News 03 November 2014
All the news for Monday 3 November 2014
Ireland Secure Last Gasp Win Over Scotland 
Ireland took on Scotland winning 1-0 in the final seconds of play thanks to a drag flick from Chloe Brown in a game that was played with intensity from both sides. Ireland and Scotland are playing this three test series as both continue their preparations for Olympic qualification.
Ireland had the lion’s share of chances throughout the game but Scotland were not without some excellent opportunities of their own, drawing some top drawer saves from Stella Davis in the green goals.
But as the game came into the final quarter Ireland ramped up the pace which translated into a number of corner chances, but they left it to the final twenty seconds to convert when Chloe Brown’s drag flick met a slight deflection on the way into the Scottish goal to ensure the win.
Both sides have just 24 hours rest before they take to the field for test two tomorrow night at 7pm in Three Rock Rovers. The third and final test takes place in Alexandra College, Milltown on Wednesday afternoon 12.15pm
Ireland starting XI: Stella Davis GK; Shirley McCay; Megan Frazer (Capt); Naomi Carroell; Aine Connery; Chloe Watkins; Nicci Daly; Katie Mullan; Anna O’Flanagan Gillian Pinder; Emily Beatty
Reserves: Chloe Brown; Nikki Evans; Ayeisha McFerran; Hannah Matthews; Deirdre Duke; Kate Dillon; Emily Beatty.
Scotland starting XI: Nicola Cochrane; Amy Brodie; Sarah Roberston; Karenna Marshall; Rebecca Merchant; Nikki Kidd (Capt); Susan McGilveray; Alison Howie; Nicola Skrastin; Aileen Davis; Louise Campbell
Reserves: Kirsten Peters; Emma McGregor; Jennifer Morris; Rowan Sinclair; Maisie Morris; Robyn Collins; Amber McNeil
Irish Hockey Association media release
Squads confirmed for India Tests
Squads confirmed for the Kookaburras first two matches of the Series
The Perth India Tests start this week, with the Kookaburras taking on rivals India in four Test matches.
Matches will start at 19:00 AWST on 4,5,8 and 9 November, and will be live via Hockey Australia’s YouTube channel for fans across Australia, starting with a pre-show from 21:30 AEDT.
The Australian men’s squads for the first two Tests (Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5) have been confirmed below.
If you’re in Perth, head down to the Perth Hockey Stadium at Curtin University to watch four nights of world class hockey action, meet and greet the players, take a selfie with the World Cup and Champions Trophy, alongside plenty of other off-field activities.
For more information on the venue, ticket and broadcast information, head to Hockey Australia’s India page.
Tuesday 4 November
Daniel BEALE QLD
Craig BOYNE WA
Kiel BROWN WA
Andrew CHARTER ACT
Matthew DAWSON NSW
Tim DEAVIN TAS
Jeremy EDWARDS TAS
Matt GOHDES QLD
Jeremy HAYWARD NT
Tyler LOVELL WA
Eddie OCKENDEN TAS
Flynn OGILVIE NSW
Glenn SIMPSON VIC
Jake WHETTON QLD
Tristan WHITE NSW
Matthew WILLIS NSW
Dylan WOTHERSPOON QLD
Aran ZALEWSKI WA
Wednesday 5 November
Daniel BEALE QLD
Craig BOYNE WA
Kiel BROWN WA
Chris CIRIELLO VIC
Tom CRAIG NSW
Matthew DAWSON NSW
Jeremy EDWARDS TAS
Jeremy HAYWARD NT
Leon HAYWARD NT
Tyler LOVELL WA
Eddie OCKENDEN TAS
Flynn OGILVIE NSW
Glenn SIMPSON VIC
Jake WHETTON QLD
Tristan WHITE NSW
Matthew WILLIS NSW
Dylan WOTHERSPOON QLD
Aran ZALEWSKI WA
Hockey Australia media release
Rupinder: Mere dragflicking is a luxury
Suhrid Barua
"Just being a good drag-flicker alone cannot do good for the team. One has to be good at his assigned job in the team too, to propel team to the notable victories", asserts Rupinder Pal Singh, ‘Rock of Gibraltor’ in an exclusive interview to www.stick2hockey.com on the eve of team's departure for vital 4-match Test series against Australia.
