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News for 15 January 2020

All the news for Wednesday 15 January 2020


India men to make FIH Hockey Pro League debut against the Netherlands



Following on from last weekend’s double away victory for Netherlands women against China, we switch our attention to the opening matches of the men’s competition as India make their FIH Hockey Pro League debut with two matches against the Netherlands at Bhubaneswar’s magnificent Kalinga Hockey Stadium.

India v Netherlands (M)
Where: Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar (IND)
When: 18 & 19 January 2019, 1900 (18 Jan) & 1700 (19 Jan) local time (GMT/UTC +5.30)

Summary: With the Netherlands sitting third in the FIH World Rankings and having claimed FIH Hockey Pro League and European bronze medals in 2019, India head coach Graham Reid will be acutely aware of the challenge that faces his team in this weekend’s double header at the Kalinga Stadium. As former assistant coach to the Dutchmen, Reid will know that the most recent meeting between the two teams also took place at the Kalinga, where the Netherlands knocked the host nation out of the Odisha Hockey World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018. That clash came at the quarter-final stage, with Akashdeep Singh’s early strike being quickly cancelled out by Thierry Brinkman before a late Mink van der Weerden penalty corner condemned India to a heart-breaking 2-1 defeat. Despite that painful result, a quick look at the previous ten meetings reveals that there is little to choose between the two sides. The Netherlands have won five of those meetings, with India victorious on four occasions and one match finishing in a draw. While predicting a winner of this contest may not be easy, matches between India and the Netherlands are rarely short of excitement – the fans in Bhubaneswar could be in for a real treat as their beloved team begin their FIH Hockey Pro League journey.  

Coach quotes: 
India head coach Graham Reid: "It will be important to start strong and sharp in the Pro League with our first three encounters against the top three teams in the world. We will be focussing on getting our structures right and honing our set plays as preparation for our Olympic campaign.”

Netherlands head coach Max Caldas: “The matches against India are a very important opener. Playing against India at their home ground is challenging no doubt but it is also very exciting because we love playing in Bhubaneswar. The players and combinations we wanted to test were experimented during the previous edition of Pro League. This edition we will have our most competitive team as this will be the stepping-stone for us to be the best at Tokyo."

The essentials…

Current FIH World Rankings: India - 5 | Netherlands - 3
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: India – N/A | Netherlands – 3

Previous FIH Hockey Pro League meetings

N/A – India’s debut season. 

Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 10 matches)

Wins: India - 4 | Netherlands - 5
Draws: 1
Goals scored: India - 19 | Netherlands - 24

Match pages (squads & officials – available 48 hours before each match)
Match 1: click here.
Match 2: click here.

Team pages (squads & statistics)
India: click here.
Netherlands: click here.

To find out how you can watch the action, please visit our broadcast page by clicking here. In territories where broadcast rights agreements are not in place, fans can watch live match action from the FIH Hockey Pro League via the FIH.live global broadcast platform. To visit FIH.live, click here.

To see the confirmed match schedule for the FIH Hockey Pro League, which includes links to ticket sites for each of the matches, please click here. For information about how to purchase tickets for the FIH Hockey Pro League matches, please click here.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels -FacebookInstagram and Twitter.

 #FIHProLeague

Official FIH Pro League Site



India women tour of New Zealand: Rani Rampal named captain

A squad of 20 players has been named for the tour, which begins on January 25; Savita, the goalkeeper, will be the vice-captain.


India will play five matches during its tour.   -  PTI

Rani Rampal has been named captain of a squad of 20 players selected for the tour of New Zealand for the Indian women’s hockey team. Savita, the goalkeeper, will be Rani’s deputy.

India will first play the New Zealand development squad on January 25. Three games against the New Zealand women’s team have been scheduled — on January 27, January 29 and February 5. On February, the Indian team will play against Great Britain.

Creating more competition

Speaking about the tour, Sjoerd Marijne, India’s chief coach, said: “I want to use this tour to create more competition within this group. Although we are taking a 20-member team, in some matches we will use only 16 players because we play with 16 players at the Olympics and in some matches we will play 18 members. The players have to show their best and I want to see how they perform under pressure and stay in the right rhythm.”

Marijne said the matches against Britain, the World No. 5, and New Zealand, the World No. 6, will provide a great opportunity for the Indian team to showcase its fearless attitude.

