News for 24 September 2016
All the news for Saturday 24 September 2016
Terengganu HT and Sapura final
By Jugjet Singh
TERENGGANU Hockey Team (THT) will play Sapura in the final of the TNB Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium Sunday.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) made a gallant 3-1 come-back in the Second Leg of the Semi-finals to hold Sapura to a 4-4 aggregate draw, but lost 2-4 in the penalty choot-out.
THT, who held a 6-1 advantage from the First Leg, beat Maybank 8-4 for a 14-5 aggregate win.
Sapura coach Yahya Atan said the match was bad for his heart, but good for the club which last played in the Overall title final (now TNB Cup) in 2006.
"We blew our 2-0 aggregate in the first two quarters because my players were too eager to score and left gaping holes at the back. It was bad for my heart, but entertaining to the end and I am glad that our club has made the final again after 10 years.
"Last season we finished third Overall, and now have a chance to claim the title itself," said Yahya.
KLHC team manager Ahmad Anuar Sham rued the missed chances: "We had the match in our grip, but failed to score the most crucial goal to shut the door on Sapura. Anyway, its always 50-50 in any shoot-out, and it was disappointing that we could not be the winners."
KLHC got their goals off their import players Ali Shan (10th) and Nam Huyn Woo (15th, 34th) while Khairul Ikhwan's 15th minute goal helped his team into the shoot-out.
And the shoot-out toast for Sapura was their goalkeeper Hairi Rahman, who kept his cool.
THT coach Sarjit Singh said his men are ready to defend their title.
"We had a slow season, but picked up in the later stages to claim the League title. And now that we are in the TNB Cup final, I believe my players will not let me down in our quest to win our third consecutive double in the MHL," said Sarjit.
RESULTS: TNB Cup semi-finals Second Leg:
Kuala Lumpur HC 3 v Saura HC 1.
(Sapura win 4-2 in penalty shootout)
Maybank 4 v Terengganu HT 8.
(Terengganu HT win on 14-5 aggregate)
President's Cup: Semi-finals Second Leg:
SSTMI 6 v UiTM-KPT 2.
(SSTMI win on 9-6 aggregate)
Politeknik 3 v TNB Thunderbolts 6.
(Thunderbolts win on 9-5 aggregate)
Vivian Soars Cup: Semi-finals Second Leg:
ATM Pernama 2 v Blue Warriors 2.
(Blue Warriors win on 3-2 aggregate)
PKS-Uniten-KPT 3 v SSTMI 2.
(SSTMI win on 4-3 aggregate)
SUNDAY: TNB Cup Final: Terengganu v Sapura (Tun Razak, 8.30pm).
President's Cup Final: SSTMI v TNB Thunderbolts (Tun Razak, 6pm).
Vivian Soars Cup Final: Blue Warriors v SSTMI (Tun Razak, 4pm).
Jugjet's World of Field Hockey
Egara pays tribute to legendary Tubau
Picture: Rafel Martin
Club Egara legend Edi Tubau was on hand to open the Catalan side’s two new pitches last weekend, the club combining the pitch opening with a tribute to the four-time Olympian.
The event saw the presidents of the Catalan and Spanish federations Narcís Carrió and Santi Deo, Secretary General of Sport, Gerard Figueras; Terrassa Mayor Jordi Ballart; local councillors for Terrassa sport, Dani Nart and Quico Sala; Terrassa Hockey President Francesc Salvatella all present along with the current board of directors, club presidents and family of Edi Tubau.
Many legends of the game along with current stars took part in an exhibition match at Pla del Bon Aire including Pol Amat, Ramon Sala, Pau Quemada, Ramon Jufresa, Javier Arnau, Roc Oliva, Juan Escarre and Jordi Carrera on the guest list.
It was a top class event to say thank you to one of the Spanish and Egara greats who played in four Olympics, winning silver in 2008 in Beijing, while his club career ended with a league title in his last competitive match.
He received a guard of honour from the children of the club to mark his entry onto the pitch.
For Egara, they start their defence of the Spanish league title with a tie against CD Terrassa on Sunday. Real Club de Polo have a derby day with with FC Barcelona while EHL Round 1 side Atletic Terrassa go to Junior FC in their opening game,
Club de Campo have added Andrés Mir, Gonzalo Lasso, Alvaro Negrete, Mathew Cobbaert and Louis Rombouts to their squad and will hope to force their way back into the EHL reckoning. They host UD Taburiente.
Euro Hockey League media release
UHC go live with new streaming channel
UHC Hamburg have launched an exciting new initiative as they will live stream all their home matches this season via their youtube channel: www.youtube.de/uhclive.
This includes four big games this weekend – two men’s and two women’s Bundesliga ties – with the men facing Krefeld on Saturday before meeting Rot Weiss Koln on Sunday in two high quality match-ups. The women, meanwhile, face Dusseldorf on Saturday with Rot-Weiss the Sunday visitors, making for a nice double-header.
“This is a service we have been trying to realise for years and this weekend we can finally start our first live stream.,” UHC’s Christopher Bauer said of the new initiative. “Our main goal is to inform as many people as possible and to show them what a great sport hockey is.”
For the men, they will be hoping to get some points on the board after a tough start to the season.
The Mannheim clubs, meanwhile, have dominated the early stages of the competition. Mannheimer face Club an der Alster before facing Harvestehuder THC on Sunday and will be hoping Gonzalo Peillat keeps firing.
His coach Matthias Becher said he is not just all about his corners: “He also brings defensive stability and is an especially important part of our build-up play," says Becher. "But there is no denying that the team has even more confidence because they know that you have a working with a superior corner option."
TSV Mannheim are the other side with a perfect record. They travel to Harvestehuder and Club an der Alster, too, this weekend.
Euro Hockey League media release
Polo offer Baart new route to top hockey
Sander Baart is a surprise addition to the Real Club de Polo team for the 2016/17 season, taking up the role after an administrative error meant he could not play for Antwerp this season.
Baart announced that he was to join Antwerp last February, linking up with his brother Jeroen who coaches the Belgian club. But he was not correctly registered for the Belgian league season and the national federation did not allow an exception from their rule book to offer a dispensation.
The Dutch international confirmed he would not be able to take part in a Facebook post on Tuesday and was worried about his future but the Spanish giants stepped in to offer him an alternative hockey challenge.
