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News for 11 December 2014

All the news for Thursday 11 December 2014


India meets Belgium in the quarterfinals

Y. B. Sarangi


TOUGH NUT TO CRACK: Belgium, which takes on India, is capable of forcing its way into the rival circle at an alarming pace with amazing consistency. Photo: Sandeep Saxena   

India needs to master the art of overcoming the odds as it locks horns with world No. 4 Belgium in the quarterfinals of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament at the Kalinga Stadium here on Thursday.

It is a coincidence that like in the previous edition India is meeting Belgium in the last eight.

The Asian Games champion will be keen to repeat its performance and see off the Red Lions in order to make the semifinals for the second consecutive time.

The unexpected 3-2 win over world No. 2 the Netherlands in its last pool match must have rejuvenated the home team, which suffered twice in succession due to its poor handling of pressure in the closing minutes.

The Indian defenders will need the virtues of a stoical yogi in order to stay unruffled till the end against Belgium, which is capable of forcing its way into the rival circle at an alarming pace with amazing consistency.

The way the Belgians rallied to hold world champion Australia 4-4 with a last second goal from the extremely-talented Tom Boon would be fresh in the minds of the Indians.

The strength of the side “featuring a strong midfield studded with its captain John-John Dohmen and Amaury Keusters and a potent strike force including Thomas Briels, Florent van Aubel and Boon” could be gauged from the fact that it was only the second team (except England) to finish its pool engagements without a defeat.

Utmost importance

Following two losses, India’s High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans gave utmost importance to the interchanges in the last quarter.

It paid off as the team managed to withstand the Dutch onslaught in the dying moments.

Still, plugging the gaps in defence remained the primary concern as the host conceded two penalty corners and a goal in the last three minutes.

Frittering away the lead almost immediately after scoring a goal is another area to work upon.

Against the Dutch, the world No. 9 showed improvement in finishing off moves.

More men from the midfield, led by the dependable Sardar Singh, assisted the frontliners in converting chances.

The excellent showing of young Gurjinder Singh, both as a drag-flicker and a supplier of accurate long rangers, helped the country immensely.

In spite of his 100-plus caps, Manpreet Singh, a key linkman, is still quite young at 22 years.

For him the win against the Netherlands is nothing less than ‘surreal’.

The victory over the European power house has given the Indian side enough confidence.

But the real challenge will be to sustain the good work in the remaining matches.

The “love and incredible support” of the fans should spur the team to walk the extra mile.

The Hindu



Belgium stand between India and semifinals

Indervir Grewal

Bhubaneswar - When England drew with Belgium on Tuesday and finished on the top of their pool table, there was quite a celebration around. Having already assumed that India would finish last in their pool, the popular sentiment was that England were easier opponents than Belgium.

Ironically, India pulled off an unexpected win over Netherlands and climbed to the third spot, setting up the quarterfinal clash with Belgium.

England are not an easy team to beat. It’s just that the way they play suits India. England play a tight game, but for most part of a match they defend in their own half. This gives the Indians room to rotate the ball and build attacks.

Belgium on the other hand, play fast and intimidating hockey. They defend high, giving no breathing space to their opponents. India are notorious for giving way under pressure, especially in the first few minutes.

At the World Cup, they conceded four goals within the first 25 minutes to Australia. It happened twice again at the CWG.

It has been a progressive year for India. They dominated possession in their draw against Spain at the World Cup and their win over New Zealand in the CWG semis. They beat Malaysia, Korea and Pakistan on their way to gold at Asian Games.

But none of these teams play as fast or as stifling hockey as the Belgians. Keeping the ball for long periods will be tough against Belgium. The movement of the ball will have to be fast and the central midfielders, Sardar Singh and Manpreet Singh, will be the key in the ball getting out of India’s half.

India have been structurally pretty sound till now. But at times they have been too eager going forward. They have tried to play high tempo hockey and have gotten carried away — leaving gaps at the back.

India will still be high from their win over the Netherlands. It was a display of fast, attacking hockey, though at times a bit haphazard. But it’s understandable. India had nothing to lose. But they had a lot to gain – a huge confidence boost.

