hockey across pay and coaching positions, while it is more difficult to get a handle on pay with salaries usually sorted via accomodation or other means. Still, there’s no question that there is gender inequality here.

Danson told The Daily Telegraph: “I believe following a similar step that is being made by ABN Amro in the Dutch league to help equalise salaries across male and female club players, this is something that needs to be followed by clubs in our Premier Divisions.

“We are one of the most equitable sports in the UK in terms of coverage, participation, and UK Sport/National Lottery funding at GB and England level, but I don’t believe this translates to our top level club hockey.

“I know some clubs are under huge financial pressures at the moment, but what message are we sending to our female players if we don’t believe they are of equal value to their male counterparts?”

Meanwhile the bank also said it would add equal opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and athletes with disabilities to its campaign at a later date.

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The Hockey Paper

Milkha Singh steps in to help struggling hockey player chase his dreams

Legendary sprinter Milkha Singh offered to provide financial help to Harpreet Singh after the latter was forced to work two jobs to help his family.

By Rahul Venkat



Teenager Harpreet Singh had never in his life imagined that his sporting career would be revived by one of India’s most legendary athletes in Milkha Singh.

Harpreet, an 18-year-old hockey player who was one of the top scorers at the Khelo India Youth Games earlier this year, was forced to work a double-shift as a labourer after he was not named in the Indian junior team’s probables squad.

Harpreet’s story, which was reported by the Punjab-based news organisation The Tribune, caught Milkha Singh’s eye and his family made up their mind to help the youngster.

Milkha Singh, his wife, former Indian volleyball player Nirmal Kaur, and their son Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh offered a Rs. 50,000 cheque to Harpreet Singh.

They also assured Harpreet that he would be provided with the requisite facilities by ‘Milkha’s Charitable Trust’, an entity they set up to help youngsters like Harpreet get the support needed to fulfil their potential.

“No dream is small. If you want to play for India, you should be ready to give your best for achieving it. I have faced such situations. But once you fight against the odds, you achieve what you desire,” Milkha Singh told Harpreet Singh.

For the 18-year-old Harpreet, the financial support is a new lease of life and it also gives him new hope of fulfilling his dream as the local hockey association planned to appeal to the national selectors to give Harpreet a trial.

“I am very happy. I have no words to explain my feelings. I have never expected to meet Milkha sir and his family like this. I won’t let them down,” an elated Harpreet Singh told The Tribune.

The Milkha Singh family has been actively helping people out for a long time. They requested the makers of ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, the biopic on Milkha Singh, to donate the proceeds from the film to the ‘Milkha Charitable Trust’.

Milkha Singh’s daughter Dr Mona was also at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 in New York.

Olympic Channel

Field Hockey Canada announces month-long Men’s Super League

November Super League offers an elite competition element as the national team prepares for an Olympic campaign



The best men’s players in the country. Three teams. Game on!

When the Canadian Men’s National Team qualified for Tokyo 2020 a year ago, no one cold have predicted what was on the way. Although the national teams have been safely training since the end of summer, the postponement of the Tokyo Games and other international competitions left the men’s national team with major competition gaps. With COVID-19 throwing complications in the traditional build up to an Olympic Games, Field Hockey Canada is taking the opportunity to offer a four-week Super League for nationally identified athletes.

Visit league homepage here

 VISION

1. International Quality Matches: Provide high-level domestic competition aimed at addressing the lack of international competition due to COVID-19 restrictions.
2. Athlete Pathway: Improve the integration and opportunity for NextGEN athletes to access National Team Coaches and selection opportunities for National Teams.
3. International Preparation: Improve preparation of junior and senior national team programs in build up to international events.

SCHEDULE

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

These matches will follow Field Hockey Canada Return to Play protocols with the highest emphasis on player safety. FHC National program athletes will be allowed to take part in this series as part of the FHC cohort, and will be allowed to train or play in one other cohort to adhere to the two cohort model. As FHC moves to Phase-two of return to play, we will see the implementation of cohorts. For more information, please visit Field Hockey Canada’s return to play page.

TEAMS

SUPPORT

Thank you to our primary sponsor, Frontline Medical for their support helping make the FHC Super League possible.

Thanks, as always to our organization sponsors, Gryphon Hockey and Osaka for their continued support.

STREAMING

Field Hockey Canada is working to live stream select games. More information to be provided at a later date.

Field Hockey Canada media release

Gold Rush of Growth Coming to the Golden State

By Kendall Beveridge, California State Chapter President



It’s hard to deny the things people love about California: weather, hiking trails, produce, beaches, innovation, entertainment, sports teams. I could go on. While I am not from here, I do love this state, and one of the reasons I have called San Francisco home for the past nine years is the California field hockey community.



Across our vast geography, we have teams for all ages that speak multiple languages and represent countries around the world. While we definitely don’t have the most players per capita, we have high-performing talent. In fact, most of the men who represent the United States internationally are from the Golden State. Without a doubt, California’s diversity is what makes it special. Our blend of nationalities, ethnicities, genders and more make this vibrant community a place where we all have at least one thing in common: a sport we love.

