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News for 07 January 2021

All the news for Thursday 7 January 2021


Hunger for hockey met by teeming international calendar



It is true to say that athletes, coaches, officials and supporters alike are looking forward to a year of hockey action with a level of anticipation that is even keener than usual. The ravages of Covid-19 on fixture schedules across the world has left the hockey community at all levels craving a return to action – be it training, league action or tournaments.

With so much cancelled or postponed in 2020, the calendar for the next few years will have an even busier feel to it as national associations, continental federations and the FIH all strive to ensure that leagues and competitions are able to proceed.

Of course, all eyes will be on Tokyo in the coming months as the postponed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 are set to take place from 23 July to 8 August, with the hockey competition running from 24 July to 6 August. With 12 men's and 12 women’s teams, representing all five continents, all vying to be crowned Olympic champions, this is the one that hockey players dream about.

Germany’s Charlotte Stapenhorst is one player who is looking forward to the challenges of 2021 and the prospect of going one (or two) better than Germany’s bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

“After one year of only training [rather than playing games], we are finally back with international competitions and tournaments. Obviously, the Olympics are the main goal but, to be honest, I am glad and happy to play any international games again. It’s been ages.

“With the pandemic still being part of our everyday life, we can’t really plan anything and everything is so fragile. No matter what, we are all aware of how privileged we are being able to do what we love and play international hockey. 2021, bring it on.”

And Agustina Gorzelany of Argentina added: "This worrying and strange way of life we are experiencing has made us realise what living is about. To enjoy the little things, such as the walk to the park or hugging a friend, someone from our family or just to share moments, but those things have become impossible to do.

"Gathering with people or, in our case with our team, was completely banned. For me, that is taking the soul from the sport. It was really difficult not to miss everything and not be be sad about it.

"So, when good news arrives and we are being told that FIH Hockey Pro-League is coming back and that even the Olympic Games is going to be held, for me is like a big great wave of energy that fills up my whole body and pushes me to train and train just thinking that there is a goal and something to keep on fighting for.

"I'm extremely excited to be able to take new opportunities and to carry on dreaming about becoming some day an Olympian."

For Belgium’s Victor Wegnez, the next Olympic Games will be his first and he is more than ready for the Games to begin.

“I was in the larger squad in 2016 but not selected for the Olympic Games, so I have been waiting for my chance for a long time. To see it cancelled was really hard, although I know it was the best choice for everyone’s safety.

“We [Belgium] were really well-placed to win gold but now, with the delay, every nation has had more time to work on what they have to. It’s going to be a real fight to the gold medal but we will be doing our best to be ready for it.”

But while the Olympics will be its most prominent part, the hockey competition jigsaw comprises many, many pieces.The FIH HockeyPro League is due to resume in February with matches between Spain and Belgium. The nine-team men’s and women’s league then continues through until the end of May, with matches between China and New Zealand women, India and New Zealand men, Germany and Australia men and women and Belgium and Netherlands men and women bringing the curtain down on the second season.

As it stands, Belgium men and Netherlands women are topping their respective leagues, but with another five months of action, a lot can change. The disruptions due to the pandemic have meant that there are large discrepancies in the number of matches played so, for instance, Germany women have only played two games, with a 100 per cent win rate, as opposed to the Netherlands, Argentina and New Zealand, who have all played eight games and who have all dropped points.

Speaking of the return to action, Victor Wegnez, says: “We are all looking forward to be back playing in the FIH HockeyPro League. Those games are really important for us because they are the only games we have before the European Championships. It is a perfect opportunity to try new things and work on our connections between players. It’s been two to three months since we played as an international team and we are looking forwards to playing together again.

“We are first in the Pro League at the moment and hopefully we can keep our first place to the very end.”

Season two of the FIH Hockey Pro League finishes in May but it is only a short wait before the global league fires into action again. Octoberheralds the start of season three, with continuous hockey featuring the best teams on the planet. The league continues until June2022 and promises to provide a smorgasbord of regular top class international hockey action.

