News 10 March 2014
All the news for Monday 10 March 2014
Shahril’s hat-trick gives Malaysia series win
Malaysia's Mohammad Rashid Baharom (right) dives for the ball during the friendly hockey match against Canada in Malacca on Sunday. Malaysia won the match 5-1 to clinch the three-match series 2-1. - MALEX YAHAYA/ The Star
MALACCA: Malaysia whipped Canada 5-1 in their final three-match hockey series for a 2-1 overall win at the Bukit Serendit Hockey Stadium.
In the first match on Thursday, Malaysia were 6-2 victors. The Canadians, however, turned the tables on the homesters with a hard-earned 5-4 win on Saturday.
On Sunday, Junior World Cupper Shahril Sarban was Malaysia’s hero. He fired home a superb hat-trick from penalty corner set pieces in the fourth, 20th and 31st minutes.
Ahmed Kazamirul Nasruddin and Muhammad Rashid Baharom were the other scorers in the 18th and 58th respectively. Gabriel Ho Garcia netted for Canada in the 34th minute.
Both Malaysia and Canada will leave for Ipoh on Monday to compete in the 23rd Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from March 13-23. Defending champions Australia, France, South Korea and China are also in the fray.
The Star of Malaysia
Youth Olympic qualification assured
21-0 win over Fiji secures Australia U18 boys' place at Youth Olympic Games
Australia’s under 18 boys will compete at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China, after guaranteeing a top two finish at the qualifying event in Vanuatu on Monday.
A resounding 21-0 victory over Fiji secured Australia’s place in Tuesday’s final and with it a place in the Australian Olympic Committee’s delegation to China in August.
Following victory over Vanuatu and a draw against New Zealand the Australian team required at least a draw against underdogs Fiji on Monday afternoon to ensure qualification.
Australian Head Coach David Guest said after the match, “It’s good to know we’ve qualified [for the Youth Olympic Games] and it allows us to really focus on tomorrow. It’s a final and it’s good experience for us to have these gold medal games. We’re looking forward to the final; the guys are really focused and are looking after themselves off the field and doing some good analysis of the opposition.”
Given the margin of victory, Guest admitted he was pleased that his charges were able to maintain their focus on the task in hand. “We’ve been consistent and it’s a good thing that we didn’t slide backwards after winning against Vanuatu by the same margin on Saturday. Fiji sank back today and tried to defend deeply, which enabled us to open them up and take some pot shots. We showed good work on our structures and put a real focus on possessing the ball. Defensively we were also good and didn’t allow them to have any clear cut chances.”
Australia will compete against New Zealand in the final at 1pm local time (1pm AEDT / 10am AWST) on Tuesday.
Match 3 - Monday
AUSTRALIA 21
Kurt Lovett 4, 26, 29
Simon Benetti 8, 11, 11, 16, 18, 28, 29
Danny Fletcher 4, 6, 12, 19
Isaac Farmillo 9, 20
Tim Howard 15, 25
Corey Weyer 22
Andrew Scanlon 24, 32
FIJI 0
-
1. Australia (7 points)
2. New Zealand (7 points)
3. Vanuatu (3 points)
4. Fiji (0 points)
Hockey Australia media release
Victory for Fiji U18 girls hockey
Arin Kumar
THE national under-18 girls team has almost qualified for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) that will be held in Nanjing, China in August.
They beat hosts Vanuatu 5-1 in their second match of the Youth Olympic Games qualification tournament in Port Vila.
After going down 0-12 to New Zealand earlier in the day, the Lala Ravatu-captained side bounced back to edge closer to fulfilling their promise.
Ravatu had promised to coach Tai Smith and Fiji that they would definitely qualify for the YOG.
She scored two goals in their win over Vanuatu.
Meanwhile, the boys side lost their first match 0-17 to New Zealand.
The finals will be held tomorrow.
The Fiji Times
Zambia gears up for Youth Olympic Games qualifier
African nations battle for top two spots
The host nation Zambia is all set to make its mark on the international hockey scene at the upcoming African Youth Olympic Qualifier.The event starts on 10 March and the final will be played on 15 March 2014 in the capital city Lusaka.The beautiful venue at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (OYDC) hockey pitch is all set to host the event. South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Zambia will be contesting for the two top slots to qualify for Nanjing Youth Olympics later this year.
