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News for 14 June 2017

All the news for Wednesday 14 June 2017


Black Sticks beaten by Spain in third test


Kelsey Smith scored the Black Sticks only goal. Photo: www.photosport.nz

Three unanswered goals have helped hosts Spain to a 3-1 win over the Vantage Black Sticks Women in the third test in Barcelona.

The Kiwis opened the scoring in through a 10th minute Kelsey Smith field goal before Spain fought back to take control.

Two quick-fire penalty corner goals in the second quarter from Lola Riera and Maria Lopez gave the hosts a 2-1 halftime lead before Belen Iglesias pushed the buffer out further in the 35th minute.

Black Sticks assistant coach Sean Dancer said it was not a great performance from his side in the face of pressure from Spain.

“Spain played very well today, put us under a lot of pressure and were rewarded for their efforts,” he said.

“We need to be better in our next performance and make sure we wrap this series on a positive note.”

The fourth and final test between the Vantage Black Sticks and Spain will be played at 5:30am on Thursday morning (NZT).

The series is part of New Zealand’s build-up for the FIH World League Semi Final in Brussels from 21 June – 2 July.

VANTAGE BLACK STICKS 1: (Kelsey Smith)
SPAIN 3: (Lola Riera, Maria Lopez, Belen Iglesias)
Halftime: Spain 2-1

Hockey New Zealand Media release



London Calling: Men's Hero Hockey World League Semi-Final 2017 set for action

Race for Hockey World League Final and Hockey World Cup 2018 gathers pace


Argentina's Gonzalo Peillat. Credit: MANAN VATSYAYANA/AFP/Getty Images

London, England: On Thursday (15th June), the race to secure a place at next year’s Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 will resume when a thrilling Hero Hockey World League Semi-Final competition gets underway at London’s Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Host nation England (FIH Hero World Ranking: 7) are joined by Olympic champions and world number one Argentina as well as Netherlands (WR: 4), India (WR: 6), Korea (WR: 12) and Pakistan (WR: 13), nations that qualified automatically by being ranked between first and 11th at the time of entry. The line-up is completed by Canada (WR: 11), Malaysia (WR: 14), China (WR: 18) and Scotland (WR: 23), who all qualified thanks to excellent performances in the Hockey World League Round 2 events earlier this year.

The event marks one step from the end of a two-year Hockey World League journey that began with regional Round 1 events and will reach a climax in India at the end of this year. With both Hockey World League Final and World Cup qualification on offer, the stakes are exceptionally high.

The top four finishers in London will qualify for the eight nation Hockey World League Final, although there is a small caveat to this. If India, the host nation of the Final, do not finish in the top four then only the top three teams in London will qualify. They will be joined by the top three finishers from the Semi-Final competition in Johannesburg, South Africa, plus the highest ranked fourth place finisher from the two Semi-Final events.

When it comes to Hockey World Cup qualification, the heat is seriously on. There are five automatic berths available here in London, although this will increase depending on the outcomes of the upcoming Continental Championships, which are also World Cup qualification events. With this significant detail in mind, all competing nations will be determined to finish as high up the standings as possible to give themselves the best chance of a ticket to the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, which takes place in November-December next year. 

With so much on the line we can expect dramatic, action-packed and exciting matches, played in a superb stadium that next summer will play host to a World Cup of its own - the Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018.

In Pool A, Olympic gold medallists Argentina, coached by the charismatic Carlos Retegui, are surely the team to beat. Key players include veteran Matias Paredes, defender and captain Pedro Ibarra as well as creative genius Lucas Vila, although it is powerfully built penalty corner expert Gonzalo Peillat who often grabs the headlines thanks to his incredible prowess from set-pieces. Los Leones will face stiff competition in the pool phase, with home favourites England likely to challenge. Twelve of the players selected by Head Coach Bobby Crutchley were part of the Great Britain squad that won the prestigious Azlan Shah Cup invitational competition in early May, defeating world number two side Australia in a thrilling final.

The Pool A line-up is completed by Korea, Malaysia and China. Like Argentina and England, Korea qualified by virtue of being ranked 1-11 at the time of seeking entries, while Malaysia and China finished first and second respectively at the Hockey World League Round 2 event in Dhaka, Bangladesh. All three sides have plenty of talent and will make it as difficult as possible for the Olympic champions and the hosts.

European champions The Netherlands are seen by many as the likely front runners in Pool B, and arrive in London with a squad packed with the usual flair. Play-makers Billy Bakker and Robbert Kemperman as well as teenage sensation Jorrit Croon, the young forward who celebrated his 18th birthday at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where his team finished in fourth position, are all likely to be central figures. They also have a powerful penalty corner weapon in defender Mink van der Weerden, who ranks alongside Argentina’s Peillat as one of the world’s best drag-flickers.