However, India can’t afford to play the same way in the quarterfinals. Yesterday, the Dutch didn’t find their best form, making too many small mistakes. And the first two goals India scored — first was miraculous and the second a mistake by Netherlands’ reserve keeper — don’t come very often.

India will have to think about defending first, at least in the beginning. “We will have to defend better. We have tried to work on the lapses in defence and we have to see how it works out,” Indian coach Roelant Oltmans said.

Belgium go into the match as favourites and if India can keep them from scoring, frustration will set in. There is a possibility that the young Belgian team will get flustered and India will get chances. But Belgium being a very tight unit, the chances will be few and precious.

So far the forwards have been guilty of wasting too many scoring opportunities. They have not even been able to win many penalty corners — only six in three matches.

India beat Belgium 1-0 in the quarters of the 2012 Champions Trophy in Melbourne. Hopefully, with the vociferous crowd egging them on, India can repeat that feat and take a step closer to their first Champions Trophy medal since 1982.

The Tribune



Hasan Sardar wants green-shirts to be belligerent against Dutch

KARACHI: Hockey star Hasan Sardar has said Pakistan should play attacking game when they face the Netherlands in the first quarter-final of the Champions Trophy on Thursday.

Positive mindset and attacking game will help the green-shirts to at least reach the semi-finals.

He expressed hope that Pakistan beat the Netherlands. “It may be difficult, but with determination, spirit and excellence, Pakistan can topple the Dutch,” he said in an interview here on Wednesday.

Hasan added that he was highly disappointed with the performance of the forward line in the Champions Trophy so far.

“Our forward line played really well in the Asian Games but they struggled in India.

“The way our forwards moved in Asian Games with cohesion, I was hoping that they may put up a fighting show against European teams and Australia in Bhubaneswar,” he commented.

He said Pakistan had a jinx against European teams and Australia and they must overcome that mindset and problem.

“Without overcoming this jinx, Pakistan hockey team cannot improve and progress,” the gold medallist of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics said.

“Pakistan team’s serious hammering in Champions Trophy is great food for thought for Pakistan team management and for Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF),” he added.

Ace ex-centre forward Hasan Sardar said, Pakistan team’s man to man marking was poor and the team was lacking in ball possession.

He said the mid-field was better “but without generating attacks by the forwards nothing can be achieved”.

He called for Pakistan hockey team to play more matches against European clubs to overcome their hesitation against them.

He said European teams played the game with lots of body movement which caused trouble for Pakistan despite the fact that a number of Pakistan players play at various European clubs.

He said Indian players were improving because they were facing European players in league matches.

He said under the current scenario it will be a big challenge for Pakistan to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

Former ace goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed, after seeing the national team’s disastrous performance in India, demanded for an operation clean-up in team and management.

He said the green-shirts remained the only Asian team to have won the competition three times in 1978, 1980 and 1994.

“After watching Pakistan’s performance in this particular event, it seems that the players and management have no coordination within themselves and as a result the team is losing consistently,” he said.

Mansoor said captain Mohammad Imran had completed the hat-trick of losing matches.

“In the mage event, departments of goalkeeping and penalty corners have failed badly,” he said, adding, “We need to change the level of fitness and training of players in order to meet international standards.”

Mansoor said players lacked fitness during the event therefore they could not fulfil expectations of PHF and nation.

“Coach Shahnaz Sheikh did not train the players well according to event’s requirements,” he said.

Mansoor urged the PHF to develop a new pool of young and talented players who could carry on the team in future.

He added that captaincy should be handed over to a younger guy as now Imran is 35 years old and has enjoyed his stint for years.

Thursday’s quarter-finals (all times PST):

Pakistan vs Netherlands 11:00am; Australia vs Argentina 1:15pm; England vs Germany 4:45pm; India vs Belgium 7:00pm.

Dawn



Pakistan face Dutch as Champions Trophy enters knock-out phase

BHUBANESWAR - The four Hero Champions Trophy quarter-finals are ready to roll with a series of fascinating match-ups between the giants of the game. Here are the key facts and figures on each of the runners and riders and how they have fared against their next opponent in the Champions Trophy in the past.

