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News for 11 February 2020

All the news for Tuesday 11 February 2020


2019 FIH Women's Goalkeeper of the Year: Australia’s Lynch takes the crown



The 2019 FIH Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year has been revealed, with Australia's Rachael Lynch taking the prize. The Hockeyroos shot-stopper won the accolade ahead of Japan’s Megumi Kageyama and Maria Ruiz of Spain, who finished second and third respectively.

Rachael Lynch’s performances in the FIH Hockey Pro League regularly earned her Player of the Match awards throughout the 2019 FIH Hockey Pro League season. The tall goalkeeper was a commanding figure as she stood up to fierce shots or raced out to meet attackers during shoot-out situations. Time and again, Lynch provided the stability in defence that allowed the Hockeyroos to play the expansive, attacking hockey that saw them win silver in the Grand Final.

Lynch has been a member of the Hockeyroos since 2006 and has more than 220 international caps to her name, making her the most capped Australian goalkeeper and one of only 23 athletes to pass the 200-cap milestone. But, as she gains experience she just seems to keep getting better. In the semi-final of the FIH Hockey Pro League Grand Finals against Argentina, it was Lynch whose saves from Carla Rebecchi, Celina di Santo and Silvina D’Elia put her team in the final against the Netherlands.

The Oceania Cup was a disappointment for the Hockeyroos as they lost to New Zealand and thus faced an extra round of qualification for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. However, a 4-2 and 5-0 win saw Australia qualify for the Olympic Games and, if selected, will offer 33-year-old Lynch her second shot at an Olympic medal [Lynch competed in Rio 2016 having missed out on selection in 2012].

Certainly a place at the Tokyo Olympics is something that is front and centre of her mind: “I’d still love to win a gold medal with this team and that’s something I’m passionate about. It’s still a long way off and we’ve got the FIH Hockey Pro League which is a really cool opportunity for the Hockeyroos and Hockey in general to promote our sport. I will embrace and enjoy it but Tokyo is the bigger focus.”

Vote results:

1st place: Rachael Lynch (AUS)

    20% of all National Association votes
    64.9% of all Media votes
    35.7% of all Fans / Players votes
    35.2% of all combined votes

2nd place: Megumi Kageyama (JPN)

    53.8% of the National Associations votes
    2.6% of the Media votes
    8.1% of the Fans / Players votes
    29.6% of all combined votes

3rd place: Maria Ruiz (ESP)

    10.8% of the National Associations votes
    14.3% of the Media votes
    24.4% of the Fans / Players votes
    15.1% of all combined votes

How did Rach Lynch learn that she had won the award? Watch the video here

And here's a video interview of Rach Lynch after receiving the award.

#HockeyStarsAwards

FIH site



2019 FIH Men's Rising Star of the Year: Vivek's chance to shine



The 2019 FIH Men’s Rising Star of the Year has been revealed, with 19-year-old Vivek Prasad of India taking the prize. Midfielder Vivek won the accolade ahead of Argentina’s Maico Casella and Blake Govers of Australia, who finished second and third respectively.

When he took to the field in a Four Nations Invitational tournament in January 2018, Vivek Prasad was the second youngest player ever to represent the India national team, being just 17 at the time. Since then he has appeared for the senior side on nearly 60 occasions.

2019 was a busy year for India. They took silver at the Sultan Aslan Shah Cup, losing on shoot-out to Korea in the final. Vivek scored two goals in the course of that tournament.

The two most important events in the India men’s team calendar were the FIH Series Finals and the subsequent FIH Olympic Qualifiers. In the Series Finals, India beat off all opposition in the pool round to set up a meeting with South Africa in the final. They won 5-1 and Vivek made his way onto the scoresheet with a neatly taken goal. He was voted Best Young Player of the tournament. The result meant India were one step away from Olympic qualification.

Russia was the team standing in the team’s path but a 4-2 and 7-1 victory saw India seal their spot at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Vivek didn’t score in those matches but was an integral part of Head Coach Graham Reid’s team.

With the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 just a few months away, and an exciting FIH Hockey Pro League competition in the intervening six months, the stage is set for Vivek to shine.

Vote results:

1st place: Vivek Prasad (IND)

    50% of all National Association votes
    23% of all Media votes
    15.1% of all Fans/Players votes
    34.5% of all combined votes

2nd place: Maico Casella (ARG)

    15.1% of the National Associations votes
    13.5% of the Media votes
    44% of the Fans / Players votes
    22% of all combined votes

3rd place: Blake Govers (AUS)

    10.6% of the National Associations votes
    47.3% of the Media votes
    15% of the Fans / Players votes
    20.9% of all combined votes

How did Vivek Prasad learn that he had won the award? Watch the video here!

And here’s a video interview of Vivek Prasad after receiving the award.

FIH site



2019 FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year: Emotional year for Lalremsiami



India’s Lalremsiami has been named as the 2019 FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) can reveal. The 19-year-old attacker took the prize ahead of Argentina’s Julieta Jankunas and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands, who finished second and third respectively.

Indian striker Lalremsiami first came into the wider hockey consciousness at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in 2018 when she was one of the stand-out players at that tournament. Since then the 19-year-old has been at the heart of the rise of the Eves as they have cemented their spot in the world’s top 10 teams over the past two years.

Since making her debut in 2017 in a test series against Belarus, Lalremsiami has made a name for herself as a striker of phenomenal ability. Twice in her short senior career she has been Top Goalscorer – in a test series against Korea in 2017 and against Spain in 2019.

At the Ready Steady Tokyo event, which took place in August 2019, Lalremsiami scored the winning goal in the final against Japan. Over the course of that event, India drew with Australia, who were ranked at number two in the world, as well as drawing with Asian rivals China.

However, the two events that really made India and Lalremsiami’s year - at either end of the emotional scale – were the competitions leading to qualification for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. At the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima, India beat off opposition from eight other teams all craving a place in the Olympic Qualifiers. India held their nerve and took top spot, setting up a double header against USA. Tragically for Lalremsiami, her father died during the course of that event, but the young athlete played on, despite her grief. Later she said: “I wanted to make my father proud. I wanted to stay, play and make sure India qualified.”

