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News for 18 January 2015

All the news for Sunday 18 January 2015


Malaysia 5 Ukraine 1

by Jugjet Singh

MALAYSIA struggled in the early stages but went on to beat Ukraine 5-1 in the World League Second Round when the forward-line failed miserably and the blushes were saved by penalty corners at the Sengkang Stadium in Singapore.

There was no understanding in the scoring semi-circle in the first three quarters, and if they continue to turn easy matches into troubling ones, misery awaits them in the knock-out stages.

"Yes it was a slow start and I attribute it to the newly laid pitch. But when my players got used to in late in the match, the match was won on a comfortable score and what matters most is the three points in the opening match.

"Penalty corners, even though few (five) saved the day, and now we are looking forward to better matches in this tournament," said Malaysian coach Tai Beng Hai.

Tournament top seed Malaysia started in a chaotic manner as Ukraine defended with numbers in the first quarter of the match.

However, in the 13th minute, a Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin's shot at goal went sailing into the goalmouth but just to make sure, Faizal Saari connected it in for the lead.

The second quarter was much better as Malaysia found their first penalty corner of the match in the 19th minute, and Razie Rahim's drive hit a defenders' leg and a penalty stroke was awarded.

Razie stepped up to the spot, and flicked in for a 2-0 lead.

The celebrations ended in the 24th minute when a freak deflection from Vitali Kalinchuk sent the ball crashing to the top of the net beating a surprised looking Malaysian goalkeeper S. Kumar.

The score was a narrow 2-1 even though Malaysia are ranked 13th while Ukraine 24th in the world.

Malaysia's second penalty corner by Faizal hit the post, but the third penalty corner in the 36th minute saw Razie's drive stopped by the goalkeeper Laroslav Hordey but Izwan Firdaus was at hand to slam in the rebound for 3-1.

Izwan again scored off a penalty corner rebound goal in the 53rd minute to bring the score to a 4-1, while Haziq Shamsul scored in the 57th minute to make it a respectable win.

Meanwhile in Group B, World No 14 Japan whipped Bangladesh 5-1 but coach Kang Keon Wook felt the scoreline did not do justice to the match.

"We did not expect such a big scoreline and I feel that we were quite lucky as Bangladesh are fast closing the gap with us. We do not have the best players in Singapore as after the Asian Games many of our seasoned campaigners picked up injuries playing in the local league and I had to make many changes and inject some fresh faces.

"Even then, we hope to play in the final and qualify for the World League Semi-finals," said Kang.

WORLD LEAGUE ROUND TWO SINGAPORE -- JAN 17-25

GROUP A
                          P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
Malaysia       1   1    0   0  5  1  3
Oman             1   1    0   0  3  2  3
Singapore    1   0    0   1  2  3  0
Ukraine          1   0    0   1  1  5  0

GROUP B
                     P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
Poland       1   1    0   0  6  0  3
Japan         1   1    0   0  5  1  3
B'ladesh    1   0    0   1  1  5  0
Mexico       1   0    0   1  0  6  0

RESULTS:
Group A: Malaysia 5 Ukraine 1, Oman 3 Singapore 2;
Group B: Japan 5 Bangladesh 1, Poland 6 Mexico 0.

FIXTURES (Malaysian time):
Jan 18: Group B: Bangladesh v Mexico (3pm), Poland v Japan (5.30pm).
Jan 19: Group A: Ukraine v Singapore (3pm), Oman v Malaysia
(5.30pm).
Jan 20: Group A: Ukraine v Oman (5.30pm), Malaysia v Singapore
(8pm); Group B: Japan v Mexico (9am), Bangladesh v Poland (3pm).
Jan 21: REST DAY
Jan 22: Quarter-finals
Jan 23: Fifth-Eighth
Jan 24: Semi-finals
Jan 25: Final and placing matches.

Jugjet's World of Field Hockey



Malaysia forced to slog for a 5-1 win against Ukraine in World League

By Aftar Singh


Faizal Saari (number 10) scoring the first goal for Malaysia against Ukraine in the World Hockey League Round Two in Singapore. Malaysia won 5-1. -Bernama

SINGAPORE: Top seeds Malaysia made heavy weather of minnows Ukraine in the World Hockey League Round Two tournament.

The 5-1 scoreline may look flattering but world No. 13 Malaysia actually slogged against the world No. 24 Ukraine in a Group A match at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium.

