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News for 12 July 2021

All the news for Monday 12 July 2020


2021 Test match UKR v LTU (M)
Walcz (POL)

11 Jul 2021    UKR v LTU     3 - 2

2021 Test match UKR v LTU (W)

11 Jul 2021     UKR v LTU     11 - 0

FIH Match Centre



Excellent action in day two of GB&I 4-Nations at Peffermill



Scotland U19 boys drew 2-2 with England and snatched the bonus point with a penalties win in day two of the GB&I 4-Nations at Peffermill, while Scotland U19 girls were narrowly defeated 1-0 by England.

Scotland U19 boys 2-2 (2-1) England U19 boys

It took a thrilling penalty shootout but Scotland U19 boys took the win against England in the GB&I 4-Nations at Peffermill.

Scotland got off to a lightning start and almost took an early lead, first through Alex Wilson who smashed the post on the reverse, and then Sam Knight who forced the ball under the England keeper, but not over the line.

The Scots soon struck and it was Sam Knight who gave Scotland the lead with a low shot off the left post and in. 1-0.

Early in the second quarter Scotland went 2-0 up through a tremendous finish by Charlie Jack. From a penalty corner rebound Jack slammed the ball high into the net to further Scotland’s lead.


Photo by David McCarthy

A short time later a Wilson drag flight was well saved at another penalty corner routine as Scotland went searching for a third.

England kept working hard and almost pulled one back but for an excellent save by Charlie Gates in goal for Scotland. Gates was called into action shortly after with another save from a low penalty corner strike.

Then England pulled one back through Luis Cuttle’s tremendous finish into the top right corner from a penalty corner routine.

A bright start to the second half saw the game tear from end-to-end with both sides sensing the next goal would be vital. Before long the traffic was all heading towards the Scotland goal as England could sense an equaliser.

Then that equaliser arrived. Archie Vaughan slammed a low penalty corner strike against the backboard to make it 2-2.

It looked as if England would take the lead early in the final quarter but a sensational goal line clearance kept the ball from hitting the net.

Scotland battled back and the final few minutes could have seen the contest go either way. It so nearly went England’s way when they hit the post in the final moments, but the contest went to penalties as the heavens opened.

England stepped up first and a slip saw Vaughan miss the target. Alastair Douglas was up first for Scotland but saw his effort saved.

Then Ollie Drummond sent his effort wide of the post for England before Alex Wilson hit the net for Scotland when he slid the ball low under the keeper.

Josh Tikare scored for England when he rounded the keeper before Adam McKenzie missed for Scotland when he scooped it over bar.

Will Porter saw his penalty saved to the left and then Euan Cowan buried his penalty low to give Scotland the lead. It meant England needed to score but Rob Wilson saw his effort saved to give Scotland a 2-1 win on penalties and a bonus point.

Scotland U19 girls 0-1 England U19 girls

Scotland U19 girls only just fell short despite a good performance in their second match against England in the GB&I 4-Nations at Peffermill.

Scotland started the game playing a high press and with an intensity that pushed England onto the back foot.

When Ava Smith showed some great skill on the half way line it got the crowd on their feet, and signalled Scotland’s intent in this contest.

Then an England counter attack saw Eloise Richards score for the visitors against the run of play. A lovely quick counter down the left found Richards in a great position to slot the ball past Cara McAllister in the Scotland goal to make it 1-0.

Scottish heads didn’t go down after the goal and Ava Smith launched Scotland into another attack down the left and sent a lovely through pass for Lucy Smith, but the attack fizzled out and England survived.


Photo by Mark Pugh

The work rate from both sides continued into the second quarter and England were first to threaten from a penalty corner opportunity, but Jess Buchanan was equal to the straight hit from the top of the D.

As the half neared its conclusion England got a foothold in the game and began the hunt for a second goal, and again Buchanan was called into action to prevent a second goal for the English.

Scotland’s intensity continued into the second half and Itske Hooftman very nearly struck an early equaliser early doors but was denied by a good diving save.

