News for 03 March 2015
All the news for Tuesday 3 March 2015
Hockey World League maps out Road to Rio
With Hockey World League Round 2 currently in full flow, FIH explains how the teams progress through the competition in the hope of reaching the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
(Photo: Frank Uijlenbroek)
The action-packed Hockey World League is renowned for giving every hockey-playing nation on earth a direct route to qualifying for the biggest international events.
In the first edition of the mammoth two year, four round competition, the chance to compete at the 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup in The Hague was on the line, with six men’s and six women’s teams achieving qualification for that event thanks to heroic performances in the HWL. This time around, the League provides a direct qualification route to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
So, what do the teams need to do in order to progress through the rounds and keep alive hopes of making their mark in “The Greatest Show On Earth"?
Round 2
As well as featuring all of the teams that battled to qualification from the numerous Round 1 events, Round 2 introduces the nations that were placed 12-19 in the FIH World Rankings at the time of seeking entries to the competition. Round 2 of both the men’s and women’s competitions consists of three eight-team events.
In the men’s competition, there are nine qualification places available for the Semi-Finals, with the top three finishers at each of the tournaments in Singapore (SIN), San Diego (USA) and Cape Town (RSA) all being certain to compete in the next phase. Malaysia, Poland and Japan all qualified for the Semi-Finals thanks to top three finishes at the event in Singapore earlier this year.
The women’s competition is slightly different, with seven qualification places available for the Semi-Finals from the events in Montevideo (URU), New Delhi (IND) and Dublin (IRL). The reason for seven rather nine qualifiers is because both Spain and Belgium, two nations ranked between 12-19 at the time of seeking entries, are hosting Semi-Final tournaments later this year and have therefore already qualified. The top two finishers from Montevideo, New Delhi and Dublin are certain to qualify for the Semi-Finals, being joined by the highest ranked of the third placed finishers from those three events. Italy and Uruguay recently confirmed their places in the Semi-Finals with a top two finish at the event in Montevideo, while Azerbaijan face a nervous wait until the end of the Round 2 events before knowing if they are the highest ranked of the third placed finishers.
Semi-Finals (Round 3)
The Semi-Final phase really is the business end of the Hockey World League, where those coveted places at the Rio 2016 Olympics are on the table and completely up for grabs. The Semi-Finals of both the men’s and women’s competitions consists of two ten team events, with the top three finishers at each event winning a ticket to Rio 2016. The nine men’s and seven women’s qualifiers from Round 2 will be joined by hockey’s “big beasts”, with the teams ranked from 1-11 at the time of seeking entries all entering the fray. The Semi-Final events will take place in Argentina (Men: 3-14 June 2015) and Spain (Women: 10-21 June 2015), with the Belgium playing host to a spectacular joint men’s and women’s event from 21 June to 5 July 2015.
Finals (Round 4)
The HWL Finals tournaments are the showpiece events where the tournament trophies are on the line and will mark the end of a journey that began in June 2014. The women’s competition will take place in Argentina while India will play host to the men’s event, with the winning teams being rewarded with a places at the elite FIH Champions Trophy tournaments in 2016. The respective host nations of the HWL Finals will be joined in the eight-team events by the three highest finishers from each of the Hockey World League Semi-Final competitions plus the higher ranked of the fourth place finishers.
The Road to Rio is not an easy path to tread, but the dream competing at the greatest sporting spectacle on the planet has the potential to drive all of the competing teams onto greatness. It promises to be a fascinating journey.
FIH site
Browne joins hockeymen for Canada clash
Nigel Simon
T&T’s Tariq Marcano, left, and Jordan Reynos, right, tussle with USA’s Alex Cunningham for the ball in their FIH World Hockey League Men’s Round Two qualifiers Pool B match at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Centre, San Diego, California, on Sunday. USA won 7-1.
England-based Kwandwane Browne is expected to feature for T&T senior’s men’s hockey team when they meet world 16th ranked Canada in their final Pool B match of the FIH World Hockey League Men’s Round Two qualifiers.
The match comes off from 12.30 pm at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Centre, San Diego, California, today and will be followed by USA against Russia and the two remaining Pool A matches, Ireland versus Italy (5pm), and Chile against Austria (7.15 pm).