Speaking about the new opening, Baart said the EHL is a big target: “The ambition with my new club is not only trying to win the title and the Spanish Cup but also to shine on the European stage.
“And I hope to be involved in achieving these goals. I hope the Antwerp find a way to turn this blow into a force that will enable them to succeed in their season."
Polo start their season on Sunday against FC Barcelona in the Honour Division.
Euro Hockey League media release
Scottish National League preview
Wildcats GHK Kaz Marshall
Women’s National League Division 1 has some tasty ties scheduled for this weekend following some red-hot results in the opening weekend fixtures last week.
There’s talk of a new force emerging in the women`s top flight; Western Wildcats under the eye of player/coach Kaz Marshall have already seen off Dundee Wanderers in their first outing and hope to strike again against champions Edinburgh University at Auchenhowie.
Marshall is very upbeat of the chances of an upset, saying: "We have nothing to lose against University and every season we go out to match their level of play and challenge ourselves to compete with the Scottish champions. I have no doubt that our squad has the ability to beat Edinburgh."
Marshall has a full squad to call on and also has the benefit of a few new faces in the ranks. She added: "For the first time we have depth in our squad, which is testimony to how Wildcats have developed over the past few years. This is creating competition within the squad, and along with a great work ethic and positive attitude, we are certainly the team to watch."
Edinburgh opened the season with a comfortable 4-0 win over Bromac Kelburne and visit the home of the Wildcats missing Scotland players Maisie Morris, Becky Merchant and Amy Brodie. But University still have plenty of firepower to call upon; Player/coach Sam Judge herself is still sharp in the circle, Great Britain and Scotland striker Sarah Robertson will make her first appearance of the season, while Becky Dru is capable of bagging goals from penalty corners.
Judge is under no illusions on the task ahead. She said: "Wildcats is always quite a tough game for us especially away from home. The loss of some important players will make the game even harder for us."
The other title aspirants will certainly stand up and take notice if the Wildcats can take something from this encounter.
Elsewhere, it could be an equally challenging afternoon for the other Edinburgh sides in the league; Erskine Stewart`s Melville and CALA will have their work cut out to take anything from their confrontations with Grove Menzieshill and Dundee Wanderers respectively. Wanderers will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Wildcats while Grove Menzieshill scored four in their opening fixture.
Watsonians, who only lost by the odd goal in seven in that game against Grove Menzieshill after a spirited comeback, will carry confidence into their game against Kelburne who were defeated in the 4-0 win for Edinburgh University last week. Kelburne will be hoping to make home advantage count as they go toe-to-toe with their visitors on Saturday.
Newly promoted Hillhead, who started their campaign with an excellent 4-1 win over CALA, may find a Milne Craig Western side that piled in eight goals last weekend against Erskine a tough nut to crack. The impressive goal scoring feat turned heads last week but Hillhead also showed they’re capable of racking up the goals. This one could be a high scoring affair at Old Anniesland.
With no fixtures scheduled for Men’s National League Division 1 the top level focus falls exclusively on the women’s game. If week two is anything like week one we can expect some goals, drama, and top class hockey in Women’s National League 1 this weekend. Get along to a game to catch the action.
15:30 – Bromac Kelburne v Watsonians @ Auchenhowie
15:30 – Dundee Wanderers v CALA Edinburgh @ Dalnacraig
14:30 – Erskine Stewarts Melville FP v Grove Menzieshill @ Peffermill
16:30 – Hillhead v Milne Craig Clydesdale Western @ Old Anniesland
14:00 - Western Wildcats v Edinburgh University @ Auchenhowie
Scottish Hockey Union media release
PHF's Comprehensive Plan to Revive Club Hockey
Pakistan Hockey Federation has devised a comprehensive plan “Vision 2020” to revive and rejuvenate hockey in the country.
A very vital part of the plan is the activation of grass root hockey at the club and school level.
Clubs are a very important segment and constitute the basic unit of the edifice of Pakistan hockey.
In the past, Pakistan’s hockey successes owed a lot to the clubs. The domestic club scene was very active and competitive. They played the role of nursery in producing quality players and there was no shortage of talent available to the national sides.
The PHF desires to recreate the same old club culture.
Hence, the Inter Club Competitions are being organized at all the levels and they will be a permanent fixture of the PHF’s annual calendar.
It would start from the Inter Club ‘District’ Hockey Championships to be followed by the Inter Club at Divisional level and then the Provincial. It would culminate at the National level where the top clubs emerging from the provincial competition would participate for the title of the National Club Champion, who would also be sent to some competition outside Pakistan.
The whole event will be organized under the patronage of the PHF as per the rules and regulations of the game. PHF Director Development and Domestic, World Cup winner, Naveed Alam will be the chief Coordinator and would monitor the event.
The Provincial Hockey Associations have been told to organise the Preliminary Rounds of the Inter Club Championship at the district and divisional level in their respective provinces as per the following schedule:
-Interclub at District level: 24 Oct- 31 October 2016
-Interclub at Divisional level: 03 Nov- 10 Nov 2016
-Interclub at Provincial level: 14 Nov- 21 Nov 2016
-Interclub at National level: 24 Nov- 02 Dec 2016
Format at the National Level shall be as following:
From KPK- Top three clubs
Punjab- Top four clubs
Baluchistan- Top two clubs
Sindh- Top three clubs
Islamabad- Top one club
AJK- Top one club
Gilgit & Baltistan- Top one club
FATA- Top one club
The prime objective of the entire exercise is to broaden the base of the game by having an increased pool of players for every position to infuse fresh blood in the national teams besides finding timely replacements for the outgoing players.
PHF Media release
PHF chalks out comprehensive club hockey plan for game’s revival
Kashif Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided to pay special attention to club hockey in order to bring improvement in the declining standards of the national game.
Pakistan, which ruled hockey world for decades by winning four World Cups and several other titles, has struggled to match the leading teams of the world during the last two decades.
Many former Olympians and the game’s critics believe that lack of focus from successive PHF managements to streamline club and school hockey has led to little or no back-up talent emerging from the country that has eventually led to poor performances in international events by the greenshirts.
In 2016, Pakistan hockey touched its lowest ebb when its team failed to qualify for the Rio Olympics.
The PHF has finally woken up to reality and has now decided to organise a competitive inter-club event at the district level from Oct 24.
“We are going to improve hockey at the grass-roots level which will Inshallah result in significant improvement in the performance of our national team in the years to come,” said PHF secretary Shahbaz Senior on Friday.
