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All the news for Sunday 15 May 2011

Italy to meet Belgium in Champions Challenge II Final


© FIH / Thomas Krombholz

Saturday was Semi Finals day here in Vienna, with Belgium and Italy producing sterling performances to fight their way past the respective challenges of Chile and Belarus to reach Sunday's Final.

Belgium grabbed a 1-0 victory over Chile in the first Semi Final, before a golden goal gave in the second period of extra time gave Italy a stunning 3-2 triumph over Belarus. Incredibly, both Belgium and Italy were runners up in the Pool phase of the competition, overcoming teams that were Pool winners.

Belgium were the first team to book their place in the tournament final when they overcame a strong challenge from a Chilean team that have greatly impressed onlookers during this tournament. A solitary goal was enough to give Belgium the win, with Jill Boon's 63rd minute field goal settling a contest in which both teams produced outstanding defensive displays. For Chile, it was only the fifth goal that they had conceded all tournament, but they could not find a way past a well-drilled Belgian defence that has been breached on only four occasions in their five matches so far. Chile were handed a lifeline with just three minutes remaining when Belgium's Gaelle Valcke was given a yellow card, but the Europeans exhibited even more top class defending to confirm their place in the tournament final.  Due to heavy rain the match was suspended 14 minutes from the end due to pitch flooding, causing a delay of 30 minutes before the game was eventually re-started.

The second semi final was played in much sunnier conditions, and was packed with drama as Italy overcame their Semi Final opponents Belarus courtesy of a golden goal from Agata Wybieralska in the second period of extra time. The result was even more remarkable by the fact that Italy were 2-0 down after just ten minutes, with Nastassia Shcharbakova and Hanna Zabrotskaya firing Belarus into the lead. However, two goals in three minutes just before half time pulled Italy back into the match, as Alessia Padalino hit a field goal and a penalty stroke from team captain Francesca Faustino levelled the scores at 2-2. With no further goals in the match, the game went to extra time. After a goal-less first period it seemed that the match was destined to go to the lottery of penalties, but Agata Wybieralska’s last gasp penalty corner strike sent the Italy team into delirium.

The results from Saturday's matches have confirmed the line-up for what is being billed Super Sunday in Vienna. The action begins early with host nation Austria looking to claim that elusive first win by defeating Canada in the battle for seventh place at 09:00 CEST (GMT +1). That match is followed by Russia versus Malaysia, who go head to head to decide the 5th and 6th places at 11:30.

The Bronze medal match will begin at 14:00, with Chile and Belarus aiming to bounce back from their defeats today by finishing the tournament on a high. The tournament will finish on a high with the Gold medal match, as Belgium and Italy take to the field at 16:30.

FIH Champions Challenge II (Women) 2011
Vienna, AUSTRIA, May 7-15, 2011

Saturday, May 14 - Semi-Final Results
Match 19: 15:00   SF     Chile v. Belgium 0:1 (0:0)
Match 20: 17:30   SF     Italy v. Belarus 2:2 (2:2) 3:2 AET

Sunday, May 15 - Super Sunday Fixtures
Match 21: 09:00   7/8     Canada v. Austria
Match 22: 11:30   5/6     Russia v. Malaysia
Match 23: 14:00   3/4     Chile v. Belarus
Match 24: 16:30   Final  Belgium v. Italy

All times listed are Central European Time (GMT +1).

To see the full tournament details, click here.

FIH site

Women thump Austria in Vienna

THE Malaysian women's hockey team whitewashed hosts Austria 7-0 in the Fifth-Eighth Classification match in the Champions Challenge II on Friday.

They will play Russia, who they held to a 2-2 draw in a Group B match, in the fifth-sixth classification match today. Russia beat Canada 3-2.

In the last Champions Challenge II, Malaysia finished seventh out of eight teams.

The Malaysian goals were scored by Nor Hidayah Ahmad (14th), Nadia Abdul Rahman (23rd), Noor Hasliza Ali (35th, 36th), Juliani Din (46th) and Siti Shahidah Saad (69th).

It was Malaysia's first win in five matches.

New Straits Times

Korea dent Great Britain hopes



South Korea dented Great Britain’s hope of making the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh.

Though Great Britain still have a mathematical chance of qualifying, following their 3-1 defeat to the Koreans, they will have to wait for the outcomes of the Pakistan v Malaysia and New Zealand v Australia clash.

Wins by Malaysia and Australia will give Great Britain an outside chance, as goal difference will decide the fate of Pakistan and Great Britain who both will finish with 9 points.

Great Britain were never in the match and have only themselves to blame for a lethargic display.

Korea were awarded a penalty corner in the 2nd minute but Nicholas Brothers in the Great Britain goal, instead of James Fair, was agile to palm away the attempt by Jang Jong Hyun.

Eight minutes later and Korea were not to be denied. Jeon Byung Jin worked his way into the semi circle on the right and picked out Yoon Sung Hoon who had the simple task of guiding the ball into the goal to give Korea a 1-0 lead.

The goal woke Great Britain from their slumber and they attacked relentlessly.

And Great Britain made their second penalty corner in the 20th minute count, as Mathew Daly’s shot was too powerful for Korean keeper Lee Myung Ho, who despite getting a foot to it failed to prevent the goal.

But two minutes later Daly turned villain, as he was yellow carded for a bad foul on Korean skipper Lee Seung II. And Korea capitalized on the one-man advantage with Jang ghosting past three defenders on the left to coolly slot the ball past the onrushing Brothers in the 23rd minute to give Korea a 2-1 lead.

Great Britain was awarded a penalty corner in the 33rd minute but once again Mantell failed to find the target.

Korea went 3-1 ahead in 41st minute when You Hyo Sik put away the rebound after Jang’s initial attempt was saved by Brothers.

And now Great Britain are now left waiting for the results of other matches to decide their fate.

Official Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site

Pakistan make the Final



Pakistan qualified for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final when they scraped past hosts Malaysia 3-2 this evening.

Pakistan took the lead in the 35th minute through Sohail Abbas who converted a penalty corner, sending his drag flick into the roof of the net giving Malaysian keeper Roslan Jamaluddin no chance at all.

They doubled their advantage through a wonderful solo effort when Muhammad Waqas burst through the middle and scored in the 21st minute.

It looked like Pakistan had the match all sewn up by then but Malaysia scored in the 35th minute through Hafifihafiz Hanafi to reduce the deficit to 2-1.

Malaysia had two penalty corners in the early stages of the second half but wasted both the opportunities.

And Pakistan punished them in the 51st minute as Muhammad Zubair kept the ball in and played it back to Shakeel Abbasi who sent in a delightful reverse to make it 3-1.

Though Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim scored in the 57th minute, they lacked the sting upfront to trouble the Pakistanis.

Malaysia were awarded a stroke in the 67th minute by umpire Shin Dong Yoon of Korea but then changed his mind after consulting Stephen Levi of Australia.