As well as the Netherlands, many eyes are also focussed on eight times Olympic gold medallists India and three time Olympic champions Pakistan, two nations with a proud hockey heritage and who tend to save their best performances for when they face each other. India have the upper hand in terms of rankings and, as hosts of both the World League Final and next year’s Hockey World Cup, arrive in London without the pressure of needing to achieve qualification. That said, Head Coach Roelant Oltmans will demand that his youthful players, captained by 24-year-old midfielder Manpreet Singh, perform to the very best of their abilities. Pakistan also have plenty of youth at their disposal, with midfielder Muhammad Rizwan Jr – a member of the Green Shirts team that competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games – being very much a leadership figure in the side coached by Khawaja Junaid.

Canada and Scotland also compete in Pool B having qualified thanks to solid displays in Round 2. Canada, who at 11th in the FIH Hero World Rankings sit two places above Pool B rivals Pakistan, finished second at the Round 2 competition in Tacrarigua, Trinidad & Tobago thanks largely to the 13 goals scored by Scott Tupper (7) and Mark Pearson (6). Scotland finished third at the Round 2 competition in Belfast, but they are certainly not a side to be taken lightly. Alan Forsyth – son of Head Coach Derek Forsyth – is currently one of the hottest strikers in world hockey and could make a big impression on this competition.   

FIH site



New look teams: England and Scotland blend youth and experience


George Pinner is one of three captains as part of a refreshed England squad Photo: FIH/WSP

With the memory of Rio 2016 now consigned to the history books, the thoughts of players and coaches turns to the next major international. The target for teams now is the 2018 Hockey World Cups, to be held in India (men) and England (women).

Coaches talk about cycles and, at this point, we are nearly a year into the next cycle. The past 12 months has provided an opportunity for coaches and players to reflect on both their achievements and their futures. For some players and coaches, Rio 2016 was a swan-song and they stepped away from the international stage; for others, there are entirely new challenges on the horizon.

The Hockey World League Semi-Finals offer a route for teams to qualify for both the Hockey World Cup and the end of year Hockey World League Final – an important event in itself as it pits the very best in the world against each other.

For many players and some coaching staff, the next few weeks will be their first appearances at a major international event. They will have played test series, they will possibly have played Under-21 tournaments, but in London, Johannesburg and Brussels, the Hockey World League Semi-Finals will be their first taste of the big time. The challenge to players and staff is to integrate new players as seamlessly as possible.

Bobby Crutchley is England’s Head Coach, a position he has held since 2013. As both an international and a coach within the international set-up, Crutchley is used to seeing players come and go. For the London Hockey World League Semi-Final, he has a balanced mix of new players and experience, with eight of his team having made more than 100 international appearances. This includes Barry Middleton, who will add to his 379 caps for England and Great Britain.

Crutchley is relaxed about the prospect of introducing new players into the cauldron of a home event. “We have a significant number of new players, which is pretty common the year after an Olympic Games. The blend of any team is important. Experienced players often help give you stability and a foundation for your game. However, inexperienced players sometimes can give you a surprise element and bring a fresh energy to your team.

“Both staff and players have worked hard at integrating new players. However, as a new group we are all learning and it is important that we work hard at getting to know each other. It is not just about educating the new players.”

For the Head Coach and his team, this is an evolutionary process. Matches are reviewed and the players will talk about what went well and what didn't go to plan.

For England, a new challenge is to make an innovative leadership group work. For the first time, the squad will have three captains – George Pinner, Phil Roper and Ian Sloan – and the coming matches will be an indicator of the success of that strategy.

Scotland will arrive at the Hockey World League Semi-Final in London with an entire team and coaching staff inexperienced at operating at this level. The Blue Sticks have made dramatic progress over the past two years and now sit at 23 in the FIH Hero World Rankings [having moved up four places recently] and face the challenge of a first-ever appearance at the Hockey World League Semi-Final stage.

Derek Forsyth is Scotland men’s Head Coach. He points out that, although the tournament is new to his players, his squad has been together a while. “The only new member to the squad is Tommy Alexander, who joined the programme in February. He previously represented Scotland at Under-21 level back in 2010 and therefore is familiar to the majority of the present squad.

"We have evolved and developed over time and I think we have a good mixture of experience, youth and enthusiasm and we are bound together by a common objective.

“We aren’t able to get together as frequently as we would like but, when we do, we have camps, an agenda and objective meetings. These are very interactive and everyone’s opinions are valued.”

England and Scotland will both be competing in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in London, starting 15 June.

FIH site



Low-ranked Pakistan face Herculean task to qualify for World Cup

Anwar Zuberi



KARACHI: Three-time former Olympic champions Pakistan faces a Herculean task to earn a ticket for the next year’s men’s hockey World Cup by finishing among top five teams in the World Cup qualifiers semi-finals being held at London from June 15- 25.

A similar 10-team qualifier takes place at Johannesburg from July 9 to 24.

