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All the news for Wednesday 2 June 2021

Hockeyroos clinch women’s series while Kookaburras go four from four



The Hockeyroos denied the Vantage Black Sticks Women a home town victory with a 3-1 win in the fourth and deciding match of the Sentinel Homes Trans-Tasman series in Palmerston Northlast night.

The two women’s sides were unable to be separated after three draws, but tonight the Hockeyroos clinched the series with a convincing victory led by their captain and one of the form players Stephanie Kershaw.

Meanwhile in the men’s match in front of a near capacity crowd of 1500 at the new Massey University turf, Australia continued their winning ways with a 5-1 victory after three previous wins in the series.

In the earlier women’s game, the Black Sticks lost experienced defender Kayla Whitelock in the first few minutes to a knee injury which will be properly assessed in the morning.

Vantage Black Sticks Women Head Coach Graham Shaw said while it wasn’t the result the team wanted tonight, he was happy with the overall performance.

“We made some mistakes at the back and got punished but that’s international hockey. I can’t fault the tenacity we played with and we finished with real intent and real belief so that’s really pleasing.”

Shaw added the side needed to be better at penalty corner time before the return series in Perth at the end of month.

Tonight Hockeyroos skipper Kershaw opened the scoring after eight minutes as she latched on a scramble in front of goal. In the second quarter she turned goalmaker, with a lovely reverse pass across the goalmouth that Kalina Commerford touched in to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at the break.

New Zealand’s all-time record goalscorer Olivia Merry got on the scoresheet near the end of the third quarter as she popped in a rebound off her own initial shot after a cracking cross from Rose Keddell.

Minutes later the Hockeyroos restored their two goal lead with a smashing shot from Savannah Fitzpatrick after a poor clearance from the Black Sticks defence. And that was where the game finished with the visitors taking out the match 3-1.

Hockeyroos 3 (Stephanie Kershaw 8 min, Kalindi Commerford 27 min, Savannah Fitzpatrick 42 min) Vantage Black Sticks 1 (Olivia Merry 39 min) Halftime: 2-0 Hockeyroos.


NZ’s Blair Tarrant looks for support during the Sentinel Homes Trans Tasman Series hockey match between the Vantage Black Sticks Men and the Australian Kookaburras at Massey University Hockey Turf in Palmerston North, New Zealand on Tuesday, 1 June 2021. Photo: Dave Lintott / lintottphoto.co.nz

In the men’s match, Australia got off to another flier and were 2-0 up in the first quarter thanks to goals from Nathan Ephraums and Tom Wickham.

The Black Sticks clawed one back in the second quarter with Shea McAleese converting a penalty stroke after Sam Hiha got a wee nudge in the back.

The Kookaburras restored their two goal lead early in the final quarter with another Jeremy Hayward drag flick penalty corner into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Jacob Anderson added another from a penalty corner rebound, and Wickham took the Australia total to five with the goal of the match as he brilliantly deflected in a Joshua Beltz pass.

Kookaburras 5 (Nathan Ephraums 3 min, Tom Wickham 13 and 54 min, Jeremy Hayward 48 min, Jacob Anderson 53 min) Vantage Black Sticks 1 (Shea McAleesse penalty stroke 28 min) Halftime: 2-1 Kookaburras.

Both Vantage Black Sticks squads for the Olympics will be named on Thursday 10 June.

Official Blacksticks site

Kookaburras end Trans-Tasman Series on a high



A dominant start and a barnstorming finish have seen the Kookaburras round off their Trans-Tasman Series with a 5-1 victory over New Zealand.

Two goals in the first quarter were followed by three in the last 12 minutes to give the Kookaburras a clean sweep in the series and a reinforcement that they are on the right track less than two months out from the Olympics.

Just like Match 3 the Kookaburras made a fast start, Josh Simmonds drawing an excellent save low down from Blacksticks goalkeeper George Enerson in the opening two minutes.

A minute later Tim Brand jumped on a loose ball in the circle and fired on goal, with Nathan Ephraums perfectly positioned at the back post to glance it in for his third goal of the series.

Tom Wickham then made it 2-0 in the 13th minute with a sharp rebound off another stinging Brand effort.

Nearing half time the Blacksticks were given a lifeline when Shea McAleese converted a penalty stroke to leave the Kookaburras with a slender 2-1 lead at the break.

The Blacksticks then enjoyed arguably their best period of the series in the third quarter, however they could not seriously threaten Tyler Lovell in the Kookaburras goal.

Goal scoring chances were proving hard to come as the Kookas tried to again seize the ascendency.

Jake Whetton and Jacob Anderson combined down the right with under 2 minutes to go in the third quarter but Wickham could not find the target with his shot, before Lovell was finally called into action to make a save from Hugo Inglis.

A break came for the Kookaburras by way of a penalty corner early in the fourth.

Jeremy Hayward duly stepped up to convert, sweeping home a powerful drag flick into the bottom corner to push the lead out to 3-1.

The Black Sticks responded immediately, earning a penalty corner of their own off the pushback but Lovell was up to the challenge, deflecting Kane Russell’s flick safely away from the net.

It was to be Lovell’s final involvement of the match, with the Kookaburras tightening the screws on a tiring New Zealand defence.

Anderson was first to pick up the rebound from a save off another Simmonds drag flick to make it 4-1.

Then Wickham netted his brace when he dived to get on the end of a searching and pinpoint circle entry from Josh Beltz.

The Kookaburras were finishing the match in a rampant mood and Brand was unlucky not have been awarded a sixth when he appeared to get a touch on a ball that finished in the back of the net but it was waved away by the umpires.

