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News for 09 April 2021

All the news for Friday 9 April 2021


Argentina and India men set for FIH Hockey Pro League clashes


Photo Credit: Hockey India

Following last weekend’s double FIH Hockey Pro League defeat against Germany, reigning Olympic champions Argentina will be looking for a Buenos Aires bounce-back when they play India on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April.

Los Leones suffered 2-3 and 0-3 losses against Die Honamas on home soil last weekend, which were Argentina’s first competitive matches for over a year due to the impact of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Speaking after the second loss against Germany, Argentina’s Nicolas Keenan said: "Apart from the result, we are happy to be back after one year. Even in the negative points, we can take something positive from those. We are just three months from the Olympic Games, so we are happy to be back. We did a lot of negative things, but in this moment, it is good because we have time to improve them."

This week, the Argentina team has started to put Keenan’s words very much into action. The team coached by Mariano Ronconi has played two friendly matches against this weekend’s opponents India and performed well, narrowly losing the first contest 4-3 before securing a 4-4 draw in the second game. With the teams currently sitting one place apart in the FIH World Rankings (IND 5 | ARG 6), the results are indicative of how closely matched these two nations are on current form. While the outcomes might be difficult to predict, 15 goals in just two friendly matches suggests that we could be in for two action-packed, high-scoring Pro League encounters this coming weekend.

Although India have played some practice matches in recent months, this weekend’s fixtures against Argentina will be their first FIH Hockey Pro League games since February 2020. India made an impressive start to their debut Pro League season, recording wins against World and European champions Belgium and World Cup silver medallists the Netherlands, as well as claiming a draw against Australia before snatching a bonus point by winning the shoot-out. They currently sit level on ten points with Argentina, despite having played four games less than the Rio 2016 Olympic gold medallists.

Head coach Graham Reid has instilled a steely belief in his extremely capable team, making India a big threat not just in these matches but also at the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where they will be aiming to win a ninth Olympic gold medal, and a first since Moscow 1980.  

However, like Argentina, Reid feels that there is still plenty of room for improvement from his team. Commenting on India’s second friendly against Argentina, where India surrendered a 3-1 lead, Reid said: “Unfortunately, some turnovers in the second half gave them opportunities to come back. You can't give a team like Argentina chances to get back in the game and not expect them to take it. On the weekend, we need to be more mindful of our thoroughness at both ends of the pitch ensuring we are more frugal in defence and clinical in attack.”

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

More information about the matches can be found below.

Argentina v India (Men)
 Where:
Cenard, Buenos Aires (ARG)
 Dates:
Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 April 2021
 Times (ART – UTC -3): 
Saturday: 17:00 | Sunday 17:00
 Match pages: 
Match 1 | Match 2
 
The essentials…

Current FIH World Ranking: Argentina: 6 | India: 5
 Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Argentina: 6 | Germany: 5
 Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Argentina: 5 | India: N/A

 
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 7 matches)
 Wins: Argentina: 4 | India: 2 | Draws: 1
 Goals scored: Argentina: 16 | India: 11

Team pages (squads & statistics): Argentina | India 

As well as the Argentina-India matches scheduled on 10-11 April, a further 22 FIH Hockey Pro League matches are confirmed at this stage until the end of May. All these matches will be played in Europe. For more information, click here

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



Argentina look to bounce back against India



Argentina’s return to FIH Hockey Pro league action saw the Olympic champions lose in a close 3-2 match with Germany before succumbing to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the same opposition.

As Argentina’s Pedro Ibarra had said prior to the encounter with Germany, Los Leones had been more than a year without international action, so some rustiness was inevitable. With two matches against a very competitive Germany now under their belts, Argentina will be looking to bounce back in their next set of FIH Hockey Pro League matches against India.

We spoke to Argentina’s Mariano Ronconi ahead of the clashes between the world’s fifth (India) and sixth (Argentina) ranked teams.

Putting the result on a side, what are the learnings / conclusions you take from these matches against Germany?