Lucy Smith was next to fashion a chance for Scotland after winning the ball outside the England D, but the danger was snuffed out by the recovering England defence.

As the final quarter got underway a sensational save by Jess Buchanan denied England a second goal. The keeper was out quick to block two versus one opportunity and keep the Scots within touching distance.

Scotland kept plugging away as the minutes ticked away but couldn’t find the key goal to take the match to running penalties.

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Ireland U19 boys and girls complete clean sweep on wins in Wales

The girls ran up a 6-0 success on Saturday, backed up by a 5-0 victory on Sunday with two comprehensive displays.


Ireland U19 girls hockey team. Picture: Hockey Ireland

Ireland’s young guns completed a clean sweep from their opening U19 Four Nations Development Series, winning four from four games against Wales at Jordanstown.

The girls ran up a 6-0 success on Saturday, backed up by a 5-0 victory on Sunday with two comprehensive displays.

In both ties, they got off to strong starts and never looked back with Eva Lavelle and Sophie Dix setting the tone in the first quarter of the opener. Ella Brown extended the lead to three before Emma Paul, Ali Griffin and Aisling Murray chipped in.

On Sunday, it was 2-0 by half-time with Cork’s Leah O’Shea setting the ball rolling with a rocket of a backhand shot before Murray nabbed her second of the weekend.

Corner goals from O’Shea and Milly Lynch stretched the lead further before Martha McCready rounded off the weekend in style.

On the boys side, it was a much tighter double-header with game one decided by just a single goal – scored in the ninth minute by Max Anderson's tip-in - decided the contest.


Ireland U19 boys hockey team. Picture: Hockey Ireland

Game two was far more open. James Maginnis and Max Anderson fired Ireland into a 2-0 lead but Wales were back on terms early in the final quarter to leave it anyone’s game.

But a brilliant Louis Rowe deflection put Ireland back in front and the game was safe when Evan Jennings and Sam Walker slipped home a couple of close-range goals. Wales did get a third back from a penalty corner but Ireland held on for a 5-3 success.

Next on the agenda for Ireland’s Under-19 teams is a trip to Lilleshall to face England with games next Saturday and Sunday.

Under-19 Four Nations Development Series

Saturday: Ireland Girls 6 (E Lavelle, S Dix, E Brown, E Paul, A Griffin, A Murray) Wales 0

Sunday: Ireland Girls 5 (L O’Shea 2, A Murray, M Lynch, M McCready) Wales 0

Saturday: Ireland Boys 1 (M Anderson) Wales 0

Sunday: Ireland Boys 5 (J Maginnis, M Anderson, L Rowe, E Jennings, S Walker) Wales 3

The Irish Examiner



The stats which put Netherlands women on a hockey pedestal


The Dutch have now won last eight tournaments entered PIC: EHF/Worldsportpics

Since losing to Team GB in the Rio Olympic women’s final, Alyson Annan’s side have raised their game and produced five outstanding years at the top of the women’s games.

Should they reach the Tokyo Olympics final, they will have played 100 matches since Rio, with a staggering record behind them.

Here, we asked Ramon Min, of hockey.nl, to compile the stats which mark Annan’s side out as one of the finest team performers in many a year.

Number of matches by the Dutch women since the Rio final:

– 92 matches (competitive and non-competitive, but all official)
– 81 wins
– 8 draws (5 of them ending in shoot-outs, which the Dutch all won)
– 3 defeats
– 353 goals scored
– 51 goals conceded



The three defeats since Rio:

– 29 July 2017 (0-1 vs Belgium, non-competitive)
– 2 February 2019 (1-0 vs Australia, Pro League)
– 15 February 2020 (2-0 vs Argentina, Pro League)

The 92 matches since Rio

– 69 competitive matches

      – 61 wins
      – 6 draws
      – 2 defeats

– 27 non-competitive matches (but all official)

      – 24 wins
      – 2 draws
      – 1 defeat

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The Hockey Paper



Tokyo Olympics hockey: Losing semi-finalists could play for gold



Defeated hockey semi-finalists at the Tokyo Olympics will play for gold if a team playing in the final is impacted by Covid, while the bronze medal match would not take place.

