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All the news for Tuesday 5 January 2021

Tokyo 2020: 200 days to go!



Monday 4 January 2021 marked exactly 200 days until the start of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. As everybody knows, the Games of the XXXII Olympiad were originally set to take place in July-August 2020, before the impact of the Covid-19 global health pandemic forced the prestigious multi-sport event to be postponed by one year, the first time that a Summer Olympic Games did not take place in its scheduled year since World War II.

The seriousness of the Covid-19 situation meant that postponement was completely unavoidable, bringing us into uncharted territory. 2021 is the Olympic year that nobody expected. The Olympic crowns of Argentina men and Great Britain women are going unchallenged for 12 months longer than any hockey gold medal-winning nation since the London Olympics in 1948, where India men successfully defended the title they won some 12 years earlier at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.

The Olympic Games are the pinnacle of any athlete’s sporting careers; for sports fans an opportunity to immerse themselves for two weeks of the most incredible action imaginable, watching over 11,000 athletes competing in 33 different sports. Hockey has always been incredibly proud to be part of the Olympic family. Our brilliant sport has featured at every Olympic Games played since Amsterdam 1928, with the upcoming event in Tokyo being the 24th appearance in the 26 modern Olympiads since 1908.

In terms of the hockey competition itself, very little has changed from what had previously been revealed. The event will take place at the Oi Hockey Stadium, the purpose-built, state-of-the-art 15,000 seat venue (10’000 for the North Pitch and 5’000 for the South Pitch) in the Tokyo Bay Zone that will be the home of Japanese hockey for decades to come.

Although the Olympic hockey competition will now start on Saturday 24 July and conclude on Friday 6 August 2021, nothing has changed in terms of the overall running order of the matches.

The opening match of the Games will be contested between the men of Japan and Australia, with the host nation facing a stern test from the 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League champions - Olympic gold medallists at Athens 2004 - on 24 July (09:30 local time).  

The opening match of the women’s tournament will be played on the same day, with reigning world champions and current world number one the Netherlands - Olympic champions in 1984, 2008 and 2012 - taking on India (20:45 local time).

The men’s and women’s gold medal matches will take place on 5 and 6 August respectively. The full match schedule of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic hockey tournaments can be found by clicking here. To download a PDF of the competition schedule, click here.

All of the teams that will compete in Tokyo earned their tickets by either becoming continental champions of their respective regions or via the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers. This includes the national teams of Japan, who on top of qualifying as hosts also booked direct tickets to the event by both becoming continental champions thanks to their gold medals at the Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Whilst the pandemic is far from being over, the development of vaccines for Covid-19 have provided much needed light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel. The Tokyo Olympic Organising Committee (TOCOG), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese authorities are working tirelessly to ensure that the Olympic Games in Tokyo can take place as safely and securely as possible for everyone who attends. It promises to be a thrilling occasion, one that Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga says will offer “proof that humanity has defeated the virus”. Like the rest of the global sporting family, we simply cannot wait for the action to begin.

Tokyo 2020 Hockey Competition – The Pools

Men
Pool A: Australia, Argentina, India, Spain, New Zealand, Japan
Pool B: Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Canada, South Africa

Women
Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, India, South Africa
Pool B: Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, Spain, China, Japan

The pools for the Olympic hockey competitions were revealed in November 2019, with the composition being determined by the same process applied for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 (See Appendix 2).

#Tokyo2020
#HockeyInvites

FIH site

200 days to Tokyo Olympics: Manpreet, Rani prepare for challenges

Pushed back by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quadrennial sporting extravaganza is slated to be held in July-August 2021.


Indian hockey team captains Manpreet Singh and Rani Rampal pose for the media ahead of the Olympic qualifier matches in Bhubaneswar on October 18, 2019.   -  The Hindu

Keeping the fast-evolving COVID-19 situation in mind, India men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh says his side will need to be "mentally prepared" for the obstacles it might face on en route to the Tokyo Olympics.