Netherlands v Pakistan

The Netherlands against Pakistan is one of the classic Champions Trophy contests with the nations meeting a massive 34 times. The Dutch have held a clear advantage in recent times with Pakistan not beating them in their last 12 games, dating back to 1998. Indeed, the last time the Netherlands missed out on the top four was in 1986 but Pakistan enjoy knock-out hockey and won their quarter-final against Germany in 2012 in Melbourne en route to a bronze medal.

The Dutch topped Pool B with wins over Argentina and Germany but were undone 3-2 by hosts India. Pakistan are looking for their first win of the competition after losses to England, Belgium and Australia. The Netherlands’ ace drag-flicker Mink van der Weerden knows the opponents reasonably well. He plays his club hockey with Rashid Mehmood and Muhammad Rizwan Senior at Oranje Zwart and describes them both as “seriously skillful”.

Rizwan Senior’s focus is “We must win in the quarter-finals; there is no other option.” Dutch coach Max Caldas’ echoes his sentiments, saying “a quarter-final is do or die."

Argentina v Australia

Champions Trophy experts Australia are going for a sixth successive win in the competition and have never lost to Argentina in the competition in their four previous meetings. But World Cup bronze medalists Argentina are in the mood for breaking records as they showed with their 3-0 win over Germany; this was their biggest ever win in the Champions Trophy and they would dearly love to get into the final for the first time. Their counter-attacking style yielded great benefits in wins over India and the Germans with Joaquim Menini, Matias Paredes, Agustin Mazilli and Lucas Vila all shining.

The last time world champions Australia missed out on the top four, however, was in 2002 so it will be a huge effort for Los Leones. The Australians did struggle for consistency in their 4-4 draw with Belgium and 3-1 loss to England. But Chris Ciriello said “a greater focus on defence” helped underpin a 3-0 win over Pakistan and show their attacking intentions.

England v Germany

For England and Germany,  it is a classic European battle. The former have impressed so far as the tournament’s top scorers so far with 12 goals in three outings. Newcomer Sam Ward has scored three of them from open play despite only receiveing his call up seven days before the tournament’s start.

They beat Germany the last time the two sides met in the Champions Trophy, a 4-1 success in Melbourne which was England’s first success in this fixture. Germany, meanwhile, have not made the top four since 2010 and captain Tobias Hauke says that, after a slow start to the competition, his team must produce a big performance. The Olympic champions have seven Junior World Cup winners from 2013 in their squad, starting off with a narrow 1-0 win over India following defeats to Netherlands (1-4) and Argentina (0-3).

“We have to win on Thursday,” he said. “Otherwise the second half of this tournament will be quite tough. We had three games to find ourselves and prepare for the quarter-final but what happens on Thursday is what counts.” England coach Bobby Crutchley, meanwhile, says his side is feeling good after an unbeaten group phase with wins over Pakistan and Australia and a draw with Belgium. “I am really pleased with how we did in the group. As we know, in this format, it is now playing your best hockey in the knock-out phase and that’s our challenge.”

Belgium v India

The two sides have met only once previously in the Champions Trophy, India winning 1-0 in the quarter-finals in Melbourne in 2012 – the first time this format has been used for the competition.

Belgium bounced back to finish fifth last time while India ended a place ahead in fourth. And the hosts will be gunning to claim a medal for the first since the bronze they landed all the way back in 1982. Their 3-2 win over the Netherlands on Tuesday evening in front of a packed house at the Kalinga Stadium has given the team real confidence – a game coach Roelant Oltmans said “nobody expected us to win”.

This put India third in Pool B ahead of Germany.

He did add that his side “need to rectify some mistakes and need to stop conceding goals after scoring one” if they are to test the effervescent Belgians. With the trickery of Manpreet Singh and Akashdeep Singh, allied to the pace of SV Sunil, they have plenty of threats going forward while goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has been in immaculate form between the posts.

For unbeaten Belgium, finishing second in Pool A, Vincent Vanasch has also been in top form in goal while they showed immense fighting spirit to come back from 3-0 down to draw with Australia 4-4 in their group.

The Nation



India must execute its plan well, says coach Oltmans

 
Roelant Oltmans. Photo: Sandeep Saxena

High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans said India must execute its plan well in order to go past a strong Belgium side in Thursday’s quarterfinal clash of the Champions Trophy hockey tournament.

