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News for 30 December 2015

All the news for Wednesday 30 December 2015


England squad features German influence for EuroHockey Indoor Championship in Portugal

By MIKE HAYMONDS


Reading's Tom Carson will captain England in the EuroHockey Indoor Championship. HockeyImages.co.uk

THERE is a strong German connection in the England men’s 12-strong squad preparing for next month’s second tier EuroHockey Indoor Championship in Espinho, Portugal.

Three players, Brendan Creed, George Farrant and David Goodfield from the 2014 European club champions Harvestehuder, and a fourth, Richie Dawson-Smith, who played for the Hamburg-based club up to this season, have been selected by head coach Andy Halliday, who is also coaching the women’s squad.

The only members of the centrally based GB Olympic training squad are the captain Reading’s Tom Carson and East Grinstead’s goalkeeper Patrick Smith.

The squad played a warm-up tournament in Belgium with Lille, Belgium and Scotland, finishing third after two wins, a draw and a defeat .


East Grinstead's Patrick Smith (in blue) will be England's keeper. HockeyImages.co.uk

England are seeking an immediate return to the European top flight after being relegated at the last  edition in 2014.

Halliday said: “With the international outdoor calendar becoming increasingly busy, this winter’s indoor programme provides a great opportunity for the England development group to benefit from the experiences of international indoor hockey. The pressure and intensity of elite level indoor will help with outdoor development.


Richie Dawson-Smith is one of two Wimbledon players in the England squad. HockeyImages.co.uk

“I was pleased with the progress (in the Belgium tournament), particularly with two wins against Belgium and Scotland on the second day. The weekend has set us up well for the tough competition ahead.”

England squad: Albery (Beeston), Carson (Reading) capt, Creed, Farrant, Goodfield (all Harvestehuder), Dawson-Smith, Kinder (Wimbledon), Gall (Surbiton), Horler, Reynolds-Cotterill, Taylor(Loughborough Students), P Smith (East Grinstead).

Daily Express



Two hat-tricks as lop-sided games continue at National Hockey

Anwar Zuberi


Players of Wapda and Islamabad vie for the ball during their match at the National Hockey Championship on Tuesday. — Anis Hamdani / White Star

KARACHI: One-sided matches continued in the 62nd National Hockey Championship which has completed fifth day of its commencement at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium on Tuesday.

Two hat-tricks — one each by Dilber Hasan and Tausiq Arshad — helped National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) overwhelmed low-profile Balochistan 13-0 in the first match of the day.

Dilber slammed three field goals in the eighth, ninth and 55 minutes while Tausiq capitalised two penalty corners in 41st and 51st minutes besides a penalty stroke in the 42nd minute to share scoring honours.

Bilal Qadir and Shan Irshad shared four goals amongst themselves while Akhter Ali, Arsalan Qadir and Atiq Arshad added one apiece as bankers post second straight victory.

Balochistan has completed their engagement in pool D winning one against Police 4-1 and losing three games and will now pack for home.

Army conjured up second straight victory in four-team pool C by getting the better of Punjab 7-1 and qualified for the quarter-finals. Their match against SSGC on Saturday will decide the top two places.

M. Rizwan (2), M. Imran, Noman Khan, Habib-ur-Rehman, Salman Shahid and Hammad Zafar one each, scored for the soldiers.

Junaid Iqbal scored the consolation goal for Punjab.

This was Punjab’s second defeat in the pool and they are now out of contention for a place in the last eight. Punjab has lost to SSGC the other day.

Three-goal Aleem Bilal and two-goal each by Bilal Ahmed, Rana Umar and M. Usman helped fancied Wapda outplay Islamabad 11-0 in the third match of the day.

Bilal’s hat-trick came off PC’s in the second, 17th and 22nd minutes. Ejaz Ahmed and Ghazanfar Ali netted once for winners.

This was Islamabad’s third straight defeat in pool B.

Wednesday’s fixtures:

PIA v Sindh at 9am; Customs v Pakistan Television at 11.30am; Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 1.30pm; PAF v Police at 3.30pm.

Dawn



NBP, Army, Wapda score wins in National Hockey

Lahore - National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Army and Wapda Tuesday registered in the ongoing 62nd National Hockey Championship which is in full swing at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) Stadium.

NBP crushed Balochistan 13-0, Army routed Punjab 7-1 while Wapda thrashed Islamabad 11-0.

Hat-tricks by Dilbar Hassan and team captain Touseeq Arshad guided star-studded NBP in their one-sided victory against Balochistan.

Dilbar scored field goals in the 8th, 9th and 55th minutes.

Touseeq successfully converted penalty corners in the 41st, 42nd and 51st minutes.

Shan Arshad netted two goals – one in the 16th and a field goal in the 44th minutes respectively.

Bilal Qadir also scored two field goals in the 50th and 53rd minutes.

Veteran Akhtar Ali (45th min), Arsalan Qadir (56th min) and Atiq Arshad (60th min) scored one field goal each.

Shahid Pervaiz and Muneer supervised the match.

Two field goals by M Rizwan in the 8th and 40th minutes respectively helped Army to get an easy win against Punjab.

Team captain M Imran converted a penalty corner in the 13th minute.