This was the upshot after Sport-Specific Regulations (SSR) were jointly released by the International Olympic Committee and sport federations to determine the impact of a confirmed positive Covid case and its management during competition in Tokyo.

“In Hockey, teams unable to compete due to COVID-19 will not be disqualified and will be marked as DNS (Did Not Start),” the ruling states.

“In case a team in the knockout stages is no longer able to compete due to COVID-19 their minimum ranking achieved will be protected and, if time allows, their opponent will advance to the next round.

“Therefore, if a team is unable to participate in the final, the team that was eliminated by the COVID-19 impacted team will be brought into the final to compete for the medal on the field of play.


No fans will be present at the Oi Hockey Stadium with 10,000 and 5,000 capacity stands left empty

“The other losing semi-finalist will be awarded the bronze medal.”

Despite the clarity should Covid affect the business end of the hockey competition, there was no rule should both finalists be struck down with positive cases, or indeed what would arise if both losing semi-finalists were affected ahead of the bronze medal matches.

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The Hockey Paper



No bronze medal match in hockey if one finalist forced out due to COVID

The losing semifinalists in hockey may get a shot at Olympic gold in the Tokyo Games if one of the finalists is forced out due to COVID-19.

The losing semifinalists in hockey may get a shot at Olympic gold in the Tokyo Games if one of the finalists is forced out because of COVID-19 as the afflicted side's last-four stage opponent would then be elevated to the summit clash.

This has been made clear in the Games' Sport-Specific Regulations (SSR) unveiled on Sunday. The SSR has been developed jointly by International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Federations (IFs) to determine the impact of a confirmed positive COVID-19 case and its management in competition formats and structures.

"In Hockey, teams unable to compete due to COVID-19 will not be disqualified and will be marked as DNS (Did Not Start). In case a team in the knockout stages is no longer able to compete due to COVID-19 their minimum ranking achieved will be protected and, if time allows, their opponent will advance to the next round.

"Therefore, if a team is unable to participate in the final, the team that was eliminated by the COVID-19 impacted team will be brought into the final to compete for the medal on the field of play. The other losing semifinalist will be awarded the bronze medal," the regulations developed for hockey read.

The regulations, however, did not say what could be the possible scenario if both finalist teams end up being affected by the virus. It also did not specify what happens in case COVID-19 ends up affecting even the losing semifinalists.

India is competing in both the men's and women's hockey competitions.

Last month, the IOC Executive Board had underlined the three main principles to provide consistency across sports where possible while developing the guidelines.

The principles taken into consideration by the IOC were: "No athlete or team should be designated as 'disqualified' for COVID-19 reasons, instead 'Did Not Start (DNS)' or an equivalent sport-specific designation will be used where the athletes or team cannot take part in competition.

"The minimum result of the athlete/team will be protected, considering the phase of competition at which they could not compete.

"(And) where possible the place of an athlete or team unable to compete will be filled by the next most eligible athlete or team..." The IOC developed the SSR as a contingency measure that will be put in motion in case a confirmed COVID case is reported in any sport so as to ensure a smooth conduct of events.

The Tokyo Olympics are scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8 under extraordinary circumstances owing to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. The Games were turned into a 'TV-only event' after the Japanese government barred spectators inside venues following imposition of emergency to control the spread of the deadly virus.

Sportstar



Been a journey of self-realisation for the boys, says hockey team's goalkeeper PR Sreejesh

The men's hockey team, currently ranked fourth in the world, has been drawn in Pool A alongside hosts Japan, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Spain.


Been a journey of self-realisation for the boys, says hockey team's goalkeeper PR Sreejesh Image Source : GETTY IMAGES

Indian men's hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh gave an insight into the team's preparations ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, saying its been almost two years since the groundwork began in Bengaluru and that the time spent at the national camp during lockdown has been "a journey of self-realisation for the boys".