Pushed back by a year due to the pandemic, the quadrennial sporting extravaganza is slated to be held in July-August.

"The biggest learning from last year was to not let external factors affect our goal. There could be many uncertainties but we need to only worry about what's within our control and that is to work towards being our best.

"There could be several challenges leading up to the Olympic Games this year and we need to be mentally prepared for it," Manpreet said.

With only 200 days to go for the Olympics, Manpreet believed the players in respective core groups will have to give their 100 per cent to be able to achieve their goals in Tokyo.

"The next 200 days is going to be the most important period of our lives. Each one of us have to give our 100 per cent in training and in competition if we want to see ourselves make the Indian team for Tokyo," stated the midfielder.

Women's team skipper Rani Rampal agreed that in the next few months the players will need to up their game in all aspects.

"In the previous national camp which lasted over four months, we have really worked hard to reach the level we were previously at. In the next few months, our focus will be on improving further in all aspects of the game.

"Our competitions this year will show us where we stand and what needs to be improved. From here on, each one of us have to work on being the best," said Rani, a Khel Ratna awardee.

She added players should not take their place in the team for granted and they will have to showcase that they are indeed the best to make the cut.

"I look forward to good competition within the team as it brings out the best in us. Another thing we need to focus on is our mental fitness and also take care of our bodies in the lead up to the Games to avoid injuries," Rani stated.

Sportstar

Indian men's hockey tour for 'Summer Series' cancelled after Covid mutation and surge in cases in South Africa

Jaspreet Sahni

NEW DELHI: Indian men's hockey team's plans to come out of the Covid-forced break and kick off the New Year with an international tour has hit a roadblock, with South Africa cacancelling the multi-nation 'Summer Series' due to mutation of the Covid-19 virus and surge in the number of cases.

Gregg Clark returns to India as the Analytical Coach of Men’s national team   


Gregg Clark

New Delhi: Former Junior India national coach Gregg Clark returns to India as the new Analytical Coach of the Indian Men’s national team. He tenure will be  till the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympic Games, announces Hockey India. The former South African chief coach was till recently the Canadian men’s  Assistant Coach (2017-2020).

Clark’s profile is impressive. In his 11-year long career, he  has collected 250 international caps, with two World Cups (’94 – Sydney & ’02 – Kuala Lumpur), two Commonwealth Games (’98 – Kuala Lumpur & ’02 – Manchester) and two Olympic Games (’96 – Atlanta & ’04 – Athens).

Gregg Clark comes to India with over 13 years of Coaching experience. His first big assignment was Head Coach of the South African National team (2007 to 2013). His top assignments included the Olympic Games in Beijing and London, FIH World Cup 2010 and Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi. Clark also coached the Indian Junior men’s team (2013-2014), took them to Sultan of Johor Cup title, besides coaching them at the 2013 FIH Junior World Cup in New Delhi.

Welcoming Clark to the Indian Team, Chief Coach Graham Reid said, “I am looking forward to welcoming Gregg Clark as a new member of our coaching staff. He brings with him a swath of experience including 250 caps for South Africa, 4 Olympic Games (2 as a player and 2 as a Coach), 4 World Cups (2 as player and 2 as Coach), 3 CWG (2 as player and 1 as coach) and countless FIH tournaments. Having been Head Coach of South Africa for 6 years and more recently Assistant Coach with Canada, his contemporary knowledge of our Olympic competitions is first class.”

Reid went on to state, “Gregg has also worked with a number of our athletes before, meaning he can hit the ground running. He begins in the New Year. He will be an excellent addition to our team.”

Expressing his eagerness to join the Indian camp, Clark said, “I am really excited to join the Indian men’s team. Having worked with Hockey India earlier, I understand the setup and their professionalism. Most of the players I coached in the Junior team back in 2013 are now in the Senior group and have come of age as players. It has been very exciting to watch this team grow over the past couple of years. They have a lot of potential to do very well in 2021 and for a number of years in the future.”