I have had countless conversations over the past several years about how to organize all the pockets of incredible fi eld hockey communities across the state. We’ve brainstormed how to keep collegiate players engaged, let international transplants know they have a home, grow the game among players of different socioeconomic backgrounds, get more boys playing and convince public high schools to add the sport.

After years of talk, I was excited to learn that USA Field Hockey was planning a pilot program for State Chapters. In July 2019, I joined the regionalization committee to formulate a plan for local leadership and presented our recommendation at the California Field Hockey Symposium last December to a statewide group of advocates. We received incredibly helpful feedback and kicked off conversations for the California State Chapter in early 2020.

Our Strategic Plan

On April 28, 2020, the California State Chapter leadership team presented its strategic plan to USA Field Hockey’s National Development Director Sally Goggin and a few additional advisors. In addition to my role as State Chapter President, our core team includes Nicole Ng, Vice President; Jessica Hendricks, NorCal Regional Director; and Lindsay Coony, SoCal Regional Director.

We are committed to testing and learning throughout this pilot program and want to operate with a level of transparency that our peers have been craving. We developed our initial plan to prioritize building a large, representative volunteer base to drive community building and to stabilize declining USA Field Hockey Membership. We want to celebrate the diversity of our state and fi eld hockey community, and value innovation and creativity in achieving these goals.

Instead of establishing a set of committees around audiences like high school, umpires, adults, boys, etc., our plan focuses on four strategic areas during the initial six months of the pilot program.

1. Quantify: Establish baseline numbers for measuring the pilot’s success through a ‘State of the State’ online survey. We need a clear understanding of the status quo to measure and track our success over time. Our hope is to give every member of this community a voice in the process to better prioritize our key initiatives. Following the results of the survey, we will form task forces roughly aligned with our strategic priorities.
2. Communicate: Announce State Chapter and build credibility through transparent, consistent communication about progress against goals. Our first step is to launch the California State Chapter website and host a town hall Questions and Answer session about our strategic plan for interested community members. In the future, we will likely use an email newsletter to share regular updates.
3. Activate: Build a representative volunteer base and empower them to be local ambassadors for the State Chapter mission and goals. The field hockey community in California provides a valuable support system and outlet for the physical and mental health of players, coaches, umpires parents and fans. Our leadership of this community is only as successful as the quality and commitment of our volunteers.
4. Retain: Make membership valuable through development of programs to meet the specific needs of USA Field Hockey members living in California. Following the results of the‘State of the State’ survey, we plan to launch programs targeted specifically to early high school players and coaches that prioritize online learning and knowledge sharing.

The growth of field hockey participation in California has had its stops and starts. As we prepare to host the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, we hope to capitalize on this moment to build greater interest throughout the state. Recent sport development highlights include:

• High School & Club: In the Bay Area, a new division in the South Bay has five high schools adding field hockey, just two years after the creation of Marin County Athletic League with seven teams. In Southern California, Ventura County has been incredibly successful producing players for the junior and senior men’s national teams.
• Collegiate: Seven universities have co-ed club teams competing in the Western Collegiate Field Hockey Conference. Unfortunately, there are only two remaining NCAA Division I programs at the University of California, Berkeley and University of California, Davis. Stanford University announced it will cut its program after the 2020 season and University of the Pacific ended its program in 2018.
• Adult: In 2019, The Olympic Club (San Francisco) won the United States Field Hockey League (USFHL) Women’s National Championship while San Jose Khalsa won second place in the men’s division for the second year in a row.

Staying Connected

Despite the current challenges we face in public health and racial inequality, I’m proud of the way California’s field hockey community has stayed connected throughout our state’s strict shelter-in-place recommendations. Some of the highlights include:

• Players from Coastal Clash in San Diego have taken to the streets to sharpen their skills.
• WC Riptide in Los Angeles partnered with Uru Sports to run weekly sessions with Team USA athletes like Pat Harris and Ally Hammel, and other players from around the world.
• Fog City Field Hockey in San Francisco hosted a virtual Awards Dinner to celebrate their players, and continue to host weekly trivia nights to stay in touch.
• California’s members on the U.S. Women’s Masters National Team have spent the early hours of the weekend doing strength training and drills with their East Coast counterparts through Zoom.
• 79 Field Hockey in Temecula and San Francisco Youth Field Hockey Club provided virtual trainings throughout the spring and are now starting socially distanced trainings.

I would argue that the most disappointing sports cancellation this year was not the NBA Finals or the Boston Marathon, it was the California Cup (Cal Cup). As the longest running international field hockey tournament in the United States, Cal Cup brings our state’s field hockey community together with players from all over the world to celebrate Memorial Day weekend at Moorpark College. Next year, you’re invited. Whether you play in the middle school or masters division, we hope you’ll join us in sunny Southern California to experience this vibrant community for yourself.

For more information about the California State Chapter, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

USFHA media release

Hall of Fame - Kay Lehmann (nee Kindervater)



A brilliant defender, Kay Lehmann had an indelible mark on the teams she played for, including when she represented her country.

Kay’s career for the Hockeyroos comprised 32 caps, one goal and two IFWHA tournaments. She made her debut on 14 August 1965 against New Zealand, becoming the 228th female Australian player to be capped.

