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News for 17 August 2019

All the news for Saturday 17 August 2019


African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 (Men) - Day 6
Stellenbosch (RSA)

Fixtures (GMT +2)

17 Aug 2019 11:00     ZIM v NAM (RR)    
17 Aug 2019 13:00     GHA v EGY (RR)    
17 Aug 2019 17:00     RSA v KEN (RR)    

Live streaming on https://www.facebook.com/ShoOTTSA

Pool Standings

Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 South Africa 3 3 0 0 21 2 19 9
2 Egypt 3 3 0 0 19 3 16 9
3 Ghana 3 2 0 1 7 12 -5 6
4 Zimbabwe 3 1 0 2 3 17 -14 3
5 Kenya 3 0 0 3 6 13 -7 0
6 Namibia 3 0 0 3 3 12 -9 0

FIH Match Centre



African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 (Women) - Day 6
Stellenbosch (RSA)

Fixtures (GMT +2)

17 Aug 2019 09:00     NAM v GHA (RR)     0 - 3
17 Aug 2019 15:00     RSA v KEN (RR)    

Live streaming on https://www.facebook.com/ShoOTTSA

Pool Standings

Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 Ghana 3 2 1 0 7 2 5 7
2 South Africa 2 2 0 0 7 0 7 6
3 Kenya 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 4
4 Zimbabwe 3 1 0 2 3 5 -2 3
5 Namibia 3 0 0 3 0 9 -9 0

FIH Match Centre



Kenyans fall to Zimbabwe in Olympic qualifiers

By Washington Onyango


Hockey coachJ Meshack Senge in the field at citypark. ON 18/08/14 [ PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE]

Kenyan hockey teams suffered defeats to Zimbabwe as the Africa Field Hockey 2020 Olympic qualifiers entered Day Three yesterday at Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

National women’s team, Tausi, suffered their first defeat of the qualifiers after fourth-placed Zimbabwe scored two late goals to collect three points in the five-team pool.

Viviers Roxanne and Nicola Watson scored in the third and fourth quarter to end Kenya’s unbeaten run in South Africa.

The loss saw Tom Olal’s charges drop to second with four points alongside Ghana after three matches.

Kenya defeated Namibia 1-0 courtesy of Grace Makhoha in their first match before drawing 1-1 with Ghana.

Olal said they have to win their last game since the matches are played in round robin if they are to stand a chance of qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“We are disappointed with the loss today but we have to bounce back. The result puts us at a difficult position as we have to win matches to survive. We will go back to the drawing board to work out on our mistakes since we will be facing a ruthless side today,” Olal said.

In men’s category, Zimbabwe rallied from two goals down to hand Kenya’s Chui their third defeat in the six-team pool.

Strathmore University forward Festus Onyango gave Kenya the lead in the second quarter before Tatenda Kanyangarara equalized for Zimbabwe in the third quarter. Amos Marango ensured Kenya kept one goal lead at the end of the third quarter before Tatenda Maredza scored a brace in the last quarter. 

The Standard Digital



Belfius EuroHockey Championship (Men) 2019 - Day 2
Antwerp, Belgium

Result

16 Aug 2019     BEL v ESP (Pool A)     5 - 0

Fixtures (GMT +2)

17 Aug 2019 11:15     ENG v WAL (Pool A)
17 Aug 2019 13:30     GER v SCO (Pool B)
17 Aug 2019 15:45     NED v IRL (Pool B)

Live streaming via http://www.eurohockeytv.org

Pool Standings

Pool A

Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 Belgium 1 1 0 0 5 0 5 3
2 England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Wales 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Spain 1 0 0 1 0 5 -5 0

Pool B

Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 Ireland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 Netherlands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 Scotland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

FIH Match Centre



Belfius EuroHockey Championship (Women) 2019 - Day 1
Antwerp, Belgium

Fixtures (GMT +2)

17 Aug 2019 18:00     ESP v RUS (Pool A)
17 Aug 2019 20:30     NED v BEL (Pool A)

Live streaming via http://www.eurohockeytv.org

FIH Match Centre



World Cup pain is England catalyst, says Pearne-Webb

The Hockey Paper


England’s Hollie Peane-Webb scores against Holland in 2017. Photo: Simon Parker

England captain Hollie Pearne-Webb says last summer’s World Cup disappointment is the “fuel” needed for the European Hockey Championships – and to ensure Tokyo Olympic qualification is guaranteed.

England enter their first major tournament at the EuroHockey since exiting to Holland in London last August at the quarter-final stages, with hopes of rekindling the form which saw them land the Euro title on home soil in 2015.

And England will head to Antwerp desperate to atone for last summer when they hosted the World Cup tournament, with Pearne-Webb suggesting there were no other reasons for their below-par displays other than an inability to score.

She said: “We didn’t play badly. We lost one game and we just struggled to convert our chances. The first game was crucial and if we hadn’t drawn [1-1 against India] it could have been so different. It was disappointing over how we did as it was such a massive opportunity.

“Personally you feel so guilty that you’ve let people down and you haven’t done as well as you or they would have hoped.”

Pearne-Webb and Co went back to Lee Valley for finals weekend even if they would rather have been anywhere but the venue for their last eight defeat to the Dutch.