Noman Khan, Habibur Rehman, Awais Zahid, Salman Shahid and Hammad Zafar also netted one field goal each in the 26th, 51st, 53rd, 54th and 60th minutes.
Afsar and Sohail supervised the match.

Aleem Bilal’s hat-trick guided Wapda to register one-sided victory against Islamabad.

He converted penalty corners in the 2nd, 17th and 22nd minutes.
Bilal Ahmed (6th and 55th min), Rana Umar (5thand 29th min) and M Usman (24th and 42ndmin) netted two field goals each.

Ejaz Ahmed and Ghanzanfar Ali also scored field goal each in the 14th and 33rd minutes respectively.

Mehmood and Anwar were the field umpires.

Today (Wednesday)’s matches: Punjab vs KP, PAF vs Police, PIA vs Sindh and Customs vs PTV.

The Nation



Qamar quits as coach citing family reasons

Anwar Zuberi

KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) which is using the ongoing 62nd National Hockey Championship as a launching pad to revive the game, received a severe jolt when the newly named coach of the senior team, former Olympian Qamar Ibrahim announced to quit barely 24 hours after accepting the job.

“I had accepted the assignment with good intention to serve the game but pressing “family and business commitments” compelled me to quit,” he told reporters at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) Stadium on Tuesday. “I was trying to find solution of “family commitments” by discussing the matter with my father and brothers but failed,” he said when asked why he had accepted the offer in the first instance.

“I’ll not be able to do justice in the camp as I’ll be away from the country from Jan 20 to Feb 12,” he remarked.

To a question Qamar denied that he had any differences with manager-cum-chief coach Hanif Khan. “I’ve just talked to him on phone,” he added.

Qamar, who is also tournament director of the National Hockey Championship, said he choose to step down to give chance to his successor to watch the players in action during the next 10 to 12 days of the event. He termed his decision as “positive”

He replied in negative when asked whether he had informed the PHF president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar about his decision.

However, he added that he had been in consultation with the former Olympian PHF secretary Shahbaz Ahmed in this regard for the last two-three days.

In reply to a question as to who will be his successor he said: “It is the domain of the PHF” “I’m part of the PHF and will remain so in future,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, manager-cum-chief coach Hanif Khan said he was taken aback by the decision of Qamar Ibrahim.

“I’ve assigned Qamar to discuss the selection of probables with selectors which he did but his sudden departure has raised quite a few eyebrows,” he told reporters at the HCP Stadium.

Dawn



PHF politics: New coach Ibrahim resigns

KARACHI: Recently appointed coach of the national senior hockey team Olympian Qamar Ibrahim announced his resignation after citing personal commitments, although a source close to the matter revealed it was due to a conflict with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

According to the source, Ibrahim made the decision after being demoted to the post of coach from head coach, which was then assigned to Olympian Abdul Hanif Khan, who is also manager of the senior side.

“I have decided to leave this post for someone who can stay with the team throughout the training camp as I will have to travel frequently due to personal commitments,” Ibrahim told The Express Tribune.

However, the source claimed, “The resignation was the result of the demotion of Ibrahim’s post which offended him.”

The Express Tribune



Qamar Ibrahim resigns from hockey position in 24 hours

KARACHI: Former hockey Olympian Qamar Ibarhim Tuesday refused to work as coach with the national hockey team citing family problems.

Qamar resigned from his position in 24 hours after another former Pakistan captain Hanif Khan was given the dual responsibility of manager-cum-chief coach of the national senior team by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

Qamar was initially appointed as head coach of the team along with Hanif as the manager by the PHF. But soon after the announcement, the PHF re-designated Qamar as coach and gave the assignment of head coach to Hanif.

It is interesting to note that two days back Qamar – a qualified Master Coach of International Federation (FIH), had told reporters at Hockey Club of Pakistan that he had accepted the challenge in the national interest for the revival of the game.

Qamar, who is serving as tournament director at the ongoing 63rd National Hockey Championship, yesterday made a U-turn saying he cannot take up the responsibility because of business and personal commitments.

“I am fully tied up with a number of family commitments and that is why I am not in a position to take up the job of the coach with the national hockey team,” he told reporters.

He said he had sent his regrets to the PHF for not accepting the responsibility through an email. However sources said that Qamar became upset and refused to take up the coaching job when the national hockey federation decided to give double responsibility to Hanif by assigning him the job of the head coach and made Qamar as the coach.

“Qamar has declined the responsibility not to work under Hanif Khan as a simple coach,” sources said.

The Daily Times



OB trumps ICF, sews up CHA title


The triumphant IOB players pose for lensmen after the match.

Rupinderpal Singh converted three penalty corners as IOB trumped ICF 4-2 to emerge champion in the CHA Era. Sambantham senior division super-six league at Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium on Tuesday.

The first half belonged to IOB as it went one-up in the third minute, courtesy a Rupinderpal drag flick that found the top of the net off a well-deliberated penalty corner. Back-to-back chances in the same form, were to present themselves in the 15th minute, and Rupinder capitalised on one.

The 25-year old found the back of the net again a few minutes later, as IOB’s grip on the match tightened.

ICF’s initial forays into the shooting circle opened up prospects but were all scuttled.

Relief came in the form of a penalty corner towards the end of the first half which it converted to get off the mark. It was after that goal that play shifted to IOB’s half as ICF pressed on.