The continental federations also have a frenetic year ahead as they hold continental championships at both senior and junior level.

With qualification for the men’s and women’s Junior World Cup on the horizon, nations will be focused on preparing their junior teams for the continental qualifiers. The men’s and women’s FIH Junior World Cups will take place in India and South Africa respectively towards the end of 2021.

The early part of the year will see the men’s and women’s Junior Africa Cup take place in Accra, Ghana and the Asia Hockey Federation (AHF) will hold its women’ s Junior Asia Cup in Japan. A few months later and the men’s event taking place in Bangladesh.

Chile plays host to the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF) Junior Championships in April, while later in the year, the Junior Pan American Games will take place in Colombia.

The U18 EuroHockey Championships for both genders will take place in July in Valencia, Spain.

On the senior hockey front, the men’s Asia Champions Trophy will take place in Bangladesh with the women competing in Korea.

With the men’s and women’s World Cups on the horizon, the continental qualifiers will determine who will be participating in these. The first of these to take place will be the 12th Oceania Cup, which will take place in April. The hotly contested EuroHockey Championships are scheduled for June in the Netherlands, while the Africa Cup of Nations and the Asia Cup are still to have dates confirmed.

The Pan American Cup, which serves as the PAHF continental qualifier will take place in Chile in January 2022.

PAHF turns its attention indoors in June with the Indoor Pan American Cup, which will be the qualifying event for the rescheduled men’s and women’s 6th Indoor World Cup, taking place in February 2022 in Belgium.

Hockey5s makes its appearance in Lausanne, Switzerland in July with the EuroHockey U16 Championships as well as, in September, an FIH-led international event which will be revealed shortly. Senior events are taking place in Poland, with the women’s EuroHockey Hockey5s Tournament, while the men’s EuroHockey Hockey5s Tournament split into two events in Ukraine and Slovenia.

Of course, this is a non-exhaustive list, since there will be many more hockey events happening around the world.

After a year of living with very little live hockey action to participate in or watch, there is a hunger for hockey at every level. With a full calendar of events to look forwards to, that hunger is being satiated to an even greater level.

FIH site



Hockey India gearing up to host multiple high-profile events in 2021

Hockey India stated that they are well prepared to host several high profile tournaments in 2021, which includes the 47th FIH Congress

By Samrat Chakraborty



Following an uncertain calendar in 2020 due to the pandemic which saw numerous events postponed, Hockey India is all set to host multiple high-profile events in 2021.

Hockey India has already organized a tour to Argentina for the India women's hockey team, with the eves having left for the South American nation on Sunday. The team will play the Argentina junior women’s team on January 17 and 19 before taking on the B team on January 22 and 24.

The final four matches of the tour, against the senior team, will take place on January 26, 28, 30 and 31.

In an added boost, Hockey India, on Wednesday, stated that they are well prepared to host several high profile tournaments in 2021, which includes the 47th FIH (Federation of International Hockey) Congress 2021, which was originally scheduled for 2020, but had to be postponed to May 2021 due to the pandemic.

"We are delighted to be on the right path in terms of bringing back normalcy in both day-to-day working as well as events which are to take place in the long term. With the 47th FIH Congress 2021, we are hoping that all other factors will remain suited to us being able to play hosts in May 2021," Hockey India president Gyanendro Ningombam said in a media statement.

"In terms of guidelines and the framework for the successful conducting of such a large-scale event, at Hockey India, we have also successfully conducted the 10th Hockey India Congress & Elections, therefore we are well-prepared to tackle all situations," he added.


India men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh

India are also set to host the FIH Junior Men's World Cup 2021 apart from the FIH Hockey Pro League matches later this year.

India will be hosting New Zealand for two matches on 29th and 30th May 2021, which should pave the way for international hockey's return to the country.

“This year's FIH Junior Men's World Cup is again one of the most important tournaments for us as hosts, and we are looking forward to delivering a very smooth and successful showpiece," expressed Ningombam.

