The Fieldhockey.com Archives

All the news for Wednesday 11 May 2011

Belarus & Chile top Pools in Vienna


Action from Tuesday © FIH / Thomas Krombholz

The Pool phase of the Women’s Champions Challenge II, currently taking place in the beautiful Austrian capital city Vienna, has come to an end, with Belarus and Chile securing important victories on Day 3 to top their respective groups.

The standings in Pool B were settled in the first matches of the day, with Malaysia and Russia claiming their first points of the tournament with a 2-2 draw before Belgium and Belarus went into battle to decide who would claim that all-important first place finish. Belarus emerged as victors, fighting back from a 2-1 half time deficit to claim a fully deserved 2-3 success thanks to strikes from Yuliya Mikheichyk and Nadzeya Silitskaya, the latter of which arrived in the dying seconds of a thrilling match. A draw would have been enough to confirm Belgium as Pool winners due to their superior goal difference.

That result ensured that Belarus maintained their 100% win record in the competition and sealed top spot in Pool B, meaning that they would face the fourth-ranked team from Pool A in the Quarter Finals. That unenviable role will be carried out by host nation Austria, who finished bottom of Pool A thanks to a third successive tournament defeat at the hands of Chile. The Chileans were in sparkling form against the home nation, with Denise Infante netting twice in a 5-1 win that sealed first place in Pool A. That match was preceded by a hard fought meeting between Italy and Canada, with Italy taking a 2-1 win courtesy of a 62nd minute strike from team captain Francesca Faustini. The Italian triumph saw the side move temporarily into top spot in Pool A before Chile’s emphatic victory over Austria.

The tournament Quarter Finals begin on Thursday at 10am, with Pool A winners Chile doing battle with Russia, who finished fourth in Pool B. Pool B runners up Belgium will take to the field at 12:30 where they will face the third placed team in Pool A, Canada. At 15:00, Pool A runners up Italy will take on Malaysia, who finished third in Pool B. The final match of the day begins at 17.30, with Pool B winners Belarus playing Pool A’s fourth ranked team, Austria.

More information about the matches can be read below. To view all match sheets and tournament information, click here

Match 09: Malaysia 2, Russia 2:
Following an unsuccessful start to their Champions Challenge II campaigns, Malaysia and Russia claimed their first points of the tournament in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

Russia opened the scoring in the 12th minute when captain Svetlana Grigoryeva fired in from open play. Malaysia fought back hard and restored parity thanks to a 26th minute field goal from Siti Rahmah Othman before team captain Nadia Abdul Rahman established a 2-1 lead just before half time. Russia’s Kristina Shumilina was given a yellow card moments from the end of the half, but her team regained their composure in the second half and went in search of an equalizer. With just four minutes of the match remaining, it was Shumilina who went from villain to hero when she levelled the scores for Russia and completed the match scoring.

The result gives both sides confidence ahead of Thursday’s quarter final matches, where Malaysia face Pool A runners up Italy and Russia play Pool A winners Chile.

Match 10: Belgium 2, Belarus 3:
Belarus ensured that they would finish top of Pool B by battling back from a 2-1 half time deficit to claim an impressive 3-2 win over Belgium. The top-of-the-table clash was a hugely entertaining contest, full of drama, fast-flowing hockey and a dramatic last minute twist.

Belarus took just seven minutes to score the game’s opening goal, which came from the stick of team captain Alesia Piotukh. Five minutes later, Belgium where level when Emilie Sinia struck home to make the score 1-1. Sinia claimed her second goal of the match just before half time, establishing a 2-1 lead for Belgium with another open play strike.

The Belarusians were unlucky to go into the break a goal down, but the Belgian defence was proving to be a tough nut to crack. However, Belarus grabbed a leveller seven minutes into the second half when Yulia Mikheichyk found the target with a field goal to put her team firmly in the driving seat. The Belarus search for a winning goal received a big blow when Hannah Zabrotskaya was shown a yellow card in the 63rd minute, reducing her team to ten players until she returned to the field shortly before the end of the game. Now back to full strength, Belarus pressed hard in the hope of finding a winning goal that would move them above their opponents in the Pool B standings. Incredibly, it arrive with just seconds of the match remaining, with Nadzeya Silitskaya forcing the ball home to secure top spot in Pool B.

The result means that Belarus will now face a quarter final match against Austria, who finished fourth in Pool A. Belgium will take on Canada, Pool A’s third-ranked team.

Match 11: Italy 2, Canada 1:
Italy captain Francesca Faustini scored the winning goal for her team in a 2-1 victory over Canada. The win moved Italy temporarily to the top of Pool A, and ensured that they could finish no worse than second in the Pool ahead of the quarter finals.

Macarena Ronsisvalli slammed in a penalty corner to give Italy the lead ten minutes into the game. It was to be a goal that would separate the sides until well into the second half, when Canada hit back with a penalty corner of their own thanks to a strike from Stephanie Jameson. However, nine minutes from time Faustini scored what proved to be the winning goal, although her celebrations were tarnished in the final minute when she was shown a yellow card.

Despite this, Faustini’s strike was enough to give Italy their second win of the tournament as well as a boost ahead of their quarter final match against Malaysia on Thursday. Canada will face Belgium, the runners up in Pool B.

Match 12: Chile 5, Austria 1:
Austria were torn apart by a rampant and determined Chile team clearly motivated by their desire to top Pool A. They achieved their aim in superb style, with Denise Infante netting twice in the rout.

Chile claimed their first goal in the ninth minute when Christine Fingerhuth found the target from open play before Javiera Villagra got in on the action to make the score 2-0. Austria pulled a goal back on the stroke of half time, with Irene Balek’s penalty corner giving the home fans some hope to cling to ahead of the second period.

Chile restored their two goal cushion just minutes after the break, with Infante scoring her first of the night from a slick penalty corner routine. Austria conceded a fourth in the 53rd minute when Gabriela Retamales guided her shot into the goal to give Chile an unassailable lead. Infante completed the scoring nine minutes from the end of the match, with her open play strike sealing a memorable 5-1 win for the South Americans.

Chile’s impressive performance shows that they are a team to be feared in this competition, and will have their minds focused on the dream of lifting the trophy on Sunday. Chile’s next opponents will be Russia, who finished bottom of Pool B. Austria face another almighty challenge in their quarter final match, with Pool B winners Belarus standing in their way of a place in the semi finals.

POOL STANDINGS

FIH Media release

Women suffer second defeat

THE Malaysian women's hockey team suffered their second defeat when they were edged 5-4 by Belarus in the Champions Challenge II tournament in Vienna, Austria.

Malaysia lost their first match to Belgium 2-1. Their last pool match is against Russia today.

The national team took the lead against Belgium when Fazilla Sylvester Silin scored a field goal in the 14th minute, but let in two goals in the second half.

It was the same story against Belarus.

After taking a 2-0 lead in the first 16 minutes with goals from Fazilla (fourth) and Nuraini Rashid (16th), the Malaysians allowed Belarus to counter with three goals in a four-minute span to take a 3-2 lead.

