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FIH Match Centre

"Tokyo team balanced but expected to see Akashdeep,Sunil in"- Baskaran

K. ARUMUGAM & ERROL D’CRUZ



Former India head coach Vasudevan Baskaran believes that the 16-strong men’s hockey squad to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics announced on Friday meets modern demands of strength and power. He, however, queries the absence of two forwards in the squad – Akashdeep Singh and S.V. Sunil, players with good ball carrying skills and a wealth of experience.

“I considered their presence in the squad as a given – something like there can’t be a Portugal football side without Cristiano Ronaldo or an Argentina outfit without Messi!”



“As a coach and player, I understand the true meaning of the word ‘feared forwards’. Any successful team should have ‘feared forwards’ in its ranks. This is a must. If so, half the job is done. Akashdeep and Sunil of course have earned such labels.  Their presence in the team would mean much”.

As the master coach enumerate his views on the Indian men’s team for Tokyo, one is reminded of the feared forwardline that he had built up in his tenures especially for the Sydney Olympic challenge, by far the best Indian show at Olympics after 1984. India missed the semifinal berth by a whisker at the Australian city.


India’s Sydney Olympics coach Baskaran. Circa: 1995

But Baskaran is well aware that ground reality brings its own set of equations and appreciates the fact that selection of an Olympic squad means juggling with a lot of variables and constraints.

“Coach Graham Reid must have good reason to select the players he did. Maybe injuries may have played a part in the duo failing to find places in the squad or perhaps a broader game plan by the Australian who I firmly believe is the best judge of the situation.

“Moreover, matches against Germany and Great Britain in Europe earlier this year (and the FIH Pro League encounters against Argentina) may have provided inputs for the difficult task of selecting the squad,” Baskaran reasons.

“India has scores of skillful players as in cricket and selecting a team becomes a challenge causing one to make close calls – something I experienced when I was the coach of the national squad.

“I haven’t seen the youngster Shamsher Singh play but Dilpreet Singh and Gurjant Singh are meritorious inclusions. Mandeep has been around for quite some time and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay will bring a load of experience into the attack.


Indian men’s team for Tokyo Olympics: First row (l-r) Shamsher Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad,Sumit, Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Dilpreet Singh. Back row: (l-r): Gurjant Singh, Birendra Lakra, PR Sreejesh, Mandeep Singh, Amit Rohidoss, Surender Kumar, Rupinderpal and Lalit Upadhyay.  

“I still think the team looks good and balanced and appears to have the right mix of youthful aggression and experience.

He was also quick to add about one or two players who would not have got selected but for perhaps some mathematical application of physical fitness regimen. The team should not have players who lose possession and cannot carry it for reasonable distance upfront. Without taking names, he points out that in the past one or two players in the team would not have got even 7,8 in a scale of 10.

“However, I find one among the half a dozen youngsters in the Tokyo bound team who can score 10 out of 10 is Vivek Sagar Prasad”.

“Because, he is a complete player”.   

“The defence is sound what with the presence of Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinderpal Singh, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas and Birendra Lakra.

“Harmanpreet, Rupinderpal  and Rohidas double up as drag-flickers and that crucial aspect of the game seems to be in good hands,” says Baskaran, a gold medallist at the 1980 Moscow Olympics where he was left-half and captain.

“Sreejesh is an automatic choice in goal and understandably the only goalkeeper in a crunched squad of 16 for the Olympics unlike the World Cup and Commonwealth Games where a squad of 18 is accepted,” Baskaran, 70, concurs.

The former Railways and Tamil Nadu stalwart has no queries about the midfield where captain Manpreet Singh has a clutch of youngsters for company that includes Vivek Sagar Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma and Sumit – players who conform to the role of moving backward and forward with a high work rate.

Stick2Hockey.com

Pursuit of an Olympic medal in hockey from LA to Tokyo with former player Joaquim Carvalho

The history of Indian hockey in the modern era abounds with tales of what could have been, for players and fans who continue to await a repeat of the gold-medal winning performance of Moscow 1980.

