News 19 July 2014
All the news for Saturday 19 July 2014
England want hockey gold at Glasgow 2014, says Susannah Townsend
SUSANNAH TOWNSEND has put her World Cup disappointment behind her and vowed to try to win Commonwealth Games gold for England.
By Graham Wilson
Susannah Townsend wants to win gold in Glasgow[Ady Kerry]
Townsend, who returns to the Canterbury club from Reading next season, has just finished a successful time at the new Lee Valley Olympic legacy facility where she helped England win the Investec London Cup.
She seems to be mentally strong and recovered from the World Cup in Holland where England were expected to win a medal but came in 11th place out of 12.
The coach Jason Lee later left by mutual consent, with performance director Danny Kerry taking over until a new candidate is appointed.
Townsend (right) and England finished 11th at the World Cup [Ady Kerry]
Townsend said: “We would have never wished for what’s happened in the last few weeks but we have dealt with it well. Danny has taken over, it’s a fresh change and good for the group.
"He has changed the way we play and we are working on a lot of things. We have had the chance to regroup, analysed ourselves and set our goals again.
"We want to go into the Games and win and it is a question of trying to win every game on the way.”
Townsend has also joined the coaching set-up at the Wapping club who are going to be using the new Lee Valley Olympic legacy facility at Stratford as well as their base and the soon to be relaid pitch at the John Orwell sports centre.
They have 22 teams, with the ladies first team returning to the regional premiership and matching their men’s team.
Townsend, 25, has been brought in to add her considerable experience to the training programme.
Chairman of the club Stuart Burnside said: “We’re delighted to be adding one of the most hard working midfielders in the world, whose high intensity, powerful performances match up closely with what we’re trying to bring to the game.”
Daily Express
Fantastic final four
Brown, Gohdes, Charter & Swann under the spotlight4.jpg)
In the countdown to Glasgow 2014, today concludes the Australian men’s player profiles having showcased the debutants, seniors, goal scorers and now the fantastic final four.
This group of athletes are a mixed bag showcasing forwards, defenders and Olympic medallists who have all made over 50 appearances for Australia.
Today’s spotlight is on Kiel Brown, Matt Gohdes, Andrew Charter and Matthew Swann.
Kiel Brown #2
Caps: 145
Goals: 4
Debut: 28/1/2007
Date of Birth: 4/5/1984
Hometown: Toowoomba, QLD
Position: Defender
Twitter: @Kielbrown28
Tournament History:
2014 - World League Finals, Delhi, India, 4th
2013 - World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1st
2012 - Champions Trophy, Melbourne, Australia, 1st
2012 - Olympic Games [Travelling reserve - did not play] London, Great Britain, 3rd
2011 - Champions Trophy, Auckland, New Zealand, 1st
2011 - Oceania Cup, Hobart, Australia, 1st
2010 - World Cup, Delhi, India, 1st
2009 - Oceania Cup, Invercargill, New Zealand, 1st
2008 - Olympic Games, Beijing, India, 3rd
2008 - Champions Trophy, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1st
2007 - Oceania Cup, Bunderim, Australia, 1st
2005 - Junior World Cup , Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2nd
A bronze medallist at the 2008 Olympic Games and 2010 World Cup Gold Medallist, Kiel Brown is one of most experienced players in the Kookaburras’ ranks and was called up to the Commonwealth Games team as a replacement for the injured Jeremy Hayward.
One of five children, he comes from a family with a strong hockey playing background. His older sister Hope Munro is a fellow Olympian and former Hockeyroo and his father represented Queensland throughout his hockey career.
Having moved to Perth from Toowoomba in 2005 ahead of the Junior World Cup that year Brown suffered a set-back in his ambitions when he was not awarded a scholarship for the following year. Despite the lack of funding, he made the decision to stay in Perth and fight for a place in the Kookaburras program, something which he calls “a big learning curve.”
A dad to his son Taylor, who was born in September 2013, Brown has a bachelor of psychology degree from Curtin University. With a strong interest in the field and in particular in drug and alcohol related work, he hopes to forge a career in adolescent psychology when he eventually hangs up his hockey stick.
Away from the hockey pitch he enjoys surfing with teammate Rob Hammond and the occasional round of golf.
