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News for 16 April 2019

All the news for Tuesday 16 April 2019


2019 Test matches JPN v CHI (Women) - 1st Test
Ibaraki (JPN)

JPN v CHI     1 - 0

FIH Match Centre



FIH shoot down MHC's VR appeal

By Jugjet Singh


Brian Fernandez

KUALA LUMPUR: In being fair to all, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) became unfair to Malaysia when they rejected an appeal to have video referral (VR) in the Series Finals, a pre-Olympic qualifier, in Kuala Lumpur on April 26-May 4.

FIH rejected the appeal as some of the countries hosting the other Series events are unable to provide the video umpiring system.

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) submitted an appeal six days ago in hope FIH would reconsider their decision.

But the reply from their chief executive officer Thierry Weil yesterday was disappointing.

Weil wrote: "In a determined effort to achieve consistency and fairness with the tournament regulations that will be used at all six upcoming Series Finals events, and taking into consideration that not all of the competitions have a broadcaster in place, there will be no VR at any of the events.”

“I appreciate that you will be disappointed by this decision but hope that you will understand the reasoning that VR must be available in all events or none at all.”

The countries hosting the men and women’s Series Finals are Malaysia, India, France, Ireland, Spain and Japan.

The national women’s team will play their pre-Olympic qualifier in Dublin, Ireland, on June 8-16.

National women's coach K. Dharmaraj was disappointed with the decision.

"We all know how much influence VR has in our game. Malaysia are ranked 22nd and we need to finish top-two in Dublin to advance to the next round.

“Our Olympic dream could be dashed by errors if go unnoticed during matches,” said Dharmaraj.

Malaysian umpire board chairman Amarjit Singh was short and sharp.

"It is a step backwards by FIH as they themselves had introduced the VR," said Amarjit.

When VR was introduced, FIH said: "When VR was first introduced as a trial at the men's Champions Trophy in Melbourne in 2009, the aim was to provide a way of reducing umpiring errors that may have a major impact on the result of a match.

"The system was quickly approved and used in the subsequent World Cup in Delhi in 2010. Now it is part and parcel of top level international hockey events, and is a system being watched closely by other sports, particularly football, as it is a simple means of eliminating potentially match-changing wrong decisions."

MHC competition committee chairman Brian Fernandez said: “We will abide by the decision as it is an FIH tournament. We will not appeal again, but after the tournament, we will write to FIH to have VR in the final qualifier in November.

New Straits Times



U.S. Women's National Development Squad Starts Tour with Win Over Scotland



AERDENHOUT, The Netherlands – The U.S. Women’s National Development Squad began their tour of The Netherlands on a high note this afternoon at the A.M.H.C. Rood-Wit in Aerdenhout. In their first of two matches against Scotland’s Senior team, USA used three goals in the first half to propel to a 4-2 victory.

After starting out evenly matched in the first quarter, USA broke the deadlock when Katrina Carter (Berkeley, Calif.) received the ball in Scotland's half riding a few tackles before bursting through a gap and unleashing a powerful shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.

Early into the second quarter, USA quickly moved the score to 3-0 with two fine goals. The first one was set up by Kelsey Briddell (Wilton, N.Y.), who made a run from midfield and passed the ball to Kelee Lepage (Honey Brook, Pa.) at the top of the Scottish circle, Lepage then beat one defender before producing a backhand shot into the roof of the net. Moments later, Erin Shanahan (Pasadena, Md.) found room in the circle and was able to beat the goalkeeper one-on-one before flicking the ball into the goal to give USA a 3-0 lead before the half concluded.

The second half took a different tone with Scotland starting in the ascendancy, and were able to quickly make this pressure count. After a series of penalty corners kept out by USA’s defensive unit, the resistance was broken as a well worked routine by Scotland finished with a goal to put the score at 3-1. The next few minutes saw USA off-balance and were unable to gain consistent possession of the ball.

USA regained their composure soon after and into the final quarter, where Mary Beth Barham (Fairfax, Va.) converted on a penalty corner rebound to give USA a 4-1 cushion. Scotland responded with an upright strike on the backhand to put the score to 4-2. This is where the score line remained to give USA their first win of the tour.

“A big target of the team is to play with high energy and tempo,” said Marc Hardy, U.S. Women’s National Development Squad Head Coach. “This was the case in the first half and we got our rewards for the effort put in. The team showed good grit and determination to see out the win but we need to address the dip early in the second half along with our short corner conversion rate.”

“It was however a good day for the team and is just reward for the hard work they have put in this year," continued Hardy. "I look forward to seeing how this continues to unfold in our remaining games on tour.”

The U.S. Women's National Development Squad returns to action tomorrow, Tuesday, April 16, when they will face Scotland’s Senior team once more at 8:00 a.m. ET.

USFHA media release



EHL KO16/FINAL4 Extravaganza brings together amazing talent and a cast of thousands

With over 70 World Cup stars, crowds of thousands and an army of volunteers, HC Oranje-Rood is gearing up for a special six day Easter festival with 20 matches featuring 16 of the continent’s best clubs.

For this year, the annual Euro Hockey League KO16 event has been combined with the FINAL4 as part of the rejigged international calendar following the Pro League’s introduction.

It means a high octane week of action, starting on Wednesday, April 17 in Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands.

Two years ago, the venue brought together 20,000 fans to the city with the venue sold out each time Oranje-Rood took the field. This time, the stands have been expanded to hold up to 6,000 people while all the action will be streamed around the world on www.eurohockeytv.org.

