News 13 October 2014
All the news for Monday 13 October 2014
U21 Burras defeat hosts
Victorians Will Gilmour and Joshua Bretherton help Burras victory over Malaysia
After an hour delay to last night’s match in Malaysia, battling tough weather conditions, the Burras walked away with a 2-1 win over hosts Malaysia, in their first pool match at the Sultan of Johor Cup.
Hosts Malaysia broke the ice early on in front of their home crowd, after a penalty stroke was awarded against Australia in minutes of the starting whistle. Malaysia’s Captain Haziq Samsul, successfully hitting target, put Malaysia 1-0 in front.
Victorian Will Gilmour, quickly turned the score around with a field goal in the 9th minute, levelling scores 1-1 for Australia.
The Burras defence gelled together, holding off further goals from Malaysia in the first period.
Australia took the lead at the 18th minute mark, after breaking away from the hosts with another field goal from Victorian Joshua Bretherton. Bretherton’s goal had the Burras walk away 2-1 victors over Malaysia.
Having shown a competitive start in the Burras’ two practice matches earlier this week defeating Singapore and New Zealand, the experience paid dividends, providing the team with a positive start coming into the tournament.
The Burras head coach Ben Bishop, was pleased with the team’s performance, however, looking ahead at their match Monday night against Pakistan, there are areas needing improvement.
“It was a good team performance to hang on for a win first up. The atmosphere with a full stadium and lots of crowd noise was a great experience for all of the players. We have a number of areas to improve on in preparation for our next match against Pakistan."
The Burras take on Pakistan in their second pool match of the tournament, Monday 13 October at 21:05 AEDT.
Sultan of Johor Cup
Malaysia
AUSTRALIA: 2 (2)
Will Gilmour 9 (FG)
Joshua Bretherton 18 (FG)
MALAYSIA: 1 (1)
Haziq Samsul 4 (PS)
Australia v Malaysia
Athlete (State)
Started
Joshua Bretherton (VIC)
Benjamin Craig (NSW)
Frazer Gerrard (WA)
William Gilmour (VIC)
Maximilian Hendry (VIC)
Brandan Horner (NSW)
Timothy Howard (QLD)
Samuel Liles (NSW)
Alec Rasmussen (WA)
Andrew Scanlon (VIC)
Ashleigh Thomas (NSW)
Substitutes used
Benjamin Austin (TAS)
James Benetti (WA)
Simon Benetti (WA)
Oliver Crane (QLD)
Ryan Proctor (NSW)
Nathanael Stewart (NSW)
Hayden Walker (WA)
Australia Fixtures, Sultan of Johor Cup
13 October - Australia vs Pakistan
15 October - Australia vs New Zealand
16 October - Australia vs Great Britain
18 October - Australia vs India
19 October - Final
Hockey Australia media release
Mighty Aussies
By Jugjet Singh
MALAYSIA gave away a 2-1 victory to Australia in the Sultan of Johor Cup at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru yesterday.
There were patches of brilliance, but too many unforced errors which saw coach Arul Selvaraj's men fall at the final hurdle of every move.
Malaysia goalkeeper Ridzwan Azmi brought off two fantastic penalty corner saves in the opening minutes of play, which set the tempo for a sizzling and extertaining match till the last whistle.
And just four minutes into play, Malaysia won a penalty stroke and skipper Haziq Samsul scored from the spot for the lead, and the capacity crowd went wild chanting and drumming patriotic songs.
But Australia showed their might minutes later as Will Gilmour equalised in the ninth minute, as the entire defence stood rooted.
And even though Malaysia fought for possession gallantly and tried to claw back the lead, it was Joshua Bretherton's easy attempt which sailed in, in the 18th minute, to give Australia a 2-1 lead.
The hosts were placed under tremendous pressure by the taller Aussies in the final five minutes of the first half, where the difference was that the Australian defense were solid and rarely made mistakes, while the Malaysian defenders kept giving away penalty corners.
After the breather, Malaysia looked much more energetic, but were again let down by poor trapping in the Australian semi-circle, with Shahril Saabah, who has played with the senior side, making the most number of mistakes.
With 10 minutes remaining, Malaysia started to make more mistakes as Australia moved forward with confidence to increase their lead, but the score stood and now they must beat another Oceania side, New Zealand today to keep their hopes alive of playing in the final.
In the SOJC curtain raiser, Britain made their debut by hammering Pakistan 5-0.
It was a magnificent performance by Britain even after their match was delayed for an hour after only three minutes of play, due to a heavy downpour.
“We won with a good margin but I feel we could have played better,” said Britain coach Jon Bleby.
However, it was Luke Tahlor's hat-trick which gave them the edge, and made Pakistan look like novices.