Belarus then took control in the second half, scoring two more goals by the 51st minute but once again, Malaysia had an answer with yet another penalty corner goal from A. Kannagi in the 64th minute, but time ran out in their comeback bid.

New Straits Times

India has put up a heartening show so far

S. Thyagarajan

Misgivings over the composition and strength of the Indian team have been proved misplaced. The performance of the squad in the Azlan Shah hockey tournament is impressive, even exceeding expectations.

Save for the mis-step against Korea in the opener, the Indians have experienced exhilarating moments against Great Britain, Australia and their conqueror at the Guangzhou Asian Games — Malaysia.

The highpoint so far has been the 3-1 verdict against Great Britain, easily the outstanding combination here. If it goes back without the trophy that will be a great surprise for many an analyst.

Heartening in India's showing thus far has been the performance of the gangling Rupinderpal Singh. Apart from the proficiency exhibited in penalty corners, he has proved his mettle in interceptions and timely clearances.

The best part is that he capitalises on height advantage, much better than the more famous Sandeep Singh. He is destined to serve the country for long, and the selectors cannot keep him away from focus. More matches will make him an asset.

Roshan Minz, Sunil and Mujtaba have also contributed immensely. So have the Pillays — Vikram and Vikas — along with the dependable Mahadik in the backline. The goalkeepers — Adrian and Chettri, the latter in particular — have excelled in their work.

Harendra's concern should be the tardy form of Shivendra in attack and Gurbaj in mid-field. Shivendra's role so far has been very disappointing. Gurbaj has been patchy putting enormous pressure on Arjun Halappa in the pivotal spot.

High expectations

In the wake of the good showing so far as the defending champion, the expectations are heightened as India prepares to lock horns with Pakistan on Wednesday.

Pakistan faltered badly against Australia on Monday. The 5-2 defeat exposed many a chink in its armour.

Predicting the verdict of an Indo-Pak. contest is akin to guessing the weather. Statistically, India has the advantage, having won all the four previous encounters — New Delhi World Cup (4-1), Azlan Shah (4-2), CWG (7-4) and Asian Games (3-2) in 2010. But figures have no relevance in an India-Pakistan tie.

Can Pakistan break this sequence for India? This is the poser waiting for an answer on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the intensity of competition is picking up as the pace for reaching the summit increases. Great Britain looks firmly ensconced, followed by the Aussies, who are improving match by match, shrugging off the “rustiness” that coach Charlesworth is anguished about.

It is difficult to recall a weaker Korean outfit in any competition.

The frustration of the host, Malaysia, without a point after three matches, can well be imagined. The 5-2 defeat against India was a humiliation hard to stomach for any aficionado here.

The following is the position of teams after Tuesday:

Great Britain: Played 4, Won 3, Drawn 0, Lost 1, Goals scored 10, Goals against 7, Points 9: Australia 3-2-1-0-8-3-7; India 4-2-1-1-11-7-7; Pakistan 4-2-0-2-11-12-6; Korea 3-1-1-1-6-7-4; New Zealand 3-0-1-2-4-8-1; Malaysia 3-0-0-3-4-10-0

Wednesday's matches: New Zealand v Malaysia (1-35 p.m. IST); Australia v Korea (3-35 p.m.); India v Pakistan (5-35 p.m.)

The Hindu

Two in-form goalkeepers are India’s strength

K. Arumugam

The 18 Indians playing in the Azlan Shah Cup are now considered a force to reckon with. They have surely set the Azlan Shah stadium turf on fire.

The quick change of opinion was a bit unexpected as the side was considered a lightweight by those who watched them let go 2-0 lead and end up the loser in the opener five days ago.

The defence still has the same inconsistent tendencies, Mahadik is yet to fully recover from the injury he sustained midway through in the Korean contest; forwards, despite among the goals, suffer from the lack of form of genuine strikers. Midfielders lend a solidity, but as Australians and Malaysian proved, they are brittle and prone.

Yet, if the Indian team here has retrieved lot of image and prestige, what with the stellar 4-1 lemon time score against the hosts, the credit should go to one department where nothing went wrong so far. It is goalkeeping.

India’s two senior most goalkeepers, Bangalore’s Bharat Chetri and Bombay’s Adrian D’Souza, who don the cage alternatively, and imaginatively, and yet again established their credentials beyond doubt.

Coach Harendra has fielded Adrian in the Korean and Australian contests while Chetri took care of Great Britain and Malaysia. Irrespective of win-loss calculus, it can easily be said his choices worked, its goalkeepers who shone in all the four matches.

If this was Chetri who stood between marauding Malaysians’ victory and defeat in the second half -- who came almost scoring their third goal in the 60th minute through an immaculately executed penalty corner sequence – its Adrian who saw it off the Aussies in the entire 70 minutes the other day, barring a give away loner. That draw will now form the foundation for medal prospects is stating the obvious.

Some defenders, midfielders and forwards may not have been in the present side due to one reason or other but the senior most and most experienced duo of goalkeepers are here. This is one area India did not experiment, thankfully.

Goalkeepers mature with age, and it takes double time than it would require for other specialist players.

Adrian’s come back was as dramatic and interesting as it was the case with Bharat Chetri last year.

Ignore and sidelined, Chetri was playing in a local tournament in Malaysia when asked to do last year’s Azlan number. He grabbed his chance, and went on to cement his place subsequently, leading upto Asian Games 2010.

Adrian on the other hand was mysteriously dropped for the same Azlan number last year, many thought that it was because of his articulation of players’ case before the 2010 World Cup.

One of the three Olympians in the present side, Adrian was unlucky to miss all the Indian engagements after that in the last year. PR Sreejesh, another potential threat to the duo, filled in his gap.

Now almost after a year, after missing CWG and Asiad, Adrian was recalled and he proved those behind it are right.

Its interesting to observe the two goalies whom we all thought are consigned to history willingly or otherwise, emerge from nowhere and now stabilize the Indian success story.

We are mid way through a well-contested tournament, things might change, improve and even deteriorate. But we are assured this duo will go from strength to strength, which is a good sign.

Stick2Hockey.com

Pakistan clash 'just another game', says coach Harinder



India's coach insisted on Tuesday that there was "no room for emotions" on the eve of the highly anticipated grudge match against great rivals Pakistan at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

"Such sentiments can cost us the match as you will not be playing for the points. There is no doubt that this will be yet another good match-up, but we aim to take it as just another game," Indian coach Harinder Singh said.

Going into Wednesday's clash, India - the reigning joint champions - are third in the standings with seven points with two matches to go. Old foes Pakistan are one place and one point behind from the same number of games.

Matches between the neighbours in any sport are always fierce, but the showdown in Ipoh, in northern Malaysia, has taken on extra significance as both sides chase a place in the next round.

It will be the 149th meeting between the two giants of hockey since 1956, but Pakistan have the edge if records are anything to go by - they have 74 wins compared to India's 49. A total of 25 matches ended in draws.

But the form is with India, who finished joint winners with South Korea last year after the final was washed-out and were the outright champions in 2009.

Pakistan team manager KM Junaid said matches between the two teams are always tense, but said any ill-feelings were irrelevant.