“Graham has been doing very well with the team. He comes with a wealth of knowledge in the sport and we have chatted quite a lot in the buildup to my appointment. We share the same philosophies in coaching and I look forward to working with Graham and the rest of the support staff,” stated Clark.

Stick2Hockey.com

Gregg Clark appointed analytical coach of Indian men's hockey team

Clark had coached the Indian junior men's team in 2013-2014 when it won the Sultan of Johor Cup and also participated at the 2013 FIH Junior World Cup in New Delhi.


Clark, in his 11-year long career, competed in 250 international matches, appearing in two World Cups (1994 - Sydney and 2002 - Kuala Lumpur) and two Olympic Games (1996 - Atlanta and 2004 - Athens).   -  R.V. MOORTHY

South African Olympian Gregg Clark has been appointed as the new analytical coach of the Indian men's hockey team till the Tokyo Olympic Games, Hockey India announced on Tuesday. He comes in for Chris Ciriello who quit last year.

Clark, who will join the national camp this month, had coached the Indian junior men's team in 2013-2014 when it won the Sultan of Johor Cup and also participated at the 2013 FIH Junior World Cup in New Delhi. He was associated with the Canadian men's team as an assistant coach between 2017-2020.

"I am really excited to join the Indian men's hockey team. Having worked with Hockey India earlier, I understand the setup and their professionalism," Clark said in a HI release.

"Most of the players I coached in the Junior Team back in 2013 are now in the Senior group and have come of age as players.

"It has been very exciting to watch this team grow over the past couple of years. They have a lot of potential to do very well in 2021 and for a number of years in the future," he added.

Clark, in his 11-year long career, competed in 250 international matches, appearing in two World Cups (1994 - Sydney and 2002 - Kuala Lumpur) and two Olympic Games (1996 - Atlanta and 2004 - Athens).

It was well acknowledged by India's chief coach Graham Reid.

"He brings with him a swath of experience including 250 caps for South Africa. Having been head coach of South Africa for six years and more recently an assistant coach with Canada, his contemporary knowledge of our Olympic competitions is first class," Reid said.

"Gregg has also worked with a number of our athletes before, meaning he can hit the ground running. He begins in the New Year. He will be an excellent addition to our team," he added.

Sportstar

How Indian women’s hockey team fared in their last foreign trip

The last time India played on foreign soil was in New Zealand in January 2020

By Samrat Chakraborty



After almost a year, the Indian women's hockey team is set to return to action with their tour to Argentina.

A strong squad, led by Rani Rampal, departed for Argentina on Sunday. India will, however, face a stern test against the second-ranked Argentina side. The four-match tour will commence from January 26. The visitors will play two practice matches against Argentina's junior and B sides before they take on the senior side.  

The last time India played on foreign soil was in New Zealand in January 2020 before the pandemic shut down sports across the world. The Rani Rampal-led side had come up with some encouraging performances.

A recap on how things panned for the Indian eves on their last foreign tour


Namita Toppo of India (Courtesy: Getty)

India tour of New Zealand, 2020

The Indian team began 2020 with an exposure trip to New Zealand in January 2020.

Skipper Rampal was in the thick of things from the very beginning as she struck twice to help India register a confident 4-0 win over New Zealand development squad in the tour opener. Sharmila and Namita Toppo were the other two goal-scorers.

The Indian team, however, failed to replicate the form against the senior New Zealand squad as they lost 1-2 in the second tour game.

The hosts opened the scoring as Megan Hull converted a penalty corner in the first quarter of the match. The one-goal deficit was cut short by India's Salima Tete from a penalty corner in the dying minutes of the first quarter. The second and third quarter saw an evenly matched contest between the sides before a defensive error allowed Hull to score the winner from the spot.

The visitors then registered a 0-1 loss against New Zealand in the third match of the tour game. Hope Ralph had scored the lone goal of the match where India had put up a rock-solid performance in the defense to disallow New Zealand to convert a couple of penalties.

