News for 20 May 2017
All the news for Saturday 20 May 2017
Black Sticks secure clean sweep over India
Photo: www.photosport.nz
The Vantage Black Sticks Women have swept the five test series against India after a 6-2 result in the final match at the Gallagher Hockey Centre in Hamilton on Saturday.
Aside from a short period of Indian resistance, it was all New Zealand traffic with three goals coming in each half.
Striker Olivia Merry scored a first quarter double while Pippa Hayward, Natasha FitzSimons, Sam Harrison and Kirsten Pearce all added to card for the Black Sticks.
Head coach for the series Sean Dancer said it was good to come away with a series clean sweep.
“As a coach you’re never 100 percent happy so there are certainly areas we need to get better at, but I thought the performance today highlighted some positive things we’ve been working on,” he said.
“To their credit India were tough today, but a couple of our goals scored were scored through strong striker actions and that’s very pleasing.
“India came out and hammered us in the third quarter but we’ve been working on how to handle those situations and it’s pleasing that we came back and scored another three goals.”
New Zealand made a fast start to the match and were ahead on the scoreboard after just four minutes when Merry sent a strong shot across the face of goal and past the goalkeeper.
Merry scored her second of the game just before quarter time after receiving a great pass on the run from Tessa Jopp and hammering home with a forehand hit.
India struck back from a penalty corner midway through the second quarter before Hayward pushed the lead back out to 3-1 after smashing a shot past the keeper from the top of the circle.
India kept themselves in the game early in the second half, pulling another goal back with a nice finish from captain Rani in the 33rd minute.
But the Black Sticks exploded in stunning style scoring three goals in five minutes in the third quarter.
FitzSimons scored New Zealand’s fourth goal after flicking in from a penalty corner before the Kiwis scored just a minute later with Harrison roofing in a deflection from Hayward’s strong ball into the circle.
Pearce opened a 6-2 buffer in the 41st minute thanks to an outstanding solo effort, making a steal before running into the circle and beating the goalkeeper one-one-one.
The Vantage Black Sticks now head home in preparation for the FIH World League Semi Final in Brussels next month, with a team set to be named early next week.
VANTAGE BLACK STICKS 6: (Olivia Merry 2, Pippa Hayward, Natasha FitzSimons, Sam Harrison, Kirsten Pearce)
INDIA 2: (Deep Ekka, Rani)
Halftime: New Zealand 3-1
Hockey New Zealand Media release
Black Sticks women complete clean sweep of India with comfortable win in fifth test
Black Sticks striker Sam Harrison contests possession in the fifth and final test against India in Hamilton. PHOTOSPORT
The New Zealand women's hockey team completed a clean sweep of their test series against India with a resounding 6-2 win in the fifth match in Hamilton on Saturday.
Comfortable winners against their 12th-ranked visitors in three of the first four matches, the world No 5 Black Sticks reinforced their ascendancy with another sound display at the Gallagher Hockey Centre.
There was a glimmer of hope for India when they pulled their way back to 3-2 down early in the third quarter, before a three-goal burst in five minutes from the hosts put the result beyond doubt.
Experienced striker Olivia Merry scored a first quarter double for New Zealand, while Pippa Hayward, Natasha Fitzsimons, Sam Harrison and Kirsten Pearce also picked up goals.
The Black Sticks had an enlarged squad of 26 for the series, to give as many players as possible a chance to prove themselves ahead of the important World League Semifinals in Brussels at the end of next month, and assistant coach Sean Dancer was largely satisfied with what they had got out of the five games.
"As a coach you're never 100 percent happy so there are certainly areas we need to get better at, but I thought the performance today highlighted some positive things we've been working on," said Dancer, who stepped in as head coach for the series in the absence of Mark Hager.
"To their credit India were tough today, but a couple of our goals scored were scored through strong striker actions and that's very pleasing.
"India came out and hammered us in the third quarter but we've been working on how to handle those situations and it's pleasing that we came back and scored another three goals."
New Zealand started well and were ahead after just four minutes, Merry sending a strong shot across the face of goal and past the goalkeeper.