Speaking to Indian women's football team custodian Aditi Chauhan on AIFF TV on Sunday, Sreejesh said, "It (the preparation) started two years back after the World Cup in Odisha. We started our campaign for the Olympics. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we got an extra year, so the preparation is a bit different this time.

"Generally we travel a lot, and play a lot of practice matches. We do a lot of acclimatisation. But this time, we have been camping in Bengaluru for past one and a half years. We have had hardly any time to meet our families," said Sreejesh.

"We have been training hard, and we've been working on different strategies, analysing our opponents as well."

The men's hockey team, currently ranked fourth in the world, has been drawn in Pool A alongside hosts Japan, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Spain. Sreejesh said the preparations for the Olympics this time "has been more of a journey of self-realisation for the boys".

"Whenever any of the teams have played any match, we have been watching. We've also watched our own videos and tried to figure out our strengths and weaknesses. These one and a half years have been a lot about self-realisation, rather than worrying about others," he said.

The Indian women's hockey team, on the other hand, has also been drawn in Pool A, and are ranked 10th on the FIH world rankings. Sreejesh believes that the there's a good atmosphere in the women's team, and that they can prove to the world that they are amongst the best.

"They (the women's hockey team) are experienced enough. I believe they carry a good atmosphere wherever they go, and they will prove that they are one of the best teams," he said. "They have been playing well, and if they continue that in the Olympics they can win."

While the Olympics are a celebration of various sporting disciplines, the athletes also tend to feel the pressure once they reach the big stage.

"It can be tricky, once you get to the Olympics. It's an absolute pressure-cooker situation. You always go into the Olympics with a lot of expectations -- expectations from fans and expectations from your family. Especially your family, because they want their kid to win something over there. The thing is, the ones who do well on the day, are the ones who turn out to be the champions," he added.

India TV News



Oil sector all the way as India inches closer to Tokyo challenge

K. ARUMUGAM

Indian men’s hockey team is all set to land on the land of the Rising Sun. In exactly two weeks, they will be playing their first match at Oi Stadium in Tokyo.


Oil sector eye on young players and it is paying dividends to the country

While the entire sporting fraternity prays for Indian hockey’s decent show, we need to ponder over some vital aspects. Who support players, who provide livelihood, who give them honour in the society and  ensure decent lifestyle. Players drive all these needs from the supporting institutions, their employers.

Indian hockey, unlike many of the 100-odd hockey playing nations, practices a kind of semi-professionalism. Most players are employed with institutions and that’s how they could play for India without bothering about how to make money. In fact, its search for permanent livelihood that keep hockey sport alive in India.

Traditionally, bulk of the national players used to come from three main sources: Services (Army, Navy, Air Force), Indian Railways and the defunct Indian Airlines.


INCREDIBLE: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board provides 12 players for the Tokyo bound Indian hockey team

A look at the profiles of Tokyo team, however, presents a different picture.

There are not even a single player from Services and Airlines. Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta Sharma provide much needed image-saver for the Railways.

Now, the crucial question.  Who have then taken their place?

Obviously, its Oil Sector. 12 of the 19 Tokyo tornadoes (including 3 travelling reserves) are from the Oil Sector. The split up is as follows:


Petroleum Sports Promotion Board

Bharat Petroleum: 5 (Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Vivek Sagar, Lalit Upadhyay, Varun)

Indian Oil Corporation: 4 Simaranjeet Singh, Krishan Pathak, Dilpreet Singh, Hardik Singh)

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation: 3 (Gurjant Singh, Sumit, Mandeep Singh)

Others are from either from Banking sector, State or Central Agencies.

Over all, these institutions (ONGC, IOC, BPCL & others) spot talents, provide stipend, recruit them early and thus provide them a life cover. These institutions pay them salary, provide competition avenues, ensure leave for training camps, and many other essential things that a player needs in his career growth.