“Without reviving club and school level hockey we can’t move forward.”
He said that the PHF has devised a comprehensive plan ‘Vision 2020’ to revive hockey in the country.
“This year, we will organise a number of inter-club tournaments at the district level and then at the inter-division level,” he disclosed.
He added that clubs are the key in providing fresh talent and are the basic unit of the edifice of the national game.
“Besides focusing on the grass-roots level, I’m also working to set up an excellence academy to groom our players for properly understanding new rules, etc,” he said.
Meanwhile, a press release issued by the PHF on Friday said: “During the past, the domestic club scene was very active and competitive.
“The clubs played the role of a nursery in producing quality players and there was no shortage of talent available to the national sides.
“For reviving old club culture, the PHF is going to hold inter-club competitions at all levels and they will be a permanent fixture of the PHF’s annual calendar.
“The inter-club district hockey championships will be followed by the inter-club divisional level events and then the provincial.
“It would culminate at the national level where the top clubs emerging from the provincial competitions would participate for the title of the National Club Champions, who would also be sent to competitions outside Pakistan.”
According to the press release, PHF Director Development and Domestic, Naveed Alam, will be the chief coordinator and would monitor the events.
In this regard, the provincial hockey associations have been told to organise the preliminary rounds of the inter-club championship at the district and divisional level in their respective provinces as per the following schedule:
Inter-club at district level — Oct 24-31; inter-club at divisional level - Nov 3-10; inter-club at provincial level — Nov 14-21, inter-club at national level — Nov 24- Dec 2.
Format of national level shall be as follows: Top four clubs from Punjab, top three clubs each from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, top two clubs from Balochistan and one each from Islamabad, AJK, Fata and Gilgit Baltistan.
Dawn
PHF launches ‘Vision 2020’ to revive and rejuvenate hockey
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Hockey Federation has devised a comprehensive plan ‘Vision 2020’ to revive and rejuvenate hockey in the country. A very vital part of the plan is the activation of grassroots hockey at the club and school level. Clubs are a very important segment and constitute the basic unit of the edifice of Pakistan hockey. In the past, Pakistan’s hockey successes owed a lot to the clubs. The domestic club scene was very active and competitive. They played the role of nursery in producing quality players and there was no shortage of talent available to the national sides.
The PHF desires to recreate the same old club culture. Hence, the inter club championships are being organised at all the levels and the event will be a permanent fixture of the PHF’s annual calendar. It will start from the district level to be followed by the divisional level and then the provincial level. It will culminate at the national level where the top clubs emerging from the provincial competition will participate for the coveted title of the national club champions, who will also be send to some competition outside Pakistan. The whole event will be organised under the patronage of the PHF as per the rules and regulations of the game.
PHF director development and domestic Naveed Alam will be the chief coordinator and will monitor the event. The provincial hockey associations have been directed to organise the preliminary rounds of the inter club championships at the district and divisional level in their respective provinces. The prime objective of the entire exercise is to broaden the base of the game by having an increased pool of players for every position to infuse fresh blood in the national teams besides finding timely replacements for the outgoing players.
The Daily Times
Sub-Junior Asia Cup: Untested India awaits test of fire in Dhaka
Perhaps not the only team here in Maulana stadium, where the fourth Sub-Junior Asia Cup starts today, which suffers from want of international experience, Indian colts are on test of fire with Pakistan in the line up.
Any tournament in which Pakistan is present evokes interest in India and the outcome is going to count irrespective of kind of tournament, age group, host country, etc. More so, as tension building up across border on K-area and it echoes found in the recent United Nations General Assembly.
Twice title winners Pakistan, fresh with a test series win against visiting Oman, seems to have enough arsenal in its rank to pose tough challenge to inaugural event winner India in the knock out phase. Both teams on different pools.
Indian team, largely from the newly started National Hockey Academy, has not played any international match before landing capital city of neighbourhood nation four days ago.
However, captain Nilam Sanjeev Xess and his deputy Hardik Singh, lend exposure individually to the Indian team.
Defender Nilam Xess was part of South Asian Federation Games team which lost the final to Pakistan in Guwahati early in the year while he and Hardik toured England before Rio Olympics and rubbed shoulders against Scotland national team and England’s Junior National team.
Besides, two players have made Europe tour to Breda.
India is in the company of host and Oman whereas Pakistan pool has a team more.
India takes on Bangladesh in the last match of the first day, a win here will give right kind of confidence for the team.
India and Pakistan are expected to top their pool and thus avoid cross over semis and if both would emerge winners, which is likely, the final on 30th will be a mouth watering event.
Any lapse in the pool stage, like a draw or defeat will change the equation and the gifted neighbours will meet early in the semis.
India won the inagural U-18 Asia Cup in Ipoh, 2001. Came fourth in Yangoon (burma) four years later, and did not play last edition.
NOTE: your favourite site www.stick2hockey.com will bring reports and images directly from Dhaka.
Stick2Hockey.com
Harendra praises the fitness of Junior men's hockey team
Saumyajit Basu
With a little less than three months to go for the FIH Junior Men's World Cup to be held in Lucknow from 8 - 18 December 2016, the Indian junior men's team coach Harendra Singh asserts that this is the fittest bunch he has seen in over a decade.
"We are in the final stages of our preparations and I can confidently say that we are on the right track. I have coached three junior World Cup teams and I can say that this team is the fittest and also mentally very tough," stated Harendra Singh on Friday ahead of the team's departure to Perth, Australia where they will represent India for the first time in the Australian Hockey League (AHL).
According to Singh, the exposure at the AHL will help them assess where the team stands ahead of the World Cup and also give them enough time to fine tune in the areas they are lacking. "In the AHL, we are in Pool B which has Western Australia and they are a very strong team. We also play Tasmania who will be looking at using AHL as a platform to prove their might. Playing against these teams will show us where we stand and whether we are lacking in any areas. Malaysia and New Zealand is also playing in the AHL so I see this as a very important tournament in the lead up to the World Cup. We will have Director High Performance and Indian Men Hockey Team Chief Coach Roelant Oltmans traveling with us and we will closely monitor every player and his performance here," Harendra Singh said.