And with that Pakistan played out the remaining minutes to book  a place in the final against Australia.

Official Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site

New Zealand scrape through for third place playoff

New Zealand lived dangerously in their match against Australia but managed to make the 3/4  placing although they lost the match 2-4.

At one stage, New Zealand who had to avoid a four goal defeat were down 0-4 but scored the two crucial goals in the tail end of both half’s to secure their place.

Steven Edwards and Marcus Child were the saviours for New Zealand as they scored the two goals that mattered, in the 31st and 68th minutes.

With the score at 1-4, both India and New Zealand were tied on goal difference as well as goals scored. But the Kiwis would have qualified based on the head to head as they defeated India 7-3 in their preliminary round match.

Australia went into the lead in the 12th minute when Brett Dancer scored off their first penalty corner, his strike going through the pads of Stephen Grahams in the New Zealand goal.

Two strikes by Glenn Turner in the 15th and 16th minutes put Australia 3-0 ahead.

Christopher Ciriello scored in the 28th minute to give Australia a 4-0 lead and the Kiwis were on the verge of losing out on the 3/4 placing match.

But a strike from Steven Edwards in the 31st minute reduced the deficit to 1-4.

Six minutes into the second half and New Zealand earned their first penalty corner. But Andrew Hayward could not find the mark.

But Marcus Child scored in the 68th minute and New Zealand will play Great Britain while India will play South Korea for the 5/6 placing.

Official Sultan Azlan Shah Cup site

Pakistan to meet Australia

S. Thyagarajan


WELL DONE: Jeong Byung Jin of South Korea (centre) celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal against Great Britain on Saturday. AFP

Australia will lock horns with Pakistan in the final of the Azlan Shah hockey tournament here on Sunday.

While the Aussies, winners of the Cup in 2007, ensured their final spot with a match to spare on Thursday, Pakistan, whose last appearance in the title fight was in 2004, defeated Malaysia 3-2 in a tension-filled encounter to confirm its berth. Australia beat New Zealand 4-2 in the last match to finish with 16 points.

Even a victory would not have saved the embarrassment of the off-the-board finish for the home team after Korea prevailed over Great Britain earlier.

A win was mandatory for Pakistan to have a shot at the glittering trophy. The team accomplished it warding off a formidable challenge from the host.

Pakistan had the edge almost throughout. But the Malaysians remained in the fray till the final minute. That they forced five penalty corners against the two by Pakistan conveys the intensity of the fight.

Superb backhander

Sohail Abbas gave Pakistan the lead, followed by Waqas Muhammad. Malaysia's Hanafi reduced the margin but after the break Shakeel Abbasi produced a gem of backhander to increase the lead that was reduced again late in the match by Razie following a penalty corner.

Korea avoided the humiliation of finishing at the bottom of the table with an inspired performance that saw Britain plunge to a 1-3 defeat. For all the good work by Matt Daly, who even produced the equaliser with a classic penalty corner flick, the rest failed to make a match of it against the complicated structural movements of the Koreans. Put ahead by Yoon Sung Hoon from a neatly constructed move with Jeong Byung Jin, the Koreans held the whip hand till Matt Daly scored. But a splendid solo run by Jeong Byung Jin close on half-time put Britain behind again. And shortly after the break, Korea widened the margin through You Hyo Sik to corner full points.

India had an outside chance of contesting for a podium finish on goal-difference with New Zealand if the latter had conceded a difference of more than four goals.

But at 2-4 against Australia, New Zealand finished with one minus in goal difference against India's two.

New Zealand will play Great Britain for the bronze medal. Korea will take on India in the match for the fifth and sixth place.

Asian Champions Trophy

The first hockey Asian Champions Trophy for men will be held at Ordos (China) from September 3 to 11.

This was confirmed at the council meeting of the Asian Hockey Federation on Saturday. The top six of the last Asian Games are listed as the contenders. They are Pakistan, Malaysia, India, Korea, China and Japan. Four women's teams, which finished in that order at Guangzhou — China, Korea, Japan and India — will take part in Ordos.

Briefing the media, Tan Sri P. Alagendra said the meeting chalked out various programmes to enhance the profile of the sport in the continent. These would include identifying a special marketing agency for the first time to enlarge the areas of sponsorship.

The results: Korea 3 (Yoon Sung Hoon, Jeong Byung Jin, You Hyo Sik) bt Great Britain 1 (Matt Daly); Pakistan 3 (Sohail Abbas, Waqas Muhammad, Shakeel Abbasi) bt Malaysia 2 (Hafifihafiz Hanafi, Rahim Muhammad Razie); Australia 4 (Brent Dancer, Glenn Turner 2, Christopher Cirello) bt New Zealand 2 (Stevan Edwards, Marcus Child).

Points table: Australia: Played 6, Won 5, Drawn 1, Lost nil, Goals for 18, Goals against 8, Points 16; Pakistan 6-4-0-2-17-15-12; Great Britain 6-3-0-3-12-12-9; New Zealand 6-2-1-3-16-17-7; India 6-2-1-3-15-17-7; Korea 6-2-1-3-12-15-7; Malaysia 6-1-0-5-11-17-3.

Sunday's matches: (5-6): India vs Korea (1 p.m.); (3-4): Britain vs New Zealand (3.30 p.m.); Final: Australia vs Pakistan (6.05 p.m.).

The Hindu

Exciting final on the cards

K Arumugam

As formidable Australia takes on resurgent Pakistan tomorrow in the Azlan Shah final, the hockey will be in for a grand treat.

If Australia is known for its precision in home work and field application, Pakistan will endevour to match that with abundant energy and will power.

What ignites one's memory at this point is the contest between the same duo at the Delhi World Cup. Pak may have ended up woodspoonist, but it stretched the Aussies to their limit in the league. What broke the winning goal deadlock then was an extra-ordinary attempt by the Aussies. A scoop was sent across the D, from right of the circle to the left, it was trapped and sent to the centre of D, deflected for the goal, all in one-spilit moment. Its perhaps first time a scoop across the circle was taken, or permitted without being declared rising, and the goal however turned out to be the turning point for Australia which lost the opener to GB, but later recovered to win the Cup. The point here is, an extra-ordinary effort was needed to defeat Pak. Pak side here is vastly improved than one and half years ago in Delhi.

This is exactly reason, why grand feat await us on Sunday

“Yes, we are certainly sure, we will make a match of it. Not often does one get to play the final of Azlan Shah Cup, that too, second straight final for us after the Asian Games. Though we are preparing for the London Olympics, this is a good sign, we relish this. Having come all the way to final after struggling on the way, we will go all out to do what best we can”, said Rehan Butt, moments after winning the crucial Match against not-giving-up Malaysia today at the Stadium Azlan Shah.