In another match, India had the bettter of New Zealand when they won 2-1 via goals from Parvinder Singh (5th) and Varun Kumar (43rd). The Kiwi goal was scored by Nic Woods (53rd).
New Straits Times
Malaysia fall short in Sultan of Johor Cup opener
by Aftar Singh
National juniors skipper Haziq Samsul (left) tackles an Australian player in the Sultan of Johor Cup opening match at the Taman Daya Stadium on Sunday. Malaysia lost 2-1. - Abdul Rahman Embong/ The STAR
JOHOR BARU: Malaysia put up a gutsy display before going down 2-1 to Australia in their opening match of the Sultan of Johor Cup at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium.
Skipper Haziq Samsul gave Malaysia a dream start by converting a penalty stroke in the fourth minute on Sunday.
But Australia scored two goals in the space of nine minutes to win all the points. Will Gilmour equalised in the ninth minute and Joshua Bretherton netted the winner in the 18th minute.
Australia, who are making their third appearance in the Under-21 tournament, went on the offensive from the start to earn two penalty corners in a row in the second minute. Malaysian goalkeeper Mohd Ridzwan Azmi did well to deny the Australians on both occasions.
Malaysia, runners-up last year, then surprised Australia by taking the lead in the fourth minute. Mohd Sufi Ismat Rohulamin made a solo run and was brought down in the semi-circle by defender Andrew Scanlon.
Umpire Dave Dowdall of England blew for a penalty stroke and Haziq coolly flicked a low shot past Australian goalkeeper Hayden Walker.
Haziq celebrated by saluting the 10,000 local fans.
But Malaysia’s joy was short-lived as Australia capitalised on a defensive lapse to net the equaliser. After collecting a through pass, Gilmour dribbled past two defenders and flicked the ball past Ridzwan. Gilmour was named man of the match for his display.
Malaysia were again punished for another silly defensive error in the 18th minute when the unmarked Bretherton collected a loose ball to fire home from close range.
Despite the defeat, national juniors coach S. Arulselvaraj was impressed with his team performance.
“They boys looked a bit tense before the start of the match as most of them are playing for the first time in the tournament.
“I had to calm them down… (but) I am happy with the forwards for playing their best,” said the former international.
“However, the forwards failed to get the equalising goal because they lose the ball once in the D. This is one area we need to work on before the next match against New Zealand tomorrow.”
Earlier, defender Luke Taylor scored a hat-trick to lead Britain to a 5-0 win over Pakistan. The 20-year-old Taylor gave Britain the lead after 12 minutes off their first penalty corner. Two minutes later, he scored another penalty corner drag flick past Pakistan goalkeeper Muneed Ur-Rehman.
Taylor, a student at the Loughborough University in England, completed his hat-trick in the 25th minute when he converted a penalty stroke.
Britain continued their dominance after the breather with Benjamin Boon making it 4-0 from close range in the 41st minute. Four minutes later, David Goodfield completed the rout.
Taylor said he was pleased to kick off the tournament with a hat-trick.
“I want to continue my scoring form in all the matches to help Britain reach the final,” said Taylor, who was named man of the match for his efforts.
Britain coach Jon Bleby, however, felt they could have played better.
“We took our foot off the pedal after taking a comfortable lead. This is not good as we should have continued to score more goals,” said Bleby.
Defending champions India also got off to a winning start, edging New Zealand 2-1.
India went on the offensive from the off and took the lead after only five minutes through Parvinder Singh’s field goal.
But the Indians had to wait until the 42nd minute for their second goal when Varum Kumar netted off a penalty corner drag flick past goalkeeper Ben Smith.
The Star of Malaysia
India defeat New Zealand 2-1 in Johor Cup opener
JOHOR BAHRU: Parvinder Singh and Varun Kumar scored a goal each as defending champions India opened their campaign in the Sultan of Johor Cup with a 2-1 win over New Zealand at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, here today.
In a hard fought match, India took an early lead through Parvinder's field goal just five minutes into the match and they kept the lead in the first half.
India doubled its lead in the 43rd minute when Varun Kumar made no mistake in converting a penalty corner. New Zealand reduced the margin in the 53rd minute through a penalty corner conversion by Nic Woods.
Just before the hooter, New Zealand earned another penalty corner but they failed to convert it.
"Most of the boys in our team represented the country for the first time in today's match and I am happy with the performance of the team. We will keep on improving match by match as the tournament progresses," India coach Harendra Singh said.
India will now take on Great Britain in their second match tomorrow.
The Times of India
Kiwis edged in Sultan of Johor opener
Pictured: George Muir, courtesy www.photosport.co.nz
The Future Black Sticks (Under 21) have been edged 2-1 by India in their Sultan of Johor Cup opener at Taman Daya Stadium.
India took an early lead through Parvinder Singh's field goal just five minutes into the match.