India will play host to the World Cup at Bhubaneswar from Nov 24 to Dec 16 next year and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to extend the number of competing teams to 16 from that competition onward.

Unfortunately, Pakistan, whose international ranking has slipped to unbelievable 13, had missed the last two big events – the 2014 World Cup at The Hague and the 2016 Rio Olympics after failing to qualify for them.

The continental champions and the host India have earned a direct passage for the next year’s World Cup.

There’s a possibility that the continental champions may end up among top fray in the qualifiers at London and Johannesburg and pave the way for some lower-ranked teams to qualify for World Cup.

Meanwhile, Pakistan hockey team has reached London from Ireland after playing a three-Test series.

The 10 teams that will compete in London have been drawn into two groups which are as follows.

A: South Korea, Argentina, England, China and Malaysia.
B: India, Scotland, Netherlands, Pakistan and Canada.

According to draws, Pakistan takes on Netherlands in their group opening match on June 15. The greenshirts takes on Canada the following day.

Pakistan-India clash is on card for June 18 while Pakistan faces Scotland on June 19.

The group matches will be followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, final and the classification matches.

Schedule:

June 15: South Korea v Argentina, India v Scotland, Netherlands v Pakistan, England v China.
June 16: Pakistan v Canada, Argentina v Malaysia.
June 17: China v South Korea, Canada, India, England v Malaysia, Scotland v Netherlands.
June 18: Pakistan v India, England v Argentina.
June 19: Scotland v Pakistan, Netherlands v Canada, South Korea v Malaysia, Argentina v China.
June 20: Scotland v Canada, India v Netherlands, China v Malaysia, England v South Korea.
June 22: 9th- 10th position match, quarter-finals.
June 24: 5th to 8th position matches, semi-finals.
June 25: Classification matches 7th-8th, 5th- 6th, 3rd-4th, final.

Dawn



Indian hockey in London: Exotic to extreme lows

K. Arumugam



Its exotic victory to extreme downfall journey for Indian hockey insofar as London as host city of major hockey tournament is concerned. One Gold, two Silvers and two wooden spoons out of five major events that India played in London (1948 to 2016) tell the vicissitudes of its hockey as it traversed thro' the last seven decades. Its roller coaster ride shifting between pinnacle of glory to agonizing lows with of late an interlude of resurrection.

It was in London the Independent India won its first Olympic Gold, where for the first time Indian national anthem was sung, tri-colour wasraised.

The story of 1948, of heroism of Kishan Lal’s wards, Balbir Singh Sr.'s exploits is folk fore in India, Come next year August, the story will be in cinemas too.

A good beginning does not mean good journey thereafter.

Indian hockey went through a difficult path. At one point of time getting Silver was considered 'losing face' before it found itself at rock bottom in some tournaments where it was expected to peak.

Before those downfalls come London Pre-Olympics.

Exactly 50 years ago, India played at Lords -- Yes, where India beat SA in CT cricket last week – where one of the intensively contested Pre-Olympic tournaments was staged.

undefined It was almost missed the London number. Government of India did not sanction the event first. It meant no government grant for the tour. Ministry of Education, which governed international sports in those days, turned down Indian Hockey Federation’s request for the London tour on flimsy grounds: it can sanction only two tournaments per year!

Ashwini Kumar, who was often described as ‘beg, borrow, steal IHF President, could again manage the tour, after agreeing the IHF to meet the deficit of Rs.16,000 which the ministry would spend for the Kenya tour otherwise.

The team, led by Bengal’s Gurbux Singh with thrice-Olympian Shankar Laxman as his deputy, was scheduled to meet England first and Pakistan last in the six-team event.

The IHF president had to face enormous flak as India would finish second behind Germany. What worried the many then was draw to France (1-1)and losing to Pakistan (0-1) in the last league match.

There were no knock-out matches then.



The Indians were the reigning Olympic and Asian Games champions. There were no other tournaments on the world stage unlike present day (Champions Trophy, World Cup etc).

It was therefore felt Indian hockey is on downhill, though Mexico Olympics was calling then. As later events would show, Indian hockey for the first time failed to enter the finals of Olympics in1968 Mexico number, since 1928.

The signs were there at London Pre-Olympics. Its hindsight.

The next major event for Indian in London was 19 years later: Wisdon Word Cup.

Between these two London events, hockey has undergone metamorphism beyond recognition. Germany, New Zealand have won their Olympic gold, breaking the Asian hegemony.

The same Asian hegemony that dominated the world from 1928 to 1968, came for burial in Wisdon.

The giants played for the wooden spoon in the 1986 World Cup.

India again played for wooden spoon in London 16 years later.

After missing out the Beijing Olympics number India qualified for the London in 2012, but finished last.



Two successive dubious record in London for Indian hockey.

Its full spectrum from Gold in 1948 to Zero sum in 2012.

