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All the news for Friday 16 August 2019

African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 (Men) - Day 5
Stellenbosch (RSA)

Results

15 Aug 2019     KEN v ZIM (RR)     2 - 3
15 Aug 2019     NAM v EGY (RR)     1 - 6
15 Aug 2019     GHA v RSA (RR)     1 - 9

16 August is a rest day

Pool Standings

FIH Match Centre

African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 (Women) - Day 5
Stellenbosch (RSA)

Results

15 Aug 2019     KEN v ZIM (RR)     0 - 2
15 Aug 2019     NAM v RSA (RR)     0 - 5

16 August is a rest day

Pool Standings

FIH Match Centre

Egypt and South Africa pull ahead on day 3 in Stellenbosch


Nikki Veto (R) and Izelle Verster Picture - Eunice Visagie

After three days of action South Africa and Egypt have surged ahead of the pack in the Men’s tournament at the African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 event, while SuperGroup South Africa are the only team with a 100%-win record after three days of action.

Zimbabwe had a remarkable day on day three as first their women and then their men completed a remarkable double against Kenya. The women produced a scintillating display of defensive hockey to quell the Kenyan attack and give themselves a chance of a medal. Roxanne Viviers broke the deadlock in the 44th minute before Nicola Watson made the game safe in the 51st minute. This group of players poised for the best performance since 1990.

The Zimbabwe men produced their finest African Hockey display in a come from behind victory. They first trailed to a Festus Onyango goal before levelling through Tatenda Kanyangarara before trailing to a goal from Arnold Marango. But facing defeat Zimbabwean captain Tendayi Maredza stirred a fightback with a superb double that sealed a remarkable victory for the Southern African nation.

Egypt continued their assault on the tournament with a very impressive performance in silencing the Namibian challenge. The North Africans opened the scoring early and never looked back throughout the match. Hosam Ghobran and Mohamed Adel made it 2-0 in the first quarter and by the time Dylan Finch scored for Namibia the Egyptians had added through Amr Elhady and Amr Ibrahim. The North Africans put extra shine on the result with a late brace from Ahmed Elnaggar.

SuperGroup South Africa made it two from two with a professional 5-0 win over Namibia. Namibia played a deep game looking to attack the hosts on the counter attack but were ultimately caught out by the superior finishing and class of the South Africans. Dirkie Chamberlain opened the scoring off a rebound, but the South Africans had to wait until the 39th minute for Tarryn Glasby to bundle over a goal. Nikki Veto then scored the goal of the day when she made it 3-0 before a Lilian du Plessis penalty corner made it 4-0. There was still time for Ongi Mali to get in on the action with the fifth and her second of the tournament. The 5-0 win moved South Africa to the top of the log as the only team with a 100% record.


Bili Ntuli. Picture - Eunice Visagie

South Africa were expecting a tough encounter against Ghana but managed to blow their opposition away with tournament top goalscorer Austin Smith netting himself another four goals. Tevin Kok scored a brace of superb deflections while Jethro Eustice also got himself a brace. Bili Ntuli also earned himself a goal with a superb team move that required a simple tap in. Ernest Opoku scored a late consolation for Ghana that was well appreciated by the crowed. The 9-1 score line took South Africa top of the log on goal difference.

Tomorrow the tournament has its second rest day before it reaches its climax over the weekend. The games are streamed live on the Shoott South Africa Facebook page.

African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 Results – 15 August 2019

(W) – Kenya 0-2 Zimbabwe
(M) – Kenya 2-3 Zimbabwe
(M) – Namibia 1-6 Egypt
(W) – Namibia 0-5 South Africa
(M) – Ghana 1-9 South Africa

African Hockey Road to Tokyo 2020 Fixtures – 17 August 2019

(W) – 09:00 – Namibia vs. Ghana
(M) – 11:00 – Zimbabwe vs. Namibia
(M) – 13:00 – Ghana vs. Egypt
(W) – 15:00 – Kenya vs. South Africa
(M) – 17:00 – Kenya vs. South Africa

SA Hockey Association media release

Zim hockey teams receive a glimmer of hope

Sikhumbuzo Moyo


Tendayi Maredza

ZIMBABWE hockey teams’ road to Tokyo qualifiers received a glimmer of hope yesterday when both the men and ladies’ teams registered morale-boosting victories against Kenya in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

The ladies registered a 2-0 win over Kenya with goals from Roxanne Viviers, who scored in the 44th minute from a penalty corner, before Nicola Watson added the second in the 51st minute, also from a penalty corner, to ensure the Zimbabwean ladies restored some belief that all had not been lost following two opening losses at the tournament.

The Zimbabwe ladies got their tournament underway with a 1-3 loss to Ghana on Monday and a 0-2 loss to hosts South Africa in their second game.

Captain Tendayi Maredza scored two penalty strokes in the 50th and 56th minutes to add on to Tatenda Kanyangarara’s 36th minute opener for the Zimbabwean men as they recorded a 3-2 win over Kenya.

The Zimbabwe men’s side were hammered 6-0 by Egypt in their opening game before a 9-0 thrashing by South Africa in their second game.

They are now left with two matches in their group against Namibia tomorrow and Ghana on Sunday, while the ladies side face Namibia on Sunday.

The Chronicle

Belfius EuroHockey Championship (Men) 2019 - Day 1
Antwerp, Belgium

Fixtures (GMT +2)

16 Aug 2019 20:30     BEL v ESP (Pool A)

Live streaming via http://www.eurohockeytv.org

FIH Match Centre

Belgium men ‘can win Grand Slam’ by 2024



Hockey Belgium president Marc Coudron says there is “no pressure” in his prediction that the nation can win a clean sweep of men’s major titles by 2024 – with the women’s side following suit.

Belgium hosts the EuroHockey Championships in Antwerp with the men’s Red Lions gunning for a first European title after winning December’s World Cup in India. The begin their campaign on the opening night on Friday.

After Belgium lost to Holland in the 2017 EuroHockey, Coudron boldly predicted that the Red Lions “will win at least once of each, the European title, world title and Olympic title between now and 2024.”

Coudron’s vision had valid claims, given that the team had received individual prizes such as best player in the world, best goalkeeper and rising star awards (John-John Dohmen, Arthur van Doren and Vincent Vanasch).

He told The Hockey Paper: “When I said that, we had already received many individual prizes. And I said ‘it’s time now to get team prizes as well’.

“I said that, not to put pressure on the Red Lions, but as evidence, because I’ve lots of confidence and respect for the players and staff members. And I know they can make the Grand Slam with world, European and Olympic titles.”

Belgium’s rise as a global force in hockey has been down to a robust grassroots programme and Coudron believes the women’s Red Panthers can follow a similar trajectory. He believes that they can reach the top by 2026 or 2028.

Since losing out to England in the 11/12th classification match at the 2014 World Cup, the women’s team has also shown global muscle, highlighted by reaching the 2017 EuroHockey final.

Coudron, at the helm since 2005, said: “The youth teams are really good and I am sure that the Red Panthers have a really nice development. We need time and when I see them in the Pro League they have been great but there are steps to be done.

“They can play against top nations and the challenge is to go on. I don’t know when but they can reach the top in the short to middle term.”

