News for 05 January 2015
All the news for Monday 5 January 2015
Rusty Malaysia draw friendly match with Poland
A Malaysia hockey player jumps over the Poland goalkeeper during their friendly match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Sunday. - FAIHAN GHANI/ The STAR
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s first match under national coach Tai Beng Hai ended in a 4-4 draw in a friendly with the visiting Poland team at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
It was Malaysia’s first match since the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, last October. And the experienced Malaysian team were far from impressive and even looked jaded.
In contrast, Poland looked sharp and were better with their movement up front.
Poland took the lead in the seventh minute through a field goal by Karol Majchrazak. Krystian Makowski (30th), Mateusz Poltaszewski (46th) and Adam Chwalisk (58th) were the other scorers.
For Malaysia, Mohamed Razie Rahim netted a brace with two penalty corner goals in the 29th and 50th minutes. Mohamed Marhan Jalil (36th) and Mohamed Ramadan Rosli (47th) contributed the other goals.
“We started off badly and let in some soft goals. This is the players’ first game as a team since the Asiad, so I guess they were a little off colour,” said Beng Hai.
“It is a good wake-up call for them as they cannot take any team lightly. We have one more game and we hope to see a better performance all round,” he said.
Poland team manager Thomsz Cichy said poor umpiring affected their performance.
“We are disappointed at not winning the match as we had some good chances. Still, it was a tough encounter and gave us some very good match practice,” he said.
Malaysia and Poland will play a second friendly on Tuesday. The Poles will also play a friendly against the Malaysian National Juniors on Saturday.
Both Malaysia and Poland are preparing for the World Hockey League Round Two, an Olympic qualifier, in Singapore from Jan 17-25.
The Star of Malaysia
SA men's hockey team tackle Austria in Durban Monday evening.
JONATHAN COOK
Centre back Jethro Eustice, one of the two most experienced players in what is arguably the least seasoned South Africa national men’s hockey team for some time, said Sunday night that the vibe in the camp is good ahead of the first Test against Austria, which takes place at 6pm at Queensmead in Durban Monday.
"Jonty Robinson has 80-odd caps and I am on 50 now, so we do have major tournament experience that we can pass on to the 15 uncapped players here,” said Eustice.
"Jonty and I have had meetings with the new players and explained what is expected of them, and the guys have raised the bar," said Eustice.
SA head coach Fabian Gregory has spearheaded a busy schedule that has kept the players on the go at training session after training session as well as team meetings, tactical discussions and intensive set-piece work over the last three days at Queensmead.
Convenor of selectors Ally Fredericks said his panel were looking to see who could make the jump from excelling at national domestic tournaments like the senior inter-provincial and take that promise further.
Fredericks said hockey is continually reinventing itself at elite level, making it imperative that the SA selection panel keep as open mind as possible in seeking to identify young players with the skills set and associated attributes needed to succeed on the world stage.
"At the same time, we need to broaden our player base in order to provide more competition for places in the team, as on my watch senior or junior players who think they can rest on their laurels will not be tolerated.”
"It is a challenge for youngsters to cross that bridge but you don’t know how they will handle it until given the chance,” said Fredericks, the former SA World Cup and Olympic Games striker.
"The team that finds the best mix of tactics, skills and discipline will come out well,” said Austria striker Michael Koerter.
TEST MATCHES
(all at Queensmead in Durban)
Mon, 5 Jan (6pm)
Tues, 6 Jan (6pm)
Thurs, 8 Jan (6pm)
Fri, 9 Jan (2pm)
SA TEAM vs AUSTRIA
Goalkeepers: Richard Curtis, Gowan Jones (both KZN Coastal Raiders), Chad Durrheim (Eastern Province), Jason Briggs (Southern Gauteng).
Defenders: Mohammed Mea (KZN Coastal Raiders), Daniel Bell (Western Province), Leneal Jackson, Robin Jones (both KZN Inland), Matt Guise-Brown (Northern Blues), Gareth Heyns, Jethro Eustice (both Southern Gauteng).
Midfielders: Ross Hetem, Dan Sibbald (both KZN Coastal Raiders), Marc Fourie (WP), Taylor Dart (Southern Gauteng), Chad Cairncross (EP), Jonty Robinson (Northern Blues).
Strikers: Andrew Manson, Mondli Dlamini (both KZN Coastal Raiders), Richard Pautz (Northern Blues), Keenan Horne, Shannon Boucher (both WP), Brandon Panther (Southern Gauteng), Dalan Phillips EP).