The Olympic Qualifier matches against USA were enthralling encounters. India took a 5-1 lead in the first of two matches, but USA fought back to win the second match 4-1. Lalremsiami didn’t feature among the goals in those two matches but her constant running and creativity helped put the USA defence under pressure, allowing captain Rani to score the decisive goal that sent India to Tokyo.

Lalremsiami’s achievements are all the more remarkable considering that she hails from a small, agricultural community in the state of Mizoram. As a teenager, Lalremsiami left home to join the hockey academy at Thenzawi, 150 kilometres from her home. Quoted on the Olympic Channel, Lalremsiami says: “Hockey isn’t very famous in my village; very few people played the sport. However, I was always interested in playing hockey so I had to move to Thenzawl, which was very far from my village so I had to move into their hostel in my early teenage years. Initially, there weren’t the best of facilities there, we did not have a [artificial] turf ground so we used to play on grass.”

Winning the international award for Rising Star is yet another twist in this remarkable athlete’s story.

Vote results:

 1st place: Lalremsiami (IND)

          47.7% of all National Association votes
          28.4% of all Media votes
          36.4% of all Fans / Players votes
          40% of all combined votes

 2nd place: Julieta Jankunas (ARG)

          12.3% of the National Associations votes
          23% of the Media votes
          38.4% of the Fans / Players votes
          21.5% of all combined votes

3rd place: Frederique Matla (NED)

          21.5% of the National Associations votes
          20.3% of the Media votes
          15.7% of the Fans / Players votes
          19.8% of all combined votes

How did Lalremsiami learn that she had won the award? Watch the video here!

And here's a video interview of Lalremsiami after receiving the award.

FIH site



India's Vivek Prasad wins FIH Men's Rising Star of the Year award



Indian men's hockey team's teenager Vivek Sagar Prasad on Monday was announced the winner of 2019 FIH Men's Rising Star of the Year by the International Hockey Federation.

The 19-year old beat Argentina’s Maico Casella and Blake Govers of Australia to the award after receiving 34.5 per cent of the combined votes which included National Assocations, Media and Fans votes.

Vivek, who made his international debut in January 2018 in the Four-Nations Invitational Tournament in New Zealand, was the second youngest player to represent India at the age of 17. So far, he has won 58 international caps for the national team and captained the Indian Hockey5s team at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, where it won the silver medal.

In 2019, Vivek appeared in all India's 24 matches and scored six goals across all tournaments. He was the awarded the Best Young Player of the tournament at the FIH Men's Series Finals in June as India stood one step away from Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

In November, Vivek got on the scoresheet in India's 7-1 second-leg victory over Russia in the Olympic Qualifiers as the Men in Blue qualified for the Olympics with an aggregate of 11-3.

Vivek also scored India's opening goal in Sunday's 3-2 defeat against world champion Belgium in the FIH Pro League second leg at Bhubaneswar.

Indian men's team captain Manpreet Singh is contention for the Men's Best Player of the Year award alongside five other international stars which will be revealed on Thursday.

Lalremsiami named Women's Rising Star of the Year

India women's team's forward Lalremsiami has been named as the 2019 FIH Women’s Rising Star of the Year, winning the prize ahead of Argentina’s Julieta Jankunas and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands, who finished second and third respectively.

She first came into the spotlight at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup in 2018. Since then the 19-year-old has been a central figures in the Eves' rise as they cemented their place in the top 10.

Twice in her short senior career she has been the top goal-scorer – in a test series against Korea in 2017 and against Spain in 2019.

At the Ready Steady Tokyo event, which took place in August 2019, Lalremsiami scored the winning goal in the final against Japan. Over the course of that event, India drew with Australia, which was ranked world number two, and with Asian rival China.

However, the two events that really made India and Lalremsiami’s year were the competitions helping secure qualification for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. At the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima, India beat off opposition from eight other teams all craving a place in the Olympic Qualifiers. India held its nerve and sealed top spot, setting up a double header against USA. Tragically for Lalremsiami, her father died during the course of that event, but the young athlete played on, despite her grief. Later she said: “I wanted to make my father proud. I wanted to stay, play and make sure India qualified.”

Sportstar



India's Vivek Sagar Prasad, Lalremsiami named FIH's rising stars of 2019

Lausanne: The Indian men's team midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad was on Monday named as 2019's rising star of the year by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

The 19-year-old Vivek won the accolade ahead of Argentina's Maico Casella and Blake Govers of Australia, who finished second and third respectively.

Vivek polled 50 percent of all National Association votes, 23 per cent media votes, 15.1 per cent fans/players votes for a combination of 34.5 per cent votes.

Casella polled a combined 22 percent votes, while third-placed Govers got 20.9 percent combined votes.

When he was just 17, Vivek became the second-youngest player ever to represent the India national team, in a Four-Nation Invitational tournament in January, 2018. Since then he has appeared for the senior side on more than 50 occasions.

Vivek was also part of the Indian team that won a silver at the 2019 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, losing on shoot-out to Korea in the final.

He was also a member of the Indian team's two most important events in 2019 -- the FIH Series Finals and the subsequent FIH Olympic Qualifiers.

Vivek was voted the Best Young Player of the FIH Series Final and later figured in the national squad for the Olympic qualifiers against Russia in Bhubaneswar last year.

The youngster thanked everyone for helping him to achieve this recognition.

"This is a big moment for me and I thank everyone who voted for me to win this award. This comes as a big motivation to strive harder for the Indian team and give my best as we aim to achieve higher goals for the country," Vivek said.

"I would also like to thank my teammates especially the seniors who ensured they constantly motivated me enough. If I made any mistakes, they encouraged me to give my best," added the youngster, who had led the India U-18 team to a silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.

Hockey India (HI) also congratulated Vivek on winning the award.

"I congratulate Vivek for winning the prestigious FIH Rising Star of the Year award. He has transitioned into the senior team well and has been effective in the mid-field carrying out his duties as expected," HI president Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said.

