News for 02 January 2016
All the news for Saturday 2 January 2016
2015: Another forgettable year for Pakistan hockey
Abdul Ghaffar
A flagging Pakistan side descended into further darkness in 2015. - AFP
When Manzoor Hussain led Pakistan to its third Olympics title in 1984, he was simply continuing in the tradition of the proud Greenshirts. It was a monumental achievement but did not come as a huge surprise for the millions of fans who had been following the ‘Kings of Hockey’ over the decades.
They were invincible.
Thirty-one years later, Pakistan have not only failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in its history, they rank 10th in the world below New Zealand and Korea.
In 2014, the team failed to secure a spot in the World Cup for the first time in its illustrious history. The year 2015 brought along with it more darkness for the national game.
Pakistan struggled in the Olympic qualifiers and won just one game in a four-team tournament held in Australia this year. Their only victory came against Korea
Former goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmed, whose penalty stroke save in the final helped Pakistan win their World Cup title in 1994, said Pakistan were suffering because of low fitness standards and a lack of quality coaches.
“We did not keep pace with the changes in hockey,” he said.
“Our players lack fitness, the officials and coaches are not fit for the task and above all, political influence destroyed our game.”
Pakistan head coach Shahnaz Shaikh and skipper Mohammad Imran, meanwhile, blamed the lack of funding for the team's failure to qualify for the Olympics.
Imran said the lack of funding had left the players fending for themselves.
“You can't compete at international level eating chickpeas and bread,” he said, referring to the players' diet in the pre-tournament camps.
“We lived on a meagre $20 daily allowance in Belgium, which was very tough on players.”
The debacle led to the resignation of Shahnaz Sheikh and former player Hanif Khan is currently serving the dual role of manager and coach.
Federation revamp and the blame game
The continuous disappointments eventually forced changes in the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) as well.
President Akhtar Rasool and Secretary Rana Mujahid resigned to make way for Khalid Sajjad Khokar and Shahbaz Senior respectively in August and September.
The dire financial condition of the national body also led to Pakistan’s absence at the all-important Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the legacy of shifting the blame continued.
“No steps were taken regarding the team’s performance or the development of the game in the country,” said Shahbaz while talking to Dawn.
Shifting focus on juniors
The Pakistan junior hockey team was better than seniors but they too did not produce too many noteworthy performances.
They finished at the bottom of the table in the six-nation Sultan of Johor Cup and had to had to settle for a silver medal in the Junior Asia Cup which India won.
For the Pakistan fans that was some relief as the team qualified for the 2016 Junior World Cup courtesy their second place finish.
According to Shahbaz, the breeding grounds for future hockey players had been completely destroyed and concrete measure were needed for the reemergence of the national sport.
“The hockey culture from schools and colleges has completely diminished,” said the former Olympian.
The new PHF management aims to focus more on the junior cup for the years to come.
The Junior Asia Cup set to be held in 2016 is an important event for the national side and for further development, the PHF has planned tours to Europe and Australia for the juniors.
April’s Azlan Shah Cup will also set the tone for the senior team’s year, provided they participate in it.
Dawn
PIA subdue PQA to reach last eight
Anwar Zuberi
KARACHI: National champions PIA were through to the quarter-finals registering a crushing 5-1 victory over Port Qasim Authority (PQA), third in pool A so far, of the 62nd National Hockey Championship at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium on Friday.
PIA has maintained a clean slate winning all their three games so far. In the earlier matches, they have beaten Railways 4-1 and Sindh 7-0. The airlines round off their league when they take on HEC in the last game on Saturday.
M. Zubair put airlines in front by converting a penalty corner in the sixth minute. They added three more goals to their tally in the second quarter in a span of eight minutes – Amir Shahzad in 20th minute, Atif Mushtaq in 25th minute and M. Irfan in 28th minute (PC) – to consolidate their position. Yasir Islam sealed the fate by slamming teams fifth goal in the 38th minute.
With two wins and a defeat under their belt, PQA managed to score a goal through M. Azhar who cashed on a penalty corner in the 44th minute.
PQA faces Railways in their last clash on Sunday.
In an earlier match of the same group which was of academic interest, Higher Education Commission (HEC) held Sindh to a one-all draw.
In the revised draw, the match was slated to be played on Monday but was brought forward by the organisers.
Yasir Ali drew blood by converting a penalty corner in the very first minute for Sindh. The HEC restored parity through M. Rashid Sardar who scored in the 43rd minute.
The league concludes on Monday.
Dawn
Goals galore as PIA thrash PQA 5-1
KARACHI: PIA registered an emphatic 5-1 win over Port Qasim Authority (PQA) on the eighth day of the ongoing 62nd National Hockey Championship at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium in Karachi on Friday.