The host nation Zambia is aiming to qualify for YOG, as they are working under the professional guidance of coach Nadeem Ahmed who is working with the Zambia Teams. Ahmed is also extending his support to establish a sustainable development programme for hockey at the OYDC. Clare Digby, the African Hockey Federation (AfHF) development chair said that the present activities and YOG qualifier will be a milestone in the promotion of hockey in Zambia.
Tayyab Ikram, FIH development expert, commented that Zambia is full of talent and if they can focus on both the development and high performance side of the game they can be a serious contender among the African nations.
The upcoming YOG qualifier will raise the profile of OYDC and will serve as a great incentive for the youth development programme, which is being supported by African Hockey Federation, he added.
FIH site
Surbiton beat Canterbury in Premier Division
Matt Daly celebration for Surbiton
SURBITON clinched the final play-off place in the NOW: Pensions Men’s Hockey Premier Division with an impressive 6-1 win over Canterbury on Sunday.
Will Calnan scored two on his first team debut, and Alan Forsyth also chipped in with a brace. Further goals came from James Tindall and Matt Daly.
Elsewhere, Wimbledon lost 2-0 to Loughborough Students as their hopes of reaching the play-offs ended.
That result lifts Loughborough off the foot of the table and boosts their hopes of avoiding the relegation play-offs - but face the daunting task of taking points from Reading and Beeston in their remaining games.
East Grinstead, Beeston and Reading had already made sure of their play-off berths but they haven’t dropped their work rate and they all won their games.
Gareth Hall, Stuart Pilgrim and Jonny Ruiz were on target for Beeston as they beat Hampstead and Westminster 3-0 and East Grinstead took a narrow 3-2 win over Cannock with Simon Faulkner hitting the deciding goal.
Reading beat strugglers Sheffield Hallam 2-0 with Tom Carson and Andy Watts finding the net.
Although the defeat leaves Hallam bottom, they could still survive if they can get results from their games against Wimbledon and Canterbury.
Southgate still lead the NOW: Pensions Conference East by three points with just two games left. They played on Saturday and a Rick Gay hat-trick helped them to a stunning 7-0 win over Oxted.
Brooklands Manchester University are in the same position at the top of the NOW: Pensions Conference North but Bowdon are breathing down their necks.
Bowdon put in a fine display as they beat Olton and West Warwickshire 8-1. David Egerton scored four goals with three of them coming from the penalty spot.
The top of the NOW: Pensions Conference West is also tight with Cardiff leading by two points. Team Bath Buccaneers are taking it right down to the wire and scored a 6-1 win over Indian Gymkhana with Tim Davenport hitting a brace.
League Finals Weekend
The winners of the NOW: Pensions Men’s Hockey League and the Investec Women’s Hockey League will be crowned over two action-packed weekends at Reading Hockey Club in April. The top four Premier Division teams qualify for their respective finals weekends, laying off against each other to be crowned league champions.
The men’s finals will take place on the 5-6 April while the women will battle it out a week later from 12-13 April. Tickets are now available to purchase for both weekends, please visit www.englandhockey.co.uk/tickets
NOW: Pensions Men’s Hockey League (Saturday, March 8 2014):
NOW: Pensions Men's Conference East: Southgate 7, Oxted 0.
NOW: Pensions Men’s Hockey League (Sunday, March 9 2014):
NOW: Pensions Premier Division: Cannock 2, East Grinstead 3; Surbiton 6, Canterbury 1; Beeston 3, Hampstead and Westminster 0; Wimbledon 0, Loughborough Students 2; Reading 2, Sheffield Hallam 0.
NOW: Pensions Men's Conference East: Cambridge City 3, Teddington 2; Bromley and Beckenham 1, Holcombe 4; Richmond 2, Brighton and Hove 4; Old Loughtonians 2, St Albans 1.
NOW: Pensions Men's Conference North: Deeside Ramblers 5, Khalsa 0; West Bridgford 6, Wakefield 2; Leek 0, Brooklands Manchester University 3; Belper 1, University of Durham 1; Bowdon 8, Olton and West Warwickshire 1.
NOW: Pensions Men's Conference West: University of Exeter 2, Isca 2; Cheltenham 5, University of Birmingham 1; Team Bath Buccaneers 6, Indian Gymkhana 1; Cardiff and Met 1, Fareham 0; Havant 0, Guildford 1.