Lalremsiami named as the 2019 FIH Women's Rising Star of the Year

India forward Lalremsiami has been named as the 2019 FIH Women's Rising Star of the Year, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) said on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old attacker took the prize ahead of Argentina's Julieta Jankunas and Frederique Matla of the Netherlands, who finished second and third respectively, the FIH said in a statement.

The player from Mizoram got 40 percent of all the votes cast. She got 47.7 percent of her votes from among national associations, while the media, fans/players contributed 28.4 percent and 36.4 percent respectively.

Lalremsiami first came into the wider hockey consciousness at the Hockey Women's World Cup in 2018 when she was one of the stand-out players of the tournament.

Since then she has been at the heart of the rise of the Indian women's hockey team as it has cemented a spot in the world's top 10 teams over the past two years.

Since making her debut in 2017 in a test series against Belarus, Lalremsiami has made a name for herself as a striker of phenomenal ability. Twice in her short senior career, she has been top goalscorer — in a test series against Korea in 2017 and against Spain in 2019.

At the Ready Steady Tokyo event, which took place in August 2019, Lalremsiami scored the winning goal in the final against Japan. Over the course of that event, India drew with Australia, who were ranked at number two in the world, as well as drawing with Asian rivals China.

However, the two events that really made India and Lalremsiami's year — at either end of the emotional scale — were the competitions leading to qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

At the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima, India thwarted challenge from eight other teams all seeking a place in the Olympic Qualifiers. India held their nerves and took top spot, setting up a double header against USA.

Tragically for Lalremsiami, her father died during the course of that event, but the young athlete played on, despite her grief.

She later said, "I wanted to make my father proud. I wanted to stay, play and make sure India qualified."

Lalremsiami did not feature among the goals in the two Olympic Qualifier matches against USA but her constant running and creativity helped put the opposition defence under pressure, allowing captain Rani Rampal to score the decisive goal that sent India to Tokyo.

Lalremsiami's achievements are all the more remarkable considering that she hails from a small, agricultural community in Mizoram.

As a teenager, Lalremsiami left home to join the hockey academy at Thenzawi, 150 kilometres from her home.

"Hockey is not very famous in my village; very few people played the sport. However, I was always interested in playing hockey so I had to move to Thenzawl, which was very far from my village so I had to move into their hostel in my early teenage years," she was quoted as saying by Olympic Channel.

Firstpost



Stats Speak- Indians are the FIH rising star of the year 2019 in both category

By B.G.Joshi ( Sehore-Bhopal, India)

Indian Vivek Sagar Prasad and Lalremsiami won the FIH rising star of the year 2019 award in men and women category respectively. Both have obtained overwhelming support across the globe. Here are statistical highlights of both the players:

Player Profile- Vivek Sagar Prasad(Men)

Name

Vivek  Sagar Prasad

Father’s name

Rohit Prasad,  A School Teacher

Born

February  25,2000

Position

Midfielder

Shirt Number

32

Address

Village-Shivnagar Chadon, Block-Kesala, Tehsil- Itarasi, District- Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Debut

Tauranga (New Zealand) 4 Nations in January 2018 vs. Japan, India wins 6-0, Vivek scored a brace.

Youngest

Debutant

Vivek is second youngest to play for India with debut at 17 years and 352 days, Sandeep Singh (youngest debutant) played at the age of 17 Years 341 days

International  Caps

58

International Goals

15

Important Goals

Scored against Australia in Breda Champions Trophy Final  in June 2018,

Scored against Belgium in Bhubaneswar Pro League match in Feb 2020.

Major Tournaments

Champions Trophy-2018(Silver medal),Azlan Shah Cup-2019(Silver medal),

Hockey Series Finals-2019(Rank-1st),Ready Steady Tokyo Hockey-2019(Rank-1st)

Junior Team Career Highlights

Captain of 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup, team finished the tournament with Bronze medal.

Captain of 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics Silver medal winning Team.

First Coach

Ashok Kumar son of legendary Dhyanchand, Ashok Kumar scored the title winning goal in KL World Cup 1975 final vs. Pakistan. Ashok Kumar was coach of MP Hockey Academy Bhopal.

Occupation

On stipend in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited

 

Player Profile- Lalremsiami(women)

Name

Lalremsiami

Father’s name

Lalthansanga Zote,A  Farmer

Born

March  30,2000

Position

Striker

Shirt Number

20

Address

Village-Kolasib, District- Aizwal, Mizoram, India.

Debut

Test  series versus Belarus in March 2017,played in Bhopal, India won the series.

International  Caps

68

International Goals

23

Important Goals

Winning goal in the final against hosts Japan  in Ready Steady Tokyo Hockey 2019.

Major Tournaments

World Cup(2018),Asia Cup-2017(Gold Medal),Asian Games-2018(Silver medal),Asian Champions Trophy-2018(Silver medal),Hockey Series Finals-2019(Rank-1st),Ready Steady Tokyo Hockey-2019(Rank-1st)

Junior Team Career Highlights

Captain of 2018 Buenos Aires Youth Olympics Silver medal winning Team.

First Coach

Sports Authority of India Thenzawl(Mizoram)

Occupation

On stipend in Indian Railway


Fieldhockey.com

 



India's defensive lapses overpower their attacking intent as hosts go down to world champions Belgium

Sundeep Misra


India enjoyed better possession and had more circle entries, but lost to defensive errors. Image: Hockey India

Not everyone with impressive stats ends up a winner. If Belgium were at the receiving end on Saturday, India felt the frustration on Sunday as the world champions powered back to eke out a 3-2 victory over India. Not only in terms of possession, India also had more shots on goal with a higher number of circle penetrations. At the end of the second encounter between the World No 1 and No 4 sides in the Pro League — a match that saw some brilliant play punctuated with lazy turnovers and horrific defensive lapses — India had 12 shots on goal to Belgium’s 9; they had 28 circle penetrations to Belgium’s 19 and 3 PCs to their opponents' 1. In the end, Belgium’s better use of opportunities and some clear thinking gave them the edge.

In the first match on Saturday, India had stunned the World Champions 2-1. Before the match, Indian coach Graham Reid had said, Belgium would come at them like injured lions. “We need to create more opportunities,” he also said. His counterpart, Belgium’s coach Shane McLeod wanted his team to improve their standards.