However, Indian were a trying lot. With an affluent administration at its disposal, the enraged Indians engaged world’s best brains for coaching, and had had wonderful exposure modes.

This reflected in London Five, the last major event India played in London: Champions Trophy 2016.

The Indians, who were struggling to qualify for this genre of competition, missing more than getting it, for once shed their sluggish form, and went on to win the Silver at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

A Silver in London after 1967 Pre-Olympics.

In two days time India will be playing its SIXTH major tournament in London, the Hockey World League Semifinals.



Usually conservative Indian players have opened up now, promised top two finish for their fans.

This fits their form.

If they will go beyond and win the London event, it will match and evoke 1948 days.

Manpreet Singh leads India in the much awaited HWL Semifinals. Which one will he emulate, London of 1948 or anything else?

Plenty to choose from history, but India as a whole expect them to bring back the laurels of Kishan Lal and Balbir days.

LONDON BIG FIVE in numbers

1948 Olympics
India beat Austria 8-0
Beat Argentina 9-1
Beat Spain 2-0
Beat Holland (2-1) Semifinal
Beat Great Britain 4-0 Final
Note: India finish first, Pak fourth

1967 Pre-Olympics
India beat GB 3-2
Drew France 1-1
Beat Spain 2-1
Beat Australia 2-1
India lost to Pakistan 0-1
Note: India finish second, Pak fourth



1986 World Cup
Lost to Poland 0-1
Lost to Spain 1-2
beat Canada 2-0
Lost to Australia 6-0
drew Germany 2-2
Lost to New Zealand
Lost to Pakistan 2-3 in extra time
Note: India finish 12th, Pak 11th

2012 Olympics
lost to Netherlands 2-3
lost to New Zealand 1-3
lost to Germany 2-5
lost to Korea 1-4
lost to Belgium 0-3
lost to South Africa 2-3
Note: India finish 12th

2016 Champions Trophy
Drew Germany 3-3
beat Great Britain 2-1
Lost to Belgium 1-2
Defeat Korea 2-1
lost to Australia 2-4
Drew Australia 0-0, lost 1-3 in the tie-break(Final)
Note: India finish second

Stick2Hockey.com



All nine teams to be part of Hockey Pro League for entire four-year period: McCracken

‘HIL to retain a window on international calendar’

Uthra Ganesan


Jason McCracken. 

It’s been eight months since Jason McCracken took charge as the CEO of the International Hockey Federation and the biggest event in his brief tenure has been the launch of the Hockey Pro League, a nine-team international event. Excerpts:

The Pro League sounds exciting but the biggest concern is what happens to domestic leagues.

We are in talks with national associations and clubs in Europe and other countries to work out the details of the European Hockey League. Hockey India has been a strong supporter of the Pro League and we have had discussions with them as well. As of now, what has been worked on is that while some of the nations will postpone their domestic leagues, others will be able to work out windows and slots in the six-month period during which the Pro League will be held.

Also, we have to remember that the national squad size is normally around 32, so that’s the number of players who would be associated with the Pro League. This means there will be more opportunities for other players to figure in domestic leagues.

(Hockey India CEO Elena Norman confirmed to The Hindu that while the HIL would continue to be held in January-February till 2018, it would be held in November-December in 2019, when the Pro League would kick off. The European Leagues, meanwhile, would look to work their schedule simultaneously around the Pro League even as Norman asserted that the HIL would retain a window on the international calendar).

How will the top-four teams for the Pro League Grand Finale at the end of the four-year period be decided?

Let me clear the confusion. There is no single Grand Finale after four years. The Pro League is an annual event, with a finale involving the top four teams decided on points accumulated every year at the end. So there will be a Pro League winner every year. When we said four-year period, it was to emphasise that this was a long-term project and not a short-term experiment and that the nine teams listed for the competition would be part of it for the entire four-year period.

How will the Pro League work as a qualifying event for World Cups and the Olympics?

The top four teams that qualify for the finale will qualify for the Qualifying event of the World Cups/Olympics. Continental champions continue to get direct entry. We are also looking to rework the world rankings system to incorporate the new tournament and also ensure that it is fair to everyone.

The Hindu



'Place for only nine teams in the HPL'

Dhananjay Roy

MUMBAI: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) will embark on a novel journey in January 2019 with the launch of the Hockey Pro League (HPL), which will witness nine countries battle it out over a period of six months on a home-and-away basis in both the men's and women's categories.

The teams in the men's section include Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England, Great Britain, Germany, India, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan. This has resulted in some countries, which have excelled on the hockey pitch over the years, including Spain and Malaysia, missing out on a competition that FIH hopes will turn out to be a money-spinner for them.

"The selection of teams was not based only on performance. It was based on commercial aspect and the popularity of the sport in that country. We could accommodate a maximum of nine teams after intense deliberations, and hence, countries like Spain and Malaysia have missed out," Jason McCracken, the CEO of FIH, told TOI on Tuesday.