The 37-year-old Browne missed T&T’s first two matches, losses against Russia (1-6) and USA (1-7) due to club commitments with Canterbury in the Pension’s Men’s England Hockey League Premier Division on the weekend, but joined the Glen “Fido” Francis-coached T&T squad yesterday for training ahead of today’s match.
In addition to being the oldest player in the tournament, Browne, the player/coach at his club is also the most capped, having doned the national jersey, a record 298 times and will be a big boost to the Solomon Eccles captained team which was deprived of eight other first teams regulars inclusive of captain Darren Cowie, Kiel Murray, vice-captain Dwain Quan Chan, Aidan De Gannes and England-based Dillet Gilkes because of injury or work commitments.
The Canadians, meanwhile at 14th in the FIH world rankings, are the top ranked team in the tournament, and led by veterans Dave Jameson (206 caps), Scott Tupper (196 caps), Mark Pearson (163 Caps), and youngster Devohn Noronha Teixeira, fresh from impressive performances at the Indoor World Cup in Leipzig hammered USA 5-2 in its opener, but fell to unbeaten Russia, 1-2.
The Russians lead the table with maximum six points while USA and Canada, both have three points, with T&T, winners of its first round qualifiers in Jamaica last October and silver medal winners at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico, a month later, bottom of the table without a point.
In Pool A, Ireland leads with six points followed by Austria and Italy, both with three points, and Chile, without a point.
At the end of round-robin play, the teams will play cross-over quarterfinals on Thursday, followed by semifinals on Saturday, and final day playoffs and finals on Sunday, from which the top three teams will earn a place in the Hockey World League semi-finals (Round 3), where coveted berths at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games are up for grabs.
The Trinidad Guardian
Canadian men working through highs and lows at World League 2
Canada faces Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday
Shaheed Devji
With a comfortable win over the host Americans, things got off to a perfect start for the Canadian Men's National Field Hockey Team at World League Round 2 Chula Vista, California. And with the way game two against the Russians began, it seemed Canada was set destined to go undefeated through two games and take a stronghold on first in its group.
But despite having the lead for the majority of the game, the match against Russia didn't quite end as Canada had hoped. The Russians quickly scored twice late to win 2-1 and hand Canada its first loss of the tournament.
"It’s already been high and lows," says Canadian forward Matthew Sarmento, who scored twice in the Canada's opening match against the U.S. "We knew the U.S. would come out strong obviously being home turf for them. We went down early but we stuck to the game plan."
Against the Russians the following day, Canada took a 1-0 lead relatively early and held the lead until the forty-second minute. But the Russians pressed and Canada eventually surrendered two quick goals and were not able come back.
Despite the loss, there were some encouraging signs for the Canadians.
"We showed a lot of that same enthusiasm and positive energy through most of the game," Sarmento adds. "So definitely, we can take positives from that."
Lessons learned also come from the way the game finished, with Canada not being to climb back into the game with time running out.
"We kind of strayed away from our game plan. We had a lead and we let it go and we couldn’t find a way to get it back," says Sarmento.
Canada believes it let one slip out of their hands against Russia, which is ranked 19th in the world, comapred to Canada's 14th.
But the tournament goes on, and with one more group stage match - against Trinidad and Tobago (world no. 30) on Wednesday morning - before the playoff round begins, there's no time to dwell on the past, only learn from it.
"That’s the thing about tournament hockey," says Sarmento. "It’s not how you win its just the fact that you win. We’re not where we want to be obviously but we still have room to improve."
Field Hockey Canada media release
Good win for SA hockey men as countdown begins
JONATHAN COOK
The South Africa men’s hockey team enjoyed a morale-boosting 4-1 win against rivals China in a training match at Hartleyvale in Cape Town Monday evening to add to the 3-3 draw against the Chinese on Sunday night, but now it’s a nervous time for the enlarged squad as they wait to see who will make the final 18 for the World League tournament that begins at the same venue on Saturday.
The team is likely to be named Tuesday.