Kookaburras Head Coach Colin Batch said the squad took a lot away from its first international matches in 15 months.

“Each match had a different characteristic to overcome. The Blacksticks certainly tested us in quite a few quarters throughout the series and we were able to change the momentum of the games during the quarter breaks which helped,” said Batch.

“Tonight we started well and finished well and I can’t complain about the five goals. You’re always looking for the next advantage or some improvement and they were two really good quarters that we played, so now we need to work on playing for four quarters.

“It was certainly a step up from what we’ve had for 15 months, so it’s really pleasing with our preparation having to fly over here and get used to the conditions.

“We settled in well and we have been well looked after since we’ve been here. This squad is committed to keep improving and I think we did improve over the four games and were tested by New Zealand in a number of areas.”

Match Details
Kookaburras 5 (Ephraums 3’, Wickham 13’/54’, Hayward 48’, Anderson 53’)
New Zealand 1 (McAleese 28’)
@ Massey University Turf

Kookaburras: 5.Tom Wickham, 6.Matthew Dawson, 7.Nathan Ephraums, 9.Jacob Anderson, 10.Josh Beltz, 11.Eddie Ockenden (c), 12.Jake Whetton, 14.Dylan Martin, 15.Josh Simmonds, 16.Tim Howard, 22.Flynn Ogilvie, 23.Daniel Beale, 24.Tyler Lovell (gk), 25.Trent Mitton, 29.Tim Brand, 32.Jeremy Hayward
Unused Substitutes: 13.Blake Govers, 30.Andrew Charter (gk)

New Zealand: 3.David Brydon, 4.Dane Lett, 9.Sam Hiha, 10.Steve Edwards, 11.Jake Smith, 12.Sam Lane, 14.Jared Panchia, 15.George Enersen (gk), 17.Nic Woods, 21.Kane Russell, 22.Blair Tarrant (c), 24.Sean Findlay, 25.Shea McAleese, 27.Stephen Jenness, 28.Dominic Newman, 29.Hugo Inglis, 32.Nick Wilson
Unused Substitutes: 34.Leon Hayward (gk)

Hockey Australia media release

Hockeyroos prevail over Blacksticks in series decider



The Hockeyroos have produced their best performance of the Trans-Tasman series, winning the deciding fourth match 3-1 against New Zealand.

Led by captain of the night Steph Kershaw, who scored the game’s opening goal, the Hockeyroos will head home high on confidence.

With the three previous matches all ending in draws, tonight’s game was billed as a mini final.

The Hockeyroos survived consecutive Blacksticks penalty corners early on, goalkeeper Aleisha Power making her first appearance of the series.

New Zealand lost experienced defender Kayla Whitelock with a knee injury midway through the quarter and shortly after the Hockeyroos pounced to break the deadlock when Kershaw tumbled the ball over the line in a crowd of sticks.

Karri Somerville made a crucial clearance on the last line of defence, both teams finding it difficult to find effective entries into their respective attacking circles.

A Penny Squibb drag flick forced a save high up from Blacksticks goalkeeper Georgia Barnett, the game being played at a frenetic pace.

Then three minutes before half time, Kershaw did superbly on the baseline to send a ball across goal and Kalindi Commerford managed to get the final touch to knock it over the line to make it 2-1.

The hosts started the third quarter strongly and in the 39th minute they were back within one. Rose Keddell smashed the ball into the circle and Olivia Merry’s striker instinct took over, the Blacksticks’ all time leading scorer beating substitute Hockeyroos goalkeeper Jocelyn Bartram from close range.

But any possible Hockeyroos nerves were quickly quashed when Renee Taylor beat two defenders to get the ball to Savannah Fitzpatrick in the circle and the striker hammered a cracking first time strike on the angle past Barnett.

Chasing the game, the Blacksticks took off their goalkeeper with six minutes to go and with the Hockeyroos down a player with Kershaw on a 2 minute expulsion.

However, the Hockeyroos maintained their composure, not giving the Blacksticks a look in as they wrapped up the series to the delight of Head Coach Katrina Powell.

“It has been a while since we have done that well against New Zealand, so it was pleasing to get the result in the end,” said Powell.

“All of the games in the series were really tight so the fact that tonight was a must win in a finals type situation, it was really pleasing to see the character, determination and work ethic of the players to get the job done.”

“This series win is a full squad win. Every player played their part. I’m really proud of the way the players came in and out.

“We have been using the term that players were ‘picking up the baton’ from the ones that have passed it on from the game before, so the progress that has been made has shown that they are all on board with the way we want to play.”

Match Details
Hockeyroos 3 (Kershaw 8’, Commerford 27’, S.Fitzpatrick 43’)
New Zealand 1 (Merry 39’)
@ Massey University Turf

Hockeyroos: 1.Sophie Taylor, 4.Amy Lawton, 6.Penny Squibb, 7.Aleisha Power (gk), 8.Georgia Wilson, 10.Maddy Fitzpatrick, 12.Greta Hayes, 13.Edwina Bone, 14.Steph Kershaw (c), 16.Courtney Schonell, 18.Jane Claxton, 19.Jocelyn Bartram (gk), 20.Karri Somerville, 21.Renee Taylor, 23.Kalindi Commerford, 24.Mariah Williams, 26.Emily Chalker, 32.Savannah Fitzpatrick

New Zealand: 1.Tarryn Davey, 2.Olivia Shannon, 4.Olivia Merry, 5.Frances Davies, 7.Kayla Whitelock, 12.Ella Gunson, 13.Samantha Charlton, 16.Liz Thompson, 20.Megan Hull, 22.Katie Doar, 24.Rose Keddell, 25.Kelsey Smith, 27.Holly Pearson, 31.Stacey Michelsen (c), 33.Julia King, 34.Hope Ralph, 42.Georgia Barnett (gk)
Unused Substitutes: 15.Grace O’Hanlon (gk)

Hockey Australia media release

Whitelock out of contention for Tokyo with torn ACL



Four-time Olympian Kayla Whitelock has torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee and is now unavailable for the Tokyo Olympics.