Pitchaimani squandered a long ball inside the shooting circle with only a defender and the goalkeeper to beat.

IOB gained upper-hand immediately after resumption, this time a sliding effort from R. Manikandan adding to the lead.

ICF managed to score once more but the rest of the match saw its initiatives getting stymied.

The result: IOB 4 (Rupinderpal Singh 3, 16, 21, R. Manikandan 37) bt ICF 2 (K. Iyyappan 31, Satish Kumar 42).

Points table (read as team, played, won, drawn, lost, points): IOB 5, 4, 1, 0, 13; ICF 5, 3, 1, 1, 10; Central Excise 5, 2, 1, 2, 7; Indian Bank 5, 1, 0, 4, 3; AGORC 5, 0, 0, 5, 0.

The Hindu



Stats Speak: Introspection of year 2015

By B.G.Joshi (India)

Continentals Championships were the hallmarks of the year 2015, except Asian games which were held in 2014. However all eyes were on Hockey World League semifinals and finals, Australia (men) and Argentina (women) became triumphant in this season World League. Indian men have played 35 matches in the year and won bronze medal after 33 years in world level tourneys. Indian women have also got entry in Olympics after 35 years. Summaries of all tournaments are given below:

Hockey in 2015

Tournaments

Venue

Gold

Silver

Bronze

India’s Rank

Men

World League Finals

Raipur- India

Australia

Belgium

India

3

Europeans Cup

London-UK

Netherlands

Germany

Ireland

na

Pan Am Games

Toronto-Canada

Argentina

Canada

Chile

na

African Championships

Johannesburg

South Africa

Egypt

Kenya

na

Oceania Cup

Startford-NZL

Australia

New Zealand

Fiji

na

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

Ipoh-MAS

New Zealand

Australia

India

3

Indoor World Cup

Leipzig-GER

Netherlands

Austria

Germany

na

World League-SF  1(Olympics Qualifier)

Buenos Aires

Germany

Argentina

Netherlands

na

World League-SF  2(Olympics Qualifier)

Antwerp-BEL

Australia

Belgium

Great Britain

4

Hockey India League

6 venues-India

Ranchi  Rays

P. Warriors

D. Waveriders

-

Women

World League Finals

Rosario-ARG

Argentina

New  Zealand

Germany

na

Europeans Cup

London-UK

England

Netherlands

Germany

na

Pan Am Games

Toronto-Canada

USA

Argentina

Canada

na

African Championships

Johannesburg

South Africa

Ghana

Kenya

na

Oceania Cup

Startford-NZL

Australia

New Zealand

Samoa

na

Hawkes Bay Cup

Hastings-NZL

Australia

New Zealand

China

7

Indoor World Cup

Leipzig-GER

Netherlands

Germany

Czech Republic

na

World League-SF  1(Olympics Qualifier)

Valencia-Spain

Great Britain

China

Germany

na

World League-SF  2(Olympics Qualifier)

Antwerp-BEL

Netherlands

South Korea

Australia

5

H. World League R-2

New Delhi

India

Poland

Malaysia

1

Boys

Asia Cup (Junior-U21)

Kuantan-MAS

India

Pakistan

South Korea

1

Sultan of Johor Cup

Johor Bahru

Great Britain

India

Malaysia

2

Valvo Invitation

Breda-NED

Belgium

Germany

England

4

Girls

Asia Cup (Junior-U21)

Changzhou-CHN

China

Japan

South Korea

4

Valvo Invitation

Breda-NED

Netherlands

China

India

3

 

na= not applicable

India in 2015

Particulars

Senior

Junior

Men

Women

Boys

Girls

Matches Played

35

26

18

12

Won

16

11

12

4

Drawn

8

5

2

3

Lost

11

10

4

5

Goals For

74

61

57

53

Goals Against

70

45

28

22

Top Scorers

Ramandeep Singh

Vandana Kataria

Harmanpreet

Singh 

Rani Rampal

Goals Scored

13

15

23

10

 


Fieldhockey.com



2015: Eventful year for Indian Hockey
 
S.THYAGARAJAN

It is difficult to recall a year as rewarding and rejoicing as 2015 is for Indian hockey. Any introspection over the flow of events throughout the year envelops one in an emotional mélange.

What is heart warming are the performances not only of the men’s teams but also that of the women and juniors. In the case of the juniors it was outstanding in more than one sense.

Spontaneous accolades are due to the delectable showing of the lead player, Sardar Singh, and his valiant warriors in almost all major tournaments that India took part.

Of course, the highlight was the bronze medal earned in the World Hockey League (WHL) at Raipur.

That India has climbed up in the ladder in the world hockey’s hierarchy is exemplified in the single digit ranking-seven at the moment- from the double-digit figure not long ago. Indeed, at one point India hovered around the top six until Belgium pushed itself higher in the rating.

It is not in dispute any more that India’s skipper Sardar Singh is acknowledged as the top midfielder in contemporary hockey. Calm, composed and conspicuously alert, adept and athletic, in his workouts, he stands apart from everyone on the field.

The desired of the hockey fraternity is to view this superbly gifted player and his team on the podium at the next Olympics in Rio.