They doubled their lead after Varun Kumar hit the board from a penalty corner in the 43rd minute.
The Kiwis struck back 10 minutes later with Nic Woods scoring from a penalty corner.
New Zealand had another penalty corner right on the final hooter but could not convert.
“India deserved the credit. They played well and made it very challenging,” said New Zealand coach Bryce Collins.
The Future Black Sticks go up against hosts Malaysia in the early hours of Tuesday morning with live coverage on SKY Sport 3 from 1:00am.
“We will look at the Malaysia match on television and need to prepare well. It's always tough playing Malaysia at home."
Hockey New Zealand Media release
GB U21 Men beat Pakistan five-nil
A hat-trick from Luke Taylor helped Great Britain Under-21 Men make an emphatic start to the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia on Sunday, as they beat Pakistan 5-0 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru.
The Loughborough Students player notched up three goals in the first half as GB left their rivals stunned at half time. Further goals from Reading youngster Ben Boon and David Goodfield of Sheffield Hallam in the second half ensured Great Britain’s victory.
Speaking after the game Great Britain Under 21 Assistant Coach Kevin Johnson said: “It was an excellent start results-wise, but we do know that we could turn in a better performance and that is our aim going forward.”
Taylor opened the scoring after 10 minutes from a straight strike at GB’s first penalty corner, and they doubled the lead from the team’s second corner, again with an excellent straight strike three minutes later.
Taylor bagged his hat-trick on 25 minutes, this time from a penalty stroke. GB’s third penalty corner hit a defender on the line, and Taylor eagerly stepped up to successfully take the shot.
Five minutes after the break, GB added a fourth goal. A good move down the left resulted in shots from Sam French and Hamish Imrie both being deflected back out, but Ben Boon scored with the third shot.
And on 45 minutes, David Goodfield scored from open play. A good move down the left again saw Liam Brignull pass to James Albery who was overlapping on the left. His cross was controlled well by Goodfield, who slapped the ball high into the net.
"It is always good to score a hat-trick, but it's the gold medal we are after here," said Taylor, who was named the man of the match for his efforts. "It is a good start and we hope to build from this."
England Hockey Board Media release
Pakistan off to disastrous start
The debutant GB team started their campaign in style as they overcame Pakistan on a rainy first day. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI: The Pakistan junior hockey team kicked off the fourth Sultan of Johor cup at Malaysia with a resounding 5-0 loss against Great Britain (GB) on the opening day, but are optimistic of winning their other matches.
The debutant GB team started their campaign in style as they overcame Pakistan on a rainy first day thanks to three penalty strokes and two field goals.
“Our first match was with a tough team,” said head coach Manzoorul Hassan, while talking to The Express Tribune from Malaysia. “The boys tried but it was not their best outing. We are unsure about how strong the other five teams are but we definitely want to finish as high as possible.”
Hassan added that he wants the boys to enjoy themselves and play with confidence so that they are able to prepare for the future. “This is our first international tournament but the players, whose average age is 19, should not feel intimidated,” he said. “They will be up against quality opposition and this will provide them with invaluable experience for the 2016 juniors’ World Cup.”
Meanwhile in the other matches, India defeated New Zealand 2-0 and Australia defeated hosts Malaysia 2-1.
The Express Tribune
Arminen the surprise package as KO16 places confirmed
EHL 2014/15 - Round 1, Pau Negre Stadium, Barcelona, 12th October 2014, Day three round-up
SV Arminen and Royal Daring will be the new faces in the KO16 as they confirmed their ticket to Bloemendaal on day three of Round One of the Euro Hockey League.
For Austria’s Arminen, they were not in action today but they were grateful to Kelburne’s stout defensive work to deny Atletic Terrassa the goals they needed to overhaul them.
Tanguy Cosyns’ hat trick for Daring defeated Racing Club de France 3-1. They will be joined their by Kampong and Rot Weiss Köln who also made it through from today’s games with comfortable wins, beating Dinamo Stroitel (7-1) and HC Bra (9-0) respectively.
That quartet are now bound for Bloemendaal, the host club of the KO16/FINAL4 which will take place around Easter 2015. Here’s a breakdown of all the day three action:
Pool A: Kampong 7 (C Jonker 2, J van de Vijkeijken 2, L Luypaert 2, P Meulenbroek) Dinamo Stroitel 0
Kampong cruised into the KO16 with a big win over Dinamo Stroitel, avoiding the drama required 24 hours earlier to beat East Grinstead.
Three goals in the first quarter killed off any notions that Dinamo Stroitel might challenge the Dutch side. Loick Luypaert fired home a very early penalty corner before Constantijn Jonker and Joost van de Vijfeijken built an imposing scoreline.