“We have been in a worse place and learnt a lot of lessons from that,” said the defender. “It was incredible to see how hockey has grown and then at The Stoop. You see the difference now to how it was when I was watching the seniors as a junior myself. You feel proud to be a small part in that.

“I was at the Champions Trophy 2010 in Nottingham and it wasn’t on TV. We followed it with England under-16, 18s and being sent the goals they had scored through the year. But your friends at school wouldn’t know or speak about it, whereas now I think hockey is now everywhere.

“To see them [supporters at the World Cup] and embracing you was helpful at the time. It did take me time to get over the World Cup but that is fuel for what we want to achieve over the coming months.”

Pearne-Webb mixed her latest batch of accountancy exams with playing in the first FIH Pro League and admitted it was a “challenging” time with an evolving squad.

“The overriding thing was to have regular games and by the end of it we came away so much more confident, especially with the final two performances,” she said.

“It feels like everything is coming together and we are now really positive and hopefully we can make some rapid progression.

“There are moments when you get frustrated before you see the big picture. I remember the first weekend with our double header against Argentina and Belgium, it was a really positive weekend. It was the first time where I felt we were doing some really good passages and after that it was about building up and trying to eliminate the little errors that were costing us goals.”

While England’s defence is slowly getting back to its world-beating best, Pearne-Webb says that the forward-thinking coaching of Mark Hager is paying dividends.

She said: “Mark’s background is as a forward and he is bringing a lot of skills and expertise in that area. After the World Cup we were strong defensively and weren’t conceding many goals but we were struggling to score.

“It will take time for those to come to fruition but looking at the Pro League games we are scoring more goals. It’s about tightening up the little mistakes either end. Competition is now high and everyone is being kept on their toes.”

The EuroHockey Championships will confirm whether Great Britain can qualify outright for the Olympics (England need to win) and Pearne-Webb predicts a strong performance from her side in Antwerp.

“We want to qualify for the Olympics as soon as we can, our aim is to go to the Euros and win it to qualify,” she added.

“You can’t write any team off, the Euros are so strong and there are no easy games. Everyone will be fighting for that place. We did it in 2015 and we have got confidence in those one off games.

“And if we come and everybody turns up, we can apply the game plan and get the results we want. We can beat the Dutch on the day, and we know we can do it.”

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The Hockey Paper



How do the EuroHockey Championships relate to Olympic qualification?


Miraitowa, mascot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

The EuroHockey Championships in Belgium mark the start of the qualification process for the 2020 Olympic Games.

England are the nominated country for Olympic qualification via European hockey competitions.

This tournament is the first opportunity for European teams to secure their spot at Tokyo next year, and the qualification process runs as follows:

How it works: the short version!

- If England win the Euros, Great Britain will qualify directly for Tokyo.

- If England don't win the Euros, Great Britain will play in a two-legged winner-takes-all Olympic Qualifier at home in November. A good performance in the Euros will help our ranking points and therefore mean we should play a lower-ranked team in this qualifier.

How it works: the long version!

- If England win the EuroHockey Championships, then their Great Britain counterparts will qualify directly for Tokyo. The winners of all continental championships qualify directly for the games, with Japan and Argentina having so far secured their spots in both genders.

- If England do not win the EuroHockey Championships, Great Britain will then play in a two-legged winner-takes-all Olympic Qualifier in November. Both legs will take place on home soil, thanks to Great Britain's world ranking. The winner will be determined by aggregate score over the two games, with a shootout if scores are level.

- There will be a total of seven two-legged ties across the world, and the ties will be drawn on 10 September following the conclusion of all the 2019 continental championships.

- The 14 competing teams will be made up of the world's top ranked sides, as well as winners of the recent Hockey Series events. The teams will be split into four pots based on world ranking, with three teams in each of the top and bottom pots, and four in each of the two middle pots. The three teams in the top pot will be drawn randomly against the three in the bottom pot; and the same applies to the draw between the two middle pots.

- GB's women are currently ranked #4 in the world, with the men at #6. Currently, the GB women's team are in pot one for the qualifiers, because #3 ranked Argentina have already qualified for Tokyo. The men are currently in pot two. However the women could drop down a pot or the men could move up a pot depending on how England perform in the Euros. Great Britain would of course prefer to be in the top pot, as they would then play a lower-ranked side.

- For both the women and men, effectively they need to out-perform Germany in order to give themselves the best chance of being in the top pot. The men would then also be hoping that Australia win their continental championships, and either Belgium or Netherlands win the Euros.

- There are no further chances to qualify after these two-legged qualifiers, so they will very much be winner-takes-all.

- For clarity, the GB women's team do not qualify automatically as reigning champions. And of course, both our men's and women's teams need to qualify separately, if one gender qualifies it does not mean the other has qualified. In addition, if Scotland or Wales' men were to win the Euros, it would not mean GB qualify for Tokyo because England is the nominated country for GB qualification.

England Hockey Board Media release



Campbell Thomson announced as Scotland men’s back of shirt sponsor



The Scotland men’s hockey squad has received a boost as Scottish Hockey announces Campbell Thomson as the team’s new back of shirt sponsor. The independent financial advice firm has come on board in a three-year contract to support Scotland men in the coming years.