By Subhashish Majumdar


Indian mens hockey team Indian men's hockey team

The British philosopher Julian Baggini once said that life is full of what-ifs - many of which could easily have been realities had just a few things been different.

Goa’s Joaquim applies for Dronacharya Award



PANJIM: Goa's hockey legend Joaquim Carvalho has applied for the Dronacharya Award on Saturday.

AYUSH Minister Shripad Naik wrote a letter addressed to Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju regarding Joaquim's application.

"I am pleased to inform you that Olympian Joaquim Carvalho, 1984 Los Angeles Olympics (Hockey) hailing from Goa has applied for life time Dronacharya Award," stated the Minister.

Carvalho was the captain of the Indian team and also represented in the 1982 Asian Games New Delhi, 1986 London World Cup 1985 Asia Cup, Champions Trophy, Azlan Shah and has played over 100 international matches.

Joaquim has been imparting coaching since 1987 and is the recipient of Arjuna Award and chief of Indian Hockey team. The National team won the Asia Cup Gold, Azlan Shah-Bronze, Champions Challenge-Bronze, Indo Belgium Series -winners. Carvalho also coached the Oman National hockey team

“As of date he has produced 22 Olympians and in the view of the above his case may be considered for the life time award," he added.

The Herald, Goa

Sarah Robertson delight at joining Caroline Weir in Team GB at different sport

By Tyrone Smith


Sarah Robertson is the only Scot in the Team GB hockey squads for Tokyo

Sarah Robertson was once a team-mate of Manchester City's Caroline Weir but finds herself realising her childhood Olympic "dream" in a different sport.

Both have been selected for Team GB - winger Weir at football and Robertson in a similar role but in hockey.

Robertson recalled "we played for Hibs together growing up" and was a potential future football Scotland cap.

"It is so funny that she has gone on to achieve such amazing things with football," the 27-year-old said.

"I was playing both for Scotland up until Under-16s and then at that point the commitment became too much.

"I was doing my highers at school, I had football and hockey at the weekends, I was leaving football matches to run to play hockey. It was just madness, so that decision-making point came."

Robertson, who plays for Hampstead & Westminster in England's Hockey League Premier Division, has not looked back and has made 104 appearances for Scotland and 54 for Great Britain.

"At that point, I was breaking into the Hibs Ladies team," she told BBC Scotland. "It was three or four years away from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and that was dangled in front of me and I remember just thinking 'How can I ever turn that possibility down?'. I am certainly proud that I made the decision to pick hockey."

There were no Scots - male or female - in the Team GB squad for the Rio games five years ago and Robertson is "disappointed" that, although Alan Forsyth and Amy Costello are reserves, she is the only one included this time.

However, she is delighted to have realised an Olympic dream that was ignited by watching Kelly Holmes succeed on the athletics track.

"Last summer I was back in Scotland for lockdown and I was trailing through all my stuff from school and I found something from sports day in primary seven, so I would have been 10 or 11," she explained. "I think I had just watched Kelly Holmes win the double gold and I put that I wanted to run at the Olympics.

"I am not running, but I will be doing running in another form on the hockey pitch, so I have always been sport obsessed and it has always been my dream to go the Olympics."

BBC Sport

Striker Woods Announces Retirement from USWNT



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – U.S. Women’s National Team striker Nicole Woods (Beverly, Mass.) has announced her retirement from the team. The 24-year-old competed in 45 international matches and has an extensive playing career playing for the red, white and blue.

Woods first picked up the game in high school with her sister. They were always soccer players growing up but when her sister was a sophomore at Beverly High School, she decided to try field hockey. When her time came and with a little encouragement from her family, Woods gave the sport a try as well and it also gave her the chance to play on a team with her sister.

As she neared her senior year, Woods always knew she wanted to be a college athlete – but the tough decision came because she was torn between field hockey and ice hockey. She eventually made the decision to focus solely on field hockey the summer of her junior year. She just joined the club, NorthEast Elite Field Hockey, and also started USA Field Hockey’s Olympic Development Pathway program, Futures at the time.

“I could feel my skills developing week by week so I really enjoyed feeling myself improve and wanted to continue that progression to see how far I would go in the sport.”