The hosts will be looking to light up day one of the competition when Oranje-Rood play the evening game against German national champions Uhlenhorst Mulheim (19.30 CET).

The Eindhoven club is a cosmopolitan line-up with internationals from several different countries. Six of the panel are involved with the current Dutch selection with drag-flicker supreme Mink van der Weerden leading the line.

Bob de Voogd will hope to sign off his spell with the club with another EHL gold having scored the winning shoot-out in 2015 when the club was known as Oranje-Zwart. He will move to Braxgata next season.

Belgian World Cup winner Thomas Briels, Pakistani duo Rashid Mehmood and Muhammad Rizwan Jr, former World Player of the Year Robert van der Horst, rangy defender Joep de Mol, Argentina striker Lucas Martinez and the gloriously skillful Benjamin Stanzl from Austria make up a side packed with ability.

Mulheim, though, will be no pushover and they come into the competition as the leaders of the Bundesliga after two big wins in Hamburg against UHC and Harvestehuder THC last weekend.

Thilo Stralkowski retired at the end of last season, meaning additional responsibility for the brilliant Timm Herzbruch (with 26 league goals this season), Benedikt Furk and Lukas Windfeder along with a series of German Under-21 graduates.

The tie gives huge potential for fireworks while the winner will have a potential KO8 match in the pipeline against either Russian champions Dinamo Kazan and another German side Mannheimer HC (12.45 CET) in the first game of the carnival.

Kazan are one of just two sides to have played in all 12 seasons of the EHL alongside Poland’s WKS Grunwald Poznan. They already have a European ticket in the bank for next next term courtesy of their Russian league win last October.

The downside is they have yet to play outdoors in 2019 as they wait for the big thaw for their national championship to start on May 12. In addition to six Russian internationals, they will field a trio from Pakistan with Ali Shan and Abu Baker signing, linking up with Hassan Anwar.

They will hope not to be too under-cooked for the challenge of Mannheim and repelling Gonzalo Peillat’s penalty corner bullets. The German club returned to form with a 6-1 win over Dusseldorf last weekend after some mixed results since the end of their winter break.

In the other section of this half of the draw, KHC Dragons face Three Rock Rovers (15.00 CET) in a rematch of last year’s bizarre 20-10 classification match in Rotterdam. The scoreline probably played a big part in the EHL calling time on the two-for-one field goal trial.

Dragons had struggled to find form for much of the season after nine players moved on last summer with another nine coming in. The likes of Arthur van Doren, Loic van Doren, Alexander Hendrickx, Victor Wegnez and Nico Poncelet were hard to adjust to but they returned to their best in true fashion last Sunday with a 4-1 win over top seeded Waterloo Ducks in the national quarter-finals.

For Rovers, they will hope to give a stronger account of themselves after nine of their players fell ill with food-poisoning for their last meeting. They feature Irish World Cup panelists Mitch Darling, Daragh Walsh and Luke Madeley and they look to the latter to shoot their corners while Jody Hosking powers their midfield in a tasty match-up against Irish internationals Kirk Shimmins and Shane O’Donoghue.

Waiting for these two in the next phase are either Waterloo Ducks or Surbiton (17.15 CET), both back in the EHL for the first time since the KO16 event in Eindhoven in 2014.

The Ducks were the outstanding side in the Belgian regular season before they were abruptly upset by Dragons last Sunday. John-John Dohmen, Gauthier Boccard, Simon Gougnard and Vincent Vanasch and their team mates will be hoping to respond in style.

Surbiton, meanwhile, look forward to their second EHL campaign with an extra relish having withdrawn from last year’s competition due to a player-clash with a large number selected for the Commonwealth Games.

Scotland’s Alan Forsyth is their star man having top scored in England for the last four seasons; they will also be smarting after an English final loss to Hampstead & Westminster having topped the league stages.

On day two of the KO16 on Thursday, April 18, Saint Germain face a fiery rematch against Club Egara (12.45 CET). It is a game with plenty of history with the French champs winning the last meeting in Barcelona 6-4 courtesy of a late stroke.

Egara, though, look to be in better form than 18 months ago with Vincenc Ruiz, Josep Romeu and EHL legend Pau Quemada the leading lights.

Their quarter of the draw will lead into a game with either Royal Leopold and Real Club de Polo (15.00 CET). Polo are hoping they can give long-term coach Carlos Garcia Cuenca the perfect send-off with a run to the FINAL4 before he steps down with Roger Pallarols coming in next season.

Xavi Lleonart has returned to the club this year having been player of the match in the EHL GRAND FINAL last year while Roc Oliva is a crucial addition.

Leo, though, will be hard beaten with lots of talented players like Tom Degroote, Tanguy Zimmer, Dorian Thiery, New Zealand’s Kane Russell and French players Gaspard Baumgarten, Aristide Coisne and Jean-Baptiste Forgues.

Scottish newcomers Grove Menzieshill have a huge task on their hands for an EHL debut when they take on Dutch runners-up AH&BC Amsterdam (17.15 CET).

Amsterdam’s form has improved in recent weeks after coach Graham Reid stepped down in favour of the Indian top job with Jan Jorn van’t Land taking over. Superstars like Billy Bakker, Valentin Verga, Justin Reid-Ross and Fergus Kavanagh make for an eye-catching outfit.