The announcement comes just as Scotland men travel to Antwerp to compete in the EuroHockey Championships where they will take on the Netherlands; Germany and Ireland in Pool B of the tournament.



Germany will be Scotland’s first opponents when they meet on 17 August at 12:30 UK time. On the following day Scotland play Ireland at 14:45 before taking on the Netherlands at 17:00 on 20 August. Crossover matches start from 22 August. All matches will be shown live on the BBC and EuroHockey TV.

The Blue Sticks have had an exceptional last few years where they have won EuroHockey Championship II; clocked up their highest ever finish at a Commonwealth Games; won Team of the Year at the Sunday Post Sports Awards; and have finished higher than ranking four times in three years.

The Campbell Thomson logo will be placed on the back of the men’s shirt for the first time at the EuroHockey Championships.

Campbell Thomson’s Managing Director Stewart Thomson said, “Campbell Thomson is delighted to be in a position to support the Scottish Men’s Hockey team with this sponsorship. It is a very exciting and successful time for The Blue Sticks and Campbell Thomson look forward to the team achieving more success on the field through their teamwork, hard work and skills, all values we mirror at Campbell Thomson.”

Scottish Hockey CEO David Sweetman said, “This is a very exciting partnership and I’m thrilled that Campbell Thomson has invested in the Scotland men’s national team. The partnership will be a great support to the men’s squad on the international stage, with an exciting long-term future ahead, as the squad get started in a massive tournament in Antwerp.

“It’s a very exciting time for hockey in Scotland, and for the men’s team on their return to the top division of European hockey. They’ve had an exceptional last couple of years. This sponsorship has provided the team with a real boost heading into the tournament in Antwerp.”

Find out more about Campbell Thomson HERE

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Tokyo 2020 test event series to continue with hockey competition

By Matthew Smith


The hockey test event for Tokyo 2020 takes place this week ©Getty Images

The stadium, infrastructure and organisation for hockey at the 2020 Olympic Games will be put under the microscope this week as part of the Ready Steady Tokyo series of test events.

The tournament will be held at the newly built Oi Hockey Stadium from tomorrow until Wednesday (August 21).

Japan, India, Malaysia and New Zealand will contest the men's tournament, while Australia, China, Japan and India feature in the women's competition.

While the matches will be competitive, with the top two teams in the pools contesting a final on Wednesday, the primary purpose is as a dress rehearsal to ensure all facilities and operations are perfected before next year's Games.

It will also test whether athletes will be able to effectively play in the high temperatures which have affected recent Tokyo 2020 test events in sports such as marathon swimming and triathlon.

Fears for the impact of extreme heat in Japan next year have been heightened by a heatwave in the country in recent weeks, which has seen 57 people die and more than 18,000 admitted to hospital.

Several young competitors were treated for heatstroke at the World Rowing Junior Championships, while athletes in the marathon swimming test event were unhappy with the heat and water conditions.

Tokyo 2020 has been investigating extreme heat countermeasures, such as painting roads with a special coating that is expected to suppress temperature rises by as much as eight degrees Celsius.

A Tokyo 2020 cooling project has been launched which includes cool spaces at venues and spectators being allowed to take their own bottled water to events, something that has been prohibited at previous Olympic Games due to security and sponsorship concerns.


Japan, India, Malaysia and New Zealand will contest the men's tournament ©Getty Images

On the hockey pitch, India are the highest ranked men's team as they sit fifth in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) rankings.

In the women's competition, world number two Australia, who missed out on winning the inaugural FIH Pro League following a shoot-out defeat to the Netherlands in the final, are the favourites.

India against Japan and Australia versus China are the first matches in the women's event, followed by India versus Malaysia and New Zealand against Japan in the men's competition.

The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo begin on July 24, with hockey getting underway the following day.

Inside the Games



Ready Steady Tokyo Hockey (Men) - Day 1
Tokyo (JPN)

Fixtures (GMT +9)

17 Aug 2019 18:30     IND v MAS (RR)
17 Aug 2019 19:00     NZL v JPN (RR)

FIH Match Centre



Ready Steady Tokyo Hockey (Women) - Day 1
Tokyo (JPN)

Results

7 Aug 2019 11:45     IND v JPN (RR)     2 - 1
17 Aug 2019 12:15     AUS v CHN (RR)     2 - 3

Fixtures (GMT +9)

18 Aug 2019 09:30     IND v AUS (RR)
18 Aug 2019 10:00     CHN v JPN (RR)

Pool Standings

Rank Team Played Wins Draws Losses Goals For Goals Against Goal Difference Points
1 China 1 1 0 0 3 2 1 3
2 India 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
3 Australia 1 0 0 1 2 3 -1 0
4 Japan 1 0 0 1 1 2 -1  

FIH Match Centre



Gurjit Kaur's double helps Indian eves down Japan 2-1 in Olympic test event

With the teams having played each other frequently in the past couple of years, they understood each other’s tactics well and it made for a tightly-contested game.