To identify a single player in a team sport looks invidious. In fairness, it must be admitted that Sardar Singh received excellent support from every layer. High praise here is due to goalkeeper Sreejesh who played a memorable role during the tiebreaker against the Netherlands that determined the bronze for India at the WHL.

Two other who deserve praise are the penalty corner strikers, Rupinderpal Singh and V.Raghunath. The latter’s golden moment was the match winner that he struck against Great Britain in the quarter final of the WHL. Akashdeep Singh was another who stole the limelight on several occasions.

However in terms of statistics it is the strike rate of Ramandeep Singh that stands out. He accounted for eight goals in the high profile competitions of the year.

What was noteworthy in the year under review is that India not only proved superior to countries in Asia but also improved its equation with top nations like Australia, Netherlands and Germany. That it won matches against these three is a matter of pride for Indian hockey.

The year also proved extremely pleasing for the Director of coaching, Roelant Oltmans. There was an unusual upheaval on the coach’s front. The controversial exit of Terry Walsh after the gold medal triumph at the last Asian Games in Korea and that of the Dutch coach, van Ass, following the Champions Trophy left the whole issue in turmoil.

The astonishingly unflappable Oltmans handled the situation deftly and took charge of the team in preparation for the Olympics at Rio.

More than anything else, the year is significant for the women’s team, which qualified for the Olympics after a gap of 35 years! The last time was in Moscow in 1980 when the major nations in the game boycotted the event.

Neil Hawgood the Aussie coach, along with Tamil Nadu’s C.R. Kumar succeeded in injecting an element of confidence, vigor and vibrancy into the team. Some players like Ritu Rani and Vandana Kataria, the top scorer for the year, have won international attention. The highpoint of the resurgence was the bronze won at the last Asian Games. One is happy that Hawgood is back at the helm after a short hiccup in his continuation after the Asian Games.

The show of the junior teams, particularly in the men’s section has been outstanding. The victory in the Asia Cup at Kuanton (Malaysia) and the narrow miss of the trophy in the tiebreaker in the Johor Cup against GB augur well for the team in its preparation for the next Junior World Cup to come off in New Delhi.

Harnampreet Singh with a tally of 23 goals for the year has proved to be an asset to the junior team raising optimism that he is the future star for the senior national team.

Taken as a whole, India’s annual report card in hockey in 2015 can be described as extremely good and encouraging. What everyone looks forward to is a medal in the Olympics for the men, and decent placing for women.

  Indian Hockey in 2015
  Tournaments MP W D L GF GA Rank
  Men
  World League Finals, Raipur-India 6 1 2* 3 9 14 3
  Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Ipoh-Malaysia 6 2 2 2 16 14 3
  World League SF-Olympic Qualifier,Antwerp 7 3 1 3 14 21 4
  Test Series vs.AUS,NZL,ESP,FRA,JPN 16 10 3 3 35 21 0
  Total 35 16 8 11 74 70  
  Women
  World League Round-2,New Delhi 6 6 0 0 39 1 1
  World League SF-Olympic Qualifier,Antwerp 7 2 1 4 7 19 5
  Hawkes Bay Cup,Hastings-New Zealand 6 1 1 4 7 15 7
  Test Series vs. AUS,ARG,CHN,GER,ESP 7 2 3 2 8 10 0
  Total 26 11 5 10 61 45  
  Boys
  Junior Asia Cup, Kuantan-Malaysia 6 6 0 0 32 9 1
  Sultan of Johor Cup-U21 Intl.,Johor Bahru-MAS 6 4 1^ 1 16 10 2
  Volvo Intl. U-21 Invitation, Breda-Netherlands 6 2 1 3 9 9 4
  Total 18 12 2 4 57 28  
  Girls
  Junior Asia Cup, Changzhou-China 6 3 1 2 40 10 4
  Volvo Intl. U-21 Invitation, Breda-Netherlands 6 1 2 3 13 12 3
  Total 12 4 3 5 53 22  
  Top scorers: Men: Ramandeep -13,
Women: Vandana Kataria-12,
Boys: Harmanpreet-23,
Girls::Rani-10
  (*Bronze won in shoot out vs. NED,
^ junior team lost gold in shoot out vs GBR)

Compiled by B.G.Joshi

Fieldhockey.com



Pakistan hockey sinks to new low with failure to qualify for Olympics in dismal year 2015

By Muhammad Ali

The year 2015 will go down in history as one of the darkest chapters of Pakistan hockey. Pakistan’s failure to qualify for the Olympics 2016 for the first time in Pakistan history marked a calamitous new low. It was lamentable that a country that won Olympic gold thrice, World Cup four times, Asia Cup thrice, Asian Games gold record eight times, Asian Champions Trophy gold twice, FIH Champions Trophy gold thrice and remained unbeatable at regional level for many years emerged as a lowly team in 2015. Pakistan finished eighth (at bottom) in the Olympics qualifying round in Antwerp, Belgium. That was the sum of our ‘achievements’ in a sport in which once we were the top dogs in the world. Throughout the year the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) was unable to give maximum international exposure and facilities to senior as well as junior players. Pakistan were denied an opportunity to compete against the European teams because of a weak financial position of the national federation. The PHF, led by former Olympians Chaudhary Akhtar Rasool and Rana Mujahid Ali, continued in its struggle to get the federal government funds for smooth functioning of the national federation but in vain.