Both Jonker and van de Vijfeijken added their second goals in the second quarter before a low-key final quarter saw only Philip Meulenbroek and Luypaert’s late flick add to the tally. Nonetheless, Kampong make it through to the KO16 for the second successive year and will look forward to good support in Bloemendaal.
Pool B: Royal Daring 3 (T Cosyns 3) Racing Club de France 1 (J-D Koch)
Tanguy Cosyns’ hat trick saw Daring through to the KO16 from Pool B as they secured their second strong win of the weekend in the face of a battling Racing Club de France.
The Belgian star got the slightest of touches to a left wing cross which slipped past Corentin Saunier in the 24th minute. His second half drag-flick made it 2-0 and he also scored his side’s third goal before Jean-David Koch got one back for Racing in the closing minutes.
It continues Daring’s incredible journey, rising from the Belgian second tier five seasons ago.
Pool C: Rot Weiss Köln 9 (M Miltkau 2, M Grambusch 2, B Wess 2, T Grambusch, C Zeller, M Chorus)
Rot Weiss Köln produced a devastating performance to sweep past the challenge of Italian side HC Bra who could not summon a similar performance to Friday.
There, they pushed Grunwald Poznan all the way but the German side were a completely different proposition.
Indeed, any chance of a major shock were dispelled in the opening five minutes as Marco Miltkau and two efforts from Mats Grambusch made it 3-0 with a breathtaking show of speed and precision.
Benjamin Wess tore forward to score the fourth while Christopher Zeller’s thunderous backhand shot extended the lead to 5-0 at the quarter-time hooter. Wess got his second goal before half-time and further efforts from Miltkau, Tom Grambusch and Martin Chorus extended the lead out to nine.
Pool D: Atletic Terrassa 4 (I Freixa 2, I Guerrero, F Di Mercurio) Bromac Kelburne 1 (L Morton)
Atletic Terrassa ran up a highly charged 4-1 win over Bromac Kelburne but it was SV Arminen who were ultimately celebrating as the Spanish side could not get enough goals to overhaul the Austrian side.
Needing to win by four goals, they had one in the bank at half-time via Inyaki Freixa and Ignasi Guerrero popped home his side’s second in the 40th minute. But Lee Morton dribbled home a penalty corner to get Kelburne on the board and leave Atletic needing another three goals.
They registered only two more – from Freixa and Frank Di Mercurio – before dramatically seeing a Marc Bolto goal disallowed on video referral, much to the delight of the SV Arminen players in the grounds.
Euro Hockey League media release
Kampong complete KO16 with 7-1 Dinamo win
Pool A: Kampong 7 (C Jonker 2, J van de Vijkeijken 2, L Luypaert 2, P Meulenbroek) Dinamo Stroitel 1 (P Plesetskiy)
Kampong cruised into the KO16 with a big win over Dinamo Stroitel, avoiding the drama required 24 hours earlier to beat East Grinstead.
Three goals in the first quarter killed off any notions that Dinamo Stroitel might challenge the Dutch side. Loick Luypaert fired home a very early penalty corner before Constantijn Jonker and Joost van de Vijfeijken built an imposing scoreline.
Both Jonker and van de Vijfeijken added their second goals in the second quarter before a low-key final quarter saw only Philip Meulenbroek and Luypaert’s late flick add to the tally. Pavel Plesetskiy got one back with two minutes to go to give Dinamo scant reward for their weekend's efforts in their first EHL tournament.
Nonetheless, Kampong make it through to the KO16 for the second successive year and will look forward to good support in Bloemendaal.
Euro Hockey League media release
Hat trick hero Cosyns books Daring's KO16 ticket
Pool B: Royal Daring 3 (T Cosyns 3) Racing Club de France 1 (J-D Koch)
Tanguy Cosyns’ hat trick saw Daring through to the KO16 from Pool B as they secured their second strong win of the weekend in the face of a battling Racing Club de France.
The Belgian star got the slightest of touches to a left wing cross which slipped past Corentin Saunier in the 24th minute, a lead they held until half-time.
Racing were making it into a major tussle with an aggressive counter-attack game, disrupting the Daring flow, winning a couple of corners which could have made a big difference if converted. But the Belgians were more comfortable once Cosyns slung home a penalty corner in the 38th minute.
They had two more goals cancelled out by video referral before Cosyns killed off the game in the 56th minute with his third of the day. Jean-David Koch got one back with a late penalty corner but too late to deny Daring their ticket to the KO16.
It continues their incredible journey, rising from the Belgian second tier five seasons ago and they now look to mix it with the European elite at Easter in Bloemendaal.
Euro Hockey League media release
Rot Weiss power past Bra to the KO16
Pool C: Rot Weiss Köln 9 (M Miltkau 2, M Grambusch 2, B Wess 2, T Grambusch, C Zeller, M Chorus) HC Bra 0
Rot Weiss Köln produced a devastating performance to sweep past the challenge of Italian side HC Bra who could not summon a similar performance to Friday.