After AHL, the team will play a 4-nations hockey meet in Valencia, Spain and Singh feels this will be the real test for the players who will be pitted against some of the best European teams. "From my assessment of watching these players over the past two-and-a-half years I feel this team has great capacity to beat the best teams in the world. We have used some rigorous training methods over the past two-and-a-half years and have emphasized on match preparations not just tactically and technically but also mentally. In Valencia we will get to see how the players cope with the pressure of playing the European teams," he added.
Moving forward, Harendra Singh is confident that post the World Cup some of these junior players will push to earn a spot in the senior team, thus increasing the competition and also will help create the next pool of players. "I feel we are in the best phase of hockey in India. Both senior men's and junior men's teams have shown great potential. After the World Cup in December, I feel there will be a handful of players who will be pushing for a spot in the senior team and the seniors will have to really show their worth to hold their current spot. I think this will ensure healthy competition in the future and there are already four players from the junior squad that have played in the senior team including Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Harjeet Singh and Vikas Dahiya," Singh said.
The Times of India
Junior Hockey: 'This team is mentally tough'
Manuja Veerappa
BENGALURU: With the Junior World Cup around the corner, chief coach Harendra Singh is busy putting finishing touches to the Indian men's team's preparation. As India prepares to host the event in Lucknow in December this year, the chief coach of the home team believes this is one of the mentally toughest junior sides he has coached.
"I cannot guarantee results since they are not in my control, but I can assure you that this team has the capacity to win the tournament," Harendra said. "However, we should not get ahead of ourselves. We have to take it match-by-match and target the quarterfinal first."
"We have been preparing this team for the past two-and-a-half years for this tournament. I haven't merely worked on their skills. I have worked on the mental aspect as well. I'm happy that the boys have understood their responsibilities. They have improved vastly."
The Times of India
Tata Steel organises hockey carnival with Australian coaches
BHUBANESWAR: Twenty teams comprising 300 children including 150 girls displayed their skills in front of Australian coaches at Gomardih in Kutra block of Sundargarh district in Odisha during a hockey carnival organised by Tata Steel.
Tata Steel in association with Hockey Australia, the governing body of hockey in Australia, has been conducting a grass-root hockey development programme 'Hooking2Hockey' among school children since July 2016 around Gomardih of Sundargarh, the district which has produced some of the best known hockey players.
The children aged between 7 to 10, 15 boys and 15 girls each from 10 schools, around Gomardih, where the steel major has its dolomite mine, were given a preliminary training by a 3-member team of Hockey Australia in July 2016.
Ten coaches from the same schools who were also trained earlier by the Australian team, guided the students.
The venue of the carnival organised yesterday wore a festive look as the youngsters clad in colourful jerseys clashed with each other. Finally tow teams, one each among the boys and the girls were declared as winners, a company release said.
James Liggins, participation coordinator of Hockey Australia and his team mate Tom Winter supervised the matches among the children. The best performers will be further trained to help them get selected for joining Sports Hostel of Odisha government.
The winning and runner up teams were felicitated by Sita Devi Majhi, Kutra block tehsildar, who appreciated the initiative. Commending Tata Steel for the programme, Tej Kumar Xesh, district sports officer, Sundergarh said guiding the children at such an early stage will help shape their skills in future.
Captain (retd) Amitabh, Head, Skill Development, Tata Steel, who has been coordinating the programme said the initiative is aimed to attract the youngsters towards hockey.
Happy with the learning ability of the children, James Liggins of Hockey Australia said he is looking forward to further sharpening the skills of the young talent who will be selected for the next round of training, the release added.
The Times of India
Scorpions tackle Sliders in high stakes hockey league clash
By BRIAN YONGA
Strathmore University Scorpions players applaud their fans after their Kenya Hockey Union National Women League match against USIU-A at City Park Stadium on August 7, 2016. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Title hopefuls Strathmore University Scorpions and Sliders clash in a mouth-watering Kenya Hockey Union women’s Premier league match on Sunday at the City Park Stadium, Nairobi.
The high stakes clash is one of the 10 matches which are on the cards this weekend - five to be played on Saturday and another five on Sunday.
Champions Butali Sugar Warriors and second-placed Strathmore University will move closer to securing play-off spots with wins against Bay Club and Nakuru respectively on Sunday in the men’s Premier League Pool A matches.
In Pool B, second-placed Kenya College of Accountancy University (KCAU) host third-placed Greensharks at the City Park Stadium in another tough tie.
Newcomers Amira Sailors will be aiming to extend their unbeaten run against Daystar Falcons in another women’s tie on Sunday.
However, it’s the tie between the Scorpions and Sliders that stands out as both teams chase three points in their quest to be crowned champions.
This season’s women league race is one of the most open in recent years with the top five sides separated by a point.
Scorpions are in third place with seven points same as leaders and champions Telkom Orange and second placed Sailors. A win for the university will take them to the summit with four matches left to play.
Scorpions coach Meshack Senge wants his charges to build on last weekend’s 1-0 win over Vikings and maintain their unbeaten run.
“Sliders are a good and disciplined side and we will need to be more adventurous in breaking them down and creating chances for our forwards,” Senge said on Friday.
Senge could have forward Linda Ayodi back in the side after she recovered from a broken knee.
Sliders, who lie in fourth place with six points, will be hoping striker Anita Agunda keeps up her scoring form.
The evergreen striker has scored six goals from two matches this season and will lead her team’s attack.
“Both teams have league ambitions and it will be a closely contested match with neither side wanting to make any mistakes,” Sliders coach Nixon Nyangaga noted.
Amira could as well go top with a convincing win against Falcons with champions Orange not in action this weekend.
Champions Butali head into the tie against Bay Club with a perfect run of four wins from four matches, an all too familiar scenario that coach Cliff Okello is determined to see continue after the dust settles.
Butali laboured to a 3-2 win away to Nakuru Club last weekend and Okello is looking for an improved show tomorrow. Bay will be aiming to move away from the relegation zone after only one win from four matches so far.
Barnabus Odhiambo, who scored last weekend on his return from injury, is expected to start again.