Mariano Ronconi: “It is difficult to put the result to one side, but we need to keep a clear head and take conclusions from this match because this has been a great learning opportunity. This is what we needed. We are happy to play again, as we said after the first match, the few things we agreed to improve, we improved them. Despite the result today (3-0 loss to Germany), there are things that went to plan. We controlled the ball more than during the first match and this was our focus. We think this went very well. The difference is that they were very efficient and we didn’t have the same result. But really, this has been very positive, to be back, the boys are happy to be here moving their legs and starting to loosen up, so well, we need to continue to add matches like these ones.”

Argentina have been many months without playing an international game. Did the players perform as you were expecting?

Mariano Ronconi: We found everything that we knew was going to happen: we lacked connections between players, we lacked playing as a team and it is normal because it’s been about 13 months that we haven’t played. There is no way to train for this, this is a reality. The only way to train is by playing so we will keep on playing as much as we can if the pandemic allows.

You continue next weekend with two games against India, how do you think these matches will go as India is a different team than Germany

Mariano Ronconi: “Yes, it is a different team but a strong one, they are very good. The last games against them were really great and they have been playing international hockey. They have been on tour in Europe so they are coming with more games. Fortunately, this comes when we have had two matches against Germany and after these matches we’ll have to start solving the issues that we think we need to improve before the matches against India.

#FIHProLeague
#HockeyInvites

Official FIH Pro League Site



Indian men's hockey team coach Graham Reid regrets missed opportunities against Argentina in 2nd match

Lucas Martinez then pulled one back for the hosts with a field goal in the 57th minute, thus ending the game in a 4-4 stalemate.


File image of Graham Reid. Image Courtesy: Hockey India

Buenos Aires: The Indian men's hockey team coach Graham Reid rued missed opportunities after his side let slip an early lead to be held 4-4 by Olympic champions Argentina in the second practice match.

Argentina had lost 3-4 to India in the first practice match but came back strongly for a draw in the second game at Cenard, Buenos Aires on Wednesday.

Varun Kumar (7' and 44'), Rajkumar Pal (13'), Rupinder Pal Singh (14') scored for India while Leandro Tolini (10'), Lucas Toscani (23'), Ignacio Ortiz (42'), Lucas Martinez (57') sounded the board for the home team.

"The match was very similar to our first practice game. We had opportunities to close out the match but we didn't take them," stated Reid.

India made a fine start in the first quarter with a well-structured attack that fetched them three goals ensuring an early lead. The first goal was courtesy forward Mandeep Singh, who helped India earn a Penalty Corner (PC) in the seventh minute which was effortlessly converted by dragflicker Varun.

Though an early 1-0 lead put the home side on the backfoot, they bounced back in the 10th minute when they earned a PC.

Leandro Tolini, who scored twice in the previous match, came up with a well-executed dragflick to equalise. India, however, regained the lead with Rajkumar's goal in the 13th minute.

He was assisted by Nilakanta Sharma who has been in good nick, showing his prowess as an attacking midfielder. In the following minute, a PC earned by India forward Lalit Upadhyay saw Rupinder score a splendid goal taking India's lead to 3-1 in the 14th minute.

The second quarter began with both teams trading PCs but none were successful.

However, in the 23rd minute, Toscani struck a fine goal to narrow India's lead to 3-2. Though India replied with aggressive attack, they were unable to create successful forays into the striking circle.

"Unfortunately, some turnovers in the second half gave them opportunities to come back. You can't give a team like Argentina chances to get back in the game and not expect them to take it," expressed Reid.

Following the 10-minute half-time break, Argentina succeeded in breaking the gridlock in this quarter by earning a PC which was well-struck by attacking mid-fielder Ortiz.

The 3-3 equaliser didn't dampen India's spirit as they successfully scored the fourth goal via forward Dilpreet Singh who made a successful foray into the striking circle, earning India a PC in the 44th minute. Varun made no mistake in converting the goal and regaining the lead for India.

With the visitors ahead only by a goal, the last quarter was a battle of nerves with the home team stepping on the gas to secure an equaliser. Lucas Martinez then pulled one back for the hosts with a field goal in the 57th minute, thus ending the game in a 4-4 stalemate.