Izwan Firdaus Ahmad Tajuddin (36th, 53rd) scored a brace while Faizal Saari (13th), Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim (19th) and Mohd Haziq Samsul (57th) netted a goal each. Vitalii Kalinchuk (34th) scored for Ukraine.

Malaysia got off to a shaky start and lost possession easily to their opponents, who barely play in international tournaments.

Ukraine showed far better fighting spirit compared to the Malaysians.

Malaysia, despite hiring Australian consultant Neil Hawgood to help them put up a strong challenge in the tournament, struggled to penetrate the Ukraine defence.

Forward Aetem Ozerskyi came close to giving Ukraine the lead in the eighth minute but his powerful reverse stick attempt was well saved by goalkeeper S. Kumar.

It was just the wake-up call Malaysia needed and they duly took the lead in the 13th minute. Midfielder Tengku Ahmad Tajudin Tengku Abdul Jalil’s hit from the top D was well connected by forward Faizal.

The goal inspired the Malaysian team to double the score in the 19th minute. Malaysia were awarded a penalty stroke by umpire Ali Shahbaz when Ukraine’s Ruslan Pashkovskyi used his body to stop skipper Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim’s penalty corner drag. Mohd Razie converted.

Ukraine fought back and reduced the deficit in the 24th minute. Oleksandar Diachenko hit from the top D was deflected into goal by Kalinchuk, giving goalkeeper S. Kumar no chance.

Malaysia increased the lead off their third penalty corner in the 36th minute. Mohd Razie’s low flick bounced off goalkeeper’s Iaroslav Hordey pads before forward Izwan Firdaus dashed to push the ball into goal to make it 3-1.

Izwan Firdaus was on target again for his second – and the team’s fourth – goal in the 53rd minute off yet another penalty corner set-piece.

Mohd Haziq Samsul completed the rout with a field goal in the 57th minute.

National coach Tai Beng Hai was disappointed with their performance.

“We struggled in the early part of the match as the players easily lost possession. We also found it hard to penetrate the Ukraine defence in the first 10 minutes,” said Beng Hai.

“It could be because this is our first match. Once we got the opening goal, the players began to settle down and we were able to win 5-1. What’s important is the three points. We have a day’s rest before we face Oman.

“We need to watch the video of the match against Ukraine to make sure we don’t repeat the mistakes.”

The Star of Malaysia



Red hot Poland thrashed Mexico in World Hockey League opener

By Aftar Singh

SINGAPORE: The weather wasn’t the only thing that was hot at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium.

Poland were just as hot – turning on the heat to trounce Mexico 6-0 in their World Hockey League Group B opening match.

Tomasz Gorny (27th, 41st) and Piotr Kozlowski (30th, 35th) scored a brace each while Krystain Makowski (9th) and Adrian Krokosz (26th) netted one apiece for Poland.

World No. 18 Poland are seeded third in the tournament – after world No. 13 Malaysia and world No. 14 Japan.

Mexico, a last-minute replacement for Fiji, could have lost by a bigger margin if not for some fine saves by goalkeeper Moises Vargas.

Poland team manager Tomasz Cichy was pleased as punch with their performance under the searing heat.

“It’s always good to start a tournament with a big win. Our mission is to win the tournament and that means we have to win every match,” said Cichy.

“Our next match is against Japan ... we have a score to settle with them. We lost to them twice in the Champion Challenge I (in Kuantan last year).

“Japan are a solid team but we are confident of getting the better of them this time as we are well prepared.”

In Kuantan, Poland lost 3-2 to Japan in a group match and again by the same margin in the seventh-placing playoff.

Japan also got off to a flying start in the other Group B match, outplaying Bangladesh 5-1 in the morning.

Shunya Miyazaki (second minute, 31st), Takuro Sasaki (11th), Kenta Tanaka (18th) and Hirotaka Zendana (22nd) scored for Japan.

Bangladesh, coached by Malaysia’s K. Gobinathan, replied through a Chayan Mamunur-Rahman field goal in the 44th minute.

Japan coach Kang Keon-wook acknowledged that the match against Poland “is crucial as it will decide who will top the group standings”.

“Overall, Poland are a good team and they showed that against Mexico. They also have good penalty corner drag flickers.

“It will be a tight match but I hope my players can rise to the occasion against the bigger built Poland players,” said the South Korean coach, who brought in six new players for this tournament.