Despite the presence of Pakistan international Shakeel Abbasi among their ranks, PQA failed to impress in the match as PIA dominated proceedings right from the start. Mohammed Zubair scored the opening goal in the sixth minute for PIA through a penalty corner while Amir Shahzad and Atif Mushtaq extended the lead with field goals in the 20th and 25th minute respectively.
PIA skipper Mohammed Irfan made it 4-0 three minutes later before Nasir Aslam piled further misery on PQA with a goal in the 38th minute to complete the rout. Mohammad Azhar converted a penalty corner in the 44th minute to score the consolation for PQA.
Meanwhile, the match between PTV and Higher Education Commission (HEC) ended in a 1-1 draw as Yasir Ali’s goal from a penalty corner was cancelled by Rashid Salim’s cracker in the 43rd minute.
PTV had taken the lead in the first minute of the match and parked the bus for the rest of the encounter with the hope of clinging on to their one-goal advantage. They were successful in keeping HEC at bay for 43 minutes before Salim struck the equaliser. Both teams then tried desperately to find the winner but had to settle for a draw.
The Express Tribune
PIA overwhelm PQA, HEC-Sindh play drawn game
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) thrashed Port Qasim Authority 5-1 while Higher Education Commission and Sindh played a 1-1 drawn game in the 62nd National Hockey Championship at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium here on Friday. Sindh forced an immediate attack on their opponents as the first match of the day started. Sindh got a penalty corner in the first minute which was converted by Yasir Ali. After that Sindh went on to the defensive which provided HEC chances to attack. The HEC forwards demonstrated a fair amount of aggression in the second quarter and earned two penalty corners but failed to level the score. Both teams fought hard to keep ball possession in the third quarter. In the 36th minute, HEC missed a fair chance in the circle when their forwards failed to deflect a pass. However, in the 43rd minute Abid, Sajid and Rashid made a beautiful move amid short passes which created an opportunity and Rashid made no mistake. Anwar and Ghufran were the umpires.
Despite presence of Shakeel Abbasi in their ranks, PQA failed to match the skill and experience of PIA who dominated the proceedings of the contest from the word go. Mohammed Zubair scored a goal on the penalty corner in the 6th minute while Amir Shahzad doubled the lead in the 20th minute. The winners consolidated their position through Atif Mushtaq’s field goal in the 25th minute. Captain Mohammad Irfan scored fourth goal for his team in the 28th minute while Nasir Aslam slammed the fifth goal in the 38th minute to give PIA 5-0 lead in the third quarter. PQA’s lone goal was scored on a penalty corner by Mohammed Azhar in the 44th minute. Waqas Butt and Sajid supervised the match.
The Daily Times
PIA thump PQA in National Hockey Championship
LAHORE - Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) registered thumping victory in their match against Port Qasim Authority (PQA) while Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Sindh played 1-1 draw in their match of the 62nd National Hockey Championship at the Hockey Club of Pakistan (HCP) Stadium on Friday.
According to Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) press release, PIA thrashed Port Qasim Authority 5-1. Despite the presence of Shakeel Abbasi in their ranks, PQA failed to match with the skill and experience of the PIA team who dominated the proceedings of the match since beginning. M Zubair scored a goal on the penalty corner in the 6th minute. Amir Shehzad scored a field goal in the 20th minute to double the lead.
Atif Mushtaq’s field goal in the 25th minute consolidated the position of the airliners. Captain M Irfan scored fourth goal for his team in the 28th minute and Nasir Aslam slammed fifth goal in the 38th minute to give PIA 5-0 lead in the third quart. PQA’s lone goal was scored on a penalty corner by M Azhar in the 44th minute. Waqas Butt and Sajid supervised the match.
Sindh forced an immediate attack on their opponents as the first match of the day started after Jumma prayer. Sindh got a penalty corner in the first minute which was converted by Yasir Ali. After that they went on to the defensive which provided HEC chances to attack. Particularly, HEC forwards demonstrated a fair amount of aggression in the second quart and earned two penalty corners as well but failed to level the score.
Both teams fought hard to keep ball possession in the third quart. In the 36th minute HEC missed a fair chance in the circle when their forward failed to deflect a pass. However, in the 43rd minute Abid, Sajid and Rashid made a beautiful move amid short passes which created an opportunity in the Circle where Rashid slammed a beautiful field goal. Anwar and Ghufran were the field umpires.
The Nation
Indoor Australian Championships
2016 begins with the three-week national Indoor Hockey Festival
Another packed year of hockey gets underway with the 2016 Indoor Australian Championships, part of the very first Indoor Hockey Festival - three weeks of intense indoor hockey action, which this year takes place in Wollongong at the Illawarra Hockey Centre.
It all begins on Monday 4 January with the men's and women's Open competitions and ends with the culmination of the Under 13 boys' and girls' carnivals on 26 January.