What more disturbing was that the crippling financial state of the sport struck a killer blow to the country’s national game. It was very unfortunate that the PHF had to beg private parties to fund the national team’s foreign tours. The government, whose priority has never been sports, had hardly budged when the PHF repeatedly pleaded for financial support to ensure participation at the Olympic qualifiers in Belgium. But after the debacle the government became ‘fully aroused’ to probe the disaster and remove the ‘undesirable officials’ of Pakistan hockey. And that was nothing but a sham in this ‘land of the pure’ to hoodwink people. Putting the entire blame of the Antwerp debacle on PHF president Akhtar Rasool and secretary general Rana Mujahid, the duo were shown the door in a humiliating way by the PHF patron, the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Former Olympian Shahbaz Ahmad Senior and a former manager of the national hockey team, Brig (r) Muhammad Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, the cronies of the federal government, took over the reins of the PHF as secretary general and president, respectively.

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia:
The year started with Pakistan not participating in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia due to lack of funds. After that Pakistan were not able undertake any tour to Europe, and that too, because of financial constraints. However, the Pakistan Sports Board and the Punjab government helped the PHF to send the national squad to Australia, South Korea and for the Olympics qualifiers.

Four-Nation Hobart International Challenge in Australia:
Mohammad Imran led Pakistan in a four-nation tournament held in Hobart, Australia from May 2 to 10. Pakistan could only register wins against South Korea and New Zealand and were beaten black and blue by Australia and Australia A teams. The greenshirts lost their last match of the Hobart International Challenge against Australia 5-0 at the Tasmanian Hockey Centre. Pakistan won only two matches out of their six on the tour. The team stood second out of four nations - Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and South Korea.

Drawn Test series in South Korea:
After the Australian tour, Pakistan played a three-match Test series against South Korea in Incheon, South Korea. Like Hobart International Challenge Down Under, the Korean tour was part of the Pakistan’s preparatory programme for the Olympic qualification round in Belgium. Pakistan won the first match, the second was won by the hosts and the third ended in a draw.

Debacle at World Hockey League in Antwerp, Belgium:
Once a powerhouse of the sport, Pakistan gave pathetic performance in the Hockey World League, the qualifiers for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games 2016, in Antwerp and ended at bottom. The greenshirts’ below par show in Belgium shattered hopes and dreams of their 180 million countrymen. Pakistan struggled in their 2-1 victory against Poland in the opening match, suffered 6-1 defeat at the hands of the formidable Australia besides sharing points with India and France by playing two draws in the Pool A. In the quarterfinal, they were outplayed by Britain 2-1. Worst came in the classification matches. Pakistan were first shocked by lowly ranked Ireland 1-0 in a match for 5th-8th positions and later France stunned them 2-1 in a classification match for 7th-8th positions.

The Hockey World League was the last chance for Pakistan to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games, after losing the Asian Games final to India in Incheon, South Korea in 2014. Pakistan needed to finish at least in the fifth spot in Antwerp to have any hopes of getting a ticket to 2016 Summer Games in the Brazilian capital. Pakistan also failed to qualify for the World Cup 2014 for the first time in the history of the event which they have won more times than any other country. Pakistan hockey also remained absent from Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, held in July-August 2014, after the PHF failed to enter the event by the deadline because of an internal dispute of the National Olympic Committee of Pakistan. The formation of a parallel Pakistan Olympic Association and the PHF supporting it meant the greenshirts missed the chance to compete at Glasgow 2014.

The ignominious ouster in Antwerp had both critics and fans up in arms as they demanded a thorough inquiry into the debacle and a complete overhaul of the national game and the PHF. The Olympic failure prompted the government to form a committee to probe the causes of the national side’s poor show in Belgium. The probe committee was formed by the Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry on the instruction of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Prime Minister Sharif said that the team’s performance at 2016 Rio Olympics qualifiers was embarrassing. He sought explanation from the PHF officials and the sports ministry and questioned why the team had performed so poorly. The probe committee put the entire blame on the PHF and recommended sacking of top officials.

PHF president Akhtar resigns:
In August, PHF president Akhtar Rasool was ‘pushed’ to resign from his post to fulfill the ‘common desire’ of Prime Minister Sharif, the Inter Provincial Coordination Ministry and the Pakistan Sports Board. Khalid was named as new chief of the national hockey federation. Khalid, a former manager of the Pakistan hockey team, was working as managing director at the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC). It was interesting to note that Khalid wanted to become the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) president but when Salim Saifullah took control of Pakistan tennis he turned his ‘interest’ towards Pakistan hockey. Khalid, a close relative of federal minister Ahsan Iqbal, was trying his level best to become the PHF president the day he came to know the crisis in the PHF, and his efforts bore fruit.

Hockey head coach Shahnaz Sheikh quits:
Right after resignation of PHF chief Akhtar Rasool, head coach Shahnaz Sheikh also resigned from his post. The resignation came during a PHF Congress meeting which was called to give vote of confidence to Prime Minister Sharif’s nominee Khalid as new president of the national federation. The Congress unanimously endorsed Khalid as the new PHF chief. It was also decided in the meeting that PHF secretary general Rana Mujahid would maintain his position till 2018. Shahnaz said he had no pressure to resign. “I resigned for the betterment of hockey. I had taken over the national hockey team at a difficult time.”