The Star of Malaysia



Ireland 2-1 Spain (women)

Ireland played Spain in the first of their three test series in Valencia this afternoon. The Irish girls started the game brightly Anna O Flanagan winning a PC but Frazer drag flick was well saved. O Flanagan herself had a strike which tested the Spanish keeper and Duke went close to giving Ireland the lead but the game remained scoreless. Spain finished the quarter with a couple of strikes and a PC of their own but McFerran saved well.

The 2nd quarter remained scoreless with Irish Captain Frazer taking knock but was able to return for the 2nd half.

Emma Gray came on in goal for the second half and was quickly called into action making quality save first from open play and then from a Spanish PC. Ireland took the lead after great work down  the right from Katie Mullan and her UCD team mate Nicola Evans, on her 25th birthday, deflection left the Spanish keeper with no chance. Gray made another top save from Spain's 2nd PC in the  quarter to keep a clean sheet and Ireland a 1-0 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Spain equalised Bonastre with the finish to level the game with 13 minutes to go. Ireland took the lead, with 6 minutes left on the clock, when a Sargent strike from a PC was finished cooly by Chloe Watkins at the far post. Good Irish defence for the final 5m saw the game out and a win for Ireland by 2-1.

After the game Irish Coach Darren Smith said ' We are happy with the win but there will need to be some improvements heading into tomorrow. Our passing was too static, we over carried the ball and struggled to retain possession. Spain are a quality team so it will be an extremely competitive series and great preparation for World League 2"

IRELAND 2 (Chloe Watkins, Nicola Evans)
SPAIN 1 (Bonastre)

Sunday 3.30 (Irish time) Ireland v Spain
Tuesday 09.30 (Irish time) Ireland v Spain

IRELAND: Emma Gray (GK), Stella Davis (GK), Ayeisha McFerran (GK), Cliodhna Sargent, Emma Smyth, Chloe Brown, Nicola Evans, Shirley McCay, Megan Frazer (Capt), Naomi Carroll,  Chloe Watkins, Lizzie Colvin, Nicola Daly, Katie Mullan, Anna O Flanagan, Gillian Pinder, Deirdre Duke, Kate Dillon, Yvonne O Byrne, Emily Beatty

Did not play: Gillian Pinder , Emily Beatty, Stella Davis
Not available: Hannah Matthews & Ali Meeke

Irish Hockey Association media release



Dominant Surbiton remain on track

Surbiton remain dominant in the Hockey 5s Championship Women’s Division One, recording another two wins at Nottingham Trent University on Saturday to remain unbeaten at the top of the table.

A 4-1 win over Brooklands Poynton was followed up with a 9-1 drubbing of Olton and West Warwickshire, with Harriet Tibble claiming four of their goals on the day.

Second spot – and just three points behind – are Leicester who also enjoyed two wins on Saturday. Rachel Mack scored six times in their 9-0 win over Horsham, and had also scored one in their 5-3 win over Buckingham earlier in the day to keep the pressure on Surbiton.

Third spot are Bristol Firebrands, who also secured two wins on Saturday – firstly winning 5-1 over Wakefield and then scraping past Brooklands Poynton 2-1.

Wakefield bounced back from their loss to Firebrands with a surprise 4-2 win over Buckingham in the day’s penultimate game.

Finally, bottom of the table – although still not relegated – are Ipswich who lost 4-7 to Olton and 3-1 to Horsham on Saturday.

England Hockey Board Media release



Wimbledon chasing down Loughborough in Hockey 5s

Wimbledon smashed home 20 goals in the Hockey 5s Championship Men’s Division One at the University of West England in Bristol on Saturday, closing the gap on leaders Loughborough Students.

Just one point now separates Wimbledon and Loughborough – and the two are set to meet on Sunday in what could prove a crucial game for both side’s promotion hopes.

Loughborough dropped their first points of the campaign when drawing 6-6 with Brooklands Manchester University, although they avoided being knocked off the top of the table with a 7-4 win over Old Loughtonians later in the day, with Ed Horler scoring five on the day.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon beat Harleston Magpies 8-4 and Bournville 12-2 on Saturday to turn up the pressure on Loughborough.

Brooklands lie third and could also go top on Sunday, having beaten Harleston Magpies 8-2 in their other Saturday match, with Peter Flanagan ending the day as top-scorer with six goals.