She set her intention on playing in college and luckily everything fell into place when she was seen and recruited by the University of Louisville. She emphasizes luckily because she was late to recruiting but made a stamp for herself as a Cardinal. She was on the Louisville team from 2014 to 2017, where she was a four-year starter and accumulated many honors including, two-time Preseason All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Selection, two-time All-ACC Second Team, All-ACC First Team and three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-West Region First Team, and in 2017 she was named the Longstreth/NFHCA West Region Player of the Year and was placed on the Longstreth/NFHCA All-America First Team. She also ranks ninth in Louisville’s history for career points (71) and assists (25).

Her journey through the Olympic Development Pathway began in 2014 when she was named to the U.S. U-19 Women’s National Team. In 2015, she moved up a team to the U-21 USWNT where she played a key role in helping USA claim a silver medal at the 2016 women’s Junior Pan American Games, as well an eighth-place finish at the 2016 women’s Hockey Junior World Cup.

In 2017, Woods was named to the senior USWNT and earned her first international cap that May in a series against Ireland.

“Being part of Team USA was a dream come true for me,” said Woods. “Since I was so new to the game and had only been playing for 3.5 years, when I made the junior national team. I was just in awe of the next level of field hockey and knew I wanted to work through the pipeline as much as I could.”

“When I made the jump to the USWNT from the U-21 team I was so excited and ready to take on the next level of the game that was out there. Playing with so many of the girls I essentially grew up with through the pipeline from U-19 to the Junior World Cup definitely are some of my fondest moments playing on the national team. I will never forget my first cap, first tour, first major tournament, and just so many other firsts that shaped me into the player and teammate I became.”

Following her first international appearance, Woods went on to represent Team USA in major events including a gold-medal performance at the 2017 FIH World League Semifinals, bronze-finish at the 2017 Pan American Cup, 2018 Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup and in 2019 and 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League seasons.

In April 2019, she unfortunately tore her anterior cruciate ligament, which sidelined her for a bit. With that recovery and the addition of the pandemic, Woods returned to the pitch almost a year later in May 2021 for the second season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.

Through the trials and tribulations, Woods has fond memories of different moments throughout her career.

“I’m proud to reflect on many different highlights from my career,” noted Woods. “Getting my first cap on home soil with my college teammates, Erin [McCrudden], and against our college goalkeeper Ayesiah (McFerran]. My first summer on the USWNT in 2017, taking home goal in the Hockey World League Semifinals where I only had about three caps, and of course, winning that tournament but how much I learned and picked up during not only my first tour but first big tournament.”

Woods has a long list of individuals she would like to thank, who have impacted her through the years as an athlete, person and teammate. “First off, I am so grateful to Janneke who took me onto the U-21 team as a young and nervous player and gave me the direction and push to believe in myself and to really see my potential.”

She goes on to thank the entire USWNT staff of that cycle including Larry Amar, Yuko Kimura, Nick Shedd and Christa Miller, not only for the time they gave the program but the investment they had for her as an individual during her recovery. She also would like to thank Greg and Ryan from Drayer Physical Therapy in Lancaster who helped her rehab after surgery and made sure she progressed through each stage of that process in the strongest way possible.

She continues with Kyle McMinn for taking on the challenge of working with the team and her when the pandemic started and there was a shift in the coaching staff. He aided in her return to play protocol, and she credits his work to help her get healthy and back in shape. She thanks Anthony Farry and Greg Drake, current USWNT coaches, who in only a few months taught her so much and provided a refreshing perspective and look on the game.

“I would like to thank my teammates through the years as they were committed to being the best athletes they can be but also being great teammates along the way. I have so much respect for the work they put in day in and day out and for five years have thoroughly enjoyed being their teammate through the highs and even during the major lows.”

Woods goes on to thank her college coaching staff from Louisville including Justine Sowry, Lucas Piccioli and Olivia Netzler-Gray who taught her the game at a high level, were patient with her as a young player and gave her the push she needed to take the next step in her career. Her NorthEast Elite club coach Chelsey Feole who picked her up as a random player from a summer camp and convinced her she had enough raw talent to play in the club system and college.