Rehan views were nearly echoed by team's gift of gab manager KM Junaid and captain Imran Mohd., and skillful and fanciful-looking Shakeel Abbasi. There are determined to make a match of it. “This ten days were very exciting, we had ups and downs. We beat India, to whom we have been losing for some time. We won narrowly against Malaysia, and our graph here is on ascend. Hopefully, we will sit tonight and work out a strategy so that our previous meet against Australia doesn’t reoccur”, said captain Imram Mohhd, who has been rock solid on the back in the tournament so far.

“We are a new side in the sense, we have a foreign coach, he brings new ideas, I am at centre-forward position is his idea. Whether I relish it or not, that is what coach wants, I will abide. The whole lot in the team also feels the same, we should contribute to the team, which we are all doing, getting results as well”, asserts Rehan.

Refusing to divulge what strategy they will adopt against the famed rivals, Rehan relies hopes on Dutch coach in charge of his team.

“This coach has nearly transformed our side, our thinking, and almost everything. From last in the World Cup last year to Asian Games gold, and now another final in short span of time. The coach knows how to use our strength, and we will go by what he says, Rehan pours his wisdom.

Australia are the only side not to lose a match here, having won all the matches handsomely except one that was a drawn tie with India.

Pakistan on the hand had a phoenix like rise, and surprised everyone ending up in the final.

When Pak lost to Australia badly, Dutchman Heul told exclusively to stickhockey.com that it is due to fourth match in five days, due to energy quotient or lack of it, rather than the potential of the team.

His words came to bear much wisdom as days went by and other matches staged. Pak showed enormous strategic acumen when it changed its gear completely from complacency to urgency in the second half to outwit and outplay India. Despite leading at half time, India had been humbled.

After that crucial India defeat, Pak team went from strength to strength.

Australia, well-oiled machine, has more of inexperienced players than any other team here in Ipoh. Almost every player has got their quota of time on the turf. Yesterday’s man of the match Swan, for instant, was rested today for the New Zealand match, and despite missing the great all-arounder, the side could build three quick goals in the first quarter against their Oceania neighbour on the penultimate day.

The Australian side’s inexperience really shows up, hard tackle getting them more cards than other teams, penalty corner conversion drill going hayware. Australia under Ric Charlesworth continues to possess this weakness.

Pakistan on the other has shown improvement in all departments, but still relies on Sohail for penalty corner conversion. He has not been a match winner as he used to be so in the past. However, emergence of Imran Md must be a great news for the management. But will the think tank try out others, but will rely on Sohail, the most experienced of players here, is one aspect that will make or mar the fortune for the Asian superpower.

With both sides haing been successful in bringing their strength to the fore, the contest tomorrow is expected to be exciting. Pakistan haven’t reached the Azlan final for many many years, and this team will give that extra shot tomorrow.

Australia's run under Ric Charlie has been amazing, therefore it remains to be seen the success story for them will stagnate here, or subdue the rival to the extent of Delhi CWG final, is a million dollar question.

What is sure in the vortex of uncertainites is hockey will be in a grand treat on Sunday.

Stick2Hockey.com

Pakistan not scared of Australia

PAKISTAN lost 5-1 to Australia in the group stage, but the Asian Games gold medallists are not afraid to square off against the world champions in the Azlan Shah Cup final today.

Australia, who had already qualified for the final, beat New Zealand 4-2 in their last pool match yesterday.

"We came here with a mixture of youth and experience, and I must say that we have played every match to the best of our capabilities," said Pakistan skipper Muhammad Imran.

"And even though we lost 5-1 to Australia, we will not make the same mistakes again. We are here to learn and build a team for the Olympics, and Australia will provide us with a solid match towards this purpose."

New Straits Times

Its Australia-Pakistan final, India miss the bronze match by a whisker

Thumping up a 3-2 victory in a tight match against Malaysia, Pakistan earned three points on the penultimate day of the Azlan Shah cup, thereby ensuring entry into tomorrow’s final.

Australia had already qualified for the final, and further confirmed it with a fluent 4-2 win over neighbours New Zealand today in the last pool match of the ongoing 7-Nation cup,

Australia-New Zealand match evoked keen interest from Indian standpoint. Had New Zealand lost by three clear goals, India would have pipped it for fourth slot in the ranking, thereby getting to engage GB for the bronze.

However, New Zealand’s Marcus Child converted team’s penalty corner, bringing the score to 4-2 just two minutes remained from the hooter. That goal ended the Indian hope of finishing the tournament with a medal. India had a rest day today, will play Korea tomorrow in the first match

Earlier in the match, Australia built up a 3- lead within first quarter, and then almost kept attacking without moving the scoreboard.

In the second match of the day, GB went down to Korea 3-1 when the Asian team almost ran them out in the entire 70 minutes.

This has opened a chance for Pakistan to grab the final slot which they did.

Stick2Hockey.com

Pakistan edge Malaysia 3-2 to enter Azlan Shah Cup final


Hanafi Hafifihafiz beats Pakistan's defence to score his team's first goal of the match. —Photo by AFP

KARACHI: Pakistan entered the final of the Azlan Shah Cup on Saturday, after beating hosts Malaysia in their final league match.

With 3-2 the win over the hosts, Pakistan set up a date against Australia for Sunday’s final match at the Azlan Shah Stadium.

The hosts made a bright start to the game by stringing together passes in the Pakistani half but failed to convert them into goals, giving Pakistan an opportunity to settle down in the game.

Pakistan’s first chance on goal came in the seventh minute, when they earned a penalty corner. Veteran drag-flicker Sohail Abbas converted to put Pakistan ahead in the eighth minute.

The hosts continued to create chances and were rewarded with a penalty corner in the 14th minute, but failed to make it count. Three minutes later, Kevinder missed another chance to bring his team level, this time, from open play.

Sohail Abbas was called into action again as Pakistan won their second penalty corner in the 20th minute but the ball was sent wide by Abbas. A minute later, Waqas Akbar made up for Abbas’ miss as he slotted home from open play to consolidate Pakistan’s lead.

The Greenshirts seemed to have done enough for the half but relentless attack from the Malaysians reduced the deficit to 2-1 at the stroke of half time.

When action resumed in the second half, Malaysia earned their second penalty corner in the 40th minute but the resultant attempt on goal was poor and when Pakistan earned their second set-piece of the match, Roslan made an impressive save to deny Pakistan.

The penalty-corner winning action continued for the following few minutes as Malaysia earned their third, but Pakistan’s defence was well-prepared to counter the attack. The hosts missed a good opportunity to draw level in the 49th minute when Hanafi Hafifihafiz let slip an easy chance on goal.

In the ensuing action, Pakistan forward Shakeel Abbasi gave his team some breathing space by scoring their third goal in the 50th minute from open play.

The fourth Malaysian penalty corner came in the 56th minute but the hosts did no harm to the Pakistani chances of securing a spot in the final.