Belgium made their intentions clear in the first minute itself when goalkeeper PR Sreejesh had to make two quick saves of Thomas Briels and Sebastien Dockier. The pressure led to Belgium taking the lead in the third minute off their first PC. Alexander Hendrickx's flick zipped through the gap between Surender Kumar and the left post. It was a perfect start and one wouldn’t have doubted that the World Champions would apply the pressure and squeeze the Indians. India held out as the Belgians swarmed the Indian half and held sway in the midfield.

Off a counterattack, Indian captain Manpreet Singh put a through ball in that evaded both Lalit and Vivek Prasad. India played aggressive hockey in the last five minutes of the first quarter. Hardly ten seconds were left on the clock, when Surender slipped through on the left flank, shielded the ball, running on the goal-line, dribbling past John-John Dohmen and Arthur de Sloover before slipping it into the striking circle where Vivek Prasad slammed it into the goal. India had the equaliser.

Within 90 seconds of the second quarter starting, Belgium snatched the lead back. Arthur van Doren gave a lovely ball to Simon Gougnard who set it up for Nicolas de Kerpel to give Belgium a 2-1 lead. In the very next minute, India had the equaliser when they scored off their first penalty corner. Harmanpreet Singh’s flick rebounded as Vivek Prasad saw his shot saved. But the rebound fell towards Amit Rohidas who didn’t make a mistake with his hit. Within 17 minutes of the match, the score-line read 2-2.

Then came the howler from Harmanpreet. It also came at a stage when India were challenging with the ball and utilising the space well. They already had more shots on goal in the second Quarter. Belgium were being forced back a little, their midfield slightly exposed. It was that moment in a match when everyone is spread out. There is no pressure. Harmanpreet was sending the ball upfield but only succeeded in giving it to de Kerpel, right in the middle of the field. There was only one Indian defender at the back. Kerpel sped in, drew the defender out and gave the ball to an overlapping Maxime Plennevaux who slapped the ball past the Indian goalkeeper Krishan Pathak. With four minutes left in the second Quarter, Belgium had snatched the lead back 3-2.

India had two chances in the opening minutes of the third quarter. It was followed by India’s second PC which Amit Rohidas flicked straight onto the Belgium goalkeeper’s pads. At the other end, Sreejesh saved two chances off the Belgians. India also had a third PC, but the stop was messed up as Belgium countered within seconds and Sreejesh came off the line to effect a brilliant save as Antoine Kina almost sidestepped him.

Even though the Belgians led 3-2, mistakes from both sides were on the rise. Some lazy play from India and Belgium saw turnovers leading to counters. In the fourth Quarter, Mandeep and Manpreet played the ball before setting up Gurjant who failed to fire past Van Doren. In the last five minutes of the match, Belgium beefed up the midfield and defence, not allowing too much movement from India.

With two minutes left, Augustin Meurmans was shown the card. But India couldn’t push through a ten-man Belgium. Even though India enjoyed possession, overall, their play was sloppy. If there was a silver lining to India’s performance, it was that they conceded only one PC to Belgium; that in a way was the highlight of their performance. Yet, they could have found an equaliser as in the fourth quarter, India had 10 circle entries to two for Belgium with a possession of almost 60 percent.

Belgian coach Shane McLeod said that India played better than in the first match. “Both teams had a desire to win,” he said. “I think we set the pace and the players were more focused. We had some good elements.”

Indian coach Graham Reid did agree with Shane saying, “Today’s performance was much better.” Reid also said, “We gifted them two goals and we also didn’t possess the ball much. I think we would need a little more composure in the circle.”

Reid praised Raj Kumar Pal saying the young lad showed good composure and stood up to it.

Belgium are on top of the table with 14 points from six matches with India second with eight points from four. India host Australia on 21 and 22 February next. Reid believes it will be a tactical game. Australia combine pace with some good thought process. After four matches in the Pro League, one can see progress as Indian captain Manpreet Singh points out. “We are learning a lot,” he said.

Firstpost



‘Reid’ing it right — How Graham Reid shaped a new Indian hockey team

Graham Reid has passed his test with flying colours. Under his watchful eyes, India have won 22 matches of the 29 they have played so far.

By Md Imtiaz


Graham Reid

If there is one Indian team sport that has been able to stride with consistent success, it has to be the Indian men’s hockey team. Giving the top-ranked teams a run for their money, the Manpreet Singh brigade has been proving their worth trying to bring back the heydays for Indian hockey. And the results are evident — for the first time, they climb to world No 4 spot in the FIH rankings, courtesy: a victory over the World Champions Belgium in the first encounter at the FIH Hockey Pro League.

Notwithstanding a defeat to Belgium in the second encounter of the Pro League, the Indians walked off the Kalinga pitch with their heads held high. Defeating the Red Lions 2-1 speaks volumes about the tenacity of a team that looks quite capable now of making Pro League history.


Defeating the Red Lions 2-1 speaks volumes about the tenacity of a team (Image: Hockey India)

Undoubtedly, the Indian team has gained a renewed vigour since the arrival of coach Graham Reid, the craftsman who is now entrusted to take the team to new heights. If someone makes a report card for Reid, he has passed with flying colours. If you go by the numbers, since Reid’s appointment, India has played 29 international matches, where they have won 22, lost four matches and drew 3 so far.

Before the Australian had come to the Indian shore, we were reeling under the challenges of conceding late goals. In Rio 2016, it was the case against the Netherlands, Germany and Canada.

The trend repeated during the Commonwealth Games 2018 against Pakistan, followed by the semifinal defeat against Malaysia at the Asian Games the same year. Most recently, it was at the 2019 Sultan Azlan Shah final, where South Korea equalised and won the tie in shootouts. Immediately after the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Reid took the charge of the Indian team in April 2019.

After the unceremonious sacking of Harendra Singh in January 2019, Australian hockey great Ric Charlesworth talked Reid into applying for the post of chief coach of the Indian national team. Reid was assistant to head coach Charlesworth for the Australian team for six years and when Charlesworth retired after winning the 2014 World Cup, Reid took up the job. Interestingly, Charlesworth also worked with Indian hockey as the men’s and women’s teams’ technical advisor for four months in 2008.