Matt Gohdes #16
Caps 94
Goals: 26
Debut: 19/10/2009
Date of Birth: 8/5/1990
Hometown: Rockhampton, QLD
Position: Forward
Twitter: @Gohdesy
Tournament History:
2014 - World Cup, The Hague, Netherlands, 1st
2013 - World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2nd
2012 - Olympic Games, London, Great Britain, 3rd
2011 - Champions Trophy, Auckland, New Zealand, 1st
2009 - Junior World Cup, Johor Baharu, Malaysia & Singapore, 3rd
The cousin of Kookaburras teammate Jamie Dwyer, Matt Gohdes started playing hockey at the age of four. Growing up side-by-side Dwyer’s family, the pair would often bounce hockey ideas off one another with Gohdes admitting his older cousin has had a huge influence on his career.
Gohdes starred as part of the Kookaburras’ World Cup winning team in The Hague recently after stepping in for the injured Russell Ford on the eve of the tournament.
Away from hockey, he is looking to commence an electrical apprenticeship. In his spare time he enjoys four wheel off-road driving and often spends his spare time trekking the off-road tracks of Perth in his 4WD while heading away for camping trips with friends and family.
Andrew Charter #30
Caps: 70
Goals: 0
Debut: 6/5/2011
Date of Birth: 30/03/1987
Hometown: Canberra, ACT
Position: Goalkeeper
Twitter: @AndrewCharter
Tournament History:
2014 - World Cup, The Hague, Netherlands, 1st
2013 - Oceania Cup, Stratford, New Zealand, 1st
2013 - World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2nd
2012 - Champions Trophy, Melbourne, Australia , 1st
2011 - Champions Trophy, Auckland, New Zealand, 1st
2011 - Oceania Cup, Hobart, Australia, 1st
2007 - Junior World Cup, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1st
An accidental start to his hockey career, Andrew Charter played soccer and baseball as a child. His sister, Deanne who was coaching an under 13 boys team at the time, roped Andrew to fill in on the field that day and he hasn’t stopped playing since. Choosing to become a goalkeeper a year into his career.
Graduating in 2013 with a bachelor in mechanical engineering with an oil and gas major, Charter dedicated seven years to studying his degree to pave a pathway for when hockey is no longer an option.
A dedicated gamer Andrew enjoys playing his X-box and PC when time permits or attempts to get down to the beach when weather is favourable.
Starring his Australian designed goalkeeping helmet at the 2014 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and World Cup, the helmet features a boxing Australian kangaroo with the Aussie flag. A design by Promasque, Andrew’s helmet is a bold standout with the ARCAN (Australian Rare Chromosome Awareness Network) logo adorning the back plate to help raise awareness for the organisation of which ex kookaburra Nathan Eglington is a committee member of.
Five weeks out from the 2014 World League Finals, Charter was ruled out with a significant hamstring tear. This being his first major injury, Andrew was disappointed however, he looked at it as a silver lining, allowing him to get mentally refreshed, which turned out to be a good thing as he was selected for the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. 
Matthew Swann #20
Caps: 107
Goals: 5
Debut: 19/10/2009
Date of Birth: 16/06/1989
Hometown: Mackay, QLD
Position: Defender
Twitter: @swann20
Instagram: @swann20
Tournament History:
2014 - World Cup, The Hague, Netherlands, 1st
2013 - World League Semi-Final, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 2nd
2012 - Champions Trophy, Melbourne, Australia, 1st
2012 - Olympic Games, London, Great Britain, 3rd
2011 - Champions Trophy, Auckland, New Zealand, 1st
2011 - Oceania Cup, Hobart, Australia, 1st
2010 - Commonwealth Games, Delhi, India, 1st
2010 - Champions Trophy, Monchengladbach, Germany, 1st
2010 - World Cup, Delhi, India, 1st
2009 - Champions Trophy, Melbourne, Australia, 1st
2009 - Junior World Cup, Johor Baharu, Malaysia & Singapore, 3rd
2007 - Junior World Cup, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1st
Country boy ‘Swanny’ as he is known is a whizz with numbers. Studying a Commerce degree with double majors in finance and accounting he hopes to travel the world where ever his studies may take him in, possibly ending up in Holland with his Dutch girlfriend.