Excerpts:
Q You played a big part in India winning the Asiad gold, even overcoming a hamstring injury along the way. You had a few days rest and now you are back training for the upcoming four Test series against Australia?
It was a good break after the Asiad in the sense it allowed me to recharge my batteries. I attended quite a few felicitation programs during my stay in hometown in Punjab as well as in Delhi where Hero honoured us for our Asiad exploits. I’m now staying focused on the upcoming Australia tour.
Q You emerged as the top goal-scorer in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games as well as the Incheon Asian Games. So you must be enjoying the responsibility of being the prime goal-scorer for India.
Well, every player likes to contribute in a team’s win and I try to do my bit in scoring goals through my penalty corner drag-flicks. I’m enjoy the responsibility of scoring goals for my team, but that’s not the only role I perform, I have even a bigger role of defending and keep the opposition at bay.
Q How important is it for a fullback to be a complete player, where the team banks on him not just for his drag-flicks during penalty corners, but also rely on him to blunt the opposition?
No player can survive in the side by just being a good drag-flicker as no team can afford that luxury. There could be times when a team may not win a short corner throughout the whole game and in such a fullback whose main forte is drag-flicks is rendered ineffective. In modern hockey a fullback has to be a solid defender and then comes scoring goals off PCs; basically you have to be a sturdy defender with drag-flicks as your potent weapon. I’m working hard to be a complete defender.
Q You and Vokkaliga Raghunath form a lethal drag-flick combination. Is there any healthy competition between you two?
No, not at all. We play as a team and help each other out whenever. Raghubhai is a great exponent of drag-flick and I have a lot of respect. He is a great teamman and at times tells me to take the drag-flicks during penalty corners if he feels he is not confident to take them. We get along well and always try to do things for the betterment of the team.
Q How do you rate India’s chances against Australia in the upcoming four Test series?
Australia are a tough side and we will look not to build too much expectations and just play our natural game. We have played Australia in last couple of years and you must have seen how we narrowed the gap of winning margins. At Glasgow we lost to them 2-4 to them in the league and it was a contest where we gave them a good fight.
Q The year 2014 has been a good one for Indian hockey. India stunned Olympic champions Germany in the Hockey World League Final Round in Delhi, pipped higher ranked New Zealand in the semifinals of the CWG in Glasgow, followed by silver and gold medal wins in CWG and Asiad.
It has been a good year. Barring the World Cup, we have done this year; we hope to build on this and become a better side in the future. The boys have put in a lot of hard work and the results are there to see.
Q India are ranked ninth in the world, but do you think India has the ammunition to beat most sides ranked higher than them?
If you take the top three – Australia, Netherlands and Germany, I’m confident that India can beat sides like England, Belgium, New Zealand, Argentina and Korea. If we keep playing to our potential, these teams are not difficult to beat.
Q How do you look at the bigger picture – 2016 Rio Olympics?
We still have two years to prepare. I believe if we have Terry Walsh as coach and the boys continue to put in the same amount of hard work they are putting now, there is no doubt that this team can do well in Rio. At least a semifinal appearance is definitely a possibility, off course a lot of factors are and with a bit of luck riding our way we can surprise a lot of teams.
Q Are you satisfied with the financial rewards handed out to the players after the Asiad gold winning performance?
Well, the government is doing a lot for us, but corporate houses must come forward to support us. Hero honoured us in a great way but there is a need for corporate to lend their sponsorship help for the national hockey team.
Stick2Hockey.com
Army thrash Punjab Police 4-1
Deepika of Rail Coach Factory scores a goal against Punjab XI during their match in the 31st Surjit Hockey Tournament in Jalandhar on Sunday. Tribune Photo: Malkiat Singh
Jalandhar - Army XI overwhelmed Punjab Police 4-1, while Punjab National Bank (PNB) stunned favourites ONGC 1-0 to shake up the league tables in the 31st Surjit Hockey Tournament at Surjit Hockey Stadium here today.
However, defending champions Punjab and Sind Bank had an easy outing against Namdhari XI, winning 4-2 to start their campaign on a high. In the women’s section, Deepika scored a brace as Rail Coach Factory beat Punjab XI 5-1.
In Pool B, Army XI took the lead in the 12th minute when Siraju AP converted a penalty corner. In the 19th minute Jagmeet Singh fired in the equaliser for Punjab Police.
In the 29th minute, Siraju struck again from a penalty corner to put his team ahead.