After India’s training session at the Kalinga Stadium here on Wednesday, Oltmans said the home side had done its home work. “We have a chance. It depends on how we execute our plan. Belgium is a good side with a strong defence. I know their structure. They have improved a lot,” said the Dutchman.

Speaking about India’s 3-2 win over Netherlands in the last pool match, Oltmans said, “the tournament did not end yesterday. It is starting tomorrow.”

Oltmans said it was not proper to react on every win and loss.

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. This year we have beaten the top three teams (Australia, Netherlands and Germany) in the world. It is about the process.”

Sardar Singh said it did not matter that India had beaten Belgium in the same tournament two years ago. “They have improved a lot and it is a different game.”

The Indian captain said the mood in the home camp was good after the victory over the Dutch side. “This was the first win over them in 10 years of my career. The young boys are happy and you can see their body language.”

Meanwhile, Birendra Lakra did not train and might sit out of the quarterfinals.

The Hindu



Roelant Oltmans: We are trying to find the answers

s2h Team

If words of Indian chief coach Roelant Oltmans is to be believed, Indian team is aware of the strength of tomorrow's rival, Belgium and are finding right answers to tackle them in tomorrow's encounter.

India and Belgium will play the quarterfinal of the 35th Hero Champions Trophy tomorrow after having a rest day today.

"Yes, you all pointed out strengths of Belgium team. And also reminded me of past victories of them. What I can say at this juncture is that we are aware of every strong point of Belgium, our strength and weaknesses. We will try to find answers for all those problems in tomorrow's encounter, which is crucial to get the semifinal spot", Roelant said today evening after training the team for about an hour on the main turf.

"Belgium is a vastly improved side over the years", he added smillingly.

Oltmans again repeated the fact that India played well in previous two matches too though the outcome was not in favour of his team. He then added the third match went our way, but it was not the first match of the tournament.

"The tournament did not start on yesterday(When India defeated The Netherlands) or going to finish tomorrow. Champions Trophy is a big tournament, every day every match is crucial for the team to improve" he elaborated.

On pointed out that the team is not generating enough penalty corners, he said: "Defence techniques have improved a lot. No team allows circle penetration and is strong in avoiding mistakes inside circle. What is important therefore is availing the chances. The other day the Dutch hardly got three chances and struck twice. They also did not get many penalty corners, or for that matter no team is getting many penalty corners. Because of improved defence techniques".

That's why we resort to long pushes and deflection for goals as we tried against Argentina", the relaxed coach explained with patience.

Sharp and unforgiving, Belgium has been troubling India, especially scoring in the dying moments of matches. But Oltmans is not going to be guided by the history.

"I don't want to go into past, long stats etc. I as a coach witnessed only just a match going that way (World Cup opener in June this year)".

Belgium defeated India at The Hague World Cup scoring a goal in the last 12 seconds, and then here in Bhubaneswar it struck just a solitary second remained for the hooter. Australia conceded a penalty corner goal, leading to 4-4 draw.

India need to go for goals, and also able to safeguard them tomorrow to make it to the semis

It is worthwhile to mention here that India defeated Belgium in the quarterfinal of the last Champions Trophy in Melbourne before going down to the hosts in the Semis.

Stick2Hockey.com



Shahnaz seeks Asian help for Pakistan hockey revival

BHUBANESWAR: Pakistan hockey coach Shahnaz Sheikh would like other Asian countries to help the former powerhouses extricate themselves from a dismal state caused by a lack of funds.

“We’ve hardly played any hockey over the past two years,” Shahnaz said at the Champions Trophy, where Pakistan were the only team to finish without a point in the pool stage.

“It is for other countries in Asia, mainly India, to play bilateral series with us so that we can gain financially.”

Pakistan were able to participate only due to a private sponsorship from a businessman, and the financial constraints meant they missed the Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia.

Pakistan did not field a team at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games due to a split in its national Olympic association, and it failed to qualify for the World Cup in the Netherlands.

“It’s up to the others to realise our contribution to the game. Pakistan instituted the World Cup [in 1971] and the Champions Trophy [in 1978], and it will only benefit the game if we do well,” Shahnaz said on Tuesday.

He was a star forward of the 1970s, who was a member of the inaugural Champions Trophy-winning team in 1978 and in whose name a new hockey stadium is being built in Rawalpindi.