The Indian eves, however, struck back in the next game as Rani Rampal scored the lone goal in their 1-0 win over Great Britain. Rampal sealed the deal for her side in the 47th minute.

India seemed to have saved their best for the last match as they thrashed New Zealand 3-0. Navneet Kaur (45th, 58th minute) struck a brace while Sharmila scored in the 58th minute to guide the visitors to a morale-boosting victory.

Olympic Channel

Stats Speak: Top ten wins of India against Pakistan  

By B.G.Joshi (Sehore-Bhopal, India)

Arch rivals India and Pakistan have played 175 international matches till now. India has won 62 and Pakistan has won 82 and 31 matches were drawn. Here are details of top 10 wins of India against Pakistan.

• The first match is the Melbourne Olympics final played on 6 December 1956, in which India defeated Pakistan 1-0.  The winner was scored on the fast and precise push of Udham Singh on a penalty corner, Randhir Singh Gentle's magical hit helped the ball into the goal. Pakistani defenders were amazed with the accuracy.  This was the first international match between India and Pakistan. With this victory, India won the sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
• The second match is the Tokyo Olympics final on 23 October 1964.India defeated Pakistan 1-0 and won seventh Olympic hockey gold medal. In the 40th minute of the match the ball was rolling in goal on Prithipal Singh's punishing hit on the penalty corner that India got. But Pakistani defender Munir Dar stopped the ball with his foot and India got a penalty stroke. Mohinder Lal won the gold medal for India by sending the ball in the goal above Hamid's head from a dreaded spot of 8 yards in D.
• The third match is the final match of the World Cup hockey played on 15 March 1975 at
• Merdeka Stadium KualaLumpur. Pakistan's Zahid scored in the 17th minute to take a 1-0 lead.
• Surjit Singh of India equalised in the 44th minute by converting the penalty corner. In the 51st minute with the help of acrobatic moves of VJ Philips and Ashok Kumar the ball crossed the goal line from Ashok's stick and spun back. Malaysian umpire Vijaynathan declared it a legitimate goal and India won 2-1.Pakistani’s pointed out that they lost the match due to a Hindu umpire.
• The fourth match is the final of the Asian Games hockey played in Bangkok on 19 December 1966.At the start of the match Pakistani defender hit a stick on the leg of Balbir Singh (Railways). The injured Balbir Singh(Raliway) had to leave the ground. Indian team played with 10 players.
• However Balbir Singh of Services who played successfully both in defense and attack, succeed in the drawing the match in the prescribed 70 minutes. In last few minute of extra time remaining, BalbirSingh (Railways) re-entered the ground. From a long through pass, Balbir Singh (Railways) got the ball and entered deep in the D. From there at zero angle, he scored the gold medal goal.
• The fifth match is the final of the Asia Cup hockey played on 28 September 2003 at the Bukit Jalil Stadium Kuala Lumpur. By the 17th minutes of game, the two teams converted into two penalty corners goal to tie the match 2-2.For India Kanwalpreet Singh and Gagan Ajit Singh scored while Sohail Abbas netted for Pakistan. Two minutes before the end of the match, Ignace Tirkey moved in the rhythm of dancing with ball and scored a superb field goal. Before hooter Prabhjot Singh also scored another goal. India won by 4-2. It was first ever Asia Cup title for India under captaincy of Dhanraj Pillay.
• The sixth match is the final of the South Asian Games played on 26 December 1995 at the Mayor
• Radhakrishnan Stadium  Chennai. World Cup (1994) and Champions Trophy (1994) champions Pakistan captain Shahbaz Ahmad spoke in bluster that what to take less than gold medal.
• But Indian enthusiasts play out played Pakistanis and won 5-2. Dhanraj Pillay struck a hat trick; while Mukesh Kumar scored two goals. Kamran Ashraff and Tahir Zaman were the Pakistani scorers.
• The seventh match is the league match played in the Amsterdam Champions Trophy on 12 June 1982. Till 16th minutes World Cup winner Pakistan took a 3-0 lead with goals from Saeed Khan,
• Qasim Zia and Hasan Sardar. Indian full back Rajinder Singh Senior then equalized through penalty corners goal hat trick scored by him. Hasan Sardar put Pakistan ahead in the 53rd minute. Gurmail Singh and captain Surinder Singh Sodhi scored the goal and won the match by 5-4. It was first ever bronze medal in elite tourney Champions Trophy.
• The eighth match is an India-Pakistan league match played in the Champions Trophy at Wagner Stadium, Amstelveen, Amsterdam on August 22, 2003. Trailing 2-4 in the 42nd minutes, the
• Indian team returned unprecedentedly scoring 5 goals in 15 minutes to win 7-4. For India Jugraj Singh (24, 35), Deepak Thakur(50,65),Gagan Ajit Singh(60,62) and Prabhjot Singh(54) scored the goals. Rehan Butt (18),Mohd.Nadeem(20),Mudassar Ali(28) and Sohail Abbas(42) netted for Pakistan.
• The ninth match is a pool match of Commonwealth Games Hockey played on 10 October 2010 at Dhyanchand National Stadium New Delhi. India had a 4-0 lead at the 20th minutes from a brilliant game. India eventually won 7-4. Sandeep Singh and Shivendra Singh scored a brace each. SarvanjitSingh,Dharamvir Singh and Danish Mujtaba scored one each. Rijwan,Irfan,Imran and Shakeel Abbassi were the Pakistani scorers.
• The tenth match is the pool match of Hockey World League played in London on 18 June 2017.
• India won the match 7-1. It is the India's biggest win over Pakistan. HarmanpreetSingh,Akshdeep Singh and Talwinder Singh scored two goals each. Pradeep Mor netted one. Umar Bhutta was the only Pakistani scorer with one goal.