The KO16 draws to a close with a classic meeting of SV Kampong – winners in 2016 – and 2017 champs Rot-Weiss Koln (19.30 CET). It is their fourth meeting in successive seasons in the knock-out stages, each one a classic with the Dutch club shading it 2-1 so far.

Both sit second in their respective divisions and the cast list is truly immaculate – David Harte, Robbert Kemperman, Bjorn Kellerman, Sander de Wijn, Lars Balk, Mats and Tom Grambusch, Marco Miltkau, Timur Oruz and Christopher Ruhr among them.

For the KO16 winners, they play in the KO8 on Saturday, the losers into a Friday classification matches. It rises to a climax with the FINAL4 on Sunday and the medal matches on Easter Monday where the 12th winner of the famous Alain Danet Trophy will be crowned.

In addition to top class hockey, the fan experience promises to be a special one with plenty of side events for fans to enjoy. To that end, tickets are on sale today via the EHL website: www.ehlhockey.tv/tickets. Online prices for adults will be €20 per day for KO16 and ranking matches, €25 for the KO8 and €30 for the FINAL4 and MEDAL MATCHES.

A six-day “Passepartout” offers access to all days of the KO16/FINAL4 and is available for €120. Tickets will be more expensive when purchased at the gate on match days.

Youth tickets for age five to 16 will be available online for €10 for the KO16 and ranking matches, €12.50 for the KO8, and €15 for the FINAL4 and MEDAL MATCHES. A Youth Passepartout is €60.

EHL 2018-2019 Match schedule KO16-FINAL4
17-22 April 2019 at HC Oranje-Rood, Eindhoven (NED)

Wednesday 17 April 2019
M1 12.45h KO16 Dinamo Kazan vs Mannheimer HC
M2 15.00h KO16 KHC Dragons vs Three Rock Rovers
M3 17.15h KO16 Waterloo Ducks vs Surbiton HC
M4 19.30h KO16 HC Oranje-Rood vs Uhlenhorst Mülheim

Thursday 18 April 2019
M5 12.45h KO16 Saint Germain HC vs Club Egara
M6 15.00h KO16 Royal Leopold HC vs Real Club de Polo
M7 17.15h KO16 AH&BC Amsterdam vs Grove Menzieshill
M8 19.30h KO16 SV Kampong vs Rot Weiss Koln

Friday 19 April 2019
M9 12.45h Ranking match Loser M2 vs Loser M3
M10 15.00h Ranking match Loser M1 vs Loser M4
M11 17.15h Ranking match Loser M5 vs Loser M6
M12 19.30h Ranking match Loser M7 vs Loser M8

Saturday 20 April 2019
M13 09.30h KO8
M14 11.45h KO8
M15 14.00h KO8
M16 16.15h KO8

Sunday 21 April 2019
M17 13.00h FINAL4 Semi-Final 1
M18 15.15h FINAL4 Semi-Final 2

Monday 22 April 2019
M19 13.00h BRONZE MEDAL MATCH
M20 15.15h GRAND FINAL

Note: Match times and schedule subject to change due to the requirements of television or other factors as determined by EHL. Order of play for KO8 and FINAL4 will be decided after conclusion of the KO16 matches.

Euro Hockey League media release



Grove Menzieshill hoping for Golden moment in Eindhoven on EHL debut



Cameron Golden says many of his Grove Menzieshill side are looking forward to what might be a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to play in the EHL.

The 19-year-old is one of the stars of the Dundee club who helped the lead the club to Scottish glory in 2018 to qualify for the EHL for the first time - the one newcomer to the competition we will see at the KO16.

The club was formed in its current guise in 2010 following a merger of Grove ladies club (formed 1922) and Menzieshill men's club (formed 1969).

Golden’s father Paul played for Menzieshill from his schooldays and brought Cameron into the sport and the club. Paul is now the assistant coach of the first team, making it a real family affair and indicative of hockey’s family roots.

“For our club, it is a huge honour and very exciting moment to have qualified for the EHL,” Cameron said ahead of the EHL KO16 where they face AH&BC Amsterdam on Thursday, April 18 (17.15 CET).

“We are an amateur team and the chance to play against some of the best teams in the world is an invaluable experience and once in a lifetime for many.”

Last weekend, they contested the national final once again, missing out on the crown at the hands of Grange in a reverse of the previous year’s final.

Nonetheless, Golden feels his side has found a bit of form at the right time.

“The second half of the season has been quite inconsistent for us, with us dropping points against many teams lower in the league, but we have found form and are playing some nice flowing attacking hockey so will be looking to bring that to Eindhoven

“Our style of attacking hockey is facilitated by quick attacking players including myself, Paul Martin and Ben Cosgrove.

“We saw the draw and clearly understood the magnitude of the opposition, but we relish the chance to come up against one of the best teams in the world; at the end of the day anything can happen, it's the beauty of sport.”

Indeed, he has seen the quality of some of his opponents up close.

“I came to Amsterdam in November with the Scotland senior team where we trained and played some training games with the Dutch senior men helping in their preparation for the World Cup. The caliber of players we were training alongside was insane!

“We've spoken to people who've had previous EHL experience and the message is simple, enjoy it and focus on playing your normal game!

“Don't try to be fancy just because there are thousands of fans in the stand. It'll be an amazing experience and one we are buzzing to be a part of.”

Euro Hockey League media release



Ever-present Dinamo Kazan look to hit ground running in Eindhoven


©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Dinamo Kazan will hope to hit the ground running in Eindhoven when they face Mannheimer HC on April 17 (12.45 CET) in what is their first game of 2019.