With three older sisters, he followed them around while they played hockey and at the age of five sparked his hockey compassion when his parents signed him up at his local Mackay Hockey Club.
During his junior days, Swann was also known for not washing his uniform unless they lost a game as he believed it was bad luck.
Mid 2013 saw Swann tackle a recurring stress fracture in his right leg followed two months later by a torn hamstring. Swann enjoys spending his time in the water, taking part in everything from surfing to snorkelling.
Former Australian defender Dean Butler played a similar position to Swann. At the age of 17 while Swann made the transition from the Queensland squad to the national squad, Butler acted as a mentor to the young athlete.
Hockey Australia media release
Couzins: Time for game plan for Black Sticks
DEAN COUZINS
GAME PLAN: Black Sticks men's captain Dean Couzins. Getty Images
OPINION: We've just arrived in Glasgow ahead of the Commonwealth Games and while some slept, watched movies and killed time anyway they could on the flight here via Brisbane and Dubai, I thought about the Games and the games within the Games.
I got some sleep too, but I thought I'd share some of my thoughts on our pool opposition.
We're ranked No 3 in the Commonwealth and No 2 in our pool of five. The top two teams from each pool make the semifinals and playoff for the medals. We play Wales tomorrow night (NZ time) and India on Wednesday in warmup games then we're into it against Canada.
Game 1, Canada - It's important to hit the ground running against Canada. They're a team who know exactly what they can do and stick to it pretty well. They'll rely on frustrating us a bit and being patient. They want us to move away from our game plan and that's when they'll try and hurt us. They've got a couple of key players, most importantly for them is Scott Tupper. He's played in Germany, he's their free defender, organiser, he cleans up a lot on defence and is part of their attacking PC so it's important we limit his impact. We need to start well and we can't afford to drop early points if we're serious about making the semis. And we are.
Game 2, Trinidad and Tobago - We should win this and win it well, but the game starts at 0-0 and if you don't treat teams like T&T with respect, they can leave you looking silly. They're ranked 29th in the world so they don't get to as many big tournaments as we do. So they'd love nothing more than to cause an upset. I've played them only once before, in Delhi, and they scored first then. So we'll treat them with respect and prepare as such, but this game could also be crucial for our goal difference so we want to play as well as we can and not let up for 70 minutes.
Game 3, England - England kind of fly under the radar a little, but in the last three major tournaments, two World Cups and an Olympics, they've made the semis. The recent matches have been close and often it's "they win one, we win one" so the small details will be crucial, the preparation, warmup, mental state, scouting. They have Ashley Jackson, Barry Middleton and Nick Catlin in their side who are all world class. They'll rotate around the midfield and up front so I'll no doubt see a fair bit of them. It's great to test yourself against the best and try to shut down players of their calibre. That's something I look forward to, ensuring they don't have a big impact.
Game 4, Malaysia - We won't be short of motivation here. The last time we played them, Malaysia knocked us out of the Champions Challenge in the quarterfinal. We were 4-1 down at one stage, got it back to 4-4 then lost in a shootout. We were all disappointed walking off the pitch. It's our last pool game so we'll know what we need to do. We had a bad 15-minute period against them last time and those things sting and stay with you for a bit so we'll be desperate to put it right this time.
Playoffs - Should we win the pool, we're likely to meet either South Africa or India and neither will be easy. Otherwise, Australia are likely to win their pool so the second team in ours is on a path to meet them. We'd rather play them in a final, but we're not afraid of them either. The last time we met them we drew 1-1 in my 300th game. The coaches are thinking ahead to the playoffs, but as players we're just focused on the game in front of us and kicking the tournament off well against Canada.
Stuff
Time for Indian hockey to take a bold step forward
After re-defining the art of playing well and losing at the World Cup, Indian men get an opportunity to make amends in Glasgow.
A relatively easy group - with Australia being the only strong contenders - increases India's chances of making it to the semifinals and even winning a medal.
But knowing the team's unpredictable ways in the recent past, it would be ideal to take one match at a time.
Silver medallists at the last edition in New Delhi - where they came a poor second after being crushed 8-0 by the Ric Charlesworth-coached Australia - India face lowly Wales in their first match on July 25 followed by Scotland.