India, whose strategy had always relied upon attack, under the tenure of last few coaches, had started focussing on its defensive solidity. The attacking move started to look frail, where they were just trying to recycle the possession in midfield if there were no clear forward passes in play. Immediately after the Australian’s appointment, the emphasis shifted towards playing pressing hockey. The number of forward passes, lightning-quick transitions in the middle-third of the turf, enabled by moving the ball quickly in the opposition ‘D’, have reaped dividends, which acted as fundamental for India in their victory against Netherlands and Belgium.


ANTWERP – 2019 Test Matches: India Belgium v India Graham Reid and Christopher Ciriello ©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

There weren’t any major tournaments lined up for the Indian teams in 2019 and they mostly competed in bilateral series and one-off International Hockey Federation (FIH) events. In the FIH Series Finals in June, the Manpreet Singh-led side left no stone unturned and emerged victorious by thrashing South Africa 5-1 in the final to qualify for the FIH Olympic Qualifiers. The team then participated in the Tokyo Olympics test event in August involving hosts Japan, Malaysia and New Zealand. The Indian men again came out victorious, defeating the Black Sticks 5-0 in the summit clash.

Followed by Japan, the men in blue went on an exposure tour to Belgium to play five matches — three against reigning world champions Belgium and two against Spain. Here the coach introduced a new overseas training feature where the Indian team trained with the Dutch — a completely new concept for captain Manpreet Singh and his boys. The Manpreet-led side passed with flying colours beating Belgium 2-0, 2-1 and 5-1 and then vanquished Spain 6-1 and 5-1.

But the biggest test awaited them in the year-ending final round of Olympic Qualifiers where the team enjoyed a relatively easy outing, handing Russia an 11-3 drubbing on aggregate to seal their Tokyo tickets.

The Indian men’s hockey team’s biggest gain has so far been the emergence of some talented fresh faces. With no big tournaments lined up, India tested a number of youngsters under Reid and the move paid rich dividends, throwing up talent like Vivek Sagar Prasad, Hardik Singh and many more. Graham’s faith on the youngsters have grown as we could see him trying and testing them during the Belgian baptism of fire where Vivek produced a goal and debutant Raj Kumar Pal darted in and around the Belgian circle like an arrow surprising the defence with his speed and guile which allowed the senior strikers to move up unchallenged.

Coming from a culture where consistent performance at the highest level is considered paramount, Graham Reid has ensured that the Indian hockey team gives their best every minute they spend on the field. With him at the helm, a lot of emphases has been drawn on fitness — both mental and physical.


Graham’s faith on the youngsters have grown as we could see him trying and testing them during the Belgian baptism of fire (Image: Hockey India)

High-pressing style of hockey that Reid espouses requires his players to pressure opponents with tackles when they are in possession. The idea is simple: rush the opponent when they get the ball, so they don’t have the time to look up and pass to a teammate. Their fitness quotient was tested at a recent Yo-Yo Test, where six or seven Indian players — including Sumit and Mandeep Singh — touched the highest level of 23.8. Skipper Manpreet Singh reached 23.2. The Indian team’s minimum target for goalkeepers is 20 while for outfield players, the target is between 22-23.

For mental strength, Graham Reid relies upon an English Rugby Union coach’s Thinking Clearly Under Pressure (TCUP) method. Clearly, playing under pressure, India intensity did not dissipate in the second encounter against the Netherlands after a comprehensive win in the first.

Graham Reid’s boys displayed without a shadow of a doubt that the wins against the Dutch were no flash in the pan and that the team is clicking as a whole. Whether by accident or design, the Pro League schedule involves India playing the top three teams in the world one after the other at home and a similar result against Australia will do wonders for India’s campaign.

And going forward like this makes nothing seem impossible. Reids’ aggressive and cohesive Indian squad, which is making an early impression at the busy Pro League season, can pull off the biggest surprise package at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where it counts the most.

The Bridge



Junior USWNT to Host Canada for Test Games in Chula Vista, Calif.



CHULA VISTA, Calif. – In conjunction with their training camps, the U.S. U-16, Rise and U-21 Women’s National Teams will also host Canada’s junior squads for some test games at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

The Rise USWNT will start the series when they play six games against the U-18 Canada side on February 15, 16 and 17. Next, the U-16 USWNT and U-21 USWNT will both play three games each against their Canada counterparts on February 21, 23 and 24. The Junior High Performance staff will select the competing roster each day of the games based on athletes’ performance at the training camp.

These games will not be live streamed. This event is open to the public and admission is free.

Junior USWNT vs. Canada Games

Saturday, February 15 Rise USWNT vs. U-18 Canada 1:00 p.m. PT
Rise USWNT vs. U-18 Canada 3:15 p.m. PT

Sunday, February 16 Rise USWNT vs. U-18 Canada 1:00 p.m. PT
Rise USWNT vs. U-18 Canada 3:15 p.m. PT

Monday, February 17 Rise USWNT vs. U-18 Canada 1:00 p.m. PT
Rise USWNT vs. U-18 Canada 3:15 p.m. PT

Friday, February 21 U-16 USWNT vs. U-16 Canada 1:15 p.m. PT
U-21 USWNT vs. U-21 Canada 3:30 p.m. PT

Saturday, February 22 U-16 USWNT vs. U-16 Canada 1:15 p.m. PT
U-21 USWNT vs. U-21 Canada 3:30 p.m. PT

Sunday, February 23 U-16 USWNT vs U-16 Canada 1:15 p.m. PT
U-21 USWNT vs U-21 Canada 3:30 p.m. PT

Next on the calendar the U-16, Rise and U-21 USWNT will travel to North Carolina to train alongside the U.S. Women’s National Development Team in Chapel Hill and Durham from March 27 to 29. Another training camp will be held in Maryland from April 10 to 12 before the U-16 and Rise USWNT head to England for a tour from April 29 to May 3.