"On the weekend (at the double-header in FIH Hockey Pro League), we need to be more mindful of our thoroughness at both ends of the pitch ensuring we are more frugal in defence and clinical in attack," said Reid.

Firstpost



Ireland Women Squad travel to Malaysia for Match Opportunities in Tokyo-like Conditions


Elena Tice in action against Malaysia. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye

The Irish Women’s squad will travel to Malaysia tomorrow as part of their preparation for the conditions they will face in Tokyo this summer. A twenty strong squad will travel on the 9th of April and return on the 28th, basing themselves out of Malaysia National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur while there.

Also travelling will be recent opponents Great Britain, similarly, hoping to use the trip as an opportunity to prepare for conditions expected at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. The Irish women are scheduled to play Great Britain at least four times throughout the period, while also taking on hosts Malaysia. These matches will all be uncapped.

The squad travelling is as follows:

CAREY, Michelle                                 Leinster                 Midfielder             Uncapped
CARROLL, Naomi                                Munster               Striker                     111
COLVIN, Elizabeth                              Ulster                    Midfielder             196
DALY, Nicola                                        Leinster                Midfielder             189
DUKE, Deirdre                                     Leinster                Midfielder             141
EVANS, Nicola                                     Leinster                Striker                     198
HAWKSHAW, Sarah                           Leinster                Midfielder             33
MALSEED, Zara                                   Ulster                    Striker                   Uncapped
MATTHEWS, Hannah                        Leinster                Defender               147
McAULEY, Sarah                                 Leinster                Defender               Uncapped
McCAY, Shirley                                    Ulster                    Defender                306
McLOUGHLIN, Hannah                     Leinster                Defender               14
MULLAN, Kathryn (C)                       Ulster                    Midfielder             193
MURPHY, Elizabeth                           Leinster                Goalkeeper          13
O’FLANAGAN, Anna                           Leinster                Striker                    207
O’FLANAGAN, Grace                          Leinster                Goalkeeper          36
TICE, Elena                                           Leinster                Defender                109
TORRANS, Sarah                                 Leinster                Striker                     26
UPTON, Roisin                                     Munster               Defender                 76
WATKINS, Chloe                                 Leinster                Midfielder              226

Notable absences from the squad include Ayeisha McFerran who remains on duty with Dutch Hoofdklasse club SV Kampong.

Speaking on the trip announcement, Performance Director Adam Grainger said, “This is a great opportunity for this squad ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer. We had hoped all along to be able organise a warm weather training camp or arrange for matches to take place in a climate similar to what the team will experience in Tokyo.

It’s been a challenging process with so many moving parts; the changing restrictions and ensuring we are minimising the risk of COVID to our athletes and their families while also providing them with the best opportunity to perform at the Olympics this summer.

With the work that has gone into the organisation of this trip, and with Great Britain also travelling to Malaysia during this time frame, we’re confident that we’re providing the squad with the best chance to play in those humid conditions as well as athlete safety being paramount.”

Match dates and times:

Remain TBC.

Irish Hockey Association media release



Ulster trio miss out on Malaysia tour


Anna O'Flanagan in action. Ireland drew with Olympic champions Great Britain in a three-game series last month

Bethany Barr and Megan Frazer will both miss Ireland's pre-Olympics training camp in Malaysia.

Barr and Frazer are both nursing injuries, while first-choice goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran is also absent due to club commitments.

Throughout the camp, Ireland will face Great Britain and Malaysia to acclimatise to conditions similar to those they will experience in Tokyo.

Ireland will stay in Kuala Lumpur from 9 April to 28 April.