In other action Cannock moved up to fourth thanks to a 4-3 win over Bournville and a 10-1 win over Doncaster, while Southgate beat Old Loughtonians 7-3 and only narrowly lost 6-5 to Doncaster.

England Hockey Board Media release



Sticking up for hockey in Mumbai

HIl franchise Mumbai Dabang draft in many city players and also plan to work towards putting the metropolis back on sport's map in the country

Rutvick Mehta


With the the previous Mumbai franchise finishing last and second last in the two seasons, Dabang Mumbai have their work cut out ahead of the upcoming Hockey India League. Photo Salman Ansari

With the the previous Mumbai franchise finishing last and second last in the two seasons, Dabang Mumbai have their work cut out ahead of the upcoming Hockey India League Salman Ansari dna

"Mumbai hockey has lost its charm" is the oft-repeated line among the sports enthusiasts in the city.

Make no mistake, they say that for a reason. For, they've seen it all. From the highs of producing a legend like Dhanraj Pillay, having a strong presence in the Indian team in the 1990s and the early 2000s, to having only one over the past few years in Yuvraj Walmiki, hockey in Mumbai has come a full circle.

From Pillay to Cornelius D'Costa, Gavin Ferreira to Rahul Singh, Darryl D'Souza to Anil Aldrin, Edgar brothers to Viren Rasquinha, the city of dreams has produced some champions players over the past few decades. Cut to the present, and one can count on their fingertips the number of players knocking on the national doors.

Rasquinha, former India captain and Olympian, paints the picture aptly.

"When I was growing up," he recalls, "I remember 30-40 boys playing hockey in a gully, wearing chappals and carrying a stick. I didn't have shin pads that time. I used to hate hockey because the ball used to hit my shin and it was so painful. But it was great fun at the same time. I don't see kids playing hockey in the gullies anymore".

That's what hurts hockey lovers most — not the lack of presence at the top-most level, but the lack of interest right at the bottom.

For many years, hockey in Mumbai was in the wilderness. Players were left in the lurch with the split in the federation. Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) remained with the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and not the recognised Hockey India (HI) for around four years till 2011. It denied Mumbai players an opportunity to play for the country, having a serious trickle-down effect.

Kids had no one to look up to, parents didn't encourage their children to take up the sport. "There's no scope in it anymore", they said. They had a point.

It's precisely this perception that Dabang Mumbai, the newly-formed Mumbai franchise of the Hockey India League (HIL), want to change. For two years, Mumbai had a presence in the HIL, but with very little to show. The Mumbai Magicians, owned by the Dabur Group then, failed to qualify for the semifinals in the two seasons. Moreover, they had just one player from Mumbai in the first season (Anup Walmiki), and none in the second.

FOCUS ON LOCAL FLAVOUR

With change of owners and management, came the winds of change. For starters, they roped in ex-Mumbai players — Aldrin and Edgar Mascarenhas — to constitute their coaching staff. Rasquinha became the face of the franchise as the strategic advisor and mentor. More importantly, they emphasised on giving the franchise a local flavour in terms of players. It was a conscious decision, one that Rasquinha was adamant about before coming on board.

"We always talk about giving Mumbai players an opportunity, and when a major tournament like this comes around, we don't do that. When I was put in charge, I said we are going to give Mumbai players an opportunity — both in the coaching and player side," says Rasquinha.

And they did just that.

"Anup Walmiki, Rajat Sharma, Tyron Pereira, Amit Gowda, Adrian D'Souza are core Mumbai boys. Vikram Pillay and Vikas Pillay also come to Mumbai very often from Pune. We also have Chinglensana Singh and Nilakanta Sharma who are from Manipur but are based in Mumbai. So we tried to give a Mumbai flavour to the team," he adds.

What's more, the team has allowed some promising young Mumbai players who are not part of the team to train with the players and rub shoulders with the best.

"We are giving around seven talented Mumbai boys a chance to train with the team everyday. We're giving boys who can match up to this level a chance to train with the best. We're going to have a few coaching clinics for mass kids closer to the tournament," Rasquinha says.

THE GERMAN WAY

Their head coach, Germany's Valentin Altenburg who is also in-charge of the German Under-21 team, explains why it was important for him as a coach, and as a franchise overall, to pick as many local players as possible.