It is one of the difficulties for the club who have lamented being slightly under-cooked in recent years for the KO16 with their first league match not scheduled until May 12.

And so Araik Margaryan’s side will hope two training camps in Belgium in the spring and one in Kislovodsk in the south of their country will give them enough preparation for a huge challenge.

The Tartarstan club won the Russian championship again last October as they remain one of just two sides to play in every season of the Euro Hockey League.

Last year, they bowed out of the KO16 to Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles but bounced back to beat Rot-Weiss Koln in a classification match, something they can look to for confidence.

The side features six of the current national squad who are preparing for June’s Hockey Series Finals and possible Olympic qualification: goalkeeper Marat Gafarov, defenders Denis Shchipachev, Anton Kornilov and Semyon Matkovsky, midfielder Alex Mayorov, forward Pavel Golubev, and midfielder Nikolai Yankun, serving as assistant coach.

The panel has changed significantly since last year with Nikolay Komarov, Pavel Plesetsky and Vladislav Lebed moving to the Volna team that has been revived in St Petersburg.

Joining the Kazan ranks are the Akuneev brothers, Emil moving from Dynamo-TsOP and Amir from St Petersburg team. Anton Kornilov returns to the capital of Tatarstan from Dinamo Stroitel in Yekaterinburg.

There is also a strong Pakistani element to their panel with Anwar Hassan continuing with the club while internationals Ali Shan and Abu Baker have been signed.

They will be without some key players, however, with Shchipachev and Emil Akuneev carrying injuries and Kornilov not able to play a part in Eindhoven.

Euro Hockey League media release



Alan Forsyth can leave Waterloo Ducks quaking, says Surbiton coach

By The Hockey Paper


Alan Forsyth has had another successful year for Surbiton HC PIC: Tim Reder

Surbiton coach Mark Pearn says the world-class threat posed by Alan Forsyth will leave their Euro Hockey League rivals in a quandary.

The Scot is well on his way to winning yet more player award accolades after another sizzling show in front of goal thanks to his near 30-goal haul during yet another impressive regular season.

He was unable to make inroads as Surbiton lost their Championship showdown against Hampstead & Westminster on Sunday but Pearn believes that Forsyth’s form will have Waterloo Ducks, their Belgium opponents, thinking hard how they approach the game.

“When we come up against the best sides, he will attract a lot of attention and leave space for others,” said Pearn.

“It has been a real group effort behind him. He is a one-off in terms of the goals he scores and the confidence he gives the guys around him. I’ve been really pleased with the whole group and we are lucky to have that across the board when he hasn’t been around.”

Surbiton won the divisional title for the first time in the club’s history after a clutch of second-place finishes before the league play-offs.

Pearn added: “For the club it was a big stepping stone. We were really surprised and it has become a big thing for the club. I was quite happy just making the play-offs and the whole squad should be pretty proud.”

Domestic clubs playing in Europe have usually had to wait several weeks before their continental competitions, leaving clubs going in cold. But the back-to-back events at Lee Valley this weekend followed by Europe means Surbiton will be ready for battle.

“We couldn’t have asked for better preparation,” said Pearn. “We know Waterloo are a powerful group. They are a similar team, with World Cup champions, and it will be 50-50.”

Waterloo Ducks will be missing their defensive French giant Victor Charlet following injury.

And Pearn admitted: “Charlet is a big player for them and it will be a big loss for them. It will be a heck of a well-matched game.”

After nearly two years away, we are back as a print product for readers.

Our concept was first conceived thanks to several meetings and plenty of laughs with respected journalist Graham Wilson, who sadly passed away before the first issue was published.

And it is now a thrill to return subscription-only as we chart GB’s Olympic defence ahead of Tokyo 2020 next year. The relaunch is again in Graham’s memory.

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR THE BEST IN HOCKEY

The Hockey Paper




Uhlenhorst Mulheim out to try and defend ABN AMRO EHL U14 Boys title



The battle for the ABN AMRO EHL U14 Boys will see six of Europe’s finest Under-14 clubs in action on April 21 and 22 in Eindhoven.

HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim go into the competition as the reigning champions and they will represent Germany once again. They were selected as their representative as the best placed U14 club from the first part of the season in October of those eligible to take part – ahead of Rot-Weiss Koln and Mannheimer HC.

They are in Pool B alongside the Waterloo Ducks and Surbiton. The Ducks were selected to represent Belgium as the highest ranked EHL club in their national competition after the first round of matches. In England, Surbiton got the best of Wimbledon in a one-off qualifier 4-2 in mid-October.

In Pool A, SV Kampong – winners on two occasions – are up against Junior FC and Saint Germain. Kampong won a three-team, one-day series in the Netherlands, beating both AH&BC Amsterdam and HC Oranje-Rood 3-0. Junior won a six-game series in Spain against Club Egara and Real Club de Barcelona over three weekends before Christmas while Saint Germain earned the French nomination.

Sunday 21 April sees the group stages play out to a conclusion with the semi-finals taking place the same day in the main EHL stadium.

Monday 22 April features the classification matches with the GRAND FINAL at 11.30h with the eventual winner presented to the crowd during half-time of the BRONZE MATCH of the EHL.