The Indian Eves register a comfortable victory over Japan in the Olympic Test Event.   -  Twitter/Hockey India

The Indian women’s hockey team started its campaign in the Olympic test event with a resilient 2-1 victory over host Japan on Saturday.

India took an early lead through its penalty corner specialist, Gurjit Kaur, in the ninth minute, but the host equalised in the 16th minute as Aki Mitsuhashi scored a field goal.

However, Gurjit stepped up again in the 35th minute to convert yet another penalty corner, which turned out to be the decisive goal in the match.

The Indians started the match with an aggressive intent, and had a few opportunities in the opening 10 minutes. Both the teams, playing with 16 players as per the Olympic Games guidelines, made swift and timely substitutions throughout the match, and it was in the 16th minute that Japan’s substitution worked for them.

The 29-year-old Mitsuhashi combined well with her teammates before drawing parity.


Gurjit Kaur's double helped India past host Japan in the Olympic test event.   -  Twitter/Hockey India
 
With majority of the attacks coming from the Indian team, the Japanese sat back and looked to attack on the counter.

The teams have played each other frequently in the past couple of years, which showed on the field as they understood each other’s tactics well, and it meant that the teams went into the half-time break level at 1-1.

The third quarter saw India dominate the initial minutes, and winning themselves another penalty corner in the 35th minute. A moment of magic from Gurjit saw India regain its one-goal advantage as the 23-year-old smashed the ball into the back of the net.

The host tried to look for another equaliser in the remaining minutes, but could not convert its opportunities into goals.

Sportstar



Indian men take on Malaysia

The women’s team will play host Japan


Right mix: The experience of S.V. Sunil will help Ashish Topno, who is making his debut. 

The Indian men’s hockey team will open its campaign against nemesis Malaysia while their female counterparts will take on hosts Japan in the Olympic Test event here on Saturday.

Both the Indian teams have secured their places in the FIH Olympic Qualifiers, to be held later this year, by winning their respective FIH Series Finals.

Being World No. 5 and the top-ranked side in the tournament among men, India starts favourite against World No. 12 Malaysia.

Chance for youngsters

The Indians have rested seniors like skipper Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, opting to test some young players.

In Manpreet’s absence, dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh will lead the side while striker Mandeep Singh will be his deputy. Malaysia has time and again upset big teams like India at the continental level.

Formidable record

But overall, India has a formidable record against Malaysia. In the last 10 meetings between the two Asian rivals, India has won six, while Malaysia only managed three.

“Historically, we have had some grand battles against Malaysia and I don’t see tomorrow being any different,” India’s chief coach Graham Reid said.

Meanwhile, the 10th-ranked Indian women’s team will have a relatively easy opener against Japan. Then, they will face their toughest test in World No. 2 Australia, before facing World No. 11 China.

The Indian women can take heart from the fact that they beat Japan 3-1 in the final match of the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima this year.

The Hindu



Hockeyroos ready for Olympic precursor

Nic Kerber



The Hockeyroos will open their Tokyo Test Event campaign against China tomorrow (Saturday 17 August) at Oi Stadium, the official hockey venue for next year’s Olympic Games.

Hot and humid conditions greeted the Hockeyroos on their arrival into Tokyo for the official Olympic Test Event, which will see them play four matches in five days.

The Test Event provides a number of benefits for the Hockeyroos, none more so than invaluable preparation and quality matches ahead of their crucial Olympic qualifiers against New Zealand.

Furthermore, the Hockeyroos will be one of the first teams to compete on the new hockey fields for next year’s Olympics.

With the Hockeyroos’ Olympic qualifiers being held in Rockhampton in early September, Head Coach Paul Gaudoin reiterated the positives of being in Tokyo and the opportunity to play against some tough opposition.

“It’s a challenging climatic environment in Tokyo, so from a training point of view that’s really good preparation for what we will have in Rockhampton,” said Gaudoin.

“We get four games in five days in this Olympic Test Event and then play three games in four days in Rockhampton so it mimics reasonably well what we’re going to face in the Oceania Cup which is the most important event of the year for us.”

“It’s great to be here because we’re starting to get a good feel of what it will be like in August next year and being here now means that hopefully it’s not too much of a surprise and we can get on with the business of winning matches.”

The Hockeyroos narrowly defeated China in the two FIH Pro League meetings between the teams earlier this year.

The Tokyo Test Event, which is part of the READY STEADY TOKYO series and is a dress rehearsal to ensure a successful operation during the Olympic Games, is organised by the Tokyo Organising Committee in conjunction with the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Hockeyroos v China
Saturday 17 August 2019
Oi Hockey Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
12:15pm local (1:15pm AEST)
Coverage: There will be LIVE updates on the Hockeyroos Twitter channel @Hockeyroos
There will also be half time and full time updates on the Hockeyroos Facebook page

Hockeyroos team - Tokyo Test Event 2019

Name

Date of Birth

State

Caps (Goals)

Kristina BATES

09/01/1996

VIC

41 (2)

Edwina BONE

29/04/1988

ACT

188 (4)

Emily CHALKER

28/07/1992

NSW

230 (80)

Kalindi COMMERFORD

18/11/1994

NSW

36 (5)

Savannah FITZPATRICK

04/02/1995

QLD

53 (12)