"We have to look at the hockey side and play the game to the best of our ability. It is God's will if we win," he said.

"But then again, the points are very crucial for us as well as them.

"My young players are doing well and improving with each match. The Indians too have a young side with a lot of players playing at this level for the first time."

Pakistan started the tournament on a positive note with wins over New Zealand (4-2) and South Korea (4-2), but then lost to Great Britain 3-2 and were smashed by Australia 5-1.

India lost to Korea 3-2 in their opening match, but then beat Great Britain 3-1, drew with Australia and hammered Malaysia 5-2.

Also Wednesday, New Zealand take on Malaysia and Australia face Korea.

Great Britain top the standings ahead of Australia in the seven-team competition.

Official Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site

India look to continue winning streak against Pakistan

IPOH: India are looking to continue their recent domination against Asian Games gold medallists Pakistan when the arch-rivals clash in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on Wednesday.

Defending champions India's hopes of completing a hat-trick will hinge on winning the next two games, which now seems essential for advancing to the final after they squandered a two-goal lead to suffer a 2-3 defeat against South Korea in the opening outing.

India, who won the Azlan Shah Cup outright in 2009 and were joint champions with South Korea in 2010, go into Wednesday's match with victories in the last four encounters against Pakistan.

After the reversal against South Korea, India have defeated top-placed Britain and hosts Malayisa, while the match against World champions Australia ended in a 1-1 draw.

Pakistan's hopes have suffered a jolt despite twin victories as they lost to both Britain and Australia.

"We hope to put up a good show, our team has improved with every outing as the youngsters have gained in confidence," says chief coach Harendra Singh.

"These young players have done a wonderful job and their learning process has got a big boost through the experience here," he said.

He said the Indian team was focusing on executing its own strategy, and are not unduly concerned about the opposition.

"We're not treating the match against Pakistan any differently from the previous games," said Harendra.

"I don't think you can term any particular match as a special one. For us each and every encounter is of equal importance," the coach tried to play down the hype that is always generated during an Indo-Pak clash.

Currently placed third in the round-robin league standings - behind Britain (nine points from four matches) and Australia (seven points from three games) - India need to win the two remaining games against Pakistan and New Zealand if they aspire for another appearance in the final.

India maintained an all-win record in last year's four matches against Pakistan, and those included the preliminary league matches in the World Cup in New Delhi and the Guangzhou Asian Games.

In the Asian Games, India suffered a shock defeat against Malaysia in the semifinals, while Pakistan went on to reclaim the title after two decades.

As always Harendra stressed on the fact that success and failures of past will have little credence as they take on Pakistan.

"We've not allowed the Commonwealth Games final and the Asian Games semifinals to play on our minds. Similarly, we won't be looking back at last year's matches against Pakistan," said coach Harendra.

"What happened in last year's matches is now history, just as the earlier matches in this tournament. The boys are eager to perform well," he said.

Harendra, who was brought back as India's coach after resigning in the wake of the loss to Malaysia in the semifinal of the Asian Games where he was the deputy to Spaniard Jose Brasa, said the young team had justified his faith in them.

"I have confidence in these boys, they have been wonderful," he said.

Pakistan will be looking to reverse the tide against India, rankled by the four successive defeats against the sub-continental hockey rivals.

"Against India, we want to execute our plans in a better way that we've done so far," said Pakistan team manager Khawaja Junaid.

"We look forward to coming back strongly in this match, The 1-5 loss to Australia yesterday was a good learning experience. We've got to sort out our shortcomings," said Junaid, a former international player himself.

Pakistan's team includes most of the gold medalists from the Asian Games, but defence crumbled against Australia on Monday.

"As a group, we've missed a lot of chances. We've been conceding a lot of soft goals and that's something we must not repeat in the nest game," he said.

"We want to win tomorrow's match and get our campaign back on track."

Pakistan have six points from four matches with games against India and hosts Malaysia remaining.

"Two defeats doesn't mean the end of the tournament, we have a lot to play for," Junaid added.

The Indian camp will also be looking to avoid the jittery situation of the second half against Malaysia, when they allowed the hosts to dictate the pace of the game and lay seize on the Indian goal for the first 15 minutes in the second session.

The Indian defence managed to hold its ground, as it had done in the match against Australia, where India's ability to absorb the pressure secured them a draw.

The Times of India

India need to cover all bases against Pakistan

IPOH (Malaysia): India will have to cover all their bases when they take on Asian Games champions Pakistan in the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament on Wednesday.

Asked about the all-important clash, coach Harendra Singh said the players will have to take it as any other match.

"We had positive results against Pakistan last year. We have to keep our cool and hold the nerve. We need to take it as any other match and outwit them. We cannot afford to get emotional on the field. We are here to perform well against all the teams, not only against Pakistan," Harendra said.

The defence, without the resilient Sardara Singh, has performed admirably specially against an attacking Australia side. Dhananjay Mahadik was adjudged the Man of the Match in that tie for his gutsy show in the back line. Goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza and Bharat Chettri have also stood up to the task.

"The defence has stuck it out well so far, but there is still a lot of play left in the tournament," Harendra said.

He was all praise for drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh, who has slotted five goals and has made up for the absence of star drag-flicker Sandeep Singh.

"I told him to stick to the basics and not try extravagant things. It will do great for his confidence after the way he has played in the tournament."

The forward line has muffled some opportunities and Harendra said they need to be consistent. "They rotate the ball with short passes and not involve in individual play."

It has been a roller-coaster ride for India in the Azlan Shah Cup so far. They began with a 2-3 defeat against co-defending champions South Korea, having squandered a 2-0 lead. India, however, came back strongly and beat Britain (3-1), drew with Australia (1-1) and trounced Malaysia 5-2. They are third on the points table.

Britain top the round robin table with nine points from four matches. Australia are second with seven points followed by India, also on seven, and Pakistan six.

Pakistan began with convincing victories over New Zealand and South Korea by an identical 4-2 scoreline, but slumped to defeats against Britain (2-3) and Australia (1-5). They would be looking to bounce back against India.

India's recent record against Pakistan is impressive having got the better of them four times last year -- World Cup, Commonwealth Games, Azlan Shah and Guangzhou Asian Games. Pakistan, however, won the Asian Games gold and a berth for the London Olympics while India, despite showing potential in the league phase in Guangzhou, had to contend with a bronze.

Harendra Singh also said he has not lost sight of preparing the team for the Champions Trophy and the Olympic qualifiers.

"We have to improve day by day and in all the departments," Harendra said.

The Times of India

Pakistan, India play down hype ahead of all-important match


It will be the 149th meeting between the two giants of hockey since 1956, but Pakistan have the edge if records are anything to go by – they have 74 wins compared to India’s 49. —File photo by AFP

IPOH: Pakistan and India are set to meet in a match that could decide their fate for the semi-final line up of the Azlan Shah Cup but officials of both teams believe it is ‘just another game.’

Both teams go into their crucial fifth match of the tournament needing at least a draw to stay in contention for the semi-final line up. However, the arch-rivals are looking to play down the pre-match hype in a bid to take pressure off their players.