Ireland squad for Malaysia tour

Michelle Carey (Leinster), Naomi Carroll (Munster), Lizzie Colvin (Ulster), Nicola Day (Leinster), Deirdre Duke (Leinster), Nicola Evans (Leinster), Sarah Hawkshaw (Leinster), Zara Malseed (Ulster), Hannah Matthews (Leinster), Sarah McAuley (Leinster), Shirley McCay (Ulster), Hannah McLoughlin (Leinster), Katie Mullan (Ulster, captain), Elizabeth Murphy (Leinster), Anna O'Flanagan (Leinster), Elena Tice (Leinster), Sarah Torrans (Leinster), Roisin Upton (Munster), Chloe Watkins (Leinster).

BBC Sport



Aussie field hockey teams face lack of games before Olympics

PERTH, Australia — Australia's traditionally strong Olympic field hockey teams are having trouble playing competitive matches ahead of the Tokyo Games, not unlike dozens of other international sports facing continuing delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian men and women’s teams were set to resume their FIH Pro League campaigns this month, but all matches involving Australia, China and New Zealand have been put on hold because of international travel restrictions due to the pandemic.

It means the upcoming doubleheaders between Australia and New Zealand that were scheduled for April 24 and 25 in Perth will not go ahead.

Both Australian teams were scheduled to travel to Europe for matches against Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany in May, but those games have also been postponed.

The delayed Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to begin July 23. Australian women's teams have won three Olympic golds, the men's team one and both sides have had multiple podium wins at the Olympics.

But the men's Kookaburras and women's Hockeyroos have not played an international match since March 7 of last year.

“The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos have shown phenomenal resilience and adaptability in continuing their preparations for Tokyo without any international matches in over a year,” Hockey Australia chief executive Matt Favier said Thursday. “This lead-up to an Olympics is unprecedented and it is too much of a risk sending teams to Europe this far out from the Games.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and the possibilities of playing any internationals knowing how critical they are for our national teams. We are hopeful they will have the opportunity to play on home soil again before they head to Tokyo in July.”

Argentina won the men's gold field hockey medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and Britain took the women's gold.

The Philadelphia Inquirer



Men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey to be held from 1-9 October in Dhaka

The new dates of the men's ACT have been confirmed with the Bangladesh Hockey Federation and are also approved by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the AHF said.


The sixth edition of the event wil feature Japan, India, Pakistan, Korea, Malaysia and hosts Bangladesh.

Kuala Lumpur: Postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey will now be held from 1-9 October in Dhaka, the continental governing body said.

The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) was earlier forced to postpone the ACT for both men and women twice because of the pandemic.

"In our mission to bring hockey back to the pitch after the global disruption caused by coronavirus , I am pleased to announce the rescheduling of dates for the postponed Hero Men's Asian Champions Trophy 2021 in early October this year," AHF chief executive Tayyab Ikram said.

"It is yet another victory in our battle against the virus and its effects on the sports world, and I wholeheartedly congratulate the Asian Hockey family, Bangladesh Hockey Federation, and hockey lovers worldwide for this win," he said in a statement.

The new dates of the men's ACT have been confirmed with the Bangladesh Hockey Federation and are also approved by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the AHF said.

The sixth edition of the biennial event will take place at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium in Dhaka among six teams - Japan, India, Pakistan, Korea, Malaysia, and hosts Bangladesh.

The men's edition was supposed to be held in Dhaka from 11-19 March, while the women's event was to be organised in Donghae, South Korea, from 31 March to 6 April.

Originally, both the tournaments were scheduled to be held last year but were postponed because of the deadly virus. While the original dates of the men's event were from 17-27 November, the women's tournament was scheduled from 14-21 June.

Firstpost



US Field Hockey hire Harendra as Men's Chief Coach

S2H Team



The United States has turned to Harendra Singh to boost its men’s field hockey fortunes, the country’s governing body announced on Thursday. The former coach of the India men’s and women’s teams will take charge of the American men who are ranked No. 24 in the world.

“We are thrilled to have ‘Harry’ join USA Field Hockey and lead our Men’s program,” stated Simon Hoskins, USA Field Hockey’s Executive Director on its website. “The US Men’s National Team showed great progress prior to the COVID-19 shutdown and now with a coach of the caliber and experience of Harry at the helm we are excited for the future of the USMNT.”