Ahead of the Euros, Coudron also stated that Belgium is on track to reach 50,000 registered players, a significant increase from the 10,000 or so playing prior to 2000.

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The Hockey Paper

Ice cool Ashley Jackson has ‘nothing to prove’ in bid for Olympic hockey glory

By Rod Gilmour


Ashley Jackson looks for the next pass PIC: WORLDSPORTPICS

For a sport which oozes gender parity compared to others, there is an undoubted media profile mismatch when it comes to the Great Britain men’s side. The behemoth created by the GB women’s gold, and then last summer’s women’s World Cup, continues to leave the men firmly in the media shadows.

For if sports editors at England’s national newspapers treated hockey – with its high participation and history over the years – with the same love as those on the continent, where general sports are given due credit, then it is certain that the wider British public would be more in tune with the unerring skills of Ashley Jackson, regarded as Britain’s best player of his generation.

Column inches would be written on his fallout from the GB programme after the men finished ninth in Rio. There would be stories on other top athletes mixing two sports at the same time, as Jackson has achieved with his field and ice hockey. Instead, for those outside of the hockey bubble, the 31-year-old slowly drifted out of the limelight.

In Britain at least, it takes a major title to garner attention (or a few days in December when the men won through to the World Cup semi-finals). But Jackson is back (though nearly 70 per cent of our readers thought he would never return to GB colours) and he says today that he has nothing to prove. “I don’t feel like I have to write any wrongs,” he states.

Ironically, his returning game after a near three-year international hiatus came against the Dutch, while his first major tournament will be on the continent at the European Hockey Championships in Antwerp, a 90-minute drive from where he has honed his skills and fallen back in love with the game at HGC in the Hoofdklasse.

The international game, he says, has changed considerably since he ‘quit’ in 2017 and there is a feeling that the Pro League has played a part in his decision to return to the UK. “You don’t want to be stuck at home preparing for a tournament months on end. As a player that’s all you want to be doing,” he says.

“It [returning] was different to how I remember it, but that’s the nature of the Pro League. I remember hearing about it before Rio. My first reaction was great, you play a meaningful match and you don’t want to be stuck at Bisham for a three-match Test series.

“The Pro League has changed it. That’s the biggest difference. For six months of the year you play and prepare for the game in front of you.

“The longest the guys have been at Bisham is three weeks. It’s a first experience for everyone and how to approach it. It’s brilliant from what we had in the past. The Pro League is great for the programme.”

As the GB women basked in gold throughout the autumn of 2016, so Jackson took a backseat from Bisham. “I realised I enjoyed not being part of it,” he says.

His hand and stick skills sought the attention of two English ice hockey teams in Kent and Basingstoke and the cross-sport challenge breathed life into Jackson. “I enjoyed being on the ice as much as I could. I would recommend it for anybody if they fancied giving it a go, not just ice hockey but anything to put yourself in a situation. There were plenty of times where it was pretty uncomfortable and you find a lot out about yourself that you didn’t know.”

As he was adjusting, he received a surprise call from Paul van Ass, the coach he had worked with in his previous stint in the Netherlands. “I don’t know how he knew or found out,” admits Jackson of his decision not to return to the programme.

The call was perfectly timed. As soon as the conversation finished, it became a real option and discussed with his wife, Ella (the couple married last summer). “Once it was realised that Holland was the only place to play hockey, we jumped in and went over together.”

He admits that “panic set in” once it dawned that Van Ass was asking him to go back to be the player he once was but hadn’t been for a while. And Jackson says that without doubt he would be combining hockey and ice hockey but for Van Ass’ call.

Last summer proved a first for Jackson, his first proper pre-season. “It was a nice experience to work through the summer, then it was a case of crossing my fingers,” he says. He didn’t have to wait long. Jackson was set up in a lovely two-pronged move as he struck the net. Relief for the Englishman.

At HGC, Jackson and Seve van Ass were largely given a free role in midfield, responsible for one man off the ball. “It was nothing like I had ever played before and it was part of the fun. On the ball, Paul wanted me to be my creative self and I had licence to do that, as did Seve. The way we both see the game and the fun we like to do have meant it was dead easy to form a connection with each other.”

Since last autumn, conversations had been ongoing with men’s coach Danny Kerry. “He was positive on how he sees the game, wants to play the game and changes on how people see or play the game in comparison how they may have played it for a long period of time in the programme.

“We are seeing plenty of change from under previous coaches and I’m going to enjoy playing it. There are plenty of things which go up with age but I’m just happy and comfortable in my game.”

That much was evident in his first games back at Lee Valley and The Stoop. Still fresh in the memory are several visionary passes forward, both aerial and piercing, incisive ones into the D to team-mates. Once GB can find the links with Jackson back in the side, the signs certainly look good.

The EuroHockey Championships will also mark a decade since England’s last major success at the same tournament. Jackson played a lead role in the 2009 semi-final thanks to his 87th minute goal to beat the Dutch and then a brace in their 5-3 title win over Germany.

A smile flickers across Jackson. “Those memories of the overtime goal in the semi-final and then the final whistle and jumping into Ben Hawes’ arms, it was an unbelievable moment. Any opportunity to try and recreate those feelings and emotions with other players in the team, I’m all for it.”

The Euros will usher in less than a year to go before Tokyo 2020 and Jackson’s chance to atone for Rio. He says that he “fully intends” to rejoin HGC at the earlier opportunity following GB’s hopeful place in Japan. For now, one senses that Jackson’s mind couldn’t be more connected to the cause.

He says: “I will take any responsibility like that on the pitch and if other guys are looking to you to perform then your performances day after day will speak for themselves. We have some strong leaders. It’s nice to come back and carry on, enjoy yourself and just play good hockey.”

This article first appeared in our August print edition

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The Hockey Paper

Blood, sweat and tears: Jackson eye still on the prize after 250 caps as sixth Euro campaigns beckon


John Jackson receiving his 250th cap from his father Peter earlier this summer. Pic: Andrew McKibbin

“I’ve just got to be grateful Bruce has a such a soft forehead!”

Eight years ago, as his eye slowly made its way back into place over the course of three weeks, it is unlikely John Jackson could have envisaged playing his 250th international cap in the lead-up to the 2019 EuroHockey Championships.

He became just the third men’s player to hit that total last month after Eugene Magee and Ronan Gormley. Few will ever match his fearsome reputation to compete, one of the players to embody the Green Machine through this golden decade.

Jacko was there to face the music after the Korean ambush in 2012, through the tears in the darkest of moments, pronouncing Ireland would make it to the Olympics. He was there four years later for the history-makers in Rio, coming good on his words.

Among the tears and sweat, there has been an awful amount of blood on his journey, most of it from a gruesome, life-threatening clash at the 2011 pitch opening at Stormont.

He was still learning his craft when he lined out for an Ulster President’s XI tie against NICS when a ball spun loose in midfield. Typically terrier-like, he pounced. Unfortuately, Bruce McCandless was alive to it too.

“I didn’t see Bruce coming so it wasn’t an ‘uh-oh, this is going to hurt’,” Jackson pieces together of the moment.

“When I was lying on the ground, I don’t remember the 30 seconds or whatever it was after. My head was throbbing and I couldn’t open my eye.

“The worst thing in my head was it was one of the first times my now-wife had come over to watch me in Northern Ireland. ‘Oh God, there goes our night out in Belfast, typical!’”