Pakistan manager Khwaja Junaid said matches between the two teams are always tense, but any ill-feelings were irrelevant.

“We have to look at the hockey side and play the game to the best of our ability. It is God’s will if we win,” he said.

“But then again, the points are very crucial for us as well as them.

Pakistan, who started the tournament impressively with similar (4-2) wins against New Zealand and South Korea, were brought down by Great Britain in a 3-2 loss before being thrashed by Australia 5-1.

“Two defeats doesn’t mean end of the tournament, we have a lot to play for,” Junaid said.

Several changes were made to the Pakistan squad that won gold at last November’s Asian Games in Guangzhou but strike-force, including veterans Rehan Butt and Shakeel Abbasi, remained the same

“My young players are doing well and improving with each match. The Indians too have a young side with a lot of players playing at this level for the first time.”

“As a group, we have missed a lot of chances. We have been conceding a lot of soft goals and that’s something we must not repeat in the next game. We want to win tomorrow’s match and get our campaign back on track,” he added.

Meanwhile, India’s coach insisted that there was “no room for emotions” on the eve of the highly anticipated grudge match.

“Such sentiments can cost us the match as you will not be playing for the points. There is no doubt that this will be yet another good match-up, but we aim to take it as just another game,” Indian coach Harinder Singh said.

Going into Wednesday’s clash, India – the reigning joint champions – are third in the standings with seven points with two matches to go. Old foes Pakistan are one place and one point behind from the same number of games.

“We’ve not allowed Commonwealth Games final and Asian Games semifinals to play on our minds. Similarly, we won’t be looking back at last year’s matches against Pakistan,” said Harendra.

“What happened in last year’s matches is now history, just as earlier matches in this tournament. Boys are eager to perform well.” Harendra, who was brought back as India’s coach after resigning in wake of loss to Malaysia in Asian Games semifinal where he was deputy to Spaniard Jose Brasa, said young team had justified his faith in them.

“I have confidence in these boys, they have been wonderful,” he said.

India will also be looking to avoid jittery situation of second half against Malaysia, when they allowed hosts to dictate the pace of game and lay seize on Indian goal for first 15 minutes in second session. Indian defence managed to hold its ground, as it had done in match against Australia, where India’s ability to absorb pressure secured them a draw.

Matches between the neighbours in any sport are always fierce, but the showdown in Ipoh, in northern Malaysia, has taken on extra significance as both sides chase a place in the next round.

It will be the 149th meeting between the two giants of hockey since 1956, but Pakistan have the edge if records are anything to go by – they have 74 wins compared to India’s 49. A total of 25 matches ended in draws.

But the form is with India, who finished joint winners with South Korea last year after the final was washed-out and were the outright champions in 2009.

India lost to Korea 3-2 in their opening match, but then beat Great Britain 3-1, drew with Australia and hammered Malaysia 5-2.

Also Wednesday, New Zealand take on Malaysia and Australia face Korea.

Great Britain top the standings ahead of Australia in the seven-team competition.

Dawn

Archrivals clash in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup today

Pakistan contest ‘just another game’: India

IPOH: India’s coach insisted Tuesday that there was “no room for emotions” on the eve of the highly anticipated grudge match against great rivals Pakistan at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. “Such sentiments can cost us the match as you will not be playing for the points. There is no doubt that this will be yet another good match-up, but we aim to take it as just another game,” Indian coach Harinder Singh said. Going into Wednesday’s clash, India – the reigning joint champions – are third in the standings with seven points with two matches to go. Old foes Pakistan are one place and one point behind from the same number of games.

Matches between the neighbours in any sport are always fierce, but the showdown in Ipoh, in northern Malaysia, has taken on extra significance as both sides chase a place in the next round. It will be the 149th meeting between the two giants of hockey since 1956, but Pakistan have the edge if records are anything to go by – they have 74 wins compared to India’s 49. A total of 25 matches ended in draws. But the form is with India, who finished joint winners with South Korea last year after the final was washed-out and were the outright champions in 2009.

Pakistan team manager K. M. Junaid said matches between the two teams are always tense, but said any ill-feelings were irrelevant. “We have to look at the hockey side and play the game to the best of our ability. It is God’s will if we win,” he said. “But then again, the points are very crucial for us as well as them. “My young players are doing well and improving with each match. The Indians too have a young side with a lot of players playing at this level for the first time.” Pakistan started the tournament on a positive note with wins over New Zealand (4-2) and South Korea (4-2), but then lost to Great Britain 3-2 and were smashed by Australia 5-1. India lost to Korea 3-2 in their opening match, but then beat Great Britain 3-1, drew with Australia and hammered Malaysia 5-2. Also Wednesday, New Zealand take on Malaysia and Australia face Korea. Great Britain top the standings ahead of Australia in the seven-team competition.

The Daily Times

Time to up energy levels once again

Arjun Halappa

Halfway through the competition, this is perhaps the one game everyone will be looking forward to. India versus Pakistan in any sport, any competition always gets the interest like nothing else. It will be no different on Wednesday. There is no denying that there is some extra energy that somehow comes in every time the two teams play each other. The result becomes only the icing on the cake, but it is the extra energy that makes it special.

However, for us, from the competition point of view, it will be like any other match. We are in this competition to win and for that we need all the points we can get from the league games. In that respect, for us, the worth of the match against Pakistan is three points --- nothing more, nothing less. It will be the same for them as well, especially after losing 5-1 to Australia, so expect a tough encounter.

CONFIDENCE HIGH

Having won 5-2 against Malaysia and drawing against Australia before that, the confidence level is high. Of course, there can never be a perfect team, but the overall performance has been satisfactory so far.
We need to keep complacency at bay. The fact that we have beaten Pakistan five times in the last one year — in fact, every time we’ve played them all over the world — will mean nothing when we step on the field on Wednesday. Neither will the fact that they are the Asian Games champions.

SOHAIL A BIG THREAT

Sohail Abbas has not been in great form here so far, but tomorrow could be his day. So, there is nothing that should keep us from going all out against them. At the same time, I am not looking at making any special plans for Pakistan.
We have been following a plan for the last two years and it has begun paying dividends. It has got to do more with our own performance and improving our levels than targetting any particular opponent.

TEST FOR YOUNG GUNS

This will also be a big test for many youngsters in our side, who will be playing Pakistan on a big stage for the first time. After the Australia match, where our youngsters proved they had the nerves to hold the world champions under intense pressure, this will be another test. But this time, more than the skills, it will be a test of temperament. And, I am confident they will prove themselves again.
Pakistan have several experienced players, so it will make it interesting. Their right flank is strong, given they have Shakeel Abbasi and Rehan Butt.

JUST ANOTHER MATCH

At a personal level, I have played a lot against most of these players, so it will be just another match; especially Rehan, who was a team-mate during the PHL. Most of the players from both sides are friends off the field. But on the field, it is a different game altogether. We lost the opening game and Pakistan lost two in a row. With both sides going for broke, the fans can expect some crackling play on Wednesday.