"I come from a club where they put all their effort in the youth. The best coaches don't go to the adults, they go to the youth. So our club has players who come in as little kids and spend their entire career there, because the club puts all the efforts in building them technically and culturally. What I understand is that those players give everything for their club, because it is their club, their project, their life experience," he says.

Once that happens, the cycle can kickstart again from the bottom. Anup, the youngest of the Walmiki brothers, grew up watching Pillay and his brother Yuvraj play hockey. He hopes the same happens with young kids who will watch him play for Mumbai.

"There's a big difference when you play for your city," the 19-year-old says. "My batchmates will come and watch me and will try and be a part of the team next season. Kids will believe that if they work hard, even they can be a part of this. I've grown up seeing Dhanraj sir and Yuvraj play. Someone will watch me too".

EXTRA PUSH FOR PLAYERS

Goalkeeper Adrian D'souza, who has more than 100 international caps and yet is making his HIL debut this season, says getting more local players in the fray in Dabang Mumbai is a great way to start the process of reviving hockey in the city.

"This is the first time that there are so many local players in the Mumbai HIL team. So if you have try and get Mumbai hockey back to where it was, this is a great way to start. It was missing in the last two seasons," says D'souza, who was analysing the HIL as a commentator last year.

The 30-year-old believes the high of playing in one's home ground cannot be matched.

"It does give that extra push. I've been born and brought up playing on this (MHA) pitch. I'm still playing here. I've seen the turf and stadium changing. I've seen many things happen. So there is nothing like playing in your own turf," he says.

TARGET COACHES TOO

Not just players, Rasquinha & Co. also want to target school and club coaches.

"Valentine in my opinion is one of the top coaches in the world at the moment. So we want all Mumbai coaches to come and see the kind of training sessions, so they implement it in their schools, clubs. That's why we say coaches, kids are free to come any time and see our training. We want to make it as open as possible," he says.

The final cog in the wheel is the management. The current MHA administration, Rasquinha believes, has been far more pro-active than the previous ones.

"We have to show to players in schools that there is hope," Vernon Lobo, MHA managing committee member, says. "Earlier, there was nothing to look forward to. But now there is. I'm glad the franchise has taken so many Mumbai players. Now it is up to the players to grab the chance".

However, Rasquinha warns against expecting too much from a single entity.

"HIL and Dabang Mumbai is one of the many things that are required to be done. This happens only for two months. You need the school tournaments, the Bombay Gold Cup, Guru Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup and the leagues properly organised. You need to have top quality hockey happening throughout the year. You need to have kids playing regularly. It's got to be a sustained programme.

"If everyone — management, coaches, players, fans — does their job well, the possibility of sustaining this and brining Mumbai hockey up is far, far better. I want to see kids playing hockey in the gullies again," he says.
It all comes back to that, isn't it?
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LOCAL FLAVOUR, ANYONE?

Below is the list of number of Mumbai players in the Mumbai franchise since the inception of HIL
Season Number Player/s
1 (Mumbai Magicians) 1 Anup Walmiki
2 (Mumbai Magicians) 0
3 (Dabang Mumbai) 7 Anup Walmiki, Rajat Sharma, Tyron Pereira, Amit Gowda, Adrian D'Souza, Vikram Pillay and Vikas Pillay

FAN CALLING

Another important aspect that the Dabang Mumbai want to improve upon from the last two seasons is attracting fans. The fan turnaround in the last two years was meagre, and the new franchise hopes to build a fan base in the city like Mumbai Indians have done with their "MI Paltan" concept. "We're already done a lot of activation," says Rasquinha. "We have personally reached out to every club registered under MHA — around 60 — making individual phone calls asking them to come for the matches. We'll be reaching out to all school teams too. We're much more present on the social media also this time. So hopefully, all this combined will get the crowds".

DNA



Taking centre stage - the rise of the volunteer

From teenagers to octogenarians, ball girls to drivers – there is a place for everyone on hockey's largest team.


(Photo: FIH)

One phenomena which has really taken major hockey events by storm in the past few years has been the rise of the volunteer. It was at the London 2012 Olympics when we first saw the status of volunteers change from a dedicated, but largely anonymous workforce, to a body of people who are now at the heart of any successful major sports event.

But volunteering in its many guises has been around since sports clubs began and, when the Queen's New Year honours list in Great Britain was revealed at the start of this year, one recipient epitomised the spirit of volunteering that is so much at the core of hockey across the globe.