FIXTURES (All Matches at City Park Stadium unless stated)
Saturday
Premier women: USIU Spartans v KU Titans – 12pm
National men: Parkroad Tigers v Impala – 2pm, Kabarak University v JKUAT- 2pm (Kabarak)
Premier men: Greensharks v KCAU (4pm), Bay Club v Nakuru (6pm)
Sunday
Premier men: Butali V Bay Club – 9am, Strathmore v Nakuru- 11am, Chase Sailors v Wazalendo- 5pm
Premier women: Daystar University v Amira Sailors -1pm, Sliders v Strathmore Scorpions- 3pm
Daily Nation
Butali Sugar take on Bay Club in hockey tie
By Elizabeth Mburugu
Chase Sailors Nixon Amadi(l) challenges Bay club player Anthony Alodwa when they played Men National Finals at City park, on 01/05/16 PHOTO; JENIPHER WACHIE
Men’s hockey premier league champions Butali Sugar Warriors take on Bay Club tomorrow in one of the ten Kenya Hockey Union matches on the card this weekend.
A win for Warriors will assure them of a Pool A playoffs slot while a loss for Bay will rule them out of contention for the title.
Warriors who are seeking to retain their gong with an unbeaten record will go full throttle in a bid to secure their fifth win of the season.
Butali coach Cliffe Okello said that they are not just eyeing victory against Bay, but also using the tie and all their remaining league meetings to prepare for the club championships that the country is seeking to host in 2017.
“There is a lot going for us in the remaining matches because it’s not just about the league title, but we are also readying ourselves for the club championships.
"We intend to make the best out of this match,” Okello said.
Warriors go into the match as favourites having beaten Bay in all their previous meetings.
In another Group A tie, two-time champions Strathmore University Gladiators will play Nakuru who will be hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointment when they suffered double defeat to Butali and Parklands.
In Pool B, top contenders Greensharks and Kenya College of Accountancy University will lock horns in a battle to break away from the rest.
In another Group B tie, debutants Chase Sailors take on Wazalendo in a quest to extend their unbeaten run and increase their chances of making it to the last four.
Group B is tightly contested with four teams, Kenya Police, KCAU, Greensharks and Chase Sailors tied on seven points.
The Standard Online
No. 5 UNC tops No. 1 Syracuse in double overtime
North Carolina Athletics
Malin Evert scored the game-winning goal Friday night against the top-ranked Orange.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Sophomore Malin Evert scored in the 90th minute of play Friday night to lift the fifth-ranked North Carolina field hockey team to a double-overtime win, 3-2 over No. 1 Syracuse in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup at Francs E. Henry Stadium.
The Tar Heels improved to 7-2 overall, 2-1 in ACC play. Syracuse is now 7-1, 2-1 ACC.
“I’m really proud of our team,” UNC coach Karen Shelton said. “I thought it was a great effort by everybody out there and a gutsy performance."
It was the first goal this season for Evert, who picked up a turnover and carried the ball into the circle before sending a hard shot past Syracuse keeper Regan Spencer, who made 12 saves in the game. Overall, UNC outshot the Orange 25-10.
Syracuse took the lead in the 29th minute of play when Serra Degnan’s shot dribbled into the left side of the cage. The Tar Heels scored just before halftime, on their second penalty corner of the period. Junior Gab Major inserted the ball, sophomore Eva van’t Hoog stopped it, and senior Lauren Moyer sent her shot to the boards to tie the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.
The Orange again moved ahead in the 48th minute, when Jennifer Bleakney scored from the right side after a series of passes, which ended with an assist from Emma Lamison. Just over two minutes later Moyer tied the game again on a pass from Evert, with a shot into the right side of the cage from the left.
UNC handed Syracuse its first loss of the season Friday. Jeffrey A. Camarati | UNC Athletics
The Tar Heels drew a late penalty corner and took it with no time remaining in regulation, but Moyer’s shot went wide and UNC headed into its first overtime of the fall. Neither team scored in the first 15-minute, seven-on-seven period. In the second OT, the Tar Heels earned six shots, including the Evert’s gamewinner.
“To go into the second overtime and find a way to win it was really nice for our kids,” Shelton said. “We’ve lost a couple this year and I think we had some soul-searching. So to win this game is a huge morale booster for our team. They now know they belong with the elite in the country and I think we needed to prove that to ourselves.”
UNC and Syracuse met in both the ACC and NCAA Championship games in 2015, with the Tar Heels winning the conference title and the Orange the national one.
Friday night’s crowd of 715 was the biggest at Henry Stadium this fall. “We love playing here,” Shelton said. “The crowd was brilliant and loud and effective – that helps you, makes you dig just a little bit deeper. I’m proud of our group and proud of our fans.”
NCAA
Maryland field hockey beats Iowa, 4-2, for its sixth consecutive win
By James Crabtree-Hannigan
Trailing by one goal with less than eight minutes to play, Iowa forward Natalie Cofone weaved through Maryland field hockey defenders in search of a hat trick.
Goalkeeper Sarah Holliday stopped her shot, but the rebound went onto the stick of another Hawkeye who was waiting at point-blank range in front of the net.
She pushed her shot wide, and the Hawkeyes buried their heads in their hands as they turned around to get back in position.
A few minutes later, midfielder Linnea Gonzales clinched the Terps' sixth consecutive win with a goal that made it a 4-2 game.
"We struggled getting into a groove. Iowa was really good with their pressure on the ball," coach Missy Meharg said. "But when we figured it out we dominated and controlled the game."
Cofone's two goals kept her team in the back-and-forth battle until the very end. The Hawkeyes entered halftime tied and were outplaying the Terps for parts of both halves.
"There was a little bit of ping-pong, which was our fault," Meharg said. "We had good spurts of solid team attack, but not as good as you've seen it."
Both goals in the first period were sparked by free hits from the same spot of the field, just outside the Terps' (7-2, 2-0) attacking circle.
In the 11th minute, a pass ricocheted high off of forward Emma Rissinger's stick and into the body of a Hawkeye defender, and play was stopped for the raised ball.
Iowa took the free hit instantly with a long pass to Cofone, who was waiting at midfield. The Terps' defense hurried to try to get back in front of her, but they couldn't stop her from taking a shot that got past goalkeeper Sarah Holliday and gave Iowa a 1-0 lead.
"She's really good at getting backdoor," Meharg said. "She got behind, and that's a testament to them."
In the 23rd minute, another infraction stopped play right at the top of the circle. The Hawkeyes (6-3, 0-2) were called for kicking the ball, and forward Welma Luus elected to make a backpass with her free hit.
Defender Grace Balsdon was waiting for it at the 23-meter line, and she promptly sent the ball toward goal with pace. Forward Sophie Pelzer was stationed in front of goal, and she managed to get her stick on the ball to deflect it in.