There, they pushed Grunwald Poznan all the way but the German side were a completely different proposition.
Indeed, any chance of a major shock were dispelled in the opening five minutes as Marco Miltkau and two efforts from Mats Grambusch made it 3-0 with a breathtaking show of speed and precision.
Benjamin Wess tore forward to score the fourth while Christopher Zeller’s thunderous backhand shot extended the lead to 5-0 at the quarter-time hooter. Wess got his second goal before half-time and further efforts from Miltkau, Tom Grambusch and Martin Chorus extended the lead out to nine.
Euro Hockey League media release
Atletic win Kelburne battle but SV Arminen land precious KO16 ticket
Pool D: Atletic Terrassa 4 (I Freixa 2, I Guerrero, F Di Mercurio) Bromac Kelburne 1 (L Morton)
Atletic Terrassa ran up a highly charged 4-1 win over Bromac Kelburne but it was SV Arminen who were ultimately celebrating as the Spanish side could not get enough goals to overhaul the Austrian side.
At the start of the game, Atletic needed to win by at least four clear goals and outdo Arminen's 5-2 win over the Scots following Saturday's 2-2.
But Lee Morton’s fortuitous proved their undoing in a thrill-a-minute tie that showed all the drama and emotion of the EHL.
The first half looked set to be an exercise in frustration for the Spanish side until Jan Malgosa stormed through the heart of the Kelburne defence before the ball squirmed into the path of Inyaki Freixa who swept home.
That came just 30 seconds before half-time, a half in which Gaspard Baumgarten hit the post and Kelburne defended superbly. They also had plenty of chances on the break with what little ball they did have, Jack McKenzie forcing the pick of the saves from Marc Calzada.
But the second half became a raucous affair from the moment Ignasi Guerrero popped home his side’s second in the 40th minute. Atletic threw everything forward but were caught at the back when Morton ran through to win a corner.
It was not perfectly executed but his subsequent shot dribbled in for a crucial reply, loudly celebrated by the Arminen players in the corner.
Freixa fired home his second with 15 minutes to breathe life back into his side’s challenge and Frank Di Mercurio got them within touching distance with ten minutes still to play.
Marc Bolto then had the ball in the net a fifth time but Kelburne called for a video review and had the goal struck off. With a penalty corner also saved, the Scots clung on and did not concede again, much to the delight of Arminen and to the despair of Atletic who fell one goal shy of their target.
Euro Hockey League media release
Bromac Kelburne battle it out with Spanish side
Bromac Kelburne gave it there all in the Spanish midday sun despite losing 4-1 in their second match in the Euro Hockey League (EHL) to Atletic Terrassa.
It was a thrilling match with Kelburne holding off the spainsih right up until half time, Terrassa threw everything at them in the last two quarters but it couldn’t do enough to beat the Scottish side by 4 clear goals to progress to the last 16.
It was end to end play through out with great chances from Jack McKenzie and Dougie Simpson. The Paisley based side held the Spanish side right up until the last minute before half time until Ignasi Frelxa managed to get through the Scottish defence to take the lead.
Early in the third quarter Terrssa came back with a great reverse hit from Ignasi Guerrero knocking the ball over the keeper to take the lead 2-0. Minutes later Kelburne came back with Lee Morton slotting a well-deserved goal from a scrappy penalty corner.
Ignasi Freixa scored his second of the game as Kelburne tired with Frank DI Mercurlo finishing it off for the Spanish side. There was a bit of controversy as Terrassa scored their fifth goal which saw them through to the last 16 but after a video referral by the Scots, the ball hitting a Spaniards foot in the lead up to the goal was accepted the game finished 4-1. This saw SV Arminen through to the last 16 after their nail biting draw with Atletic Terrassa yesterday.
Bromac Kelburne
Ben Rennie, Andrew Wilkie, Mark Ralph, Michael Nicol, Craig Morton, Adam Bain, Jordi Rovira, Michael Bremner, Chris Nelson, Iain Scholefield, Michael Christie, Lee Morton, Douglas Simpson, Jonathan Christie (c), Jack McKenzie, Ross McIntyre.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
‘Roos to expect change for Champions Trophy
Hockeyroos likely to trial new blood at the 2014 Champions Trophy
According to Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens, the team is likely to trial new blood at the Champions Trophy in November, after recent successful campaigns at the 2014 World Cup and Commonwealth Games earlier this year. The Hockeyroos have been placed in Pool B with Commonwealth Games silver medallists England, World Cup bronze and defending Champions Trophy gold medallists Argentina, and European Champions Germany making up the group.
The women’s Champions Trophy in Mendoza, Argentina starts on 29 November and will conclude with the final on 7 December. The Hockeyroos’ Champions Trophy campaign will be broadcast by ABC to Australian fans back home.