England Hockey Board Media release
Namdhari XI, Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd post wins
LUCKNOW: Namdhari XI registered their third consecutive win in Pool A by thrashing Bihar 10-3 in the 4th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2014 (Division B) at Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium on Sunday.
Karandeep Singh Dhillon scored four goals for Namdhari XI at the 8th, 16th, 25th and 64th minute, followed by Baljot Singh's two goals at 15th and 47th minute.
For Bihar, Naveenminz, Bhim Kumar and Mangra Bhengra managed to strike one goal each at 12th, 40th and 51st minute.
In a Pool B match, Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd also posted their third straight victory as they defeated Uttarakhand 4-0 in their league match.
Both the teams failed to open accounts in the first half and all four goals came in the second half through Mumbai captain Victo Singh (46th, 47th min) and Amit Goswami (49th, 51st), both scoring two goals each.
In another match of Pool B, Himachal Pradesh made a good comeback in the championship as they registered a big win against Goa 12-1.
Sanwar Ali scored as many as six goals for Himachal Pradesh followed by Gaurav Kumar (2), Dharam Singh (1), Harmandeep Singh (1), Ved Prakash Tiwari (1) and Rockey Lohchab (1).
Meanwhile, Sashastra Seema Bal outplayed Gujarat 8-3 in a Pool A tie.
Sashastra Seema Bal made it quite evident from the very beginning that they would not be easy opponents as they netted seven goals in the first half itself to be leading 7-1 at half time.
Gujarat displayed better resistance in the second half as they allowed Sashastra Seema Bal to score just one goal, while they themselves netted the ball twice to reduce the margin of defeat.
Sashastra Seema Bal's L Joychandra Singh (10th, 12th min) converted two goals in two minutes, while O Gunamani Singh also netted the ball twice in 20th and 22nd minute. Pankaj Nath Sharma (4th), Surachandra Singh (14th) and Bipin Kunatiya (49th) scored one goal each.
For Gujarat, Vijay Thapa scored two goals in 7th and 56th minute.
The Times of India
Thunderbolts do the double
MILO CUP: Wan Roslan's boys prove a shade better than Young Guns in title match
SSTMI Thunderbolts achieved their dream of a third straight Junior Hockey League double when they beat UniKL Young Guns 2-0 in the Milo Cup final at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
The former Bandar Penawar Sports School, now under a new name, won the double in 2012, 2013 and wrapped it up again this season. An elated Thunderbolts coach Wan Roslan Wan Rahman said: "This is a historic moment for the school as we won the double yet again. However, it was not an easy win and credit also to UniKL players who put up a good fight."
Wan Roslan also credited their sponsors TNB for its support which has seen them grow in strength every season.
"We could not have achieved this feat if not for our sponsors TNB, who helped us financially and also with coaching staff," said Wan Roslan.
For UniKL, this was the fifth final which they have played bridesmaid to Thunderbolts.
"Another heartbreak for the club, even though my players gave their best but lost out in penalty corner defence. We did have our chances, but could not tuck them in," said UniKL coach Rodhanizam Radzi.
UniKL Young Guns had the lion's share in the first half, and even won three penalty corners, but wasted all the sitters that came their way.
The University side looked determined to score an early goal but were denied on numerous occasions by Thunderbolts goalkeeper Fahmi Azaharuddin, who had a super game yesterday.
The Johor Sports School even survived playing with 10 men in the opening stages of the second half when Mohd Najib Hassan was sent to the sin bin, but UniKL failed to take advantage on their numerical advantage. Thunderbolts soaked in all the pressure and in one of the rare attacks in the 34th minute, won their third penalty corner and this time Aminuddin Zain nailed the lead just before the break for refreshments after playing in unbearable heat though it was cloudy.
After the restart, Thunderbolts started to play better hockey and nailed the second goal in the 57th minute off another penalty corner attempt by Najmi Farizal.
Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya City Council (PKCC) edged Olak-PKT 1-0 to lift the Milo Cup bronze medal. PJCC hero was Nur Amin Zulkipli who scored off a third minute penalty corner.
Olak tried their best to make a comeback but ended fourth and collected RM10,000 while PJCC received RM12,000.
