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News for 16 December 2014

All the news for Tuesday 16 December 2014


Historic welcome awaits green-shirts

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Hockey Federation has planned historic welcome for the national hockey team at the Wagah border on Tuesday and made a passionate appeal to the people to receive the players who brought laurels for the country.

Pakistan Hockey Federation President Akhtar Rasool, Secretary General Rana Mujahid Ali and a large number of former Olympians will receive the team at the Wagah border, said a press-release issued by the PHF here on Monday.

The team will reach at the Wagah at 11:30am (Pakistan time) and will be brought to Lahore in a motorcade procession.

In a statement, Rana Mujahid said that Pakistan players reached the final of the Champions Trophy after a long gap of 16 years which was a great achievement for a team deprived of international hockey because of various reasons. He said though the team lost to Germany in the final yet our players were real champions who beat the Netherlands in the quarter-final and India in the semi-final on their home ground.

He added that the PHF with the fervent support of people will receive the champions in a befitting manner.

“I invite every Pakistani to reach the Wagah border to give very warm welcome to the national team that won silver medal in the Champions Trophy in India,” urged Rana.

He hoped that the Lahore-ites will maintain their cherished tradition and will throng the Wagah border to extend a befitting welcome to the Pakistan team.

Mujahid paid tribute to the players and said they performed marvellously in the field amid odd conditions to reach into the final of the mega event.

He said standing on the victory stand with their heads high was a great honour for the players who demonstrated extreme national pride and love in extremely hostile conditions.

Hoisting of the national flag on the victory stand was a wonderful feat which will go a long way in the progress and development of hockey in Pakistan.

Rana thanked the sponsors who came forward to support the financially strapped PHF and revealed that without their support it could have become difficult for the federation to send the team to participate in the Champions Trophy.

“I am extremely delighted that the players didn’t disappoint those who invested their money on them.

“Their splendid performance has infused a new life in the national game which has been given a step motherly treatment.

“I hope that now more sponsors will join hands with the PHF to strengthen the national game at the grass-roots level,” he said.

Dawn



Pakistani players to get grand welcome by PHF

KARACHI: Pakistan Hockey Federation has planned a grand welcome for its team, which finished runners-up in the just-concluded Champions Trophy, when the players return home on Tuesday via the Wagah border.

The grand welcome is being organised amid a souring of relationship with India over the boorish behaviour of Pakistan players after their semifinal win over their arch rivals in Bhubaneswar.

Pakistan Hockey Federation secretary Rana Mujahid, without making any reference to the strong reaction from Hockey India, said he would appeal to all former Olympians and fans to greet the team at the Wagah border.

He said the team would be brought to Lahore in a motorcade procession.

"The team reached the final of the Champions Trophy after a long gap of 16 years which was a great achievement for a team deprived of international hockey because of various reasons," he said.

He said though the team lost to Germany in the final, the players did an excellent job by beating Holland and India on their home ground en route to final.

"I invite every Pakistani to reach the Wagah border to give warm welcome to the national team that won silver medal in the Champions Trophy in India," Mujahid said.

Even though Pakistan team management has been forced to issue a public apology for the obscene behaviour of some players after the semifinal match against India, the reaction in Pakistan has been generally in favour of the players.

A senior official of the PHF admitted that relations with India had soured after the incident but was hopeful things would settle down soon.

"We feel there was an over-reaction in Indian media to what happened after the semifinal match and we want to let the players know we support them by giving them a historic welcome on Tuesday," he added.

Former Olympian Qamar Ibrahim defended the players, saying that the emotions they had shown were understandable after beating India.

"The Indians did nearly the same celebrations after beating us in the Asia Cup final. They also indulged in boorish behaviour against Australia but strangely the FIH had nothing to say on that," Ibrahim said.

The Pakistani players are expected to be rewarded with cash prizes when they return home after reaching the final of the Champions Trophy.