That wouldn't be the last time Balsdon gave the Hawkeyes trouble from distance. Less than a minute into the second half, the Canterbury, England native broke the 1-1 tie with a drag flick goal off of a penalty corner.
Cofone tied it back up in the 49th minute with a deflection goal of her own.
"She's phenomenal," Meharg said. "It's her last season of collegiate field hockey and she's going to let everybody know that she's on that field."
But the last two scores of the day would come from Gonzales.
The sophomore used intricate stickwork to roll the ball between the legs of a Hawkeye defender to the left of goal before striking the ball hard across the face of the net. It bounced off an Iowa player and into the net for what would be the eventual game-winner.
With Iowa sending numbers forward in an effort to equalize four minutes later, Gonzales scored another. Gonzales found space to receive a pass, make one move and fire a backhanded shot to the backboard.
After battling the Hawkeyes for nearly the whole game, Gonzales' two late strikes raised the Terps to a two-goal win.
"When the pressure was on and she was needed, Linnea was able to find the back of the net," Meharg said. "It was her time to finish and to shine … that's just Linnea."
The Diamondback
ECHP Junior Team Ties Reigning League Champions in NEFHA Men’s Division Debut
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The East Coast High Performance (ECHP) Junior team made their debut in the North East Field Hockey Association’s (NEFHA) Men’s League with a 3-3 draw against 2-year reigning champions New York Field Hockey Club (NYFHC). The ECHP team is primarily comprised of dedicated young men who are training to play field hockey competitively at the national level.
The ECHP Center identifies and trains potential national team athletes through comprehensive training and skill enhancement sessions, as well as providing opportunities for premier level competitions. NEFHA has a long history of supporting both men’s and women’s adult hockey in the United States. They currently host players from all seven continents including international athletes, dozens of NCAA ex-Division I players and several national champions. NEFHA firmly believes they provide the most competitive environment for players to continue playing the sport they love while making new friends and sharing their passion for hockey.
NEFHA also provides opportunities for those at the beginning of their career and, in that context, was particularly excited to have the ECHP team join their men’s division.
“To have the men’s junior and national team coaches in New York City, watching a young team run out at Columbia’s world class facility is a great opportunity for our league and a chance for those players to test their technique and decision making against experienced opposition," said James Michael, NEFHA President. "I look forward to watching their evolution and the evolution of our league.”
"The progress that has been made in recent years on the East Coast is fantastic," said Chris Clements, U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach. "The opportunities for boys are incredibly hard to come by for example, some states banning participation in school hockey. Rutger, the parents and players have been working tirelessly for more and more boys specific opportunities. The growth in programming and performance has resulted in this great opportunity. we are incredibly grateful to NEFHA for allowing this and we are excited to see the developments in and around this. my sincere thanks to all who have been proactively promoting and active in making things like this happen."
"This is a great next step for our program and we really appreciate the opportunity the NEFHA League is giving us," said Rutger Wiese, U-21 USMNT Head Coach. "A big thank you to Kathy Schiller, Chris Pothier and Joey Civico for all their work the past years with these boy. The excitement by these boys before their first (mens) game was priceless and I am looking forward to the development of the boys in the league this season. We have a bog group younger boys waiting to make their debuts in this league as well in the years to come so the ECHP future looks bright."
ECHP team member, Dean Schiller, who played in the debut game said, “Everyone was looking at us when we first showed up at the field. When they realized we were the new team, they were very friendly. Playing in the NEFHA league is a huge opportunity for all of us to improve and strengthen the skills we will need to pursue our dreams of earning a spot on the U.S. Men’s National Team.”
The ECHP introduction to the NEFHA league represents a significant step forward for boy’s field hockey development in the USA and a vanguard of more to come
USFHA media release
Statement from HA Board
Statement on Women's National Head Coach
Lawrence West
Hockey Australia has taken the decision to terminate its contract with its Women's National Head Coach, Adam Commens, which was due to expire on 30 September 2016.
The Board came to this decision after an investigation was conducted into allegations that Mr Commens had engaged in behaviour amounting to serious misconduct after the Hockeyroos had ceased competing at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The Board’s President, David Hatt, stated, “On behalf of the board of directors of Hockey Australia, I want to make clear that as an organisation, we take the on-field and off-field behaviour of our players, coaching staff and employees very seriously. Hockey Australia holds its people to the highest standards and will not condone or excuse misconduct in any circumstances.”
The recruitment process for the role of Women's National Head Coach began on 29 July 2016 after Mr Commens advised Hockey Australia in February 2016 that he would not seek to renew his contract upon its expiry.
Prior to the Olympic Games, Hockey Australia made arrangements for Senior Assistant Coach Jason Duff to fill the position of interim head coach following the team’s return to training after the Olympic Games.
Hockey Australia will make no further comment on this matter.
Hockey Australia media release
Hockey Australia ends women's coach Adam Commens' contract
Amid allegations of serious misconduct, Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens has been let go by Hockey Australia. STEFAN GOSATTI/FAIRFAX AUSTRALIA
Amid allegations of serious misconduct, Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens has been let go by Hockey Australia.
Hockey Australia has terminated its contract with women's national head coach Adam Commens, amid allegations of serious misconduct.
In a statement issued on Friday night, Hockey Australia said the board made the decision after an investigation was conducted into allegations that Commens had engaged in behaviour amounting to serious misconduct after the Hockeyroos had been eliminated at the Rio Olympic Games.
The contract had been due to expire on September 30.
News Corp reported the investigation was launched after Commens allegedly urinated in view of some of his athletes, after the group watched the gold medal womens' field hockey game in Rio on August 19.
One of the athletes made a formal complaint, News Corp said.
President David Hatt said Hockey Australia held its people to the highest standards and would not condone or excuse misconduct in any circumstances.
"On behalf of the board of directors of Hockey Australia, I want to make clear that as an organisation, we take the on-field and off-field behaviour of our players, coaching staff and employees very seriously."
Commens advised Hockey Australia in February that he would not seek to renew his contract as he was moving to Belgium to be with his family.
He had worked as head coach for the Hockeyroos since 2011.
Before the Rio Olympics, Hockey Australia arranged for senior assistant coach Jason Duff to be interim head coach following the team's return to training after the Olympics.
The recruitment process for women's head coach began on July 29.
Hockey Australia said it would make no further comment on the matter.