SA Hockey Association media release
2015 Indoor Mason Cup Results
Canada falls in a shootout to Sweden in final
After going through the round robin portion of the tournament with 4W-1L, the Canadian Men's Indoor National Team faced Sweden in the 2015 Indoor Mason Cup final on Sunday.
The two teams met on day two of the round robin, when Canada outplayed the Swedes but could not take advantage of the run of play. Sweden managed to win the game 6-4.
The final match of the tournament was even closer.
Canada and Sweden were tied 6-6 after regulation time, so the championship was to be settled in a shootout. Sweden came out on top by a margin of 5-4 to take the Mason Cup title.
2015 Indoor Mason Cup - Canadian Results
Orient Lyngby 6 - 7 Canada
Dinamo Electrostaall 2 - 3 Canada
Slagelse HK 4 - 7 Canada
Sweden 6 - 4 Canada
Switzerland 7 - 8 Canada
FINAL: Sweden 6 - 6 Canada (5-4 Shootout)
Field Hockey Canada media release
Punjab Police win Liberals hockey meet
Winners Punjab Police strike a pose with the trophy. Tribune photo
Nabha - Punjab Police, Jalandhar, beat EME, Jalandhar, 5-3 to win the final of the GS Bains Liberals All India Hockey tournament at PPS ground Nabha.
This is for the 13th time in the 39-year history of the tournament that Punjab Police have won the tournament. This time they did it in a penalty shootout after the match ended at 2-2 in the regulation time. Punjab Police started as the favourites and kept the pressure up on the Army defence right from the start.
But it was EME who forged (1-0) ahead in the 24th minute through a penalty corner against the run of play when Gurmit Singh unleashed a stinging shot to sound the board.
Punjab Police, who had wasted a short corner in the 13th minute when fullback Jasbir Singh hit straight into the goalkeeper Anthony, equalised (1-1) in the 44th minute through hardworking inside-left Varun Kumar. Varun dashed inside the striking circle to beat the goalkeeper and score a goal.
Punjab Police converted a long corner taken by outside-left Harinder Singh in the 55th minute which was deflected neatly in to the net (2-1) by captain Satwinder Singh.
EME hit back strongly in the 59th minute when prolific scorer Biju Singh deflected a sharp center from leftwinger J Horo to find the net.
By the end of regulation time, the scores were level, both the teams were leveled as no team could make inroads and taste success due to some solid defending by both teams.
The match was finally decided through a shootout in which only Biju Singh scored for EME while Punjab Police’s Harjit Singh, Vikramjit Singh and Satwinder Singh were on target. The winners received Rs 1 lakh while EME Jalandhar were richer by Rs 50,000.
The Tribune
Thrilling climax to Hockey 5s group stage
Sutton Coldfield celebrating a goal against Bowdon, Jan 4 2015, credit Andy Smith.
With just one of the top four teams in the Women’s Premier Division winning both their matches, the group stage of the Hockey 5s Championship reached a thrilling climax at Bromsgrove School on Sunday.
Just one point separated the top five teams in the final table, with leaders Bowdon Hightown managing just one point from a possible six on the final day.
But they clung on to top spot, with East Grinstead and Slough second and third respectively on goal difference. Canterbury finished fourth and scraped into the semi finals on goal difference, while Reading – who won both their final games against Harleston Magpies and University of Birmingham – narrowly missed out.
Bowdon drew 2-2 with East Grinstead in a crucial result for both sides, but them lost out 5-4 to Sutton Coldfield later in the day. Sally Walton scored three goals on the day to finish as top-scorer in the group stages with 18 in total.
East Grinstead won 7-3 against Sutton Coldfield in the day’s final match to secure second spot. Sophie Bray bagged six goals in their two Sunday games to help her side reach the semi finals.
Slough beat Canterbury 3-2 and Clifton 4-2 to climb to third, Laura Bailey scoring three of their goals.
Following their narrow loss to Slough, Canterbury bounced back with a 7-2 win over Clifton to secure the final place in the semi finals at Kettering.
The University of Birmingham secured a crucial 7-4 win over Harleston Magpies, which lifted them above their rivals and away from relegation danger. They lost out to Reading 4-2 later in the day, but the win over the Magpies proved enough to avoid the drop.
* For goalscorers and full competition details, including live updates click here - http://englandhockey.altiusrt.com/competitions/1
England Hockey Board Media release
Stott strikes 11 as East Grinstead top the table
East Grinstead's captain Niall Stott by Josh Dixon.