The Times of India



Pakistan finally back on the global hockey map

By Nabil Tahir


Former hockey stars, including Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officials, praised the team’s second-place finish at the tournament and hoped that the achievement is a step forward towards the revival of the national sport’s lost glory. PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan hockey’s long-awaited resurgence may finally be realised as the Greenshirts clinched silver at the Champions Trophy after 16 years.

Former hockey stars, including Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) officials, praised the team’s second-place finish at the tournament and hoped that the achievement is a step forward towards the revival of the national sport’s lost glory.

The Greenshirts had not faced a European side for 18 months, but reached the final after 16 years, having last done so in 1998 in Lahore.

Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Arsalan Qadir and captain Muhammad Imran were the top-scorers for Pakistan; scoring four, three and two respectively.

“For us, this is like a gold medal because it’s been such a long time since we contested in the final of the Champions Trophy and especially after we were out of international hockey for a long time,” said Irfan. “Winning against India [in the semi-final] makes it even more special.”

Olympian and chief selector Islahuddin Siddiqui said a medal in the tournament was great news for the sport in the country. “It’s a step forward for the team,” Siddiqui told The Express Tribune. “They have shown that they have the ability to revive the glory of the past.”

However, Siddiqui also warned the team against complacency as the second-placed finish has increased the responsibilities on the team.

“It is good progress but we shouldn’t forget that other teams did a lot of experiments by including their young players,” he added. “Our target is the 2016 Rio Olympics and we have a tough qualification round.”

PHF secretary Rana Mujahid also termed the silver medal a huge achievement. “Pakistan lost the final against India at the Asian Games and finishing second at the tournament, which is a huge boost,” said Mujahid. “This team consists of junior players, who came under pressure in the group matches but recovered well in the knockout stages, which shows the team’s future is bright,” he added.

The head coach of the Pakistan Team, Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh, was also content with the results and added that he was happy to repeat the feat of 1998, when he also was the coach.

“It was their best performance in recent years,” Sheikh told The Express Tribune from India. “The best thing was that we adopted our old style of play, which is attacking hockey and our new plan – 9-11 – worked well against India.”

Germany win after seven years

The Olympic medallists lifted their 10th Champions Trophy after a gap of seven years, having last won in 2007 after edging out Australia 1-0 in the final at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Australia the winner of the last five editions won bronze with a 2-1 victory against hosts India in the third place play-off.

The Express Tribune



Pakistan hockey must buckle up

By Emmad Hameed


Germany soundly defeated Pakistan and India, despite their callous behaviour, continue to rule the roost in hockey. PHOTO: AFP

In what has become a rather unfortunate tradition, the Indian sport federations continue to bully their counterparts from other countries through the unabashed use of their financial muscle and the clout that they enjoy.

The Pakistan hockey team is the latest victims as they paid the price for knocking out India in the semi-final.

Rather shrewdly, Hockey India (HI) succeeded in overcoming the loss of their team at the hands of their bitter rivals in a knock-out game by skewing the attention towards the celebrations of Pakistan players.

Pakistan had tendered an apology soon after the incident and initially, after declining to punish the players, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) caved into the unreasonable demands made by HI President Narendra Batra.

As a result of Batra’s call for action against Pakistan, the FIH slapped sanctions on Muhammad Touseeq and reserve goalkeeper Amjad Ali, with the duo barred from playing the final against Germany. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) chose to comply with the ruling and took the field for the final sans their main playmaker Touseeq.

PHF secretary Rana Mujahid, who himself was a victim of violent crowd behaviour in India 25 years ago, has vowed to take up the case whenever the executive board meets next.

But the final has already been played. Germany soundly defeated Pakistan and India, despite their callous behaviour, continue to rule the roost in hockey.

In the years ahead, Pakistan’s sports bodies need to buckle up and take the Indian shenanigans head-on. The best and perhaps the only way of fighting back is by handing over the reins to those who can take the bull by the horns. India’s financial strength is no license to exercise their authority.

Pakistan must also know that they are not going to be served their rights on a platter; they need to be adequately equipped.