Merry made it 2-0 just before quarter time after receiving a great pass on the run from Tessa Jopp and although India struck back from a penalty corner midway through the second quarter, Hayward ensured the buffer was back out to two by halftime when she smashed a shot home from the top of the circle.
India kept themselves in the game early in the second half, pulling another goal back with a nice finish from captain Rani, but the Kiwi team's response was emphatic.
Fitzsimons soon restored the two-goal margin when she flicked in a penalty corner and just a minute later Harrison sent a deflection into the roof of the goal from Hayward's strong ball into the circle.
Pearce completed the flurry of goals with an outstanding solo effort, making a steal before running into the circle and beating the goalkeeper one-one-one.
New Zealand finished the series with 24 goals, while restricting India to seven.
The Black Sticks squad for the tournament in Brussels is set to be named early next week.
New Zealand 6 (Olivia Merry 2, Pippa Hayward, Natasha FitzSimons, Sam Harrison, Kirsten Pearce) India 2 (Deep Ekka, Rani). Q1: 2-0. Q2: 3-1. Q3: 6-2.
Stuff
India women whitewashed by New Zealand in hockey series
HAMILTON (New Zealand): There was no end to the Indian women's hockey team's misery as it went down 2-6 to New Zealand in the final match for a 0-5 whitewash in the series, which concluded on Saturday.
The Black Sticks were untroubled from the start with Olivia Merry converting a splendid field goal in the fourth minute of the first quarter.
She starred in the first 15 minutes as she came up with another field goal in the 15th minute to give her team a strong start with a 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw India make strong amends, earning a PC in the 22nd minute. Deep Grace Ekka was successful in converting the PC with an improvised flick to earn India's first goal of the match.
This was Grace's second successful PC in the five-match Series. New Zealand fought back with Pippa Hayward earning the third goal for the hosts in the 27th minute to take their score to 3-1 at the end of the second quarter.
India began the third quarter with positive intent, and their determination paid off when they earned a PC in the 33rd minute.
It was skipper Rani who was inch-perfect to convert the PC and narrow India's goal difference to 2-3. Soon after, India won two back-to-back PCs creating a brilliant opportunity to tie the score with the hosts.
However, the chance went begging as the Gurjit Kaur's flick was deflected by an alert Kiwi goalkeeper Grace O'Hanlon.
New Zealand overcame this scare to take a formidable 6-2 lead at the end of the third quarter with three goals scored in a span of four minutes.
It was Natasha Fitzsimons (37'), Samantha Harrison (38') and Kirsten Pearce (40') who ensured New Zealand put India under pressure going into the final quarter.
India showed resilience in the final 15 minutes, trying to find a gap in the striking circle. While India matched New Zealand's challenge with pace, good skill work and improvised ball possession they could not quite make it count in the 25 yards mark.
A few good opportunities at a shot on goal were lost, for instance with eight minutes remaining Udita's pass was not controlled by Preeti Dubey who had positioned herself inside the circle thus missing out on a chance.
The Times of India
SA Men's and Womens' Squads
Featuring 18-year-olds to seasoned veterans, South Africa’s national men’s and women’s hockey squads for the year were announced on Thursday and are part of the South African Hockey Association’s planning through to next year’s Commonwealth Games and the race to regain as many of their world ranking points as they can.
Due to the loss of ranking points caused by not participating in last year’s Rio Olympics, South Africa’s women have slipped to 13th in the world rankings and the men are 15th. Nevertheless, South Africa will host the prestigious World League semi-finals for both men and women from July 3-24 and, with several top-10 nations taking part, even the smallest upset should improve their ranking.
Australia, Germany, Belgium, New Zealand, Ireland and Spain are the top-10 men’s sides coming to Johannesburg, while England, Argentina, the USA and Germany are the leading nations taking part in the women’s tournament.
A 25-strong women’s squad has been named and, even though there are no new caps, convenor of selectors Mickey Gordon explained that a structure had been put in place to improve the youth profile of the team.
“With a view to the World League Semi-Finals, the Africa Cup of Nations in August and the Commonwealth Games next April, and possibly the World Cup later in 2018, we have chosen a fairly long-term squad so we can look at selection from a consistent basis. We’ve set out to change the age profile because we have a lot of qualifying to do and these youngsters can gain experience.