Controversial Shahbaz becomes PHF secretary:
In September, there was another nail in the coffin of Pakistan hockey when controversial former captain and Olympian Shahbaz became the PHF secretary general. Shahbaz replaced Rana Mujahid who resigned from the coveted post after two years in office. Even after being given a three-year extension by the PHF Congress, Rana Mujahid’s resignation was not a surprise after the probe committee constituted by Prime Minister Sharif held the top PHF officials responsible for the national team’s dismal performance at the Hockey World League in Antwerp. Rana Mujahid’s days were numbered the day Akhtar Rasool resigned. The appointment of the new PHF secretary general was announced at a sham press conference by PHF chief Khalid in Islamabad. Living in a fool’s paradise, Rana Mujahid was hoping that new PHF president Khalid would work with him. But he soon realised that his ‘services were no longer required’. Khalid and his cronies gave a clear message to Rana Mujahid that they wanted their own man at the post of secretary general. And Rana Mujahid had no choice. It was wiser for him if he had resigned with his president Akhtar Rasool. But he made himself a laughing stock.

Pakistan’s ouster from the Olympics 2016 actually paved the way for those wanting to remove Rana Mujahid and Akhtar Rasool. Now with the fulfilment of these disgruntled elements’ desire, including that of Prime Minister Sharif, the PHF got the required budget and financial support which the government was not willing to provide for the last two years to Akhtar Rasool and Rana Mujahid. Since completing his overseas posting with the PIA, Shahbaz, like his ambitious president, was also trying his level best to get hold of the PHF’s prized post. And Pakistan is a paradise for persons with ‘right connections’.

Winless Pakistan juniors finish last in Johor Cup:
The newly installed PHF received its first set-back when the national junior team finished at bottom in the six-nation 5th Sultan of Johor Cup played in Johar Bahru, Malaysia in October. Britain avenged their last year’s defeat by beating defending champions India on the penalty shootout 4-3 in the final after being tied two-all in regulation time. Hosts Malaysia took the bronze defeating Argentina 3-2 in the play-off for 3rd-4th position. Australia thrashed Pakistan 5-0 in the classification match to finish fifth in the event. Pakistan team remained winless and with an exception of a goalless draw against the eventual champions, they lost all encounters. Pakistan were thrashed 5-1 by India in the opener. In the next, they were beaten by Australia 6-2. Pakistan’s third encounter was against Britain which resulted in goalless draw. Argentina gave Pakistan 3-1 drubbing while Malaysia completed the rout coasting to 3-1 victory in the last league match.

Pakistan qualify for Junior World Cup 2016:
In November, Pakistan took part in the 8th Junior Asia Cup in Malaysia and lost the final to India 2-6. Pakistan qualified for the final after defeating South Korea in penalty shootout of semi-final match. The event was also a qualifying round for the Junior World Cup 2016. Pakistan qualified for 2016 mega event after beating China 4-1 in their quarterfinal match of the Men’s Junior Asia Cup at the Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium in Kuantan. The other three semi-finalists - India, South Korea and Japan - also qualified for next year’s Junior World Cup to be held in New Delhi from December 1 to 11.

Not much hope in 2016

No sporting federation is a bed of roses, especially one that carries the aspirations of the nation. And the federation’s new president and secretary general will soon learn their lesson the hard way in 2016. The PHF has become politicized and nepotistic, just like its cricket counterpart. In the national sphere and the sporting arena the root of our dilemma is the notorious system of patronage and imposed cronies, to the exclusion of merit and professionalism. Under the powerful patron’s benevolent gaze, the pick and choose appointees can survive scandals and failures that would crush an ordinary mortal.

These are times when one fails to figure out what is keeping Pakistan hockey alive. In other countries, people running hockey affairs contribute by taking professional decisions and by executing them with competence rather than on the basis of personal preference and bias. But, frankly, we are not such a nation. The statements given by top PHF officials in national media aim at to make people believe that the national outfit is doing well, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel. The fact is that the way things are being conducted, the days ahead are anything but that.

Building a strong team is not an overnight process and it takes years to put together a balanced side keeping in view the modern approach to competitive international hockey, and the exacting scientific preparations that the international teams now favour. The standard of the game is changing so rapidly that the gap between the best and the second in line has narrowed considerably. In fact, the difference between the four top teams has become so small that whenever any two of them meet it is very difficult to predict the outcome of the game. Failure to qualify for the Olympics was a most forgetful incident for Pakistan hockey. What is worse, Pakistan hockey seems to be on an irrevocable downward slide. And realistically speaking, one should not harbour any hopes of the national team doing any better or revive itself to its former glory in coming years with the cronies running the show and incapable officials handling the affairs of the national sport of the country.