Showcasing ‘’the best of the best” with eight of the top ranked countries in the world; Pool A will consist of China, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Australia currently ranked second in the world will be joined by hosts, World Cup bronze medallists and defending Champions Trophy gold medallists Argentina, European and Commonwealth Games silver medallists England, and the European champions Germany in Pool B.
To date, Australia and the Netherlands both hold six Champions Trophy titles apiece, defending champions Argentina have won the title five times and Germany, China and Korea have all won once.
Ahead of the Champions Trophy, the Hockeyroos will participate in a three match test series against New Zealand Black Sticks in Wellington, from 12 to 19 November. The series will form a key part of the Hockeyroos’ preparation coming into the tournament.
Hockeyroos Head Coach Adam Commens commented, “Playing a quality international side such as New Zealand is the ideal way to prepare for the Champions Trophy. We have lacked international competition since the Commonwealth Games, so this will help our players get back to the speed required to be competitive in Argentina.”
Australia will face tough competition during this year’s tournament, taking on defending champions Argentina on day two of the competition.
“Argentina, of course, will be one of the favourites, and with it being Luciana Aymar's last tournament before retirement, I’m sure the crowd support will be as strong as ever,” Commens added.
And Commens hinted that Australian fans might see some new faces when he announces his squad at the start of November.
“It will be tough. We’re looking at exposing some new players to our team, and we may also rest some of our more senior players after a long and heavy year, to ensure they are refreshed for the busy lead up to Rio.
“To again be competing for the podium will be a challenge, however, I’m sure we have the depth to still be there at the end of the tournament.”
Discussing some of the likely other key protagonists, Commens added, “I think our pool will be particularly strong. Both Germany and England are well coached and well-prepared teams that will be looking to turn around the year after a disappointing result at the World Cup. In Pool A, the Netherlands will be playing their first tournament under their new coach, it will be interesting to see if they can continue their dominance.”
FIH President, Leandro Negre said, “We are greatly looking forward to this event as Argentina always has amazing crowds. The loyalty and dedication of the fans is an inspiration to see.”
Hockey Australia will announce the selected Hockeyroos squad for the New Zealand test series and the 2014 Champions Trophy the week commencing 3 November, before departing for Argentina with the final selected squad on 19 November.
Hockeyroos’ fixtures – Argentina Hockey Champions Trophy 2014
Saturday 29 November - 06:30 AEDT - Australia v England
Sunday 30 November - 09:00 AEDT - Argentina v Australia
Tuesday 2 December - 03:00 AEDT - Australia v Germany
Thursday 4 December - time tbc - quarter finals
Saturday 6 December - time tbc - semi final or fifth/eighth playoffs
Sunday 7 December - time tbc - medal matches or classification playoffs
Note: Mendoza is 14 hours behind Australian Eastern Daylight Savings time.
Hockeyroos’ Champions Trophy record
6 Gold Medals – 4 Silver Medals – 2 Bronze Medals
1987 Amstelveen, NED - Silver 2003 Sydney, AUS - Gold
1989 Frankfurt, FRG - Silver 2004 Rosario, ARG - 4th
1991 Berlin, GER - Gold 2005 Canberra, AUS - Silver
1993 Amstelveen, NED - Gold 2006 Amstelveen, NED - 5th
1995 Mar del Plata, ARG - Gold 2007 Quilmes, ARG - 4th
1997 Berlin, GER - Gold 2008 Monchengladbach, GER - 5th
1999 Brisbane, AUS - Gold 2009 Sydney, AUS - Silver
2000 Amstelveen, NED - Bronze 2010 Nottingham, ENG - DNP
2001 Amstelveen, NED - Bronze 2011 Amstelveen, NED - 6th
2002 Macau, CHN - 4th 2012 Rosario, ARG - DNP
Hockey Australia media release
‘Future bright for Pakistan hockey’
By Kashif Abbasi
This picture shows Shakeel Abbasi (2R) of Pakistan and Jiang Xishang (2L) of China fight for the ball during the third field hockey match between Pakistan and China in Faisalabad. — File photo/AFP
ISLAMABAD: Senior hockey player Shakeel Abbasi while defending the performance of the green-shirts in the recently-concluded Asian Games said that the way the team performed in the mega event made it amply clear that the national game had a bright future.
“Throughout the tournament except for the final we remained unbeaten. We scored 27 goals which is an outstanding performance,” remarked the star centre forward.
Speaking to Dawn on Sunday, Shakeel bemoaned the fact that Pakistan got very few opportunities in term of playing international events particularly in their own country.
“Before the mega event we had only been able to participate in the Asian Trophy held last year. So, under the given circumstances our performance was up to the mark in the Asian Games,” commented the former captain and added that had Lady Luck smiled on them during the final they could have won it.
