News for 29 October 2015
All the news for Thursday 29 October 2015
USWNT Close Four-Game Test Series Against Great Britain
MARLOW, United Kingdom - The U.S. Women's National Team's fourth and final game against Great Britain ended with a 1-3 loss for the red, white and blue.
Coming off of the starting line strong, USA's Jill Witmer (Lancaster, Pa.) extended her reach to successfully translate a tip off of a corner into the goal. Neither team was able to capitalize again in the first half creating a halftime score of USA 1, Great Britain 0.
Ready to attack the third quarter, Great Britain scored back-to-back goals, one off of a penalty corner and another off of fast field play. Despite strong offense presented by the USWNT which totaled six penalty corners to Great Britain's three, Great Britain solidified their win in the fourth quarter with a hard shot to cage. The final score report was recorded USA 1, Great Britain 3.
The U.S .Women's National Team drew their first test series match against Great Britain with a final score of 2-2. The second game of the series concluded with Great Britain capitalizing on scoring opportunities to top the USWNT with a final score of 3-0. The third test match resulted in a 2-2 tie.
USFHA media release
Hockey coach happy
Shalveen Chand
THE Fiji national men's performance at the Oceania Cup shows marked improvement in the way the players have developed in the past decade, says head coach Hector Smith.
Fiji lost 17-0 to Australia, 12-0 to New Zealand and beat Samoa 20-0 and 11-1.
"In 2005, Fiji last played Australia and lost 26-0. In that game we were barely able to hold possession let alone end up in their penalty area," Smith said.
"This time we managed to cut down the goal deficit and also our players were able to hold ball more and we attacked their goal. So, for me this is a marked improvement.
"In the last 10 years, Australia and New Zealand have been continually exposed to Olympic Games and top class international matches, while we have not had that luck of playing international matches.
"But despite that, we saw improved performance by our players. On skills sets, our players showed great skills in dribbling and passing. We were in their faces attacking their goals. Against Australia, they managed four goals in the first quarter.
"Against New Zealand, the boys were even more resilient.
"In the last quarter, the Black Sticks only scored two goals."
Smith said when compared against any other team in the region, Fiji was far ahead and he knew that the sport would reach at a level where Fiji could compete on the same level as the top teams.
He added the Fiji teams were now preparing for the December tournament where the Australia Country side and the New Zealand President's team would compete.
The Fiji Times
Hawgood returns, this time as assistant coach
Sabi Hussain
New Delhi: In an interesting turn of events, Andrew Neil Hawgood, who was the chief coach of the Indian women’s hockey team until a few months back, will return as an assistant to current head coach Mathias Ahrens next month.
Hawgood, who had abruptly resigned as the head coach last November without specifying the reasons for his sudden decision, will be paid $9500 per month by his employer, the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
The 53-year-old former Australian hockey player was working as a consultant with the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) till recently, overseeing the progress of the senior men’s national team. He also served the Malaysian team as head coach for some time, leading the side into the World League Semifinals in Belgium earlier this year.
However, Hawgood’s appointment as consultant was never approved by the MHC’s Executive Board despite the National Sports Council (NSC) making efforts to install him as a full-time coach. It has been learnt that due to the ongoing tussle in the MHC, Hawgood was relieved of his duties by the Malaysian hockey body. This prompted him to knock on the doors of Hockey India (HI).
Hawgood was contracted by the MHC in January this year. Under Hawgood’s tenure as consultant, Malaysian hockey went through a series of poor performances, losing to The Netherlands and Belgium in friendlies, besides finishing a lowly sixth in the HWL Semifinals, thus missing the Rio Olympics qualification.
Hockey India tight-lipped
While Hockey India is tight-lipped about Hawgood’s second stint, it has been learnt that SAI has cleared his name, along with that of Dutchman Roger Van Gent, who will be joining the senior men’s team as an assistant to chief coach Roelant Oltmans.
“The Ministry has accepted Hawgood’s proposal, and he will soon join the women’s team. HI has already consented to his appointment,” a SAI official told The Tribune.
After Hawgood left, the women’s team was without a head coach till May this year. HI had appointed Anthony Thornton in January, but the New Zealander failed to turn up. Ahrens was appointed on May 6. Hawgood had first taken the charge of the women's team in July 2012. Under his stewardship, India bagged the bronze medal at the 2013 Asia Cup and the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, a fifth-place finish at the Glasgow CWG, finished runner-up at the Asian Champions Trophy and won their maiden medal (bronze) at the junior World Cup.