Pakistan have had a forgettable tournament, falling 8-2 to England, 3-0 to Australia, and 2-1 to Belgium.

In a tournament in which all teams make the quarter-finals, Pakistan will face the Netherlands on Thursday.

“Our match against Belgium was the first against a European team in more than a year,” Shahnaz said. “Moreover, one should not forget that we are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament at 11, and are also here in a bid to develop a side for the future. “There is bound to be a lack of temperament if we don’t get to play other teams. The pressures of international hockey are different, and it will take time to regain our position.

“If we play 25-30 matches, we’ll be a different lot. You should appreciate that we are still playing a positive and aggressive game despite our limitations. We did not make any big claims when we departed, and everyone back home understands our problems.”

Pakistan captain Mohammad Imran acknowledged their limitations.

“We understand what mistakes we are making, but need to iron out all of them quickly to compete at the top level,” Imran said.

Dawn



We're mentally stronger after beating the Dutch: Olltmans

BHUBANESWAR: India's high performance director Roelant Oltmans wants the team to forget about the victory against the Netherlands and concentrate on their quarterfinals against Belgium to be played here at Kalinga Stadium on Thursday.

Speaking on the eve of the match, Olltmans said, "Belgium is a good defending side and it's going to be a difficult game. But we have prepared well for the match and now it's all about executing the plans into details."

Even though he didn't want to ponder on victory against Netherlands, he was happy with the improvement of the side.

"We came into the tournament aiming to improve every game and we have been able to do that over the three group matches. Now it's all about giving our best on Thursday and make sure we come out on top," he said.

Captain Sardar Singh, meanwhile, believes the win again the Dutch side will help the team to have a moral advantage going into the quarterfinals. "Big wins always help you grow in confidence and the win o on Tuesday will help us to be mentally stronger for Thursday's match.

Apart from this win, our performance has also helped us to grow in n morale over the year," he said.

Belgium coach Jeroen Delmee, on the other hand, spoke highly of the Indian side. "They are a dangerous team and have n high-quality players," he said.

The Times of India



Lakra still unfit, doubtful for quarters against Belgium

BHUBANESWAR: Senior Indian defender Birendra Lakra is a doubtful starter in Thursday's crucial quarterfinal clash against fourth-ranked Belgium as he is yet to recover from his back injury, said India's high performance director Roelant Oltmans.

Lakra, who experienced the problem after India's 2-4 defeat against Argentina match, has also missed the last their last Pool B match against the Netherlands, which the home team won 3-2 to register their first win over the Dutch in 18 years.

"Birendra didn't play yesterday and he hardly trained today. So he is still a concern. Chances are that he may not play tomorrow. Apart from him, there are no other injuries. All the other boys are fit," Oltmans told reporters on the eve of their quarterfinal clash at the Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday.

In Belgium, India face a tough opponent on Thursday but Oltmans said they are confident of a good result.

"In every match, we have a chance. What we have to do is execute our plans. Defensively, Belgium is very strong. They are a very good defending side and they are deadly in converting small chances. We know their structure, we know how they play. It is a very difficult game there is no doubt about it. But we will try to produce a good result," he said.

"We are looking forward to it. We have confidence but at the same time we know it will be tough. Belgium has really improved in the last couple of years. It is an opportunity for us to show we can compete consistently at the top level. It is a challenge for us to make that happen tomorrow."

For Oltmans, who is doubling up as coach in the tournament after Terry Walsh's exit, the victory over the Netherlands is a thing of the past.

"The tournament is not about winning a pool game against Holland. The tournament did not end yesterday it started yesterday. What we were aiming for was improvement in our game execution and I think we succeeded in that for a big part," the legendary Dutchman said.

India captain Sardar Singh said the confidence of the team is definitely on a high after Tuesday's win.

"We started well but we need to work on our communication. But we gained a lot of confidence after the win over Holland. It was a good game. The coordination among the players is good," he said.

The Times of India



Manpreet: Beginning of the tough road ahead

Tazeen Qureshy

India’s win against World number two Netherlands has come as a welcome surprise for everyone who has been following Indian hockey. India, who was already reeling under the pressure of two defeats from the previous two match surprised everyone after winning against the World Cup silver medalists after 18 years.