“We will use all 25 players in the build-up to the next World Cup and we need to get youth into the squad. I sit on the U16 to U21 national selection panels as well in order to get some consistency. We want to grow our talent and if you look at world standards these days, then there is a predominance of youth,” Gordon said.
That does not mean experience is being thrown out the window though, and stalwarts of the South African side such as Nicolene Terblanche, Bernadette Coston, Sulette Damons, Ilse Davids and Shelley Jones (nee Russell) have all been included in the squad.
That applies to the men’s squad as well, with the likes of Rassie Pieterse, 34-year-old Julian Hykes, Jethro Eustice and Owen Mvimbi chosen alongside new cap Melrick Maddocks and 18-year-old Dayaan Cassiem.
There are nine members of the KZN Coastals team that won the recent IPT in the squad and national coach Fabian Gregory said it was the selectors’ intention that form be rewarded.
“KZN did exceptionally well to win IPT, playing well both as a group and with stand-out individual players. We wanted to send the correct message that IPT has not been watered down and we will reward form there. So Melrick is rewarded for being one of the top strikers there as is his team-mate Julian, who was the top goal-scorer for Southern Gauteng,” Gregory said.
The 43-year-old Gregory said he will cut the squad down from 21 to 18 for the World League Semi-Finals.
For both the men’s and women’s national squads, the next couple of years promise plenty of playing opportunities against the top nations in world hockey.
“Our world ranking being lower does not make things easier for us, but there is a total plan in place to rejuvenate our competitiveness. Not playing enough games is killing us due to a lack of sponsorship, but we have the talent, we just need to spend more time working together as a team,” Gregory said.
SA Womens Squad:
Kirsty Adams (Boland), Stephanie Baxter (North-West), Kara Botes nee Stella (KZN Coastals), Nicole la Fleur (Western Province), Candice Manual (Western Province), Nicolene Terblance (Northerns Blues), Izelle Verster (Northerns Blues), Quanita Bobbs (Western Province), Bernadette Coston (Southern Gauteng), Sulette Damons (North-West), Ilse Davids (Western Province), (Lisa Deetlefs (Southern Gauteng), Lilian du Plessis (Southern Gauteng), Celia Evans (Northerns Blues), Tarryn Glasby (Western Province), Erin Hunter (KZN Coastals), Shelley Jones nee Russell (KZN Coastals), Marizen Marais (Northerns Blues), Jade Mayne (Western Province), Phumelela Mbande (Northerns Blues), Line Malan (Western Province), Jessica O’Connor (KZN Coastals), Carmen Smith (Southern Gauteng), Marelize van Tonder (Northerns Blues), Nicole Walraven (Free State).
SA Mens Squad:
Rassie Pieterse (Southern Gauteng), Gowan Jones (KZN Coastals), Jethro Eustice (KZN Coastals), Robin Jones (KZN Coastals), Tyson Dlungwana (Southern Gauteng), Mohamed Mea (KZN Coastals), Jonty Robinson (KZN Coastals), Dan Sibbald (KZN Coastals), Reza Rosenburg (Southern Gauteng), Ryan Julius (Western Province), Clinton Panther (KZN Coastals), Owen Mvimbi (Southern Gauteng), Julian Hykes (Southern Gauteng), Ryan Crowe (Western Province), Nqobile Ntuli (KZN Coastals), Ignatius Malgraff (Eastern Province), Dayaan Cassiem (Western Province), Richard Pautz (Northerns Blues), Tevin Kok (Northerns Blues), Melrick Maddocks (Southern Gauteng), Damien Kimfley (KZN Coastals).
SA Hockey Association media release
Varsity Hockey steals the show in national team announcements
Tarryn Glasby of South Africa and Hollie Webb of England during the Cape Town Summer Series 2 Womens match between South Africa and England at Hartleyvale Hockey Stadium on February 26, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Peter Heeger/Gallo Images)
The national squads for both the South African men’s and women’s national teams were announced on Thursday 18 May. A massive 76% of the women selected have participated in Varsity Hockey, while seven of the 21 men have done so.