Hindustan Times

Malaysia must beat N. Zealand to avoid finishing last

By S. RAMAGURU


Hot pace: Azlan Misron tries to catch up with Australia’s Matthew Butturini during their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match on Friday. — RONNIE CHIN / The Star

IPOH: The target was to finish at least fourth but as it stands now, Malaysia will be fighting to avoid last place in the seven-nation Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here.

Malaysia have lost all three matches thus far – to Britain (1-3), Australia (1-2) and India (2-5). And they will be playing against New Zealand today followed by matches against South Korea (tomorrow) and Pakistan (Saturday).

A win for Malaysia against the Kiwis, who have one point from a draw with South Korea, is crucial to avoid last place and have an interest in the final day of competition on Sunday in the playoff for fifth place.

And Malaysia coach Tai Beng Hai said that they need to improve on their performance and there was no room for errors.

One thing that was missing in the match against India was a proper playing structure and they were left trailing 1-4 at half time. The team did improve in the second half but it was not good enough to salvage a point.

“We have to start playing well and concentrate on our duties for the full duration of the match,” said Beng Hai.

“The players are in a learning process. We have had just four weeks of training and there are still aspects that we have yet to look into or work at. But we are learning with each match and hope to win a match or two.”

Malaysia and New Zealand have played against each other many times and know each others’ game well enough.

The Kiwis too have not had good results thus far in the tournament and coach Shane McLeod said that they were looking at winning their first match.

“We are not underestimating Malaysia. They have always been a tough side to beat and we like playing against them,” he said.

“We are familiar with each other and it will be interesting to see if we can keep ahead of them here.”

Malaysia met the Kiwis twice last year in Test matches in Kuala Lumpur. The first match ended in a 2-2 draw while Malaysia won the second 3-0.

The teams met eight times in 2009 with the record favouring the Kiwis with five wins and three draws.

In total, there have been 53 matches with Malaysia winning just 13 against 28 for the Kiwis. And 12 matches ended in draws.

But statistics will mean nothing today as the teams have good motivation to play for a win.

“No team want to finish last,” said Beng Hai.

“But we have to be realistic about our chances. All the teams here are ranked higher than us and have also prepared well. They have brought a blend of young and senior players and every team have the London Olympics as their target.

“Our programme is also geared towards Olympic qualification. We have to get a playing structure and only then can we start working on other aspects.”

Fitness is a problem but still the team have displayed some good performance like they did against Australia. It will be good if they can play the same way as that will certainly give them a better chance at winning.

For Malaysia, the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes of the match have been the problem. They must be on their toes from start to end.

The Star of Malaysia

Australia, Britain aim to go home as winners


Charlesworth: ‘We have been a bit rusty but the team are showing signs of better performance each day.’

IPOH: Australia and Britain have declared their intention to win the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. And for now, they appear headed for a showdown in the final.

At this stage, five teams are in with a shout to play in the final on Sunday. Britain top the standings on nine points followed by Australia and India on seven. Pakistan have six points while South Korea have four.

Although there are three more days of action in the preliminary round, it is the matches today and tomorrow that will decide the fate of these teams.

Britain have a rest today before their match with Australia tomorrow. But the other four teams will clash against each other and a win will give them the advantage.

World champions Australia will play against South Korea, who were the joint winners with India last year. And the Indians will be up against traditional rivals Pakistan.

“We have played Pakistan many times and each match has been a tough one to nail down,” said India coach Harinder Singh.

“We do not expect it to be any easier here even though they have lost their last two matches. For us, beating them means taking a huge step towards defending our title.”

Pakistan manager K.M. Junaid said: “A lot is at stake today and it is not just about pride. Three points will give us the chance to aim for a final berth. That is what we want to achieve.

“We know the Indians are playing well. But my players after two straight defeats want to redeem themselves. It will be tough but we are looking forward to it.”

Australia continue with tests on their team but coach Ric Charlesworth believes that they have it in them to win the title.

“That is our aim here. It is not about whom we play. Every match here in Ipoh is tough and crucial. We have been a little rusty but the team are showing signs of better performance each day,” he said.

“The players, especially the younger ones, are eager to see action to prove themselves. This is a good tournament and we want to go back as winners.”

The problem for Australia is their poor penalty corner conversion but fortunately for them, the forwards are delivering the goals.

As Britain have a rest day today, they will be watching closely from the sidelines. After their match against Australia tomorrow, they wrap up their round-robin fixture against South Korea on Saturday.

Coach Jason Lee said: “So far, we have had some good results and the players are shaping up well. We are a little surprise at being at the top and that is a good thing as we are heading in the right direction.

“There are still two tough matches to go. Our main objective is to learn and to get the shape of the team going.”

The Star of Malaysia

Being Ric Charlesworth



Ric Charlesworth is a doctor of medicine, a former captain of the Australian Hockey Team, the State Hockey Team and the State Cricket Team. He was also in Federal parliament for 10 years then he retired to take up the position of National Coach of the Australian Women's Hockey Team from 1993 until Sydney 2000. Ric has worked as a high performance consultant to the Freo Dockers and as a mentor coach to 5 Australian Institute of Sport coaches.

He moved to New Zealand in October 2005 to work as a High Performance Manager for New Zealand cricket. Late 2007 to 2008 he worked as a Technical Advisor to Indian Hockey. In 2008 he was appointed coach of the Australian's National Mens Hockey team, the Kookaburras. (from www.riccharlesworth.com)

He shares his thoughts on a range of issues, from the Malaysian hockey team to the world of hockey in this exclusive interview with www.azlanshahcup.com



Question: What is your opinion of the Malaysian team and are they heading in the right direction?

Ric: They are a good side but lack the basic ingredient required to excel in world hockey - that is consistency and depth in terms of quality players. At the Asian Games, they were solid in the group stages and scored from three out of the four penalty corners they had. But in the final it was a different story altogether as they seem happy to finish second and failed to stop from three penalty corners they earned. To be good the team has to be consistent and they need to be good in every sense of the word. In other words they cannot just rely on penalty corners to get the goals but must be able to score field goals as well. From what I have seen, the current team, with some players excluded, are a good team, even better then your 1975 squad. But I must say that I did not see much of your team in the 80' and 90's as I was involved in the ladies team. It is a question of playing good and quality international matches and in the next 10 months your team requires at least 40 odd matches in order to prepare for the Olympics qualifiers.

Question: What areas do you think Malaysian hockey needs to improve upon?

Ric: Well for starters your coaches need a sense of security. For example just look at the former Indian coach Jose Brasa. The one defeat against Malaysia in the semis at the Asian Games cost him his job. He was a good coach and just look how India beat Pakistan consistently in 2010. The same applies to your coaches, they must be given time, as success does not come overnight, unlike what some believe. If coaches are given short durations, then a success gives them the status of "Guru" while failure has a ready made excuse - we did not have enough time. So why do this. And when you remove coaches, what kind of message are you sending to the players, that the coaches are at fault with the players completely absolved of any blame for a failure?

Then there is a question of exposing players in foreign leagues. Even our players play in Europe and I wonder why Malaysia is not working hard at this option. Australia will be a good place and I hear that two players will be playing there in the league. But why just stop at 2 players? You have some talented players that can surely find places in our leagues. So an effort must be made to expose your players in different playing conditions for there is no end to learning new things. And at the end the national cause gains.