Fieldhockey.com

Field Hockey Canada announces 2020 Hall of Fame inductees

Legendary Builders, Coaches and Athletes headline the 2020 Hall of Fame Class



Building off a successful 2019 Hall of Fame celebration and a fantastic class of athletes, builders, and officials, Field Hockey Canada is proud to announce its outstanding class of 2020 Hall of Fame inductees.

The Hall of Fame recognizes those who have given to hockey and excelled in our community. Members of our 2020 class have certainly done that. Entering the Hall of Fame in the athlete category this year are Jean Major and David Bissett. Both outstanding players and amazing leaders on the Women’s and Men’s National Teams, respectively. In the coach category, the storied careers of Shiaz Virjee and Shiv Jagday will be celebrated. Both led Canadian men’s teams in Olympic Games and continue to coach in the community to this day. In the builder category will be recognized Peter Buckland, Moira Colbourne, Barb Hart Harris and Judy McCrae enter. Closing out the 2020 class is the 1983 Men’s National Team, becoming the third recognized team in the Hall.

ATHLETE CATEGORY

Jean Major was the captain of the Hall of Fame 1983 Women’s National Team and was named internationally as a top-11 player in 1983. She was an instrumental leader and a dominant player during Team Canada’s rise to the top of the world.

David Bissett established himself early on as a tremendous leader and goal-scorer. A multi-talented player, Bissett went on to lead Team Canada to the Olympic Games and World Cup including recognition as the Closing Ceremonies Flag Bearer for the 1984 Olympic Games.

COACH CATEGORY

Shiaz Virjee, an FIH and Olympic coach, has coached at every level of the game from youth all the way to the most elite over the past 40 years. He continues to give back to the game as a coach and mentor today.

Shiv Jagday is one of the marquee coaching figures in Canadian hockey history having multiple World Cups and Olympic games under his belt. He is one of the most accomplished and decorated coaches in Canadian history and is a shining example of a hall of famer.

BUILDER CATEGORY

Peter Buckland was an internationally renowned Canadian player before transitioning to administration, where he’s remembered as an important Canadian Field Hockey Association president and known for his contribution to hosting the 1986 Montreal Olympics – the first to be held on an artificial playing surface. Peter was central to this transition from grass to artificial surface and in doing so impacted our sport around the world and permanently changed the game.