As the match entered its final quarter, the on-pitch temperature heated up and Abbasi was shown the green card for continued dissent. Malaysia were handed a chance to come back in the game in the 57th and Razie ensure it didn’t go to waste.

Five minutes from time, Pakistan were handed their fifth penalty corner of the match and Malaysia, their fifth, after two minutes. Both teams failed to convert their respective set-pieces.

Dramatic scenes ensued in the last three minutes as Malaysia were awarded a penalty stroke but the decision was reversed by the umpire just before the hosts could take the stroke.

The high-tempo match ended with words being exchanged between the two teams but the goal from Shakeel Abbasi was enough to ensure Pakistan’s passage into the final.

This is the second time Pakistan have beaten Malaysia in the space of six months, with the first victory coming in the final of the Asian Games last November.

Dawn

Too little, too late

By Jugjet Singh


Malaysia’s Hafifihafiz Hanafi tries to dribble past Pakistan’s Syed Kashif Shah in their Azlan Shah Cup match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium yesterday. Pakistan won 3-2. — Picture by Muhaizan Yahya

MALAYSIA were doomed to finish last in the Azlan Shah Cup even before they played Pakistan, but still gave the Asian Games gold medallists a huge scare before losing 3-2 in the Azlan Shah Cup yesterday.

South Korea beat Britain 3-1 in the earlier match, and it made Malaysia's match academic, while Pakistan needed a win to play Australia in the final today.

However, Malaysia are solely to be blamed for the defeat, as Kelvinder Singh and the other forwards missed a hat full of sitters, before Pakistan took the lead off a Sohail Abbas penalty corner in the eighth minute.

Sohail also scored against Malaysia in the Asian Games final.

Muhammad Waqas made it 2-0 with a field goal in the 21st minute, before Hafifihafiz Hanafi pulled one back for Malaysia in the dying seconds of the first half.

Shakeel Abbasi doused the comeback with a 51st minute goal, and by the time Radzi Rahim scored off a penalty corner in the 58th minute, it was too late to chase for a draw and Malaysia lost another match after playing well only in patches.

"We had our chances to score, but did not connect. And after Pakistan scored, we had to keep chasing and came close to pulling off a draw," said Malaysian coach Tai Beng Hai.

Pakistan coach Khawaja Junaid was pleased with his side, as they had beaten all the Asian teams in the tournament.

"After losing to Britain and Australia, I am happy to note that we kept our Asian Games gold medal win on a high pedestal, as we beat the other Asian teams in the tournament," said Khawaja.

New Straits Times

Pakistan's victory over Malaysia leaves hosts as bottom team

By S. RAMAGURU


Speed contest: Malaysia’s Tengku Ahmad Tajudin tussling for the ball with Pakistan’s Syed Kashif Shah during their Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match in Ipoh Saturday. — SAIFUL BAHRI / The Star

IPOH: Asian Games gold medallists Pakistan qualified for the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament and they will play against world champions Australia today for the title.

The Pakistanis overcame a stubborn Malaysia 3-2 in their last preliminary round match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium yesterday to book their place in the final at the expense of Britain.

Britain had the chance to make the final but they blew it against South Korea, losing 1-3 in an earlier match to end up in third place in the standings on nine points.

Pakistan’s win over Malaysia took them to 12 points for second place behind Australia, who had taken an unassailable lead going into their final fixture against New Zealand.

Pakistan knew that a simple win over Malaysia would give them a shot at winning the title for a fourth time after 1999, 2000 and 2003 against Australia, who are seeking a sixth title after 1983, 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2007.

With South Korea beating Britain, Malaysia, on the other hand, knew that they would have no part to play in today’s playoff matches as they were doomed to last place in the seven-nation tournament.

Malaysia started off well in the first five minutes but Pakistan snatched the initiative with a penalty corner goal by Sohail Abbas in the eighth minute. Mohamed Waqas was on target in the 21st minute and Shakeel Abbasi scored the third goal for Pakistan in the 51st minute.

Malaysia got their goal through Hafifihafiz Hanafi in the 35th minute and Mohamed Razie Rahim in the 57th minute.

Malaysia coach Tai Beng Hai said that there were some good efforts by the players but they were not enough.

“We played well in patches and lacked the vision to apply more pressure on them. There were ample chances to at least force a draw. But we failed to connect well in the penalty corners,” he said.

“Still I believe the younger players benefited with such a high-pressure match.”

In the earlier match, Britain, who needed to beat South Korea to have a chance of making the final, did not look like winning as they put up a lethargic performance.

The Koreans, who had to win to get to play another match in the tournament, took the lead as early as the 10th minute through Yoon Seung-hoon from a field attempt.

Matthew Daly equalised for Britain in the 20th minute but Jang Jong-hyun regained the lead for South Korea in the 23rd minute. The Koreans dominated the second half and increased their lead in the 41st minute through You Hyo-sik.

The Koreans will play against India today for fifth placing. Britain will be up against New Zealand in a playoff for third place.

The Star of Malaysia

Pakistan face Australia in final

KUALA LUMPUR: Asian champions Pakistan earned the right Saturday to play world champions Australia in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final after beating host Malaysia 3-2 in their last preliminary round match. The team was helped by the fact that Great Britain, who had been in the running for a finals berth, lost 3-1 to South Korea in an earlier match. Australia, who had already booked their final berth ahead of today’s match, defeated Antipodean neighbour New Zealand 4-2, to keep their date with Pakistan on Sunday.

Australia leads the standings with 16 points while Pakistan is in second place with 12 points, with the Brits in third on nine points as New Zealand, India and South Korea tie with seven points apiece. Pakistan came under massive pressure from the Malaysians but managed to keep their cool – and lead – to take the match.

Sohail Abbas gave them the first goal in the eighth minute and Muhammad Waqas followed up with a second before Malaysia opened their account in the on 35 minutes through Hafifihafiz Hanafi. In the second half, Pakistan increased their lead through Shakeel Abbasi with the Malaysians reducing the deficit in the 57th minute through Muhammad Razie Rahim but the late charge failed to reel in the Pakistanis.

Pakistan manager K.M. Junaid said the team was happy to have made the final and hoped to play better this time around against the world champions. “We need to improve further and also take stock of the dangers posed by Australia,” he said of Sunday’s final. “We have beaten all the Asian teams in this tournament but we are up against a team that is vastly experienced in the final,” Junaid added.

In the first game of the day Great Britain had only themselves to blame for a lethargic display as they went down 3-1 to joint-defending champions South Korea. South Korea were awarded a penalty corner as early as the second minute but Nicholas Brothers managed to palm away the attempt by Jang Jong-Hyun. However, eight minutes later the South Koreans were not to be denied as Jeon Byung-Jin worked his way into the semi-circle on the right and picked out Yoon Sung-Hoon who had the simple task of guiding the ball into the goal to give them the lead.