Kay was an outstanding defender who used her arsenal of skills to great advantage. Her decisive hitting was used to considerable effect in the short corner battery. Along with her precise passing, excellent trapping and quick reflexes, her ability to read the play made her a most valuable player for the teams in which she played.

Kay was born in Maryborough in Queensland and was first selected to play for her state at the age of 18. She was a member of the state team for nine years.

Kay went on to play for Australia for over eight years. She toured to Europe and South Africa in 1970, and to the IFWHA tournaments in Germany in 1967 and New Zealand in 1971.  It was at the New Zealand tournament that she was named in a World XI.

In 2000 Kay was one of the 11 players named in the Queensland Women’s Team of the Century and she was also an inaugural inductee into the Queensland Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002.

Kay’s induction into the Hockey Australia Hall of Fame was ratified in 2019.

What she said…

“It is of course a great honour to be recognised for my playing career but that is only part of it. My children were not around to see me playing at international level and they and their children were delighted to hear of this honour and this is perhaps the greatest source of satisfaction to me. It also probably helps them to understand why I spent so much time coaching various teams during their childhood and why they spent Saturdays at the hockey grounds. I would also say that I am in this position because I had lots of support from coaches in my earliest days in Maryborough Queensland, from Ruby Robinson in Brisbane and also from the many teammates in both Queensland and Australian sides. One player can do so much but without a team she is limited.” Kay Lehmann

From those in the know…

“Who could forget Kay’s outstanding match against England in front of 45,000 screaming school girls at White City in 1970. A match that finished 1-1 with her scoring from a short corner. A superb hockey career. Well done.” Wendy Pritchard (Hockey Australia Hall of Fame Committee Member and Award of Merit recipient)

Hockey Australia media release

Campaigns launched to address youth sport and inactivity


All community hockey will stop from Thursday (Picture taken before pandemic). Photo: David Dales

Pressure is mounting on the UK government to address its decision to stop children from playing youth sport – including at hockey clubs – when England’s lockdown begins on Thursday for four weeks.

The government signalled a suspension of grassroots sport on Saturday for outdoor team sports, with England Hockey halting leagues 24 hours later.

Hockey was not deemed at risk from widespread infection in outdoor spaces when leagues got under way in September.

And although grassroots hockey, community sessions and training for adults has been banned there are now fears of large scale inactivity for under-18s over the next month due to government banning children mixing in numbers.

While clubhouses will close schools remain open, and children should still be able to play sport while it is not known whether university sport will be forced to stop playing.

School coaches The Hockey Paper spoke to on Monday say that hockey will continue, without matches and in the usual year group bubbles they have adhered to this term.



With currently no exemptions for youth sport, The Telegraph launched a ‘Keep Kids Active in Lockdown’ campaign on Monday to urge the government from ceasing children’s sport.

Meanwhile ex-footballer Robbie Savage also started an online petition at the weekend, calling on the government to allow youth sports to continue.

Savage said: “The Government is keeping schools open during the proposed lockdown from November 5 to December 2, and we would ask that they also allow structured and supervised youth teams sports to continue as well.”

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The Hockey Paper

Hockey Ireland Receives €240,500 from Sport Resilience Fund



Following the submission of a detailed application covering Club and NGB needs in September 2020, Sport Ireland has today announced the allocation of €240,500 to Hockey Ireland from the ‘Sport Resilience Fund’. The ‘Sport Resilience Fund’ was established by the government earlier this year in recognition that the sports sector is one of the worst impacted sectors by Covid-19.

Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media, Catherine Martin TD and Minister of State for Sport and Gaeltacht Affairs, Jack Chambers TD, today announced an unprecedented €85 million funding package for the Irish sport sector, which has been significantly impacted by the various Covid-19 restrictions imposed since March 2020. [Sport Ireland Press Release]

CEO of Hockey Ireland, Jerome Pels, said “Hockey Ireland are delighted to receive this funding during these difficult, uncertain times. The past few months have been challenging for our sport between lockdown and playing restrictions. We appreciate this significant support from Sport Ireland and the Government through the Sport Resilience Fund and look forward to working with our clubs to create a positive impact for the sport.”

Hockey Ireland received a total of €240,500 under Scheme 2 and Scheme 3.

“Under Scheme 2: 20 National Governing Bodies will be supported with in excess of €5 million to offset 2020 losses. Broadly, this funding encompasses the loss of income from events, ticket sales, sponsorship, affiliation & membership fees, courses and services and the additional costs arising from the implementation of social distancing and Covid-19 protocols.
While in Scheme 3: The Club Resilience Fund supports Sports Clubs that find themselves in need of assistance due to Covid-19. Sport Ireland will not fund Clubs, Affiliates, Provinces or Branches directly and funding will be accessed through programmes established by each of the National Governing Bodies in receipt of funding.”

You can read the full Sport Ireland press release at: https://www.sportireland.ie/news/eu85-million-provides-timely-boost-to-irish-sport-sector

Hockey Ireland will be contact in due course with the relevant clubs who applied for the Sport Ireland Resilience Fund earlier this year

Irish Hockey Association media release