The Vantage Black Sticks defender, with 260 caps for her country, injured her right knee in the fourth and final match of the Sentinel Homes Trans-Tasman series in Palmerston North last night.

Vantage Black Sticks Head Coach Graham Shaw said his heart went out to Kayla.

“It’s often an overused term but Kayla truly is a legend of our game, and it was a heart-breaking moment when she shared the extent of her injury with the team today.”

“Kayla will be a massive loss to the team both on and off the field in Tokyo.”

Vantage Black Sticks Captain Stacey Michelsen said many players, including herself, had looked up to Whitelock as youngsters.

“Kayla was an inspiration to all of the current Black Sticks when we were growing up and continued to play that role over her entire career.

“We are absolutely devastated that her Olympic dream has ended this way.”

Whitelock would have joined Barbara Kendall and Valerie Adams as the only Kiwi women to attend five Olympics if she’d made it to Tokyo.

Both Black Sticks squads for the Olympics will be named on Thursday 10 June.

Official Blackstick site

Women's Black Sticks veteran Kayla Whitelock suffers serious knee injury, will miss Tokyo Olympic Games


Veteran midfielder Kayla Whitelock suffered an ACL injury during the Black Sticks' recent series against the Australian Hockeyroos. Photo / Photosport

One of the women's Black Sticks longtime servants Kayla Whitelock has suffered a crushing injury that will see her miss the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 35-year-old, who was gunning for a fifth appearance at the showcase multi-sport event, picked up an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury to her right knee in the recent four-match series against the Australian Hockeyroos in New Zealand.

It sidelines the former skipper indefinitely and will rid the Black Sticks of one of their key figures when their Olympic campaign begins on July 25.

Whitelock came out of retirement in 2019 to chase an elusive Olympic medal. Her best finish with the Black Sticks has been fourth at the 2012 and 2016 events.

Women's Black Sticks head coach Graham Shaw says his heart goes out to Whitelock.

"It's often an overused term but Kayla is truly a legend of our game, and it was a heart-breaking moment when she shared the extent of her injury with the team today.

"Kayla will be a massive loss to the team both on and off the field in Tokyo."

Captain Stacey Michelsen details how many of the current players looked up to Whitelock earlier in their careers.

"Kayla was an inspiration to all of the current Black Sticks when we were growing up and continued to play that role over her entire career.

"We are absolutely devastated that her Olympic dream has ended this way."

Whitelock has 260 international caps to her credit and helped guide the women's side to silver and bronze medals at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and Glasgow.

The midfielder enjoyed a minor hiatus from the sport when she gave birth to her daughter Addison, before adding to her resume with an appearance at the 2016 Rio Games as captain of the national side.

Had Whitelock made it to Tokyo, she would have joined Barbara Kendall and Dame Valerie Adams as the only New Zealand female athletes to attend five Games.

The women's and men's Black Sticks squads for Tokyo will be named on Thursday, June 10.

The New Zealand Herald

'Absolutely devastated': Black Sticks 'legend' Kayla Whitelock ruled out of Olympics with cruel ACL injury


Black Stick legend Kayla Whitelock has been ruled out of the Tokyo Olympics with an ACL injury. DAVID UNWIN/STUFF

Kayla Whitelock's dream of an Olympic medal has almost certainly ended via a cruel injury blow.

The Black Sticks have confirmed its worst fears following the veteran defender going down just five minutes into Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss to Australia.

Scans have revealed Whitelock has torn the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her right knee and is now unavailable for the Tokyo Olympics.

Having already attended four Games’ in her stellar 260 cap career, the 34-year-old came out of retirement in 2019 to chase an elusive Olympic medal.

Whitelock, who attended her first Olympics in 2004 at Athens, has been part of Black Sticks teams who have finished fourth in 2012 at London and Rio in 2016.

Black Sticks coach Graham Shaw was gutted to lose one of the key cogs in his Olympic squad – that will be named on June 10 – but more importantly, said his heart went out to Whitelock.

“It’s often an overused term but Kayla truly is a legend of our game, and it was a heart-breaking moment when she shared the extent of her injury with the team today.

“Kayla will be a massive loss to the team both on and off the field in Tokyo,” Shaw said.

Black Sticks captain Stacey Michelsen said she and many of the current squad looked up to Whitelock when they were young.

“Kayla was an inspiration to all of the current Black Sticks when we were growing up and continued to play that role over her entire career.

“We are absolutely devastated that her Olympic dream has ended this way,” she said.

Whitelock injured herself while challenging for the ball with Australia's Jane Claxton and then fell to the turf. It appeared as if Whitelock hurt her knee while contesting for possession.

She stayed on the ground for several minutes and looked in major discomfort as she was assisted to the sideline.

Whitelock would have joined Barbara Kendall and Valerie Adams as the only Kiwi women to attend five Olympics if she’d made it to Tokyo.