The man of the match Manpreet Singh who netted India’s second goal, and played a crucial role in the mid-field, says that the team was looking forward to the win to make up for the other two losses.

“The format of the tournament is such that we knew every team will play the quarter-final. So, mentally, we were not under any pressure. But, we did not want to lose all the three matches of the pool stage. So, each of the player gave effort and overall everyone has contributed for the win,” Manpreet says.

“Netherlands is a tough team to beat. But we had decided to play attacking game. We also had a look at the video analysis of the match. We knew that we could win if we apply the tactics we had planned against them.”

But, winning against Netherlands is just the beginning of the tough road ahead. India will now play Belgium, who is already in a good shape. “Yes, Belgium will be a tough team. But Netherlands was also a tough team and we played well. We will play well against Belgium as well.”

Stick2Hockey.com



Strange format

“The first three matches don't matter as all the teams will reach the quarterfinals,” German captain Moritz Furste said after their 3-0 loss to Argentina. The new format of the eight-team even is such that all the teams play the quarterfinals. German coach Marcus Weise expressed his dislike for the new format. "Every team in the quarterfinals; it's strange for me. I don't like it. I prefer the old format, with six teams," Weise said. The old format, before it was changed in 2011, had six teams playing each other in one pool. The top two teams played the final. Germany, however, will benefit the most from the new format if they can manage to beat England in their quarterfinals. While England topped their pool with seven points, Germany managed just one win to finish last in their pool.

The Tribune



Coaches unhappy with 8-team format in Champions Trophy, want old system

BHUBANESWAR: The new format of the men's Champions Trophy hockey competed by eight countries on Wednesday came in for criticism from the coaches of the participating teams who all feel that the current system was "unfair" and want to return to the old six-team format.

Till 2010, six best teams of the world used to participate in the prestigious Champions Trophy but from 2012 edition in Melboure onwards, International Hockey Federation (FIH) introduced the eight-team format by allotting wild card entries to lower-ranked teams -- India and Pakistan

"I am not in favour of this format. In the current format a team can lose all their pool matches and still can go on to win the tournament. It is not fair," Olympic champions Germany's coach Markus Weise said.

"This format was introduced just to accommodate two more teams. I am always in favour of the old format of six teams," he said.

According to the current format, eight teams are divided in two pools to play against each other in their respective groups.

But the pool matches hold little significance as a team will qualify for the quarterfinals even after losing all their pool games and then can go on to win the title.

It is a known fact that the FIH has introduced the eight-team format to include Asian powerhouses India and Pakistan in the tournament as the two nations have been languishing outside the top six bracket in the world rankings for some time now.

"The format is a difficult one. I do not particularly like it. But that is what we have got to play. We knew about the format when we started the tournament. But for us, we just want to play good hockey. For us every game is important," England coach Bob Crutchley said.

Argentina coach Carlos Retegui aired similar views but said if FIH persists with eight-team format then the quarterfinal round should be abolished.

"I do not like this type of format. But in this format we would have liked two top teams from each pool entering the semifinals instead of the quarterfinal stage," Retegui said.

The Times of India



Pic of the day


Bhubaneswar: Pakistan team leaves after their  practice session to their Hotel room with police  escorts . They will be playing against Netherlands on 11th December in the Champions Trophy Hockey for Men on 10th December 2014 in Bhubaneswar.  Photo: Vino John/a2zfotos

If any newspaper/media outlet or National Association would like photos from the Men's Champions Trophy, please contact Vino John of a2zfotographics who is an excellent freelance Hockey photo journalist and who will be at Bhubaneswar.

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www.a2zfotographics.com

 



Fijians in top form

Rashneel Kumar


The Fiji men's hockey team after beatIng Australia Country yesterday. Picture: JONE LUVENITOGA

THE Fiji men's side made a grand comeback to beat Australia Country 6-4 in a thrilling encounter in the Oceania Pacific Cup and World Hockey League Series Round One competition at the National Hockey Centre in Suva yesterday.

The win earned the side the Hector Trophy and put them in the driving seat for a place in the final on Saturday.

The Shaun Corrie-coached side was down 0-2 but fought back to level the game before winning it in the penalty shootout.

The visitors looked to have taken the maximum points from the match but the Hector Smith Jr-skippered side fought back in the dying stages of the match to clinch the crucial win.