Former National team athlete,Field Hockey Canada media release continued to give back to the game after retiring as a player. She did so in many ways as a league president and founder, coach and mentor. Notably, she served as the Commissioner on the Burnaby Parks and Recration board leading the creation of sport artificial turf fields.

Moira’s teammate and captain, Barb Hart Harris is the ultimate ambassador of the game. She was instrumental in the lead-up and execution of the highly successful 1979 World Championship in Vancouver. She created the 79ers group which continues to this day as a sport, philanthropic and social club.

Finally, in the builder category is the former Field Hockey Canada President, Judy McCrae. Judy was instrumental in guiding the amalgamation of the women’s and men’s associations to form Field Hockey Canada and was the leader in designing the women’s national team program which led to their outstanding performance in the 1980’s

TEAM CATEGORY

The 1983 Men’s National Team vaulted into the public eye with a historic Pan American Gold Medal to qualify directly for the 1984 Olympic Games. That 1983 team will be recognized as the third team to enter the Hall of Fame.

Sue Neill, Chair of the FHC Hall of Fame Committee said, “the contribution of the inductees into the Hall of Fame in 2020 provide a window into the history of field hockey in Canada in the 70’s and 80s. They are all outstanding leaders who changed and/or accelerated the development of field hockey in Canada. The Committee is proud to be able to name these individuals to the Hall of Fame.”

Individual recognition and a celebration (online or in-person as the circumstances allow) will be planned for later in the year. We hope the community will join us for a celebration of these amazing individuals and teams. Congratulations to all!

Class of 2020

Athletes Category
Jean Major Gourlay
David Bissett

Builder Category
Barb Hart Harris
Judy McCrae
Moira Colbourne
Peter Buckland

Coach Category
Shiaz Virjee
Shiv Jagday

Team Category
1983 Men’s National Team

Field Hockey Canada media release

Hockey in Australia:'I had to arrange everything within ten days’



In the series'Foreign adventure’ stories of Dutch hockey players who play or have played abroad, this week Florine van Grimbergen (28). She played in two bouts for Melbourne University Hockey Club and HC Melbourne in Australia.

Ouch! Ouch! There is still fifteen minutes of playing time on the clock, but Florine van Grimbergen has a cramp in both calves. It has nothing to do with the lack of fitness, but more to do with the hectic pace of the past two weeks. It turned out to be quite a rollercoaster. One moment Van Grimbergen was quietly sitting in her house in Amsterdam thinking about her hockey future and ten days later she tried to make it to the end of the game with cramps in both calves on the field of Melbourne University Hockey Club in Australia.

Why not Australia?

‘It was clear that I would not continue at Laren after the summer,’ Van Grimbergen outlines her situation at the end of the 2017-2018 season. Wendela van Dedem (goalkeeper Hurley, ed.), A good friend of mine, said: why don’t you go to Australia? She was in contact with Phil Burrows (former player of HGC and Rotterdam, ed.), Who lives in Melbourne and was looking for Dutch players for the university team.'

‘I thought, if I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it again. I had to be in Melbourne ten days later. I thought, Okay, that’s fast, but let’s go. I quit my job, the rent of my house, put all my things in my parents' basement and arranged a visa.’

The club provided the plane ticket and accommodation in Melbourne. Van Grimbergen spent that period of three months with a couple, whose wife played in the second team of Melbourne University Hockey Club.

‘I arrived on Friday evening and had to play on Saturday. That morning I woke up and I immediately thought: where am I? I arrived at the club, introduced myself to the team and took to the field. Good luck. That’s why I got cramps in my calves in the last fifteen minutes.'

Hockey Family

Van Grimbergen comes from a well-known hockey family. Her grandfather Ab won the world title in 1973 as national coach of the Oranje Heren. Father Maarten was part of the team of Klein Zwitserland, which dominated the Dutch big league, played 145 international matches and was active in two Olympic Games.