Also coming on board is Van Gent, who will be the full-time strategy coach of the men’s team and will be paid $10,500 per month — $2,000 less than what Oltmans is drawing presently. Van Gent was the coach with Belgian hockey club Royal Antwerp before he was approached by Oltmans as a key addition to his support staff. Previously, he served as the coach/technical director of HC Den Bosch, Orange, and Black HC Tilburg.
The Tribune
Greenfield African Hockey Championships 2015 Day 6
Egypt & Kenya qualify for men's African Hockey Championship Semi-Finals
Kenya lads in semis, test for girls
SA hockey team competing, but Rio's not assured
PHF secretary insists to build rapport with ex-Olympians
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior has insisted that he will bring different demeanour to hockey and will try to have great rapport with former Olympians for the uplift of national game.
"I have decided not to criticize anybody as I think this is also one of the many factors that have ruined our hockey," he said on Wednesday. He said that those involved in criticism were unaware of the repercussions of their behavior caused to hockey. He also believed that some people were criticizing him just because they were jealous of him. "These are the people who merely try to find out faults and are not interested to see things moving ahead."
Shahbaz, who was captain of the national side that led Pakistan to the 1994 Men's Hockey World Cup victory, said that he earned a lot of respect as a player and now did not want anything except to help Pakistan regain its lost glory in hockey. "I owe a lot to my country and I think the only way I can pay back is to revamp and give a direction to our national game," he maintained. But he believed that the situation would not change overnight. "We need to do a lot of hard work for that. I think at least two to three years are needed to reach the international level."
To a question, he said that the quality of domestic players was low and asserted that there was a need to develop the sport from the grass roots level. "I think we will only be successful to make up for the lost glory if we initiate hockey at the grass roots level and for that competitions must be held at the school level."
Unveiling his plans, he said that initially inter-school contests would be held in Lahore region and later on these would be organized in other parts of the country.
"The winning team of these contests will be taken on a tour to some European country to encourage players. This will also serve as an incentive to other youngsters and motivate them to play hockey," he said.
Shahbaz said that he would never compromise on merit and only players performing well in domestic hockey would make their way to the national team. He said the federation was also considering to start Pakistan Hockey League to make players financially strong and promote hockey in the country. "Our effort will be to hold this league as soon as possible," he said adding that the league would not be held at some neutral venue because the federation wanted revival of hockey activities in the country.
To another question, he said that Dar Academy and Pir Mahal Academy were doing great job in promotion of hockey adding that the federation would facilitate these academies. "They are doing great service and it is our duty to support them so that hockey could flourish in our country."
Shahbaz said that Gojra, a teshil of Toba Tek Sing had given several international players to Pakistan but so far it had failed to produce stars. "Currently only mediocre players are coming from Gojra. I believe if we educate players from that region and remove their technical faults soon world class players will start emerging from there."
The Nation
Top teams to feature in Yaqoob Memorial Hockey
LAHORE: Country’s top departmental hockey teams will feature in the inaugural P.T. Yaqoob Memorial Hockey Tournament being held in Gojra from Oct 30 to Nov 6.
The tournament has been revived after a lapse of 23 years. Top departmental teams including PIA, SSGC, Wapda, Steel Mills, Customs Lahore, Gojra Stars and Tahir Zaman Academy will participate in the event.
Former Olympians Danish Kalim, Mohammad Khalid, Shahbaz Junior and Nadeem ND are organising the tournament.
Danish thanked the Pakistan Hockey Federation for giving permission for staging this tournament.
Dawn
Trials for Junior Asia Cup
LAHORE: Trials to select Pakistan Junior team for the eighth Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament will be held at the Johar Town Hockey Stadium here from Oct 31.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Kuantan, Malaysia from Nov 14 to 22. The event is also serving as the qualifying round for the 2016 Junior World Cup to be staged in India.
The national selection committee, comprising chief selector Abdul Rasheed Junior, Farhat Hassan Khan, Waseem Feroze, Saeed Khan and Qasim Khan as members, will conduct the trials.
Dawn
League finals to move to same weekend
Surbiton celebrate winning the Investec Women's Title 2015
The end of season domestic playoffs for both Men’s Hockey League and Investec Women’s Hockey League are always action-packed and full of drama and tension. Surbiton and Wimbledon took the honours last time out and already the race to make this year’s playoffs is hotting up.
The exciting news is that the best of the domestic game will all be on show in one spectacular weekend of hockey, as the Investec Women’s League Playoffs and the Men’s Hockey League Playoffs will this year take place on the same weekend. That weekend will be run at Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre on 16 & 17 April 2016.