Question: Many have claimed that teams are using the Azlan Shah Cup for development purposes only?

Ric: I will not agree with that as it is one difficult tournament to win and the teams here are really good though they may have brought some younger players to blood. Just take a look at the teams. Pakistan has 6 players who have played 100 or more international matches. Then we have Great Britain (10), Malaysia (8), Korea (5), India (6), New Zealand (6) and Australia (2). Yes some key players are not here but it is not a developmental team tournament. I dare say after the Olympics, World Cup and Champions Trophy, winning the Azlan Shah Cup is a difficult task given the quality of teams and the playing conditions.

Question: The umpiring standard has come under fire and so too the non usage of the video referral. Your thoughts on these matters?

Ric: Firstly I am amazed that FIH system requires us, the top ranked team to play two matches on 4.00pm on consecutive days and also that we play two teams that have had to rest days before facing us. Something needs to be done in regards to the fixture. Do not get me wrong here, it is a wonderful tournament, despite the fact that we have to play 6 matches in eight days and hopefully this will bring some good in the end of the day.

As for the video referral, it should be a standard practice in all major tournaments, and the Azlan Shah Cup is no exception. We have seen some incidents over the past few days that could have been corrected had the system been used.

With regards to the umpiring, they are doing the best and I must credit the Umpires Manager for he provides valuable input to the umpires. It is better then last year and we just have to accept the decisions, though at times it can be frustrating.

Question: Hockey has seen many changes over the past two decades. Do you think that this is good for the sport?

Ric: The sport is evolving and is played at a faster pace then before. In the 70's and 80's we had siff hockey sticks, then came the curve introduced by the Indian manufacturers. Hockey equipment ahs seen many different changes over the years and this will surely have an affect on the manner the sport is played. For instance the edge of the stick can now be used and this accounts for a large number of goals in hockey. We need more innovations to make the sport more interesting and I am all for change, but it must be to improve the sport. The other rule is the off side rule that has been done away and this too is good for hockey. But we just cannot stop here as changes need to be made, we must evolve but yey cannot get carried away until it takes the charm out of the sport.

Question: You have always made calls for the reduction of the number of players in a match. And that stand has not changed. Why is there a need to reduce the number of players?

Ric: Less players means more space. With 11 players and the current rules, it makes it easier for teams to defend and that is not entertaining for the fans. FIH needs to seriously look at reducing the number to 9 players per team as that will make it easier for either team to score. We tried this in the AHL years ago but it has just found its way to EHA of late. Thus the national associations need to be creative and come out with innovative ideas that will help the sport. It is not FIH's call solely as the players need to push for changes as they are the key people in the sport.

Question: The qualifying system for major tournaments has come under question by many quarters and FIH has responded by introducing the World Series. Do you foresee any improvement to the system?

Ric: The best teams should be at the Olympics and it has to be 12 since there is limitations to the number of teams in a multi sports event. I do not agree on this three qualifying system and rather have something to what was done in Madrid for the 2004 Olympics. The top 6 teams (including the hosts and five continental champions) should be the automatic qualifiers. Then three other places should go by the current world ranking while the remaining three places determined through one qualifying tournament comprising of the top 12 ranked teams that did not make the Olympics through the automatic spots.

By holding three qualifiers, with one top spot, it is not fair to the teams as they have to play in different conditions, with different match officials and even different months. And they have to wait to find out where they will play the qualifiers till the continental tournament is held.

Then we have the World Cup. FIH should practice the notion of inclusive instead of exclusive as the case is now. We should have 16 teams as opposed to the current system of 12 teams as there is really no big gap in terms of the standards of the top 16 teams in the world at the moment.

As for the World Series, I am as confused as everyone else as to how this will work. So we just will have to wait and see.

Official Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site

Poor run to continue

Jugjet Singh


Malaysia’s Hafifihafiz Hanafi (left) tries to stop India’s Diwakar on Monday. — Picture by Ikhwan Munir

AFTER three straight defeats, Malaysia have another three matches to play in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, but going by their current form, they are staring at another three defeats.

The chinks were there for all to see in the match against India on Monday, where Malaysia were given a lesson in hockey in a 5-2 drubbing despite the Indians having injected many new players into their team after their Asian Games failure.

Malaysia, on the other hand, fielded the same Asian Games side which took silver minus penalty corner flicker Amin Rahim.

"We were rattled because the regular defenders were injured and I had to rotate players. This is why their performance dropped against India," said Malaysia's coach Tai Beng Hai.

Tactically and even fitness-wise, Malaysia are not too far behind the other Asian teams.

The only difference is that Korea, India and Pakistan seem to be able to rely on their back-up players when regulars get injured or retire, and their standard of play is almost the same.

A classic example is India, who left behind their best penalty corner flicker Sandeep Singh and were willing to try out Rupinder Singh for this tournament.

The 23-year-old has scored five goals so far in the tournament, one of which was in India's 1-1 draw with Australia.

However, Malaysia look like lost lambs and have not scored a single penalty corner goal after Amin Rahim was rested due to a knee injury he picked up in the Malaysia Hockey League.

"We have limited replacements on the bench, and when Amin and Madzli (Ikmar) are sidelined, the others find it difficult to fill their shoes," added Beng Hai.

Malaysia play New Zealand today, followed by South Korea and Pakistan.

In the last meeting during the World Cup Qualifier in Invercargill, Malaysia were edged 2-1 by the Kiwis in the final and missed the boat to the New Delhi World Cup.

New Zealand have also been struggling in this tournament and only have one point to show, but it won't come as a surprise if Malaysia hand them three more points.

New Straits Times

Fans May Lose Interest If Hockey Squad Fail To Perform Well - Shabery

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek wants the hockey team competing in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup competition to revive the interest of the local fans by putting on a credible show.

"The performance of the Malaysia players has not been up to the mark so far. Initially when we lost to England, I felt the performance of the team was good.

"They must pull of a surprise or two to restore the of the team and confidence of the fans. The fans must believe in the team and have confidence that the team can qualify for the 2012 London Olympics," he said.

Malaysia opened their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup campaign with a 1-3 loss to England 1-3 but after losing by a close margin to Australia (1-2), the team lost 2-5 to India in their third match Monday.

There are three more matches for the Malaysian team, namely against New Zealand tomorrow, South Korea on May 12 and Pakistan on May 14.

Ahmad Shabery said the hockey squad must rectify their weaknesses in the remaining matches.

After the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, the national squad will compete in the 1st Men's Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, China from Sept 3 to 11.

Official Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site

Hockey India appoints first-ever Australian CEO

By Mihir Vasavda

Hockey India has appointed Australian marketing professional Elena Norman as its first-ever CEO, sources confirmed on Tuesday. Norman has taken charge last week but her appointment was made official during Hockey India’s meeting with International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Norman, who worked as a marketing consultant for FIH during the hockey World Cup in New Delhi last year, was working with HI earlier as a marketing consultant. But sources said ‘her expertise and willingness to work in the challenging conditions makes her suitable for the job, which demands world-wide knowledge of the game.’ “For the past few months she has been doing her homework, studying the scenario for development of hockey in the country. One thing that worries her is the uncertainty on the part of the sports ministry for recognising Hockey India,” a top HI official told DNA.