Van Grimbergen herself took her first steps in hockey at Klein Zwitserland. After a few years in Laren and three months in Australia, she returned to the Hague club for a season (2018-2019), after which Van Grimbergen decided to travel to Down Under again.

Return

‘It started as a fun’, says Van Grimbergen.'Kate Saunders (former international New Zealand, ed.) Had become a good friend during my first period in Australia and asked me if I wanted to come back.’

‘I had my doubts, because you’re getting out of life in the Netherlands anyway. I lived with my parents and had a job in between . I thought about what I wanted and after a month of thinking I made the decision.'

Melbourne

Van Grimbergen packed her suitcase and rejoined Melbourne University Hockey Club. This time she would also stay in Australia for a longer period, not three months but for a whole year.

‘In that first period I was a kind of tourist in Melbourne. I had no work besides hockey, so I went out a lot myself. There is always something to do, Melbourne is a vibrant city. There are many people on the street who are playing sports. Melbourne is the city of coffee. If there was such a city in the Netherlands I would have lived there,'laughs Van Grimbergen.

A new world

‘Australia was new to me. I had never been there and didn’t know anyone there. It was a whole new world for me, not a different culture, but above all a fun world and a cool experience.

‘I experienced the second period differently. I shared a house with Kate, but I had my own place. I worked in a coffee shop as a barista, making tasty coffees. Of course I now also knew my teammates and they said: nice that you are back.

Relegation and promotion

In her first period, van Grimbergen was unable to prevent Melbourne University Hockey Club from being relegated to the second level.'When I came the team was last, but we got better per game and climbed the rankings. Unfortunately I was unable to participate in the last two games. I had to go back to the Netherlands where I heard that the team had been relegated.'

Van Grimbergen:'There was certainly a difference in level compared to the big league. The speed of the match, passing and accepting. Anything that can go faster went slower. The players looked up to me, because I came from the Netherlands. So it is not the case that you come there and lean on your heels. I enjoyed showing what I could do. The players are eager to learn and have a good mentality. The hockey is physical, but I didn’t have to get used to it. The game is also tough in the Dutch big league.'

In her second period, Melbourne University Hockey Team was promoted and Van Grimbergen became top scorer with 32 goals, 17 of which from a penalty corner. “Normally I am on the defensive, but at Melbourne I mainly played for passing in midfield.”

Training with men

Van Grimbergen not only trained with her own team, but also with the men from Melbourne. Phil, who coached the men’s team, came to me with the question: don’t you want to train with the men? I liked that and trained with them once a week. It was good for my level. It went faster and harder. It made me better.‘

Van Grimbergen’s game and performance stood out. She was invited to participate in selection training for HC Melbourne, a team consisting of the best players from the region and participating in the Hockey One League, the national competition.

Selection training

‘I thought you had to be Australian to be selected for that,’ says Van Grimbergen.'That turned out not to be the case. I participated in four selection training sessions. The group kept getting smaller and eventually I was selected for the team.‘

The national competition consists of seven teams from the different regions in Australia. Only the Northern Territory was not represented. The teams played against each other once. After six rounds of play, the top four teams qualified for the semi-finals, followed by the final.

Criss-cross through Australia

‘We traveled all over the country,’ says Van Grimbergen.'We were in Perth for a week, so you had time to look around a bit. We were only in Sydney for two or three days. That was more hotel, training and back to the hotel.'

With a clear lead of five points, HC Melbourne finished on top after six games. After winning shoot-outs in the semi-finals against Canberra Chill, the final battle was lost against Brisbane Blaze despite a goal from Van Grimbergen after shoot-outs. “We should have won the final.”

Work, enjoy and travel

After the final in November, a long stop followed. For Van Grimbergen the time not only to work, but also to enjoy and travel around. She celebrated Christmas with two teammates and their family in Tasmania.'I really got a family feeling there. It was also very strange, because it was full summer. So we sat in the sun with food and drinks.'