Wimbledon celebrate winning the title
The event will feature the final two rounds of the play-offs – where Conference winners are looking to earn promotion to the top flight, along with the leagues’ semi finals and finals featuring the top four teams from the Premier Divisions.
Both pitches at Lee Valley will be used and bringing the conclusion of the Investec Women’s Hockey League and Men’s Hockey League together will create a great showpiece for the domestic game.
An additional change to the calendar sees the Investec Knockout competition finals and Men’s Knockout finals, along with the U18 Cup and Plate finals also coming together on one weekend – Saturday 30 April – Bank Holiday Monday 02 May.
This will see 50 teams from all levels of the game and age ranges from Over 50s to Under 18s playing in the finals of 25 different competitions over the three days.
In one final change to the calendar the Girls Schools Finals will now be held 8-10 Match instead of the originally scheduled 1-3 March.
Tickets for this spectacular event will be going on sale in the near future, so watch this space for your chance to see the best of the domestic game doing battle at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.
England Hockey Board Media release
Futures Cup all set for action!
Futures Cup 2014 Day 4
From Thursday of this week, the crème de la crème of up and coming talent will gather at Chase Park, Cannock for this year’s Futures Cup Competition. With 16 teams of both male and female players across the under 16 and under 18 age groups all ready to do battle, it promises to be a great showcase of what the future holds and a fantastic spectacle for the supporters and players alike.
Futures Cup is the chance for players to put themselves on show with all the best players in the country for their age group. With the national coaches keeping a beady eye on proceedings, it’s a great chance for the stars of the future to stake their claim for a place in one of the National Age group squads, and from there, who knows? The sky’s the limit!
Part of what Futures Cup is about is preparing the players for what senior international level might be like. With so many games in a short amount of time it’s a step up in intensity and a glimpse into the punishing schedule the likes of Kate Richardson-Walsh and Ashley Jackson face in the senior squads.
The games give rise to some unbelievable skills, some incredible team play, fine goalkeeping and plenty more besides. The competitive nature does not take away from the camaraderie and friendships a lot of these players forge during the weekend’s games. The Saxon Tigers are defending their Boys’ U16 title and both boys’ and girls’ U18 trophies whilst the Mercia Lynx come in to try and keep hold of the girls’ U16 crown it’s all to play in this action-packed tournament.
Sally Mapley, England Hockey’s Single System National Manager said:
“The Futures Cup is a really exciting tournament for all of us at England Hockey and for the players, coaches, umpires and supporters. I hope the competition provides all the players with some great lessons and experiences and who knows? We could be looking at some of our future stars this very weekend. I’d like to send thanks to all those that help make this event so special and good luck to all competing.”
With the stage now set, it is time for the stars of the future to step up and take their chance to shine, maybe even taking another step on the path to being the next Barry Middleton or Sophie Bray.
Now entering its seventh year, the Futures Cup will once again be held at Cannock Hockey Club in Staffordshire from Thursday 29th October – Sunday 1st November. There is no entry fee to watch the tournament but spectators should be aware that there is a parking charge of £2 per day or £5 for the tournament.
Click here to view the players who will be on show at the Futures Cup.
England Hockey Board Media release
The Comeback: Simon Mantell
Photo by Ady Kerry
East Grinstead vs. Reading on 4 October was, to most people, just an ordinary match in the Men’s Premier Division. For Reading’s Simon Mantell, however it was a hugely significant moment and the culmination of 362 days of patience, frustration, hard work and pain.
For those who don’t know, just under a year ago Mantell suffered a concussion whilst playing for Reading. Whilst at the time he thought very little of it, the injury ended up keeping him out for almost a year:
“I was carrying the ball and the defender’s shoulder caught my chin; the whiplash impact caused the trauma and gave me a concussion. At the time I went down but I played on and showed no real symptoms and was fine. I didn’t think about it until later on when I drove home I had some blurred vision on the right hand side of my field of vision.” he adds “The headaches started from there. It was only mild and I woke up the next day and got ready for training as normal. I was expecting the headache to disappear but the medical staff said I couldn’t train as long as I had the headache and we would have to reassess the next day.”
Mantell admits it wasn’t something he was too concerned with initially. Knocks, bumps, scrapes and bruises are, after all, an occupational hazard for a top level athlete. However, after a short time, it became apparent that this was not going away any time soon.
“The headache didn’t change a huge amount. At that stage I kept thinking it’d be gone the next day, but it went on and on and a few months later I tried the return to play protocol. I did the cycling ok, did the running ok but the symptoms came back again and it didn’t change much right up until March this year.”