The news breaks just days before the Varsity Hockey final between Tuks and Maties, on Monday 22 May in Pretoria. Four of the SA ladies will be in action in the final.
Fabian Gregory, national men’s coach, emphasised the need for more game time and a concerning lack sponsorship.
“Our world ranking being lower does not make things easier for us, but there is a total plan in place to rejuvenate our competitiveness. Not playing enough games is killing us due to a lack of sponsorship, but we have the talent, we just need to spend more time working together as a team,” Gregory said.
The important gap that Varsity Hockey plugs has been outlined once more. While the high number of national players participating indicates the strength of the competition, what is really needed is quality game time, in high intensity, professional circumstances.
With live SuperSport coverage, rule changes that push athletes to their limits and a competition that puts players up against the best in the country, all while dealing with touring and travelling – Varsity Hockey is far more than just a university competition.
Catch the Varsity Hockey final at Tuks Astro in Pretoria on Monday 22 May at 18:45, live on SuperSport 7.
National squads (Varsity Hockey players highlighted)
SA Women
Kirsty Adams
Stephanie Baxter NWU Puk 2013
Kara Botes
Nicole la Fleur GK Maties 2017
Candice Manual
Nicolene Terblanche Tuks 2017 club manager
Izelle Verster Tuks 2013 / 2105 / 2107
Quanita Bobbs Maties 2015
Bernadette Coston UJ 2013
Sulette Damons NWU Puk 2013 / 2017 management
Ilse Davids Maties 2013
Lisa Deetlefs UJ 2017
Lilian du Plessis UJ 2015
Celia Evans NWU Puk 2013 / 2015
Tarryn Glasby Maties 2015 / 2017
Erin Hunter Maties 2015
Shelley Jones
Marizen Marais UJ 2015
Jade Mayne
Phumelela Mbande Tuks 2015
Line Malan Kovsies 2013 / 2015
Jessica O’Connor
Carmen Smith UJ 2015
Marelize van Tonder Tuks 2017
Nicole Walraven Kovsies 2015
Coach: Sheldon Rostron NWU Puk Varsity Hockey 2017 coach
SA Men
Rassie Pieterse
Gowan Jones
Jethro Eustice 2017 UKZN Womens’ coach for Varsity Hockey
Robin Jones
Tyson Dlungwana UJ 2016
Mohamed Mea
Jonty Robinson
Dan Sibbald
Reza Rosenburg
Ryan Julius
Clinton Panther UJ 2014
Owen Mvimbi
Julian Hykes
Ryan Crowe UJ 2106
Nqobile Ntuli
Ignatius Malgraff Madibaz 2016
Dayaan Cassiem
Richard Pautz Tuks 2014 / 2016
Tevin Kok Tuks 2016
Melrick Maddocks
Damien Kimfley
Varsity Hockey media release
Camp rigours have seniors feeling confident
By Nabil Tahir
KARACHI: Pakistan senior hockey team’s preparations for the Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-finals are in full swing as their training camp has entered the final phase.
The team, announced last week, has been playing practice matches against Pakistan Whites, with both the sides featuring a blend of international players, giving the selected players a good run-out before the big tournament
“The players in both the teams are ones who have been attending the camp for the last two months, but those picked in the final team justified their selection by winnings three straight matches against Pakistan Whites,” head coach Khawaja Junaid told The Express Tribune.
He further said that his charges have especially worked on their speed and passing, whereas the attacking players have been put through finishing drills to improve their efficiency in front of the goal.
“This team is scheduled to face some of the top teams of the world so they will have to be skilled and know all the modern techniques,” said Junaid.
Meanwhile, team captain Abdul Haseem Khan is confident of putting on a good show, thanks to the hard work him and his boys have done during the camp.
“We have been working really hard for this tournament under our head coach,” said Haseem. “We have learned some new tricks and techniques which will surely help us in facing top nations.
“Our goal is to reach the final of the tournament and prove that Pakistan is once again a force to be reckoned with in the world of hockey.”
The tournament is set to begin from June 15 in London, where Pakistan and nine other countries will be vying for seven berths of the finals.