Lastly, she would like to thank her family for always attending every event she participated in, even if it was across the world, encouraging her to play for as long as she has and challenging her to come back from any obstacle. “Even after the worst lows of my career whether it was my knee injury, failing to qualify or the loss of Larry, I always felt like I had an army of people in my corner to turn to.”

Woods plans on moving back to Louisville and wants to continue to be involved in the sport either through coaching or volunteering for the USA Field Hockey Kentucky State Chapter. She still has so much love and respect for the game and is looking forward to helping grow it.

USA Field Hockey would like to send best wishes to Woods in her future endeavors.

USFHA media release

Mulder Names Indoor USMNT Roster to Compete in 2021 Indoor Pan American Cup



SPRING CITY, Pa. - The largest indoor event in the Pan American region will take place in five days as five nations will converge at The Training Center in Spring City, Pa. Following multiple training sessions, U.S. Men’s National Indoor Team Head Coach Jason Mulder and his coaching staff have named the 12-athlete roster that will compete at the men's 2021 Indoor Pan American Cup (IPAC) from June 25 to 27.

“First, I would like to congratulate the players that have made the Indoor USMNT for the 2021 IPAC,” said Mulder. “It is always an honor to represent your country and one that should not be taken lightly. The final selection process was a tough one as the squad has developed into a family while preparing. I must applaud those who didn’t make the final cut for giving their all, and also accepting the final selection decision with understanding and grace. We now narrow our focus toward IPAC in this final week of preparation.”

While the last men’s IPAC took place in 2017, the Indoor USMNT last competed in 2014 in Montevideo, Uruguay where they fell to Canada 4-2 in the gold medal match, narrowly missing Indoor Hockey World Cup qualification. The 2021 IPAC bodes another opportunity to clinch a dream and with that is a roster of highly talented individuals. Six athletes are current members of the outdoor U.S. Men’s National Team while a handful have been involved throughout the men’s pathway, for both indoor and outdoor. The squad also features two who participated in the 2014 edition, Ajai Dhadwal (Agoura Hills, Calif.) and JaJa Kentwell (Spring City, Pa.). Team captain, Pat Harris (Moorpark, Calif.) didn’t compete in 2014 but previously attending four editions and will bring his veteran expertise to the court.

2021 Indoor USMNT Indoor Pan American Cups Roster:

Brett Andrews (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Shomik Chakraborty (Washington, D.C.), Christian DeAngelis (Doylestown, Pa.), Ajai Dhadwal (Agoura Hills, Calif.), Pat Harris (Moorpark, Calif.), Vincent Heller (Stuttgart, Germany), Colin Hennessy (Marlborough, Mass.), Aki Kaeppeler (Stuttgart, Germany), JaJa Kentwell (Spring City, Pa.), Jonathan Klages (Berlin, Germany), Izaak Pels (Spring City, Pa.), Nick Richardson (Sunapee, N.H.)

Mulder will lead the squad and Sebastian Blink will served as the tactical specialist, Nigel Traverso as the team manager, Gabriel Lee as the videographer and code analyst and Aaron Finer as the physiotherapist.

The IPAC is a double round-robin format for the men’s, meaning they will play each of the participating teams twice. On the first day, No. 42 USA will face No. 20 Argentina and then No. 15 Canada. The final day of competition on Sunday, June 27 will be the classification match with the 1st/2nd placed teams at 1:30 p.m. ET, with the winner directly qualifying for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup.

With no spectators in attendance, fans will be able to watch the IPAC on the Pan American Hockey Federation’s YouTube.

USA Field Hockey would like to thank Osaka for their sponsorship of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Indoor Team programs, as well as the United States Men’s Field Hockey Foundation for their generous and continued support of the indoor program.

For more information regarding the schedule and more, visit the Indoor Pan American Cups event page.

USFHA media release

Covid takes the steam out of Ugandan hockey league

By Makhtum Muziransa

The National Hockey League (NHL) was in full flight until the recent presidential directive to close schools in the face of the destructive second wave of Covid-19.

Sport was given the green light to go ahead with no fans but also with full compliance of the standard operating procedures like social distancing, regular testing and wearing masks.