Their first serious challenge comes on July 29 against top-ranked Australia, who continue to be the favourites despite the absence of coach Charlesworth, defender Liam de Young, midfielder Rob Hammond, who have all retired, and Jamie Dwyer. They round off their league phase with the match against the 12th-ranked South Africa on July 31.
What will stand India in good stead in Glasgow is their match fitness. Having taken on the best in the World Cup, they would be raring to go against relatively weaker teams at CWG. But inherent weaknesses which haven't been addressed in a long time could hinder their progress.
In recent times, India have earned the dubious distinction of being a team with a couple of outstanding players than an outfit of great potential. The World Cup saw PR Sreejesh excelling under the bar and Gurbaj Singh and Sardar doing their jobs well in the midfield. The forward line was hardly mentioned in the same breath nor were the penalty corner specialists VR Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh.
The return of the experienced Gurwinder Chandi and Danish Mujtaba - an obvious result of the postmortem following the World Cup debacle - will no doubt strengthen the team. Chandi's shooting abilities and Mujtaba's role as provider will lend variety to the attack.
But the downside is the number of hours these two players - who have been out of the Indian team for months owing to injuries - have put in until now to jell as a group with their teammates.
The team would want the duo of Raghunath and Rupinder to deliver with their drag-flicks, particularly after the lean patch in recent months.
Indian women, led by midfielder Ritu Rani, face a tougher task in Glasgow. A fruitful 'test' series recently against Malaysia has got them match-ready but with as many as 12 junior players and without the experienced Chanchan Devi and Binita, who are injured, 13th-ranked India may have to play out of their skin to make it to the knockout stage.
Winners in Manchester (2002) and silver medallists in Melbourne four years later, India struggled in New Delhi before finishing fifth.
This time, they are up against New Zealand (ranked 4th) and South Africa (11th) in the league stage. A victory against either team and strong finishes against Canada and Trinidad & Tobago can help them enter the semifinals. A tall ask, by any yardstick. Medal chances, as such, seem remote.
Defending champions Australia, who have risen dramatic ally in the rankings from seventh to second, are in line for another gold with New Zealand and England (6th) likely to pose a stiff challenge to their hegemony.
The Times of India
Sardar banks on Sreejesh to replicate his WC performance
Indian hockey team captain Sardar Singh with coach Terry Walsh.
India captain Sardar Singh is banking on his deputy P.R. Sreejesh to replicate his stellar World Cup performance in the upcoming Commonwealth Games and said they are determined to stand up to the expectations of the lanky goalkeeper in the quadrennial event.
Since making his international debut in 2004, Sreejesh has improved leaps and bounds and has not only become India’s numero uno goalkeeper but one of the world’s best in the business.
“We are hoping Sreejesh will stand up and deliver once again just like the way he proved himself during the recently concluded World Cup,” Sardar said ahead of the Glasgow Games to be held from July 23 to August 3.
“It is a sense of pride for me and the entire team when we see Sreejesh motivate all of us. This time the team wants to stand up to his expectations,” he said.
Silly errors by defenders and conceding late goals has been India’s perennial problem, which came to the fore in this year’s World Cup but Sardar said come the Glasgow Games it will be tough for rivals to break the five-men defence.
“We have worked on our defence after the World Cup. We are confident that the likes of Gurbaj Singh, V.R. Raghunath, Rupinder Pal Singh, Birendra Lakra and Kothajit Singh will stand like a wall in front of the opponents. Getting through the five will not be an easy task for any team,” the skipper said.
“The team is preparing itself methodically for the upcoming tournament. We are also undertaking video analysis of the previous matches to perfect our skills and techniques and put together effective strategies for the future games,” the mercurial midfielder added.
In the Glasgow Games, India is placed along side Wales, Scotland, Australia and South Africa in Pool A while Canada, England, Malaysia, New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago complete Pool B.
India will open their campaign against Wales on July 25, followed by games against hosts Scotland (July 26), Australia (July 29) and South Africa (July 31).
The Hindu
Work in progress
For the young Indian hockey team, Glasgow Games are merely a stop in a long journey
Indervir Grewal
Chandigarh - Four years ago, on a balmy October evening in New Delhi, the fabric of Indian hockey was ripped apart. India faced Australia in the final of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. There was excitement, hope in the stands — India had, after all, beaten England via a thrilling penalty shootout in the semifinal. The euphoria of this win had made people forget that just a week ago, in their group clash, Australia crushed India 5-2.