Pakistan have been placed in pool B alongside arch-rivals India, Netherlands, Canada and Scotland, while Pool A features Argentina, England, South Korea, Malaysia and China.
Pakistan will play their first match against Netherlands on the opening day of the tournament before facing India in their third match on June 18.
The Express Tribune
Punjab Colours, Islamabad & UWHA winners at CM Cup Hockey
On Friday, three matches were played in the 5th Chief Minister Women Gold Cup Hockey Tournament at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore.
Punjab Colours routed Baluchistan 5-0
The winners scored at regular intervals. Nida Asghar had a brace while Humera Rafi, Tabarqa Tariq & Sadaf Rafi found the target once each.
The second tie between Islamabad and Sindh turned out to be the proverbial Game of Two Halves.
Sindh went ahead early; in the fifth minute through Sidra.
An interesting battle ensued but it stayed 1-0 when the half time hooter sounded.
The second half was all Islamabad. They equalised in the 33rd minute and the floodgates opened.
It was 5-1 for Islamabad at the end of 60 minutes.
Ayesha Rafiq 2, Mahjabeen Arshad 2 and Sahil Malik shared the scoring honours.
In the last match of the evening, the star studded United Women Hockey Academy trounced KPK 11-0
No less than eight players had their names on the scoring sheet:
Kalsoom Shahzadi 2, Aqeela Naseem 2, Kalsoom Naseer 2, Maira Sabir, Ayesha Bashir, Afsheen Noreen,
Sidra Hakeem, Aqsa Ijaz
PHF Media release
Six Chandigarh hockey players selected for junior training camp in Bengaluru
The men’s Chandigarh team trained under hockey coach Gurminder Singh while the women’s team trained under hockey coach Kusum.
Chandigarh players with coach Gurminder Singh in Bhopal. Express
SIX CHANDIGARH players have been selected for the Indian junior training camp for men and women categories to be held at Sports Authority of India Centre, Bengaluru from May 24. Four male players — Mandeep, Sukhjeet Singh, Sanjay and Maninder Singh — have been included in the national junior camp for men while Chanchal and Amritpal Kaur have been included in the national junior camp for women. The players have been participating in the Seventh National Junior Hockey Championships being held at Bhopal and will join the national camp after the tournament.
The men’s Chandigarh team trained under hockey coach Gurminder Singh while the women’s team trained under hockey coach Kusum. Seventeen-year-old Sanjay had scored 15 goals in the National Sub-Junior Championships in 2015 to guide Chandigarh to national sub-junior title while Maninder Singh had scored 12 goals in the title winning run. Sanjay, who belongs to Dabra village near Hisar, is a trainee of the Chandigarh Hockey and Football Academy, Sector 42, while Maninder Singh belongs to Bhagarhia near Sangrur and also trains at the CHFA Academy.
Earlier this week, Sanjay scored five goals as Hockey Chandigarh scored a 12-2 win over Hockey Bhopal in the National Junior Hockey Championship. A forward, Sanjay trained under academy coach Gurminder Singh and scored 10 goals in the National School Games U-14 event at Ranchi in 2012. The youngster then followed the performance with four goals the following year in the same tournament in New Delhi before he netted five goals in the U-17 School National Games at Ranchi in 2014.
The year 2014 also saw Sanjay playing a vital role with eight goals in Chandigarh’s march into the Nehru Cup semi-finals. Like Sanjay, Maninder shifted base from his village, Bhagarhia, near Sangrur to the Chandigarh Hockey Academy, Sector 42, in 2010 and has been one of the leading scorers for the Chandigarh team.
In the 2012 edition of School National Games, the lanky lad scored 13 goals and 10 goals the following year. Nehru Cup saw Singh scoring 13 goals in 2014 and Singh netted seven goals against Himachal Pradesh in the league stage in Jammu.
“It is a proud moment for Chandigarh as six of our players have been selected for the national junior camp in Bengaluru. The boys’ team played well in the junior nationals and this exposure will help them improve the game. Two of our women players have been called for the national camp and they will learn a lot while training with players from Haryana and Punjab,” said Anil Vohra, secretary general, Hockey Chandigarh.