He said other teams particularly India and Malaysia featured in a number of international matches before participating in the Asian Games.
The arch-rivals displayed brilliant game during the final that ended in a 1-1 draw leading to a shootout which India won 4-2.
“India defeated us on plenty strokes where luck maters a lot than techniques,” he said.
The star forward admitted that the green-shirts missed at least two open chances in the final, adding that Pakistan managed to defeat India 1-2 in the group stage.
“Having defeated India in the group match, our morale was quite high and we were optimistic to inflict another defeat on India in the final but we failed to do so,” he bemoaned.
Talking about goalkeeper Imran Butt who performed brilliantly in the semi-final but failed to repeat his performance in the final, 31-year-old Shakeel said: “He defended brilliantly throughout the tournament and kept the opposition at bay. He also brilliantly stopped penalty strokes in the semi-final. But I think the Indian team had deeply observed his techniques in the semi-final and managed to counter him in the final.”
On the other hand, he said, the green-shirts could not get an opportunity to observe Indian goalkeeper Sareejesh’s techniques.
Shakeel further said that the team had got over the failure to qualify for world cup particularly after showing brilliant performance in the Asian Games. “We are now expecting good result in the upcoming Champion Trophy,” he concluded.
Dawn
Beeston in champions' form after 7-1 win as Lily Owsley lifts Birmingham
Champions Beeston are hitting their stride after a 7- 1 demolition of Brooklands Manchester University left forward Sam Ward to declare that 'everything is clicking again'
By Rod Gimour
Net gains: Beeston have racked up 19 goals in five games this season Photo: JOSH DIXON
Beeston, last year’s men's NOW: Pensions play-off champions, are hitting their stride after a 7- 1 demolition of Brooklands Manchester University left forward Sam Ward to declare that “everything is clicking again.”
Ward and Stuart Pilgrim both scored a brace and the game was as good as one by the break as Beeston garnered a 4-0 lead.
“It could have been more,” said the 23-year-old. “We want to be ruthless and if we play like that every week we will do very well."
A 6-2 recent defeat to Surbiton had dented Beeston’s unbeaten start but Ward admitted that the loss “was closer than the score line suggested.”
“Overall we haven’t been far off what we are capable of,” said Ward, who is aiming for GB selection ahead of the December’s Champions Trophy in India.
Surbiton held on to second thanks to goals either side of half-time by Matt Daly and Dave Beckett.
Reading were leading at Wimbledon by the same score before a floodlight failure forced the game to be abandoned. The league committee will decide on whether the result will stand.
Meanwhile, the highly-rated Hardeep Jawanda scored Cannock’s winner in a 2-1 win against struggling Canterbury.Five games in and expectations are already high that both end-of-season play-off weekends could yield surprising teams.
That includes University of Birmingham in the Investec Women's Premier Division, who remain in fifth following a pivotal 4-2 away win at Beeston.
Great Britain’s Lily Owsley made sure of the Midlanders second win of the season with a typically surging dribble forward, linking up with Hannah Martin before smashing home.
“We are in a position now as favourites for games which we haven’t been in before,” said Owsley. “We had a nervous start and perhaps the hype got to us.
“We are aiming for the top four. The league is so open now and already there are upsets.
“Surbiton are an incredible, clinical side. But apart from them we don’t fear anyone else.”
Surbiton stole a two-point gap at the top of the table after eking out a 2-1 win over second-placed Clifton. In-form Rebecca Herbert netted the winner in the second-half.
Freshly-promoted Holcombe kept their unbeaten run intact thanks to Laura Unsworth’s last-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Leicester.
Reading’s early-season wobbles looked to have worn off after Tina Evans and Becky Halle gave them a 2-0 win against Bowdon Hightown.
Partners Dirkie Chamberlain and Susannah Townsend combined on the pitch to score either side of the break to hand Canterbury a 2-0 win against Buckingham.
The Telegraph
Padmore, Liburd silence Notre Dame
Patrice Padmore and Sekayi Liburd scored two goals each as Harvard Checkers took full advantage of an understrength defending champions, Notre Dame in a 6-0 bashing in their Women’s Open Division opener of the T&T Hockey Board Indoor Championship on Saturday.
Playing a shortened day’s programmes at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Hamilton-Hodler Street, Woodbrook due to rain, Padmore got her goals in the 15th and 31st while Liburd netted in the 32nd and 35th and Fiona Le Blanc (ninth) and Jeannette Clarke (13th) had given their team a 2-0 lead.
In the other women’s match, Paragon made it twio straight wins, after spanking Ventures 4-1 led by a double from Alanna Lewis.