Former India’s women and Men’s team chief coach Harendra will now handle National team of the States

Harendra , 52, reacted to the appointment with enthusiasm and said in a message on the US Field Hockey website,

“Thank you for this exciting opportunity to coach the US Men’s National Team. My enthusiasm knows no bounds as I am excited to begin this journey with my experience in providing tools to players to find their strengths and weaknesses. Developing personalized training programs will surely help the team who have the power to change the tables in world hockey with their sheer grit determination and hard work. I am truly looking forward to being a part of a professional setup. I am excited to become a contributor to the growth of the USMNT by providing ‘Best of Breed’ to our players. I’m looking forward to a dynamic relationship as we get ready to challenge the best of the best teams in the years to come.”

Harendra emerges from a more than two-year hiatus to coach a national squad. The former India defender was shown the door by Hockey India following the failure of the team to win a medal at the 2018 Bhubaneswar World Cup where they reached the quarterfinals, losing to the Netherlands 1-2 and eventually finishing fifth – a creditable performance nothwithstanding.

Despite the failure to finish on the podium, Harendra did a remarkable job with the team in a year’s time having them to the final of the 2018 Champions Trophy in Breda, The Netherlands, where they lost to Australia in a shootout.


In his brief spell with the women’s hockey team, Harendra ensured Asia Cup success

With foreign coaches regularly given the top job, Harendra has been the lone Indian coach in the mix and was given charge in the year before the World Cup.

What did his prospects in was a shock defeat in a prolonged shootout to Malaysia in the 2018 Asian Games semifinals in Jakarta-Pelembang where the team eventually won the bronze medal beating Pakistan.

Harendra is a progressive coach and open to modern tactics, ideas and technology. But equally significant was the raw passion with which he did everything hockey. He also struck a chord with the players, especially the young ones and that was well and truly on display when India won the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow. Many of those young players – notably Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh – have been regulars in the senior team.


The USA team that was in Bhubaneswar for the Olympic Qualifier 2019

Harendra’s broad task is to lift the US team’s ranking from No. 24 to a zone which would pave way for the next World Cup qualifying success which would mean a strong performance at the Pan American Championships.

In doing so, he would hope to raise the profile of the men’s game in the USA where the women have a stronger tradition and stature. The American women are currently ranked No. 15 in the world and have won two continental titles.

The Americans came close to sealing a berth in the Olympic qualifiers in Bhubaneswar in 2019, losing by a late goal to South Africa in the FIH Finals semifinal.

Harendra donned the India colours from 1985 to 1991, featuring in 23 matches. He was part of the 1990 Beijing Asian Games silver medal winning team. Harendra, however, hung up his stick shortly later to focus on coaching.

Domestically, he represented Air India with aplomb and was senior manager till his voluntary retirement last year. Harendra grabbed headlines last year as a front-line warrior in the battle against Covid-19 which is plaguing the world. Wearing an anti-contamination suit, he helped in operations to disembark Indians from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the virus, in the first flight from the city after the pandemic gripped the world.

Harendra did well as head coach of the India women’s team as well in 2017-18 guiding them to the 2017 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup title. An FIH Level 4 High Performance certificate holder, Harendra’s passion for coaching led him to guide budding coaches at the Sports Authority of India and other centres the length and breadth of the country. His efforts brought him the Dronacharya Award in 2012.

Stick2Hockey.com



Former India hockey player Harendra Singh named head coach of US men's national team

Singh, who previously served as the chief coach of the senior Indian men's national team from 2017-18, has bagged a total of eight gold medals, five silver and nine bronze at different international level tournaments.


File image of Harendra Singh. Image Courtesy: Hockey India

USA Field Hockey on 7 April announced the hiring of Harendra Singh, former head coach of the Indian men's, women's and junior teams, and international player, as the head coach of the US men's national team.

“We are thrilled to have Harry join USA Field Hockey and lead our Men’s program,” stated Simon Hoskins, USA Field Hockey’s Executive Director.