She would be approaching her 38th birthday when the Paris Olympics role around in 2024.

Stuff

Europe’s top teams ready to put on a hockey spectacular



After months of uncertainty around pandemic restrictions and their impact on hockey fixtures, the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam will once more be the scene of international hockey action.

The 2021 EuroHockey Championships, both men’s and women’s events, will be taking place from 4-13 June in the iconic stadium, with the top teams in Europe doing battle for both the continental title and qualification for the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup and the 2022 Women’s FIH Hockey World Cup.

Eight men’s and eight women’s teams will be competing, with the world number one men’s and women’s teams, namely Belgium men and Netherlands women, hoping to repeat their success of 2019.

With the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 just a few weeks away, many of the competing teams will also see this event as a chance to see their players in action on a highly competitive stage. For many players this is a chance to experience hockey with the heightened atmosphere of noisy fans, television cameras and the presence of other media – something that hasn’t happened for many months.

Competing in the men’s tournament, alongside the reigning champions Belgium, are Netherlands (World Ranking: 3), Germany (WR: 5), England (WR: 6), Spain (WR: 9), France (WR: 12), Wales (WR: 18), and Russia (WR: 22).

In the women’s competition, all three 2018 Women’s World Cup medallists compete in Pool A, Netherlands (WR:1), Ireland (WR: 8) and Spain (WR: 7). Scotland (WR: 22) are the fourth member of that group. Pool B sees Germany (WR: 3), England (WR: 4), Belgium (WR: 12) and Italy (WR: 17) lock horns.

In the men’s competition, teams that finish in the top five will qualify for the 2023 Men’s World Cup in India. For the women, Spain and Netherlands automatically qualify as joint hosts for the 2022 Women’s World Cup, which means the remainder of the teams need to finish in the top three – or top four or five if either host nations finish in the top three.

In Pool A of the men’s EuroHockey Championships, Belgium, England, Russia and Spain will be vying for position, with Shane McLeod’s star-studded Red Lions expected to do well against lower-ranked opposition. In this team of multi-capped players, Tom Boon is likely to get his 300th cap over the course of the competition, with Victor Wegnez closing in on his 100th.

Many of Danny Kerry’s England side were part of the Great Britain side that beat Spain in their last FIH Hockey Pro League match, and also enjoyed a double victory over Germany. Zach Wallace and Liam Ansell both showed good form in the Pro League matches and will hope to continue to perform well on this big stage.

Spain has heaps of talent in its ranks, with goalkeeper Quico Cortes continuing to impress between the posts and David Alegra, Pau Quemada and Xavi Lleonart all pushing the buttons from midfield. The newer members of the squad are also finding their form, with Marc Miralles and Jose Basterrra looking very sharp in recent matches.

Russia is the lowest ranked team in the competition but the experience of players such as Iaroslav Loginov, Nikolay Yankun and Pavel Golubev, combined with a physical and uncompromising style of play will make the Russian team a difficult one to break down.

The highest ranked team in Pool B is Netherlands, who will relish the chance to play in their home stadium in front of a largely Dutch audience. Head Coach Max Caldas has named an experienced squad, including three players with more than 200 caps apiece – Jeroen Hertzberger, captain Billy Bakker and Robbert Kemperman. Also in the ranks are the exciting newer talents of Jip Jannsen and Jorrit Croon.

This is a highly competitive pool however, as Germany is a side that is very much on form. The previous meeting between the two sides saw Germany beat Max Caldas’ Netherlands 4-2 and 3-1. Head Coach Kais Al Saadi is continuing his policy of mixing experience with youth by selecting four 21 year olds – Linus Müller, Justus Weigand, Teo Hinrichs and goalkeeper Alex Stadler – with fewer than 30 caps between them, alongside players such as captain Tobias Hauke and defender Martin Häner, who have a combined cap count of more than 570.

Both France and Wales are team capable of causing an upset. France are big-stage performers, as they demonstrated when they beat Argentina in the 2018 Men’s World Cup in Bhubaneswar. Victor Charlet will provide a wealth of experience as he leads the team and he will be ably supported by seasoned campaigners such as Simon Martin Brisac, Jean-Baptiste Forgues and Viktor Lockwood.

Jacob Draper will provide much of the creative flair for Wales, while Lewis Prosser and Rupert Shipperley are both players who can turn opportunities to goals.

While Belgium and the Netherlands may be the sides to beat, it is difficult to write off any of the teams contesting the top spots.

In the women’s competition it is difficult to look past the host nation. Alyson Annan’s team has only been beaten a handful of times since the Head Coach took charge in 2015. For this competition, Netherlands are likely to be without their hugely talented playmaker Lidewij Welten, who is recovering from injury. The probably return of Eva de Goede following injury and the presence in the squad of proven winners such as Margot van Geffen, Caia van Maasakker,  Xan de Waard is enough to strike dread into the hearts of their opponents. Annan has also included seven players with fewer than 10 caps apiece, including Stella van Gils, Marente Barentsen and Rosa Fernig, who could all make their debut.

The last time Ireland played the Netherlands in a top tier competition it was the final of the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup in London. On that occasion the Green Army lost 6-0 but won silver in the competition. This time, Sean Dancer’s team are facing the Netherlands in the opening match of the EuroHockey Championships and Ireland’s Roisin Upton is determined the team has learnt from the World Cup experience.

“We might have gone into that final a little bit naive,” she said, adding, “Coming up against the Dutch, you have to be realistic - you can't be conceding goals in the first half as lightly as we did, taking as many risks going forward.”