Kate JENNER

05/05/1990

NSW

118 (1)

Amy LAWTON

19/01/2002

VIC

1 (0)

Rachael LYNCH (gk)

02/07/1986

VIC

211 (0)

Ambrosia MALONE

08/01/1998

QLD

39 (9)

Georgina MORGAN

15/05/1993

NSW

86 (18)

Kaitlin NOBBS

24/09/1997

NSW

67 (3)

Brooke PERIS

16/01/1993

NT

158 (25)

Grace STEWART

28/04/1997

NSW

75 (21)

Renee TAYLOR

28/09/1996

QLD

68 (6)

Sophie TAYLOR

12/09/1995

VIC

22 (1)

Georgia WILSON

20/05/1996

WA

27 (0)


Hockeyroos Matches
Saturday 17 August 2019
Hockeyroos v China (12:15pm local, 1:15pm AEST)

Sunday 18 August 2019
India v Hockeyroos (9:30am local, 10:30am AEST)

Tuesday 20 August 2019
Hockeyroos v Japan (5:30pm local, 6:30pm AEST)

Wednesday 21 August 2019
3rd v 4th (5:30pm local, 6:30pm AEST)
Final (7:45pm local, 8:45pm AEST)

Hockey Australia media release



Hockey test event provides India coach Graham Reid with chance to instil faith and belief in team

Sundeep Misra


The Olympic Test event will give coach Graham Ried to instil faith and belief in a team which does not lack talent or finesse. Image courtesy: Twitter @rupinderbob3

It's that time in an Olympic circuit when the focus bounces back onto the national hockey team as they train and aim for yet another tilt at the Games. It's a year away. And India still need to clear the one last qualifying hurdle left. But assuming they do - chances are more than less - the men's team will have first-hand knowledge of the stadium and conditions when they play the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Conditions and turf do matter but, in a sport, where the surface is largely similar for pace and bounce, an intrinsic team quality needs to stand out rather than knowledge of synthetic carpets and weather patterns.

Amidst other test events in Tokyo and the tough heat, 32 degrees to a high of 36, the Indian men's team, who shouldn't be bothered about the rising temperatures, would do well to look up the meaning of the word pragmatic. Sport, universally, is made up of different philosophies, dogmas, theories, convictions and of course, opinion. Till the 60s and early 70s, it was quite straightforward for an Indian team to play and prepare according to the simplistic but highly effective 5-3-2-1 pattern of play. Balkishen Singh brought in the first changes – an all-out play that meant defence and offence with pace being the key factor. It worked initially but flopped at the '92 Barcelona Games. Not much change was seen thereafter with MP Ganesh, MK Kaushik and V Bhaskaran. Cedric D'Souza changed the formula bringing in a compact defence and playing with a lone forward upfront. Then came the foreigners and styles changed, evolved but leaving the players slightly overwhelmed. Coaches changed faster than styles and philosophies.

When Graham Reid took over after the World Cup, one wondered what could be the logical game plan for a team that knew everything except for the highly defensive, hold the ball, German system. In Tokyo, Reid needs an answer to that. Not because it needs to work but because the players need to be convinced that Reid is the answer. Pessimism is now a habit in Indian hockey. The past can be ignored but not denied. Some of these players have played under multiple national coaches. They hear and apply the instructions. The solution is belief. Otherwise, Sjoerd Marijne would still be the coach. The players rejected his theory. To be fair to the Dutchman, he needed more time. Reid needs to change that mindset. It's not about winning hearts but about controlling the mind that goes to the turf and applies itself. If the results are coming, belief will come. It's a brick by brick building of a structure. It's another matter that the powers to be never understood that structures need a foundation along with time. For quick-fire results, they sacrificed players and coaches. Reid needs to understand that in the Indian system, patience has no value. Not even results, otherwise a Champions Trophy final should have been enough for Harendra Singh.

The sport is so much about fine lines, split-second thinking, creating inch-perfect passes, anticipating, understanding, all of this tempered with a philosopher's wisdom that gives creative balance to a team. See a re-run of the 2018 World Cup final between Holland and Belgium and one would understand, the intricacies and the elaborateness of the preparation. Belgium is a classic example of long-term belief. In their tardiness of running this sport, Hockey India has passed on the worst to its players.

In Tokyo, there will be two big players missing – Manpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh, both being asked to rest as a big season unfolds with the final Olympic Qualifier in November. Resting Manpreet makes sense. Sreejesh, at the moment, needs competition and the return of that rock-solid belief that took a beating in the World Cup. The one player, who could have made a difference, SV Sunil, is back, hopefully with the injury healed. He is a game-changer but for long utilised as a man of speed. It will be interesting to see how Reid plays him. Will we see a new Sunil, using pace and then releasing it for Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh and Gursahibjit Singh? It's a gamble to play without Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh but Indian selectors have always loved a wager when it came to key selections. However, one needs to understand when the coach explains that there are no FIH points in a test event so the need to see more players before the qualifying event.

Japanese coach, Siegfried Aikman, says he is looking for more balance from his team in front of home fans. "Balance is important," says Aikman. "Keeping the balance when highly challenged is the key, I think. It's not only about the ranking, but it's also about playing at the level of the higher-ranked teams. They are the ones to beat."