In the final, the euphoria and the hope evaporated fast. The speedy and skilful Australians, their moves perfectly coordinated, didn’t let India settle down. They led 4-0 at half-time, and finished 8-0 at the end. Australia are still dominant; India are still developing. Gold is not a realistic option for us.
In this hectic year, with three major tournaments lined up back-to-back, the Commonwealth Games don’t top the priority list of the chief coach of the team. Ever since he joined in October last year, Walsh has made it clear that his main target for this year was to win the gold medal in the Asian Games, which would gain India an automatic entry into the 2016 Olympics. Asian Games are the most important of the short-term goals, also the most realistic; by that time, Walsh’s new and young team would have gained the experience of the CWG and the World Cup. A gold at the Asian Games would also help Walsh, who talks about bringing a lasting change in Indian hockey, in formulating long-term goals. Throughout this year, ever since he figured out the state of Indian hockey, Walsh has been saying that the team has a long way to go before it can step into the big league. The progress, he has said, would be slow.
Walsh has talked about systemic change throughout India, starting from the grassroots level, which has to be brought by Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India with the help of the Union and State governments; he’s also been talking about the national team going through a transition phase.
A hint of progress
Walsh had only about eight months to prepare a team for these tournaments. He didn’t have a large pool of players to work with. And with most of the senior players being past their prime, he had to build a team with young and inexperienced players. That is why India’s performances this year have to be seen in perspective. Rather than looking at only the results, we have to see if the team is improving. “The outcome was not what we had hoped for but we are in a transition phase and it will take some time to witness a spike in our performance,” Roelant Oltmans, the high performance director, recently said at Hockey India’s 10-member committee meeting to evaluate the performance at the World Cup.
The spike Oltmans talked about might take a long time to come – or, in the worst case scenario, it might never come – but a hint of progress was seen at the World Cup, despite India’s poor finish. India were outplayed by only two teams – Australia and Belgium. Against the other two higher-ranked teams, India lost 1-2 to England and drew 1-1 with Spain. In both the matches India could have easily won, but their lack of experience let them down. India played well as a unit – they were structurally better organised. What they lacked was the edge upfront, due to an inexperienced forward line, and an outstanding performance from any one player.
Despite the heartbreaking losses against Belgium and England in the first two games, the team stuck to its gameplan and ended the tournament on a high, beating Asian rivals Malaysia and then South Korea to finish ninth.
Rematch prospects
Now in the CWG, it would be impractical to expect a gold medal from India. But it will be a great tournament to gauge the team’s improvement. “The key objective at the CWG will be to play world-class hockey in every match. There are no benchmarks for the team and for me performing well and rising to the occasion are more important. We have worked on almost all areas of the game and are looking to finish in the top 2. I feel the team should grow everyday to be able to compete better,” said Walsh. An interesting prospect will be the rematches. India will play Australia in the pool stage. The world champions beat India 4-0 in the World Cup. In that match the Indians wilted under the initial pressure from the Aussies. In the Glasgow rematch, it will be interesting to see how the Indians will cope with an Australian side that will be without Ric Charlesworth as their coach.
If India reach the semifinals, there are chances of them playing England or Malaysia. To beat England, India will have to get over the last-minute blunder that led to the defeat last month and bring to this game all the positives they showed in that loss. And a second win over Malaysia in two months will only strengthen their confidence going into the Asian Games.
Medal hope
This tournament should be considered as a part of a journey and not as the final destination; having said that, the Indian team has a very good chance of winning a medal in Glasgow. Their strongest opponents in the pool (which also has Wales and Scotland) other than Australia are South Africa. In the last meeting between the two, in a warm-up game ahead of the World Cup, India won 4-1. In the semifinals, the other big threat will be New Zealand, whom India have not played since the World League Final in January, when the Kiwis won 3-1. For the Indian team, one win in the knockout stages is all it will take to win a medal.
No Pakistan
Indian fans eager to see their team take on arch-rivals Pakistan will be disappointed. After failing to qualify for the World Cup, Pakistan team will not play at the Games due to an internal sporting dispute. The Pakistan Olympic Association split into two factions last year, one recognised by the IOC and the other backed by the Pakistan Sports Board. The Pakistan Hockey Federation ignored the IOC-backed faction. PHF could not send expression of interest to the organising committee, despite having been granted extension twice.