Olympic Channel



Ghana hockey stadium set to be upgraded in time for 2023 African Games

By Duncan Mackay


The National Sports Authority and Ghana Hockey Association have signed an agreement to upgrade the Theodosia Okoh National Hockey Stadium for the 2023 African Games ©NSA

An agreement has been signed to ensure that the renovation of Ghana’s main national hockey stadium is completed in time for the 2023 African Games, which the country is hosting for the first time.

The National Sports Authority (NSA) and Ghana Hockey Association (GHA) have signed a deal that is set to see the Theodosia Okoh National Hockey Stadium in Accra bought up to international standards.

"This development project, which is being funded by the Ghana National Gas Company is expected to take care of other infrastructure development such as the upgrading of the offices of the Greater Accra Sports Directorate at the Tema Stadium," the NSA said.

Kwadwo Baah Agyemang, the chairman of the NSA, revealed after the signing that he hopes they can reach similar agreements with other national governing bodies in Ghana to help improve the country’s sport infrastructure.

The Stadium is named after Theodosia Okoh, a former GHA chairman, and hosted the 2009 Hockey African Cup of Nations.

Ghana men and women's national teams use the stadium for training and matches, in preparation for international tournaments.


The Theodosia Okoh National Hockey Stadium is to be upgraded in time for the 2023 African Games in Ghana ©GHA

The Stadium is also home to the men and women's Ghanaian Hockey League.

GHA President Ben K.D. Asante welcomed the development as Ghana prepare to compete in the African Games hockey tournament for the first time since their men’s team won a bronze medal at Abuja 2003, the last time the sport featured on the programme.

The men had previously finished fifth at Nairobi 1987, fourth at Cairo 1991 and fifth again at Johannesburg 1999.

The women’s team have competed in the African Games twice, finishing sixth at Harare 1995 and fourth at Abuja 2003.

The women, however, have won three of the last four editions of the African Cup of Nations, including the last event in 2017 in Ismailia in Egypt.

Ghana was awarded the Games in October 2018 and more than 5,000 athletes from over 50 countries are expected to compete.

Final dates and sports have still to be announced for the event, which is expected to be held in Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.

Inside the Games



Floris Jan Bovelander: Trying to produce next-gen Indian hockey stars

By Subhayan Chakraborty



Former Netherlands hockey player, Floris Jan Bovelander helped the Tata Hockey Academy, Odisha, in developing the program with everyone coming together to ensure safety protocols were met during tough times as they beat the challenges of lockdown in a bid to provide training to young hockey players in India.

The COVID-19 pandemic ended up putting the entire sporting world to a screeching halt. While the year 2020 was supposed to be the busiest year when it comes to sports events, players, coaches and everyone associated with sports were confined to their respective homes as almost the entire world witnessed strict lockdowns to curb the spread of the dreaded virus.

As dreams, aspirations and training regimes of sportspersons came to an unprecedented pause due to the pandemic, Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Odisha continued training despite various challenges.

The Odisha centre, which is training girls in hockey, bolstered their facilities in a bid to include both indoor and outdoor training drills as well as technical skills development alongside a special emphasis on mental and nutrition training.

Former Netherlands hockey player, Floris Jan Bovelander helped the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in developing the program with everyone coming together to ensure safety protocols were met during tough times.

When asked how challenging was it to train youngsters and provide them with drills during the lockdown, Bovelander said that the rural areas in Odisha, with ample spaces, helped youngsters do some physical work at home while explaining the importance of physical exercises.

"It is important for everyone to do some physical work during the day. It not only has an impact on the body of youngsters but also for the elderly it is very important that they keep on doing physical exercises. But for the youngsters, yes definitely, it was a big shock to come into a lockdown. But what we gave the young players some physical exercises and some Hockey drills through videos by the local trainers and in the written form.

"Luckily, the girls and boys live in rural areas in Odisha so they have some space and room to do these exercises and drills at the playgrounds at home. The lockdown has definitely had a lot of impact, but to the players’ benefit, they could do some physical work at home," Bovelander told WION in an exclusive interview.