" In case any of the selected teams is not able to fulfil their commitment during the cycle that will span four years, we will consider the other applicants," he added.

Given the reluctance of sporting contingents to travel to Pakistan, the latter will be playing at their 'home' games in Scotland. "The Pakistan Hockey Federation has chosen to play its home games in Scotland because of the significant fan-base the team enjoys in northern England and Ireland," McCracken said.

Another issue that will crop up is the unlikelihood of the Indian government allowing the India-Pakistan fixture to take place in any Indian city. "We are hopeful that the governments of both countries will support the league and allow the teams to play each other. India-Pakistan matches generate huge interest and I am sure fans of both countries would love to see these fixtures. Apart from that, we will take stock of things once we get closer to the league," said McCracken.

The Times of India



Hockey Ireland misses out on new Pro Hockey League

Ireland’s bid to be part world hockey’s Pro League came to an end as they were left out of the International Hockey Federation’s final list, released on Sunday, for the first four seasons of the competition that launches in January 2019.

Hockey Ireland’s bid had seen them make the shortlist of 12 men’s teams and 14 women’s teams but the FIH has decided to invite nine sides on both sides to take part for the initial seasons of the worldwide home and away league.

The competition aims to have 144 one-off matches run off on a home and away basis between January and June each year, taking place at national stadiums across five continents.

It is part of the FIH’s intention to speed up the process to a more full-time professional hockey with a more attractive event portfolio with more live, broadcasted matches at its heart.

The organisation’s CEO Jason McCracken says the competition will “fuel the growth of our sport for many years to come, significantly increasing revenues for hockey. As a result, it will become a professional sport, making it a career choice for athletes”.

An explainer of the new competition from the FIH adds: “Today, too many of our events are planned without specific attention to the needs of TV, media and digital support. Too many of our events have no particular purpose or meaning for local fans. In short, they are simply not ‘fan-focused’ enough.”

“Our new events portfolio will ensure that every event has a unique role and purpose, that people will understand immediately, making them each strong, distinct and complementary. This is critical for us in raising our profile.

“Today, this work has resulted in the biggest and most exciting change to the way we deliver hockey to fans around the world - in our lifetime.”

The women’s event will be contested between Argentina, Australia, China, England/Great Britain, Germany, India, Netherlands, New Zealand and USA.

The men’s teams were confirmed as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, England/Great Britain, Germany, India, Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan.

Hockey Ireland, in a tweet on the matter, stated that the bid fell through as they “don’t have a suitable venue yet”.

In terms of a suitable stadium, the inclusion of Pakistan has raised eyebrows; ranked five places below Ireland, due to security issues in their homeland, they will be using Glasgow as their home venue.

The National Hockey Stadium in Belfield, however, has been deemed unfit for international hockey for the time-being without, at least, a new turf being installed.

However, finances – as has been seen in the funding shortfalls for the 2012 Champions Challenge I in Argentina and the €225,000 raised for the Olympic effort in 2016 – is probably the real problem for Ireland’s application.

In terms of criteria, financial sustainability was the second listed criteria while team performance was the 10th of 11 listed deciding factors for nations to be selected.

For the Pro League, considerable expense would be incurred with trips to four different continents in quick succession likely to escalate Hockey Ireland’s costs many fold.

“National Associations were required to submit extensive information in order to be eligible, with sustainability the key aspect of the League’s long-term vision,” the FIH lay out in their explainer.

“We asked for detailed financial modelling, projecting budgets for both the participation in matches overseas as well as hosting matches in their homeland. Details about marketing proposals for promoting the League plus commercial strategies aimed at generating income were required, alongside evidence of financial sustainability.”

Under that scrutiny, with the sport’s recent history of financial arrangements, it is difficult to see how Hockey Ireland could fit the brief. The nine teams selected for the 2019 league will remain in place for the first four seasons of the competition with no second tier and no relegation.

As such, many concerns have been raised over what happens to the sides not selected to take part, particularly in relation to the creation of a chasm between the haves and have-nots in terms of quality.

It means a likely dearth of matches against the top sides to help continue Ireland's improvements with the Pro League sides potentially pulling away from the others.

At this stage, there are not many details other than a hope from the FIH that the success of the Pro League will filter down to the rest of the world.

“We are confident that the increased commercial potential of implementing the new structure will generate considerably more value for the sport overall, which will filter down to all levels, including new and developing hockey nations, from elite to grassroots level.

“Of course, this will take some time, but we believe the benefits will be measurable and wide-ranging.”

At the moment, the FIH “aim to incorporate” the Pro League into the Olympic qualifying process with.

For now, Ireland will remain in the World League which will be reduced to two rounds which will not feature the Pro League teams. From this, some of the qualifiers for the two elite level events will be decided.