The squad

Rani (c), Savita, Rajini Etimarpu, Deep Grace Ekka, Gurjit Kaur, Reena Khokhar, Salima Tete, Sushila Chanu, Nisha, Namita Toppo, Udita, Monika, Lilima Minz, Neha, Sonika, Sharmila Devi, Navneet Kaur, Lalremsiami, Vandana Katariya, Navjot Kaur.

Sportstar



2020 U.S. U-21 Women's National Team Named



LANCASTER, PA. – The year 2020 marks a calendar full of competition for the red, white and blue. Along with the new year also comes change and a new list of athletes given the opportunity to represent USA on the international stage. After three days of intense training at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa., the U.S. Women’s National Team Junior High Performance Staff is excited to announce the 2020 U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team roster.

"Congratulations to those named to the U-21 USWNT squad," said Jarred Martin, U-21 USWNT Head Coach. "The selections were hard for the coaches who were involved. There is a lot of depth in this age group with their talent, athleticism and coaching ability, which bodes well. This is an exciting year for this age group with some test series and training camps culminating with the Junior Pan American Championship in December. I am excited to work with the squad alongside Tracey Paul and Martu Loncarica and to see what they can accomplish."

Approximately 60 athletes were chosen following their involvement on the U-21 USWNT last year and from performances at various events including the 2019 Young Women’s National Championship and National Futures Championship.

Congratulations to the following athletes that were selected to the 2020 U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team:

Allison Bitting (Hummelstown, Pa.), Kayla Blas (North Tonawanda, N.Y.), Leanne Bough (Whitney Point, N.Y.), Skyler Caron (Hampton, N.H.), Ashlyn Carr (Delmar, Del.), Erica Cooper (Louisville, Ky.), Leah Crouse (Virginia Beach, Va.), Charlotte de Vries (Wayne, Pa.), Brooke DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.), Emma DeBerdine (Millersville, Pa.), Lindsay Dickinson (Glen Mills, Pa.), Riley Donnelly (Doylestown, Pa.), Megan Frost (Charlotte, N.C.), Greer Gill (Virginia Beach, Va.), Gianna Glatz (Medford, N.J.), Kyler Greenwalt (Gambrills, Md.), Peyton Halsey (Reading, Pa.), Lauren Hausheer (West Windsor, N.J.), Madison Kahn (Ocean City, N.J.), Margot Lawn (Pasadena, Md.), Alia Marshall (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Hannah Miller (Malvern, Pa.), MaryKate Neff (Villanova, Pa.), Kathryn Peterson (San Diego, Calif.), Megan Rodgers (San Diego, Calif.), Meghan Schneider (San Diego, Calif.), Allison Smith (Wilmington, Del.), Minna Tremonti (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Josie Varney (Smithfield, Maine), M. Grace Wallis (Blue Bell, Pa.), Paityn Wirth (Thompsontown, Pa.), Leah Zellner (Emmaus, Pa.), Brynn Zorilla (Vista, Calif.)

Two goalkeepers, Jonna Kennedy (Watertown, Mass.) and Ellie Shahbo (Cornelius, N.C.), will receive a second trial in March. Eight athletes who were selected were unable to participate due to injury and will receive a trial at their next training opportunity: Gabrielle Barraco (Allentown, Pa.), Margo Carlin (Drexel Hill, Pa.), Megan Connors (San Diego, Calif.), Samantha Davidson (North Andover, Mass.), Adele Iacobucci (Malvern, Pa.), Madison Orobono (Macungie, Pa.), Julianna Tornetta (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) and Maddie Zimmer (Hershey, Pa.).

The squad will begin training starting next month in Chula Vista, Calif. from February 20 to 24. Their second training camp will take place alongside the other women’s Junior National Teams from March 27 to 29 in Chapel Hill and Durham, N.C. These training camps will be part of the team’s year-long preparations for the Junior Pan American Championship that will take place from November 30 to December 13 in Santiago, Chile.

USFHA media release



Hockey Ireland seek review of Video Referral System requirement

In the second men’s Olympic Qualifier match against Canada in Vancouver in October 2019, Ireland lost on penalties following a Canadian equaliser in the final seconds of the game. The equalising goal came from a penalty stroke which was awarded after the use of a Canadian video referral. In the immediate aftermath, Hockey Ireland sought clarification from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on the set up of the Video Referral system for the qualification series.