Stuff
Hockeyroos coach sacked for allegedly exposing himself
Darren Devlyn
Adam Commens has had his contract terminated for 'serious misconduct'. Photo: Hockey Australia
Adam Commens, coach of Australia’s women’s hockey team, has been stood down over alleged “serious misconduct” at the Rio Olympics.
Commens’ exit from the role follows allegations he exposed himself and made lewd remarks to a group of Hockeyroos during celebrations after attending the hockey finals in Rio.
According to the ABC, Commens’ contract was due to expire on September 30, but the Hockey Australia (HA) board opted to terminate his contract early.
An HA statement said it conducted an investigation into allegations that Commens “had engaged in behaviour amounting to serious misconduct” after the team was eliminated by New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the Olympics.
“On behalf of the board of directors of Hockey Australia, I want to make clear that as an organisation, we take the on-field and off-field behaviour of our players, coaching staff and employees very seriously,” HA board president David Hatt said in the statement.
“Hockey Australia holds its people to the highest standards and will not condone or excuse misconduct in any circumstances.”
Commens told HA in February that he did not plan to renew his contract and senior assistant Jason Duff was already set to take over as interim head coach once the team returned to training after the Games.
News.com had reported in August that a female player alerted Hockey Australia after Commens allegedly urinated in the street in full view of a group of his players.
Hockey Australia confirmed an investigation into the exact nature of Commens’ conduct was underway but the context of the incident was not known, including whether Commens unwittingly exposed himself.
The New Daily
Gemma Flynn's flying visit for Golden Bay Adventure Race
TIM O'CONNELL
Maree Bowden, left, Gemma Flynn and Jo Spencer-Bower are competing in the womens Spring Challenge event in Golden Bay. BRADEN FASTIER / FAIRFAX NZ
Maree Bowden, Gemma Flynn and Jo Spencer-Bower are competing in the womens Spring Challenge event in Golden Bay on Saturday.
Away from the hockey turf and ahead of her reality television debut next month, New Zealand hockey representative Gemma Flynn is testing the waters of adventure racing in Golden Bay this weekend.
Joined by former Silver Fern Maree Bowden and Jo Spencer-Bower under the moniker Team JMG, Flynn was due to line up for the start of this year's Spring Challenge which gets underway at 6am on Saturday.
The trio's decision to participate in the Spring Challenge was instigated by Spencer- Bower, a former Coast to Coast competitor and sister to Flynn's fiance Richie McCaw. 
Gemma Flynn has been training hard for her new venture, even while on holiday in Hawaii.
"She signed us up so we had no choice, which was good because we wanted something to look forward to and come together as a bunch of friends," said Flynn.
While social media has documented Flynn's recent training efforts, for Bowden and Spencer-Bower the commitments of parenthood have meant a fine balancing act to get some kilometres in before the event. 
Gemma Flynn scores against Australia at the Rio Olympics. VASILY FEDOSENKO / REUTERS
"Let's just say we're not quite at that level- but we're just here to have fun and see this beautiful part of the country," Bowden said.
"We're always challenging other people to get out and do things so we thought we'd better get out and do it ourselves."
In terms of her hockey future, Flynn was not looking too far ahead, preferring to concentrate on the weekends race, but hinted that her Spring Challenge appearance may be the start of a longer association with adventure racing.
"I've been really looking forward to this for a different challenge and I guess having these two beside me helps," she said.
"I've got huge admiration for adventure athletes - some of the females that do these kind of sports don't get a lot of coverage, but they're legends and absolute machines doing what they do.
What is certainly on the cards is Flynn's appearance on Australian reality television show, Yes to the Dress - which saw her spend time filming in Sydney recently.
While not dropping any spoilers, Flynn appeared to have enjoyed the experience.
"Sometimes things come up and at the time you make the best decision you can and then you look back in hindsight and think 'hey'," she said.
"It was a bit of fun and I'll probably look back in twenty years' time and laugh."
With her Rio Olympic disappointment behind her, a reality television spot looming and a wedding on the horizon, Flynn was pleased with how life was tracking.
"I couldn't ask to be in a better position, surrounded by great people - it'd probably be a ten if I had a gold medal or a bronze actually - but I guess life's what you make of it," she said.
While McCaw has handed on a few handy race tips in the form of compass reading and a tyre changing demonstration, Flynn credits training with his GodZone teammate Sarah Fairmaid as being a big help in preparing.
"She never stops, so that was really inspiring," she said.
This year's event - the tenth in its history - has attracted 450 teams who will participate in teams of three in either a three, six or nine hour challenge through the wilderness of Golden Bay.
In 2016, entries sold out in 48 hours.
For those participating in Flynns' 6 hour event, the race involves a short 1 km gravel run, 14km of guided rafting down the Aorere River, a 19km mountain bike through the old Aorere goldfields and a 14km multi-discipline leg concluding with a run to the finish at Tukurua Beach, near Collingwood.
Event director Jodie Fa'avae said the popularity of the Spring Challenge lay in its accessibility to women of all abilities.
"The women that enter have this really long journey and have some big adventurers together, and for most of them, it's a bit of time out for themselves," she said.
"It's that idea of carrying each other through, supportive atmosphere - normally you hear them coming before you see them," fellow organiser Wendy Van den Berg said.
Describing the event as "life changing", Van den Berg added that hosting Spring Challenge in the provincial areas that cover the course brought out the support of landowners, farmers and local clubs and organisations to get behind competitors.
"The smaller communities are the best."
Stuff
12th annual Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival in Guyana
Philip Fernandes
The 12th annual Diamond Mineral Water Hockey Festival is scheduled for 24-27 November 2016 at the National Gymnasium in Georgetown Guyana. This hockey festival is among the longest running indoor hockey competitions in the region and continues to attract top teams from the Caribbean region and North America.
The Festival comprises of three divisions being Men Open, Women Open and Veterans, which comprises of players over the age of 35 years. Although men’s teams from Canada have taken the trophy in that division on four occasions, the Pepsi Hikers of Guyana are boast the record for the most Festival victories with a total of six. The women’s competition sees leading local club, Pizza Hut GCC matching the men’s record with six Festival wins as well while the strongest contender over the years has been Malvern Hockey Club who captured the title on three occasions. The Hickers have secured the past four Veteran division wins to become the most successful team of this division.
Cash prizes and trophies will once again be awarded to the winners and runners-up in the male and female and veteran categories. The winning teams in both male and female tournaments will each receive USD$3,000 while the runners-up will cart off USD$500. The winner of the veteran tournament will receive USD$500 with the second place teams receiving incentive prizes.