The European Championships – along with the other continental championships – will also remain in situ with the winner continuing to win either an Olympic or World Cup place.

The Hook



As hockey looks to evolve, commerce gets preference over rankings

With disciplines like sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding set to be part of the 2020 Tokyo Games, traditional Olympic sports like hockey have to consistently reinvent themselves to stay relevant for an audience that is getting younger by the day.

Written by Tushar Bhaduri


Pakistan will play ahead of better-ranked teams in Pro League. (Source: Express Archive)

With disciplines like sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding set to be part of the 2020 Tokyo Games, traditional Olympic sports like hockey have to consistently reinvent themselves to stay relevant for an audience that is getting younger by the day.

And though hockey has a great following during the Olympics, where India is an eight-times gold medallist, there is not much attention paid to what happens between the Games and probably the World Cup. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) plans to fill the breach with the Hockey Pro League (PHL), set to start in January 2019.

“We found that routine multilateral tournaments were usually played in front of very small crowds, as most matches did not have any home interest. It translated into less media and sponsor interest as well,” FIH chief executive officer James McCracken told The Indian Express.

The upcoming Pro League will try to address the issue with one-off home-and-away matches. Nine of the top teams will compete in separate men’s and women’s competitions. But as with all things in modern sport, it is commerce which dictates the finer details.

“The nine best men’s and women’s teams from around the world,” as the FIH puts it, are not the top nine sides according to its own official rankings, but those that bring in the most revenue, TV viewership, sponsors and anticipation. That explains why the 13th-ranked Pakistan men’s team will line up in the tournament, ahead of higher-rated sides like Ireland, Spain and Korea, and why the 12th-ranked Indian women’s team finds a spot ahead of Korea (9th), Spain (10th) and Japan (11th).

“This is an attempt to commercialise hockey, to generate more revenue and professionalism in the sport,” McCracken said.

“It will be a commercial and entertainment product. Ranking are not the sole criterion. We had a thorough process in this regard, taking into consideration factors like TV ratings, fan base, popularity of the sport, sponsor interest, history as well as the potential for drama, intrigue and tension. We plan to have 144 matches over a six-month period, a 10-fold increase in hockey matches on television.”

“There were more than 1,000 pages of documentation, detailed presentations before we finalised the nine teams based on commercial viability.”

Ticking all the boxes

The India-Pakistan rivalry ticks all those boxes, and though the two teams have moved in opposite directions in their development in recent times, it is still arguably the most eye-catching spectacle in the sport. But with Pakistan set to play their home games in Scotland and the Indian government refusing to allow teams from across the border to play here, it remains to be seen whether these matches can go ahead.

McCracken did not give any guarantees, but hoped the governments will let the matches take place. “There are challenges in this regard, but hockey is an inclusive sport and India-Pakistan matches have a lot of history attached to them. We are working closely with the government and are hopeful for things to fall in place.”

The Hockey World League format was started in 2012 as a response to a threat to the sport’s Olympic status, and the new addition to the international calendar will have fresh implications for the year-long schedule. The Champions Trophy and Champions Challenge have already been disbanded.

“For starters, there is a possibility that the Hockey India League, which is held in January-February, will move to a slot at the end of the year. As for the various European leagues, they are club competitions and can carry on simultaneously with the Pro League. Teams in the PHL will have a squad of 32 players, so many of them can continue playing in the national leagues. As it is, most top-end players are on the field for almost 12 months a year,” the New Zealander said. “One-off games will not be as taxing for the players as a tournament format.”

With a plethora of sports vying for eyeballs, hockey has to battle to stay ahead of the curve.

“We have looked at other sports at how they promote themselves. And we have learnt a lot from how the Hockey India League has gone about it,” the former hockey umpire said.

Not surprising for a world body helmed by Narinder Batra, the architect of the HIL, which has seen five seasons till date.

Indian Express



FIH plans to generate $150 million from Hockey Pro League

The organizers of the Hockey Pro League are setting some lofty monetary goals to be achieved by the league over the next four years.


The Hockey Pro League will make some serious money if it can achieve its goals. (PTI)

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) plans to generate a whopping $150 million in four years from the Hockey Pro League.

The six-month long home and away competition will commence from January next.

According to FIH CEO Jason McCracken, with the best nine teams in both men and women’s categories in fray, it will surely catch the fancy of fans around the globe.

“There is robust marketing strategy in place to achieve the target. We have Star Sports as broadcasting partners in India. The FIH is working to have broadcasters on board from other nations that are competing in the League,” McCracken told HT over the phone from Lausanne, Switzerland.

After four years, the FIH will evaluate the pros and cons of the league. “Right now we believe it will change the face of world hockey,” McCracken added.

Besides revenue generation, the FIH official said the pro league will make the Olympic discipline more popular. “Fans will be able to watch all 144 matches played in the league live,” he said.

As the pro-league is slotted between January and June, domestic competitions like the cash-rich Hockey India League could be rescheduled.