The players have been hard at work since February 19 in Cape Town as the group builds towards the big World League Round event from March 7 to 15 in the Mother City. Players have arrived in dribs and drabs over the last fortnight once their overseas club commitments (a select few) or for the most part, work and university commitments, were completed for the time being.
It was an improvement from Sunday’s match but these are training matches and sides don’t show you everything.
The Chinese didn’t bring much positive to the game, they were defensive in their outlook and that allowed SA to stamp their authority on the match.
Who scored the goals in training games is of little interest to the management staff as they focus on the manner in which the players combine, rather than final outcomes.
The majority amateur SA players are very much out-of-season and this training camp was vitally important in getting the squad as game-ready as possible. Regular SA captain Austin Smith will be the last to arrive when he joins the camp from Europe on Tuesday.
SA Hockey Association media release
Indian hockey eves start preparations for HWL Round 2
NEW DELHI: Continuing their build up for the impending Hockey World League (HWL) Round 2, the Indian women's team started its practice on Monday and was seen sweating it out at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
Placed in Pool A for the International Hockey Federation (FIH) league all set to begin from March 7, the Indian eves looked focussed and were seen fine-tuning their skills in order to give a hard time to the opponents.
They will meet Ghana on the inaugural day of the tournament which serves as a part of the qualifiers for the Olympics.
The much gritty squad led by centre-half Ritu Rani is keen to bring in the required team coordination on field. They aim to take advantage of their strengths by incorporating all the tactics and strategies.
"We are excited on playing against Ghana in the opening match as it will be the first time that we will be playing against them. The team is confident with the recent victory against Germany and Spain in Valencia which has certainly motivated us to put up a great show in the league ahead," Ritu said.
"Our sole target is to perform well and get into Round 3 in order to get a step closer to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics."
The Times of India
Ghana Women's Hockey Team – Ready for World League Round 2 in India
Preparations are far advanced for the Ghana Women's National Hockey Team to participate in the Federation of International Hockey (FIH) World League Round 2 tournament in Delhi, India. The team gets into the final round of a series of training matches as they get ready to leave for India on 3rd March 2015.
The team moved into camp late January in an attempt to make an impact in their second qualification into the Round 2 of the World Cup Qualifier which will commence on 7th March and end on 15th March 2015.
The Association continues to appeal to corporate Ghana to support in whatever way they can as the Association has not yet been able to secure adequate funding.
The Ghana Hockey Association takes this opportunity to expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the following corporate bodies for contributing various sums to assist preparations.
Ø WTS Ghana Limited – Donation towards Residential Camping
Ø Melcom Ghana Limited
Ø Polytanks Ghana Limited
Ø Essar Signage Limited
Ø Nobel House Chinese Restaurant
Ø M& K Ghana Limited
Ø Ebony Oil and Gas Limited
Ø All Media Houses - Our Support
GhanaWeb
Canada expected to collide with Argentina once again in Pan Am field hockey
By Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press
From left, Canada's Sukhwinder Singh, Scott Tupper, and Matt Guest celebrate after scoring a goal against Poland during the 3rd-4th place playoff match of the men's field hockey Olympic qualifier in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 26, 2012. The Pan American Games schedule is set and it should put Canada's men's field hockey team on a collision course with arch-rival Argentina.The field hockey schedule was released Monday for this summer' Pan Ams, which are a direct Olympic qualifier for the sport -- a gold medal comes with a ticket to Rio. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Saurabh Das
TORONTO - The Pan American Games schedule is set and it should put Canada's men's field hockey team on a collision course with arch-rival Argentina.
The field hockey schedule was released Monday for this summer's Pan Ams, which are a direct Olympic qualifier for the sport — a gold medal comes with a ticket to Rio.
Canada and Argentina have met in the past 10 Pan Am field hockey finals, in one of the sport's fiercest rivalries that stretches back to 1975.
"You're kind of taught as a young player that the blue and white stripes are bad," said Canada's captain Scott Tupper.
The Canadians won gold in 1999 in Winnipeg to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and at the 2007 Pan Ams in Rio to earn a spot in the 2008 Beijing Games.