After the lemon break, Binoy Bhengra extended Army’s lead in the 54th minute. Three minutes later, Bhushan Kujur finished off the match with another goal.
In a tight Pool C encounter, ONGC and PNB battled hard for a goal till Lakhwinder Singh Lally found the goal for the bank team.
Both teams earned two penalty corners each in the first half, but failed to convert. Just when it seemed that the match would end 0-0, PNB earned a penalty corner in the 66th minute, which Lakhwinder converted to pull off a big upset.
Today’s matches
Women: Rail Coach Factory vs Haryana XI, 2:00 pm
Men: Indian Oil vs Rail Coach factory, 3:30 pm; Bharat Petroleum vs Punjab Police, 5:00 pm
The Tribune
Faizal secures win for Terengganu
STAR-STUDDED Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) narrowly beat Tenaga Nasional 2-1 in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
And five-goal hero Faizal Saari, in their 7-0 demolition of UniKL, was again the toast for THT when he nailed the winner.
THT took the lead when Baljit Singh Sarjab scored off a penalty corner attempt in the 20th minute, only to see Tenaga Nasional draw level off a Shahril Saabah penalty corner in the 43rd minute.
The match was then separated by Faizal's 46th minute penalty corner goal, and THT held on tightly to the lead until the final whistle.
In another match, Sapura and UniKL played a robust game where walk-outs and umpire protests were plenty, before the University side were subdued.
Pakistan import Khasif Ali was the deciding factor in the match as he opened scoring in the 48th minute, before UniKL’s German import Phillipp Stahr equalised also off a penalty corner in the 56th minute. Kashif hit the winner off a penalty stroke attempt in the 57th minute.
RESULTS: Tenaga Nasional 1 Terengganu HT 2; Sapura 2 UniKL 1; KLHC 4 Maybank 1.
New Straits Times
Terengaanu and KLHC win to lead hockey league
By S. Ramaguru
Muhammad Shahril Saabah (right) of TNB fight for the ball with Terengganu's Syamiru Aiman during their Malaysia Hockey League match at Bukit Jalil Hockey Stadium on Sunday. - ROHAIZAT MD DARUS/ The STAR.
KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu bagged their second win in as many matches in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League to lead the standings.
They sent former champions Tenaga Nasional crashing to their second defeat with a 2-1 victory at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sunday.
On Friday, they thrashed UniKL 7-0. Tenaga on the other hand lost to defending champions KLHC 5-3.
The match started off on a fast pace. And Terengganu, with their better mobility, kept the pressure on Tenaga, with Faizal Saari again the man who dealt the killer blow.
His first contribution was an assist when his penalty corner, taken in the 20th minute, bounced back into play for S. Baljit Singh to slot home.
Tenaga drew level in the 44th minute through a Shahril Saabah’s penalty corner.
But Faizal had the final say with the winner in the 46th minute.
Tenaga coach Nor Saiful Zaini said that Faizal and Mohamed Firhan Azhaari’s move to Terengganu had weakened them considerably.
“You can easily see that. But I am proud of my players as they tried hard and showed overall improvement from the first game.
“We had our chances just like them but in the end you need to tuck it away to win,” he said.
In another match, the umpiring standard was brought into question due to several questionable decisions.
Sapura defeated UniKL 2-1 but the game could have easily turned ugly with Sapura questioning a penalty corner decision in the third quarter.
UniKL coach A. Arulselvaraj said that the umpiring was below par and there is an urgent need to address the issue.
“Let’s be honest the decision by the umpires was poor. It is just not against us but Sapura as well.
“I am not blaming them for the defeat entirely as we have to take responsibility for it too. We did play better than the first game and were more confident with our moves. Still we failed to hold on in the last five minutes,” he added.
Sapura took the lead in the 48th minute through their Pakistani import Kashif Ali off a penalty corner.
UniKL hit back in the 56th minute through German Phillip Stahr.
A minute later Sapura had a penalty corner and it ended up with a penalty stroke for them. Kashif was on target to give his team full points.
In the last match of the day, defending champions Kuala Lumpur HC defeated Maybank 4-1 to keep pace with the leaders.
KLHC scored their goals through Matthew Mallinson (eighth minute), Mohamed Razie Rahim (18), Harrison Page (20) and Akhtar Ali (46).