In particular, Hockey Ireland sought clarification from the FIH in relation to minimum standards to ensure adequate broadcast quality as well as the availability of a minimum number of camera angles on the play action at all times to ensure delivery of a robust Video Referral system. To date, the FIH has been unable to provide adequate response to the queries raised. It is Hockey Ireland’s understanding that at present there are no such specific regulations/minimum standards in relation to the setup and delivery of the Video Referral system in hockey.

Hockey Ireland are of the view that the broadcast quality and number of camera angles available in respect of the qualification series were not of a level to facilitate Video Referral. Hockey Ireland however, as a result of the lack of regulations in respect of Video Referral have no grounds on which to challenge the FIH in relation to the incident. Hockey Ireland regrettably must therefore conclude that they have exhausted all avenues in respect of a potential appeal regarding the outcome of the series and the non-qualification of the men’s team for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Hockey Ireland feels that minimum standards for the use of Video Referral need to be introduced as a matter of urgency and will look to work with other national and continental federations and indeed, the FIH, to explore the issue. We believe the FIH should commission an independent review conducted by an external body with cross sport expertise in the delivery of Video Referral technology and procedures to ensure the development of minimum standards to guarantee the necessary quality and consistency for the effective use of Video Referral in hockey and mitigating against another federation experiencing a similar situation.

From the outset, Hockey Ireland has made it clear that it respects the decision of the Umpires and has never sought to challenge this. The organisation, its players and management have all times conducted themselves in a measured way in response to this issue. Hockey Ireland does not condone any negative reaction directed at the Umpires, nor can it be held in any way responsible for the reaction of the global public on social media platforms.

Hockey Ireland has conveyed to the FIH their disappointment at the way in which Video Referral was implemented for the Olympic Qualification Series, and specifically the way it was deployed at the Ireland v Canada men’s matches in Vancouver, Canada. We are particularly disappointed for the Irish men’s team who sacrificed so much in their efforts to achieve qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Hockey Ireland would like to thank the players for all of their efforts and, on behalf of all involved in Irish hockey, take the opportunity to wish the Canadian men’s team and all teams participating in next year’s Olympic Games all the best with their preparations and participation in Tokyo next summer.

Irish Hockey Association media release



Hockey Ireland seeks FIH review of video referral system

By The Hockey Paper



Hockey Ireland are seeking for world hockey to review its own video referral system following Ireland men’s defeat to Canada which saw them exit the Olympic qualification stages.

Canada beat Ireland in October in a shoot-out after the hosts scored in the final second following a controversial video referral which fell Canada’s way when they were awarded a penalty stroke. Canada then won the shoot-out.

After the match, Ireland’s exit was the talk of hockey as Hockey Ireland sought clarification and a potential legal route, but the governing body admitted that it had “exhausted” all options, including an appeal.

A statement read: “Hockey Ireland sought clarification from the FIH in relation to minimum standards to ensure adequate broadcast quality as well as the availability of a minimum number of camera angles on the play action at all times to ensure delivery of a robust Video Referral system.

“To date, the FIH has been unable to provide adequate response to the queries raised. It is Hockey Ireland’s understanding that at present there are no such specific regulations/minimum standards in relation to the setup and delivery of the Video Referral system in hockey.”

It added that the camera angles and broadcast quality was not up to qualification standard for such an important fixture.

“Hockey Ireland feels that minimum standards for the use of Video Referral need to be introduced as a matter of urgency and will look to work with other national and continental federations and indeed, the FIH, to explore the issue,” the statement continued.

“We believe the FIH should commission an independent review conducted by an external body with cross sport expertise in the delivery of Video Referral technology and procedures to ensure the development of minimum standards to guarantee the necessary quality and consistency for the effective use of Video Referral in hockey and mitigating against another federation experiencing a similar situation.

“From the outset, Hockey Ireland has made it clear that it respects the decision of the Umpires and has never sought to challenge this. The organisation, its players and management have all times conducted themselves in a measured way in response to this issue.

Hockey Ireland said that it did not condone any negative reaction directed at the umpires “nor can it be held in any way responsible for the reaction of the global public on social media platforms.”