The Express Tribune



The finger can only be pointed at the players

By Taha Anis


Instead of celebrating their win with grace, they decided to take their shirts off and indulge in unwarranted gestures at the crowd. PHOTO: AFP

When Muhammad Arsalan Qadir, and all of his 20 years, slammed a reverse-hit into the back of the net, Bhubaneswar was stunned into silence.

For 59 minutes, the Greenshirts were surely subjected to a torment of abuse but they had the final laugh; they prevailed where it mattered, they were into the final, they conquered India, arch-rivals India, on their own turf. But instead of celebrating their win with grace, they decided to take their shirts off and indulge in unwarranted gestures at the crowd. It resulted in two players being banned for the final and while many will question the way IHF backtracked on its initial decision to take no further action, the bottom line is that the blame lies only at the feet of the Pakistan players or, to be more precise, at their fingers. It was they who left themselves susceptible to the consequences, had they shown a little more restraint and professionalism, none of this would have happened.

These are international players – young, yes; inexperienced, yes; but international players nonetheless – and it is not fitting for an international player to react to the abuse of the crowd, no matter what the sport may be. Yes, there have been cases where players have gotten away with it (Virat Kohli), but there have also been cases where they haven’t (Wayne Rooney).

Pakistan hockey was apologetic in the aftermath, but the damage had been done, and all the bouquets and conferences could not take it back.

The players were there not as individuals but as the Greenshirts, representing not themselves but the country, all 200 million of us. The adrenaline after the match, understandable as it is, should have been kept in check. It wasn’t, and in the end coach Shahnaz Sheikh was deprived of two players, including the current Asian player of the year.

The finger, of blame and otherwise, can only be pointed at the individuals that let down an entire nation by their actions off the field right after making them immensely proud of it.

The Express Tribune



Batra insistent on strong condemnation by PHF

Vijay Lokapally

Hockey India (HI) president Narinder Kumar Batra stuck to his stand that nothing less than a strong condemnation by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) of its players’ behaviour after the Champions Trophy semifinal shall be acceptable.

When conveyed the information, passed by Pakistan coach Shahnaz Shiekh, that the PHF had mailed him an “apology”, Batra said to The Hindu on Monday that he was yet to see what the mail was about. “I am in Tirupati and my office is closed. I am yet to see the mail,” he added.

Would an apology satisfy the HI? “Not the Shahnaz Shiekh kind of apology. He said the team was sorry for the incident. What does he mean by saying just sorry? It was a shameful display by his players to hurt our sentiments and not at all acceptable.

“No decent person would tolerate such indecent on-field behaviour by sportsmen. And what was he sorry for? His players deserved to be condemned and I demand a strong condemnation of them by the PHF. Nothing else is acceptable,” said a furious Batra.

Following its 4-3 victory, some Pakistan players had indulged in obscene celebrations. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) had initially dealt with the incident leniently and let off the players with mere warning. Only when the HI issued a strong statement, demanding strict action, did FIH suspend two players for the final. “There were more than two players who indulged in that vulgar demonstration,” said Batra.

Critical of FIH

“The FIH delay in handing punishment was not acceptable at all. If FIH thought it was fit enough to be dealt with lightly, then I am sorry we won’t accept it. It shows the sorry state of affairs in FIH. We are working hard to popularise the game and such incidents don’t help our efforts. It may be acceptable to FIH, such indecent celebrations, but not to us,” Batra affirmed. Batra said he was “appalled” at the initial reaction of the Pakistan coach. “He informed our CEO (Elena Norman) that his players were only doing bhangra (celebratory dance). If this was bhangra, then surely the hockey coach was not serious when he said he was sorry. It is ridiculous of him to say sorry if it was just bhangra. I insist on a strong condemnation of its insolent players by the PHF,” he said.

What if the PHF apology did not meet the expectations of HI? “Then, goodbye to India-Pakistan hockey. No bilateral or tri-series with Pakistan. They will be unwelcome in India for sure,” Batra concluded.