It was no typical bang on the head, a shattering blow which that not just threatened his career but his whole quality of life. The paramedics initially tried to stabilise his head in a neck brace for the ambulance trip.

“In hindsight, it might have been the worst thing they could have done. They were worried it was a neck injury but it was actually the side of my head which was sorest and they were putting padding on it.

“‘Please don’t put it there!’ I was rushed to the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald where they found multiple fractures to my cranium and to my cheekbone. I also had nerve damage from my forehead down to my lip.”

While half his jaw was soon to be titanium, it was the eye that caused the player to worry.


Jackson with former coach Paul Revington and father Peter after the 2012 Olympic qualifier loss to Korea. Pic: Adrian Boehm

“My eye ended up not being where it should have – you couldn’t see my pupil. It had disappeared, sort of sinking into the back of my head. If you looked at me, you just saw the white of the eye!

“Bones will heal but whether you can play with one eye, I am not so sure!”

Jackson was working with Sport NI at the time who gave him all the time he needed to recuperate. Similarly, Irish coach Paul Revington made sure to provide every encouragement.

“It gave me a lot of thinking time. But I soon knew I would play again; it was just a question of what level? I really worried about my depth perception, tracking the ball and peripheral vision. With one eye, could I really play at international level?

“There was a lot of good people around. I was still a developing player – Revs kept me involved, saying: ‘whenever you are ready…’ That gave me hope, reassured me there was a place; I was determined to take that place back again.

“It was the build-up to something great. The lure of 2012 Olympics was always a big driver to get back to some sort of level.”

Slowly, after three weeks, the eye started to roll back around and into place. His return came on the indoor courts – guesting for Belfast Harlequins as Mossley did not play on the boards – initially with a scrum cap which he soon ditched.

He also counts himself lucky there were no longer-term issues like the ones endured by English Olympic gold medalists Alex Danson and Shona McCallin.

“You hear about the issues Alex Danson had and Shona McCallin and those awful things. I never had any problems with headaches or light sensitivity.

“I put my occasional grumpiness down to it! Touch wood, it’s all fine. I still get some numbness in cold weather too. But I don’t recount how lucky I am because it could have gone another way and something that could have stopped me from ever playing hockey again or worse.


Jackson belting out Ireland’s Call next to Tim Cross. Pic: Andrew McKibbin

“I guess I am lucky to an extent. I did get hit in the head but bones only take eight weeks to heal. God forbid I get an ACL or something like that or an Achilles and a year out. My wife was out for nine months with an ACL.”

And his career would pay testament to that; a breakthrough European bronze and an Olympic journey to Rio later – he was not about to let his second chance slip.

Antwerp will be Jackson’s sixth European campaign following another fine season for the 33-year-old. He was named in an English team of the year for an eighth time, this time with Bath Buccaneers in the western conference line-up having previously done so with Loughborough and Reading – he is the only non-GB player on the Loughborough honours board.

In between, he missed out on the World Cup in India due to work commitments but has been back with a vengeance for this year’s push for the Olympic Games.

He was back in time to be part of the FIH Series Finals in Le Touquet. That was a mixed campaign for the side, crucially beating Korea to guarantee a qualifier spot, but losses to Egypt and France in the final were described as “not good enough” by coach Alexander Cox.

With a bit of time to reflect, the objective was achieved and Ireland are in Antwerp with a group that has been able to avail of a solid build-up, encompassing trips to Scotland and Spain.

“France fell on a bit of a flat note, losing the final,” Jackson said. “We drew a line under that quite quickly with players coming back in from injury, others making themselves available.

“The Four Nations [in Spain], finished third, was maybe a fair reflection but could have been a lot better had we not conceded in the last 30 seconds against England and Spain.

“It has shown us areas we need to improve on and sometimes that is important going into competition that we know we are not the final product. In the Euros, you try to build every game and I think everything is aligning quite nicely.”


Ireland’s European bronze medal winners in 2015. Pic: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

The recent series saw the introduction of former Australian international Tim Cross and Jackson reckons his singing has quickly brought him up to speed with what it means to be part of the Green Machine.

“He’s been stood beside me [for Ireland’s Call] so he has no choice but to learn the words! I boom it out – he might have just enjoyed listening to it the first few times because it is a belter of an anthem!

“Alex has had his finger on the pulse in Holland with Tim at Tilburg. He brings an enormous amount – with any Australian, he is insanely fit. He’s bossing most of our fitness tests; enormous energy, a high level of basics and is a great competitor.

“He fits nicely in the group and holds the same values a lot of us have. He is a nice age profile too, accumulated a lot of experience with the Kookaburras and in Holland.”

It does raise the wider question of nationality in sport. The Irish rugby team will likely feature CJ Stander, Bundee Aki and Jean Kleyn in the World Cup, all of whom solely qualify by residency.

Belgium’s women handed a debut to Abi Raye last week following 155 caps for Canada before taking three years off following a dispute with a former coach.

Cross did play eight times for the Kookaburras but is an Irish passport holder by virtue of his mother from Newtonards and Jackson says getting someone of that calibre in needs to be done.

“I don’t think we can afford to lose out on people like that. It adds an enormous amount and is something a lot of countries have looked at, in other sports as well and other countries in hockey.

“I don’t see why we should miss out if there is someone good enough and fit to play with the group. We need to encourage that. He has been great and I know he will have a really positive impact in this tournament and Olympic qualifiers.”

Jackson says it did raise the suggestion of whether Bray-born Fergus Kavanagh – a World Cup winner and Olympic medalist – could be coaxed into action. His brother Tom tried out for Ireland back in 2011 but it came to nothing in the end.


Jackson on the attack against the Netherlands in London 2015. Pic: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

“It’s just me spit-balling as a player but getting the best guys available is what interests me,” Jackson adds. “I don’t know what the coach thinks of the organisation thinks and I will take anyone who can make our team better.”

Ireland get to see how much of an impact he will make starting on Saturday when they try and execute the perfect game to take down the Netherlands. After that, Scotland will be a tricky opponent but a win and a draw in their warm-up games means a slight psychological edge. Then its Germany in the final group game on Tuesday.

“Playing Holland first, we generally perform quite well against top teams in our first games in the Euros. Like Germany, they have come off the back of a long Pro League season and there is definitely opportunity to try and catch them by surprise.

“We are in a good place and had a pretty good preparation. A win against one of those teams and a performance against Scotland should be enough for a top two finish and then who knows in the semi-final.

“If that win doesn’t happen, we have to refocus and get that win over the lower-ranked side and the crossover games. You never know what will happen at the Euros but we have done really well before and I don’t see why it can’t be more of the same. We go preparing to cause an upset and a semi-final place.”

Men’s EuroHockey Championships schedule (all in Antwerp; Irish times)

Saturday, August 17: Ireland v Netherlands, 2.45pm
Sunday, August 18: Ireland v Scotland, 2.45pm
Tuesday, August 20: Ireland v Germany, 2.45pm
Thursday, August 22: Semi-final or relegation pool match
Saturday, August 24: Final, Bronze match or relegation pool match

The Hook

England captain Hollie Pearne-Webb feeling pressure

By David McDaid


Hollie Pearne-Webb of England. England women won just three of 16 matches in the recent FIH Pro League

Olympic gold medallist Hollie Pearne-Webb admits the pressure is on her England team to secure Great Britain's place at next year's Tokyo Games.