The tournament is named after the brand of water locally produced by platinum sponsor, Demerara Distillers Limited, who has been a partner of the Guyana Hockey Board from the inception of the festival. Popular Caribbean brand, Carib Beer has also been a mainstay with the Festival in sponsoring the Over-35 division since 2006.
This year’s competition will once again feature some of the top talent in the game. Teams from Canada, USA, Trinidad and Barbados have already signalled their intention to join those from Guyana for what promises to be yet another exciting competition and camaraderie.
Pan American Hockey Federation media release
Peru's hockey stars to on-screen stars
Media interest in hockey grows in Peru ahead of Hockey World League Round 1 in Chiclayo
With Hockey World League Round 1 men's and women's events taking place in Chiclayo, Peru, in just a few days time, we took a look at how our sport is developing in the South American country.
One of the main aims of the FIH's 10-year Hockey Revolution strategy is to generate more followers across the globe, with a key initiative within the strategy being the development of an entertaining portfolio of events that draws in new fans.
So the appearance of numerous players on television and radio in recent weeks has provided a great boost for hockey in Peru, as both the national association and leading players have embraced the idea of promoting and sharing their passion for hockey.
The reason for the surge of hockey coverage was the culmination of the women’s National Field Hockey Championships that took place at Chiclayo earlier this month.
Played in front of enthusiastic spectators and accompanied by a wave of social media activity and press coverage, the Championships provided a great showcase for a sport that is beginning to make its way into the national psyche.
From the earlier rounds, played in July, four teams had made it through to the September finals – OMA Hockey, Mater Admirabilis Hockey Club, Lima Cricket and Football Club (LCFC) Hockey Team and San Silvestre Hockey Club.
In the finals, it was the San Silvestre team who walked away victorious as they defeated all comers. Speaking after the team picked up the trophy, coach and former Peru international, Francisco Rey said: “We worked out our strategy and tactics according to the abilities of each player on the team. It is very satisfying to see a team following the tactics and earning the victories as a result. I had a great time training this team – even if it was only for a short time. In that time, they have just got better and better, so by the time it came to these finals, the players were able to play the system that we wanted to. It was a system that worked to perfection. As a coach, it’s nice to see that things are working and there is nothing better than working with a team that understands me and trusts the system.”
The team also dominated the National Indoor Championships earlier in the year, when they swept all the opposition aside, scoring 16 goals and only conceding two.
Appearing on the national television news channel in a lively interview after their outdoor victory, Ana Paola "Lola" Palomino and Aida Lemon spoke about the dynamism within the team and the commitment of all the players to training. Aida added that the team had developed a greater technical and tactical awareness in the past few months.
Two other San Silvestre stars, Marianella Alvarez and Andrea Grippa were interviewed on Ecco Radio where they spoke about the indoor and outdoor victories and San Silvestre’s continuing dominance of hockey in Peru.
With the women ranked 65 in the FIH Hero World Rankings and the men ranked 80, the Peru Hockey Federation has a long way to go before it emulates some of its South American neighbours – Argentina and Brazil in particular – but the wheels of motion are moving and the fact that Peru will host an important FIH international tournament is a source of both pride and optimism for the Peru Hockey Federation.
For more information about San Silvestre, visit their website and Facebook page.
For more information about hockey in Peru, click here.
FIH site
Jasmer Singh – Kenya’s Multi Talented Sportsman (1930 – 2016)
by Dil Bahra
Kenya's sport has lost one of its most well known and longest serving sports personalities with the passing of Jasmer Singh Grewal on Wednesday.
Jasmer was born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1930. His parents had emigrated to Kenya in 1920. He received his pre-primary education in Sri Guru Singh Sabha Boy’s School on Race Course Road – it is one of the oldest Sikh Gurdwara in Kenya.
Sports came naturally to Jasmer from a very young age, especially cricket and hockey. He played cricket and hockey for Duke of Gloucester School in Nairobi.
On leaving school he joined the Public Works Department (PWD) and started cricket, hockey and mixed hockey sections there.
His cricket career progressed and he went on to represent the Kenya Asians against Kenya Europeans in the annual fixture at the age of nineteen. He represented Kenya in 1956 at the age of twenty-six and played six internationals for the country
Kenya Team 1956/5 that played against Pakistan. Jasmer is standing 5th from the left.
During this period he also played hockey for Sikh Union Nairobi. He was a member of the team that won the Ujjager Singh Cup in the 1956/57 season.
Sikh Union Nairobi – winners of Ujjager Singh Cup 1956/57. Jasmer is standing 5th from the left.
He was appointed as the Publicity Officer for Kenya Hockey Union in 1964 – at a time when Kenya were ranked one of the top teams in the world.
Jasmer was a very prominent member of Sikh Union Nairobi Club. He was the Chairman of the club in 1966 – 67 – during the period when the hockey team won the M R D’Souza Gold Cup a record five times in a row. He served on the committees for several years and until a few weeks ago was assisting with the Club’s ‘Mahan Hall of Fame’.
He had a distinguished club career playing cricket for the club from 1952-1980.
His contribution to cricket in Kenya was enormous and recognised at the highest level of world cricket. In 1992 he was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the M.C.C., the only Kenyan to achieve that honour. He was also the only Kenyan to be awarded a life time recognition award by the International Cricket Council in 2005.
His contributions to hockey are equally revealing. Surjit Singh Rihal, Sikh Union’s hockey player from 1969 to 1989, who was the national captain from 1973 – 1981 said “When l joined Sikh Union Club in 1969, l noticed two members present at the club seven days a week through the year; one was Hardial Singh Kular and the other was Jasmer Singh Grewal. Such was their attachment to the club. Jasmer never missed any hockey match when Sikh Union or the Kenya team was playing. It was a pleasure to have worked along with him on the Sikh Union management committee for many years.”
Jasmer, who was Standard newspaper’s hockey correspondent for many years, edited Kenya Hockey Union and Sikh Union Nairobi Brochures for all the major hockey tournaments.
In 2015 Jasmer was inducted into Kenya's Hall of Fame.
He was born in Nairobi, Kenya on 16 December 1930 and died on 21 September 2016 in Nairobi. He leaves behind his wife Gurdev, two daughters and a son.
Sikhs in Hockey