Simon Mantell shakes hands with Robert van der Horst
Mantell was forced to stop his office work as well as doing very little of his regular training routine whilst he was still showing symptoms of concussion. For an athlete used to being active and doing things all the time it was an incredibly tough time:
“I was meant to have as little cognitive stimulation as possible. The big thing about this compared with other injuries was how little you can do. When you injure your foot or knee you can do other things. You can spend time with your friends, go and have a drink etc. With this, I wanted to do things, but because I had this constant headache and fuzziness, I didn’t necessarily want to be doing things involving concentration. I had to reduce that right down. It was a case of doing only the necessary and sleeping a lot. I felt like I really needed a lot of sleep or I felt even worse. It was one of the indicators I was improving was when I needed less sleep.”
Concussion is seemingly a hot topic in modern sport with great strides being made in the care of athletes in recent years it is a far cry from the “patch ‘em up and carry on” attitude of the past. Mantell was quick to praise the level of care he received from the medical staff associated with England Hockey as well the specialists he spent time working with:
“It was incredibly important for me that the medical support was as fantastic as it was. The medical team here and the specialists they used outside were amazing. I’ve seen a neurosurgeon in Birmingham because the injury is still a bit niche. There isn’t the information out there that there is for other things. It was quite important to access expert help. They monitored me day to day and although I’ve been around the team every day, doing everything I could to stay fit, I was always supported and cared for allowing me to get back to playing eventually.”
“What I’ve learnt is that there is no set format for how long concussion will last. Sometimes it can be innocuous and not look that serious but can last longer than say a rugby player being knocked out. They might be symptom free in no time. People are starting to understand more about the nature of these injuries and now we understand the danger of competing whilst you still have symptoms. Not only are you more susceptible to further injury but also you are affected in terms of cognitive ability and spatial awareness.”
Simon Mantell in action vs Southgate
Despite the frustrations of being sidelined for almost a year, Mantell remained upbeat and in his characteristic way, he finds the positives from a difficult situation:
“It’s made me realise how much I love playing, competing and feeling fit. It puts things in perspective and makes you remember why you put your body through the pain you do. Watching your teammates playing in the competitions makes you want to be back out there. It drove me on to get back to competing and i’m delighted to have been able to come back.”
And come back he has. A return to the Reading squad has already brought his name back onto the score sheet, lashing one home against Holcombe, whilst he also featured in the test series for Great Britain against Argentina last week. Whilst he had never set any solid targets, now he’s back in the frame, fitness and selection for international tournaments are firmly on his mind:
“It’s very different running in the gym compared to playing in a game, so it’ll be hard but hopefully it won’t take me long to get to back to hockey fitness. I’ll take it as it comes. Now I’m back I want to be selected for tournaments, but we’ll have to see how it goes from here on in.”
Whatever the near future holds, after 362 days of pain, it’s great to see him back on the field.
England Hockey Board Media release
Danny Kerry: The secrets of success
Danny Kerry gives his team talk
His team trailed to the World and Olympic Champions Netherlands, with just 15 minutes left on the clock. Inside the cauldron of noise at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, Danny Kerry appeared to be the calmest man in the arena as he delivered his team talk.
His players responded, clawing back the two-goal deficit and going on to win the title on shootout. The smallest of details both in the content of what he said and his body language made all the difference, something Kerry is acutely aware of:
“Over the last four years I’ve worked very hard on what I say verbally but also recognised that it is a very small part of what you communicate to the players. How you impart a message but also the hidden messages you give off are just as important.” he adds “You can’t really work at a high level without that passion but you have to be able to self regulate and make sure you’re giving the right messages. We were 2-0 down to the Olympic champions, but it was important to show I believed we could get back into the game both vocally and in my approach. I was very aware of not creating anxiety in the group. I was very pleased with the way the players and staff remained calm and got the job done.”
And get the job done they did. England had not won the European Championships since 1991, so after a number of near misses, the title was a terrific achievement for Kerry and his players.
Much of the coverage in the wake of their triumph used words like “character” “fight” “resilience” and “determination”. All of these are fantastic qualities for a team to display, but Kerry is keen to emphasise that they are not traits that happen by accident:
“Finding a way to win is what we work on in training every week. Even at 2-0 down in the 3rd quarter the conversation was about how there would still be opportunities. We changed a couple of things tactically and the game shifted towards us, I wasn’t pleased with the performance but I was pleased with the resilience and the way we capitalised on the momentum change.”
“In the training environment there is a lot of emphasis on the team self-organising and finding ways to win. We create different scenarios and then leave them to interpret them and find ways around them. It’s not just a habit it’s something we have really worked on. Going 12 matches unbeaten in the Olympic qualifiers as Great Britain and in the Euros as England really helps the team to buy into what we do in training. That buy in is very important. We train very hard but if you don’t see the reward then the buy in can drop off. I think going into the year to Rio having the extra buy in is going to be a very positive thing.”