Smith Jr scored first followed by the leveller from Leevan Dutta who scored from a stroke.

In the penalty shootout, the national side managed to outsmart the Aussies to win the match 6-4.

The win also puts Fiji firm favourites for a place in the World Hockey League Series Round One.

A win against Papua New Guinea today will confirm their place in the world meet to be played in Singapore next year.

In the other men's match yesterday, undefeated New Zealand Presidents XI thrashed Samoa 13-1 to maintain its lead on 12 points after four matches followed by Fiji, which has a match on hand, on nine points.

In the women's competition, New Zealand Presidents XI extended its lead after 4-0 win over Samoa yesterday.

Fiji women's went down to Australia Country 1-2 in the final match last night.

This mean's the national side is placed third on three points and will need a win over PNG to have any chance of making the World Hockey League.

The Fiji Times



Host nation topples Australians in 'thrilling' hockey tournament

Hosts Fiji have had a memorable day at the international hockey festival in Suva with their men's side defeating Australian Country after a penalty shoot out, while the Fijian women lost their encounter with the Australian invitational team by just a goal, 2-1 the score.

In other matches played on day four of the tournament that combines the Oceania Pacific Cup and action in the World Hockey League, the NZ President's XI thrashed Samoa 13-1 in the men's event and defeated PNG 4-nil in the women's competition, while Samoa's women lost 1-nil to Vanuatu.

Pam Elgar, president of the Oceania Hockey Federation, says the Fiji/ Australia game was a proud moment for hockey in the Pacific.

Radio Australia



Indian colts beat Australia 4-2 in fourth hockey test

BRISBANE: Indian junior hockey team pulled off a 4-2 win against Australia in the fourth match of the five-match test series on Wednesday.

The games are being played at Gold Coast in preparation for the 2015 Men's Junior Asia Cup.

The match began with both teams playing a defensive game. Indian men were seen in their full form after scoring their first goal of the match which came through the stick of Arman Qureshi. The second goal was scored by Sumit Toppo which came as a field goal closely followed by Parvinder Singh who stroked effortlessly the third goal.

The Australian failed to capitalise opportunities to find the net after the two penetrations. Desperate to avenge the lead, Australia did not lose hope and continued to make a number of attempts.

The Indian colts made up for the loss after going down in the last match.

Maintaining the supremacy, it was Qureshi again, who struck a beautifully crafted field goal to finish the game.

The Times of India



A stunner from Maybank

By Jugjet Singh

MAYBANK turned giantkillers when they beat league champions Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) 3-2 in the first leg of the TNB Cup semi-finals in Kuala Terengganu yesterday.

In the other semi-final, Tenaga and Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club played to a 1-1 draw, setting the stage for both return legs to be explosive affairs. Razie Rahim (12th) scored for KLHC, while Izad Hakimi (51st) replied for Tenaga.

The Tigers were trailing by a goal when THT’s Fitri Saari scored a field goal in the 31st minute, but Jiwa Mohan (36th) and Shakeel Abassi (45th) gave Maybank the lifeline they needed.

Even though Baljit Singh Sarjab leveled the score to 2-2 for THT in the 50th minute, Pakistan import Shakeel nailed the win with a 58th minute field goal.

It was a first defeat for THT in their backyard. The only other team to beat THT were KLHC, who won 2-1 in the first round of the league at Bukit Jalil. It was only the second win for Maybank this season.

The second leg will be played in Bukit Jalil tomorrow.

“I can say that we were quite lucky to beat THT as we lost to them 6-1 in Terengganu and 4-3 in Kuala Lumpur in the league. The second leg is still there to play and the celebrations will be on hold until we finish the other four quarters,” said Maybank coach Wallace Tan.

THT coach Sarjit Singh said Maybank goalkeeper Moritz Knobloch played exceptionally well, but he is confident his charges will bounce back in the return leg.

“Maybank’s penalty corner run-out was super clean while their German goalkeeper was also at his best to stop my strikers. But we have the return leg to make amends, and I am confident we will win and advance to the final,” said Sarjit.

Results — Semi-finals first leg: Terengganu HT 2 Maybank 3; Tenaga 1 Kuala Lumpur HC 1.