But No. 6 Argentina has had the upper hand lately, defeating the 14th-ranked Canadians 3-1 in the Pan Am Games final four years ago in Guadalajara, and then at the Pan American Cup — a World Cup qualifier — in 2013.
"It's our time to get a little retribution, perhaps, bring it back the other way," Tupper said.
The 28-year-old from Vancouver is a veteran of two Pan Am Games and said there's little love lost between the two countries.
"The nature of the rivalry is we don't play too often in training matches, and so usually when we do play each other it's in big tournaments, and it's often in finals, so because of that when we do play each other, it's intense," he said.
"And (the Argentines) . . . used to do a lot of singing and stuff before the games, when the busses would come in, they'd shake the bus just to get into your head. Which is fine, it's cool, it's fun. But they haven't done that, I don't think, since we beat them in Rio."
The Canadians are in Group B with Chile, Brazil and Mexico, while Argentina is in Group A with the U.S., Trinidad and Tobago, and Cuba.
The 23rd-ranked Canadian women open July 13 versus the Dominican Republic. Also in the women's group is No. 3-ranked Argentina and Mexico.
A new two-pitch field hockey facility was built at the University of Toronto for the Games, which saw a bitter feud over the historic back campus that drew opposition from the likes of Canadian author Margaret Atwood.
The nomadic Canadian players, who are accustomed to playing their biggest games abroad, are thrilled to host an international tournament at home.
"It will be such an incredible experience and it's pretty hard not to roll on those emotions," said Kaelan Watson of Richmond, B.C., a defender on Canada's women's team. "My experiences in the past in playing for something that matters, and at home where it has meaning to you, it always made a really big difference in the result."
Kate Gillis, whose dad Mike is the former president and GM of the Vancouver Canucks, relishes the rare chance to play in front of a pro-Canada crowd.
"To have it so close, on home soil, is amazing," Gillis said. "We don't get a lot of domestic competition here in Canada. . .some of my family has never seen me play internationally, so having them in Toronto will be awesome."
The Canadian women are looking for their first Olympic appearance since 1992.
Yahoo Sports
Livermore to coach NSWIS men’s program
Olympic gold medallist to lead the next generation of hockey players.jpg)
In partnership with Hockey Australia, the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brent Livermore OAM to Head Coach of the NSWIS Men’s Hockey Program.
A former NSWIS scholarship holder, Livermore was chosen to lead the next generation of men’s hockey talent in NSW following a lengthy recruitment process, and he is now looking forward to the challenge that awaits him.
“I have long held aspirations to coach hockey at the high performance level. To be involved in the NSW Institute of Sport, one of Australia’s most elite high performance programs, and to support Hockey NSW and Hockey Australia in the development of athletes is something that I am very keen to be part of,” Livermore said.
Livermore is one of Australia’s most acclaimed men’s hockey players, having captained the victorious Kookaburras team at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games as well as playing in three Commonwealth Games and three Champions Trophy winning sides.
He achieved 318 caps for the senior national side during his time as a player, including 67 as captain, and since retiring has taken on a variety of coaching roles including Head Coach at the Pacific Hockey Institute and High Performance Coach Director at the Gold Coast Hockey Academy, as well as leading various under-age Queensland state teams.
Livermore is confident his experience at the top level will be a key ingredient to the ongoing success of the NSWIS program.
“As an athlete I was someone who would always look for that competitive edge with different types of training, so that will be valuable in coaching, and I’m also looking forward to driving the culture and values within the group,” Livermore explained.
“I’d also like to think the drive, precision and leadership I had as a player has transferred across into my coaching as well, as there is an art in coaching that needs to be balanced in individual specific development and technique, combined with team strategies and structures. This will be something I pride myself on.”
The appointment of Livermore now sees both the men’s and women’s components of the NSWIS Hockey Program led by Olympic gold medallists, with two-time Olympic champion Katrina Powell in charge of the next generation of female talent.
Kim Crane, NSWIS Manager High Performance Sport & Excellence said that following Livermore’s appointment the program will continue to expand on the success already achieved since the Institute’s inception in 1996.
“Brent was a natural fit for the role given his rich history of coaching experience and sporting success, and we are confident he has the right knowledge, experience, competencies and personal style to lead the program to further success.”