** The fixture schedule is potentially subject to change to, where possible, allow parents and players to support their club in the EHL FINAL4 on Sunday 21 April where applicable. This will be looked at again following the conclusion of the KO16. Matches on Sunday April 21 are 2x20 minutes with classification games on Monday April 22 2x25 minutes.

ABN AMRO EHL U14 2019, match schedule
21-22 April 2019 at HC Oranje-Rood, Eindhoven (NED)
Pool A: SV Kampong (NED), Junior FC (ESP), Saint Germain (FRA)
Pool B: HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim (GER), Waterloo Ducks HC (BEL), Surbiton HC (ENG)

Sunday 21 April
M1 10.00h Pool B HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim - Surbiton HC (pitch 2)
M2 11.10h Pool A SV Kampong - St. Germain (pitch 2)

M3 12.20h Pool B Surbiton HC - Waterloo Ducks HC (pitch 2)
M4 13.30h Pool A St. Germain - Junior FC (pitch 2)

M5 15.30h Pool B Waterloo Ducks HC - HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim (pitch 2)
M6 16.40h Pool A Junior FC - SV Kampong (pitch 2)

M7 18.45h Semi Final 1 (pitch 1)
M8 20.00h Semi Final 2 (pitch 1)

Monday 22 April
5/6 EHL U14 09.00h pitch 2
3/4 EHL U14 10.15h pitch 2
Final EHL U14 11.30h pitch 2

Euro Hockey League media release



Play the Euro Hockey League fantasy game with Gryphon and Scorrd


Play the EHL Fantasy Hockey and win prizes PIC: World Sport Pics

Gryphon has teamed up with Scorrd to release the first EHL Fantasy League game – and with the European showpiece starting on Wednesday there is no better time to get your dream entered.

Some of the best hockey players in the world will be on show in Eindhoven and you can part of the thrills and spills by creating your team for the April 17-22 event.

Enter the EHL Fantasy League and the Gryphon Mini League and be in with the chance to win some great Gryphon prizes.

You will have a budget of €100M to pick 11 players for your EHL Hockey Dream Team.

Each of your players scores points during the real-life matches in Eindhoven and you can challenge your friends, family and teammates to show off your picks and transfer nous.

Register and play now at: https://scorrd.com/fantasy-hockey

Enter the GRYPHON Mini Fantasy League: https://scorrd.com/fantasy-hockey

The Hockey Paper



Share your best FIH Pro League moments and win a trip to Amsterdam for the Grand Final!



Want to win a trip to Amsterdam to attend the Grand Final? Here’s what you have to do: take a quick snap or record a video to capture your “best FIH Pro League moment” and post it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, using the hashtag #MyProLeagueMoment until 25 May 2019. The best images will be shared on our platforms and a lucky winner will even get the chance to get 2 tickets + flights + accommodation to travel to Amsterdam to attend the Grand Final!

Under the campaign #MyProLeagueMoment, FIH aims to give an opportunity to fans to showcase some of their best moments from the FIH Pro League by sharing videos or photos.

You can share your FIH Pro League best moments from any part of the world. You can participate to this campaign from the stadium or even from your home by sharing some of the best moments from the match to any special preparation (posters, collections, etc) for the matches.

All fans are invited to use #MyProLeagueMoment (or #FIHProLeague) when posting on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. You can tag FIH or/and also send your posts to the official accounts of your National Association or FIH. Lastly, you can also email your posts at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Some ideas for your posts:

- Videos/photos of watching the matches with your friends and family (in the stadium or on TV)
- Posts wishing your favourite team luck for the matches
- Videos/photos with your favourite athletes
- Videos/photos of fans who saw matches live in the stadium

FIH tags: FIH_Hockey (Twitter) / FIHockey (Instagram and Facebook)

Don't wait to share your best FIH Pro League moments!

#MyProLeagueMoment

Official FIH Pro League Site



Wazalendo, Lakers take charge of hockey leagues

By AYUMBA AYODI


USIU Spartans' Pauline Wangui (left) vies for the ball with Miriam Kaibei of Sliders during their Kenya Hockey Union women's Premier League match at City Park Stadium, Nairobi on March 31 2019. PHOTO | SILA KIPLAGAT |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Wazalendo kept a clean sheet when they beat Strathmore University Gladiators 1-0 to reclaim their Kenyan men’s hockey Premier League lead over weekend at the City Park Stadium, Nairobi.

It’s a weekend that Lakers paddled to the top of women’s Premier League after they claimed their first win of the season, beating Kenyatta University Titans 1-0 at City Park Stadium.

John Rioba slotted home from a penalty corner in the 44th minute to hand Wazalendo their third consecutive victory that sent them back to the top with nine points, dislodging Western Jaguars on superior goal difference.

Jaguars, who are enjoying their finest start to the season, also have nine points.

Wazalendo had taken the league’s early lead two weeks ago when they handed former champions Nairobi Simba a 1-0 defeat.

Jaguars were not in action last weekend, allowing Wazalendo the leeway to recapture the lead.

Jaguars had the previous weekend stunned former champions Nairobi Simba and Parklands 2-1 and 3-2 to move top. They too had earlier shocked former champions Strathmore University Gladiators 2-0.

Greensharks moved to third place in the league with six points after they downed Parklands 2-1.

Nimrod Basonga put Sharks ahead in the 17th minute from a field goal, before Daniel Obunyasi made it two from a penalty corner in the 23rd minute.

Erick Kidwaro struck back for Parklands with a field goal in the 30th minute, but Sharks withstood the pressure to successfully defend the score line for their second win of the season.