With Rio looming large on the horizon, Kerry and his players now go into one of the most crucial phases of their four-year cycle. The need to adapt and evolve as a coach is as important now as it has always been:
“Coaching is an incredibly complex activity. The context is always changing. Players get older, players get more experienced, new players come in old players go, you play different teams, it’s an ever-changing environment and you have to reflect that in the way you lead and coach the programme.” he continues “If you remain static then you will probably not be equipped to deal with the challenges you face. That applies at all levels. Working with young children, you may need to deliver the same messages but you have to find new and engaging ways to deliver it. You have to adapt and evolve to ensure you are delivering something engaging and effective in terms of learning. What that looks like to an elite athlete compared with a club player may differ, but the principles are the same.”
With the topic of the Olympics cropping up, the inevitable subject of legacy rears its head. His legacy as Head Coach is something Kerry visited during his interview for the role way back in 2004. His aim then, as it is now was to try to play his part in helping Great Britain’s Hockey players to become household names.
With the gold medal at the Euros, the team being nominated in the SportsWomen awards and the increased profile of players like Kate Richardson-Walsh, Alex Danson and Maddie Hinch, among others, it is fair to say Kerry has played his part in that. Not that you will see him resting on those laurels. Not while there are still medals to be won.
England Hockey Board Media release
Field Hockey Suffers One-Goal Defeat To Terriers
By Phillip Yu
With only three minutes left in the game, the Harvard women’s field hockey team was down 0-3. Drenched in the pouring rain, it looked as if they were going to be shutout for the second time of the season.
Two goals by the Crimson in the last three minutes changed that.
The first of these was scored by senior back Elizabeth Jacobson on a penalty corner with 2:59 to go. On a play the team has been working on in practice, Jacobson faked a forward shot, lost her defender, and then in one smooth motion turned around and slid a laser backhand into the back of the net. It was Jacobson’s ninth goal of the season, a career-high for her, and the 22nd goal of her career, which places her [10th] all-time among Harvard women’s field hockey players.
“This is the first season Eli has been fully fit, and now she’s a great threat on our forward line and strong against any opponent,” said head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden. “She’s proven to be really effective this season.”
Jacobson’s goal, though, still wasn’t enough for Harvard (7-7, 2-3 Ivy) to overcome a strong team from Boston University (12-5), currently ranked No. 17 in the nation, on Wednesday. Despite the loss, though—which extended their losing streak to four—the Crimson remain in high spirits.
“BU is a very strong team every year, so we came in knowing we had to come out with a lot of energy,” Jacobson said. “I think we gave them a good run for their money.”
The Terriers’ win can largely be attributed to their dominant first half, which featured them scoring two goals to Harvard’s zero and holding possession for most of the period. Particularly notable was the play of Terrier senior midfielder Sofi Laurito, who scored the first goal of the game—and her 10th of the season—11 minutes into play. Laurito, the reigning Patriot Offensive Player of the Year, currently leads the Terriers in season goals, and scored or assisted on all three of the Terriers goals on the night.
The third of these goals came with a bit of luck and a bit of skill. After bouncing around from player to player near Harvard’s net, the ball eventually came to the stick of Laurito, who then fired it smoothly into the back of the net.
In contrast to BU’s strong first period, Harvard only attempted a shot twice in the half, both of which came as desperation heaves within the last three minutes of the period.
“The heavy rain and wind definitely did impact us the first half,” Jacobson said. “But the second half we just knew we were down 0-3 and had to fight.”
The Crimson picked up the pace on both ends of the field in the second half, though, attempting eight shots—four of which were on goal—and holding the Terriers to one goal. The last two shots of the period were the most successful for the Crimson, with Jacobson and junior forward Marissa Balleza, respectively, finding the back of the net. Indeed, Harvard’s last goal came in the form of a penalty stroke—Harvard’s first of the season—just as time was expiring. With the goal, Balleza now has a team-leading 11 on the season and 32 for her career, tied for fourth all-time among Crimson players.
Harvard has struggled offensively over the last few games, only scoring a combined four goals. Van Herwaarden, though, finds promise in how the Crimson managed to close out Wednesday’s game.
“The last 20 minutes here and the whole second half proved we are capable of playing a very good game of hockey and we need to be more adamant about our goal-scoring,” van Herwaarden said. “Once we got those things in place, we’re looking to half a bright ending to the season.”