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The Hockey Paper



'Review or not, nothing will make up for broken Olympic dream'

By Nigel Ringland

"What's the big deal?" I was asked in the aftermath. "It's just a bunch of grown men chasing a ball around a pitch with sticks, and then crying when they lost."

That was certainly one way to look at the fate of the Ireland men's hockey team when their Olympic dream was snatched away from them in controversial fashion.

The incident, as the clock ran down, saw a challenge inside the circle and a Canadian forward falling to the ground. Had he been fouled? Had he stumbled? Had he been denied a 'clear goalscoring opportunity'? It was difficult to tell, no matter how many times you saw the same video replay, which was the only angle seen on TV.

As the two on-field umpires conferred, they decided there was no foul and that the game was over. For a moment, the Irish players celebrated a place in Tokyo 2020.

However, Canada still had their team referral. Unlike rugby, for example, where only the referee can call for the help of the TMO, in hockey a team can refer an incident to the video umpire.

Imagine the pressure he was under, in Vancouver, and with a place in the Olympics at stake. His decision, to the astonishment of most, was a penalty stroke.

How? What? Why? The shock was palpable. The rest is history - Canada scored and won the subsequent shootout. Ireland were left stunned, frustrated, upset and angry.

Nearly three months have passed and the world's governing body, the FIH, have only spoken publicly about the integrity of their umpires and how there may be camera angles available to the video umpire not seen on the TV coverage. They have been short on specifics on this particular incident.

That's been frustrating for Hockey Ireland who, on behalf of their players, have been seeking answers.

Regulations call for a minimum of six cameras covering a game - but what if only one or two of them are actually focused on the incident that needs to be reviewed? There is no stipulation for the minimum number of camera angles that the video umpire must look at.

Of course, the video umpire may have had 16 angles to look at and still come to the same decision - or not. We will probably never find out.

With no possibility of having the result overturned or a replay sanctioned, Hockey Ireland were annoyed even further in a letter from the FIH which has been obtained by the BBC.

In it, as well as many general points about technology, the FIH state that "the level of disquiet and upset amongst the Irish and some of the wider hockey communities around the world, on social media in particular, has gone well beyond disappointment".

It goes on to say that, because of personal abuse, one of the officials, presumably the video umpire, has had to close his Twitter account.

The criticism didn't stop there.

"It has been particularly disappointing to read of some of the comments made by the players about the result.

"Fans inevitably turn to social media to express their disappointment and look for something or someone to blame, but it is fundamentally important for the values and therefore image of hockey that those who should know better - players and coaches in particular - accept defeat and disappointment in good grace, and accept umpiring decisions that are made during matches."

Hockey Ireland have taken their time, but have now responded.

"From the outset, Hockey Ireland has made it clear that it respects the decision of the umpires and has never sought to challenge this. The organisation, its players and management have at all times conducted themselves in a measured way in response to this issue. Hockey Ireland does not condone any negative reaction directed at the umpires, nor can it be held in any way responsible for the reaction of the global public on social media platforms."

They have also called for an independent review into the delivery of video referral technology.

Hockey Ireland hope their recommendations will be seen as constructive for the betterment of the sport and not seen as sour grapes.

For the players, however, nothing will make up for an Olympic dream that they believe was taken away from them.

It was always more than just chasing a ball around a pitch with a stick.

BBC Sport



Albert’s A game makes it Harte for UniKL coach to decide

By AFTAR SINGH


Playing for keeps: Goalkeeper Adrian Albert has been impressive for UniKL in David Harte’s (below) absence.

KUALA LUMPUR: Stand-in goalkeeper Adrian Albert, who has been impressive for Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), is giving his coach a selection headache.

The Sabahan is deputising for the team’s main custodian David Harte, who will arrive from Ireland today.

In his absence, Adrian has held his own between the posts in UniKL’s first two Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) matches.

The 23-year-old helped UniKL beat Terengganu 3-2 to win the Charity Shield last week and was in his element when they outplayed Hockey Academy (Hockademy) 3-1.

It looks like Harte has a fight on his hand.

And coach Arul Selvaraj has only good words to say about Adrian.

“I’m impressed, he’s been playing to his true form. He has also shown great maturity.



“Harte will only arrive tomorrow (today) at 4pm and Adrian will play in his third match (against UiTM),” said Arul.