Bovelander further explained the importance of training effectively rather than spending long hours. Courtesy Bovelander, trainers from the Netherlands joined virtually and spend time with Indian trainers as they shared their knowledge about hockey.



"For me, Hockey is being together and playing together as well. Hockey is also about tactics, the game plan, and playing as a team. With a better understanding of Indian hockey, we have realized the importance of focusing on the tactics and giving the players more experience in competitive play – which are built into their training programs.

"Along with gameplay and physical fitness sessions – rest and recovery are equally important. As well as developing life skills and education. Indians tend to over train – and frankly, as compared to the Netherlands, the number of hours of training given to young athletes in India is very high. Better play fewer hours but these hours must be highly effective, with good passion and dedication. Good coaching for every level is essential.

"What I really liked is that we could connect to some girls and boys in rural areas via virtual modes of interactions. In the end, we managed to connect our trainers in the Netherlands with the trainers in these areas - which is kind of amazing that we have a connection between Holland and the rural areas of India," Bovelander added.

Bovelander praised infrastructure at the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Odisha as he went through the challenges faced by everyone associated in the program during the lockdown.

"The good thing about the Naval Tata Hockey Academy is that the infrastructure at Kalinga stadium is designed such that the players can live in a bio bubble. Their hostel is next to the pitch and the have food prepared in the canteen, which is also within the Kalinga stadium and managed by the Tata’s so we can control the hygiene factor. So during the coronavirus period, the female players were allowed to come to Bhubaneshwar, get tested, and live in the bubble and play Hockey.

"The infrastructure in Bhubaneshwar is superb for these players we have selected. Training on the pitch and living in the stadium complex where the World Cup and all the international matches are played is very inspiring for them. You can see it their eyes and it reflects in their body language. Especially when they come here for the first time or when they are selected, they get really inspired and motivated by the infrastructure," the Olympic gold medallist said.

Young players often don't have the necessary knowledge about mental health and nutrition. As COVID-19 pandemic continues to teach humans a revamped way of living, Bovelander feels it was the perfect time to educate young athletes about the importance of nutrition and mental health.

"For our hockey program, we already have an experienced nutritionist and a mental trainer on board. The diet is prescribed by the nutritionist, after taking into consideration the individual needs based on regular health checkups and after observing the performance on the field. The nutritionist also conducts regular workshops with the cooks on the right kind of preparation needed to give required nutrition to the girls. She also conducts workshops for the girls to make them understand the importance of healthy eating habits," Neelam Babardesai – Head of Sports, Tata Trusts told WION.

"Just like we have a strength and conditioning expert - who is generally termed as a Physical trainer - one who is responsible to keep one's body fit and strong, we have a mental trainer who is responsible for the player’s mental wellbeing and improving their mental strength. Just as regular exercises and drills are required to be physically fit, it’s important to regularly do some mental exercises to improve mental strength. This is a practice which we have to inculcate from a young age. It may range from breathing techniques to yoga. We believe that if we regularly work on the mental training of the players to improve their confidence and make them more responsible for themselves, we will be able to extract better performances. A sports psychologist is generally only required at a later elite stage - when the athlete may have to address performance-related issues.

"The mental trainer conducts regular sessions with the girls in our academy to assess the personality of the children, map their fears and apprehensions and help them develop more confidence. Since our current trainer is well versed with the Odia language, it was easier for her to gain the trust and thus connect with them. With tutors helping the children to improve their learning levels, the trainer also counsels them on different career options, preparing them for a future beyond being a player," she added.



Setting up a programme and to carry it without a hitch amid a pandemic and lockdown has its own set of challenges.

"First and foremost is to find centres which have the basic infrastructure to run the programme – and then to collaborate with the local bodies to get permission to run the centres there. The centres also needed to be monitored, so the accessibility of these centres also needed to be looked at. The biggest challenge, however, is to find the right kind of coaches, locally, to teach in the programme and also to manage it. However strong a program we have, ultimately the children will improve their quality of play only if they get good coaches," Babardesai said.