For many, the greenshirts have become an enigma. They will go on and beat the top ranked team in their own backyard, or criminally lose out to a mundane opposition just as easily. But we must also understand that Pakistan hockey, which remained up in the clouds for more than three decades, is not the same force that it used to be. Pakistan hockey structure lacks in terms of skills and competitiveness. The very base of the game has shrunk beyond belief. Pakistan hockey’s slump is not quite as dramatic or sudden as it now seems to be. It’s been a slow and painful decline that began after 1994. Cricket, with better financial rewards and glamour, slowly replaced hockey in schools and colleges. The PHF has not been able to give maximum international exposure and facilities to senior as well as junior players. For the last two decades, the government has done nothing seriously for promotion of the national sport of the country but wants results. What a pity! To remain consistent, Pakistan hockey needs improvement all over at every tier of the game at the domestic level to show an upward graph.

The decline of Asian hockey also coincides with the advent of artificial turf that gained currency in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It changed the dynamics of Asian hockey, rendering the dribble-and-dodge game of short passes that Indians and Pakistanis were so good at completely obsolete. It also cut the careers of players by half, and demanded greater physical fitness than before. The Asians have not been able to match the fitness levels of Western players. Also, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has over the decades changed some basic rules of the game that the Asians had mastered in their heyday. This also proved to be a disadvantage.

Due to the country’s obsession with cricket these days, Pakistan hockey has been relegated to the background due to the Pakistan government’s indifferent attitude towards the national sport. On the other hand, our neighbour India in recent years has taken a giant leap in promoting its sports, injecting millions of dollars into cricket, hockey, badminton, tennis, football and kabaddi. They have started staging international leagues attracting world-class players. All this is helping India tremendously to elevate itself in the international sports arena. Unfortunately, the situation in Pakistan is exactly the opposite as the federal government lacks the required level of interest to involve the nation in sporting activities. Instead the Pakistan government is more interested in squandering billions of rupees on worthless projects.

Going by past trends, a post-mortem of the Antwerp performance was carried out, resulting in sweeping changes. We again hear a few more hollow promises for the 2020 Olympics. We must keep in mind that the change of command in no way promises success, planning does. But we are not a nation of sage souls. Rather we indulge in thoughtless decisions. If changing managers, coaches and top officials after every defeat or poor performance had been the best remedy, Pakistan would have been champions. Unfortunately, the technical understanding of issues is always ignored, and it triggers a rot. To rise above again, Pakistan hockey requires strong financial backup, commitment and self-belief. Foreign coaching staff is must as our former Olympians cannot match the qualified ones. Only hard and incessant efforts lead to success. Only then the elusive triumphs will replace the current tragedies that demean the team once basking in Olympic golds and world crowns. In the absence of these, we should not dream of reaching skies.

It is ironic that many of the game’s former Olympians, who once did the country proud by excelling on the field, have been instrumental in blotting the national game’s impeccable record by either indulging in needless ego tussles or resorting to selfish gains at the game’s expense. Pakistan’s present cricket-crazy generation has very little knowledge of or interest in field hockey. In fact, Pakistan’s youngsters are more interested in cricket and European football players than hockey. The future of hockey in Pakistan heavily depends on paying attention to grassroots hockey. Pakistan had been a fantastic hockey nation for decades and ruled at international level by virtue of their talent and skills and now they are struggling to make their mark at the highest level of the game. The PHF should pay attention to their grassroots level in order to broaden the base of the game. Pakistan hockey needs adequate hockey activities at early level which is only possible by evolving a system which could ensure that hockey gets due attention among the youth. It is very unfortunate and lamentable that country’s national sport, having so much pride and passion, has gone to the dogs.

The Daily Times



Telkom Orange hockey team win fourth consecutive continental title

By BRIAN YONGA


The women's Telkom Orange Hockey team on arrival at the JKIA from the Africa Hockey Club Championships in Lusaka, Zambia on December 20, 2015 where they retained their Africa Hockey Club title. The team won their eighth and fourth consecutive continental title after beating Ghana Police 3-2 on post-match penalties in the final. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU |   NATION MEDIA GROUP

Telkom Orange hockey team once again grabbed the headlines after another successful season.

The women team won their eighth - and fourth consecutive - Africa Hockey Club Championships title after beating Ghana Police 3-2 on post-match penalties in the final played in the Zambian capital, Lusaka.

With the feat, Orange cemented their place in Africa as one of the continent’s finest hockey clubs.

En-route to the final, the Kenyan champions drew 3-3 with Police before beating Lusaka Sharks 2-0 to advance to the semi-finals.

There they beat Ghana Revenue Authority 2-0.

The semis win booked Orange their spot in the final, which was played over two days after heavy rains disrupted the match.

In the dramatic encounter, Orange held Ghana Police to a 1-1 draw in regular time, forcing the winner to be decided on penalties.

Jos Openda, the Orange head coach, has challenged his charges to maintain their winning ways.

SOYA AWARDS

Orange’s achievements in 2015 saw them emerge the Soya team of the year while Openda was named Coach of the Year.

They have been nominated for the next edition of the awards, due next month.

Locally, the Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) women’s league champions have higher chances of retaining their title for a record 18th time.

And besides having clinched the Heroes Day Cup as well as the Vaisakhi International tournament title, they lead the women’s national league with 36 points, seven ahead of Sliders.

On the other front, the men’s national league title race is turning out to be a two-horse race between champions Butali Sugar Warriors and Kenya Police.

The 2015 season was also a bad year for national teams, who failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games due in August in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after disappointing campaigns.

The national women hockey team’s quest for an Olympic spot was disastrous after Kenya finished last at the World League Two Series in Uruguay in February without winning a match. They even forfeited two matches.