The Hindu



Surprised by India's show in Champions Trophy: Tom Boon

MUMBAI: Belgian sharp shooter Tom Boon, bought by Dabang Mumbai for a highly lucrative $103,000 to play in the upcoming Hockey India League (HIL), on Monday said that he was impressed with the performance of Sardar Singh-led national team in the just-concluded Champions Trophy.

"They were really good. We were surprised by the way they were playing for 60 minutes. This is the first time I have seen India playing that well," said the 24-year-old after unveiling his HIL club's jersey with team mentor and advisor Viren Rasquinha at the Mahindra Stadium.

India rallied to defeat Belgium 4-2 to enter the semifinals of the prestigious hockey tournament, where they lost to arch-rivals Pakistan.

The inevitable question was asked about the boorish acts of the Pakistani players after their semifinal victory over the host nation and Boon said he had never seen such a bad behaviour before in a hockey match.

"I thought it was bad. I don't think it can happen in the heat of the moment. This is the first time I have seen such a thing in hockey. All I can say is when players put on their national jersey they represent their country. We always want to be at our best when representing the country," he said.

Two Pakistan players -- Amjad Ali and Mohammed Tausiq -- were found guilty of making obscene gestures towards the crowd and suspended from playing the final against Germany by the world body FIH, while a third player -- Shafqat Rasool -- also pleaded guilty and was let off with a reprimand.

Asked about the new format of four quarters in international hockey, the Belgian forward said it was quite useful while playing in hot conditions as was the case during the Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar.

"I think it was really hot out there. It (new format) was not too bad. We were not losing a lot of time as I thought earlier (with stoppages after scoring of goals). When it is hot it's a good idea but am not sure how it works in the normal game," he said.

Boon said he never imagined he would fetch a huge price at the HIL auction.

"It was a shock. I did not expect such an amount. I am happy and proud to wear the jersey of Dabang Mumbai," he said.

The Times of India



SV Sunil awarded 'Most Energetic Indian Player'

NEW DELHI: Indian forward SV Sunil has been awarded as 'Most Energetic Indian Player' in the recently concluded Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar, where India finished fourth.

The award has been constituted by Cairn India and this award was given to the Indian player who made the maximum impact in the tournament.

With evident boost in the Indian team's performance and rising potential, the team has been producing a string of quality performances through the year.

One such player, who stood out in the tournament was Sunil with his energetic role in all the matches.

Sunil made his senior international debut in the 2007 Asia Cup in Chennai, the tournament that India won. He was also a part of the team that won the silver at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2008.

The 2011 Champion's Challenge was an early high point in his career in which he scored four goals, the most by an Indian forward.

The Times of India



England 'disappointed' by early exit in India Champions Trophy

AVOIDING the wooden spoon was not what was expected after England’s men had finished top of their group at the Champions Trophy in India.


Tobias Hauke tries to dribble past England's Alastair Brogdon. GETTY

Neither was it expected that the two bottom teams of the pools would finish in the final. At least England were knocked out in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions Germany.

For Pakistan to make it to a major final for the first time since 1998 after England had whipped them 8-2 was cruel for Bobby Crutchley’s men, but it showed just how close and unique the competition is in this eight-nation event. That bitter rivalries overspilled after Pakistan beat India 4-3 to reach the final was not wanted.

Pakistan, censored for making obscene gestures to the crowd, had two players banned from the final, which Germany won 2-0.

England escaped last place with a 3-2 win over Belgium and Crutchley said: “Finishing seventh was disappointing. But, with a fourth place at the World Cup and a bronze at the Commonwealth Games, we are slightly ahead of the curve of success as we continue to build up to the Olympic qualifiers and Rio de Janeiro.”

Daily Express



The Hero Hockey Champions Trophy by the numbers


Host nation India reached the semi-finals in Bhubaneswar. (Photo: FIH / Stanislas Brochier)

Facts and Figures to know around the Hero Hockey Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar..