India have been busy since Reid came. The Australian has had opportunities to see the players who would finally deliver. "Look, we started back in April with a tour to Australia that was a good learning experience," explains Reid. "We learnt a lot and l learnt a lot as a coach too. Since then we've also had the Bhubaneswar tournament with the Series Final where we were able to qualify for the next round of qualification for the Olympic Games. So, that was really good. And in the last 3-4 weeks, we've been training very hard in Bangalore. I have been very happy. We are ready to now go for this Olympic Test event."

For the last so many years, one of the grey areas has been the lack of anticipation when you lose the ball. It happens when the structure moves out of place. In the 2018 Champions Trophy, one reason why it was so difficult for Australia to find gaps and opening in the Indian defence was because the structure didn't give away. That, unfortunately, wasn't the scenario at the 2018 Asian Games and the 2018 World Cup. India love moving up, from the flanks and with direct runs through the middle of the pitch. But for every Surender Kumar and Harmanpreet Singh moving up, you need a player as good as them at the back, shielding that gap. Those moments are when we get punished.

Reid needs that time to be able to push his theory of what he believes India needs to do to come back into the reckoning for a consistent podium finish. "Yeah, it's always difficult to tell," says Reid. "It's a slow, iterative process, growth and it's never in one line. So, I think the players are now getting to understand the way I like to play hockey and I think that would bear fruit in the next 2 or 3 months."

Without Manpreet, the aim is not to test the midfield. The premise is to speed up the process of the midfielders to think laterally. Vivek Prasad, Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh will carry the burden. But it's an opportunity to understand and create the play without the main playmaker. It's a young team but it's also important to understand that being young is no more an excuse. Raise your levels or burn.

India play Malaysia (12), New Zealand (8) and Japan (16) before the top two teams play the four-nation final. There are no points but winning the tournament is important for Reid and India's progress. Winning is always good, especially when the all-important best of two-match qualifier is in November. Of course, there will be changes after the Tokyo Test event. Yes, it's difficult to understand the range of the changes and how many of this group and the one sitting in India would make it to the qualifier team and beyond. "I don't like to foretell what's going to happen," says Reid. "I think in the two 2 months, will be able to tell you who will be in that team. So, I am going to leave it to the team's performance and the selectors."

Charles Sanders Pierce never played field hockey. He was an American philosopher, logician and the father of pragmatism. Pierce said the essence of belief is the establishment of a habit. That belief was about action and what you do defines what you believe. Decades have slipped past, national teams have aspired and failed. Reid should understand he is just not the national coach; the brief goes beyond that. In Tokyo at the Test event, in a team that doesn't lack skills, expertise and finesse, he needs to drill faith and belief.

Firstpost



Indian men, women begin Olympic Test Event


Mandeep Singh , Hockey India Twitter handle

After securing their place in the FIH Olympic qualifiers by winning their respective FIH Series Finals, both the men and women Indian hockey teams will start their Olympic Test Event campaigns in Tokyo at the Oi Hockey Stadium on Saturday.

The Men's team, currently ranked world No. 5, will play 12th-ranked Malaysia in their opening encounter, while the world No. 10 women's side will be up against world No. 14 Japan.

As part of their preparations for the FIH Olympic qualifiers, the Indian teams will face good competition at the Olympic Test Event, with the men's team facing Malaysia, then world No. 8 New Zealand and world No. 16 Japan in their last round-robin match.

Under the new leadership of captain Harmanpreet Singh and vice-captain Mandeep Singh, the young Indian men's team will be hoping to live up to its top billing despite the absence of some senior players, including captain Manpreet Singh.

"We are looking forward to the first match against Malaysia," men's head coach Graham Reid said. "We have had some good tough training sessions in both brand new stadiums and after a light training session today (Friday), we will be ready for tomorrow's (Sunday) encounter."

Meanwhile, the women's team will be up against tougher opponents as they face world No. 2 Australia, world No. 11 China and world No. 14 Japan. They will start their campaign on Saturday against hosts Japan, whom they beat 3-1 in the title clash of the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima.

"We are looking forward to starting well at the Olympic Test Event. This is a great opportunity for us to play against other strong teams, and it will give us the chance to see where we need to improve ahead of the crucial FIH Olympic qualifiers later this year," women's head coach Sjoerd Marijne said.

Daily News & Analysis



Indian hockey talent pool larger than ever, says former defender V.R. Raghunath


File Photo: Former Indian defender V. R. Raghunath is happy to see emerging young hockey players competing for a place in India's core group.   -  R. Ragu

Former India hockey player V. R. Raghunath says a strong domestic circuit has created a big pool of talented players, who are competing hard to make it to the national squad.

The recent encounter between Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd at the Bangalore Cup All India hockey tournament ended in a 5-5 stalemate after a fierce fight.

“I feel the pool of players in the national core group is bigger than ever before. Almost all the 33 players in the Indian core group today have international experience and there is healthy competition within the group to play for India,” Raghunath, who was known for his fierce dragflicks and disciplined defence in the Indian team, said.