T&THB Indoor Championship results
Women’s Open
Paragon 4 (Alanna Lewis 32nd, 35th, Keima Gardiner 2nd, Gabrielle Thompson 14th) vs Ventures 1 (Arielle Cowie 7th)
Harvard Checkers 6 (Patrice Padmore 15th, 31st, Sekayi Liburd 32nd, 35th, Fiona Le Blanc 9th, Jeannette Clarke 13th) vs Notre Dame 0
Mixed Veterans
Fatima 3 (Sean Nieves 5th, Wayne Nieves 10th, Cristina Abreu 30th) vs Carib 2 (Randall Ramsammy 4th, Kevin Adams 8th)
Boys Under-19
QPCC 3 (Jarryon Paul 14th, 29th, Zachary Clarke 9th) vs Notre Dame 1 (Joshua Olton 18th)
Fatima 4 (Jordan Vieira 3rd, 4th, Marcus Pascall 1st, Christopher Anthony 21st) vs Shape 1 (Lyndell Byer 30th)
Courts Malvern 6 (Kristien Emmanuel 1st, 6th, Tariq Marcano 22nd, 27th, Teague Marcano 13th, Jeshajh Drayton 30th) vs Paragon 3 (Kelon Skeritt 16th, 16th, Kalib Quashie 8th)
Girls Under-19
Notre Dame 2 (Tamia Roach 7th, Shania Dillon 11th) vs Ventures 1 (Kayla Escayg 10th)
Paragon 5 (Gabrielle Thompson 21st, 23rd, Felicia King 3rd, Therese Sobers 25th, Maria Boucaud 29th) vs Harvard Checkers 1 (Marianna Mata 12th)
SC Magnolias 6 (Brianna Govia 2nd, 19th, 25th, 29th, Samantha Olton 3rd, Saarah Olton 21st) vs Ventures 1 (Lisa Benjamin 15th)
The Trinidad Guardian
Kushalnagar bonds with hockey project
Narain Swamy
BANGALORE: The hockey academy in Kushalnagar isn't one among those where players eat, drink and sleep hockey. It is a movement that stirred a community's emotions and gently persuaded it to bond with the game it loved.
What began as a practice session between former international hockey player and coach Len Aiyappa and a local boy who just couldn't part with his hockey stick is now a training centre that houses around 50 boys in the 8-14 age group.
Coaches, trainers, officials, helpers are all from the neighborhood — former players or enthusiasts who have not only allowed their boys to play the game but contributed generously to the cause.
The academy might not have drastically changed the game's fortunes but its impact has been telling in a town that had switched to cricket and football, despite being the cradle of hockey once upon a time.
It all started with Len moving to Kushalnagar for a short period late last year to tend to his mother who was battling cancer.
Playing football with his friends at the Government Middle School ground one evening, Len noticed a young boy with a hockey stick watching them from the sidelines. He joined them for a game before asking Len whether anyone would help him sharpen his hockey skills.
"This boy, Trishul, loved hockey. He was forced to play football only because there was no one interested in hockey," Len told TOI. "I told him I would teach him the basics."
Practice sessions began in January this year. "Trishul would reach the ground at dawn much before I did. Watching his commitment, two of his friends joined him. The number grew to 10 and within a few weeks I had about 50 young boys training with me."
As the number grew, so did the demands.
The first — a bigger ground for practice — was met when the Government Junior College physical trainer offered his institution's facility provided Len trained the hostel students. Len was only too glad to accept the quid pro quo.
Then came the challenge of providing sticks, balls and a healthy morning snack for his trainees. While his contacts helped him get the hockey kit, Kushalnagar residents chipped in to meet the other needs.
"Trishul's father Ganesh said he was ready to manage the centre. Having trained at the state academy in Kudige, he was confident of being a tutor. I gave him the basic programme and we began sharing the work. We have a trainer too, Yogesh, a retired Border Security Force employee," Len said.
A few other hockey players from the neighborhood volunteered to help when the number swelled to around 100 during the summer vacation in April-May. "We didn't charge a penny. It was a grassroots initiative and we realized there were players from modest backgrounds. There were others willing to contribute and that helped us tide over critical times. It was a new Kushalnagar that I saw."
Once the vacation was over, Len realized he had to put a proper coaching programme in place. He approached former India captain Jude Felix, whose academy in the city had impressed him. Felix helped his boys with basic kitting and held refresher courses at Kushalnagar.
"Len is keen that we run his centre. But we need additional manpower and resources for that. We are keen to help him as our ideologies match. We do it for an orphanage while Len is doing for the masses without expecting any returns," said JFHA head coach Shanmugham.
Incidentally, Len's centre does not have a name. "I haven't felt the need to find a name. Why should a collective cause be named after anybody? It is a community drive and it will remain the same forever. Our aim is to popularize hockey. My first trainee, Trishul, is now in the Kudige state hostel. That has come as a big boost to my confidence."
The Times of India