Parklands had stretched Greensharks to the limit, before injuries to Allan Odongo and Harry Misati weakened their onslaught on Sharks, who cashed on it to carry the day.

After forcing a stunning 1-1 draw against Strathmore Scorpions on Saturday, Judith Abayo would convert from the spot in the 11th minute to hand Lakers a 1-0 victory against the Titans

Abayo had levelled from the spot in the 37th minute to secure a draw for Lakers against Strathmore, who had powered to the lead through Wendy Ayuma’s field goal in the 17th minute.

Lakers now lead with five points with Strathmore falling second with four points, followed by defending champions Telkom and Amira Sailors also with four points each.

Parkroad Badgers hammered Kisumu Youngsters 1-0 and Bungoma Farmers 4-1 to take command of the men’s Super League with 15 points.

However, Badgers tie on points with second-placed Technical University of Kenya (TUK), who beat Kenyatta University Vultures 1-0 on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the sixth round of the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Leagues ended with mixed developments after Dedan Kimathi University withdrew from the men’s Super League citing budgetary constraints.

KHU Deputy match and Fixture Secretary, Moses Majiwa, disclosed that Kabarak University too have withdrawn from men’s National league so as to give them time to address internal disciplinary issues.

“KHU will address the withdrawals according to the rules and regulations for the way forward, but it’s quite unfortunate,” said Majiwa, adding that the leagues are proving to be equally competitive with small margin scores being recorded.

“This is good development, but we are concerned about many walkovers which we shall address in the coming weeks,” said Majiwa.

Daily Nation



Off the pitch but still in the game

Sarah Juggins


Mercedes Margalot (ARG), Max Caldas (ARG) and Ali Lee-Baggott (CAN)
(Pictures Candela diaz Bustos, Koen Suyk, Yan Huckendubler)

Transitioning from sport to another career is a tricky business for athletes. After all, if you have been an elite athlete until you are in your late twenties or early thirties, that will have been your sole focus for more than half your life – certainly all your adult life.

And athletes are notoriously single-minded. They have to be. In the cut-throat environment of elite sport, there is no room for taking a time-out or having a career break.

So how do athletes find, enter and make a success in a second career? For most of us, being successful in one sphere of the working world is tough enough, but to be a success twice over? That is a big ask.

We spoke to three former international hockey players, all of who have gone on to enjoy successful careers that are within the hockey world but removed from the action on the pitch.

Mercedes Margalot (Argentina)

Mercedes Margalot is a familiar face to legions of Las Leonas supporters. She is a hockey legend who competed in three Olympic Games, two World Cups, four Champions Trophies and three Pan American Games. Among the medal haul is Olympic silver (Sydney 2000), Olympic bronze (Athens 2004, Beijing 2008), World Cup gold (Perth 2002), World Cup bronze (Madrid 2006). She has two Champions Trophy gold medals (2001 and 2008), plus a silver and bronze from the intervening editions. Margalot was part of a squad that remained unbeaten in the Pan American Games!

Now, Margalot remains the face of hockey but from a presenting point of view. She works as a sports journalist, specializing in hockey, for ESPN Sport Centre – a position she reached after gaining valuable experience in radio.

“After many years of being a sports woman, I had contacts within sports journalism,” she explains. “So, after the Beijing Olympics, I contacted them and started to work in radio. After a few years I jumped into television presenting.”

Before she became an elite athlete, Margalot had ambitions to be a journalist but these were put aside as her hockey career began to blossom. It was an ambition that became buried as she was encouraged to follow in her mother’s footsteps by studying to be a dentist.

While pursuing an international hockey career, Margalot also passed her dentistry exams and, indeed, started practicing as a dentist. She soon realized however that treating people’s dental issues wasn’t for her.

The sporting arena was Margalot’s natural domain and she has made the most of both her sporting knowledge – which is very transferable from one sport to another – and the contacts she still has within hockey.

“Everything I experienced during so many years of playing hockey has fed into my knowledge of sport,’ she says. “I have authority and authenticity when I am working as a journalist thanks to my own experience of elite sport.”

Ali Lee (Canada)

Another player who has used all her contacts and sporting knowledge to carve out a career is Canada’s Ali Lee.

“My current role is as Communications Officer for Vikes Athletics and Recreation at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada,” says the former international defender.

“I’m in charge of a lot of the department's internal and external communications, from our digital assets – website, social media and digital marketing – to the voice and tone in any speech, presentation or campaign. I also manage the varsity sports coverage from webcasting, to live stats, post-game recaps, photography and media relations. It's a big portfolio but mostly I feel like I'm in the middle of all of our events.”

It’s a role that involves long hours but, says Lee: “Every now and then I get a thank you e-mail or phone call from an athlete or parent saying that the story I wrote captured the moment brilliantly. Or the webcast I managed allowed grandma across the country to watch and see them win. Those are the moments that matter the most to me.”

Lee took the step from player to communicator via a degree in… biochemistry. She says her swerve from science into communications happened during her international career as she gained new experiences.

“At the time, there wasn't a strong website presence that featured the national team athletes. When on tour or in competitions I used our match video clips and made highlight videos in iMovie and interviewed my team mates after games to put together game recap videos for YouTube. I would send these back home so my family, who was never able to see me compete in a game that wasn't in my home town, could feel a part of the experience.”