“The US Men’s National Team showed great progress prior to the COVID-19 shutdown and now with a coach of the caliber and experience of Harry at the helm we are excited for the future of the USMNT,” he added.

Responding to the development, an elated Singh said: "My enthusiasm knows no bounds as I am excited to begin this journey with my experience in providing tools to players to find their strengths and weaknesses. Developing personalized training programs will surely help the team who have the power to change the tables in world hockey with their sheer grit determination and hard work. I am truly looking forward to being a part of a professional setup. I am excited to become a contributor to the growth of the USMNT by providing 'Best of Breed' to our players.

"I'm looking forward to a dynamic relationship as we get ready to challenge the best of the best teams in the years to come."

Singh, who previously served as the chief coach of the senior Indian men's national team from 2017-18, has bagged a total of eight gold medals, five silver and nine bronze at different international level tournaments.

Hailing from Chhapra in Bihar, he became popular after making his international debut at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing, wherein the Indian team bagged a silver.

Firstpost



Raubenheimer hopes to inspire with SA hockey selection


Madibaz hockey star Cheneal Raubenheimer will make her debut for the South African indoor team at the African Indoor Cup in Durban from April 15 to 18. Photo: Supplied

Madibaz student-athlete Cheneal Raubenheimer hopes her selection for the South African indoor hockey side sets a benchmark to which others in the province and her community will aspire.

The 24-year-old will make her debut for the SPAR Proteas at the African Indoor Cup in Durban from April 15 to 18.

The tournament, which also includes Namibia and Botswana, serves as a qualifier for the World Cup in Belgium next year.

Raubenheimer lives in Schauderville in Port Elizabeth and felt her national selection was important from several standpoints.

“It really means a lot to me because I’m representing the Eastern Cape, which is not recognised as a major indoor hockey province,” she said. “So it’s great to get that recognition.

“Secondly, I hope that my selection brings a message to the community in which I live, which is faced with deep socio-economic challenges.

“Especially for the younger generation it shows that if you really want something, you can rise above whatever stands in your way.

“It’s never about where you’re from, it’s about where you’re going, and that should always be the focus.”

The third-year BA student’s selection is the culmination of a long journey, which started as a fun game with her brother using broom handles.

“At the time I was at Erica Primary in PE and hockey started off as a sport in our physical education classes,” recalled Raubenheimer.

“I remember enjoying the feel of hitting the ball as far as I could and getting rewarded with sweets from my Grade 2 teacher.

“Because I enjoyed it so much, when I got home I would get my younger brother to play with me in our backyard using stones as hockey balls and the house brooms as hockey sticks. We’d just try to dribble past each other.

“I would be eager to finish my homework so I could show my mom what we did during the phys ed lessons. It was then that I realised that I really enjoyed hockey as a sport.”

Raubenheimer’s family moved to Butterworth when she was 10 years old and then to East London before she ended up back in Port Elizabeth, where she is currently doing her final year in development studies and economics.

Her talent was recognised by the national selectors when she was chosen for the SA U18 and U21 outdoor hockey teams, during which time she attended the Youth Olympic Games in China in 2014.

“That was definitely the highlight of my career,” she said. “It was an awesome experience.

“But I think making my debut in a few weeks’ time for the national women’s indoor side is also going to be one for the books and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I intend to learn from this tournament as much as I can so I can prepare for the challenges ahead and continue to develop with the team.”

Madibaz Sport hockey manager Cheslyn Gie said Raubenheimer’s selection was just reward for hard work.

“It shows how motivated she is to achieve at a high level and her perseverance has paid off,” he said.

“Cheneal has improved her fitness and is in the best shape I have ever seen her. Her selection will inspire many youngsters from our province to take the indoor game more seriously.

“As we are unable to train normally due to Covid, it also demonstrates that our off-season training programmes are working and it speaks volumes for our coaches at the club.”

Gie added that Raubenheimer’s selection showed it was possible to excel in academics and on the sports field.

“She is a dedicated student and has done extremely well to achieve academically and on the indoor court. It underlines what you can do with proper time management.”