2 – Pakistan’s silver medal was their best finish in the Champions Trophy since 1998

3 – the amount of goal’s Sam Ward scored on his England debut

5 – five players achieved this tally of goals in the competition during regular play; Jeroen Hertzberger, Chris Ciriello, Florian Fuchs, Muhammad Irfan and Mink van der Weerden

5 – Australia’s run of consectutive men’s Champions Trophy titles came to an end after five successive victories

6 – England’s best ever winning margin came in their 8-2 win over Pakistan in the group game. The six-goal win outdid their previous best, a 4-1 win over Germany in 2012.

7 – Germany’s winning side featured seven members of their Junior World Cup winning side from December 2013

10 – This was Germany’s tenth Champions Trophy title, winning three as West Germany

19 – Germany’s Niklas Wellen celebrated his 19th birthday on the day of the final

81 – the total cards doled out including 56 green and 25 yellows shown by the umpires

107 – the total amount of goals scored in 24 matches; this includes an incredible 29 in the four games on day two of the competition while the tournament average was 4.46 goals per game

FIH site



Black Sticks could be back in Christchurch next year

BRENDON EGAN


NICE WORK: Simon Child led the Black Sticks to a good win over Canada at the weekend. Photosport

The Black Sticks could return to Christchurch as early as next year after a successful weekend of international hockey in the city.

The New Zealand men won both tests against Canada at St Bede's College's Marist Park turf on Saturday and Sunday.

It was the first time a New Zealand hockey team had played in the city since 2007.

The Black Sticks' tests provided a bright spot for a sport badly affected by the earthquakes.

Canterbury Hockey's traditional home at Porritt Park in Avonside was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake.

The water-based turfs at Nunweek Park and Marist Park are stretched to capacity trying to accommodate games and trainings during the season.

Canterbury Hockey chief executive Rod Templeton was thrilled with how smoothly the event had run.

"To have these guys playing here was huge. The feedback from both the teams was they enjoyed the experience of playing in front of the crowd at Marist Park."

He said there had been pleasing feedback from Hockey New Zealand about returning again.

"They're already indicating they want to have another test down here next year . . . They were very positive and enthusiastic at the end of the weekend."
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The Black Sticks' men's and women's teams have another busy year of hockey ahead in 2015.

They will be building up to the World League semifinals, which act as a qualifier for the 2016 Olympics. The World League final will also be staged in December.

Home tests could potentially be staged in between those tournaments to allow the Black Sticks to fine-tune their preparation.

About 1000 fans attended each game, which was close to capacity at the venue. Templeton was delighted with the support given the close proximity to Christmas.

Black Sticks' striker Nick Wilson, who played his first test in Christchurch in 2007, said it was exciting to play in the city again.

He said the team enjoyed hitting the road and getting out to the regions.

"I'm from a small town [Palmerston North] and it's the little things the guys appreciate," he said.

"It's not something we get in the bigger cities.

"It was great in Christchurch. We had good crowds."

Templeton was hopeful they would at least break even for the weekend.

Stuff



Umpires and officials succeeding on world-stage



New Zealand’s umpires and officials are well respected internationally and in recent months Kiwis have had continued success. One of those Kiwis is umpire Simon Taylor who received a golden whistle for his 100th game.

Taylor’s achievement is no small feat – he is the first New Zealander ever to have umpired 100 international men’s hockey tests – with Lyn Farrell the only other Kiwi to have reached the significant milestone in the women’s game. Taylor joins a prestigious list of only 33 male umpires worldwide who can claim the accolade. 

“I dreamed of umpiring my first international test and then once you have you get a taste for it, you want to do more and more, and as you get closer to the 100th test, it becomes a goal” said Taylor, aged 42 from Hillsborough in Auckland.

Taylor, who works in IT for BJ Ball Group, umpired his 100th test at the Asian Games held in September where he was presented with a golden whistle from International Hockey Federation president Leandro Negre.   