No financial grant

However, as the FIH will not give any funds to participating nations, it might be hard for nations like Pakistan to compete.

Due to security reasons, FIH has scheduled Pakistan’s home venue as Scotland. “I am sure the Pakistan federation will grab the opportunity and raise funds for smooth passage for its national team,” said FIH CEO.

Home matches

Hockey India is yet to decide on the home venue. It’s also uncertain whether India will change their home venue when they have to play Pakistan as the government has strongly objected to sporting ties between the two nations.

The FIH, however, is optimistic. “Governments of both the nations will have to work out a solution,” added McCracken.

Hindustan Times



FIH open to introducing HIL's new goal rule in world hockey

NEW DELHI: Hockey India League's revolutionary 'two-goals-for-one-field-goal' rule has caught the attention of world body FIH, which is seriously considering implementing the "innovative" system in the international arena.

In the last few years, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has made a host of changes in playing rules to make the game fast and attractive.

With the experience of more than two decades as a hockey umpire, referee and technical official, FIH's new CEO Jason McCracken is personally very impressed with the innovative rule, which is aimed at increasing the percentage of field goals.

"I have been in India earlier this year during the Hockey India League and I was personally very impressed with the two goals for a field goal rule. It has revived the attacking style of hockey. The rule is very interesting and innovative," McCracken told PTI in an interview from London.

"We at FIH will certainly look at it and consider it. But it generally takes time to implement a new rule because we have to give time to national teams to get used to it.

"Till the 2018 World Cup, we can't make any changes to playing rules but we will seriously consider it after that. We at FIH are open to innovative ideas. The video umpire was first introduced in European Hockey League and we later implemented in international hockey after reviewing it," the Kiwi said.

"We have seen so many changes. Rules are changed to make the game faster and more exciting and to score more goals. We introduced things like self pass, overhead pass, one-on-one penalty shoot-out etc. to make the game more exciting. We at FIH will always continue to look at innovations," he added.

The just-announced Hockey Pro League from 2019, FIH's first major event in its 10-year Hockey Revolution strategy, will witness the revival of India-Pakistan rivalry on the turf.

And McCracken said revival of the rivalry come 2019 is huge for world hockey.

"Any India-Pakistan sporting rivalry is massive. It's huge for the game because the rivalry has a long, deep history," he said.

Hockey Pro League is a home-and-away league, where nine teams each in both men and women's categories will feature. Each team will play the other eight in a double round-robin format at home and away, culminating in a grand finale at the end of the year between the top four teams.

While Pakistan has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Scottish Hockey to conduct its home matches in Scotland because of security reasons back home, India are scheduled to host the arch-rivals.

Even though the FIH wants India to host Pakistan, the world body has kept up a back-up plan in case it doesn't happen because of continued diplomatic tensions between the two neighbouring nations.

"Scotland has agreed to host Pakistan's games. Scotland has sizeable Pakistani population. But we want India to host Pakistan in India," the FIH CEO said.

"But we are aware of the diplomatic situation between the two countries. FIH president Narinder Batra is in close dialogue with the Indian government. We understand it's complex but we are trying hard and hoping the rivalry will continue on Indian soil," McCracken said.

"But we have kept alternatives. That's a possibility (India hosting Pakistan in a neutral venue) but our effort will be to see India play Pakistan at its own soil."

Talking about FIH's global plans, McCracken said the world body is in talks with emerging markets like Malaysia and Spain to host its international events there.

"We are in serious talks with Malaysia to host a Hockey World League Final and other events there. Malaysians love their hockey and the sport has a huge fan following there," he said.

The Times of India



EHL motivation for Duncan in move to Herakles



Irish international Jeremy Duncan said that the attraction of playing in the EHL swayed him to join Herakles ahead of a couple of other offers as he switches from UCD to the Lier-based club.

“EHL is something every young fella wants to play in,” he told Irish website The Hook. “That was a big draw. Seeing the crowds and the atmosphere they have, it looks really good and that was a big deciding factor in the move.

“I wouldn’t have followed Belgian hockey that much other than when the [Irish] guys were over there. You knows Dragons, Racing, Leopold, teams in the EHL. Other than that, I hadn’t heard much about them. They usually are bottom six but they have obviously got something good going on now.”

Duncan made his Irish debut at the age of 19 before taking a few years away from the international team. He returned to the panel last October and has since played in the country's success at World League Round 2 and scored last week in Ireland's series win over Pakistan.

Herakles finished second in the Belgian league last season and will make their EHL debut in the KO16 next Easter. Duncan is the second Irish player to confirm a move to Belgium this summer, following Lee Cole's move from Monkstown to Oree.