USFHA media release



Dharmaraj says finally his 'volcano erupted'

By Jugjet Singh


Former national women’s hockey team coach K. Dharmaraj explaining why he won’t re-apply for the post at a press conference at KLHA yesterday. -Bernama

Coach K. Dharmaraj has cited three incidents for his decision not to re-apply for the job of handling the national women’s hockey team.

“I have decided not to re-apply for my old position simply because there’s too much friction with my employer (Malaysian Hockey Confederation). Three incidents happened recently which made me realise that even if I were re-hired, it would be difficult for me to work under such conditions,” said Dharmaraj, who was asked to vacate his coaching position in December.

To recap, the MHC did not renew all their coaches’ contracts, except that of Roelant Oltmans, in mid-December.

This drastic measure was taken after Malaysia were whipped 9-3 on aggregate by Britain in the London Olympic Qualifier.

The coaches were told to re-apply for their old positions, which was also opened to all others including overseas coaches. For the senior women’s coaching job, the closing date was midnight yesterday.

However, some coaches were re-hired by the Coaching Committee in direct negotiations because several tournaments are just around the corner.

So, what are the three incidents Dharmaraj was referring to?

“Firstly, there were allegations that I was aligned to a certain candidate during the MHC elections. I strongly deny this and challenge anyone with proof to come forward and show it to me,” Dharmaraj said at a press conference yesterday.

“I don’t know who’s behind these allegations, but they’ve caused me so much friction and discomfort with my employers.

“Secondly, when this candidate met three of our national players in Germany, I was blamed for arranging the meeting.

“I was in the bad books of my employer again. So, I wrote a lengthy letter explaining that I did not know anything about it.

“However, I did not get a reply from my employer. Instead, there was total silence.

“Finally, my ‘volcano’ erupted when a local English daily quoted me regarding my employer not renewing my contract.

“The headline was misleading and the next day I was told off by my employer although it was not my mistake.

“These three issues created unnecessary tension between me and my employer.

“So, I have to make this stand with a heavy heart because I have great belief in my players and was in the midst of turning them into a medal-winning side in Asia.”

Another incident which irked him was that nobody from the MHC contacted or congratulated him when he guided the women’s team to the indoor hockey gold at the Philippines Sea Games.

This, he said, was despite him knowing nothing about indoor hockey and being given just months to learn it himself and train his charges.

“The Malaysian women’s team have a bright future but for me, at times I feel the light is fading and it has become too tiring and challenging to continue.

“So, some rest with my family will be good. Lastly, I have never undermined any coach (or coaches) to get where I am today. I’ve worked hard for it.

“I wish MHC and the team all the best in their future adventures,” said Dharmaraj.

New Straits Times



'Nobody is bigger than MHC'

By Jugjet Singh


Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal (centre) says no one is bigger than the MHC. -NSTP/File pic

Nobody is bigger than the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).

That was MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal’s stinging reply when asked about former women’s national coach K. Dharmaraj’s decision not to re-apply for the post.

“Nobody is bigger than the MHC and I believe it’s not a big loss to Malaysian hockey that a certain person has decided not to send in his resume in our re-hiring exercise.

“In fact, we have received 30 applications from local as well as top coaches for just the women’s coaching position.

“If a certain person does not want to apply, so be it. I can’t reveal the names of those who have applied for the women’s coaching job, but I can tell you that some of them have taken teams to the World Cups and Olympics.

“That shows that our women have quality and coaches are interested in taking them higher.

“For the record, in the 2014 Asian Games, our women finished fifth. In 2018, after millions were spent on them for tours and matches, they still ended up fifth.

“So, where is the progress?” asked Subahan, who is also the MHC coaching committee chairman.

He said the re-hiring exercise is normal after a four-year cycle and that nobody should take his position for granted even if he feels he has performed.

“We had made it clear that once their contracts ended (on Dec 31), we would conduct a re-hiring exercise and everybody is welcome to send in his resume.

“Only (Roelant) Oltmans was an exception since his contract is until October and even he has his KPI, which is to qualify for the final of the Azlan Shah Cup. We will review his case after that.

“Some of the local coaches were being paid RM18,000 to RM19,000 per month and we do expect more from everybody.

“Since so many local as well as foreign coaches have applied for the women’s job, we can now select the best.

“With more cash received under the Women’s Sports Development programme, more can be done in the next four-year cycle,” said Subahan.

New Straits Times



Club an der Alster and Rot-Weiss win German indoor titles



Club an der Alster’s women and Rot-Weiss Köln’s men are the German indoor champions for 2020, giving them an extra boost ahead of their journeys to the EHL FINAL8 at Easter.

For Alster, coach Jens George’s team, they dethroned defending champion Düsseldorfer HC in an exciting final a 4-3.

It was their fifth German indoor title after 2006, 2008, 2009 and, most recently, in 2018 in Stuttgart. Goalkeeper Amy Gibson was recognised as the “Most Entertaining Player” of the entire final round.

Her side trailed 2-0 after 10 minutes to goals from Greta Gerke and Luisa Steindor but Alster netted the next four with Emily Wolbers scoring two and Emily Kerner and Marie Jeltsch weighing in, too, to the delight of over 2,200 fans.

Gerke got one back but Alster were able to stay clear to win the title for the second time in three years.

On the men’s side, Rot-Weiss Köln won their 11th title under the roof. André Henning’s team narrowly won the Klafs Final Four in Stuttgart 7-6 against the eastern champion Berliner HC.


Rot-Weiss celebrate their win. ©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Rot-Weiss built a 4-2 half-time lead with Jonas Gomoll scoring a hat trick with Joshua Delarber getting the other. Berlin fought back to equalise in the 41st minute before Florian Pelzner and Lukas Klipper exchanged goals for 5-5/

But crucial goals from Maximilian Siegburg and Gomoll made it 7-5 with less than two minutes to go and while Paul Dösch got one back, it was too late to change the destination of the title.

Euro Hockey League media release



Paragon men, women win

By Nigel Simon

Paragon men and women teams were both in win­ners row in their re­spec­tive Open Di­vi­sion match­es when the T&T Hock­ey Board In­door Cham­pi­onship con­tin­ued at the Wood­brook Youth Fa­cil­i­ty, Wood­brook on the week­end.