Great Britain managed to pull one back in the 20th minute from their second penalty corner taken by Matthew Daly but three minutes later the South Koreans were back in the lead when Jong-Hyun scored a field goal to put them 2-1 up at half time. In the 41st minute the Koreans pressed their advantage with a third goal with You Hyo-Swik scoring from a penalty corner rebound which ended Great Britain’s hopes of prevailing. In the final match of the day, the Kiwis needed to avoid a four-goal margin defeat at the hands of the world champions in order play Britain for third place, something they ensured in going down 4-2 result.

Australia’s goals came from Brent Dancer, two strikes by Glenn Turner and another by Christopher Ciriello. New Zealand halved the margin through Steven Edwards to confirm their meet with Britain on Sunday while India and South Korea will vie for fifth placing.

Dawn

No final for Britain

by Patrick Rowley

Great Britain failed to make the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh in Malaysia, losing their final pool game 3-1 to South Korea, the Asian Cup holders.

Australia will play Pakistan in today’s final with Britain meeting New Zealand for the bronze medals.

Playing for the first time at the hottest time of the day – and it was hot – Britain were outpaced. They were behind after ten minutes.

Matt Daly (Surbiton) converted a corner to level the scores. It was his first goal since returning to the side after a lengthy injury break.

Team Manager Andy Halliday admitted, “We were obviously disappointed after our below par performance.”

Favourites Beeston and Bowdon Hightown won the English Cup finals at Cannock.

Holders Beeston defeated Doncaster 6-2 in the men’s final while Bowdon beat Surbiton 4-1 to claim the women’s trophy for the third time in five years.

Tina Cullen and Sally Walton each scored twice for Bowdon, Andy Monte twice for Beeston who scored 29 goals in their five cup ties.

Sunday Express

Daly goal not enough as GB lose to London Cup entrants

A disappointing performance against a pacey Korean side determined to make up for defeat to Malaysia two days earlier culminated in Great Britain going down 3-1 in their final pool match at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia.

Despite Surbiton forward Matt Daly’s 20th minute equaliser of an early Yoon Sung Hoon goal, Great Britain found themselves 2-1 down at the break and were unable to recover after Hyo Sik have the Koreans an unassailable lead early in the second half.

Afterwards, Team Manager Andy Halliday admitted they were “obviously disappointed after a below par performance.”

England Hockey Board Media release

Korea beat Britain 3-1, to play India for 5th place playoff

South Korea defeated Britain 3—1 in the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here today to set up a fifth—place play—off clash against India.

With this win, South Korea, joint champions with India last year after the final was disrupted by heavy showers, took their points tally to seven from six matches and survived being pushed to the seventh spot by hosts Malaysia.

Malaysia have three points and play Pakistan later today, but South Korea’s victory over Britain made sure that the home team cannot finish above the Koreans.

The India—South Korea play—off match will be played on Sunday, ahead of the other two fixtures to decide the medal winners.

South Korea took the initial lead in the 10th minute as Yoon Sung—Hoon capitalised on a shot from Jeon Byung—Jin.

Britain equalised in the 20th minute from a penalty corner conversion by Matthew Daly, who sent a drag—flick along the turf into the right corner of the Korean goal.

South Korea went forward again within three minutes when Jeon capped his fine solo down the left flank to flick past the onrushing goalkeeper.

You Hyo—Sik converted a penalty corner in the 41st minute to make it 3—1 and then their defence thwarted Britain’s effort to earn the victory.

The Hindu

Korea down Britain 3-1, to meet India

South Korea set up a fifth-place play-off clash with India after they defeated Britain 3-1 in the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here Saturday.

South Korea and India have seven points from six matches. Both were joint winners after last year's final was washed out due to heavy rains. The fifth-place play-off match will be held Sunday.

South Korea took the lead in the 10th minute after Yoon Sung-Hoon sounded the board. Ten minutes later, Britain equalised through Matthew Daly.

Within three minutes, Korea again nosed ahead when Jeon scored.

You Hyo-Sik converted a penalty corner in the 41st minute to make it 3-1.

Hindustan Times

Black Sticks to play for bronze in Malaysia

The New Zealand men's hockey team are out of gold medal contention at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia but still have the chance to battle it out for bronze.

The Black Sticks lost 2-4 to world champions Australia in their final pool match yesterday and will today meet Britain to play for bronze.

The unbeaten Australians proved too strong in the opening eighteen minutes, never giving the New Zealanders time to settle on the ball and firing home three unanswered goals to put the kiwis on the back foot.

From their first penalty corner in the 12th minute, Brent Dancer's misflick deceived Black Sticks keeper Stephen Graham to put the Australians 1-0 up.

Five minutes later, Glenn Turner latched on to a loose ball in the Kiwi defence to fire home and added his second in the 18th minute in similar style to put Australia 3-0 up. When Chris Ciriello made it 4-0 to Australia in the 30th minute, it looked like a rout was on the cards for the Black Sticks but the kiwis started to claw their way back into the match.

A 4-0 score-line would have deprived the Kiwis of a chance to battle for bronze but a spirited second-half performance saw them give a much better account of themselves.

Four minutes before half-time, centre-midfielder Steve Edwards weaved his way through the Australian defence along the baseline and then slammed the ball low into the corner of the net to reduce the deficit.

The Black Sticks took the game to the Australians in the second half, determined to claw their way back into the match. They won four penalty corners in a row but could not find a way past the Australian defence.

The Black Sticks believed they had reduced the deficit in the 58th minute when Ben Collier's through pass was neatly touched on by Blair Hilton for Hugo Inglis to dive full length and deflect the ball high into the net, but the umpire disallowed the goal.

However, the Black Sticks persistence was rewarded in the 68th minute when Andy Hayward's blocked penalty corner flick was followed up by Hayward and his pass found Marcus Child on the baseline who deflected the ball into the goal.

Australia will play Pakistan in the final.

New Zealand 2 (Steve Edwards, Marcus Child),

Australia 4 (Brent Dancer, Glenn Turner (two), Chris Ciriello).

Halftime: 4-1.

Stuff

Need to address the mental block

Arjun Halappa

LAST OUTING

India need to get over the NZ drubbing quickly

We now play for the fifth pot against Korea on Sunday. It will be tough but then, there were no easy matches expected here. It will be our character that will be the biggest thing at stake when we take on the Koreans.

Korea came back from a twogoal deficit to beat us in the opening game. They finished their league commitments with a win over Britain.

And they were the jointdefending champions here last year with us. So, they are expected to be more confident than us and equally desperate to sign off on a high. I must admit that the shattering loss to New Zealand cannot be written off easily. It was a bad defeat and there were errors that shouldn't have happened. In that respect, the pressure will be more on us. That's where character comes in.

MAKE BREAK COUNT

What will now be tested is how well the boys recover from the defeat and how much they can make the two-day break count.

I will still say that this team is talented.