RESULTS -- Final: UniKL Young Guns 0 SSTMI Thunderbolts 2; 3rd-4th: Olak-PKT 0 Petaling Jaya City Council 1.
ROLL OF HONOUR -- Fairplay: SM Datuk Taha (RM4,000); Man-of-the-Final: Fahmi Azaharuddin, Thunderbolts goalkeeper (RM1,500); Best Goalkeeper: Ridzwan Azmi (Politeknik-PKT, RM1,500); Top Scorer: Aminuddin Mohd Zain, 18 goals (Thunderbolts, RM1,500); Most Promosing Player (Chua Boon Huat Trophy): Nor Shafiq Sumantri (UniKL, RM1,500).
MILO CUP -- Champion: SSTMI Thunderbolts (RM25,000); Runner-Up: UniKL Young Guns (RM15,000); 3rd: Petaling Jaya City Council (RM12,000); 4th: Olak-PKT (RM10,000).
LEAGUE -- Champions: SSTMI Thunderbolts (RM15,000); Runner Up: UniKL Young Guns (RM10,000); 3rd: Petaling Jaya City Council ( RM8,000); 4th: Malacca High School (RM7,000)
New Straits Times
Two goals enough to give Thunderbolt the double
By S. Ramaguru
The SSTMI-Thunderbolt players and officials celebrate their Overall Title victory after beating UniKL in the MJHL final on Sunday. - RAYMOND OOI/ The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: SSTMI-Thunderbolt achieved their double for the third time in row in the MHC-Milo-NSC Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) when they defeated Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 2-0 in the final for the overall title.
Thunderbolt had earlier clinched the league title last month with an unbeaten record. It was Thunderbolt’s eighth title in the MJHL since they first won the league in 2010. Their other league titles were in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Sunday’s win also saw Thunderbolt equalling the treble record set by the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS).
Thunderbolt went into the match with the best scoring record (79 goals) and also having beaten UniKL 4-1 in the league.
In the title match, UniKL were the early aggressors, pinning Thunderbolt in defence. They had a penalty corner in the 10th minute but failed to make it count. From the 30th minute onwards, UniKL had four consecutive penalty corners but muffed them all.
They paid dearly as Thunderbolt grabbed the lead following a quick counter-attack in the 34th minute. It resulted in a penalty corner, which was their second, and Mohamed Aminuddin Mohamed Zain made no mistake with his drag flick for his 18th goal of the season.
The second half started off the same way with UniKL putting Thunderbolt under tremendous pressure. In the 45th minute, they earned a penalty corner. Again, it was wasted.
Thunderbolt showed UniKL how to score by stretching their lead to 2-0 in the 57th minute. It also came from a penalty corner with Mohamed Najmi Farizal sounding the board.
With the win, Thunderbolt took home RM20,00 to add to the RM15,000 they picked up for the league title. It was also a memorable day for Thunderbolt’s Mohd Fahmi Azarruddin as he was named the man-of-the-match in the final. He was richer by RM1,500.
Politeknik Johor’s Mohamed Ridzwan was adjudged the best goalkeeper of the league while UniKL’s Nor Shafiq Sumantri collected the most promising player.
Division Two’s SMK Datuk Taha also went home with an award – the Fairplay Trophy – worth RM4,000.
Earlier, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) finished third when they edged Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak)-PKT 1-0. The win earned MBPJ RM12,000 while Olak collected RM10, 000.
MBPJ, who also finished third in the league to earn RM8,000, netted the winning goal in the third minute through a penalty corner by Mohamed Nur Amin.
The Star of Malaysia
SSTMI Champs
SSTMI Thunderbolts won their third consecutive double in the Milo Junior Hockey League at the National Hockey Stadium by defeating UniKL Young Guns 2-0.
They had won both the league and overall titles in 2012 and 2013 and the Milo Cup triumph completes their grand double having wrapped up the league with an unblemished record in February.
It was a grand performance by Thunderbolts who showed plenty of composure, patience and deadly skills in the penalty corner department to douse the attempt by UniKL to upset them.
And the win is all the more remarkable as SSTMI does not have an artificial pith in Bandar Penawar and travel to Johor Baru, a good 45 minutes drive to conduct training sessions.
“I am so proud of my players determination and grit as they absorbed all that UniKL threw at us in the early part of the match,” said Thunderbolt coach Was Roslan Wan Rahman.