Florine van Grimbergen moors for HC Melbourne. Photo: Florine van Grimbergen

After a trip to Bali, Van Grimbergen returned to Australia to prepare for the new season with her team, but the corona virus emerged.'In the beginning I was not so aware of the seriousness, but that slowly started to sink in. My mother was afraid I wouldn’t be able to come home again.'

Uncertainty due to corona

A period of uncertainty began.'I had to look for other work because as a foreigner you can work in one place for six months. Because of corona, they didn’t hire anyone anymore. There was a lack of clarity about hockey. I then took the step to go back to the Netherlands.'

The club arranged a ticket for the return journey. However, her flight via Singapore was canceled, after which a second attempt to get home also failed.'It took two weeks before I could fly to the Netherlands. It was a strange sight, nobody at the airports and an empty Schiphol. Since it had already gone wrong twice, this time I would have kept it quiet when I got home. So I suddenly found myself on my parents' doorstep.’

Adventure in Belgium

Meanwhile, Van Grimbergen has again embarked on a foreign adventure. She has been playing for Braxgata in Belgium since September.'I had decided to quit hockey after Australia, but then came corona. I didn’t want to end up like that and was asked if I didn’t want to play at Braxgata.'

Whether she will end her sporting career at the end of the season or not, Van Grimbergen cannot say yet. Australia continues to beckon, she admits.'I made friends there and made connections. We will keep in touch via WhatsApp and Instagram. If they asked me, I would do it again. It’s still great fun.'

Hockey World News

World Masters Hockey Seeks Executive Board Members



World Master Hockey (WMH) is recognized by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) as having responsibility for organizing and developing Masters Hockey Events across the globe. WMH is implementing modern managerial and IT approaches in all its operational activities and requires at least two more Board Members to help the Executive Board deliver WMH strategies.

Interested individuals who match the criteria below are invited to submit their online application. The link for the application form can be found by clicking on Executive Board Application Form. Once completed, the submit button will automatically return the form to Sue Briggs, WMH Secretary. For data protection purposes, if you don’t already have a Google account WMH advises you to set one up before submitting the form.

It is recommended that applicants seek approval from their National Association. Prior to completion of the application process, please contact U.S. Masters Committee Chairs, Pam Stuper (women) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Warren Prestwich (men) at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

All applicants will be notified of receipt of applications. Successful candidates will be interviewed in early February 2021 and are subject to approval by U.S. Masters Committee representatives. A successful candidate should be a current USA Field Hockey Member, and be in good standing with a current SafeSport and Background Screening.

WMH must receive applications by January 31, 2021. Please note that WMH aims for a gender and geographic balance wherever possible.

Essential Criteria - You must be able to:

• demonstrate commitment to WMH and Masters Hockey in general.
• provide proof of successful team leadership in business and/or national and regional sports organizations.
• demonstrate you are a strategic thinker with experience in future orientated strategy implementation, stakeholder management, planning and risk management.
• commit to actively participating and contributing to WMH Executive Board meetings (which may take place during unsocial hours) and completing delegated tasks by agreed dates.
• demonstrate good written and spoken English.
• apply good interpersonal skills and positively influence others in meetings and in negotiations.
• access reliable Internet connections and demonstrate sufficient IT skills to take part in regular online meetings, use email systems effectively and edit/produce documentation and communications.
• work collaboratively with a global team of diverse and talented individuals for the common purpose of achieving WMH strategic aims and objectives.
• demonstrate good business acumen, the ability to understand and quickly identify key issues and possible solutions.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in working with diverse groups of ethnic cultural gender identity religious or national variations.
• Established network of hockey contacts nationally internationally.

Personal Quality Requirements:

• Integrity & Honesty - acting ethically, putting the best interests of WMH and its members before personal, national and continental needs, and identifying when a conflict of interest exists.
• Curiosity & Courage - be prepared to ask difficult questions and challenge the thinking of others where necessary.

USFHA media release