The England captain will lead her much-changed side into the EuroHockey Championships in Antwerp, where victory would seal that Olympic place.

"There is a lot of pressure in that we want to qualify and we need to qualify," Pearne-Webb told BBC Sport.

"We need to focus on preparing in the best possible way."

England and Ireland will compete in both the men's and women's divisions starting on 16 August, while Wales and Scotland take part in the men's event.

Netherlands are the defending champions in both the men's and women's competitions, with England finishing third in both at the 2017 Championships,

The BBC will be showing all home nations matches live on the BBC Sport website and connected TVs.

'We're trying to knit everything together'

Results over the last 12 months have been underwhelming as the England women took just three wins from their 16 games in the inaugural Pro League.

In the three years since GB women's gold medal triumph at the Rio Olympics many from that squad have retired.

"It's a completely different squad with a lot of inexperience. Our game and our style is quite different to what it used to be. And we've also got a new coach and his style is quite different," said Pearne-Webb.

"It's a real development stage but we're now at the business side of the year where we've got to qualify for the Olympics.

"We're trying to knit everything together and I think it's starting to come and hopefully the results will come with it."

Australian Mark Hager is the new England head coach, taking up his post in April as replacement for the Olympic-winning coach Danny Kerry.

"If I'm honest we're a little bit inconsistent and at the moment we're probably not strong enough defensively," said Hager.

"We're really trying to work on things and the frustration for all of us is that it's just not happening fast enough.

"But I've seen a lot of progress and we know that it will happen and I definitely have belief that we can do well at the Euros."

England go into the tournament in Belgium ranked second in Europe behind the Netherlands.

If they do not become European champions over the next fortnight they will likely face a two-legged Olympic qualifier in late October.


Hinch saved four Dutch penalties to help Great Britain to Olympic gold medal victory in Rio

However, goalkeeper Maddie Hinch - another hero of Rio - believes the squad can win succeed in Belgium despite what the formbook may suggest.

"I think there are times in the past when we were absolutely not favourites,' said Hinch.

"Just look at Rio itself, we were seventh in the world going into that and not one in the world would have put any money on us to win it.

"I think this group has a huge amount to learn and we're very realistic of where we're at.

"But at the same time the world of hockey has shown that people are beating anyone at any moment.

"I don't think we should get ahead of ourselves and setting big targets but as long as we believe we can win these one-off games it puts us in good stead.

"So, it's Ireland up first and then we'll see where we are after that."

BBC Sport

Apprentice Dancer looks to get one over former master as Green Army face down England


Irish coach Sean Dancer during a team talk against Italy. Pic: Billy Pollock

New Irish coach Sean Dancer says there will be a “couple of tricks up our sleeve” when the Green Army take on England and his long-time mentor on Sunday in his first world ranking game in charge.

Indeed, the small, interwoven world of international hockey coaching sees apprentice trying to take down the master in Antwerp at the EuroHockey Championships.

The neighbours from across the Irish Sea are also under a new regime this year with fellow Australian Mark Hager at the helm. Dancer was his assistant for five years with New Zealand up until the turn of this year.

“It is a small world,” Dancer told The Hook. “I enjoyed working under Mark’s leadership. For me, I learned a lot about style of play and what I wanted from my own coaching.

“We will also know a lot about what each other is thinking having worked together so much so I’m sure we both need to have a couple of things up our sleeve!”

It is a tough opener against the reigning Olympic champions, a side Ireland have yet to beat in a major world ranking match. Indeed, the sides have met six times in the Euros and England have won all six, conceding twice and scoring 20 times.

In that context, it is a challenge Dancer is relishing, particularly with a side high on confidence following last summer’s World Cup silver and the run to the FIH Series final.

England, for their part, are rebuilding to some extent with just seven of their Rio contingent still in situ while their Pro League campaign was mixed, ending eighth out of nine.

They do have some big names back, though, after long lay-offs with Maddie Hinch returning from a break, Shona McCallin in after 16 months out with a concussion-related injury and Susannah Townsend also available after injury issues.


Nikki Evans returns to the line-up in good form with three goals in three games. Pic: Billy Pollock

“It’s a nice challenge to try and get that first win in a ranking match,” Dancer said. “For me, not being involved in games like that with the neighbour-kind of rivalry, it will be interesting to see how everyone handles it.

Watching the Pro League, they have certainly done some good things. Their speed is strong through midfield which we have to manage and then get at their defence where their experienced players are, get in behind them to create stuff.

“They also have the world’s best keeper back again so we need to be on song to put her under pressure.”

As for his own side, he is also buoyed by a returning goalkeeper with Ayeisha McFerran available despite missing the successful Italian and Scottish series.

“We had a few injury niggles going into the Belgian series. What we needed after that was to see if everyone was able to get through the tournament. Ayeisha is a key athlete for us and in good enough condition so she arrived with the team on Tuesday. She got through a good solid goalkeeping and fitness session so we are pretty confident she will be 100% for game one.”

Nikki Evans forced her way back into the team following omission from the FIH Series, scoring three times in her last three games.

“Nikki has certainly been working hard – as are a lot of girls – and what’s really pleasing for me is she is really starting to do those things we are talking about in training. She scored a couple of good goals lately and that certainly helps with selection!”

Specifically, from a tactical perspective, Dancer is pleased her aggressive approach lends itself well to his coaching philosophies.

“Me coming from that Oceania-attacking background, it’s a style of play I have always grown up with and know. Working with the team more, they are actually really enjoying the change of mindset.

“It’s certainly something we want to do to the best of our ability. Does it mean we move the focus away from defence? It’s still hugely important but we are looking for more opportunities where we can be attacking.”

That has borne fruit against lower-ranked sides with some big scores being posted recently. The challenge is now to apply that to games against the likes of England and Germany (next Wednesday) – as well as lower-ranked Belarus on Monday – in this European group to give a real shot at reaching a first-ever semi-final.


Ireland celebrate a goal against Italy. Pic: Billy Pollock

“We had our team meeting on Tuesday – it was very much about performing well under tournament pressure. We weren’t talking about results or that Olympic qualification. It was about ticking the boxes we need to tick in each box and everything else takes care of itself.

“We do have high ambitions for the group and we have a good chance in this group. Get off to a good start against England and you do put yourself in the frame for a semi-final so it is something we will target.

“Living in Australia and New Zealand, you always see the Euros as a really big competition but it’s not until you start to be in it that you see how cut-throat and tough it is. We just need to do the best we can.”

EuroHockey Championships schedule (all in Antwerp; Irish times)

Women

Sunday, August 18: Ireland v England, 10.15am
Monday, August 19: Ireland v Belarus, 2.45pm
Wednesday, August 21: Ireland v Germany, 11.15am
Friday, August 23: Semi-final or relegation pool match
Sunday, August 25: Final, Bronze match or relegation pool match

The Hook

Could you take on the Paddling Pool Challenge?

BBC Sport Wales invites the Welsh men's hockey team to take on the Paddling Pool Challenge ahead of the 2019 EuroHockey Championships.

Wales will play in European hockey's top tier competition for the first time in two decades when it gets under way in Belgium on Friday.