“It is truly a remarkable day for the players as they truly deserve the accolades and are worthy winners as they worked hard all season.”
It was UniKL that showed early promise as they lay siege to the Thunderbolt defence. But their forwards were goal shy as wasted the few opportunities they created.
SSTMI were looking for penalty corners as their way towards goal and they were duly rewarded in the 34 th minute as skipper Muhd Aminuddin Mohd Zain converted their third penalty corner to give them the lead going into halftime.
While Thunderbolt made their penalty corners count, it was the same old story for UniKL who failed to capitalize on the three penalty corners they were awarded in the first half.
Thunderbolts survived playing with 10 men in the opening stages of the second half when Mohd Najib Hassan was sent to the sin bin, as UniKL failed to take advantage on the numerical difference.
And SSTMI punished UniKL yet again through another penalty corner converted by Muhd Najmi Farizal Jazlan in the 57 th minute.
Meanwhile in the match to determine third, Petaling Jaya City Council edged Olak-PKT 1-0, Nur Amin Zulkipli striking in the third minute.
Results:
3/4 Placing
Petaling Jaya CC 1 Olak-PKT 0
Final
SSTMI-Thunderbolts 2 UniKL Young Guns 0
Roll of Honour
Milo Cup
Champion: SSTMI Thunderbolts (RM25,000)
Runner Up: UniKL Young Guns (RM15,000)
Third: Petaling Jaya City Council (RM12,000)
Fourth: Olak-PKT (RM10,000)
League
Champion” SSTMI Thunderbolts (RM15,000)
Runner Up{ UniKL Young Guns (RM10,000)
Third: Petaling Jaya City Council ( RM8,000)
Fourth: Malacca High School (RM7,000)
Special Awards
Fairplay: SMK Dato Taha Gemencheh (RM4,000)
Man of Match (Final): Mohd Fahmi Azaharuddin – SSTMI Thunderbolts (RM1,500)
Best Goalkeeper: Mohd Ridzwan Azmi - Politeknik KPM (RM1,500)
Top Scorer: Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Zain - SSTMI Thunderbolt (RM1,500)
Most Promising Player: Nor Syafiq Sumantri – UniKL Young Guns (RM1,500 plus the Chau Boon Huat Trophy)
MalaysianHockey.com.my
Coach shows Azzami the exit
By Jugjet Singh
NATIONAL chief coach K. Dharmaraj made a strong statement to his trainees when he dropped Azzami Abadi from the squad upon landing at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport after their Australian Tour on Sunday night.
Malaysia had lost 5-1, 7-1, 9-0 and 4-2 to the mixed Australian national squad, and drew 3-3 with Australian Institute of Sports.
"I do not want players who waste government funds. Azammi lacked determination and desire and rather than he waste time and money, I dropped him," said Dharma after the national team's second friendly match against Canada which they lost 5-4.
"I am sending a clear message to all players, do not feel you are indispensable," said Dharmaraj ahead of the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh on March 13-23.
With the axing of Azammi, the number of players in the national training squad has been reduced from 35 to 27.
Four players - Azreen Rizal, Engku Malek, Harvinder Singh and Syamim Yusof -- had pulled out earlier.
And six other players are on the crock list -- goalkeeper keeper S. Kumar, Nabil Fiqri, Razie Rahim, Roslan Jamaluddin and Kavin Karthik.
Roslan is expected to be named in the Azlan Shah final squad together with Hafizuddin Othman.
Dharma has called up Haziq Samsul, Joel van Huizen, Nor Syafiq Sumantri, Nor Azrul Rahman and Firdaus Omar as attachment players to the training squad.
Two others, Kelvinder Singh and Hafifi Hafiz Hanafi have also been called up to join the squad and are awaiting release letters from their employers.
"I will name the final 18 after the matches against Australia and China in Ipoh on Tuesday," said Dharmaraj.
New Straits Times
Azammi dropped
There is no room for those who are not committed to the cause.
That was the message from national coach K. Dharmaraj to all players in the national training squad.
And to prove his point, Dharma dropped Mohd Azzami Abadi from the national training squad upon their return from Perth.
“I do not want players that waste government funds. Azammi lacked the determination and desire and rather then he waste time and money, I have dropped him,” said Dharma when met in Malacca after the national team’s second friendly match against Canada.