For Spain, this is a chance to show that they are a side that continues to grow under the long-term stewardship of Head Coach Adrian Lock. Spain won bronze in the equivalent tournament in 2019 and they will be looking to equal or better this result in Amsterdam. The Red Sticks is a side packed with talent: Georgina Oliva, Berta Bonastre, Lola Reira, Carlota Petchame – this is a team oozing with talent, experience and – as the most recent World Cup and EuroHockey Championships have proven – plenty of ambition.

Scotland may be the lowest ranked team in the tournament but they can always be relied upon to punch above their weight. Head Coach Jen Wilson is an experienced campaigner following a long career as a South African international. The drive within the Scottish team is likely to come from the talented midfielders Sarah Robertson and Charlotte Watson, with captain Becky Ward and Amy Costello keeping it steady in defence.

There will be some intriguing match-ups in Pool B. Belgium were silver medallists at the 2017 edition of this competition, while England won the event in 2015. Germany were runners-up in 2019 and haven’t been out of the medal positions since 1987. The fourth side, Italy, have never featured in the medals but are a team constantly seeking to cause an upset.

For Belgium, this period is very much a time for rebuilding. They proved they were on an upwards trajectory with two comprehensive victories over USA in the FIH Hockey Pro League. They are known as a physical, tough side who love to counterattack. Players such as Barbara Nelen and Alix Gerniers lead by example and, in Ambre Ballenghien the Red Panthers have a real match winner.

Eight members of the England squad played in the team’s 2015 gold medal-winning squad. At the same time, Head Coach Mark Hager is also bringing in fresh faces with Esme Burge, Lizzie Neal and Fiona Crackles making their England debuts.

Germany will be fielding a side that is packed with experience – Nike Lorenz, Anna Schröder, Charlotte Stapenhorst, Lisa Altenburg and Franziska Hauke, all have more than 100 caps. However, a surprise omission is that of Janne Müller-Wieland, who has been a mainstay of the team since 2008.

The fourth team to line up in Pool B is Italy. Led by the Chiara Tiddi, who is the heart of the Italian defence, the Italian team has a number of players making their debut at this level of competition. Head Coach Roberto Carta will be looking for his side to play with the same fearlessness they showed at the 2018 World Cup, when they defeated higher ranked teams through a combination of strong defending and persistent attacking. The Italian forward line is led again by Ivanna Pessina and Lara Oviedo.

The 2021 EuroHockey Championships get underway in Amstelveen on 4 June when Germany meets Wales, followed by Netherlands against France in the men’s competition. The opening women match will see Netherlands face Ireland, followed by Spain against Scotland.

Please visit the EuroHockey Website to know where you can watch the games.

FIH site

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Spotlight on Ireland



The build-up to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 starts right here! In the first of our Olympic Spotlights features that will examine all of the competing nations in Tokyo, we focus on a debutant team who have already proven themselves capable of achieving very big things.

Ireland women secured Olympic qualification for the first time in their history in dramatic style, edging Canada 4-3 in a shoot-out in front of 6000 enthralled fans at Dublin’s Energia Park, also known as the Donnybrook Stadium.

The Green Army – surprise silver medallists at the Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup London 2018, despite starting the event as the second lowest ranked of the 16 competing teams – trailed 3-1 in the shoot-out before staging a remarkable comeback, eventually winning in sudden-death.

Ireland – who will also be involved in the upcoming European Championships in the Netherlands – have been both authors and protagonists of an astounding story in recent years. Will they add another fascinating chapter in Tokyo? We speak to record goal-scorer Anna O’Flanagan to get her thoughts ahead of their history making Olympic campaign.

Anna O’Flanagan, thank you so much for talking to us! It may have been delayed by a year, but the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is fast approaching. Despite the delay and all of the challenges surrounding the covid situation, you and your Irish team-mates must be tremendously excited.

Anna O’Flanagan: “Yes, definitely. I think in the last couple of months we have really seen the possibility of the Olympics really going ahead. It is really clear what we have to do to get there and what it is going to look like when we are there. I think it has really spurred us on, and there is such excitement in the camp. We really cannot wait to get over there and get going.”

We all know that the Green Army has been making some serious history in recent years, famously winning silver at the FIH World Cup in 2018 in London before securing a first ever Olympic qualification, which we’ll come to shortly. It must give you plenty of confidence going into Tokyo. You must feel optimistic about what you can do over there.

Anna O’Flanagan: “This team is always quietly confident about what we can do and what we can achieve, and the World Cup was just a glimmer of that. We hope that the Olympics will be something similar, and we can just go there, show what we are made of and really compete with the top teams. It is the first time an Irish women’s team has ever been to an Olympics, so it is history in itself just being there. It is a product of so many years of work, and many different players, coaching staff and people within the organisation. For the group that does get to go, it will be a very special group, but it represents a much bigger picture for Irish hockey as a whole. We are just really excited to get there and do what we can for Irish hockey, to keep pushing it forward.”

To be the first Irish women’s hockey team to qualify for the Olympics is pretty special. Can you tell us what it was like on that special night at Donnybrook in 2019, when you defeat Canada in front of a packed stadium?