“Having appointed two Olympic gold medallists to lead our hockey program, it is fantastic not only for the athletes but also the coaches themselves, as they have opportunity to forge a career path in the sport they love and to impact the sustainable success of Australian hockey on the world stage.”
Hockey Australia media release
Clubhouse: The Inside Track
Michael Farrer and Rob Jenkins share a joke during a break in play
Canterbury moved off the bottom of the table this weekend with two wins from two continuing their remarkable run of form in the NOW: Pensions Men's Premier Division. In the Investec Women's Premier Division, Buckingham are fighting with all their might to avoid another trip to the end of season playoffs at the wrong end of the table. Canterbury midfielder Michael Farrer and Buckingham defender Zoe Shipperley talk us through their plans for a great escape.
Michael Farrer, Canterbury.
On their performances this past weekend:
Things hadn't been going well for us this season but the three points against Cannock were really important and gave us a lot of confidence. We came into the weekend knowing we had a great chance of boosting our survival hopes.
Brooklands are a tough side who've been on a good run and were battling for points just like us. We didn't start well but the goal we got just before half time was really important and we played much better second half and were pleased to get the win.
Reading obviously came with an under strength side but you still have to play well. We finally scored some goals with some of our experienced players making the difference up front.
On their turnaround in form:
We've perhaps had to rely too much on young players this year rather than letting them settle in, so the signings we made at Christmas have given us some needed experience and made us a bit better and more clinical in and around the D. The new signings are not the only reason for our change in form but they have played well. Previously we were struggling to take our chances. We were playing ok but not capitalising when we got into the circle. When you don’t score goals it puts pressure on the team defensively as there is no room for error, so the fact we've been more clinical has been a big help.
On their upcoming games:
We’re in a really positive frame of mind right now. We’re trying to take it one game at a time but we've played well since Christmas and started to pick up points. East Grinstead at home is obviously a difficult game given they are going for the title but we’ll be up for it and ready it have a go.
After we lost to Wimbledon we sat down and said we’d probably used up all our chances now. We were running out of lives. We still need other results to go our way but it may come down to us and Southgate on the last day of the season.
On the importance of staying up:
The club’s been back in the top division for a couple of years now and it would be a real waste of the hard work it took to get us here if we get relegated now. We feel like we’re good enough to stay up and we shouldn’t be in this position but we only have ourselves to blame. If we can get out of trouble, hopefully we’ll be able to build on it for next year and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Zoe Shipperley organises the Buckingham defence against Clifton
Zoe Shipperley, Buckingham:
On their performance at the weekend:
We came off pretty frustrated because we played quite well and it was a game we felt we could have got something out of. It was quite end to end, we missed some chances and so did they. At times we dominated and were fairly comfortable. A draw would have been a fair result so we came off with a familiar feeling of being frustrated at not converting our chances and not getting the result we wanted.
On the difference between winning and losing:
Small margins are where we've come unstuck this season at both ends of the field. At times we've had games where we look at the stats and we've had ten chances and scored one, the opposition have had three chances and scored three. Those sorts of stats don’t lie and they tell their own story. You can’t keep doing that and expect to be successful. We want to avoid the play offs and show what we know, which is that we can compete in this league. We know it’s just small percentages but they make a difference.
We only have one player with previous premier league experience but we’ve learnt so much since the first game that actually we want to stay up and build on it next year and really compete in this division. We want to be here for another go next season.
On their previous playoff experience:
Our playoff experience would stand us in good stead. We know what to expect and everything that comes with the weekend but we’re desperate not to have it come to that in the first place. This weekend against Bowdon Hightown is massive and we hope to get a result. The mood is good in the group we've played well against some good teams and we're looking forward to the challenge of Bowdon. We both need the points so it should be a tough match but we thrive on that. It’s why we play. We need to play our game and not worry about them. They have plenty of threats but we want to impose our style of hockey on the game and show them what we can do.
England Hockey Board Media release
Promotion for umpire Sean Edwards
Sean Edwards as peacemaker for Richard Alexander and Kwan Browne
24-year-old NPUA umpire Sean Edwards has been rewarded for recent outstanding performances by being promoted to the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Indoor Promising Umpires List. This puts Sean in the frame for a future promotion to the FIH’s top Panel for Indoor Umpires.