Fullstop Communications media release



What does Play True mean to you?



The annual WADA Play True Day, held this year on the 9 April, celebrates and highlights work being done in the battle to eradicate doping from elite sport. Each year the organisation reaches out to millions of people via social media to raise awareness about the meaning and value of clean sport. Individual athletes and sports organisations are all encouraged to join in spreading the word to the sporting public and beyond.

In line with the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) aims and ambitions, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) takes its own commitment to running a clean sport extremely seriously and works hard to ensure that it stays abreast of any developments in doping, testing and education around the subject.

This approach has been enhanced after the FIH joined a number of other sports in outsourcing its Anti-Doping procedures to the Independent Testing Authority (ITA). This body, which now works with nearly half of all Olympic Sports, will bring independence and new levels of efficiency to the FIH’s existing programme.

Speaking ahead of Play True Day, Director of Sport and Development at the FIH, Jon Wyatt, said: “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was increasingly focusing on independence between the governing body of a sport and anti-doping compliance. Although we have never had an issue, we felt it was the right thing to do and it has led to many benefits for the sport.”

Among the benefits cited by Wyatt is the enhancement to the FIH’s reputation as an organisation that takes anti-doping measures and education very seriously. By voluntarily bringing in the services of an independent body is a clear signal of hockey’s willingness to keep the sport clean.

By tapping into the ITA’s expertise across a number of sports, as well as its geographical reach, the FIH will be able to access new information and best practice far quicker than before. As Wyatt said: “We are working with genuine experts in the field of anti-doping.”

The impact on athletes is non-existent. For the athletes all the anti-doping rules, regulations and procedures remain unchanged. For the governing body, the changes are positive.

As one example, the management of TUE’s in which athletes declare medications that they are using to treat an illness, has become far more efficient. In the past, the FIH relied on a handful of doctors to manage TUEs. In the lead up to tournaments this could become a very time-consuming task, carried out by a small number of doctors. ITA has a dedicated team to process TUEs, so athletes will receive responses far quicker.

The other big benefit for the FIH is the access to ITA’s education resources. While all athletes that are due to compete at a FIH event must have taken an online course in the previous two years, Wyatt says this is really a minimum requirement. Through the ITA resource bank, national associations will be able to access webinars and workshops to really educate the athletes about anti-doping.

“There are three major areas where I see a huge benefit to us,” says Wyatt. “Efficiency, best practice and being at the forefront of any developments.”

To celebrate Play True Day, WADA is inviting athletes from all sports to publicly answer the question: “What does Play True mean to you?”

Canada men’s captain Scott Tupper said: “I think the concept of clean sport and play true is so important to the integrity of sport from the Olympic down to the recreational level. Hockey has traditionally been void of major doping scandals and I think that speaks to the values of the athletes who participate. We want to compete on an even playing field and I'm proud to be part of a hockey community that celebrates and promotes clean sport.'

And Janne Müller-Wieland, captain of the German women’s national team, said: “I’m proud to be a hockey player, as I believe we can demonstrate ‘clean sport and play true’ at all levels (grass root to Olympian), all around the world.”

The concept for Play True Day can be traced back to 2013, when a WADA-hosted Education Conference was attended by 17 South American countries. What began as a South American initiative has now become an annual global celebration reaching more than 50 million people.

#PlayTueDay

FIH site



Weekend College Games: April 8 - 14



More college field hockey games to follow this weekend as the 2020v2 season winds down and teams prep for their respective conference tournaments! (schedule subject to change)





Maryland field hockey’s defense has proven sturdy against Big Ten’s elite

Shane Connuck

Late in Maryland field hockey’s loss to Iowa on Sunday, Hawkeyes forward Maddy Murphy blasted a backhanded shot toward the cage, searching for the team’s third score of the day.

Murphy, a senior, has netted seven goals this season, good for second place in the Big Ten. A season ago, she led her talented Iowa squad in goals, assists and points. She has a wealth of experience, and her shot was perfectly placed.