However, hockey is a sport built on the bedrock of schools. The suspension of the school term meant that Makerere University (Mak) Stingers and Makerere University Business School (Mubs) had to ask for the postponement of their games until they reopen.

Last Sunday, Weatherhead Vikings – comprised of mostly former students of St Mary’s College, Kisubi – did not even bother to turn up for their game with Kampala Hockey Club (KHC) Stallions.

Their club insisted the Vikings had been stopped from turning up by their parents, who fear that they will be exposed to the virus.

KHC, who were chasing goals to reduce on the 21 goal difference advantage between them and leaders Wananchi, were not convinced with the explanation as some players feel the opponents kept away to sway the goal difference advantage in Weatherhead men’s favour.

‘Not enough’

KHC were awarded only a 5-0 win (for a walk over) against a side that was conceding 9.6 goals per game on average and one that Wananchi and Weatherhead beat 14-0 and 18-0, respectively.

Ironically, the five goals awarded just reduces KHC’s scoring average per game from 5.9 to 5.7, while the result also saved Vikings, whose average concession effectively has now dropped to 8.8 goals per game, from potentially dropping to bottom of the table below Mubs.

One KHC player could not understand how the Weatherhead management that called for the postponement of Vikings’ ‘club derby’ with Weatherhead Historicals on grounds that there were fears that members of the latter’s team had been in contact with people who had tested positive for the virus “could not do the same last weekend over another Covid-19 worry.”

‘Playing the table’

We will never know if Vikings ‘played’ the table, as they cannot turn up for the next two weekends. The two university sides they would have played had already called off their games.

What we are sure of, instead, is that this discussion will dominate today’s games as the Stallions are not in action.

Their rivals Wananchi and Weatherhead play their games in hand with Rockets and City Lions respectively.

And, going by the records, the two title challengers should be sure of not only catching up on points with KHC but also extending their goal differences.
Both sides are tied on 15 points with +50 goal difference while KHC have 18 points in seven games with a +35.

Meanwhile, KHC Swans and Deliverance Church of Uganda (DCU) lock horns as they conclude their round one fixtures in the women’s league.

DCU will be buoyed by their 1-0 Martyrs’ Day win over Weatherhead while KHC have a task to bounce from a title ambition-deflating 4-0 loss to Wananchi a fortnight ago.

The Daily Monitor

Hockey seas the way on Britain’s old beaches


Beach hockey in Scarborough

Over the centuries hockey has been played on a variety of surfaces and one of the most intriguing has been on beaches, writes The Hockey Museum’s Mike Haymonds.

The game of bandy or hockey was played informally for many years back to Shakespeare’s times. In South Wales in the 1830s Bando was the first Welsh mass spectator sport, drawing crowds of 3000 to the beaches of Baglan and Aberdaron to watch, gamble and enjoy the products of enterprising brewers.

Up the West coast on Lancashire beaches Rossall School could be found playing a very similar game known as Rossall Rouges in the 1850s.

Beach hockey remained popular even when the modern grass game emerged under the auspices of the Hockey Association after 1875. In 1910 Bridlington Alexandra Ladies’ game with Hull YPI ended in a draw with both teams playing ankle deep in water. They had commenced play on Bridlington North Sands and concluded in the North Sea! In 1931 the Northern Counties Women’s Championships abandoned unplayable grass pitches for the beaches of Scarborough.

Minehead Ladies, a club located on the north coast of Somerset, had a long tradition of playing on the local beach where they did not need to pay a rent. They became affiliated in 1924 and continued playing on the sands, while also occasionally using a school pitch, before moving to a permanent grass home in the early 1980s.

The requirement for changing facilities was met by the use of beach huts, which were also used for storage of goal posts and corner flags, near the golf course at the end of the prom. Playing on the beach meant that the pitch needed careful marking and an alternative one may be required for the second half if the first one cut up badly. It also helped if you played youngsters on the wings who didn’t mind going into the sea to retrieve the ball.

Playing on the beach allowed multiple games to be played at the same time. In January 1956 the Minehead club staged three matches simultaneously and during the 1961-62 season even managed four.

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