What they need to prove is that they have as much heart for a fight and as much desperation to win for the country as they have the skills.

In a competition as tough as this, it is up to every team to make or break their chances. After messing up against New Zealand, we have only ourselves to blame and depending on other teams' results is not the right approach.

PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED

We had an intense training session on Saturday and worked specifically on areas that have been bothering us.

The on-field mistakes have been identified and, hopefully, been corrected, but more than that it is the mental block that needs to be addressed.

The youngsters are playing under so much pressure but tomorrow we get another chance to show our character.

Playing for the country is always the greatest motivation and it will be the country's pride at stake against Korea. That should push the boys to give it their best shot.

Hindustan Times

Players need to get over the debacle and look ahead: Balbir

IPOH: India's hockey team manager Balbir Singh says the players must show the resolve required of international teams to regain their composure after being pushed out of medal contention in the ongoing Azlan Shah Cup.

"The players now need to show the mental strength to recover from the disastrous performance and produce a credible display in the next match. That's what international sport is all about," said Balbir, an Olympian himself.

Better known in hockey circles as Col. Balbir Singh, he was a long-time Indian Army player who went on to captain and later coach the Services team.

After retirement, he coached the Indian women's national squad. In recent times, he has been a national selector for the men's squad.

India will compete in the playoff for the fifth and sixth positions, Balbir says the players should get the past dejections out of their minds and focus on the task at hand.

"What has happened is history, but we can work towards an improved show tomorrow and try to claim the fifth spot," he said.

"The boys need to forget the past and try to give their best. The players are downcast, but recovering," said Balbir, trying to play his part in motivating players who are dejected after the 3-7 drubbing they received from New Zealand in the last match on Friday.

"India has only played well in patches. Why just talk about the match against New Zealand, our game has been prone to errors in the earlier matches as well," he said.

"The players are aware that they have been repeating mistakes in each outing. They also realise that one cannot survive in international hockey by making such mistakes, and so many of them in one match," said Balbir Singh.

"The half-line has not been functional and that's not just given the territorial advantage to the rivals, it has also forced India to defend deep inside their own territory for long periods. It was followed by the problem of bad passing," he said.

Balbir conceded that the Indian team had not been able to absorb the pressure exerted by the rivals, except in the match against Australia in which India managed to hold the world champions to a 1-1 draw.

The other highlights of India's outing in this tournament were the victories over Britain, who are here with a near full-strength team preparing for the 2012 London Olympics, and hosts Malaysia.

India dominated the first sessions of all three other matches - against South Korea, reigning Asian Games champions Pakistan and New Zealand - but their efforts came to a naught due to poor second-half displays in each of these games as they squandered the lead to end up losers.

The loss to Pakistan on Thursday dashed India's hopes of making the final in the tournament which the young Indian team began with the aspirations of completing a hat-trick of titles.

India were the outright winners here in 2009 and shared the title with South Korea after the final in 2010 was disrupted by bad weather.

India came in Ipoh without several top players due to injuries and disciplinary action for not turning up at the preparatory camp.

"What's the use of cribbing about players who were not here. The absence of several top national players gave the youngsters the chance of showcase their skills, but the overall performance fell shot of expectations," said Balbir Singh.

The Times of India

The other men in blue

Sumati Mehrishi

Never, ever get into an argument with a fan of Indian hockey. So what if we won the cricket World Cup but we’re seven places away from the hockey World Cup? If someone’s a fan of Indian hockey, comparisons with Indian cricket are pointless. The hockey fan will admit to no such game as cricket.

She or he will also fall about laughing – and derisively at that – if you suggest that she or he spends five long, tedious hours watching an India-Pakistan cricket match. Indo-Pak matches in hockey are finished in 70 minutes flat, during which the Indian team will have decimated its arch-rival in style. After all, in 2010, the Indian hockey team eliminated the Pakistani hockey team not once, not twice, but four times at different tournaments. If sports ‘heroism’ is about beating Pakistan, then our men with hockey sticks can seriously give our cricketers the blues. But what are these cool(er) men in blue about? We met them to find out.

Heroes all the way

The trouble with 2010 is that it’s last year. Four Indo-Pak wins, that’s wonderful, but they’re done. This is 2011 and once again it’s a tough, cruel, exciting and crucial year of mighty challenges. What’s past is over. What will happen – that’s the crucial question. But it’s this aspect of the game that makes hockey so exciting for its fans. Will their heroes continue to be heroic? Or will they be the cause of heart-felt moans? To judge by the utter lack of political correctness in their conversation, our hockey players are determined to remain heroes. “Whenever I play Pakistan, my aim is to beat them,” says forward Shivendra Singh. “That’s because Pakistani players do not feel satisfied by losing once. You have to beat them over and over again to prove a point.”

You see that attitude even in the way they dress – they’re resolute, rugged, rustic in patches, convincingly retro-sexual and romantic about their success. Forward Rajpal Singh, midfielder Arjun Halappa, drag flicker VR Raghunath, forward Shivendra Singh, goalkeepers Adrian Joseph Dsouza and Bharat Chetri and defender Gurbaj Singh are chic in their own ways, glamorous in their own right. The seven senior players are responsible for the success the team has had over the last five years. Five of these senior players are representing the squad at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup currently being played in Ipoh. (At the time this magazine went to press, they were about to take on Pakistan.) During the photo shoot for this story, Rajpal’s hand involuntarily moves to his moustache, his fingers pressing the ends for a commanding finish. Arjun wears the captain’s all-is-well smile. Gurbaj, the unparalleled lieutenant, thrusts out his chest. Bharat, the great wall, conceals his cool self within a crisp Darjeeling smile. Shivendra poses like a pro, as though he’s a veteran of the modelling ramps. Raghunath, a gift from Coorg to Indian hockey, hugs his teammates tight.

Inked passion

On the field, these men are passionate – about the game and about victory. You see that passion on their bodies too. True, tattoos hardly make news these days, but the ones our hockey players have are worth examination. For instance, the five Olympic rings float on ace goalkeeper Adrian Joseph DSouza’s back. For an Indian hockey player, a win at the Olympics is the biggest dream of all. Adrian’s “very special” Olympic rings tattoo, inked on his back in 2006, keeps his fans on edge. His squad will have to face the Olympic qualifiers soon, to make it to the 2012 London event. Senior drag flicker and defender VR Raghunath’s tattoo is a pair of hockey sticks and a ball, etched on one arm. “There is another tattoo on my forearm that is not usually visible,” he says. “It’s my dad’s name. I am emotional about the fact that he is a committed hockey coach. I respect him for being a sportsman.”