With the loss, Harvard dropped to .500 for the season.
The Harvard Crimson
Mohd Aminuddin, Nor Azrul out of Malaysian Junior Asia Cup squad
By S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Injuries have ruled out two first-team National Junior players from next month’s Junior Asia Cup.
Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Zain and Nor Azrul Rahman, who featured in the Sultan of Johor Cup earlier this month, are down with hamstring injuries and unlikely to recover in time for the Junior Asia Cup in Kuantan from Nov 14-22.
“Aminuddin also has a slipped disc,” said National Juniors coach A. Arulselvaraj.
But the coach can at least take comfort in the return from injury of Rafizul Ezry Mustafa and Mohd Sufi Ismat, who both injured their hamstrings during training before the Sultan of Johor Cup tournament.
Rafizul and Sufi, are back in training and should make the final squad for the Junior meet.
“We now have 21 players in training and I will select the final 18 on Nov 5,” said Arulselvaraj.
“The players are looking good but we’re still working on their fitness. We’re happy with the commitment they’ve shown.”
Arulselvaraj said that Meor Mohd Azuan, who suffered a muscle strain during the Sultan of Johor Cup, is also back in training.
The coach has also recalled Mohd Firdaus Fauzi, who was dropped from the Sultan of Johor Cup squad.
The National Juniors are training in Kuantan until Saturday and will return to Kuala Lumpur next week. The final selection will be made after a friendly against the senior side on Nov 5.
The team will also attend a three-day motivational stint in Port Dickson from Nov 5-8 before returning to Kuantan on Nov 11.
The National Juniors are scheduled to play a friendly on Nov 12.
“We have asked Japan for a friendly and are awaiting their reply,” said Arulselvaraj.
Defending champions Malaysia, India, China, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Oman and Bangladesh will compete in the tournament.
The Star of Malaysia
Singapore debut at Milo U-14 hockey meet
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: It’s all about regional co-operation.
That’s explains Singapore’s debut in the boys’ and girls’ MHC-1MAS-Milo National Under-14 hockey tournament, which will be held at the Malacca City Council Hockey Stadium from Saturday.
Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) chief executive officer K. Logan Raj described Singapore’s involvement in the tournament as being “good for the development of hockey in the republic”.
A total of 14 teams will feature in both the boys’ and girls’ competition.
In the boys’ competition, Singapore are in Group C with Sabah, Malacca and Perlis.
Group A has defending champions Pahang, Perak, Kedah, Terengganu and Johor, while Group B comprises Penang, Selangor, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur and Negri Sembilan.
Sabah, who created history by winning the girls’ title last year, are in Group A with Perak, Kedah, Selangor and Singapore.
Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Penang and Terengganu are in Group B while Malacca, Perlis, Kelantan and Pahang make up Group C.
The Star of Malaysia
Sarawak withdraws from Milo hockey meet due to haze
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: The worsening haze condition has forced Sarawak to withdraw from the 1MAS-MHC-Milo National Under-14 boys’ and girls’ hockey tournament, which begins on Saturday at the Bukit Serendit Hockey in Malacca.
Sarawak Hockey Association vice-president James Harold Brodie said that the players could not train in Kuching due to the haze.
“Without any preparation and training, we have decided to withdraw from the tournament,” said James.
Sabah, however, will feature in the tournament.
Sabah created history last year by winning the girls’ title after defeating Kuala Lumpur 2-1 in the final at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
The Sabah boys’ team also did well to finish third behind champions Pahang and runners-up Penang.
The Star of Malaysia
Sehmbi named Men’s Under-21 coach for busy year ahead
Shaheed Devji
Photo: USA Field Hockey
Field Hockey Canada and the Men’s National Program have named Inderpal Sehmbi as the Under-21 Men’s National Team coach effective immediately and through 2016.
Sehmbi will be tasked with leading technical and tactical aspects of the daily training environment for Junior Development Squad athletes en route to two key tournaments in the next year. Sehmbi will be team up with assistant coach Geoff Matthews.
"I am excited to continue to be a part of the development of our young Canadian athletes,” says Sehmbi. “My goal is to help assist these athletes in their goals towards being top international hockey players."
Canada hosts the 2016 Junior Pan American Championships in Toronto next June. The tournament serves as a 2016 Junior World Cup qualifying event, with the top two finishers earning a spot at the Junior World Cup in India in December 2016.
“He’s a very good teacher of the game and he’s a good storyteller,” says Canada’s Junior Men’s National Team Director Paul Bundy. “He has a very good rapport with young talent. It’s a natural progression for him to move forward with this group.”