Sean gained his indoor national league badge in 2007 at the age of 16 and first umpired in the men's premier division in 2010. His indoor career to date has seen him umpire 95 matches across all the indoor national leagues, including the recent Hockey 5s men’s indoor finals at Wembley’s SSE arena.
Sean’s international umpiring career has taken him to Bratislava, Vienna and, most recently, to the EuroHockey Champions Challenge in Rotterdam. He highlights umpiring at the Africa Indoor Cup in Namibia last year as the pinnacle of his achievements to date.
Reflecting on the promotion, Sean commented: “I'm delighted to have gained this promotion and am grateful for the support I've received from family and my friends within hockey. The quality of English umpires is currently extremely high, testament to all the support we receive. My focus now is on taking my indoor performances outdoor and finishing the season strongly”
The news comes as part of a very successful period for English umpires, with Frances Block and Lee Barron both recently officiating the Indoor World Cup Finals.
England Hockey would like to congratulate Sean on his achievement and look forward to his further success as an official in the coming years.
England Hockey Board Media release
Jet-setting Kampong hoping to shoot down Ducks
For Kampong, the winter break saw their panel spread out across the globe but star striker Constantijn Jonker believes that the far-flung nature of their “time off” will be a huge benefit in the second half of their club season.
Back in the Netherlands for the remainder of their season, the Utrecht side beat Tilburg 3-2 on Sunday in their first game back in the Hoofdklasse with Jonker grabbing a goal while Loick Luypaert won the game with a last second drag-flick.
It keeps them in second place in the Dutch league and Jonker says his side is confident for the challenges ahead
“Personally I think the busy schedule could be an advantage because every player came in on a high level and our trainings could start on a high intensity,” he told the EHL website.
“On the other hand it will be a challenge to keep every player fresh during the second half of the season.Almost every player of the squad had a busy winter break.
“Seven of our players were in South Africa with their national team; two players became World indoor champions in Leipzig and our goalie David Harte played the HIL.
“Last week we had an important training stage in Lisbon where we made some big steps both on and off the pitch.”
They will be without Harte for next weekend’s game, too, as he plays for Ireland in the World League in the US but he will be back soon and ready for the KO16 of the Euro Hockey League.
Kampong’s battle with East Grinstead was one of the highlights of round one in Barcelona with the Dutch club coming from behind at the death to snag a 3-2 win en route to topping their group.
They trailed for a long time in that game but Jonker says his team always believed they would come out with the win.
“It turned out to be a real thriller but, although we were behind almost the entire match, we were confident that we would bring it home.
“We were playing quite ok and were creating a lot of chances, deep down you obviously hope it will not be ‘one of those nights’. When Martijn Havenga scored the important equalizing stroke five minutes before time I knew that we would win it for sure!”
For Kampong, things rarely come easy, though, and they have yet another tough battle in the KO16 where they meet Belgian champions, the Waterloo Ducks.
A year ago, Kampong fell at the same stage of the competition to Belgian opposition but Jonker “is confident about our team’s chances and really looking forward to the KO16”.
“The Waterloo Ducks are a great squad with a lot of international experience. They’re playing the KO16 for the sixth time and obviously know how to play these kind of matches.
“Last year we experienced how cruel the knock-out format can be and we’re very eager to make it to the next round this year. In order to do so we have to be at our top level right from the start and we absolutely can’t allow ourselves to look any further in the schedule.”
Euro Hockey League media release
Former hockey stars to play for Chase Sailors
By Elizabeth Mburugu
Kenya Poilce Francis Esikuri hits the ball with ball as Ghana Trustee player Mathew Damalie tries to blocks during the African Cup Club Championship in Lugongo Kampala. Kenya won 2-0. ON 16/01/14 PHOTO:JENIPHER WACHIE
Several Kenyan internationals have come together to form a new hockey outfit - the Chase Sailors.
Sponsored by Chase Bank, the Sailors hope to dominate the country's hockey.
Already, the team has been drafted in the national league, according to its captain Collins Asimba.