"We were very clear that we wanted to give career opportunities to the erstwhile players from the region – who may or may not have played competitively – but really had a passion towards the sport. So having a strong coach development program was imperative to the success of the program. At times the local players did have the basic skills right, but the communication skills required to teach the children was what needed developing. Majority of the tribal people are very shy and soft-spoken, so we really had to work hard with them to get them to open up on the field. We also supported them with travel allowances in case they had to travel long distances to reach the centres," she added.



When asked about the risks of players picking up injuries after getting less or no physical exercise during the lockdown, Babardesai said that a full-time physiotherapist helped in cutting down the number of injuries by focusing on prevention of niggles.

"The full-time physiotherapist not only helps post injuries but also focusses on prevention of injuries – by ensuring that their bodies are strong and that form of the exercises is correct. Based on physical tests and fitness assessments, an exercise schedule is defined detailing the kind of exercises and the repetitions along with an emphasis on the right amount of recovery. Even during the course of the pandemic, when in-person training was not possible, the children followed their exercise schedules diligently, which helped prepare the bodies correctly to resume the training without any injuries. The right kind of diet was also maintained throughout which also worked in preventing injuries and helped them get back to play," she explained.

WION



More than hockey in Malawi and Zambia



The past few months have been all about taking opportunities to play and train when it is possible. Around the world, the pandemic has put a halt to many hockey activities and training camps, but whenever a window opens, it has been exhilarating to see how swiftly coaches and organisers have sprung into action to make sure that our sport can take place in a safe environment.

What has also been great to see is how the camp organisers have taken on the responsibility of emphasising the importance of hand sanitising, wearing face masks and looking after each other in the face of the pandemic.

Two great examples of this took place at the end of the year in Zambia and Malawi under the guidance and support of the Hockey Dreams Foundation. The coaches shared their thoughts on the success and achievements of the camps on the Hockey Dreams Foundation website.

The first camp was in Lusaka, Zambia, where the kids training camps are supported by Wings of Support. The team of 10 coaches and volunteers put on a two-day hockey clinic for almost 100 children. Among the skills covered were protecting the ball while it was in your team’s possession and defending skills when the opposition were in attack.

In line with the Hockey Dreams Foundation emphasis upon teaching life skills, the coaches linked the hockey concept of defence with the life skill of self-protection and defending what is rightfully yours. Throughout the clinic, the children were asked to provide feedback on the activities and also to share their own life experiences. In this way, the children learn empathy and understanding, particularly when listening to someone from a different background or culture.

The camp in Blantyre, Malawi was supported by the KNHB, the Netherlands national hockey association. It took place at the Kapeni Demonstration School and all the children were collected by coaches and driven to the camp. The theme of this particular camp was ‘Stay Safe’ and, before the activities started, all the children used hand sanitisers and had their temperatures checked in line with Covid-19 precautions. One of the coaches also gave a talk on the importance of wearing masks and regular hand-washing.

It was also emphasised that regular hand washing is also important in the battle against other diseases such as HIV?AIDS, Malaria and Cholera.

A team of eight coaches and two volunteers ran the activities, with nine groups and one coach overseeing everyone. The morning training session covered many basic skills and hockey concepts. Then it was all about match play. The camp ran for two days and, in that time, all nine teams played each other in a really competitive environment.

One of the coaches reported: “The overall vibe was great, the kids had so much fun and it was exciting to see them enjoy the sport which was one of our primary goals for the camp.”

At both camps, the children were also fed wholesome lunches, with rice, chicken and bananas the popular food on offer.

By combining sport and physical activity with underlying messages of safety, health and cooperation, these hockey camps are playing an important role in improving the health and life chances of the participants.

Both the camps mentioned here were mixed camps. Within the Hockey Dreams Foundations offering in Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, there are three different types of camps: Girls Only, which offers single under camps for girls aged 6-15 and also deals with issues of health and how to look after themselves; Mixed Camps for children for whom this type of camp is deemed appropriate; and Super Junior Camps for mixed genders 5-10 years.

FIH site

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