Anna O’Flanagan: “If I’m totally honest, I was just relieved. Many of us had been on this team for ten years, some girls 12 years or more. Some had been through three Olympic qualifying campaigns. There was the heartbreak of the Rio 2016 qualifying campaign, and then there was the build-up to the 2020 qualifier. I think, for me, the World Cup was such an exciting time. We were so happy being there and everything was going well for us. But going into that qualifier, there was a bit of pressure on us to qualify, especially after what we had achieved at the World Cup, not to mention the pressure we put on ourselves. The goal we had set for years was to be at an Olympic Games. With the way the games at Donnybrook panned out, we made it difficult for ourselves and we needed to, I think! When we eventually qualified on that night, I was just so relieved – it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. It is something that as a group we had been working on for what feels like hundreds of years, and it had eventually come off. It was obviously incredible, but relief was the main feeling!”

Both matches against Canada were incredibly tense affairs, with only the lottery of a shoot-out being able to separate your teams. It must have been an unbelievable feeling to emerge victorious, especially in front of such an enthusiastic crowd.  

Anna O’Flanagan: “I think in the first game we probably left a bit out there – we could have gone into the second game in a much more comfortable position. We knew that the Canadians are a really good side. They are dogged, can dig deep and really produce results when they want to. The more we didn’t take our chances, the more we were letting them into the game. Towards the end of game two they had plenty of their own chances to take the win and qualify themselves. It was just extremely tense. The second game was difficult and edgy, but in the first half of the first game we left a few chances out there which probably put us on the back foot for the rest of that game, and the second game [too]. As we say, we got there in the end and nobody really remembers how you get there, just that you get there! We were grateful in the end that it came through.”

In Tokyo, the focus will be all about getting out of a tough looking pool and into the quarter-finals. Ireland are in Pool A alongside reigning World and European champions the Netherlands, current Olympic champions Great Britain as well as Germany, India and South Africa, who will be your first opponents on 24 July.  What are your thoughts about the pool?

Anna O’Flanagan: “As you said, every game in the Olympics is a massive game, and I think our pool is extremely difficult. It is a pool that we can set our sights on doing well in, and I think there are some key games in there that we really need to win. We’ve targeted some key games that we really need to win if we want to progress in the tournament. We’ve played South Africa over the past couple of years and had good results against them, and India we have some experience of at a major tournament, beating them. There are obviously some games that we have targeted quite heavily, and they won’t be easy, by any stretch of the imagination. Games in the past against India have been very tight. We just need to focus on those games and take each game as it comes. I think at an Olympics, especially after the year we’ve had with covid, the gap between the teams is so much less now. Teams haven’t been playing many games, everyone has been training with their teams, so the gaps aren’t really there that used to be there between certain nations. For us, it will be targeting each game as it comes, but having key games that we really need to win.”

What are your ambitions for Tokyo? Is it a case of the clichéd ‘taking it one game at a time and see where the journey takes us’, or do you have a clear target in mind?

Anna O’Flanagan: “For this team we want to get into the latter stages of the tournament and be in contention for a medal. I don’t think there are many athletes that go to the Olympics not wanting to win an Olympic medal. That is always the aim, it is something that we will target. It is an extremely difficult tournament, and results can mean that you are in a quarter-final or that you are in the last place play-off. The margins are so, so small. There isn’t much room for error at an Olympic Games. Getting through our pool and into a quarter-final is something that we expect of this group, and it is something that we will really push for. We know that when we get to those stages, anything is possible.”

On a personal note. After the Olympics are done and dusted, what is next for Anna O’Flanagan? After all, Paris 2024 is only three years away!

Anna O’Flanagan: “That is a pretty good question! To be honest, I feel physically good. I feel in a good place in terms of my hockey, and how that is going. I really love playing on this team, I love my team-mates and the fun we have together, and obviously the success we’ve had really adds to that. It would be a dream to play as long as I want to play, but you have to take other things into consideration. Unfortunately, you don’t make millions of Euros playing hockey for Ireland, and there are different things in your life that come into play that you cannot keep putting on hold. I think a few of those things will have to be weighed up, and a successful Europeans and a successful Olympics could sway me one way or the other. Currently I love every minute of it, and feel physically and mentally good. I don’t have any definitive plans in place. I just want to see how it goes, and really enjoy this. It is not every month or few months that you get to prepare for an Olympic Games, so I just want to enjoy it as best I can.”

The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will take place from Saturday 24 July to Friday 6 August 2021. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches. For more information about the hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, visit https://tokyo2020.org/en/sports/hockey/.

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FIH site

Red Bull gives wings to Irish hockey


Ayeisha McFerran in her new customised helmet. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Red Bull today announced its support for the Irish Women’s Hockey Team, also giving wings to top goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran (25) as the latest Irish athlete to join the Red Bull family.

Red Bull will give wings to the Irish Women’s Hockey Team as Official Energy Drink partner, supporting players and coaching staff in reaching their peak performance, providing Red Bull product and equipment during training as they prepare for the upcoming EuroHockey Championships.

The team will be able to access world class tools and facilities including sharing of knowledge and expertise from Red Bull’s global network of experts and it’s state of the art Athlete Performance centre in Austria.


The Green Army with their new set of wings. Picture: Billy Pollock

For Ayeisha, a star both at home and on the International hockey scene, she will join fellow goalkeepers, Maddie Hinch (Great Britain) and Anne Veenendaal (Netherlands) among other global sporting stars such as Neymar Jr, Max Vertsappen, Lindsey Vonn and Irish athletes Conor Shanahan, Thomas Barr, Greg Callaghan and Conor Maguire as part of the Red Bull family.

Ayeisha and Red Bull have developed a personalised helmet based on the iconic Red Bull rhombus design which she will now sport in all major tournaments.