Norman earlier worked with a Delhi-based sports management firm before joining HI as a marketing consultant. It is also learnt that Negre has chalked out a plan to host up to three major international and club-level tournaments in India, an annoucement of which will be made at a later date.

DNA

Elena Norman joins as CEO, Hockey India?

NEW DELHI: Hockey India now has a CEO to handle its marketing, with Australian marketing expert Elena Norman joining in that capacity from Tuesday, top sources confirmed. to SportzPower.

Norman, known for her marketing contribution to the Hockey World Cup held last year, had in February been initially appointed as consultant in the marketing team of HI after the last constitutional amendment of the body.

Her consultancy remuneration had at that time been fixed at Rs 100,000 per mensem.

Norman has a proven history of sports marketing. When she came to India a few years ago she initially worked for marketing cricket at Commune Sport and Entertainment, which is owned by Jamie Stewart, an established name in the cricket business in this country.

“I had got fed up of cricket, so I came to hockey,” Norman had earlier told SportzPower when she quit Commune earlier this year.

Elena, who says India is her ‘lost home found back’, did not respond when called on her phone. And so far HI has not issued a statement in this regard or disclosed her remuneration in her permanent position as CEO. A statement is expected after the HI meeting with FIH president Leandro Negre later Tuesday evening.

For the past few months she has been studying the scenario for hockey development, and has been worried that with the uncertainty of the government not finally speaking its mind on recognition of Hockey India as the governing body.

However, SportzPower learns that it is more or less certain that Hockey India will finally get the recognition soon, and that will be the positive news that would help the new CEO function meaningfully.

Sportzpower

Federation Cup hockey from May 12

Jalandhar: The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the Punjab Hockey Association will jointly organise Federation Cup-2011 hockey tournament (men’s and women’s) here from May 12 to17.

The tournament would see the men’s matches being played at the newly laid astro-turf at the Punjab Armed Police (PAP) ground, here on May 12, while the women’s matches would be held at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium from the same day. Addressing a press briefing here, chairman of the organizing committee, Surinder Singh Sodhi, said that this would be the first time that the Federation Cup would witness men’s and women’s matches together. “A total of 16 teams (eight men’s and eight women’s) will participate.”

The Tribune

Aga Khan tourney to be held under Hockey India aegis

Unfazed by an Indian Hockey Federation directive to not revive the century-old Aga Khan tournament, the Bombay Gynmkhana is going ahead with its plan to hold the event from May 15-21.

“We are going ahead and reviving the tournament after nine years. All the teams who have been approached have confirmed their participation. We are not interested in hockey politics but only interested in bringing up our national game,” said Bombay Gymkhana President Ashok Rao at a media conference today.

IHF, via two letters to the Bombay Gymkhana who had approached rival body Hockey India directly to organise the tournament, has said the event is an “unauthorised” one.

Former India skipper Viren Rasquinha, who will play for the host Gymkhana along with another ex-captain and four-time Olympian Dhanraj Pillay, said the hockey players are only interested in playing the game.

“Hockey players are anguished to be caught in the cross-fire between the two bodies (IHF and HI). My advice to all the players and the teams is to take part in all the tournaments irrespective of who conducts them,” said the Olympian.

In a letter sent on May 6 as a follow-up to the earlier communication on April 28, IHF secretary general Ashok Mathur has termed the tournament as “unauthorised” as it was being held under the aegis of Hockey India which, he said, was not recognised by the union government.

The Hindu

AI to miss Aga Khan Hockey Tournament

MUMBAI: India's second oldest and the city's most prestigious hockey event - the Aga Khan Hockey Tournament - will be revived after almost a decade. The irony, though, is that defending champions Air India will not be able to participate in the tournament, which was first played in 1896.

For, most of Air India players are away doing national duty, representing India at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia. A couple of them are busy playing in the German league, while a few of them were lost to transfers (from Air India to Indian Oil, BPCL etc).

"We have won almost all major tournaments in the country and we wanted to maintain the same momentum. Moreover, at this point we couldn't field a strong playing squad. And fielding a team just for representation purposes didn't make sense, so we decided not to participate," Air India's Olympian coach Gavin Fereira told TOI.

The tournament was last held in 2002 at the Bombay Gymkhana where Air India had defeated Punjab Police 2-1 to clinch the title. For the record,Punjab Police will also not be participating. "Punjab Police have not participated in any major tournament for the past two years. They just don't have a competitive team," Viren Rasquinha, Olympian and Olympic Gold Quest CEO, said.

Meanwhile, eight outstation teams - Indian Oil, Karnataka XI, Indian Customs, South Central Railway, BEG (Pune), BPCL, Indian Overseas Bank (Chennai) and RCF (Kapurthala) - have confirmed participation. In addition, eight local teams will vie for supremacy in this 4.50-lakh prize money tournament, which will be played between May 15-21.

The Times of India

Black Stick Beth Jurgeleit announces retirement

After 105 international test caps and eight years of international hockey, Black Stick goalkeeper Beth Jurgeleit has announced her retirement and is turning her focus to finishing her law and commerce degree and starting a career.

The decision to retire did not come easily for Jurgeleit and although she won’t be saving goals at the London Olympics next year, she is hoping to be in the stands cheering on the team that she loves.

“It’s such a tough decision and the Olympics are a big carrot, but I’m in my final year of my law degree and I really want to finish that and start a career,” says Jurgeleit, aged 30, who lives in Auckland.

Since 2007, Jurgeleit has been working part time for Auckland litigation practice LeeSalmonLong, a company that has been very supportive of her playing for the Black Sticks, but finding the time to study, work and train has been a struggle.

Jurgeleit decided to take time out after the New Delhi Commonwealth Games to assess her options and decide whether she wanted to commit through to the London Olympics or retire from the international game.

“Beth will be sorely missed from the team and at the London Olympics. She brought a huge amount of experience to the team, has been a key player and a real leader to the younger members of the team, both on and off the field,” says Black Sticks women’s coach Mark Hager.

“She was very good at keeping calm under pressure, she would make numerous saves at critical times which would keep us in a game. Beth has really helped the team to achieve and get to where we are today,” says Hager.

During Hager’s time as coach, he notes that she performed with excellence at the 2009 Champions Challenge, 2009 World Cup Qualifier and at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Jurgeleit believes that the team is in a strong position and is keen to follow their progress closely.

“Since Mark has been coach the results have been really good. It will be great to see how they go at Champions Trophy in June, they have had a great build up and there is so much talent in the team at the moment, they should do well,” says Jurgeleit.

The memories Jurgeleit has from her time as a Black Stick she will cherish forever and although she is welcoming a break from the sport, she knows that hockey will always be part of her life.

“At some point, I think I will miss the game too much and will return to play at a club or regional level,” she says.