England, Scotland and Ireland's men's teams are also there - with England and Ireland also competing in the women's competition.

Think your hockey club could take on the #PaddlingPoolChallenge? Over to you!

See how they fared here

BBC Sport

Vantage Black Sticks Men prepare for busy finish to 2019



The Vantage Black Sticks Men will return to action against the world number 16 ranked Japan Men. The series in Tokyo will be played at the Olympic Stadium on the new Polytan GT playing surface which has been prepared more than a year out from the opening of the Olympic Games.

The New Zealand Men will be looking to use this tournament as a way to prepare for the Oceania Cup which begins in Rockhampton on the 4thSeptember. The matches in Tokyo are going to allow the team to try some new combinations as they prepare for a busy final few months in 2019 which will see the team attempt to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Darren Smith has been able to name an experienced side which will be looking to build on the development that they gained in the first FIH Pro League. The last time that these two sides met Japan came away with a 2-1 series win in 2018 after they stunned a young Black Sticks side.

Darren Smith commented ahead of the series “The test event is going to allow us the opportunity to get ready for qualification and test the environment in Tokyo. The experience that we will gain against the three strong sides will prepare the team well ahead of the Olympic qualification series.”

The Vantage Black Sticks will be supported in Tokyo by recent Kookaburra Glenn Turner who has signed on with the side as the striker coach as the side prepares for Olympic qualification. Turner will bring a wealth of experience to the side having been capped 136 times for Australia and in that time scored a whopping 96 goals.

Look out for star striker for the Vantage Black Sticks Hugo Inglis who showed some outstanding form in the early rounds of the FIH Pro League, if given space Inglis is capable of causing issues for any defence in world hockey, the New Zealand Men will be hoping that Inglis can carry his goalscoring form through to the second half of 2019.

Vantage Black Sticks Men vs Japan from Tokyo at 10:00pm NZT

Ready, Steady, Tokyo Schedule

17thAugust – Vantage Black Sticks Men vs Japan 10:00pm NZT
18thAugust – Vantage Black Sticks Men vs India 10:00pm NZT
20thAugust – Vantage Black Sticks Men vs Malaysia 12:30pm NZT

Hockey New Zealand Media release

India hockey team feels the heat in Tokyo

With a severe heatwave across Japan, the weather remained topmost in the mind of the men’s team chief coach Graham Reid.

B Shrikant


File photo of India hockey coach Graham Reid.(Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
 
A severe heatwave across Japan has already seen deaths and forced Tokyo Olympic organisers to cut events short. So, as the Indian hockey teams gear up for a first-hand feel of the conditions Japan’s capital has to offer one year ahead of the 2020 Games, the weather remained topmost in the mind of the men’s team chief coach Graham Reid.

“At the moment, it is a bit rainy here. But when the sun comes out, it is pretty severe,” Reid told HT in an interview over phone from Tokyo where the Olympic test event begins on Saturday. “It is very hard to predict the weather these days but certainly from the Olympics that I have been to over the years, this feels like it is going to be one of the hotter ones. At the moment, the humidity is very high,” the Aussie added. The 55-year-old, who took over as India coach in April, sees the test event as an opportunity for the players to acclimatise to conditions they are likely to face when the real event takes place next year between July 24 and August 9.

According to the Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency, more than 60 people have died and nearly 20,000 people hospitalised in the country over the last few weeks because of the heatwave. In one week starting July 29, 57 people died and 18,000 were taken to hospitals as the summer heat hit its peak. This is also the time when the Games would be in full swing.

“The heat is certainly quite extreme. So it is a great test for us, but then every team will be facing similar conditions,” Reid said. “The test event will help us match the training facilities we will need (at home) to acclimatise ourselves next year, should we qualify,” said Reid. “But that apart, I don’t think the boys are facing any issues at this moment apart from the usual things when we are on tour—it’s a different place, different culture,” Reid added.

Other than the conditions and getting a feel of the newly-laid turf at the Oi Hockey Stadium, Reid sees the Olympic test event as a chance to try out some young players and develop a leadership group in the team. “It is also an opportunity to look at some of the young players that, as coach, I have not had a chance to see. Also, it gives a couple of others, like (SV) Sunil, an opportunity to show how ready he is (on path to recovery from injury). So that makes it really exciting times.

“The test event will also help us develop our leadership group,” said Reid.

The Indian men’s team will start its campaign against Malaysia on Saturday and will play New Zealand and hosts Japan in round-robin league.

Hindustan Times

For Graham Reid, adjusting to culture is ensuring that no player fears him: Manpreet Singh

By Rutvick Mehta


Manpreet Singh India captain Manpreet Singh says that from now on, whether they play against an easier team like Japan or heavyweights in Australia, their mindset will be the same

One of the aspects often overlooked in Hockey India's much-cherished hire-and-fire policy with coaches is how every time players have to adjust to the new boss that comes in.

He might be Dutch, an Aussie or an Indian, but it falls upon the players' shoulders to get used to the new commander-in-chief's style of working, interacting and dealing with people.

This time, though, it's a tad different.

Head coach Graham Reid, who took over the senior men's national team in April this year, is himself making an effort to build a rapport with players, not just on the field but off it as well.

Quite simply, the Australian is quite happy walking the extra mile to know the culture of the team and gel with the players, and not just vice-versa.

"What he (Reid) tries to do off the field is he always goes and talks to every player," India captain Manpreet Singh, rested for the team's upcoming Olympic test event, told DNA from the national camp in Bengaluru.

"He wants to know everyone, about their feelings, their families, everything. For him, adjusting to the culture is ensuring that no player is hesitant to talk to him, or fears him, saying, 'He is the coach, how will I talk to him?'

"Off the field, he always jokes around with players. He always asks players about what they have been up to, what's happening in their families. He wants players to feel comfortable with him. He is constantly working on knowing our culture and also the team's culture. He wants to know every player as a human being," Manpreet added.

Clearly, unlike with some of the foreign coaches in the past, Reid seems to have done a good job of earning the players' confidence and trust in quick time.

So much so that when the 55-year-old tries to sell the idea of each of the 11 players on the park defending and not just fulfilling their roles as strikers or midfielders, the Indians are buying into it.


According to Manpreet Singh, India head coach Graham Reid (R) wants to know every detail of each player, including about their feelings, family and the like

"Reid has a philosophy, and he gave us an example of Michael Jordan. He said, 'If your attack is good, you will win watches. If your defence is good, you will win championships'," Manpreet said.

"This is the philosophy which he wants us to follow, that if our defence is sorted, then we will win tournaments. If we only focus on our attack, then we will concede goals and then, we can only win matches.

"So, the players have brought into this philosophy that we must all defend together," he added.

Reid doesn't just want his players to think like defenders. He wants them to think like legends. It's the quality that the captain admires most about his new coach.

"He always gives examples of legends. He says, 'No one becomes a legend easily. A legend always sacrifices, and it starts with your training'. He believes that if you train well, you will perform well in the match. If you are slack during training, you will be slack during the match. Be it ball stopping, receiving or passing, if you don't execute it during training, you will never be able to do it come the match days. So, he always tells us, 'Come for training with the mindset of giving it your all'," Manpreet said.