The Tribune
We’ll return with a medal, says Sardar
New Delhi - The talismanic Sardar Singh is rated among the best midfielders in the world. The 27-year-old has been a vital cog in the rebuilding process of Indian hockey. Chief coach Terry Walsh has set a target of getting India among the top six nations in the world, and Sardar is at the heart of that plan.
India may have finished a lowly ninth at the World Cup, but Hockey India continued to repose faith in Sardar, retaining him as captain of the team for the Glasgow Games. Sardar would be up against another challenge as captain at the Games — the challenge of guiding a side that has a mix of youth and experience to a top-two finish.
With the team showing signs of improvement, Sardar is optimistic of putting up a good show when they take the field at the new Glasgow National Hockey Centre. “We are looking to put up a strong fight and come back home with a medal. We have worked hard on our weaknesses such as penalty corner conversion and conceding last-minute goals after our return from the World Cup. I am confident that we won’t repeat these mistakes at the CWG,” Sardar said. “Making the final of the CWG is a realistic target. Right now, we are focusing on our first match (against Wales). The team is fit and ready to give its best,” he added. Sardar said the inclusion of Danish Mujtaba and Gurwinder Chandi, who returned to the side after injury layoffs, has strengthened the attack.
Sardar reckoned that it’s important for them to return with a medal so that the sport doesn’t fade away. “It’s true that we haven’t won medals recently in the international competitions. We also feel that we need to perform so as to keep their (hockey fans’) faith in us. We will come back with a medal,” he said.
The Tribune
Gold from Glasgow? You must be dreaming!
Sabi Hussain
Chief Coach Terry Walsh
New Delhi - The Indian hockey team is bracing up for yet another challenge at the Glasgow Games after its below-par ninth-place finish in the World Cup at The Hague. Even with a young and inexperienced side, their performance at the World Cup can largely be seen as a massive disappointment; the Glasgow Games, though, offer a chance for redemption to the 16-member squad, which is stronger than it was at The Hague.
The team would look to better its silver medal finish in the last edition in Delhi but, for a team notorious for conceding last-minute goals and cracking under pressure while taking penalty corners, it would be an uphill task to close out matches.
Chief Coach Terry Walsh has been working hard with the team to develop it into a world class unit. The Tribune caught up with him to know about the “developmental process”. Excerpts:
The coaching staff and the team copped a lot of criticism after the World Cup. There must be tremendous pressure on you to deliver at the CWG.
Everybody in India wants us to win a medal at the CWG. Players are certainly feeling the pressure of expectation. For me, though, the important part is to play effective and challenging hockey. I would be very proud if the team can play as a unit and learn from its past mistakes.
Will a gold at the CWG will make your critics go easy on you?
If you are thinking of getting a gold medal at Glasgow, then probably you are dreaming. There’s no substance to it. I am not unkind but that’s the reality which one should accept. I have reasons to believe so because, first of all, Australia are the No. 1 team and they cleaned up every opponent with four-five goals in the World Cup. Then you have England and New Zealand. The hockey fans need to understand that the Indian hockey is in a transition phase. You can’t produce results overnight.
What then are we trying to achieve at this CWG?
We are trying to achieve overall improvement. We have to get better at our penalty corner conversion and the habit of conceding last-minute goals. We should be in a position where we can get to the top two in our pool. After that, it would be a new ball game in the knockout stage.
Is CWG part of your preparation for the much tougher Asian Games?
Yes, it is. Asian Games is a significant part of our Olympic campaign. It will act as a direct qualification process if we win gold there. Our target is the Asian Games, but CWG is equally important to us.
How long will it take to build a world-class team?
The process has already started and it will take five years to take this team where we all want to see it. You have to understand the process because there’s no easy way to improve Indian hockey. I don’t have a magic wand to get India to the podium finish. Most people in India judge you by the outcome. They don’t look at the whole process behind building a successful team.
Will you get that much time?