Maybank replied through Mohamed Zulhairi Hashim in the 19th minute off a penalty corner.
The Star of Malaysia
Pick one, MHC tell coach Arul
By Aftar Singh
Hockey coach A. Arulslvaraj with the National Juniors during a training session at the National Hockey Stadium in October.
JOHOR BARU: It’s a fact that coach S. Arulselvaraj has bitten off more than he can chew.
He is the National Juniors coach and also the interim national senior coach.
And now he is also coaching Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) for the Malaysian Hockey League (MHL), which begins on Oct 29.
So, it comes as no surprise that he has been given an ultimatum: continue training the National Juniors or be solely in charge of the national senior team.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) senior vice-president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad has also advised Arulselvaraj to give up his coaching position in UniKL to concentrate on the National Juniors.
“But Arulselvaraj will still be in charge of the national senior team for the World League second round tournament in Singapore (from Jan 17-25 next year) until we find a foreign coach,” said Nur Azmi.
“If we can’t get a foreign coach by the middle of next year, then we will hire a local.
“It’s difficult for a coach to handle both the junior and senior teams. We prefer Arulselvaraj to coach the National Juniors.”
Arulselvaraj also prefers to be in charge of the juniors because “the future of the Malaysian hockey is important”.
“I want to serve the country and I’d prefer to focus on the juniors.
“I’ve agreed to handle the senior team for the next three months in preparation for the World League round two tournament,” said Arulselvaraj, who led the National Juniors to a disappointing fifth placing in the Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament, which ended at the Taman Daya Stadium recently.
The Star of Malaysia
Perak’s U-14 hockey title slipping away after second loss
KUALA LUMPUR: Perak’s crown is fast slipping from their hands after just two days of the 1MAS-MHC-Milo Under-14 hockey championships.
On Sunday, the defending champions slumped to their second straight defeat when they were whipped 7-2 by Penang at the National Hockey Stadium at Bukit Jalil. On the opening day they were beaten by Selangor 4-2.
Meor Fitri Nur Iman was the hero for the Islanders with five goals.
His goals came in the 10th, 16th, 34th, 54th and 63rd minutes. Mohamed Afiq (55th) and Hasrul Hasraf (64th) were the other scorers. It was Penang’s second win in the group. On Saturday they had beaten Malacca 4-3.
East coast sides Kelantan and Terengganu started their Group B campaign on a winning note.
Kelantan defeated Negri Sembilan 4-1 while last year’s semi-finalists Terengganu beat Perlis 4-0.
Sabah lead the table in Group B after their opening day 7-1 win over former champions Kuala Lumpur.
All three teams have three points.
In the girls’ category, Kuala Lumpur started their campaign in Group B with a 2-1 win over Sabah.
KL took the lead through Hasya Shahida Saifuddin in the 48th minute off a field goal. Sabah equalised through Iren Hussain in the 52nd minute.
The Star of Malaysia
Tigers Dominant at Futures Cup
Futures Cup 2014 Day 4
The Saxon Tigers were victorious in both the Girls & Boys U18 competition as they ended the Futures Cup on a high.
The Tigers Girls went into the final full of confidence after yesterday’s excellent second half performance which saw them snatch a place in the final from Leopards. And they put Thursdays defeat against the Mercia Lynx behind them to once again come from behind to secure victory. Livvie Hopkinson’s early goal for the Lynx wasn't enough as a goal on the stroke of half time from Lucy Holder, followed by a second half goal from Kate Robinson won the cup for Tigers.
In the Girls playoff for third place, the Pumas improved from their performance on the opening day but still came up against a strong Leopards side who took third place. Naomi Kelly scored twice in a 3-1 victory.
The Saxon Tigers Boys carried the dominance they’d shown in the pool stages into the final to defeat the Wessex Leopards 3-1. It was a much improved performance from the Leopards from the day before, but they were unable to overcome a strong Tiger’s team who scored a total of 18 goals in the tournament, conceded just three to become worthy winners.
Mercia Lynx gained their revenge on the Pennine Pumas from Saturday to finish on a high. Coming from a goal down, the Lynx put in a strong performance to defeat the Pumas 5-2.
See below the final winners from the 2014 Futures Cup. Click HERE to find out all information from this year’s tournament, including results, scorers and final league tables.