Captaining the IOCL at the Bangalore Cup, Raghunath said his team alone has at least five players who are vying to return to the Indian men’s core group.

“Some of the players who have been left out of this group need to really work hard and show their worth so they are in reckoning again.

“Players like forward Sumit Kumar in our team got a call-up to the national squad following exceptional performance for IOCL at the domestic tournaments,” Raghunath said ahead of its semifinal match against host Karnataka.

Players such as Talwinder Singh, Affan Yousuf, Manpreet Singh Junior, Vikramjit Singh and goalkeeper Pankaj Kumar Rajakt of IOCL have been part of the Indian team core group in the past.

BPCL too have Junior World Cup winning captain Harjeet Singh, Abharan Sudev, Junior India player Rabichandra Moirangthem, goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya of Junior World Cup fame waiting to receive a call-up from national selectors.

“If you see in the last six weeks alone, these players have taken part in two consecutive tournaments and have played nearly 10-12 high-quality matches.

“With India playing Pro League next year, many of these young players stand a great chance to wear India colours again and they just need to keep working hard, play regular domestic matches for their respective teams and not lose hope,” he added.

Sportstar



FIH launches “Gift of Hockey” campaign


AHF CEO Tayyab Ikram, Her Royal Highness Princess Takamado and FIH CEO Thierry Weil at the opening ceremony

Tokyo, Japan: A little less than a year before the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and on the occasion of the start of the Ready Steady Tokyo hockey test event in the brand-new Oi Hockey Stadium, FIH today launched “Gift of Hockey”, the official campaign of hockey’s world governing body ahead of the hockey Olympic tournaments.

“Gift of Hockey” is inspired by the concept of omotenashi - Japanese hospitality - which is a cornerstone of Japanese culture. The campaign approaches hockey as a gift. A sport privileged to have a solid history and with strong values of inclusiveness, gender equality, community-building and respect. A gift that leaves a legacy, too.

The Oi Hockey Stadium – the venue of the hockey Olympic tournaments next year – will be a great legacy for boosting the development of hockey in the land of the rising sun. Also, a number of hockey training sessions for kids will be organised throughout Japan between now and July 2020.

Another aspect of the legacy is the transmission of the gift of hockey from those who received it to newcomers or future generations. A gift that contributes to build and grow the hockey community.

Japanese player Shihori Oikawa said: “Hockey was a gift from my mother, who was a hockey player. Because of her, I started playing Hockey too. I’m happy to be a part of the Japanese national team and my big goal is to become the best defender in the world and to get a gold medal at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. It gives me immense happiness to win with my teammates and I got a lot of friends in the world through hockey, which is fantastic. I want to spread this gift of Hockey by opening Hockey clinics in many areas of Japan.”

2016 Gold medallist and Argentina’s team captain Pedro Ibarra said: “I started to play hockey because my parents inspired me to play a team sport and some friends of mine were playing hockey; that’s how I joined. After my international career, I would like to share all my experience with people who are living on the streets. I think that sport can help to get people out of those situations”.



The Ready Steady Tokyo hockey Test event started today with an opening ceremony organised by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and involving Her Royal Highness Princess Takamado, Minister of Olympic and Paralympic Games Shunichi Suzuki, Governor of Tokyo Yuriko Koike, Mayor of Shinagawa City Takeshi Hamano,Mayor of Ota City Tadayoshi Matsubara, FIH CEO Thierry Weil, FIH Executive Board (EB) Member and AHF (Asian Hockey Federation) President Fumio Ogura as well as FIH EB Member, IOC Commission Member and AHF CEO Tayyab Ikram.

Eight teams have been invited to participate in this event:

- Japan, India, Malaysia, New Zealand (Men)
- Japan, Australia, China, India (Women)

The match schedules as well as the list of officials, including the umpires, appointed by FIH for this event are available here (Men’s) and here (Women’s).

To find more information about TOCOG’s “Ready Steady” campaign for the Test Event, please click here.
#ReadySteadyTokyo
#Tokyo2020   
#GiftOfHockey

FIH site



Pakistan clear to play int’l hockey again

Once Pakistan hockey starts settling down and producing results, it will jump at the considerable pace in FIH rankings, says Brig (R) Khokhar

Mohsin Ali



ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar has confirmed that the federation has paid the first installment of the fine imposed on it by FIH and now national hockey team is clear to play international events, including Olympics qualifiers.

Talking to The Nation, Khokhar said: “The PHF has arranged the first installment through its own resources, as the federal government didn’t pay a single penny in this regard. I am grateful to FIH for paying heed towards our genuine problem and all the disciplinary committee members for being very kind and cooperative.

“We never wanted to invite FIH wrath nor our past had any such issue, but due to previous IPC Secretary Jameel Ahmed, not only Pakistan hockey, but also the country could have suffered a lot, but the PHF’s efforts saved the country from international ban. We were also allowed to pay a minimal fine in three installments and now we have paid first installment. We will either try to get wave off in the remaining two installments or get further reduction in fine,” he added.

He said he is requesting the federal government and the IPC Minister for last several months to have mercy on hockey. “The government and IPC Minister shouldn’t hand over the funds to the federation directly; instead they can spend money through their own appointed persons. We want to take Pakistan hockey forward, as the national game had suffered a lot in the past.