If you want to build a team, you need to give us time. Having said that, I also believe that no one deserves a run for five years without a proper review of his/her performance. If you want to build a team, you need to start grooming the talent from the age of 14 years so that when a player comes into the team, he is ready to take on the opponents. That’s missing in India where they are not part of the national programme. Identification of talent at a younger age should be the plan.
The Tribune
Hockey men ready for Commonwealth
Trinidad and Tobago men’s hockey team maintained their unbeaten record in their warm-up matches in the build-up to their 2014 Commonwealth Games campaign. To date the hockey men have played four games, winning three and drawing one.
The T&T team has registered victories against Groves Menzieshill (5-2), Hillhead(4-2),and Western Wildcats (9-2).
A return game against Hillhead proved more challenging, with the national team pressing for much of the game and enjoying 60 per cent ball possession overall.
The Hillhead team, reinforced by their national players, scored from two short corners to earn a 2-2 draw against T&T, which were able to convert only one of their seven short corners through Kwandwayne Browne.
T&T’s first item, a field goal, was scored by Tariq Marcano — making his first senior tour — on his 18th birthday. Marcano was later hosted by the TT officials present in a short birthday celebration.
The Trinidad & Tobago Express
C’wealth Games ‘discards’ still needed
By S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian hockey players that failed to make the flight to Glasgow have been earmarked to undergo a two-week extensive fitness programme as part of their preparations for the Asian Games.
There are 13 players left behind as a younger group will spearhead the Commonwealth Games challenge next week.
The players at home will undergo training with the help of a newly-appointed physical trainer, Florencio Vallej.
National coach K. Dharmaraj said the Spaniard will be assisted by former international Nor Azlan Bakar.
“The main task for the players left behind is to get their fitness level up. They will spent the next two weeks working on the physical aspect. The hockey specifics will start once the squad return from Glasgow,” he said.
The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) are targeting a gold medal in Incheon.
The Asian Games is a qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio Olympics and only the gold medallist will gain an automatic berth.
Skipper Azlan Misron, who had wanted to quit after the recent World Cup, showed up for training earlier in the week.
“There is no doubt that we need the players to be committed. The door is always open for players to make a comeback. They know that we have a tough task ahead,” added Dharmaraj.
Meanwhile Dharmaraj has apologised to the MHC for his recent outburst after being issued a show cause letter.
“I apologised to the MHC as it should not have happened. As for the show cause letter, I have replied to it. I was under tremendous pressure after the World Cup and certain parties were overly critical. It wasn’t my intention to question the MHC or demean them.”
Last week Dharmaraj had challenge the MHC to replace him if they felt the team had failed in the World Cup.
The Star of Malaysia
Portugal dent Scotland U21 Men's promotion hopes_500x334.jpg)
(Photo Credit: Douglad Rogerson)
A William Rogerson winning goal eleven minutes from full-time ensured hosts Portugal put a serious dent in Scotland U21 Men's hopes of qualifying from the EuroHockey Nations Championship II in Lousada.
A high scoring win for the junior Scots in their final match against favourites Ireland, plus a win for Italy over Portugal, is essential for Graham Moodie’s team to stay in contention.
Scotland U21 Men Team Manager Fraser McCurdy said, “Both teams played really well. I thought the players were excellent, we created lots of opportunities but we just couldn’t get that breakthrough.
“One or two of their players had an excellent game and at the end of it all it just came down to one chance that they converted. The players are obviously gutted with the result, but the performance was good.
“We need a small miracle tomorrow. If Italy can do us a favour and beat Portugal then it’s in our hands against Ireland. But we’ll need to score goals to overhaul the goal difference.”
The first half was tense, with the only real goal-mouth action courtesy of a home penalty corner just missing the upright.
Mid-way through the second half, Portugal almost broke the deadlock, but attacker David Franco missed a golden opportunity with the goal begging.
Nevertheless, the un-Portuguese sounding William Rogerson finally opening the scoring in the 59th minute to leave Graham Moodie’s side deflated.