Sehmbi has served as an assistant coach for the Under-21 team for the last five years. He was also the Under-18 Men’s National Team head coach, a capacity in which he led a team of young athletes to a silver medal at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.
As an athlete, Sehmbi went through the same scenario as the athletes he will be leading are about to. In 2000, he was a part of the Canadian Under-21 team that finished third at the Junior Pan American Championships in Santiago, Chile, qualifying for the 2001 Junior World Cup.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Hockey India enters into a historic 3-year partnership with Sports Authority of India
s2h team
New Delhi, 28th October 2015:Hockey India (HI), the apex body governing the sport in India, has entered into a historic three year partnership with Sports Authority of India, extending its commitment towards helping hockey regain its position as the top sport of the country. This would mark the beginning of a new era for Indian hockey under the aegis of Hockey India, enabling SAI to invest in innovative programs developing India as a world class hockey nation.
The three year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which was signed today at the SAI office between the two bodies, acknowledges hockey as a medium for the development and promotion of values in the youth of the nation. It also states that SAI is desirous of promoting hockey, which is amongst the world’s most popular sports, as a tool for youth development and excellence in sports. SAI along with Hockey India in the next three years would be working towards creating a lasting legacy for the sport by developing hockey coaching system, talent identification and infrastructure for inculcating positive values in today’s youth through hockey, education, health and other allied areas.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra, President, Hockey India says, “It’s a very proud moment for all of us here at Hockey India today. SAI has always been there with us for our support, but this MOU only marks the beginning of a new era for hockey in India. It also shows that our team’s hard work and dedication haven’t gone unnoticed and the government does see a huge value that the sport can bring towards youth development in India. I am confident, that in the next three years we will identify many budding youngsters for our junior and senior programs, which will only further our cause of making Indian hockey world class.”
SAI also aims to help Hockey India strengthen its coach development program by providing domestic coaches with internationally recognized hockey coaching courses and license certification to the National Institute of Sports (NIS) students. According to the memorandum, dedicated SAI coaches would become hockey scouts at pre identified areas and scouting trials by HI national team coaches would be organised for various youth age groups at select SAI centres.
“SAI is committed to invest in developing hockey within India. We aim to develop innovative programs and create avenues for a fruitful and rewarding career in the sport of hockey through this association. I am hopeful of some very positive results in the course of the next three years and eager to see Indian hockey rise to the top-spot in the world hockey map,” said Sh. Injeti Srinivas, Director General, Sports Authority of India.
A host of positive new developments have also been announced through this memorandum, aiming to strengthen the talent pool for Indian hockey in the longer run.
Stick2Hockey.com
HI enters into a historic 3-year partnership with SAI
NEW DELHI: Hockey India (HI) has entered into a historic three-year partnership with Sports Authority of India (SAI), extending its commitment towards helping the sport regain its position in the country.
This would mark the beginning of a new era for Indian hockey under the aegis of HI, enabling SAI to invest in innovative programs developing India as a world class hockey nation.
The three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which was signed today at the SAI office between the two bodies, acknowledges hockey as a medium for the development and promotion of values in the youth of the nation.
It also states that SAI is desirous of promoting hockey, which is amongst the world's most popular sports, as a tool for youth development and excellence in sports.
SAI along with HI in the next three years would be working towards creating a lasting legacy for the sport by developing hockey coaching system, talent identification and infrastructure for inculcating positive values in today's youth through hockey, education, health and other allied areas.
Speaking on the occasion, Hockey India President, Narinder Batra said: "It's a very proud moment for all of us here at Hockey India today. SAI has always been there with us for our support, but this MOU only marks the beginning of a new era for hockey in India. It also shows that our team's hard work and dedication haven't gone unnoticed and the government does see a huge value that the sport can bring towards youth development in India.
"I am confident, that in the next three years we will identify many budding youngsters for our junior and senior programs, which will only further our cause of making Indian hockey world class."
SAI also aims to help HI strengthen its coach development program by providing domestic coaches with internationally recognised hockey coaching courses and license certification to the National Institute of Sports (NIS) students.
According to the memorandum, dedicated SAI coaches would become hockey scouts at pre-identified areas and scouting trials by HI national team coaches would be organised for various youth age groups at select SAI centres.
"SAI is committed to invest in developing hockey within India. We aim to develop innovative programs and create avenues for a fruitful and rewarding career in the sport of hockey through this association. I am hopeful of some very positive results in the course of the next three years and eager to see Indian hockey rise to the top-spot in the world hockey map," said SAI Director General, Injeti Srinivas.
A host of positive new developments have also been announced through this memorandum, aiming to strengthen the talent pool for Indian hockey in the longer run.