“Ever since I took over the reins of the federation, I have utilised all my capabilities and personal contacts to ensure Pakistan hockey stand on its feet and also focused on junior hockey to find fresh talent to represent the country and win laurels for it. We gave chances to youngsters against visiting Uzbekistan national hockey team and rather than putting our senior team to play against the visitors. We provided opportunities to the youngsters, which paid great dividend as we found fresh talent, which were also given chance in the recently-concluded 65th Muhammad Noor Khan National Hockey Championship in Karachi,” he added.

Khokhar said now the goalkeeping camp for the aspiring goalkeepers will start form August 19 under Shahid Ali Khan, while 35 players are invited for the national camp to be started from August 25 at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore. “The basic purpose of conducting the camp is to prepare our team for the coming Olympics qualifiers. We have kept an eye on the South Asian Games as well.

“We have taken Olympians onboard and will try to implement all their suggestions/recommendations in true letter and spirit. Our aim is to take Pakistan hockey forward. It doesn’t matter we are standing at 17 in FIH rankings. Once Pakistan hockey starts settling down and producing results, it will jump at the considerable pace in the FIH rankings,” he added.

The PHF president said that he didn’t demand anything from Prime Minister Imran Khan and IPC Minister Dr Fahmida Mirza. “I just want the PM and IPC Minister to come forward and play their part in reviving the national game. Without money, we can neither take part in international events nor can conduct national championships.

“I am sure that our PM and IPC Minister, who both are athletes themselves, will lend a helping hand to the federation and in return, I can assure that Pakistan hockey will bounce back and win major titles like they did in the past. I have full faith and belief in my team and we are keen to deliver for Pakistan and its hockey,” Khokhar concluded.

The Nation



32 teams to do battle at Hockey Festival


CSOS' Chetwyn Henry (right) challenging YMCA's Neraj Mason for the ball. (Picture courtesy the Barbados Hockey Federation.)

THE Barbados Hockey Festival will see 32 teams competing this year.

And six of those are overseas participants, says Barbados Hockey Federation secretary Kofi Hinds.

The visiting teams will include three from Trinidad and Tobago, two from United States and one from United Kingdom.

This year’s Festival will run from August 18 to 24 and will be contested in four categories – men’s, women’s, mixed and masters.

Last season’s tournament featured 34 teams, including eight overseas entrants.

The tentative schedule for the week including the competition and social events will see the opening ceremony, exhibition match, meet and greet and Bajan Lime on the Sunday which precedes Monday’s action ahead of a games night, Tuesday’s matches and Festival Karaoke, Wednesday’s competition and half-time fete.

Thursday is a beach day with no matches, ahead of Friday’s semi-finals and Festival cruise and Saturday’s finals and a final whistle kooldown jam.

Men’s champions Du Badd will be defending their title while mixed powerhouses Sentry Rockets and the UWI Blackbirds will be trying to dethrone A Badd Connection as the mixed title-holders. A Badd Connection also hold the women’s title.

YMCA masters, who play as Y’s Guys, were last year’s champions and will face some competition this year from the New York Islanders, who will be fresh from their own domestic matches.

Hinds said the turf at the Wildey Hockey Centre is in much better match condition this year since it has been groomed and has entertained local competition over the last few months but they are also hoping to utilize the neighbouring Barbados Football Association’s Wildey Turf to host a few of their matches.

They are also hoping to be able to host two overseas umpires to conduct an umpires and technical officials training seminar during the week.

Nation News, Barbados



M'sian hockey legend Lawrence Van Huizen dies at 89



KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia lost hockey legend Lawrence Joseph Van Huizen (pic) after the former Olympian and ex-national coach died at the Seremban Hospital at 4.30am Saturday (Aug 17). He was 89.

Lawrence, who played hockey for Malaysia in the 1958 and 1962 Asian Games in Tokyo and Jakarta, respectively, and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, leaves behind wife Doreen Philomina Van Huizen alias Koh Kim Bee.

Lawrence is of mixed Dutch and Portuguese blood and hockey runs in his blood.

His son, Stephen van Huizen, is an ex-international and now is the national assistant coach with the men's hockey team.

And his grandson, Stephen's son, Joel is a national hockey player who featured in the World Cup in Bhubabeswar, India, last December.

Lawrence had contributed immensely for the country and also his state Negri Sembilan.

He was the assistant coach to Ho Koh Chye in the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, where Malaysia finished a respectable fourth.

Lawrence was also coach of the national women's team for five years from 1981.



The former Standard Chartered bank employee had also coached the boys' and girls' schools in Seremban.

He trained the St. Paul's Institution boys' team for 43 years, from 1958 to 2002, for free.

Lawrence, a former student of St. Paul's Institution, also coached the Convent School in Seremban for free.

His greatest moment of his coaching career was when five of his St. Paul's Institution players featured in the 1979 Junior World Cup in Paris.

They are his son Stephen, Collin Sta Maria, Derek Fields, Kevin Nunis and William Lazaroo.

Lawrence, better known as Ogie, was truly an inspiration to all Malaysians.

The Star of Malaysia

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