“I am sending a clear message to all players, do not feel you are indispensible.”
With the dropping of Azammi, the number of players in the national training squad has been reduced from the initial 35 to 27.
This is because four players had withdrawn – Azreen Rizal, Engku Malek Engku Mohamad, Harvinder Singh and Mohd Syamim Yusof, while Azammi was dropped.
Six other players are on the crock list – keeper S. Kumar, Nabil Fiqri Mohd Nor, Mohd Razie Rahim, Roslan Jamaluddin and Kavin Karthik.
Roslan is expected to be named in the Azlan Shah final squad together with Hafizuddin Othman.
Dharma has called up Haziq Samsul, Joel van Huizen, Nor Syafiq Sumantri, Nor Azrul Rahman and Firdaus Omar as attachment players to the training squad.
Two others, Kevinder Singh and Hafifihafiz Hanafi have also been called up to join the training squad and are awaitin for release from their employers.
“I will name the final 18 after the two matches against Australia and China in Ipoh on Tuesday,” said Dharma.
“The matches against Canada has allowed me to experiment different line-ups and I will make up my mind upon seeing the players in action on Tuesday.”
MalaysianHockey.com.my
Orange thrashes Vikings
By ELIZABETH MBURUGU
Orange’s Jackline Jow (left) vies for the ball against Vikings’ Jecinter Nthenya during their Kenya Hockey Union Women’s Premier League match at City Park Stadium, yesterday. [PHOTO: JENIPHER WACHIE/ STANDARD]
Africa Club champions and 15 time National Women’s League champions Orange Telkom, thrashed Vikings ladies 5-0 in a league match at City Park Stadium.
Orange dedicated their win to their fallen heroine Betty Tioni whom they said always gave her best to the team.
Veteran goalkeeper cum coach Josephine Ataro told FeverPitch the win helped them relieve the pain.
“This was our first match after we lost our beloved Tioni we dedicate the victory to her; she always had team interests at heart,” said Ataro.
Tioni was one of the best forwards the country has ever produced and was instrumental at her club, nurturing upcoming talent during the 15 years she played for the national team.
Orange captain Betsy Ommala converted a penalty corner in the 15th minute to announce their intentions to register victory.
That was the only goal of the first half as Vikings beefed up their defense to keep Orange marauding strikers at bay.
Margret Rotich scored a fantastic field goal a minute into the second half.
Caroline Guchu made it 3-0 for the champions in the 44th minute after dispossessing Edel Barasa in the circle.
The Vikings defense then failed to mark their opponents letting veteran Jacqueline Jow on the loose.
Jow punished them by converting a penalty corner in the 45th minute before adding her second six minutes later to seal their 5-0 victory.
In another match, Multimedia University (MMU) edged Daystar University 3-2 in their men’s National League encounter.
MMU opened the scores in the 12th minute through Gilbert Koech’s field goal.
Collins Madegwa replied seven minutes later sending the ball home past MMU goal keeper Jack Toni.
Duku Ontrillo put MMU two 2-0 in the 30th minute through a penalty stroke after making sure they led by the half time whistle. Ontrillo was at it again, scoring another stroke to seal the much needed victory before Madegwa pulled one back for Daystar in the 61st minute.
In another men’s National League encounter, Mount Kenya University edged Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology 1-0.
The Standard Online
Wynne earns point for champions
Nigel Simon
Notre Dame’s Dana-Lee De Gannes, left, goes past the challenge of Shandy Carib Magnolias’ Aime Olton in their T&T Hockey Board Women’s Championship match at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, on Saturday. Photo: Anthony Harris
Blair Wynne scored two second half goals as defending champions Notre Dame came from a two-goal deficit to earn a 3-3 draw with rivals Shandy Carib Magnolias when the T&T Hockey Board Women’s Championship Division resumed at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, on Saturday after the Carnival break.
Winners of their two previous matches, 4-3 over Courts Malvern and 4-1 against Ventures, the Dames were confident of securing a third straight win.
However, Magnolias took a 12th minute lead through national teenaged forward Brianna Govia and ten minutes later, her former national team-mate, Mika Ella Tang made it 2-0.
In the 29th minute Jeanine Drakes scored for Notre Dame to reduce the margin to 2-1 at the break.
Ten minutes after the re-start Magnolias regained its two-goal cushion with another national teenaged player, Elise Olton on target.