The Indian team has no room to relax over the next few months, anyway, which are crucial keeping in mind next year's Olympics in Tokyo. After the low-key Olympic test event beginning on Saturday, India will depart for a tour of Belgium next month in the tune-up to the all-important Olympic qualifiers in Bhubaneswar in October, which India simply cannot afford to lose. If they do, the men's hockey team can bid its Olympic dream goodbye.

The 27-year-old Manpreet isn't running away from its magnitude, nor trying to downplay it. But he and his coach have tried to find a way to counter it.

"Everyone knows how important it (Olympic qualifiers) is, there's no hiding from that," Manpreet said.

"But we keep telling each other, and the coach also believes in the same, that whether we're playing against Japan or Australia, the mindset should be the same. It shouldn't be that we take Japan a bit lightly and play with pressure against Australia. We will treat every team the same, and with equal respect.

"And, more importantly, have confidence in ourselves. We shouldn't underestimate or give more importance to any team. We know now that if we play to our potential, we can beat any team in the world. And we have shown that in the past," he added.

It's a theory Reid also believes in, trying to grill into this troops' mind that every battle must be put on an equal pedestal, be it a World Cup final, Olympic qualifier or a bilateral match.

It's easier said than done, though, especially for Indians who often tend to crumble under the weight of expectations in big matches of major tournaments.

Manpreet said it is more a case of trying to calm the nerves of youngsters in the team.

"If there's a new player in the set up, then maybe he can have a few problems adjusting to that. The experienced ones can handle it, and it's their responsibility to make the youngsters understand this. So, we senior players, like me, Sree (Sreejesh) Rupinder, Surender etc, have to motivate the new guys coming in. For example, when we play Australia, it's our job to ensure they do not feel extra pressure. We've been trying to implement this for a while now," Manpreet said.

The skipper is glad he has got an opportunity to hit the pause button for a while, having been rested for the Olympic test event along with a few other senior players. He's still in the camp, though, working on things that Reid has spoken about. But, for a change, his mind is not all about hockey.

"I'm glad that they gave me a break, because I've been playing non-stop without any rest. When you play continuously for a long time, physically as well as mentally, you get tired. So, not just me, even a few other senior players who have been playing for a long time, it's good that we have got this breather.

"We can freshen up our mind and body. Our next few competitions are really important. And for them, we need to be at our fittest," Manpreet said.

Daily News & Analysis

Midfielder Nabil’s back - but he will now man the backline

By AFTAR SINGH



KUALA LUMPUR: Seasoned campaigner Nabil Fiqri Mohd Noor (pic) is relieved to be back in the national hockey team after a lapse of eight months.

The 32-year-old Nabil, who last played for Malaysia at the World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, will head for a four-nation tournament in Tokyo which starts tomorrow. The other teams in the fray are world No. 5 India, world No. 8 New Zealand and hosts Japan, ranked 16th.

However, the midfielder will not get to play in his usual position as he will be manning the defence.

Coach Roelant Oltmans has put his trust in Nabil to beef up the backline as the team had conceded 35 goals in nine matches during their recent playing tour of Europe.

The police inspector, who has chalked up 240 caps in the last 12 years, is grateful that his services are still needed.

“It feels good to return to the national team. I will not let the team and officials down in Tokyo, ” said Nabil.

“I’m quite adept at the new role as there’s not much difference playing in midfield or in defence.

“I’m also glad to be given another chance to impress the coach and hopefully win a place for the playoff matches in October to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

“I have a lot of catching up to do and I will have to rely on my experience to get into the squad. It won’t be easy as the other players also want to realise their dreams of playing in the Olympics.”

Malaysia open their campaign against India tomorrow.

They take on Japan on Sunday and wrap up their fixtures against New Zealand on Aug 20. The final and third placing matches will be on Aug 21.

Nabil believes that despite the strong oppositions, Malaysia can finish in a good position.

“We’ve played them numerous times, so we know what to expect. And we also get a chance to test the new pitch at the stadium, which will be used for the Olympics next year, ” added Nabil.

The Star of Malaysia

Dharmaraj's 'high five' in Europe

By Jugjet Singh

FIVE out of the 12 Malaysian women’s hockey players heading to European clubs, will be new faces as coach K. Dharmaraj’s charges spread their wings.

Youngsters Maizatul Hanim Syafi and Nuramirah Syakirah Zulkifli, as well as seasoned player Juliani Din, have been drafted by Berner HC Germany. They left on Wednesday.

Goalkeepeer Mas Huzaimah Aziz, as well as Norazlin Sumantri, are the other newcomers who will play with HC Argentin in Serie-A Italia.

“There are five new players who will ply their trade in Europe after they were spotted by coaches during our recent Tour of Europe. The other seven have played with clubs in Europe before,” said Malaysian women’s coach K. Dharmaraj.

Malaysia’s No 1 goalkeeper Farah Ayuni Yahya and Nuraini Rashid will play in England with East Grinstead; Hanis Nadiah Onn, Wan Norfaiezah Saiuti and Raja Norsharina Raja Shabuddin will be attached to Wespen Zehlendorfer in Germany; while, Fatin Shafika and Nuraslinda Said will play with Butterfly Roma in Italy.

“We are still awaiting confirmation whether we qualify to play in the Olympic qualifiers or not. While waiting for the latest rankings to be tabulated, it’s better for my players to play with clubs in Europe,” said Dharmaraj.

The Malaysian women might get a chance to play in the final home-and-away Olympic Qualifier in October after they defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 for bronze in the FIH Series Finals in Banbridge, Ireland recently.

Malaysia moved up two rungs to World 20 after Banbridge:

“The players will be back in time for the Qualifier, if we make the grade, and it should not be a problem for them to click again.”

And if Malaysia do not qualify for a final shot at the Olympics, the 12 players can go back to Europe for the second season next year.

“Any which way I see it, it is a win-win situation for Malaysia. I hope they give their best while wearing their clubs’ colours, so that in future, it would be easy to send more players for attachments in Europe and improve the country's hockey prospects,” said Dharmaraj.

New Straits Times

Yahya finds field solution to women’s indoor hockey team

By TAN MING WAI



KUALA LUMPUR: National women’s indoor hockey coach Yahya Atan (pic) has called for reinforcements ahead of the Philippines SEA Games from Nov 30-Dec 11.

Yahya have picked two field hockey players, Nor Syafiqah Mohd Zain and Nurul Safiqah Mat Isa, to improve the team’s scoring rate for the Games.

“Nurul Safiqah is an experienced player. She has played indoor hockey before at the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.

“At the Indoor Asia Cup tournament in Chonburi, Thailand, last month we failed to finish off our chances. Hopefully with their presence, we’ll do better, ” said Yahya.

“We also failed to reach the final as we finished fourth. We realise that we need reliable players to achieve our target of reaching the final at the SEA Games.”

In Chonburi, Malaysia lost to Kazakhstan 2-1 in the semi-finals. In the playoff for bronze, they lost 1-0 in a penalty shootout to Uzbekistan after both teams were tied 1-1 in regulation time.

Yahya added that he basically has a new team as only three players – Nurul Shafiqah, Ellya Syahirah Ellias and Qasidah Najwa Muhd Halimi – are from the KL Games. Thailand emerged champions when they defeated Indonesia in the final.

Yahya added that they would again face a strong challenge from these two teams in the Philippines.