A late rally wasn’t enough for the Scots and as a result, face an uphill climb to gain promotion from the competition.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
U21 Men Ireland 9-2 Italy Great Performacne by Ireland
Ireland put nine past the Italians today showing their fine scoring form. Ireland have carried their draw result against Portugal (3-3) into this final phase so there is work to be done yet when they take on Scotland tomorrow at 15.00
Ireland 9 (4) Nick Burns 2m (pc) 58m (ps) 69 (fg; Owen Magee 6m & 7m (fg) Simon Wolfe 35m (fg) & 47m (fg) James Wright 43m op; Jonny McKee 52m (fg)
Italy 2 (1) Giulio De Vivo 20m (pc) Thomas Keenan
Starting XI: Jamie Carr (GK); Lee Cole; Owen Magee; James Lorimer; Harry Spain; Ben Cosgrove; Mark Loughrey; Johnny McKee; Jamie Wright; Nick Burns (c); Peter Brown
Reserves: Mark Ingram (GK); Simon Wolfe; Sean Murray; Neal Glassy; Jeremy Duncan; Matthew Bell; Darragh Walsh
Irish Hockey Association media release
Senior players gear up for international tour
By Nabil Tahir
KARACHI: Thirty-seven senior players are gearing up for representing Pakistan in an international tour after concluding the second practice phase of the ongoing camp as preparations continue for the Asian Games in September.
Talking to The Express Tribune, national head coach Shahnaz Sheikh said, “The team has concluded its second phase of practice satisfactorily and all the players are set for an international tour.
“The tour is actually a proposed programme which will be a part of the next [third] phase of the camp. I’ve sent a proposal to the Pakistan Hockey Federation about touring either Asia or Europe; it will be a 10 to 12 day tour during which we’ll play eight matches.”
Sheikh added that while the Pakistan team has not played an international match for the past 11 months, its competitors had been involved in league matches and have made an appearance in the World Cup besides featuring in the Commonwealth Games in August. This meant the country was lagging behind.
“This tour is important for all of us, as this will be my first international tour as a coach and we will need to prove ourselves,” he said.
The next phase will resume on August 3. It will begin with trials for the selection of the national team after which the last two weeks of August will be dedicated to the international tour.
The coach said he was optimistic about reviving hockey in Pakistan with his training programme and selected players.
“We have been given a chance to revive hockey in Pakistan, and I am satisfied with the response I’m getting from players in the camp so far.”
The Express Tribune
New hockey season
Zanzeer Singh
Fiji's Lautoka Hockey Association will start its season today after teams failed to turn up over the past few weekends.
The tournament to be played at Nadovu Park will feature six teams in the men's division and four teams in the women's division.
The tournament will serve as the build-up to the State of Origin competition in Lautoka next week.
Association executive Martin Coffin said all the teams had confirmed participation in the tournament.
Coffin said the clubs needed to pay $100 affiliation fees.
"All the senior and junior players will have to register with the association," he said.
"The senior players will have to pay $20 while the junior players will have to pay $10.
"There will be entry fee charged for the spectators. It is $1 for adults and 50 cents for children."
Ba's Naidrodro and Falcons are the top teams in the men's division.
Blue Star and Tokalau are the favourites in the women's division.
"The men's teams have been drawn in two pools," Coffin said.
"The women's teams will play a round robin competition. Falcons are the new team in the women's division.
"The teams will be allocated points after every tournament."
Matches will start at 12pm. Men's: Pool A: Blue Star, Falcons, Naidrodro; Pool B: Mates, Rockefellers, Topline. Women's: Marist, Tokalau, Blue Star, Falcons.
The Fiji Times
HI inducts Kerala Hockey as new associate member
NEW DELHI: Hockey India (HI) on Friday inducted Kerala Hockey as its new associate member.
The approval is subject to ratification by the HI's Executive Board.
The decision to approve the application of Kerala Hockey was taken post disaffiliation of Hockey Kerala for irregularities in its functioning and not clarifying them within sufficient time.
Hockey Kerala had been relegated to associate member category by HI's Disciplinary Committee in May this year, a statement from the national federation said.
The new body Kerala Hockey has HI president Mariamma Koshy as its president and Francis K Paul as the general secretary.
Speaking on the newly formed Kerala Hockey, HI secretary general Narinder Batra said: "I am delighted to welcome Kerala Hockey as our new member. I am sure that Kerala Hockey will work diligently to revitalise the sport in the state and their induction in Hockey India will help in nurturing talent at grass root level."
HI currently has 25 permanent members, 21 associate members, two members through state Olympic associations, six academy members and one Hoc-Key Member.
The Times of India