On Sun­day in the men's Open com­pe­ti­tion, Paragon got a goal each from Tarell Singh (13th), Kelon Sker­ritt (14th), Joel Daniel (21st), and Tariq Singh (33rd) to can­cel out Shawn Phillip's 32nd-minute item for Malvern in their 4-1 tri­umph.

A night ear­li­er, De­fence Force got a goal in each half from Mar­cus James to hold off Queen's Park Crick­et Club, 4-3 for their sec­ond win in four match­es.

Isa­iah Scott net­ted in the first minute and James, two min­utes lat­er to put De­fence Force 2-0 up be­fore Do­minic Young pulled one back for the Parkites in the sev­enth minute.

Dy­lan Fran­cis re­gained a two-goal cush­ion for De­fence Force in the 24th minute while James got his sec­ond in the 37th minute for a 4-1 lead.

Star­ing de­feat in the face, the Parkites mount­ed a late ral­ly with Dar­ren Cowie scor­ing a penal­ty in the 38th and Youn get­ting his sec­ond to bring their team with­in one goal with sec­onds re­main­ing in the clash.

How­ev­er, it was too lit­tle too late for the Parkites as De­fence Force held on for the win.

Thomp­son sis­ters on tar­get

The Thomp­son sis­ters, Kristin and Gabrielle were both on tar­get as Paragon de­feat­ed Ven­tures 5-2 for a third win from as many match­es in the Women's Open Di­vi­sion.

Paragon got off to a pos­i­tive start with Zene Hen­ry scor­ing in­side the first minute, on­ly for Lind­say Williams to re­ply for Ven­tures in the fifth minute, be­fore Hen­ry net­ted again in the eighth minute to re­store Paragon's ad­van­tage at 2-1.

Kristin Thomp­son then made it 3-1 in the 16th fol­lowed by items from Keima Gar­diner in the 34th and the younger of the Thomp­son sis­ters, Gabrielle in the 37th, be­fore Emer­ald Piper got a sec­ond con­so­la­tion item for Ven­tures in the 39th.

RE­SULTS

On Sun­day

Mixed Vet­er­ans:

Po­lice 8 (Wayne Leg­erton 16th, 18th, 32nd, 36th, Suzette Pierre 1st, 40th, Nicholas Wren 5th, Gary Grif­fith 32nd) vs Fa­ti­ma 2 (Shawn Tang Ming 35th, Lucy Lee 37th)

QPCC 15 (Dar­ren Cowie 6th, 9th, 30th, 32nd, 38th, 39th, Reiza Ho­sein 1st, 17th, 24th, 27th, 40th, Pe­tra Zand­vli­et 21st, 26th, 33rd, Gary Chin 20th) vs Shape 2 (Leroy Sookdeo 16th, Jonathan Williams 36th)

Un­der-19 Boys

Malvern 3 (Shawn Phillip 4th, Idi Akii Bua 19th, Aidan Mar­cano 23rd) vs Fa­ti­ma 3 (Roshane Hamil­ton 15th, 38th, Adam Per­reira 35th)

Paragon 5 (Tariq Singh 4th, 30th, 36th, Ken­rick Hunte 5th, Daniel Mc Kie 23rd) vs QPCC 3 (Justin Day 32nd, Chris­t­ian Mack 38th, Aidan Elias 40th)

Men's Open:

Paragon 4 (Tarell Singh 13th, Kelon Sker­ritt 14th, Joel Daniel 21st, Tariq Singh 33rd) vs Malvern 1 (Shawn Phillip 32nd)

On Sat­ur­day

Un­der-19 Boys

Paragon 19 (Tariq Singh 8th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th, 32nd, 36th, 27th, 27th, Tar­rel Singh 5th, 23rd, 30th, 40th, Chris­t­ian John 9th, Ken­rick Hunte 13th, Okeem Brath­waite 40th) vs Shape 1 (Leu­mas Nep­tune 18th)

QPCC 5 (Jor­dan Weekes 19th, Justin Day 21st, 34th, Ethan Reynos 22nd, 36th) vs Malvern 5 (Aidan Mar­cano 3rd, 10th, 18th, 28th, Idi Akii Bua 26th)

Mixed Vet­er­ans:

Malvern 5 vs Notre Dame 0 - by de­fault

QPCC 16 (Reiza Ho­sein 3rd, 6th, Pe­tra Zand­vli­et 16th, 24th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 33rd, Raphael Govia 18th, 20th, 23rd, Edrich Fran­cois 1st, Dar­ren Cowie 27th, Rob Wy­att 33rd, Ryan Cowie 35th) vs Fa­ti­ma 3 (Col­in Young 20th, 21st, Rolph Young 39th)

Trin­i­ty Women

Har­vard Check­ers 2 (Patrice Pad­more 4th, 5th) vs Po­lice 1 (Ten­neil Gar­cia 23rd)

Men's Open

De­fence Force 4 (Isa­iah Scott 1st, Mar­cus James 3rd, 37th, Dy­lan Fran­cis 24th) vs QPCC 3 (Do­minic Young 7th, 40th, Dar­ren Cowie 38th pen)

The Trinidad Guardian



Why Blazers have been fined by AfHF

By AGNES MAKHANDIA


Kenyatta University's Gloria Juma (left) vies for the ball with Blazers' Rachel Ousa during their Kenya Hockey Union Women Premier League match at City Park Stadium on November 17, 2019 Blazers won 2-1. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Blazers (formerly Telkom) have been fined 1000 Euros (Sh110,391) by the African Hockey Federation (AfHF) for their late withdrawal from last year's Africa Cup of Club Championship held in Ismailia, Egypt.

The 10-time continental club champions, who lost their Telkom sponsorship in June last year, have since then undergone financial challenges and failed to defend their continental crown, which was won by Egyptian club El Sharkia.

The team is meant to pay the fine by February 29 this year, failure to which the AHF may consider further sanctions. According to AfHF rules, clubs withdrawing from the continental competition should do so a month prior to the tourney. Blazers pulled out of the annual tourney days to the event.

Blazers coach Jos Openda said they have reached out to Kenya Hockey Union and they are working together to ensure compliance to the requirements.