The Star of Malaysia

Grand Masters to play on Tokyo Olympic pitches at 2020 Masters World Cup


Scotland's Over 60 Grand Masters

World Masters Hockey, the new, single governing body for Masters Hockey from O35 upwards, has confirmed that the 2020 World Cup for O60, O65, O70, O75 and Trophy Tournament for men will be held in Tokyo at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games hockey stadium.

At the recent European Cup in Belgium, the Scotland O60 won a bronze medal and the O65 came fourth with the Thistles O60 side also achieving a fourth place finish. There is a significant enthusiasm to see if the high ranking positions can be repeated on the World Stage.

In order to be able to create a programme of events leading up to the World Cup in Japan the Scotland LX Club are seeking to determine availability both from current members as well as potential members who will be 60 or over in 2020. As a fairly small hockey playing country we are keen to spread the net and make sure that the opportunity to participate is available to Scottish qualified players.

The intention would be to enter sides into the International event and the Tournament Trophy with a programme of training and competitions developed for 2020 culminating in the World Cup.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Time To Cut Your Cloth

Ashley Morrison

The African Hockey Championships are under way in Cape Town. On the line is a place at the Tokyo Olympics for what should have been the eight men’s and seven women’s teams.

Of the teams supposed to be competing only Nigeria, Ghana, and Namibia have never had a team compete at the Olympic Games. Egypt’s men have attended two Games, Kenya’s men seven Olympics and Uganda has attended one event. Since becoming Zimbabwe, their men’s team has not attended any modern day Olympic Games, but prior to that in 1964 attended as Rhodesia.

While Hockey at international level has been a long struggle for the women of Africa Zimbabwe’s Women can claim the only Olympic field Hockey medal, a gold one in 1980.

Sadly before a whistle was blown the competition numbers were reduced. Nigeria withdrew both their men’s and women’s teams and so too did Uganda. This is terrible news on so many levels. From an organisational point of view the whole tournament structure had to be changed. From a Hockey perspective it is sad that four teams have withdrawn, the alleged reasons being the cost.

The host nation, South Africa’s men’s and women’s teams who have attended four Olympic Games since being re-admitted to the fold after the end of Apartheid are favourites to win. Both qualified for Rio in 2016, but the South African Olympic Committee decided not to send a team, again this was said to be down to the cost and the fact that the teams were unlikely to medal.

This withdrawal four years ago caused a great deal of upheaval to the sport, and understandably was heart-breaking for the players and coaching staff. The word is that having made the final of the Hockey Series Finals, the teams have been assured that they will go to Tokyo if the qualify. Let us hope that this is indeed the case.

Despite that good news, the game is clearly still struggling in Africa, and players have had to pay their own accommodation at the event.

This may come as a shock to many as Hockey pushes to be taken seriously as a tier one sport. Especially after the International body launched the FIH Pro League this year, a league that all were told was going to change the game forever.

However is it a case of the money that is there in the sport is being chewed up at the top and not reaching the other lower-ranked nations that need help in growing the game?

As featured on Podcast #67 we heard from the captain of the Canadian women’s team Kate Wright, and she explained how the whole squad had left their homes in Canada and moved to Europe to get more game time and training together. They paid their own way to get Test Match practice in, and fund raised to attend the Hockey Series finals. Here they made the finals which meant that they would play in the Olympic Qualifiers if they were unable to win Gold at the Pan American Games. They didn’t win Gold, but made the final for the first time since 1991. There may be an omen in that, in that their last Olympic Games appearance was in 1992 following a Pan Am games loss to Argentina. Will history repeat? If they qualify will it again be a case of more Crowdfunding to get to Tokyo?

Canada defeated the USA in their semi final. The USA men also fell in their semi final. Both teams taking home the bronze medal. Despite that performance the USA men may well miss out on a place in the Olympic Qualifiers due to their World Ranking, however the women should still have a second chance to qualify for Tokyo.

This could be more important for Field Hockey than anyone realises, as in February 2020 the sports for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will be announced. With the USA women dropping down the rankings the feeling is that the Local Organising Committee will want to drop eleven-a-side in favour of five-a -side competition. (Coming Full Circle)

The worrying fact is that the USA women’s program has not been short of financial support. The team has however declined in the past seven years and having qualified for the past two Olympic Games face the prospect of failing to qualify for Tokyo. When one considers that the women’s program received close to USD$3m in investment to the men’s USD$400,000 in 2018 clearly where the money is being spent needs closer attention.

In the men’s game globally the sport has already witnessed mayhem ensue because there was no one keeping an eye on where the money was going. Mis-Management of the highest order has seen one of the world powers within the game, Pakistan, tumble down the world rankings. Not only that their late withdrawal from the FIH Pro League after it had started saw them facing a two year ban from International competition. This was not upheld and they have been granted permission to participate in the Olympic qualifiers should their own World Ranking not fall any further. ( A Fine? No Thanks)

All of these teams are not low-ranking nations such as those who have withdrawn from the African Championships. In the FIH’s June 2019 World Ranking for Men Uganda were not ranked and Nigeria were 57th. In the Women’s game again Uganda were not ranked but Nigeria were 47th.

Yet South Africa’s men are ranked 14th. Pakistan men are ranked 17th. South Africa’s women are also in the top twenty teams sitting at 16th, Canada are 18th and the USA 13th.

The trouble for the game is not just limited to the teams outside the top ten, if rumours are to be believed Germany suffered a huge financial loss from their participation in the FIH Pro League, and Australia, who claimed first place in the Men’s competition and second place in the women’s which saw their world rankings move to first and second respectively, only just managed to turn a profit; some saying courtesy of the prize money won by both teams.

So where is all the money going? The International Olympic Committee gives the sport USD$15million over four years in order to grow the game. Which is not a huge amount over a four year period, but backed by well run events, television income and sponsorship there should be more support for the National Associations. What revenue are their respective Confederations and National Associations generating and passing on, along with that brought in by the FIH?

There are many who are saying that the sport globally needs to cut its cloth according to its coat. In other words if the budget only allows for Polyester don’t order a woollen or mink coat!

In the past week there have been redundancies announced at the FIH head office and our sympathies go out to those who lost their jobs. However will the culling of a few of the lower paid staff really turn the ship around?

For a start should the World’s governing body not be looking to leave Switzerland?

In a recently updated table (August2019) ranking countries by their cost of living, Switzerland was ranked third behind the Cayman Islands and Hong Kong as having the highest cost of living. So why would a company struggling for money choose to base itself in a location where it is going to cost more to operate?

If the sport wanted a central global location with easy access to Lausanne for Olympic related reasons, Great Britain came in 32nd on the same report, Germany was 30th. The Netherlands, the spiritual home of the game was 16th but still 50 index points below Switzerland. The United Arab Emirates where the International Cricket Council is now based was rated 33rd. Would not some of these countries offer similar incentives to Switzerland to have a World body located in their country?

The wages of the top nine staff at the FIH come in at a total close to USD1.5million a year. On top of that all receive 12% of their salary in a pension fund. There are a number who have company cars, and others with generous Car Allowances. However, one of the biggest costs, and is a reason why so many staff move from Olympic sport to Olympic sport, is they receive relocation funding. The FIH has paid generous relocation costs to staff to move to Lausanne, but of course if they leave and wish to return to their homeland, they must pay their own costs. It must be stated that they are not alone in this practice, nearly every Olympic sport with offices in Lausanne offers a similar package. There are 55 International Sporting associations currently based in the city.