“When you get an international grading you get a silver whistle lapel badge, and then when you reach 100 you get a gold-plated version,” said Taylor.

With the rules of the game changing significantly in the last decade, Taylor says one of the biggest challenges has been keeping abreast of the new rules and understanding the various styles of hockey that different nations play.

“If you look back ten years, there have been a lot of changes. I think hockey is getting harder to umpire - from a pace, skill and technical point of view although innovations such as video umpire offer some support. Having said that, I think the people were harder to manage back then. The game has got so fast now that perhaps there just isn’t time to complain!”

When it comes to what he loves most about being an umpire, the answer is easy.

“I get to see the world and I get to go to some incredible events. Olympics and World Cups especially, but also Champions Trophies, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games….the list goes on.

“And you are in the thick of it, although you might not be aiming for medals like the players are, you have your own goals to achieve which are being appointed to the big games at the end of each tournament.”

For Taylor, the stand out game of the 100 so far was this year’s men’s FIH World Cup semi-final match between England and Holland which the Dutch won 1-0.

“A crowd of 16,000 people and most were Dutch, the atmosphere was amazing. The English lifted themselves, and it was exciting right up until the last minute. There was huge pressure on to make the big and important calls and it was a match that I was very pleased with.”

Taylor said the nerves are still there before each game and he says that’s what keeps him focussed.

“My message to up and coming umpires is to just keep at it and have patience. It’s easy to want to do everything right now, but you have to take time to learn about the game and umpiring. There will be some ups and downs, but hopefully you hang in there long enough to get a golden whistle.”

Hockey New Zealand Media release



Hockey India Coaching vacancies

Following the completion of the existing contracts, Hockey India are looking for suitable candidates to fulfil the following positions

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Closing Date for applications is 31 December 2014



Qila Raipur boys beat Jarkhar academy

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar - Qila Raipur Academy, Ludhiana, trounced Jarkhar Hockey Academy through penalty shootout (5-3) in the opening match of the 12th All India Maharaja Ranjit Singh Junior Gold Cup hockey tournament.

Amritsar Hockey Club defeated Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy 4-2 at the Guru Hargobind Sahib hockey stadium of Guru Nanak Dev University. In another match, Chheharta Hockey Academy got the better off Sports School Jalandhar 6-2. Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy (MRSHA) has consistently been organising the tournament for the past 12 years.

It has proved out to be a nursery as many players of the state, national and international repute have been groomed and honed by it.

The Tribune



Youth Development Camp

2014 Youth Development Camp looks towards the 2016 Junior World Cup



Following the men’s camp last week, this week sees 50 talented young female players descent on the Gold Coast for the 2014 Youth Development Camp. Athletes in attendance will be exposed to their first camp, targeting athletes who have the potential to compete in the 2016 Junior World Cup, before progressing towards senior selection for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

It’s all been made possible with the support of a number of partners, and in particular the Australian Commonwealth Games Association’s Junior Commonwealth Games Squad program, which is designed to assist junior athletes in gaining valuable international experience and development opportunities.

Over the next seven days, athletes will have the opportunity to interface with the best athletes and coaches from around the Hockey Australia network, including all State Institute of Sport/State Academy of Sport coaches, and additional support from round the nation. Last week, the the athletes at the men’s camp were afforded the opportunity for international competition against some of our strongest regional neighbours including India, Japan and New Zealand. This week, the young athletes will be able to test themselves against teams from New Zealand and Japan.

The competition format of the men’s camp was of a very high quality, with the vast majority of games being very close contests.

The men’s camp also provided the opportunity for the Hockey Australia Junior selectors to verify performances in their entirety, allowing for the naming of the 2015 National Junior Squad in early 2015. The same will happen at the women’s camp.

Hockey Australia would like to acknowledge the vital support of the following partners. The Australian Commonwealth Games Association, the Gold Coast City Councel, Gold Coast Hockey Association and the Labrador Hockey Club, The Southport School, and of course the volunteers, umpires coaches and staff that make these events possible.

Hockey Australia media release

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