Bharat Chetri’s lion tattoo on his burly arm works well with his relaxed, laid-back approach to happiness. Shivendra Singh, the Gwalior Express, gives a whole new perspective to the word ‘commitment’. While other men tattoo their significant others’ names on their bodies, Shivendra takes romance to a whole new level. On his right shoulder is inked not his fiancée’s name (she’s Nishi Chauhan, a hockey player with the Railways), but a portrait of his fiancée’s face. “I had it done in Salta, Argentina,” Shivendra says fondly. “Nishi was really upset. She thought it must have been painful. But she was very flattered too.” Adrian has an eagle tattooed on his left shoulder, which he believes represents freedom. It reminds him of his fight with cancer – the outcome of an injury he’d suffered in a practice session in 2005. “The fight with cancer was a tough phase,” he says. “The injury was body- and mind-numbing. But I was happy with the fact that the injury was game-related and it happened on the field. Being injured outside the game really pinches a player.” the cool squad.

Forward Rajpal Singh, the former captain who led the squad to three podium finishes last year, is rather a stereotype. But it’s in a good way. On the field, Rajpal epitomises Punjabi aggression in Indian hockey. When he celebrates a goal, he usually flies across to a corner to be hugged by his teammates – moving a pointer finger around in the air as if he were spinning a sudarshan chakra. He sprints like a horse, his eyes follow the ball like a hawk’s. But inside, he is quite a philosopher. Does he mind the ‘aggressive’ tag given to him and other Punjabi players in the team? “No,” he says firmly. “Indian hockey has a history of Sikhs playing as forwards. It’s in our nature, our culture and history to live and play like warriors. What are you supposed to do when you are playing your rivals? Defend yourself. And to be able to defend, you have to be neat at attacking. People expect us to be aggressive and it pays.”

The liberal, accommodating and strategic Arjun Halappa can’t resist drawing lessons from other sports. He is a huge fan of the soccer team Manchester United. And, just like his teammates, he can’t stop admiring MS Dhoni and Co. “There is so much to learn from India’s victory in the cricket World Cup,” he says. “India played the best teams with a cool head and we are the world champions in cricket today. And Manchester United is an inspiration for the way it comes back into the game.” Meanwhile, Shivendra is excited and thoughtful over the sudden inclusion of young blood in the team. And Bharat and Adrian leave for an ice bath, sweating after practice as though they have returned from war. The Olympic rings float on Adrian’s back.

Hindustan Times

EHB Cup Finals Results

On a day forecast for Sunny intervals with some rain at Cannock HC, the crowd and players were treated to rather more of one than the other, and not the nicer of the two.

The day started at 3pm with Surbiton taking on Bowdon Hightown in the Women’s Cup final seeing an EHL Conference East team face up against a Premier Division opponents. The first half was reasonably even matched with Tina Cullen scoring the only goal of the half in the thirteenth minute to put Hightown into the lead.

The second half saw a flurry of goals in a six minute period. Hightown increased their lead to 4-0 through Cullen’s second and a brace from Sally Walton. After Hightown rounded off their scoring, Surbiton surged immediately into their opposition’s half and pulled one back when Abi Robinson netted. It was a little too late for Surbiton who worked hard but ultimately the class and experience of Hightown saw them to victory.

The second game of the day, in worsening weather, saw EHL Conference North side Doncaster take on EHL Premier Division Champions Beeston. Doncaster brought strong and vocal Yorkshire support to spur their side on, but the first half saw plenty of Beeston pressure. Andrew Monte scored the first of his two goals in the 8th minute from a penalty corner strike and Doncaster had to be thankful for Ashley Watson’s incredible first half display between the stickes which thwarted Monte on three further occasions. The half ended with a goal separating the sides. Doncaster must have had much to say during the half emerging, as they did, late from their changing rooms.

The second half saw Monte grab his second just two minutes in, the penalty corner specialist despatching another of his trademark goals. Doncaster pulled one back two minutes later through Joe Morrison and the crowd sensed an exciting second half emerging. It was Beeston that struck again, this time fine work from Martin Jones saw Chris Gregg claim a touch on the goal line to increase their advantage to two. Ben Arnold added a fourth from a penalty corner in the 57th minute, but Doncaster were not done yet pulling a goal back inside two minutes through Jonathan Redfern. Beeston, however, put the game to bed with two goals in the final ten minutes to run out 6-2 winners and claim a famous League and Cup double for the Nottinghamshire side.

England Hockey Board Media release

UniKL, BPSS opt for cautious approach

Ajitpal Singh

DEFENDING champions UniKL and Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS)-Thunderbolts are expected to treat their in-form opponents with respect and caution in the Junior Hockey League semi-finals today.

UniKL, led by 12 players from the Project 2013 squad, face Bukit Jalil Sports School Juniors (BJSS Jnrs) while BPSS Thunderbolts play BPSS Jnrs, both at the Tun Razak Stadium.

UniKL team manager Amir Azhar Ibrahim warned his players not to be complacent.

"Our key players failed to perform in our 9-0 quarter-final victory over MSSP-USM (Friday). The two-week lay-off after the last league game affected our play as our core players were with the Project 2013 squad," said Amir Azhar yesterday.

"We, however, have a good idea of our opponents' strengths and weaknesses, having beaten them 6-0 in the league stage."

Amir Azhar also hopes his side will kill-off their opponents with early goals.

"We must also score early to open up the game. We have to play quick and score goals as soon as possible," he added.

BJSS Jnrs, marshaled by six players from the national Under-16 squad, are out to uphold their school's proud track record in the tournament.

"We will neither hold back nor play cautiously. I want my players to maintain their discipline and focus on a good result," said BJSS Jnrs coach Lokman Yahaya.

He said his players must play without fear against UniKL.

"We need to play in such a way that will limit our opponents from scoring many goals. It will be tough but my players are also in a confident mood," added Lokman.

The other semi-final between BPSS-Thunderbolts and BPSS is also expected to be a fiery affair.

BPSS Jnrs coach Mohd Fakhrulnizam Baharuddin said his team will go all out to scalp the senior team.

"We must not show them too much respect. If we can upset BJSS then doing it again against our senior team is not impossible," he said.

Semi-finals -- Today: UniKl v BJSS Jnrs (4pm), BPSS Jnrs v BPSS-Thunderbolts (6pm) -- matches at Tun Razak Stadium

New Straits Times

BPSS Juniors going all out to claim scalp of their seniors

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) Juniors will go all out to claim another prized scalp when they play against Division One runners-up and their senior team, BPSS-Thunderbolt, in a Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) semi-final match at the Tun Razak Stadium today.

Coach Mohamed Fakhrulrazi Baharuddin said that his players were all fired up to give their best after they turned the tables on five-time double champions Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) by coming back from two goals down to win 3-2 in the quarter-finals on Friday.

“It was our first-ever win over favourites BJSS since making our debut in the MJHL in 2005,” said Fakhrulrazi, who has been coaching the team since 2008.

“This has boosted my players’ confidence of ending BPSS-Thunderbolt’s unbeaten run in the semi-finals. Also, in the league, we took the lead twice against BPSS-Thunderbolt before losing 3-2.”