It was all joy when Kenya won the first round of the Rio 2016 qualifiers last September after beating Ghana and Tanzania in Nairobi.

Then, many expected KHU to embark on early preparations for the second round of the qualifiers. But this was not to be.

KENYA HOCKEY UNION SHORTCOMINGS

After the league ended in December last year, KHU found it difficult to organise national team training camps as they owed players allowances from the World League One Series.

The situation did not improve at the start of this year as KHU invited players for an open national team training session which many skipped.

One particular session saw only one player show up with the rest staying away over unpaid allowances.

Being broke, the union was unable to name a provisional squad for residential training ahead of World League Two Series.

ALLOWANCES

More drama unfolded with a week to the event. KHU claimed that the government was yet to release the Sh17 million needed for the team’s travel, accommodation and allowances.

On February 10, with uncertainty still surrounding Kenya’s participation in the competition, the girls were informed that they would leave on February 12.

But then, when the final list of the travelling party was released, more drama unfolded: It had names of players who had long retired from national duty.

The team left Nairobi for Montevideo without the Sh5 million for accommodation and food.

They were to fly to Addis Ababa and then Rio, where they would connect to Sao Paulo and, eventually, Montevideo. They arrived in Sao Paulo on Sunday, February 15.

According to one of the players, no arrangements had been made for their flight to Montevideo as the only available flight could only take half the team.

During the continental qualifiers held in Randburg, South Africa, KHU’s poor preparations were exhibited once again.

The players met the unexpected at the Beaulieu College, where they were accommodated. The men and women teams shared a hall, where they slept on tiny mattresses spread on the floor.

Daily Nation



Tenaga gives helping hand to three more sports schools

by Aftar Singh

KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional has tied up partnerships with three more sports schools for next season’s Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).

With Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS)-Thunderbolt, SSP-MSP-Thunderbolt and Anderson-Thunderbolt on board, Tenaga now has four teams in the Under-19 league. It has been supporting double champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt for the last nine years.

All the schools will feature in Division One except for Anderson-Thunderbolt, who will compete in Division Two. The league starts on Jan 15.

Nur Saiful Zaini, Tenaga’s chief coach for hockey, said they would provide financial assistance to all the four teams throughout the year.

“We picked the three schools because they have a strong base in hockey. Besides providing financial aid, we will also help them out in coaching. We have former internationals under our employment and they will coach and manage the teams,” said Nur Saiful, a former national skipper.

“Our objective is to help the sports schools produce a bigger pool of quality players for the national junior and senior teams,” added Nur Saiful.

Tenaga has seconded ex-national defender Lailin Abu Hassan to SSTMI as assistant coach.

Mohd Amin Rahim, also a former national defender, is the assistant coach for BJSS with K. Rajan, a national junior coach from 2008 to 2009, as team manager.

Former international Mohd Azammi Adabi has been appointed as the assistant coach for SSP-MSP-Thunderbolt.

Ahmad Sayuti, a former Malaysian goalkeeper, is the team manager of Anderson-Thunderbolt with M. Kaliswaran as assistant coach.

The Star of Malaysia



The hockey family showcasing the sport's greatest attribute



Hockey prides itself on its appeal to the whole family, across the age groups, so it's fantastic to see that claim being demonstrated so effectively in a single match. It's a scene that is repeated across the hockey-playing world as hockey shows again and again the power that sport has for bringing people together.

When the 14 members of the Carter family took on 15 members of the Lankfer family (all pictured above) for a one-off Christmas special, it was a match that contained everything that hockey enthusiasts hold dear.

Nine-year-old Oscar Carter-Delight was playing in his first ever hockey match, but the sheer happiness on the young boy's face when his cousin – George Minion – who now plays for National League side Belper, passed him a ball that he was able to sweep home into the goal, guaranteed this would not be Oscar's last hockey match.

The match took place in Norfolk, England, at Pelicans Hockey Club – a men's and women's club that dates back to 1920.

Watching on was Neville Carter, former club President and one of the honorary vice-presidents of the club, who in more than 60 years of involvement with the club has been player, captain, club official, umpire and supporter.

Carter's four daughters were all playing in the match, along with their spouses and their children. At some point in their playing career, every member of the Carter team has worn the black and white strip of the Pelicans, and oldest daughter Pauline and her husband Bob, are still heavily involved in the running of the club.

Equally involved in Pelicans Hockey Club are many of those turning out for the Lankfer family. Charlie Lankfer is club Chairman, his wife Nicola is a member of the ladies first team and among the players were several members of the junior girls and boys squads.

There was an international flavour to the Lankfer family team. Jonathan Lankfer currently plays for the U16 England team and also among those gracing the Lankfer family was Olympian Kath Johnson, who at the age of 48 has still not hung up her international boots – in March she travels to Canberra to play in the International Masters competition.

Speaking after the match, Pauline King (nee Carter) said: "Looking around there are just so many years of Pelicans history here. There are people who have been members for decades, people who have been club chairmen, people who have captained the teams, it has been brilliant to get so many people to turn out today. It is occasions like this that remind you just what a great game hockey is, it just brings people together in the most magical way."

For more information about Pelicans Hockey Club, click here.

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