The Times of IndiaI
A film on colourful but tragic hockey hero
K Arumugam
Hockey strikes with mass. The success of women hockey based film Chak De India proved it. Sahni’s brainwork Chak de India is a fiction though it is full of real anecdotes.
Now, almost after 12 years of the path breaking sports genre film, comes a real story based film ‘Prithipal Singh’.
Directed by Babita Puri, acted by Vikas of CID fame, the film narrates the colourful yet tragically ended story of hockey ‘s super hero from Punjab, who played in three Olympics.
Sandeep Misra, an ardent hockey writer has co-scripted the story.
Prithipal Singh is the hockey world’s first Penalty Corner Hero before the era of Paul Litjens. undefined He played for Punjab University before graduating to play for India. He joined Punjab Police, where he got into trouble with then IHF President Ashwini Kumar before moving to Indian Railways.
Being a post-graduate in agriculture, he joined Punjab Agriculture University (where 2000 Olympics captain Ramandeep Singh also hails from) as deputy director for youth welfare.
He was shot dead in daylight as a result of groupism in the campus. It was in 1983, a hero’s life, who once aspired to become the president of Indian Hockey Federation, was cut short.
Prithipal’s life is full of contradictions and it perhaps moves any story teller, and therefore the film can be expected to thrill the present generation.
Prithipal Singh played and won three Olympic medals: silver (Rome, 1960), gold (Tokyo, 1964) and bronze (Mexico City, 1968).
Trailer of the movie:
Stick2Hockey.com
Vale Alan Sheehy
Alan Sheehy sadly passes away
Hockey Australia would like to express its condolences to Alan's family and friends during this difficult time.
It is with immense sadness that Australian Masters Hockey announces that Alan Sheehy, our Chairman of Selection Panels and long-term coach of the 45s team, died suddenly on Monday. We extend our sincere condolences to Alan's partner and family.
Alan has made an extraordinary contribution to hockey in Australia, at many levels, since the 1960s. He was deeply involved in playing, coaching and administration in Victoria, ACT and Queensland.
Alan was responsible for a significant improvement in the standard of selection of teams to represent Australia in international matches in recent years. His knowledge of the characteristics that a player needed to possess at the international level was imparted to our selection panels with the result that the best possible teams were selected with integrity and objectivity. He was respected by all those who benefitted from his coaching, particularly the members of our 45s teams.
We will miss him greatly.
Alan's Funeral will be held on Friday 30th October 2015, at the Greyson and Wise Chapel, 26 Wises Road, Maroochydore, commencing at 1pm.
Al Sheehy came to Canberra from Moorabin Hockey club in Victoria in the early 1970’s. He joined the St Patricks Hockey Club and quickly established himself as a regular first grader winning a premiership with the Club in 1974. During his time at St Pats he also filled the role of Secretary for the Club, sometimes utilising his advocacy skills defending players at the Judiciary. Throughout this time, Alan also assisted in coaching and mentoring younger players.
In 1980 Alan retired from playing to focus on umpiring A1 men's games, quickly establishing himself as the best umpire in Canberra for a number of years. He understood the players and adopted a no-nonsense approach in making good decisions and not tolerating bad behaviour from players. Off the field, he was a good guy and was well respected in the local hockey fraternity.
In the 1990's with the newly established South Hockey Club Alan wanted to be part of the group and provided sponsorship for many years which met the cost of the players uniforms and other operating expenses. Souths soon became a force in the A2 and A3 competitions and Alan attended games getting on well with the Souths players socially (mostly older players who wanted to keep playing at the highest possible level). He also became their resident umpire as well as assisting in the management of the club providing input and advice to the group.
Alan moved to Queensland in the 1990’s, however, kept a close association with ACT Hockey through established friendships and catch-ups at Australian Veterans Championships from year-to-year.
In Queensland, Alan settled on the Sunshine Coast and joined the Buderim Rebels Hockey Club, where he was a member of the coaching panel. He mentored senior and junior coaches and trained junior players with one-on-one coaching sessions. He was also the coach of the senior ladies team.
Alan was heavily involved in Masters hockey and coached many Sunshine Coast teams in the Queensland State Championships over 15 years. Additionally, Alan played in and then coached Queensland Masters State teams from 2001 to 2015.
Alan has been an invaluable resource for the Queensland Masters Committee. Gil Voysey, the Coordinator of Masters Hockey Queensland said that Alan was a wise counsel to him on any matters involving Masters Hockey.
Content: Peter Sweeney - National Coordinator Australian Men’s Masters Hockey
Hockey Australia media release