But Wynne was having none of its and responded with two quick goals for the Dames, first a penalty-corner conversion in the 48th minute and then within the blink of an eye with a field to level the match at 3-3.
In the end, both clubs had to settle for a share of the points. This left the Dames on top with seven points after three matches, one ahead of Paragon which has played two matches.
Shawn Lee Quay netted a hat-trick to lead Queen’s Park to a comfortable 4-1 whipping of the previously unbeaten Notre Dame in their top-of-the-table Men’s Championship Division clash.
Lee Quay got the opener in the eighth minute as the Parkites looked set to add to its victories against Fatima (1-0) and Malvern (3-0). He added a second in the 32nd minute which his team took into the interval.
Three minutes after the resumption, Shaquille Daniel pulled a goal back for the Dames who were also seeking a third straight win, after beating Malvern (5-0) and Fatima (3-1) in their previous encounters.
But that was as close as Daniel and his team-mates would get as Lee Quay then completed his hat-trick in the 53rd for a 3-1 advantage while Jarryon Paul got a fourth item, a minute from full-time.
The gloss on the Parkites win was slightly removed as national midfielder Stefan Mouttet was shown a red card in the 65th minute, a minute after his first caution for dissent to leave his team to finish the match with ten men.
T&T Hockey Board results
Friday: Trinity Men—QPCC 4 (Jarryon Paul 26th, 69th, Nicholas Camacho 2nd, Damien Bright 62nd) vs Notre Dame 1 (Danil Transcoso 13th)
Saturday: Under-19 Boys—Malvern 3 vs QPCC 0—QPCC unable to field a team
Under-19 Girls: Harvard Checkers 3 (Ifirma Woodroffe 9th, 18th, Michaela Jones 61st) vs Paragon 1 (Mariah Boucaud 45th)
Mixed Veterans: QPCC 13 (Gary Griffith 20th, 26th, 33rd, 65th, Jerazano Bell 11th, 49th, 56th, Gary Chin 36th, 46th, Christopher Aird 38th, 69th, Azad Ali 29th, Raphael Govia 41st) vs Fatima 0
Trinity Women: Harvard Checkers 3 (Reyah Richardson 43rd, Michaela Jones 45th, Fiona Le Blanc 52nd) vs Paragon 1 (Mariah Sampson 69th)
Championship Women: Notre Dame 3 (Blair Wynne 48th, 49th, Jeanine Drakes 29th) vs SC Magnolias 3 (Brianna Govia 12th, Mika Ella Tang 22nd, Elise Olton 45th)
Championship Men: QPCC 4 (Shawn Lee Quay 8th, 32nd, 53rd, Jarryon Paul 69th) vs Notre Dame 1 (Shaquille Daniel 38th)
The Trinidad Guardian
Olton denies champs Holy Name
Nigel Simon
Samantha Olton scored the lone goal as Providence Girls High School edged champions Holy Name Convent (PoS) 1-0 to bring the curtain down on the Girls Division of the T&T Hockey Board’s Secondary Schools League at the St James Barracks Ground, Western Main Road, St James, on Friday.
Going into the match, Holy Name, 3-0 winners over St Joseph Convent (PoS) on Thursday last thanks to a brace from Brianna Govia and one from Kaitlyn Olton, had captured the title after its third straight win, while Providence needed to avoid defeat to leapfrog South East Port-of-Spain (SEPoS) with five points, into the second spot.
After a 0-0 first 20 minutes, Olton (S) netted the decisive item to give her team a second win from four matches.
Despite the loss, Holy Name ended top of the table with nine points from four matches, followed by Providence with seven, SEPoS and St Joseph's Convent, both with four each, and Woodbrook Government Secondary, two.
Queen's Royal College captured the Boys Division with a 5-0 record for maximum 15 points, three more than second placed Fatima College, while St Mary's College was third with nine.