Futures Cup Champions 2014
Boys U16 – Saxon Tigers
Girls U16 – Mercia Lynx
Boys U18 – Saxon Tigers
Girls U18 – Saxon Tigers
England Hockey Board Media release
Secret Umpire: Some hockey players are plain stupid - they'll never learn from their own red mist
Our undercover field hockey umpire, ensconced somewhere in England, has already experienced a 'carnage' game and says it won't be the last time this season either
By The Secret Umpire
Showing intent: hockey umpires have a hard task at lower level of the sport Photo: ADY KERRY
The simplest questions are often the most difficult to answer.
The two questions I get asked most often when umpiring are: "Did you not see that?" and the more unsubtle "Are you blind?"
Now, obviously the simple answer to the latter is "No", but I do find myself wanting to embellish the answer just a little with such phrases as, "Yes, actually, didn't you know all umpires are" ... "No, but I am deaf" ... "Only when you are involved."
There is most certainly a place for humour and building a relationship with players. However it is a very fine line to tread and all too often colleagues get it horribly wrong. It only leads to problems further down the line. Empathy is essential; belittling players is going to get you nowhere.
There are some players, though, who are simply stupid and just cannot help themselves but get in trouble during the course of the game.
I was fortunate - or unfortunate - enough to be able to offer my services to my local club a few weeks ago and they gladly took up my offer to umpire the an XI (let's say it was somewhere between the 8th and 15th XI's) in the local derby game.
To say it was carnage from the first whistle would be an understatement. The majority of the players on the pitch clearly had never been taught any of the basic rules of the game, nor were they prepared to listen to help and take advice as we went along.
Several cards ensued, with the highlight being a disgruntled defender who had not been given a decision in his circle for 'shirt pulling' (yes I was on a hockey pitch).
The red mist had clearly descended for in the next attack he charged at the aforementioned shirt puller like an enraged bull at a matador.
He made no attempt to tackle and simply crashed into the back of the shirt puller and floored him. It was an instant long yellow (a minimum of five minutes or a time I decide upon depending on the nature of the offence) and lots of comment from his own team about how stupid he was.
At the end of the game the players all thanked me for umpiring so well. If only they had learnt something from the experience then hockey will be better for it in the coming weeks. Somehow I doubt it.
The Telegraph
Narinder Batra included in FIH Executive Board
Narinder Batra. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt
In an honour for Narinder Batra, the Hockey India president has been included in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Executive Board as it concluded its 2014 Ordinary Congress in Marrakesh, Morocco.
During the event, a new ten-year strategy for hockey was launched and well-received by delegates.
The well-attended two-day event was titled the ‘Hockey Revolution Congress’ and delegates learnt about the Hockey Revolution — FIH’s ten-year strategy set to deliver a global sport, inspiring the next generation.
The FIH laid out ambitious goals for the next ten years for hockey around entertainment, professionalism, image and following. A clear strategy was outlined for hockey focusing on five key initiatives; fan-focused entertainment portfolio; world-class content creation and distribution; joined-up global marketing; commercial partners who share our vision and educate and empower programmes.
The 44th Congress welcomed five new national associations from three continents. From Africa — Burundi, Cameroon and Sierra Leone all became Sole Governing Member National Associations.
Vietnam join from Asia and Ha join from Pan-America, meaning FIH now has 132 National Associations.
Voting for Ordinary Members of the FIH Executive Board also took place for the positions of two female members, one male member and two open positions.
Of the two open positions, one is for the duration of two years only, to replace H.R.H. Prince Abdullah Shah following his appointment as the President of the Asian Hockey Federation, thereby automatically having a position on the Board.
The voting for the new Executive Board members began with the female vote. Maureen Craig-Rousseau from Trinidad and Tobago was elected and Pamela Stuper from the USA was re-elected to the Board.
The male place went to Dr. Narinder Batra from India. The two open positions saw the re-election of Marc Coudron from Belgium and Qasim Zia from Pakistan.
FIH president Leandro Negre said, “I am delighted that we have welcomed new National Associations to the FIH family.
The addition of these new members from all over the world, supports our new ambition, goals and strategy and ultimately, will help to raise the global status and popularity of hockey.
“My congratulations to the new Executive Board members and thanks to the members stepping down for their tireless effort and dedication. I am looking forward to the next two years of my tenure as FIH President, as we create a Hockey Revolution.”
The Hindu