Jurgeleit says the highlights from her hockey career include competing at the 2004 Athens Olympics, bringing home a silver medal at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games and beating Australia in the 2009 World Cup Qualifier in Invercargill.

“I will miss that team feeling when you are out each morning, training hard in the build up to an event - it’s great to all be working towards a common goal. I will miss playing test matches – that top level of competition is what drives you and is the most fun. But to be honest, I probably won’t miss the 6am starts!” says Jurgeleit.

Key events that Beth Jurgeleit competed in include:
Champions Trophy (2004, 2006, 2010)
Olympic Games (2004, 2008)
Commonwealth Games (2006, 2010)
World Cup (2010)

Hockey New Zealand Media release

MSSP-USM ready to take on UniKL

Ajitpal Singh

MSSP-USM will not be pushovers when they face Division One champions UniKL in the Junior Hockey League quarter-finals on Friday.

The Penang side showed maturity and quality by reaching the Division Two final before losing 4-1 to Tunku Besar Secondary School (TBSS) last weekend.

Coach Yap Gark Soo said his players hold no fear for UniKL even though their opponents are the favourites.

"We will give our best and bank on our fitness and teamwork to get the better of UniKL. We realised they are powered by several national junior trainees," said Gark Soo yesterday.

"My boys are in high spirits after finishing second in Division Two. We had a good run, scoring 27 goals in the process."

The coach said they could count on Azwar Abdul Rahman and Mohd Hafify Rodzi, who have scored eight goals between them, against UniKL.

"Both players can score goals from open play and penalty corner set-pieces. I am confident they will make impact on Friday," said Gark Soo.

MSSP-USM are made up of players from the Penang Free School and Mutiara Impian Secondary School.

Gark Soo said he will continue to depend on state level players for next season's campaign in Division One. "Our objective is to develop our own players. We are also using the league to gauge these players for other competitions." he added.

New Straits Times

2011-2012 England Hockey League


Beeston Men's EHL Champions

Following the England Hockey League promotion playoffs at the beginning of May, the divisional structure for the 2011-2012 England Hockey League season has been announced.

New to the Men’s Premier Division following their successful promotions are Exeter University and Southgate, replacing Canterbury and Brooklands MU, who will compete in Conferences East and North respectively. Joining Canterbury in Conference East are newly promoted City of Peterborough and Teddington while Preston are also new to Conference North. In Conference West, the two promoted sides are Cardiff UWIC and Lichfield.

Men’s England Hockey League Divisions 2011-2012
* denotes promoted to division ** denotes relegated to division

Men’s Premier Division
Beeston
Bowdon
Cannock
East Grinstead
Exeter University*
Hampstead & Westminster
Loughborough Students
Reading
Southgate*
Surbiton

Men’s Conference East
Bromley & Beckenham
Canterbury**
City of Peterborough*
Harleston Magpies
Holcombe
Indian Gymkhana
Old Loughtonians
Oxted
Teddington*
Wimbledon

Men’s Conference North
Barford Tigers
Belper
Brooklands MU**
Deeside Ramblers
Doncaster
Durham University
Leek
Olton & West Warwickshire
Preston*
Sheffield Hallam Civica

Men’s Conference West
Bournville
Cardiff UWIC*
Cheltenham
Fareham
Guildford
Havant
Lichfield*
Team Bath Buccaneers
University of Birmingham
Whitchurch


Alex Danson in action for Reading in the England Hockey League (EHL) Women's Premier Division

In the women’s England Hockey League, Olton & West Warwickshire will play in the Premier Division again after surviving the playoffs and they will be joined by Sutton Coldfield, who have been promoted from Conference North. Maidstone and Oxford Hawks are new to Conference East for 2011-2012 while there are three new sides in Conference North following Sutton Coldfield’s promotion. Liverpool Sefton and Northampton Saints are newly promoted while Brooklands Poynton’s relegation from the Premier Division sees them complete the three team complement. Gloucester City’s arrival is the only change to women’s Conference West.

Women’s England Hockey League Divisions 2011-2012
* denotes promoted to division ** denotes relegated to division

Women’s Premier Division
Bowdon Hightown
Cannock
Clifton
EuroCanterbury
Leicester
Olton & West Warwickshire
Reading
Slough
Sutton Coldfield*
University of Birmingham

Women’s Conference East
Chelmsford
Harleston Magpies
Horsham
Ipswich
Maidstone*
Old Loughtonians
Oxford Hawks*
Sevenoaks
St Albans
Surbiton

Women’s Conference North
Beeston
Bradford Wakefield
Brooklands Poynton**
Doncaster
Durham University
Liverpool Sefton*
Loughborough Students
Northampton Saints*
Springfields UCLAN
Sunderland

Women’s Conference West
Barnes Hounslow Ealing
Buckingham
Exe
Firebrands
Gloucester City*
Isca University
Staines
Swansea
Team Bath Buccaneers
Trojans

The 2011-2012 England Hockey League fixtures will be published in June. The opening weekend of the 2011-2012 season is 17-18 September 2011.

England Hockey Board Media release

Tanvir Dar HA Boys Excel in the Junior Super Hockey League 2011

The third edition of the Junior Super Hockey League in Lahore showcased the young and budding talent of Pakistan.

Within five years of its inception, the Lahore based Tanvir Dar Hockey Academy has emerged as the finest colts’ factory of the country. The academy boys have appeared in Pakistan’s national teams at all the tiers: four figured in the victorious team of 2009 under 18 Youth Asia Cup, three were members of the under 23 team which won the SAF games’ gold medal in 2010, Arsalan Qadir was the top scorer of the inaugural Youth Olympics, where Pakistan won the silver medal, and Imran Butt won the full senior cap in the 2010 Azlan Shah Cup.

As expected Tanvir Dar Hockey Academy boys sparkled at the Junior Super League.

Faisalabad lifted the trophy defeating the hosts Lahore (also the holders) 5-2 in the final. Dar HA boys really shone for Faisalabad in the final. M.Rizwan netted two goals while Bilal Qadir scored one. Moreover, Bilal Qadir was also declared the Player of the Tournament, carrying cash prize of Rs 25,000. Faisalabad were indebted to two other Dar HA boys, M.Asif and M.Adnan for their success. The runner up Lahore also had one Dar HA boy Jawwad, among their ranks.

Earlier in the match for the third place, Multan defeated Sialkot on penalty strokes after the game ended 3-3 after extra time. Multan were also assisted by four academy boys in goal keeper Aqeel, forward Zeeshan and brothers Faisal Qadir and Arsalan Qadir, the last named was the top scorer of the inaugural youth Oympics where hockey won Pakistan’s only medal - silver. While Amir Yaqoob appeared for the fourth placed Sialkot.

Hence all the four semi finalists included boys from the Tanvir Dar HA.,

It is worth mentioning that almost all these boys belong to far flung provincial towns. These out station boys study in Lahore’s Model high school, Model Town and reside in the school hostel, with all their expenses being borne by Tanvir Dar Hockey Academy.

The conveyer belt continues to serve Pakistan hockey.

www.darhockeyacademy.com

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

Fieldhockey.com exclusive