Adrian, who made his international debut in the tour of Europe last July, said that every match elevates his confidence level.

“I’ve been training under a lot of experienced goalkeepers in the last two years, including Harte, Roslan Jamaluddin and S. Kumar. My game has progressed tremendously,” said Adrian.

“Hopefully, I’ve made a good impression on the coach. I need to keep giving my best to be called up for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (in Ipoh from April 11-18).

“Although Harte will be joining us, I hope the coach will continue to give me the chance to play,” added Adrian.

For today’s match, UniKL will have to make do without top hitman Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin Tengku Abdul Jalil as he is out of the tournament due to a broken jaw suffered against Hockademy on Sunday.

Their Australian forward Kieran Govers, who was hit on the head against Terengganu last week, will be back in action to continue their winning ways.

UniKL, Tenaga Nasional and Maybank are tied on six points after two wins but Tenaga top the eight-team standings on better goal difference.

The Star of Malaysia



Money for nothing - no return on investment in hockey team

By JOEL BENJAMIN ROBERT


Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal, Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president at a postmortem session on Malaysia hockey team's failure in qualifying for 2020 London Olympics, Tuesday, January 14, 2020. -RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: A whopping RM15mil was spent over the last four years to get the men’s hockey team to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

But the national team still failed miserably and missed the Olympics boat for the fifth straight time.

The last time Malaysia made the Olympics hockey competition was in Sydney in 2000.

The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) revealed the figures after a post-mortem on the failures of the men’s and women’s teams to reach the Olympics.

Malaysia had a golden chance to qualify for the Olympics in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

In the final, Malaysia blew a 5-2 lead to allow Japan to come back from three goals down to level at 6-6 and force a penalty shootout. Japan won the shootout 3-1.

After failing in the Asiad, Malaysia had another chance to qualify for the Olympics via two play-off matches against Britain in London last November.

But Malaysia lost 9-3 on aggregate (losing the first match 4-1 and the second 5-2).

Millions were spent by the MHC for the men’s team to play as many matches as possible and they also got experts from Holland and Australia to help the team.

Dutch coach Roelant Oltmans, who was in charge of the team since October 2018, had a poor outing in the 2018 World Cup in India as Malaysia finished a disappointing 15th among 16 teams.

MHC president Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal admitted that there is no excuse as to why the men’s team did not qualify.

“The team did their best regardless of the outcome. This post mortem was held to identify the reasons and discuss the budget spent on the hockey team over the last four years.

“We have called up both the men’s and women’s national players to ask them about the team failing to qualify for the Olympics.

“We want to hear from the players first before we talk to the national coaches why they failed,” said Subahan.

Mohd Fitri Saari, who commanded the midfield, admitted one of the reasons is that the team cannot play under pressure.

“We always crumble under pressure and this is one area we need to work on,” said Fitri.

The Star of Malaysia



Everybody in as Scottish Hockey launches “Playground to Podium” pathway



Scottish Hockey has today (Tues 14 January) published new, simplified guidelines on how players at all levels – from beginners to elite performers – can join in and progress through the sport.

The upgraded “Playground to Podium” pathways model is designed to more clearly communicate with players, coaches, teachers, officials, administrators, parents and sponsors. It explains how participants can get involved at all levels, how they may move from one stage of development to the next, and how those who have played previously can return to the game.

The player development model for hockey in Scotland broadly comprises four different areas for the sport: Fun Start to Hockey; Active Lifestyle Hockey; Competitive Hockey; and Talent and Performance Hockey.

“From an organisational point of view, it has been designed as a visual to be used by everyone involved, so they can all understand what the opportunities are,” said Colleen Reid, Coach Education Development Manager for Scottish Hockey.

“It’s a kind of ready reckoner on how to participate. For example, we often have parents of players asking about what the next step might be for their child. These development pathways have always been in place, but not everybody necessarily knew how they worked, so this is about clearer communication.”

Fun Start includes the introduction to the game and learning to play, with an age guide of 5 to 13 years old. Active Lifestyle covers those aged 12 to 80 who are keen on healthy social interaction.

Competitive Hockey is for those aged 12 to 80 who enjoy playing on school or club teams at varying levels of competitiveness. Performance Hockey covers the stages from early talent development from ages 12 to 16 up to the most senior level of those who wish to play for their country.