Indian Express
Kampong hold advantage over Rotterdam going into final weekend
SV Kampong hold the advantage in the Hoofdklasse final going into the weekend following their shoot-out win over Rotterdam on Wednesday evening.
Normal time ended 1-1 after Jeroen Hertzberger’s brilliant goal was cancelled out by Martijn Havenga’s drag-flick to send the game to shoot-out.
There, the goalkeepers dominated early on with a variety of surprising misses before the goals started to flow. It went to sudden death where David Harte made a brilliant save from Oliver Polkamp with his stick before Bjorn Kellerman continued his excellent run of form to slot the winning goal in a 5-4 outcome.
Speaking after that win, Kellerman said his team has developed an amazing capacity to fight back. They needed a last minute goal against HC Oranje Rood to qualify for the playoffs and then came from an opening game loss to beat Bloemendaal in the semi-finals.
"Every week, we go behind but we remain calm and will not rush our hockey. Mentally, we are so strong; we believe in each other and know it will be okay. Then you do not have to worry!”
Looking back on the game, Constantijn Jonker added: "It was an amazing goal by Jeroen [Hertzberger]. That was hard to take.
"But within the team, I immediately felt that we were going to come back and there was once that confidence that we could get a goal.
“Compliments to Martijn for scoring it from our first corner. From there, I felt we had the momentum when it went to the shoot-outs."
The two sides meet again in the second tie on Saturday afternoon (3.30pm CET) with a Kampong win earning them the national championship for the first time since 1985. Lose and the sides will go to a third playoff game on Sunday.
Saturday’s tie is already sold out in Rotterdam despite the host club adding extra seating to their venue.
Euro Hockey League media release
Life's a beach for Italian Hockey
Beach Hockey has proved an important recruitment tool in Italy Photo: Italy Hockey Federation
Sun, sand, sea and… hockey. What is not to like about the idea of playing your favourite sport under a clear blue sky with the sea as a backdrop?
One of the aims of the FIH Hockey Revolution is to create new and exciting events, while another is to attract new players, spectators and fans. Well, both these targets are being met by the Italian Hockey Federation as its annual Beach Hockey tournament continues to promote hockey to a young audience.
The Beach Hockey Tournament is now an annual event that takes place at beach venues across Italy. This year’s event – the Kilos Cup – will take place in June at at the Bellaria Igea Marina in Rimini.
The event is now in its fourth year and involves two days of exciting hockey action, plus a heap of cool side events for the teams and their supporters to enjoy. More than 70 children, aged between 10-12, took part in the 2016 tournament, with a boy’s team from Sorrento – Potenza Picena – narrowly defeating the Avogadro Roma girl’s team from Capri in the final. The teams were coached and managed by adult players, including some past and present members of the national team.
Beach Hockey is not a new phenomena, a highly competitive event was held alongside the main action at the 2014 World Cup in The Hague, Netherlands, and across the world more than 30 countries play the sport. In Italy, it is fast becoming a popular and regular sport in its own right.
The man credited with the idea of beach hockey in Italy is the current Italian Hockey Federation President, Sergio Mignardi. Back in 2007, he was head of the Promotions Sector of the Federation and was looking for new ways to attract people to the sport. The goal was to promote hockey on a large, flat part of Italy’s many beaches. Mignardi saw the beach as an ideal place to engage with people and offer them the chance to take part in a fun, informal but energetic beach activity.
The idea was an instant success. As a few players started the match, the noise and excitement being generated would draw others over to watch and soon they would also be clamouring to join in. The organisers would supply equipment and soon there were scores of people playing the sport.
Today beach hockey has more structure than in those early days. A huge inflatable pitch is set up and teams are organised into a tournament schedule. There is still time and opportunity for passers-by to have a go, but this informal ‘drop-in’ style is in addition to the actual event.
Tournaments are either 3v3 or 5v5, with a clear set of rules, as set out by the National Association.
Luca dal Bunos is Chair of the International Beach Hockey Federation and says: ‘Everyone who took part in the 2016 tournament in Sorrento will remember it as a fantastic event and occasion. It is also a great opportunity to promote field hockey a new audience.’
For more information about hockey in Italy, visit the Italian Hockey Federation's website by clicking here.
FIH site