Euro Hockey League media release



Warriors look to narrow gap on Police in hockey league

By BRIAN YONGA


Butali Sugar players celebrates their first goal against Parkroad Badgers during their Kenya Hockey Union men's Premier League match on June 3, 2017 at City Park Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Butali Sugar Warriors can move to within six points of leaders Kenya Police with a win against bottom-placed Technical University of Kenya (TUK) in their Kenya Hockey Union mid-week Premier League clash on Wednesday.

Moreover, the back-to-back league winners can leapfrog Greensharks in second place should they win or even draw against the league debutantes at City Park Stadium.

The Kisumu-based club has played three games less than the top two and will be aiming to make ground as they seek to reclaim the title they lost to Strathmore University Gladiators last year.

A win will increase their tally to 25 points as they aim to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

A 1-1 draw against Nakuru on May 28 marked the only time Butali dropped points this season and they will be seeking to beat a TUK side which hasfound the going tough in their maiden season in the top flight.

COACH WARY OF TUK THREAT

Butali coach Godfrey Wakachunga is however wary of underestimating the students and has warned against any complacency.

“Any team in the league is strong and it would be a mistake to think that they pose no threat. They are trying to cope in the league and I am sure they will get better with time,” Wakachunga told Nation Sport on Tuesday.

The tactician, who took over from the late Cliffe Okello in February this year, is likely to start with the team that beat Parkroad Badgers 3-0 in their last outing on June 3.

“We have a fit squad to choose from and the players are well rested and ready to give their all in the encounter,” he added. Emmanuel Simiyu will lead the attacking lineup with Frank Wanangwe playing just behind him in the number 10 role.

Butali will again miss the services of attacking midfielder Zack Aura, who is out for three months with work commitments.

TUK go into the match buoyed by Saturday’s 3-2 win over Western Jaguars.

It was their first victory of the campaign after eight successive losses. TUK coach Edgar Omondi admits it will be a tough encounter but has challenged his players not to be intimidated by their opponents.

“We finally won a match and that shows how hard we have been working. Butali are an accomplished side and we therefore need to be on top of our game to stop them,” Omondi said.

A win will move the students from bottom to 13th place in the log.

Daily Nation



Jagjit Singh Kular (1942 - 2017)

by Dil Bahra


Jagjit at Mexico 1968 Olympic Games

Jagjit Singh Kular who represented Kenya at Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972 Olympic Games passed away in Toronto, Canada on Monday 12 June 2017. He was aged 75.

On hearing the sad news Surjit Singh Rihal, the former Kenya Captain and his team mate for much of his playing career said ”We studied together at Lyallpur Khalsa College Jalandhar, played hockey together for Lyallpur Khalsa College, Punjab University and for The Rest of India Teams in the late sixties. We then both moved back to Kenya where we played for Sikh Union Nairobi and the Kenya Teams. We represented Kenya at Munich 1972 Olympic Games and the World Cups in Barcelona 1971 & Amsterdam 1973. He was a very good centre forward and an inside right player. He was very crafty in the circle and scored many goals for all the teams he played for. We later worked together (1992/1993) in Montreal where he was the Technical Director and l was the Coach of Quebec Field Hockey Federation”

Avtar Singh Sohal, Kenya’s captain at Mexico and Munich Olympics said “I have lost a great friend and a great sportsman. We played together for many years for Kenya and Sikh Union Club Nairobi. His contribution to hockey was immense both in Kenya and Canada.”

Jagjit was born on 16 April 1942 in Mombasa, Kenya. His parents had emigrated to Kenya from Punjab in early 1920s. He started playing hockey whilst studying at Primary School and continued playing when he moved to Technical High School, Nairobi.

He went to India for further studies in 1964, played for Lyallpur Khalsa College Jalandhar until 1969. The College team won the Inter-College Championships during this period. He was the captain of the Punjab University hockey team in 1968. He went on to represent Rest of India against the Indian National team in 1968.

He returned to Kenya at the end of 1969 and continued his studies at Nairobi University. He played for the University team and joined Sikh Union Nairobi, one of the most famous Clubs in Kenya. He played for the Sikh Union team from 1969-1973 before emigrating to Canada. His father Bachittar Singh also played for Sikh Union Nairobi in 1920s. His elder brothers Hardial Singh and Hardev Singh also played for Sikh Union Nairobi in 1950s.

He earned his first international cap for Kenya when he was selected to play against India in the 4 Test series in India in 1969. He represented the National team until 1973.

He was selected to represent Kenya at the Barcelona 1971 and Amsterdam 1973 World Cups.

He was selected to represent Kenya at the Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

He emigrated to Canada in 1973 and turned to coaching and administrative work. He became the Technical Director of Quebec Field Hockey Federation and later Ontario Field Hockey Federation.

He was the manager of the Canadian team which toured Italy and Spain in 1992.

His funeral will take place on Tuesday 20 June at 11am in Toronto.

He leaves behind his wife Sukhi, two sons Kiran and Aman and grandson Ajay.

Sikhs in Hockey

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