Asimba is one of the top internationals who have jumped ship from their former clubs and joined the Sailors who have been training at the Parklands Sports Club.
Other internationals are George Mutira and Francis Teka, who were with Nairobi Simba and Kenya Police respectively. Asimba formerly played for Butali Warriors.
Asimba said, "This is an opportunity for me to continue building my career in the sport. This is a young team with great ambition."
Sailors' primary focus will be to provide the opportunity to learn and play field hockey for young school leavers who may not have an avenue to continue with the game after school.
"The experienced members of the team will regularly organise training sessions for the amateurs to achieve the team's growth and to promote the sport.
"We want to do things differently. We will participate and organise friendly games. We will also take part in any competitive tournament and other social events organised to encourage more members interaction off the playing field," he said.
Also joining Sailors include David Otieno formerly with Parkroad, Nixon Amani from Butali, and Titus Ngolia who joins in from Wazalendo. The team is coached by former Kenya international Zack Aura.
The Standard Online
Trustees decorated by SSNIT ahead of League
With just a month to the start of the Dwadifo Adanfo Hockey League in Ghana, Management of Social Security and National Insurance Trust SSNIT have decorated some outstanding players of the Trustees Hockey Club.
Trustees in the last edition of the league defied all odds to win the 2014 Dwadifo Adanfo League after they brushed aside their competitors in the 14 week league played at the Theodosia Okoh Hockey pitch.
Aside from the league, Trustees won 4 awards in 2014, among them are the Beige Capital Knockout, Greater Accra Hockey Gala, Annual Afahye Tournament and placed third in the African Club Championship in Zimbabwe
The Players who were awarded over the weekend includes, Robert Aryetey, Matthew Samalie, Samuel Asare Benjamin Taylor and George Asiedu.
Coach of Trustees, Edmund Ayitey was full of praises for SSNIT for their kind gesture; this is welcoming news for us, as we prepare for the league and other competitions this year.
“They have been supportive since day one and we thank them for their kind gesture and we hope the relationship that we have will stay on forever”.
GhanaWeb
FIH recognises Horst Wein contribution to World Hockey
The FIH Plinth awarded to Horst Wein
Horst Wein, the world renowned hockey and football coach, was last week the surprise recipient of a plinth which was handed to him by the president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Leandro Negre. The inscription read: “Horst Wein -in recognition of his contribution to the development of hockey world wide”.
The presentation was made at a luncheon, held to mark Wein’s 75th birthday last Wednesday, at the Real Club de Polo in Barcelona.
Negre was one of two FIH presidents to attend the gathering, the other being another former Spanish international, Juan Calzado.
Wein, a former German international with a university degree in Physical Education, became a top coach after his playing career, leading Spain to their first ever European title and an Olympic silver medal. He was the first to be awarded the title of FIH Master Coach and also the coach of the first ever European team for their match with Asia in 1975.
Horst Wein
After helping to guide the future of the game in the 70’s and 80’s, football became interested in Wein’s wide knowledge and today in the world of football (especially Youth Football) he is known as “the Coach of the Coaches”. He has carried out coaching assignments in one or both of his sports in 53 countries.
Wein has also been the prodigious author of 36 books. His first book, “The Science of Hockey”, has sold more copies than any other hockey book and equally successful is his book, “Developing Youth Football Players”.
Horst has majored in the ground-breaking concept of “Game Intelligence” in football and hockey since 2002, He lectures about this on all continents.
Some time ago he has created FUNhocKEY, a revolutionary game on 4 goals which stimulates and develops creativity and game intelligence for children under 10 years. Nowadays it’s possibly the most attractive and effective tool for all countries to start their hockey in a correct way. 
Some guests at the Wein luncheon. (L-to-R) Leandro Negre, Patrick Rowley, Juan Calzado and Jaime Comerma.
Horst’s 75th celebration luncheon was also attended by Patrick Rowley, the former international sports journalist and Editor of World Hockey; Jaime Comerma, a former Spanish team manager; Khodadad “Jimmy” Jamaspian, the first Iranian international umpire and former FIH official; and Horst’s sons, Christian and Nicholas.
National Hockey Museum