ELEVEN goals in one day from captain Niall Stott was enough for East Grinstead to top the Men’s Premier Division table at the Hockey 5s Championship at St George’s Park, Burton on Trent, on Sunday.
They booked their spot in the semi finals at Wembley in three weeks with emphatic wins over Canterbury and Bowdon. They will be joined in the semi finals by Sevenoaks, Canterbury and Reading.
Second bottom of the table after the first weekend of group matches, Reading battled back with three wins and a dramatic draw in the final weekend.
They drew 3-3 with Beeston to ensure they go forward, while for Beeston that point proved enough to avoid relegation following a 4-3 win over Surbiton earlier in the day.
Sevenoaks drew with rejuvenated Holcombe in their first match on Sunday, and then beat Team Bath Buccaneers in the day’s penultimate match to secure their spot at Wembley. George Torry scored three goals on the final day to help his side to the semi finals.
Canterbury will go to Wembley despite a mixed final day of group matches which left them third.
They lost out 8-5 to East Grinstead in the opening match, but then beat Bowdon 8-7. Ben Allberry and Kwan Browne scored four goals each for Canterbury on the final day, while Harry Jawanda added three.
And in the day’s other matches Reading won 4-2 over Surbiton, while Holcombe beat Team Bath Buccaneers 4-3.
* For goalscorers and full competition details, including live updates click here - http://englandhockey.altiusrt.com/competitions/2
England Hockey Board Media release
Malvern, QPCC set early U-21 hockey pace
Courts Malvern and Queen’s Park CC set the early pace when the Under-21 Men’s Division of the second annual Junior Invitational tournament hosted by T&T's Ventures Hockey Club began at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Hamilton—Holder Street, Woodbrook, yesterday.
The tournament is jointly sponsored by First Citizens Bank and Bankers Insurers Company of T&T. In the seven team men’s round-robin series from which the top four will advance to today’s semifinal, Malvern managed nine points from its first four matches with victories over Shape (4-1), Carib (14-0) and Notre Dame (2-1), while its lone blemish came in a 3-4 loss to Paragon ahead of clashes with Fatima and Queen’s Park.
The Parkites crushed bitter rival Fatima 4-0 in its opener, was then held to a 1-1 draw by Notre Dame and then punished Paragon 6-1 with fixtures against Shape, Carib and Malvern to come. Fatima rebounded from the defeat to the Parkites to get maximum points from Shape (2-0) and Paragon, (4-0) to lie third on the table with six points, two ahead of Notre Dame which blanked Carib (2-0) in addition to a share of the spoils with QPCC, before losing to Malvern.
Paragon with its 2-3 record and one match left is also still in the qualification mix but must avoid defeat against Notre Dame today from 10am With only four women’s team registered all are already assured of a spot in the semifinals. However in round-robin matches played up to press-time, Paragon edged host Ventures 1-0, Notre Dame then blanked Paragon 2-0 while Shandy Carib Magnolias trounced Paragon 4-0.
The women’s round-robin was expected to conclude last night ahead of today’s semifinals and finals. At the end of both the men and women Under-21 round-robin series, the top team will meet the fourth placed team in one semifinal, and second meets third in the other today ahead of the third placed playoffs and finals.
The 12th annual invitational tournament for the senior teams, the Open Men, Open Women and Veterans Over-40 Divisions will be held next weekend at the same venue with Petrotrin (men) and Paragon (women) putting their titles on the line.
Results
Yesterday’s Under-21 Division results:
Men
Paragon 7 bt Carib 3
Courts Malvern 4 bt Shape 1
Queen’s Park CC 4 bt Fatima 0
Notre Dame 2 bt Carib 0
Paragon 4 bt Courts Malvern 3
Fatima 2 vs Shape 0
Queen’s Park CC 1 vs Notre Dame 1
Shape 2 vs Paragon 0
Courts Malvern 14 vs Carib 0
Fatima 4 vs Paragon 0
Courts Malvern 2 vs Notre Dame 1
Queen’s Park CC 6 bt Paragon 1
Women
Paragon 1 vs Ventures 0
Notre Dame 2 vs Paragon 0
SC Magnolias 4 vs Paragon 0
Today: Under-21 Men
Queen’s Park vs Courts Malvern, 9 am
Shape vs Carib, 9.30 am
Paragon vs Notre Dame, 10 am
Semifinal: Women
First vs Fourth, 10.45 am
Second vs Third, 12.15 pm
Third placed: 1.30 pm
Final: 3 pm
Men
First vs Fourth, 11.30 am
Second vs Third, 1 pm
Third place: 2.15 pm
Final: 3.45 pm.