Lee’s interest in a career in communications was probably cemented during the lead-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

“Ahead of the Commonwealth Games we had to make a big fundraising push so, with the help of one of my teammates' dad, we made a website to start campaigning about our team. I updated it along the way and the whole process taught me many skills from photography to video editing to website updating and social media.

When she retired from the international team, Lee was the perfect fit for a multimedia position in the athletics department of the university she had attended. Soon her hard work led her to a position as lead of communications in the athletics department.

Lee’s own experiences as a player have driven the way she operates: “I like to write about not just the people who score goals or goalies that make saves. I talk about that momentum-changing tackle in midfield or that one pass that led, a few moves later, to the goal. My appreciation for every moment and every person involved in bringing a team or athlete to success is always at the forefront of my mind.”

Every day is a learning experience. “As an athlete I got to meet all the local media in my hometown and now I work with them regularly to cover the athletes at my university. That relationship has also opened doors for me to learn, including getting writing tips from some of the city's best sports journalists, press conference experience and I even got to write news for a teleprompter and visit the studio when the broadcaster read my script at CTV in Vancouver.”

Lee says she had no plans to end up in communications. In fact, she laughs: “I think it chose me a bit since social and digital media evolved right around the time that I was getting in to the work world.”

Max Caldas (Argentina)

A career in coaching was always on the cards for Max Caldas, although no-one would have foreseen just how successful the former Argentina men’s international would be.

Olympic gold and World Cup gold with the Netherlands women’s team in 2012 and 2014 respectively, and two EuroHockey Championship gold medals and a silver at the 2018 Odisha World Cup with the Dutch men’s team are a good return on a nine year tenure with the KNHB (the Netherlands Hockey governing body).

Caldas has also been voted FIH Coach of the Year twice, in 2014 and 2017. He shared the latter honor with Belgium head coach Shane McLeod.

“I have always enjoyed coaching, right from a young age,” says Caldas. “It was a means of getting pocket money when I was young and it meant I didn’t have to ask my parents for money.

“But also, I grew up playing hockey at Club Ciudad de Buenos Aires where it was normal behavior to help out in your club with coaching as well as playing.”

For Caldas, that meant coaching younger players when he was a mere 17-year-old himself. He used to work alongside the members of the first team or the Argentina national squad to deliver coaching at the club.

That early coaching experience as a youngster set the seeds for a coaching career, so much so that when he was reaching the end of his playing days, Caldas was already seeing the game “as a coach, rather than as a player”.

Since he retired from playing, Caldas has coached at every level possible, from youth teams, club teams and representative teams to national teams. He has seen a lot of change in that time.

“There have been huge strides towards a more inclusive approach. This applies to the relationship coaching staff have with players and the way now that senior players welcome and mentor the younger players.”

Caldas does voice caution, however, at the demands placed on the modern international player. He says players must seek a balance in their lives and find time among training and playing for friends, family and building a career for when the hockey playing stops.

When it comes to why he enjoys coaching so much, Caldas oozes enthusiasm: “It presents the chance to work with the person behind the athlete, the chance to grow together with your players and staff, the chance to reinvent myself as we go along, learning something every day.

“It is certainly not a simple case of winning versus losing. That is not what our role is. That is just a little part of it. It can sometimes consume you and take temporary control of your journey but it never should.

“For me, if there is a downside to this job, then it is disappointing players. Not picking them, for example. Or not always being who you really are. Sometimes you have to put on a persona but I like to present the real me to everyone, at all times.”

While a player, Caldas was already thinking like a coach. Now, in a coaching role, he still retains the ability to think like a player. However, it is not something that he is comfortable with. “As a former player, you are able to sometimes put yourself in the players’ shoes, having been through something similar. But I think you should think as a coach when you are a coach. The player in you has to make way.”

Caldas laughs as he recalls his early perceptions of what it meant to be a head coach: “I thought it was easy. I always had this idea in my mind that coaches had it easy. Players run and work hard and coaches just watch the video.”

That early illusion was blown away when Caldas went to his first tournament as assistant coach to the Netherlands U21 men’s team in 2001. “I came back and I was sick for a week, I was just worn out.

“It is a different way to sapping your energy. How to find time for yourself every day; how you can evolve, not just for yourself but for your players too. You have to take a finely balanced line between helping and supporting each player but also knowing when to push them, to drive them forwards.”

“And”, he adds with startling humbleness and honesty, “you have to have the ability to be open-minded. Not to just believe in one thing, not to think ‘this is the only way’, but retain the ability to gain new knowledge, explore new ways and learn from everything and everyone. I work at developing my coaching every day. I have never felt that I am there, or indeed that I am any good at it.”

Pan American Hockey Federation media release



Reaching across cultures to achieve gender equality



Marijke Fleuren has been busy and life looks like it is about to get even busier as the European Hockey Federation (EHF) President and FIH Executive Board member continues to push for gender equality across all her spheres of influence.

In the past few weeks Fleuren, who is also a member of the International Olympic Commission Women in Sport, has been pushing the message of gender equality at a sports conference in Cairo, to a representative group of females involved in hockey administration across Europe, and at a conference in Romania.

Her travels have led her to draw two key conclusions: a sport that is 50/50 when it comes to participation must have equality in all other areas, particularly administration and leadership; and progress is being made but the road to true equality is a long one.

“If you think that in my own country of Holland – which has a reputation as a very egalitarian society – until 1956 women had to stop work when they got married, then you can appreciate that we have come a long way in a relatively short space of time,’ she says.