“I’m glad one of our players (Jackline Mwangi), who is a member of the FIH Athletes Committee, FIH Development committee and Chairperson of the AfHF Athletes Committee, is negotiating with AHF so that we can pay less. But bottom line, we are going to pay so that we participate in this year’s event. Should we not pay the fine, we might face other sanctions and we are not ready to go that route," said the acclaimed coach.

Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Secretary General Wycliffe Ongori has termed the move by AfHF as a wakeup call.

Ongori said the team has no choice but to pay the fine.

“There are no two ways about it. From now henceforth, the union will be giving the qualified clubs a duration period to confirm their participation failure to which we give chance to the other willing clubs,” said Ongori.

“For instance, this time around, we have given the participating clubs until May 1 to confirm their participation. We await to see who will beat the deadline. It’s only through such arrangements that we will not find ourselves in such predicaments and unfortunate outcomes going forward."

Champions Butali Sugar Warriors, who failed to honour last year’s event due to financial constraints alongside much-improved Wazalendo, have qualified for this year’s event in the men’s category, while Blazers and United States International University Africa (USIU-A) Spartans will fly the country's flag in the women’s category.

The top two teams at the completion of the men and women's Premier League earn automatic tickets to the Club Championship.

Ongori also revealed that the union will this weekend meet with team managers and coaches to chart the way forward ahead of the 2020 season scheduled to kick off next month.

Daily Nation



Gemma McCaw mourns death of Black Sticks strength and conditioning coach

Even as she celebrated the massive achievement of 250 hockey tests for the Black Sticks, Gemma McCaw mourned the death of strength and conditioning coach Brad Conza.

In an Instagram post, McCaw linked her achievement with the death of Conza, saying how special each was and ending with "remember to hug your loved ones tight each day and tell them you love them".

Conza, who died on Sunday, the day McCaw played her landmark test in the loss to Great Britain, had worked with the Blacks Sticks for a decade, and also with the Football Ferns.

"Yesterday was also a very sad day for our Black Sticks family as we lost a very special man, Brad Conza," she wrote.

"He lit up every room with his smile and he had the most infectious laugh and was the kindest person I've ever met. It's so very sad he is no longer with us in person but his spirit will live on forever."


Gemma McCaw had paid a poignant tribute to the Black Sticks' strength and conditioning coach Brad Conza. BRETT PHIBBS/PHOTOSPORT

McCaw returned to the Black Sticks this year, after last playing at the 2016 Olympic Games. In the interim she and husband Richie McCaw, the former All Blacks captain, had a daughter Charlotte.

Gemma McCaw hailed the part Richie had played in her return to international hockey.

"Thank you for supporting me, being patient and giving me the encouragement I needed to get back out there. I feel I can give anything a go with you by my side."

"As a little girl, with my eyes glued to the tv watching the Olympics, I dreamed of one day becoming a Black Stick," she said.

"I was fortunate enough to play my first test for the team I looked up to so much in 2008 and yesterday, 12 years later I got to play my 250th.

"I've realised sport is what we do, it's not who we are. It doesn't define us but it helps shape us in so many ways. It's not just where you are going, but who's by your side that counts.


Gemma Flynn in action at the Rio Olympics. She hopes to represent New Zealand at this year's Tokyo Games. MARK KOLBE/GETTY IMAGES

"I'll never forget the people I've played alongside, the places I've been and the memories I've made. I've learnt so many things over the years through the highs and lows and am grateful each day for this journey."

Brad Conza worked with the Black Sticks when they won Commonwealth Games medals, finished fourth at the London and Rio Olympics, and climbed to a world ranking of 3rd.

HIs professional website said he was working with the side towards "winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics" and exploring his passion of unlocking potential.

"I am passionate about Learning, Growing and Evolving through my life and Leaving a Legacy by changing WHO I AM to inspire and make a Difference to ALL I come in contact with," he said.

Head of High Performance Sport New Zealand Michael Scott paid tribute to Conza on Tuesday.

"Brad was exceptionally highly regarded as a strength and conditioning coach and as a person, both by his colleagues here at High Performance Sport New Zealand, and among the many athletes and sports he worked with over the years.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family and friends at this sad time."

Stuff



Gemma McCaw mourns loss of Black Sticks coach Brad Conza amid career milestone

A massive career achievement for Black Sticks star Gemma McCaw also came with a touch of sadness.

McCaw celebrated playing her 250th test for the Black Sticks with a long reflective post on Instagram.

"As a little girl, with my eyes glued to the tv watching the Olympics, I dreamed of one day becoming a Black Stick," she wrote on the social media platform. "I was fortunate enough to play my first test for the team I looked up to so much in 2008 and yesterday, 12 years later I got to play my 250th.

"I've realized sport is what we do, it's not who we are. It doesn't define us but it helps shape us in so many ways. It's not just where you are going, but who's by your side that counts.

"I'll never forget the people I've played alongside, the places I've been and the memories I've made. I've learnt so many things over the years through the highs and lows and am grateful each day for this journey."

McCaw also mourned the death of strength and conditioning coach Brad Conza, who died on Sunday, the same day McCaw achieved the milestone.

Conza had worked with the Black Sticks for a decade and also with the Football Ferns.

"Yesterday was also a very sad day for our Black Sticks family as we lost a very special man, Brad Conza," McCaw said. "He lit up every room with his smile and he had the most infectious laugh and was the kindest person I've ever met.

"It's so very sad he is no longer with us in person but his spirit will live on forever. Remember to hug your loved ones tight each day and tell them you love them."

After taking time off with the Black Sticks since the 2016 Olympics to have her daughter with husband Richie, McCaw returned to the Black Sticks this year.

"There are so many people I am thankful for, including my family, friends, team mates & coaches.

"But a very special thanks to my amazing Mum. You believe in me more than I do myself. You're the best nana and the love you give Lottie each day is so special to watch. Thank you for taking the year off work to help us, I wouldn't be able to do this without you.

"And to my husband. Thank you for supporting me, being patient and giving me the encouragement I needed to get back out there. I feel I can give anything a go with you by my side."

The New Zealand Herald

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