Ayeisha made her senior debut for Ireland in 2014 and has since established herself as the national team’s first-choice goalkeeper with 100 caps to date. Regarded as a shoot-out specialist Ayeisha boasts an impressive career to date, nominated World Goalkeeper of the Year in 2018 and 2019, winning FIH Hockey World League tournaments in 2015 and 2017, the 2015 Euro Hockey Championship II and more recently, taking home a silver medal and honoured as Goalkeeper of the Tournament at the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup. Ayeisha has played her club hockey at Kampoong in the Netherlands since August 2019.

Ayeisha commented: “It is very surreal. Knowing how big the Red Bull brand is here in Ireland and across the globe, and how much they get involved and support their athletes, it is such a buzz to know that I’ll be a part of that story. I am always trying to up my game, and this is an opportunity to really take my career to the next level. I’m so stoked to become part of the Red Bull athlete line-up.”

Irish Hockey Association media release

Hockey ace Ayeisha McFerran has 'complete admiration' for tennis star Naomi Osaka

McFerran, named the goalkeeper of the tournament at the 2018 Hockey World Cup, insists she would put an end to any interview that she felt crossed a line


Now Official Energy Drinks Partner to the Irish Women’s Hockey Team, Red Bull has announced that it will give wings to Irish Women’s Hockey Goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran (Larne, County Antrim) as the latest Irish athlete to join the Red Bull family. #GivesYouWings (Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

Ayeisha McFerran has "complete admiration" for tennis superstar Naomi Osaka after the four-time major winner withdrew from the French Open this week.

McFerran, named the goalkeeper of the tournament at the 2018 Hockey World Cup, insists she would put an end to any interview that she felt crossed a line.

The 25-year-old plays professionally in the Netherlands and will be in the spotlight on Saturday as Ireland take on the hosts - and current world champs - there in the European Championship finals opener.

The one time that McFerran felt uncomfortable being interviewed was following the 7-0 hammering Ireland suffered at the hands of the Dutch in that World Cup final.

"It's always hard, because whether you win or lose, you're always in the emotional moment of the game," said the 25-year-old.

"Sometimes, it does take time to reflect back and think did you perform differently to your goals.

"After the World Cup, I wasn't happy when I did my interview. Sometimes, you do just want a second to think about the game.

"That's part of what we do - you have to train yourself, take a quick breath and not answer what you guys are throwing at us.

"I wouldn’t have too much- an Irish girl in Holland isn’t really big news!

"It's definitely more in the lead-in to these big tournaments - Europeans, Olympics, World Cups - where I'd see an increase in media. I haven’t had too many issues so far."


Now Official Energy Drinks Partner to the Irish Women’s Hockey Team, Red Bull has announced that it will give wings to Irish Women’s Hockey Goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran (Larne, County Antrim) as the latest Irish athlete to join the Red Bull family. #GivesYouWings (Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy)

But McFerran is sympathetic towards Osaka, who announced before the French Open that she would not participate in press conferences for mental health reasons - before quitting the tournament on Monday after her declaration caused a furore.

McFerran added: "I respect what she's done. She's taken it from a personal view that she's trying to protect herself.

"She's trying to set a precedent where reporters need to be held accountable. When you look at some interviews, female versus male, it's very different, how they're handled.

"I've been fortunate in that I've never had anyone question me or my beliefs of who I am and what I'm doing.

"If it ever got to that point, I'd have to pull back because I know who I am and I'm not going to have some stranger question what I'm doing and what I put in in the background that nobody else sees.

"As an individual or a team, you're there for the sport that you do. Anything outside of that shouldn’t really be mentioned unless it's mentioned by the individual or the team that wants it to be brought up.

"I believe that no matter what you look like, how you dress, your attitude or whatever, if you're there doing your job and what you're passionate about and what you put your graft into then that should be the main talking point.

"It shouldn’t be about anything else outside of that.

"I've the utmost respect for what Naomi did. It's really brave to set it out and do that...you can also see now that people are attacking her.

"It's not a good spot for her, which is really unfortunate, but complete admiration for what she's doing."

The Irish Mirror

Debut for senior team at Olympics will be a fairytale, says defender Manpreet Kaur

Kaur was also a part of India's recent Argentina tour, which was her maiden international tour with the senior national team but those were only practice matches.


After gaining useful experience and exposure representing the junior team around the world, Manpreet Kaur earned her maiden call-up for the senior group in January last year.   -  Hockey India

Aspiring to make her "fairytale" debut for the Indian women's hockey team at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, young defender Manpreet Kaur is focussed on staying at the top of her game by putting in the hard yards.

After gaining useful experience and exposure representing the junior team around the world, the 22-year-old earned her maiden call-up for the senior group in January last year.

"Debut for the senior national team at a dream event like the Olympics will be a fairytale for me. I mean, it will be a different feeling altogether, but I want to keep my feet on the ground and continue doing my hard work," Kaur was quoted as saying in a media release.

"Team selection is not in my hands, but I would say this phase is really exciting. It is bringing the best out of me in our training, and I would like to continue doing it without bothering about the team selection.

"We all are pumped up, and just working hard, making each and every day count in the training," she added.

Speaking about the transition from the junior to senior camp, Kaur said one needs to adapt quickly.

"You are surrounded by all the experienced players on and off the field, so there is so much to learn every day.

"Things are very different to what I experienced when I was with the junior team. From training to diet to fitness, everything is at a different level here, and you need to adapt to it as quickly as possible." Kaur was also a part of India's recent Argentina tour, which was her maiden international tour with the senior national team but those were only practice matches.

"I was also given a chance by the coaches to express myself on my maiden international tour with the senior team.