Jim Barrow is the president of Wilmslow Hockey Club in England, and, for most of his 83-year life, he has been volunteering his services in different roles within the sport, from founding the Parish Youth Fellowship mixed team in 1947 to spearheading the funding and building of an astroturf pitch at the current site of Wilmslow Hockey Club just over a decade ago. In his time, Jim has been a team captain, treasurer, chairperson and president of the club he has been part of for nearly 70 years.

For his 60 years of voluntary work at both the club and as a county and regional umpire, Jim was awarded the British Empire medal and will be travelling to Buckingham Palace to receive the honour from Queen Elizabeth.

Talking about his years as a volunteer, Jim says: “I have just thoroughly enjoyed my association with the game in all its variations. When I am presenting prizes at junior tournaments, I always start by congratulating the players on choosing hockey. Speaking from experience, I tell them they will meet some very nice people and make friendships that will endure a lifetime, something that still happens to me today.”

Volunteers such as Jim are one of the cornerstones of a successful event. This was perhaps best demonstrated at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, when the event itself was almost upstaged by the humour, dedication and sheer energy of the thousands of volunteers who willingly gave their time. Venue manager for the press centre at the Olympic Hockey Pitch at the time was FIH’s Richard Stainthorpe. He had this to say about the value of volunteers who assist at FIH events.

“Quite simply, our events wouldn't be possible without the tireless work of volunteers who sacrifice their precious time, all for the love of the game. They are always enthusiastic and their importance in the running of our events cannot be overstated.”

And Hayley Roach, who worked with hockey volunteers in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, added: “As a recruiter of volunteers in Glasgow, the challenge was tougher as we required less volunteers than we did in London, but we had so many people who wanted to get involved. Glasgow benefited from the massive success of London.”

“Volunteer qualities included dedication and commitment - both financial and personal. Volunteers for both events were selected from all over the world. They have a massive role to play in delivering big events. Its not only about volunteering for their role at the event, but its about learning and development, training, meeting people from different backgrounds, skills development both personal and professional.”

In The Hague at the 2014 Hockey World Cup, the volunteers were out in force. And they certainly came from all backgrounds. Jelle Spree was in charge of the volunteer programme for the KNHB, the Dutch Hockey Federation. He says: “We used 1,183 volunteers at the World Cup. These ranged in age from 16 years-old to nearly 80.” They also came from a range of backgrounds, with a varied skill-set.

Jelle explained that a team from KNHB had visited London during the 2012 Olympics and witnessed the volunteers there in action. “To be honest with you, London set the bar very high. We saw how kind all the volunteers were and that is something we impressed upon our people.”

The process of recruitment began two years prior to the World Cup, and 1,400 people from the 20 hockey clubs near the Hague applied. Once selected, the volunteers attended workshops and meetings and a network of communication was built up.

“For the volunteers, the network is one of the benefits,” said Jelle. “We introduced volunteers to some of our partnership organisations if we felt there was a good fit. This had the potential of leading to other opportunities. But really, the biggest benefit was being part of something unique.”

Looking to future events, Jelle said one of the biggest things he had learnt from the World Cup experience was the importance of personally getting to know everyone. “It is no good seeing a photo or an application form. You must get to know everyone and learn what their capabilities are.”

FIH site



HI inducts Dadra & Nagar Haveli as new associate member

NEW DELHI: Continuing its mission to take hockey to all parts of the country, Hockey India on Saturday announced its affiliation of Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association as its 24th. This association will help Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association to identify and nurture young and budding hockey players in this region.

Being a sports-mad territory, Dadra & Nagar Haveli has a good fan following of hockey and the sports is being played in many schools and colleges at all age-levels. Under the leadership of president Jagdish B Sarma, the Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association has been working on popularize hockey at all parts of the territory and build-up teams of all age-levels. With this induction the Hockey India, Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association will now emphasize more on the infrastructure, team build-up and coaching sessions.

Speaking on the new associate member, Hockey India secretary general Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad said, "On behalf of Hockey India, I whole-heartedly welcome Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association in the Hockey India family. Working together with Dadra & Nagar Haveli Hockey Association will provide more opportunities in this region and Hockey India will help the Association at all areas. Our sole objective is to take the sport at the next level in this territory."

Hockey India currently has 22 permanent members, 27 associate members, 9 academy members and 2 hockey member.

The Times of India

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