Tomorrow — return leg: Maybank v Terengganu HT (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 6pm); Kuala Lumpur HC v Tenaga (Bukit Jalil Pitch II, 8pm).

New Straits Times



Maybank stun league champions in semis

By Aftar Singh AND Joseph Kaos


KLHC's Mohd Noor Faeez (left) dribbles past Tenaga's Mohd Najib Abu Hassan (bottom) during their first-leg semi-final of the TNB Malaysian Hockey League 2014 at the National Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.- M. Azhar Arif/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Maybank created the biggest upset in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) when they came back from a goal down to stun League champions Terengganu 3-2 in the first leg semi-final match at the Kuala Terengganu Municipal Hockey Stadium.

The return leg will be played at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday.

In the other semi-final match, Tenaga Nasional also staged a fightback to hold overall defending champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) to a 1-1 draw.

In Kuala Terengganu, Pakistan’s Shakeel Abassi was the toast of the team, netting two goals in the third and fourth quarters to steer Maybank to only their second win in the league on Wednesday.

The Tigers defeated Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) 4-1 in the second leg quarter-finals on Sunday for a 5-4 aggregate victory.

For the fancied Terengganu, it was their second defeat as they were beaten 2-1 by Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in a league match.

Forward Fitri Saari gave Terengganu the lead in the 31st minute off a field attempt but Maybank equalised five minutes later through Jiwa Mohan off a penalty corner.

Terengganu, however, regained the lead in the 50th minute off a penalty corner converted by Baljit Singh Sarjab.

But Shakeel was on fire as he put Maybank on level terms in the 45th minute with a field attempt before netting the winner in the 58th minute off a penalty corner.

Maybank coach Wallace Tan said it is never easy to beat a strong team like Terengganu at their home.

“We were lucky to beat them as we lost to them twice in the league matches (4-3 at Bukit Jalil and 6-1 in the away match).

“We are not celebrating just yet as it is ain’t over. We still have return leg to play,” said the former national coach.

Terengganu coach Sarjit Singh, however, was not to concern with the defeat.

“We created a lot of chances but Maybank goalkeeper Moritz (Knobloch of Germany) made a number of good saves.

“Their runners also did well to stop our penalty corner set-pieces. However, I am confident we will win the return-leg and qualify for the final,” added Sarjit.

Penalty corner specialist Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim gave KLHC the lead in the 12th minute by converting a penalty corner. It was his 12th goal in the MHL.

But Tenaga fought back to equalise in the 51st minute through defender Mohd Izad Hakimi Jamaluddin.

KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj said they started off well in the first two quarters.

“But my players lost their concentration in the third and fourth quarters. We could have lost due to unforced errors we made,” said Dharmaraj.

The Star of Malaysia



Openda to strengthen Orange squad for next season

By BRIAN YONGA


Telkom Kenya Head of Corporate Communications Angela Mumo and the Telkom Orange ladies hockey team coach, Jos Openda. The champions will sign new players to bolster their forward line up for next season. FILE PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Kenya women hockey champions Telkom Orange will sign new players to bolster their forward line up for next season.

Telkom won a record 17th league crown on Sunday after beating Strathmore Scorpions 3-2 on penalties in the women’s final after a 2-2 draw.

However, Orange coach Jos Openda says he is concerned by his team’s wastefulness noting that he needs to inject fresh blood in his forward line which includes Hellen Chemtai, Jackline Jow and Terry Juma all of whom are over 30 years.

Openda admitted that he was unhappy with his forwards whom he said almost cost his team the final.

“I expected much more from my forwards especially after our good performance at the Africa Club Championships in Zimbabwe. Our wastefulness almost cost us the title,” Openda said.

Orange’s top scorer this season was Jackline Jow who finished with seven goals, five less than Strathmore’s Gilly Okumu who finished top of the scoring charts despite missing the final due to an injury.

CREATIVE PLAYERS

“The important is that we won the league again but my main concern is our forward line where we will need to bring on board a few creative players for next season.” Openda added.

Though he did not mention names, Openda said most of their new players will come from the Telkom Young Rovers which is the team’s developmental side. He also did not rule out chances of signing players from other teams.

Last season Lillian Aura joined Orange from rivals Strathmore Scorpions and went on to win a double with the club in her first season.

Daily Nation

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