There's free entry to the Illawarra Hockey Centre for spectators throughout the Indoor Hockey Festival
Don't forget, if you're tagging friends, family or photos on social media use #AusChampsHockey and share in the festival.
Follow the results, standings and player stats using the links below.
4-7 January: Men's Open Australian Championships
4-7 January: Women's Open Australian Championships
9-12 January: Under 21 Men Australian Championships
9-12 January: Under 21 Women Australian Championships
14-17 January: Under 18 Men Australian Championships
14-17 January: Under 18 Women Australian Championships
19-22 January: Under 15 Boys Australian Championships
19-22 January: Under 15 Girls Australian Championships
24-26 January: Under 13 Boys' Carnival
24-26 January: Under 13 Girls' Carnival
Hockey Australia media release
Half-term report: Grunwald Poznan vs KHC Leuven
With the New Year upon us, we look at the KO16 match-ups and see how each team is getting on so far in their respective seasons.
Match One: WKS Grunwald Poznan vs KHC Leuven – March 25, 12.45pm (CET)
With nine wins out of nine in the Polish league, WKS Grunwald Poznan are well on course for yet another playoff shot. They have three points to spare over KS Pomorzanin Torun and a massive ten in the bank against the third and fourth placed sides.
They already have 67 goals in the bank with Waldemar Rataj netting 15 times while the prolific Karol Majchrzak is also in double figures. The EHL KO16 match with KHC Leuven is their first match back in league action after their winter break.
For their opponents, it has been a tough first half of the season for KHC Leuven with just three wins from their opening 12 league games in Belgium.
They sit in tenth place out of 12 in the Audi Hockey League, a far cry from last season when they topped the division in the regular season to earn their place in the EHL.
Injuries to Pau Quemada and Guillaume Deront hampered their chances in front of goal and Renaud Pangrazio says this is one of the key issues for the side. When they return, he anticipates his side’s form will pick up.
Euro Hockey League media release
Olak turns to Vellapan for junior hockey league challenge
by S. Ramaguru
KUALA LUMPUR: Former champions Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) have turned to Razak Cup-winning coach S. Vellapan to build a winning team for the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).
Vellapan, who led a young Malacca side to a 1-0 win over Perak in the Razak Cup final earlier last month, will find the going tough, though.
Olak have retained only four players – goalkeeper Adrian Albert, Pavindip Singh, Hafizan Zainol and Mohamned Nizan Isa – from last year’s squad.
The team’s assistant team manager Joseph De Silva said they would pick the rest of the players from the trials held earlier last month.
“There were 120 players at the trials in Klang,” said De Silva.
Olak have benefited greatly with their tie up with PKT, a logistics company based in Klang, which has one of their old boys – Micheal Tio – as the chief executive officer.
They not only offer job opportunities to the players but also scholarships at their ALC College in Klang for those wanting to further their studies.
Olak-PKT is one of the pioneer teams in the MJHL since its inception in 1995. They were league champions in 1997, 1998 and 1999 while they captured the overall title in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Their performance took a dip from 2010 as they had trouble attracting good players. In 2010 they did not feature in the MJHL due to financial constraints.
They returned the next year in Division Two after the tie-up with PKT, and are now back in the top division after gaining promotion in 2014.
With practically a new side, De Silva is realistic about their chances.
“The title dream has to wait a little while longer. We are rebuilding the side and we need players who will remain with us for three to four years.
“A top-four finish is what we are aiming for.”
The Star of Malaysia
Batu Pahat school need funding to play in junior hockey league
by Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: SMK Dato Bentara Luar are having financial constraints to compete in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).
The Batu Pahat-based school is featuring in Division One for the first time in the league, which begins on Jan 15.
“We need at least RM40,000 for the whole season, but so far we only managed to raise RM20,000. We have asked the Johor HA and Johor Sports Council to help us. But neither the Johor HA or Johor SC have replied to us,” said team manager Shahabuddin Royani, who is a teacher at the school.
“It will cost us a lot, especially for the away matches. We need to travel as well as pay for the accommodation and meals. We will ask the MHC (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) to allow us to play more home matches at our own school pitch to save cost,” added Shahabuddin.
For the new campaign, Dato Bentara Luar have retained 18 players from the team of 22 who featured last year.
“With limited resources, our target is to retain our Division One status for the 2017 season,” said Shahabuddin.
Dato Bentara Luar first made their appearance in the MJHL in 2013 as a Division Two side. They managed to gain promotion to the top flight for the 2016 season after finishing runners-up to Nur Insafi.
Besides Nur Insafi and Dato Bentara Luar, the others playing in the 10-team Division One this season are double champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt, SSTMI Juniors, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), Petaling Jaya City Council (MPBJ), Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS)-Thunderbolt, SSP-MSP-Thunderbolt, Olak-PKT Tigers and Politeknik Malaysia.
The Star of Malaysia