Lausanne proudly boasts of its 28-station metro system. It is the smallest city in the world to have a rapid transit system, which makes one wonder how necessary a car is. Especially as this is not a big city, with a population of around 140,000.

It is not the easiest city to fly to for meetings. Which raises another question, do the Executive Board need to fly Business class? Quick calculations reveal that the business class air fares to one Executive Board meeting would pay the economy air fares for the Canadian team to fly to Tokyo. When put in this context one has to ask if those travel costs are best serving the game?

Can the sport seriously afford such costs when teams are pulling out of tournaments? Can it afford for board members and committee members to be flown around the world when they could use technology and have on-line meetings?

It is not just in Head Office that the cloth needs to be cut according to the coat but also amongst the Confederations, and clearly in some National bodies.

According to the Statutes of the FIH in section 1.4 A it states “The fundamental purposes of the FIH are: to promote and develop Hockey at all levels throughout the world, in accordance with the rights and freedoms of the Olympic Charter, and without discrimination of any kind, such as race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status;”

Article 11 of the Statutes, – The Foundation For The Promotion And Development of Hockey – which were amended at the last Congress in 2018, reveals that the “FIH has founded the Foundation for the Promotion and Development of Hockey, headquartered in Switzerland. The purpose of the foundation is to promote and develop Hockey throughout the world, especially as part of the Olympic movement and in collaboration with the FIH; the purpose notably is to develop the vocation, improve the quality of sport, encourage the growth of the sport and lend assistance to organisations involved with Hockey within the framework defined by the official bodies, in particular the FIH.”

The Foundation states that it has the same role as the FIH! (see italics) So why has it been created, unless by forming the Foundation the FIH attracts more funding? If it is to “lend assistance to organisations involved with Hockey within the framework defined by the official bodies,” in what form is that assistance being given? Clearly not financial as we still have teams withdrawing from sanctioned tournaments.

If the integrity of competitions are being harmed because teams cannot afford to take part there is clearly a big problem, as without the players playing there is no sport. This has to be the main focus for the next few years, making sure that every national body is being run in a way that if it qualifies for an international tournament it has the financial ability to attend. In addition, a minimum wage should be put in place for players and officials when playing and officiating in tournaments. It is not fair that they dedicate their time to train and play and receive nothing or a pittance, and in some cases pay to play, while those at the top are flying to the same tournament simply to network in the VIP boxes, and are paid.

This sporting model is doomed to fail, and clearly it is. Some strong decisions need to be made in terms of funding and the division of sponsorship dollars to the athletes. There needs to be an overhaul of the management structures to trim back costs and also to safeguard the future of the game and those who play it.

At this point it time no matter how good the quality of the hockey is, if players cannot make it to tournaments the sport is never going to be able to make the leap from a second tier sport to first.

Yet with the Olympic Games just around the corner no national body, no matter how cash-strapped is going to speak up. However, if one team that makes the Olympic qualifiers has to withdraw because they do not have the funds to travel away to play their opponent, then suddenly what is at present a murmur may become a roar. As the integrity of the qualifiers for what is deemed as the sport’s pinnacle event will be jeopardised. Hopefully this does not happen. If it doesn’t wait until after Tokyo 2020.

Which means the next year is vital in terms of remodelling the structure and financing of the sport globally, and in many cases nationally. Many nations may need help with that, and hopefully the FIH has the staff with the skills to provide that advice and support.

Not the Footy Show

Swapping sticks for shovels in the Philippines



International hockey players swapped hockey sticks for rakes and shovels to help in a massive clean up of the coastline in their country.

The Philippine national indoor hockey team came to a collective decision to start doing regular beach clean-ups, starting with a section of the natural harbour in the capital city - Manila Bay.

More than 40 players and coaching staff arrived before sunrise to start their work and, while they might have missed hockey training on that day, the physical effort of dragging the accumulated garbage up the beach and then loading it onto the city garbage trucks was a strength workout in itself.

The idea was the brainchild of Benjamin Arroyo, Secretary General of Larong Hockey Sa Pilipinas and Bernie Amurao, Chief of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of the City of Paranaque. It also had the full support of the City Mayor of Paranaque, the Hon. Edwin L. Olivarez.

More than a truckload of garbage was collected, taking the athletes more than four hours to do the coastal bay clean up. The garbage collected was then disposed of by the city council accordingly based on existing environmental regulation.



The team has decided that, in line with the FIH #Hockey4Life campaign, coastal clean-ups will become a regular feature of their activities and are seen as a way for the players to contribute to the wider society, as well as help in the fight to protect the environment.

Jing Arroyo, speaking for the Philippine national association, says: “Our desire to protect our environment and help in the fight against climate change should be matched with concrete actions and this is exactly what we did. In our own small way, we want to insure that future generations will live in a clean and healthy environment and continue to enjoy the great sport of hockey.”

The initiative not only aligns with FIH #Hockey4Life, it also hits one of the United Nation’s goals of sustainable development  – Life Below Water and is in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020. It is also the first time that a national hockey association has collaborated on an environmental project in a collective manner.

Arroyo says the players are keen to make beach clean-ups a regular commitment, either in Manila Bay or further afield.

#BeTheChange
#CleanSeas
#Hockey4LIFE
#BeyondHockey
#OlympicDay

FIH site

Pakistan's Dar Hockey Academy began their European tour with a 7-2 win over Holland's MOP HC at Vught.

By Ijaz Chaudhry

Vught, Holland: - Dar Hockey Academy celebrated Pakistan's independence day on Wednesday at the MOP club, their hosts on all the six tours of Holland.

Pakistani flags were hoisted and a cake was cut which was shared with the Dutch hosts.

However, no quarter was given to the MOP HC when Dar HA played themunder floodlights. Match started at 8:30 PM and it rained almost throughout.

The visitors, who had reached Vught late previous night from Pakistan, settled down quickly and began controlling the proceedings. The ball was spread out well.

Circle was repeatedly penetrated, chances created and penalty corners earned.

The goals came regularly through field attempts as well as penalty corner conversions.

No less than six players had their names on the score sheet.

It was 3-0 at the half time and 6-0 two minutes into the final quarter.

At that stage, Dar HA took the foot off the gas. MOP's two goals came in the last quarter.

It was an encouraging start for the Lahore based academy. Six players, who were making their maiden foreign tour, were all given exposure. Two of them, Murtaza Yaqoob, grandson of late Afzal Manna, silver medallist 1964 Olympics, and Shahbaz Ahmad were among the scorers.

Next, on Friday evening, Dar HA plays the strong Den Bosch side who plays in the Hoofdklasse, the top tier of the Dutch league.

Dar HA: 7   MOP HC: 2
SCORERS:
Dar HA: Ali Aziz 2, Adeel, Wasim Akram, Shahbaz Ahmad, Ajmal Butt, Murtaza Yaqoob
MOP HC: Jonathan van Eerder, Michel Princen

Ijaz Chaudhry writes on hockey & other sports. For more about him and his work, visit: www.sportscorrespondent.info  

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