But it was turned away. Terps defender Rayne Wright snuck inside, diving to break up Murphy’s shot and keep the match at 2-0 with under six minutes to play.

“I just wanted to deny her of any type of shot or goal,” the freshman said.

Maryland’s defense has helped limit the damage in a stacked Big Ten, which has six teams ranked in the National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association’s most recent top 20 poll. And if opposing teams get past the defensive unit, goalkeeper Noelle Frost is there to bail her team out. She has made 47 saves this season — second in the conference.

Outside of Wright, Riley Donnelly is a key component of the Terps’ defense. Her efforts on the backline were rewarded three weeks ago when Maryland held Indiana to just one goal across two matches, earning Donnelly Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades.

And this Terps’ defensive corps will need to remain sturdy as the regular season nears its conclusion. The road isn’t getting easier for No. 11 Maryland (6-4), starting with a back-to-back against No. 5 Michigan this weekend.

Much like the Terps, the Wolverines bring a strong defense to College Park. Michigan has let in just five goals throughout the season, tied for the second fewest in the Big Ten.

And as Maryland readies to face an opposing offense that has found the net 14 times this year, the defense needs to ensure its communication remains clear.

That charge is usually led by Frost, who is always yelling out commands to the backline.

“Kyler [Greenwalt] said the other day, ‘When Noelle says to do something, do it,’” Meharg said.

Still, the Terps are wary of a Michigan team that has scored six goals in its last two games. And in the ultra-competitive Big Ten, those key defensive players will need to perform.

That might not be a problem after Maryland only conceded once to an equally efficient Iowa offense. Either way, the Terps have set themselves up for success.

“They’re very talented,” coach Missy Meharg said. “We are more than prepared.”

The Diamondback



Field Hockey to Close Conference Slate With Big 5 Rival



PHILADELPHIA - With the final two games in conference play left on the schedule, the Temple field hockey team will play a home-and-home with Big 5 rival Villanova this weekend. This will be the first two of the final three games of the regular season for the Owls.

Scouting Temple
> The Owls are 5-9 on the season, falling in both games at #6 Liberty last weekend.
> Temple scored twice against the Flames, with junior Nienke Oerlemans scoring both.
> Oerlemans leads the team with three goals. Graduate student Veronika Novakova and freshman Cassie Romanczuk tie for second with two goals apiece. Novakova scored the game-winner in the season opener and the game-tying goal against ODU, while Romanczuk scored her first career goal in the 2-1 overtime loss at Villanova and the game-winner against Providence. Six other Owls have found the back of the cage this season, with Kaitlyn Cummins scoring her first career goal in the 3-2 shootout loss to Providence.
> Novakova leads the team in shots with 19, while Claire Thomas ranks second with 15 and Kerrie Lorenz is third with 13.
> Cristina Carotenuto has recorded 58 saves and four clean sheets this season.

Senior Salute
> Temple field hockey will honor six student-athletes as part of senior day activities prior to hosting Villanova on Sunday.
> Taylor Alba, Elaine Bachelder, Dani Batze, Cristina Carotenuto, Veronika Novakova, and Mia Sexton will all be recognized.

Scouting Villanova
> Villanova is 4-8 (3-7 BIG EAST) on the season and will enter the weekend on a two-game losing streak.
> The Wildcats hosted UConn last weekend, falling 8-0 and 3-0 to the Huskies.
> Meghan Mitchell leads the team with eight goals, while Sabine de Ruijter fired a team-leading 29 shots.
> The Wildcats have allowed the most goals (44) in the conference but leads the league in saves (68).
> Jordan McGinley leads the team with 34 saves for a 2.59 GAA and a .654 save percentage.

Series History
> Temple and Villanova have met 21 times in series history, with the Owls holding a 14-7 series advantage.
> The Owls earned a 3-0 win at home over the Wildcats last season, snapping a three-game skid against Villanova.
> The teams split the series last month, with Temple earning a 1-0 victory at Villanova before the Wildcats defeated the Owls 2-1 in overtime at Howarth Field.

Owl Sports

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