Fleuren has seen for herself how progress towards equality is at very different stages depending upon where you are in the world.

A recent EHF seminar – the European Hockey Female Leadership programme – saw 27 women from 22 EHF member nations come together at a two-day conference to listen to inspirational speakers and, importantly, to take away the message that they all had the opportunity and the right to become leaders.

Speaking after the event, Fleuren was still reeling from the energy the conference had produced among delegates: “It looked as if we have opened a hidden window by organising this forum. It was amazing and also emotional to notice how ready 27 women, from 22 member associations are to take the step up, all in their own way. The different speakers felt their energy and eagerness and reacted passionately. What energy! I am very confident to meet the future with this social capital behind us.”

Following that conference and with knowledge gleaned from both previous and subsequent discussions, Fleuren passionately believes that one of the strongest means to achieving equality is the creation of role models. She is a project partner on the SWING [Supporting Women in achieving their Goals] project, where a mentor/mentee programme is proving invaluable for inspiring women to step forward into leadership roles. Fleuren herself mentors an aspiring leader from Macedonia.



The importance of support and role models was a message she drove home when she addressed the Arabic Women in Sport conference in Cairo.

Using the FIH ‘Equally Amazing’ graphic, and images of inspirational women from the world of hockey to illustrate the four pillars of the FIH strategy  – Participation, Education, Communication and Inspiration – Fleuren explained how it was possible to turn the phrase ‘equally amazing’ from being words on a slideshow to becoming a reality.

On a very positive note, many of the women at the conference were sports administrators, already running children camps for boys and girls. “There is a sense of momentum,” says Fleuren.

But, she adds, she was aware of her responsibility to try and inspire them into leadership roles without challenging the culture within which they lived.

“It was a very humbling experience. These women are coming from Yemen, Abu Dhabi, Iraq, Algeria - it is a different world. At the same time I realised this was an enormous chance to make a difference.”

Fleuren left Cairo knowing that she had opened eyes to the possibilities but also aware that these women had a long road to travel.

The third conference in as many weeks took place in Romania. Here, gender equality wasn’t a topic on the agenda but it was an issue that is never far from the surface. “It is illogical,” says Fleuren, “that when 50 per cent of the population are female, there is not an equal combination of males and females making the decisions. Men and women bring different strengths with them, it is crazy not to work together.”

At the conference, various European sporting federations swapped ideas and discussed policies. It was a chance for Fleuren to assess how both the EHF and the FIH were faring in comparison to other federations. Naturally enough, one of the areas of assessment was equality. “We at FIH are a role model within international federations. We are exceptional when it comes to representation and that is at all levels – umpires, officials, board members.

“What is so pleasing for me is that at every conference or seminar I go to, I can tell the same story each time but, because of the momentum that is gathering, every talk is now coloured with new examples of best practice.”

FIH site



Khokhar seeks PM’s support for hockey revival

Mohsin Ali



ISLAMABAD    -    Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Brig (R) Khalid Sajjad Khohkar has confirmed that the 65th Air Marshal (Late) Muhammad Nur Khan National Hockey Championship 2019 has been postponed and will be held after holy month of Ramazan.

Talking to The Nation, Khokhar said: “The National Hockey Championship dates have been changed due to Uzbekistan hockey team’s visit to Pakistan, which commences from April 17. We want to prepare our development squads to get more talent, as all know that mega events are coming thick and fast, including the Olympics qualifiers and we need fresh blood to prepare our future squads.”

He rubbished the claims made by some quarters that the federation lacks direction and keep on changing dates of different events, including the proposed tour of Poland national hockey team. “The PHF wants to do things perfectly. Polish team has cancelled the tour not because of security or any other issue but they just wanted to change the dates. They are most likely to tour Pakistan in August before the Olympics qualifiers, which will likely be held in September as the final dates and venue is yet to be announced by the FIH.

“The matter of the fact is that it would be blessing in disguise for Pakistan hockey team, as after Poland series, green shirts will embark on Olympics qualifiers and by that time, we would have managed a lot of youngsters through first Uzbekistan series and then National Hockey Championship,” he added.

Khokhar said: “We have written to the FIH regarding non-participation in Pro-Hockey League and they are positive about our genuine reply. They have referred Pakistan’s case to disciplinary committee and we are hopeful about the decision will be in Pakistan’s favour.

“One must understand the ground realities as the PHF needs money to conduct the national championship. Thanks to Sindh Chief Minister and Pakistan Air Force for their support for the national game. We need fresh talent that’s why we have decided to field development squads, which will help the federation and country in the longer perspective.

“I have time and again mentioned that I don’t want to cling on to the president slot. If I can’t deliver, I will relinquish the post. I am surprised that some certain elements, who were given assignments by the PHF and they failed to come up with even ordinary results, are talking about change in the federation. I want to know why they don’t work and come up with plans without holding some kind of offices,” he added.

The PHF chief said that the federation didn’t receive a single-penny’s financial assistance from the federal government, nor from the PSB, even then they are running the PHF’s affairs and striving to take Pakistan hockey forward. “I have time and again requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to spare some time for the national game and have a meeting with us.

“I have also offered the government not to give us a single penny but utilize funds properly and spend money through their own means, but let hockey flourish in the country. The PM’s personal interest will mean a lot for the revival of hockey and it will put new lease of life in our efforts to take Pakistan hockey to new heights,” Khokhar concluded.

The Nation

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