"I was very nervous, but the senior players motivated me, and match-by-match, I kept gaining confidence, so it was a great learning experience even though those were practice matches.

Born in Shahabad Markanda, Kaur is also product of Shahabad Hockey Academy, like skipper Rani, experienced forwards Navjot Kaur, and Navneet Kaur.

"I have followed Rani di, Navjot di and Navneet di from very close quarters while growing up. Just like other girls in Shahabad, I also idolised Rani di.

"She is my biggest inspiration, and it's a special feeling to spend time with her at the camp. She guides young players like me in the right direction, and she is the biggest motivator in the team," she concluded.

Sportstar

Theft of sporting equipment sets NZ hockey club back years

By Matthew Mckew

Thieves have made off with $5000 worth of hockey equipment, leaving Queenstown youngsters without the means to practise properly.

Sticks, cones, bibs, balls and specialist training equipment paid for through years of community grants have gone missing from the Wakatipu Hockey Club’s temporary training ground in Frankton.

It was all stored in a 1.5m by 0.6m blue, steel tool box, padlocked

shut, chained and padlocked to a fence, club president Karyn Battrick said.

"It’s been locked to the fence for the last four years and now it’s disappeared."

The last time it was seen was after the men’s practice on Thursday at the Frankton tennis courts, by Remarkables Primary School, and was discovered missing on Sunday afternoon.

"I suspect the tool box is what people were after.

"It’s a huge disappointment. We had talked about insuring it, but the cost of insuring something like that by a club like us is not justifiable."

The club usually played its matches in Cromwell, but was set to move to a brand new artificial pitch at Queenstown Events Centre next month.

"Hopefully, we will have a storage shed that’s lockable [at the new pitch], but we’re expecting even more membership growth and we’re having to start again.

"We don’t really care if the box comes back but we’d quite like the contents," Mrs Battrick said.

Police confirmed that they were investigating, but Mrs Battrick said the club would be happy if the training equipment was handed in to the events centre, no questions asked.

Otago Daily Times

GB hockey great Imran Sherwani diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

By Rod Gilmour


Hockey great Imran Sherwani PIC: Alex Wallace

British hockey great Imran Sherwani says he holds “no fears about the future” after he revealed on Wednesday that he has Alzheimer’s disease.

Sherwani, 59, who scored two goals in the 1988 Olympic final, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in December 2019.

“I have gone from fighting the disease to accepting it, and that has made every day easier to live through,” said Sherwani. “Every day of my life, I am thankful for having wonderful people around me, especially my lovely wife.

“I do not have fears about the future because I have always been very positive. I have had a brilliant life, I have achieved a lot in my career and with my family, so I can’t complain.”

Imran, famously ‘a newsagent from Stoke’ when he won Seoul gold, and his family first began to notice problems in 2014 when he had difficulties with his memory and had to retire from his director of hockey role at a Staffordshire school.

Fellow Seoul Olympian Steve Batchelor has now launched a team for this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK in his team-mate’s honour.

The Marathon team, called ‘Going for Gold’, includes Imran’s son Zac. Steve said: “All of the 1988 Olympics team are still very close but, as we were both forwards, I have a particularly close relationship with Imran.

“When I heard he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s it was a shock. At the time I didn’t know a lot about Alzheimer’s. I thought of it as something older people get. I didn’t realise it could affect someone as young as Imran.”

Sherwani added: “I’m so thankful to Steve and the team for raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK. I’m looking forward to hopefully cheering everyone on at the marathon.


Imran pictured with Steve Bachelor

“I hope that dementia research can help improve diagnosis so other people won’t have to go through the lengthy and difficult process I went through, and that treatments can be found to help people in the future.”

Hilary Evans, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said she was “so grateful” to Imran for speaking out about his Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis.

Donations can be made to the Going for Gold team at https://justgiving.com/team/GoingforGold-LondonMarathon-ARUK

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The Hockey Paper

Imran Sherwani: Olympic hockey gold medallist reveals Alzheimer's diagnosis

The 59-year-old, who helped Great Britain win gold at Seoul 1988, first noticed symptoms in 2014.

Seoul team-mate Steve Batchelor is to run the London Marathon to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK.

"You feel helpless when someone you are close to is diagnosed," said Batchelor. "Putting together this team is something positive I can do to help."

Sherwani played in all seven GB matches at the 1988 Olympics, scoring twice in the final as they beat West Germany 3-1.

He represented GB and England a combined 94 times, and worked as director of hockey at a school in Staffordshire before noticing symptoms.

"At first my mood changed and I became withdrawn," he said. "I wanted to be on my own and not talk to people.

"I started to struggle with tasks that ordinarily I would be quick to do, such as DIY. I also had difficulties in my job, such as forgetting pupils' names, which was very frustrating.

"Eventually it got to the point that I was on the edge of breaking down because the situation had put such a strain on me, so I went to the doctor.

"That led to a three-year journey of tests and brain scans until I was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

"I have gone from fighting the disease to accepting it, and that has made every day easier to live through. Every day of my life, I am thankful for having wonderful people around me, especially my lovely wife.

"I do not have fears about the future because I have always been very positive. I have had a brilliant life, I have achieved a lot in my career and with my family, so I can't complain."

Batchelor's team for the London Marathon in October is called 'Going for Gold' and will include Sherwani's son Zac.

"When I heard he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it was a shock," Batchelor added.

"All of the 1988 Olympics team are still very close but, as we were both forwards, I have a particularly close relationship with Imran. We are good friends and our families are close as well."

BBC Sport