RESULTS
Friday: Girls Division—Providence Girls 1 (Samantha Olton 32nd) vs Holy Name 0
February 27: Girls Division—Holy Name Convent 3 (Brianna Govia 9th, 25th, Kaitlyn Olton 37th) vs St Joseph Convent 0
February 23: Boys Division—Debe High 1 (Ackeem Benjamin 16th) vs Woodbrook Gov't Sec 0
T&T Hockey Board’s Secondary Schools FINAL standings
Boys Division
Teams P W D L F A Pts
QRC 5 5 0 0 16 0 15
Fatima 5 4 0 1 15 3 12
St Mary's 5 3 0 2 26 5 9
SEPoS 5 2 0 3 3 12 6
Debe High 5 1 0 0 1 22 3
Woodbrook 5 0 0 5 0 19 0
Girls Division
Holy Name 4 3 0 1 10 1 9
Providence 4 2 1 1 4 2 7
SEPoS 4 1 2 1 2 2 5
St Joseph Convent (PoS) 4 1 1 2 1 6 4
Woodbrook 4 0 2 2 0 6 2
The Trinidad Guardian
Forgotten!
He was hailed as a successor to the great Sohail Abbas, one of Pakistan’s most successful hockey players. There were plenty of solid reasons behind the belief that Imran Warsi will go on to emulate the achievements of Sohail Abbas — the short corner specialist who holds the world record for scoring most goals in international hockey.
After all, as a young short corner expert Imran possessed both power and accuracy in his strike that resembled Sohail’s trademark drag flick.
Imran made his bones as a drag flick expert in his salad days as a hockey player and it seemed he would cement his place in the national team alongside Sohail Abbas.
He did play an important role in Pakistan’s campaign at the international junior level and then went on to play for the country’s senior team.
He featured in international junior events such as England Series (2000), Six-Nation Tournament (Egypt, 2001), Malaysian Hockey League (2002), Malaysian Series (2003), Holland Series (2003), Asia Cup 2004 (top goal-scorer), Four-Nation Hockey Tournament in Pakistan (top goal-scorer, 2004), Six-Nation Tournament in Malaysia (top goal-scorer, 2004), Junior World Cup (Rotterdam, Holland 2005).
Imran went on to play for Pakistan at the senior level in the Indian Series (2004); Champions Trophy (India, 2005); Hamburg Masters Tournament (Germany, 2005); Rabo Bank Tournament (Holland, 2005, where Pakistan won gold medal); Azlan Shah Cup (2005); PHL Hockey League, India (2005), Indian Series (2006), Commonwealth Games, Australia (2006), World Cup Qualifiers (China, 2006), Azlan Shah Cup (2006), South Asian Games (2006) and Asian Games (2006). However, at the peak of his career, Imran was axed from the national team after he fell out with the country’s hockey chiefs. Heartbroken, Imran left Pakistan in search of greener pastures and after featuring in various leagues he finally settled in Russia where currently he is one of the biggest stars in the country’s fast-rising hockey league.
Recently, Imran spoke with ‘The News on Sunday’ on various issues like the standard of the Russian Hockey League and whether he would be available for national duty if needed by the Pakistan team.
Here are some excerpts:
The News on Sunday: You have been out of Pakistan hockey for a long time. Where have you been all this while?
Imran Warsi: I have been out of Pakistan hockey team for almost six years. But during these six years, I have been playing in domestic tournaments in different countries, especially in Russia.
I have been playing in Europe for some time now and I have learnt many new things which I didn’t know when I had been playing in Pakistan team. I am thankful to God and I am also very indebted to my parents as they have always supported me.
TNS: Which league and for what team have you been playing in Russia and how has been your performance there?
IW: I have been in Russian Hockey League, representing Dinamo Kazan hockey club. I have been top goal scorer in Russian Hockey League successively for four years. Last year I completed 200-goal mark in the Russian League. Our club also participated in Euro Hockey League where I played 10 games and scored nine goals. My name has also been mentioned in top goal scorers list.
In 2012, I also played World Hockey Series in India and was the top goal scorer in that league with a total of 19 goals and was declared the best player.
TNS: You have coached youngsters. How was that experience and what prospects do you see of hockey in Russia?
IW: Yes, I have been coaching small kids and youngsters in Russia. They are eager to learn how to flick and also want to learn other hockey skills from me. Russia has been making good progress in the game and I see good future of Russia in international hockey arena.
TNS: If given a chance, would you want to represent Pakistan?
IW: I have always been available for Pakistan hockey team but it depends on the people managing hockey affairs in Pakistan. If they want me to join and represent Pakistan once more, I will gladly join Pakistan hockey team again as it is a great honour for me to represent my national team.
MalaysianHockey.com.my