We need to therefore salute Oil Sector, its umbrella body, Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, primarily in keeping our players protected, prosper and shine.

Stick2Hockey.com



Cairns Hockey holds Indigenous Round for NAIDOC Week



Cairns Hockey Association in connection with the Aspire to be Deadly Indigenous Program have launched a special Indigenous Round this weekend as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations.

The inaugural Indigenous Round, which is named after life member, Rene Archer OAM (who made a significant contribution to junior hockey in Cairns and remote areas for over 40 years), officially began on Friday night with a traditional smoking ceremony followed by traditional welcome, singing and dancing.

Cairns Hockey community embraced this event with close to 300 -400 families with young children, players and friends of hockey attending the event.

One of the main features of the Round is that each of the hockey teams, officials and umpires will wear unique Indigenous uniforms.

The uniforms have been designed by Aspire to be Deadly First Nation Mentors combining both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture.

There is an online auction LIVE now where people can bid on the unique indigenous club, official and volunteer shirts being worn. This is a unique opportunity as only a very limited number of shirts will be offered for sale. Bidding closes on 19 July 2021.

All funds from the auction will go towards the design and construction of a new entrance structure at Cairns Hockey that welcomes and celebrates everyone from all cultures, abilities while highlighting the culture of traditional owners.



For hockey player and Aspire to be Deadly Youth Support Mentor Jess Fatnowa, this initiative and the uniforms have been five years of planning.

“I am extremely excited to be part of our first ever Indigenous Round as it will bring everyone together and help celebrate the First Nations People.”

“The Indigenous jerseys were drawn and designed by Carleah Flinders, and I was honoured to be involved in the storytelling shown through the artwork.

“It as a long process and a lot of changing but it all came together and I am excited to see the players wear them.”

In addition to the hockey and the uniforms, other activities across the weekend include indigenous food tastings, boomerang paintings for young people, weaving and artwork for sale.

Sisters Sarah and Bella Cochran, two Indigenous young women who have represented Souths Hockey Club, Cairns and Queensland Hockey, expressed their delight in being able to take part in the special occasion.

“I am so proud of the Aspire to be Deadly Program and Cairns Hockey for coming together to organize this year’s Indigenous Round,” said Sarah.

“I want to thank them for not only what they do for not only the Cairns Indigenous hockey community but Indigenous youth in Cairns.

“Being recognised in my local sport makes me even more proud to be of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.”

The Aspire to be Deadly Indigenous Program has been running since 2015. Hockey Australia started an active association with the program in 2018.

More information about Aspire to be Deadly can be found at Aspire To Be Deadly (aspirecairnshockey.com.au)

Story of the uniforms

The Wet Tropics including the Cairns region is the traditional land of Bama Aboriginal people and continues to be home to Aboriginal people from three main language groups and 15 clan groups. About 9 percent of the region's population is Indigenous - one of the highest populations of First People in Australia. The Yirrganydji and the Yidinji People (Gimuy), are the traditional owners and custodians of the land across the Cairns region.

In the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture each clan group has a totem to represent who they are. Totems connect people on a spiritual level providing a deeper connectivity to their clan, their traditional country, and the Dreaming. The connection to country is woven into their being, you speak to country, sing, worry and long for country – it is fundamental to identity.

Aspire to be Deadly Mentor and Ambassador – Carleah Flinders drove the main artistic design with Jess Fatnowna her colleague at Aspire including her own artistic flair to create a unique collaboration.

Carleah and Jess, through their design – looked to provide a connection with its club members to an animal that best reflected the spirit of each club. The indigenous patterns in the shirts reflect the journey each club has taken to this point in time, understanding that the journey continues. The circles represent past, present and emerging club members bound together in the spirit of the club. Existing club colours were respected throughout the process. This has been a deeply moving experience for the whole of the Aspire to be Deadly Team.

Totems are:
-    Souths (Black Cockatoo)
-    Saints (Shark)
-    Stingers (Jellyfish)
-    Brothers (Goanna)

Hockey Australia media release

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