The Trinidad Guardian
Team coaches want new league format revised
By BRIAN YONGA
Butali Sugar Warriors celebrate a goal against Parkroad during their Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) Premier League match at City Park Stadium on November 2, 2014. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) has been urged to revert to the old league format and do away with the pooling system that was used in the national league in the 2014 season.
A cross section of coaches argued that by playing fewer matches as happened last year, the standards of hockey in Kenya, a country once renowned for excellence in the sport, would fall.
Butali Sugar Warriors coach Cliffe Okello, who led his team to their third title, said the new format had a negative impact on the national team and the growth of the game in the country.
“The move will see the national team affected because the players have played few games in a season and cannot therefore represent the county well at the international level. Players need a lot of matches if we want the game to grow,” he added.
Early last year, the union abandoned the league format and adopted a tournament system in what they termed ‘a temporary move aimed at “recovering the lost time’ after the league failed to start on time due to a number of reasons.
First, there was the terrorist attack at Westgate Mall in Westlands in 2013 which forced the postponement of the Africa Cup of Nations hosted in Nairobi in November. The two developments resulted in the late conclusion of the 2013 season in May this year.
Last year was equally a busy season with Kenya hosting the World League One series and Kenyan clubs taking part in the Africa Cup of Club Championship in Zimbabwe last November.
Therefore, in order to hold all the events and ensure that the local league continued smoothly, KHU devised the new format of play which saw the teams in the Premier and the National leagues divided into two pools with the top two in each pool progressing to the play-offs. The decision was criticized by a number of coaches who expressed their disappointment at the move arguing it would kill the sport
Kenya Police coach Kenneth Kaunda said the new format reduced the level of competitiveness of a league and also the morale of players and fans.
Chrispin Opiyo, Park Road head coach warned of a possible drop in the standards of the game if the Union revert to the old league format.
“You cannot compete with the best if your players only play five games in a year,” lamented Opiyo. “Generally, at five or so games is when you start to find your form, how then will we improve as players and clubs if by the fifth match, the season is over?”
KHU is set to meet and decide on which format will be used this season but warned clubs that failure to register on time will affect the start of the league. “We want to have competitive and professional league and we cannot have one if clubs do not register on time,” Randiek said.
Daily Nation
Battle over stadium use: Hockey Karnataka wins first round
KSHA postpones its ‘A’ division league till Wednesday
Ashwin Achal
Police barricaded the door leading to the pitch from the KSHA club house to facilitate continuation of the Hockey Karnataka league match, amid protests, at the Shantinagar stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar
Hockey Karnataka won the first round in its battle with Karnataka State Hockey Association (KSHA) over the use of the stadium in Shantinagar here on Sunday. Personnel from the Ashoknagar police station ensured the smooth conduct of Hockey Karnataka’s league matches on Sunday, after dispersing protesting KSHA members and even barricading the doors to deny entry to the pitch.
Similar to events on Saturday, the two rival factions had both scheduled matches at 4 p.m. However, unlike the first instance where both matches were called off, Hockey Karnataka came up trumps this time.
The KSHA later made an announcement that it had decided to put off its ‘A’ division league until Wednesday. “We have many hands, which are linked to many powerful connections. We expect one [connection] to click in the next couple of days, so we hope to resume our league on Wednesday,” KSHA treasurer S.K. Gupta said. Another clash, therefore, is on the cards, as the Hockey Karnataka league extends until nearly the month-end.
As the start-time approached on Sunday, KSHA members assembled peacefully on the pitch as a sign of protest. Police officials then requested them to exit, and held a meeting with the protesters. The rival body’s match was allowed to start, and the supervising police officers barricaded the door leading to the pitch from the KSHA club house. Aggrieved KSHA officials attempted to reason with the police, but to no avail. The match then passed without incident.
Group SMS
Hockey Karnataka secretary A.B. Subbaiah explained that he was made aware of a group message that was circulated among KSHA members, after which he called the police to help conduct the match. The message called on the members to turn up in big numbers for the proposed protest, he said. “I got to know of this mass SMS, after which we gave a letter to the Ashoknagar police station. We requested them to come over to the stadium; we did not want any trouble during our match.
“In terms of a long-term solution, I do not believe that the two bodies can sort out this issue on their own. Tempers will surely flare, and both parties will resort to a mindless blame-game. We will be better off if a government body acts as a mediator,” Mr. Subbaiah said.
The Hindu