Andy Tennant, Head of Performance at Scottish Hockey, said this enhanced understanding of the pathways will improve the experience of participants at all levels within the sport.

“Whatever the motivation, all participants are important parts of hockey’s pathways in Scotland,” he said. “While we are all somewhere on the pathway, there are many different routes that allow players to move from one level to another as frequently as they wish, or as their current ability takes them.”

The Playground to Podium model is being launched along with two further initiatives designed to increase participation levels in Scotland.

The first is a new delivery resource for teachers and coaches, which includes guidelines for a six-week introductory programme that can be adapted to individual needs.

The second is a re-working of the four, six and eight-a-side hockey formats which outlines the rules of these games. This will assist schools, clubs and districts in setting up their own festivals using these more easily accessible formats.

Small sided games such as fours, sixes and eights provide the opportunity for players to develop effective decision making, while helping them become highly skilled and creative, self-organised, fast and robust, as well as developing the understanding of what it takes to win.

These initiatives will further the growth of hockey in Scotland, which has been expanding in recent years. In April, Scottish Hockey announced that it had smashed through its growth targets to reach 12,000 members, an 80% increase in just four years.

Find out more about Player Pathways and download our resources HERE

Scottish Hockey Union media release



Dwyer’s heartfelt gesture to help with bushfire disaster



Australian hockey legend Jamie Dwyer will part ways with two valued items from his decorated career to encourage people to dig deep and help raise funds for the bushfire relief.

Like much of the population who have watched on as bushfires have caused havoc across the country, Dwyer could not just sit idly by and do nothing.

One only needed to watch Dwyer in any of his 365 matches for the Kookaburras to know how much it meant to him and how proud he was to represent his country.

It is this national pride combined with the raw natural human reaction to seeing tragedy unfolding to people, wildlife and property that led arguably Australia’s greatest hockey player to give away two of his most treasured pieces of memorabilia to the cause.

Dwyer has pledged that anyone who donates to the Red Cross through his JustGiving page will go into the draw to win his signed playing shirt and stick from the 2016 Rio Olympics, the last major tournament he played in for the Kookaburras.

Dwyer said watching the devastation the fires have left on so many that it was impossible not to act.

“I don’t know anyone personally who has been affected that I know of, but I think this is the right thing to do,” said Dwyer on his decision to offer up his Rio 2016 playing top and stick.

“Something that has shocked me are how big these fires actually are and how many people and wildlife have been affected. Then on top of that the amazing number of firefighters, emergency service crew and volunteers who are helping.

“I feel very proud to be an Australian and love everything about this country so it doesn’t feel right to sit here and do nothing, so I thought I’d just try to play my part and get the hockey world to throw in whatever they can to help the tragic situation that is happening at the moment.”

The unique thing about Dwyer’s contribution is that his reach and popularity is not limited to Australia but goes across the world, and he is hopeful the generosity and compassion of people to give to Red Cross will come from all corners of the globe.

Dwyer has been buoyed by seeing what other sportspeople have given up and donated for the national crisis and he is only too happy to add to what has already been raised.

“The response has been amazing. People like Shane Warne auctioning his baggy green, well know Australian actors donating a lot of money coupled with what a lot of sportspeople, celebrities, comedians and others are doing…everyone is doing their bit which is good and the advantage of social media is that you can easily get the word out there for people to help,” said Dwyer.

“I can’t contribute the amount or extent of what some other people and organisations are donating, but to be able to do what I can hopefully makes a difference and the hockey family aware of what is going on and aware of how they can help.”

With no shortage of organisations and charities to choose from, Dwyer believes the Red Cross are as good as any but urged people to give to whomever as every dollar counts.

“Red Cross have been a highly regarded and well renowned aid organisation for a long time so my wife and I thought that was the best cause to give to,” said Dwyer.

“There are plenty of worthy organisations out there to donate to but we just decided to go with the Red Cross.”

To donate and go into the draw to win Dwyer’s 2016 Rio Olympics playing shirt and hockey stick, click here.

Furthermore, Hockey Australia is auctioning off a number of limited edition, unique Jamie Dwyer personally signed frames with all proceeds going to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. For details and to bid click here.

Hockey Australia media release

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