The BPSS Juniors team, who have players with an average age of 16, finished sixth in Division One.

“On paper, our senior team are definitely the stronger side. They have seven players from the 2013 Project squad,” said Fakhrulrazi.

“But my players have strong fighting spirit and I am confident that they will be able to create another upset.”

BPSS-Thunderbolt coach Wan Mohd Roslan Wan Abdul Rahman said that they certainly cannot take their junior squad lightly.

“They led us twice in the league and we scored a goal in the dying minutes to win the match. I have warned my team to tread with caution tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) are confident of scoring another big win, this time against Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) Juniors, to qualify for the final.

In the quarter-finals, defending overall champions UniKL trounced Division Two runners-up MSS Penang-USM 9-0. BJSS Juniors edged Anderson 2-1 to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

UniKL coach S. Velappan said that they should have no problem beating BJSS Juniors in the semi-finals as they handed the sports school a 6-0 drubbing en route to winning the Division One title.

“We have the psychological advantage and we will play an all out attacking game to score as many goals as possible,” he said.

Velappan said that they can count on penalty corner drag flicker Mohd Zulhairi Hashim to give them another thumping win.

Zulhairi is the leading scorer in the MJHL with 16 goals in nine matches and he scored a hat-trick against BJSS Juniors in the league.

BJSS Juniors coach Lokman Yahaya admitted that they virtually stood no chance of beating UniKL.

The Star of Malaysia

Bodkin extends Paragon lead

Nigel Simon

Joel Bodkin scored a pair of goals as Paragon held off a late rally from host Paradise to come away with a 4-3 win and extend its lead in the T&T Hockey Board Men’s Championship at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua, yesterday. Bodkin got both his goals in the first-half after Akim Toussaint had opened the scoring for Paragon to lead 3-1 at the interval at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Training Field, Bacolet. Clint Prescott was on target for Paradise in the first-half.

On the resumption, Cogie Butler added another for Paragon to lead 4-1 before Teve Phillips and Dwayne John netted for the host to climb to within one goal. However, Paragon held on for the victory to improve to 13 points from five matches, three more than Queen’s Park which eased past Stag Malvern 4-0 in its clash yesterday.

Yesterday’s T&THB results

Girls’ Under-19:

Paragon 5 (Shadde Nedd 2, Keturah John-Baptiste, Lisa Smith, Gabrielle Thompson) vs Paradise 0. Magnolias 2 (Samantha Olton 8th, Brianna Govia 14th) vs Notre Dame 2  (Chelsea Clarke 30th, Dana-Lee De Gannes 55th).

Boys’ Under-19:

QPCC 4 (Zachary Clarke 32nd, 35th, 55th, Matthew Lee 51st pen) vs Petrotrin 4 (Otis O’Connor 5th, Josh Wall 14th, Julien Cortez 47th, Shakeil Joseph 66th)

Trinity Men:

Paradise 2 (O-Jay Richards, Omari Brathwaite) vs Paragon 0

Trinity Women:

Magnolias 6 (Brianna Govia 33 and 61, Gayle Ann Nieves 39 and 40, Mika Ella Tang 41 and KristiAnn Chin 46) vs Police 0.

Championship Men:

Paragon 4 (Joel Bodkin 2, Cogie Butler, Akim Toussaint) vs Paradise 3 (Clint Prescott, Teve Phillips, Dwayne John).

QPCC 4 (Sean Lee Quay 2, Darren Cowie, Jerazeno Bell) vs Malvern 0.

he Trinidad Guardian

Aga Khan hockey from today

The 101st edition of All-India Aga Khan hockey tournament will kick off at the Bombay Gymkhana on Sunday, with local challengers Western Railway taking on Pune’s Bombay Engineering Group (BEG) in the opening match.

The three petroleum teams, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), all boasting experienced Indian stars in their ranks, start as joint firm favourites to emerge champions in this tournament, which ends on May 21.

These top three outfits along with South Central Railway, who have performed very well in all major tournaments in the country in the last couple of months, have been directly seeded into the quarterfinals. IOC will have Olympians Deepak Thakur, Prabhjoth Singh and Devesh Chauhan, BPCL will have internationals like Sabu Varkey, Ravi Pal Singh and Hari Prasad while ONGC have drag flicker Diwakar Ram in their ranks.

The tournament, which has been revived after nine years, is being played on grass and is the only Grade A domestic tournament to be played on this surface. Air India won the last edition of this tournament back in 2002 but the champions will not be defending their title, saying that playing a tournament on grass will not be an ideal preparation for the national championships in Bhopal next month.

Sunday, however, will pose a big test for the city outfit, Western Railway. Their opponents are used to playing on grass, and that could give them a big advantage. Another concern for WR is that a couple of their players are in the Indian Railways camp preparing for the national championship to be held in June. Their coach Sunil Kumar is confident of a win. “We will miss some key players, but with whatever players are available, I am sure we can still field a strong side,” said Kumar.

In the day’s other matches, Central Railway will lock horns with Abhi Foundation while MS Police will take on Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in what promises to be an exciting encounter.

IOB, with some big guns in their ranks, including Olympian Adam Sinclair and some senior and junior internationals in their ranks, can fancy their chances of putting it across the Maharashtra cops. IOB, with some big guns in their ranks, including Olympian Adam Sinclair and some senior and junior internationals in their ranks, can fancy their chances of putting it across the Maharashtra cops.

DNA

2011 Junior Black Sticks squads announced in Dunedin

Sixty of New Zealand’s best under-21 hockey players have been named in the Junior Black Sticks Squads today, which is part of Hockey New Zealand’s new junior high performance programme to help develop the next generation of Black Sticks.

Selectors have been at the National Under-21 Tournament at Alexander McMillan Park in Dunedin scouting talent in an effort to keep the best players in the sport and give them the coaching and development they need.

“We have selected players who have good core technical skills, who are athletic and are consistently putting in a good effort. The players that stand out, are those who make good decisions during a game and can apply their skills to an overall game structure,” says Chris Leslie, convenor of the Women’s Selection Committee.

Both the men’s and women’s squads, with 30 players in each, will be invited to a development squad later in the year where teams of 20 will be named. Both teams have been invited to international competitions later this year.

“Players will train from within their regions with some of them likely to be invited to represent their region at the National Hockey League in August. In terms of fitness, each player will complete a fitness test now and then we will retest them later in the year,” says Leslie.

An opportunity came from Malaysia’s under-21 men’s team, after they recently confirmed they would play a four test series against the Junior Black Sticks Men’s team from 2-8 June in Dunedin.

“We will be naming a team within the next week – it is a very exciting opportunity for these young players and we hope to assemble the team shortly before the series starts so we can have the opportunity for some practice time on turf,” says Grant Edwards, convenor of the Men’s Selection Committee.

Both Edwards and Leslie say the level of competition at this week’s tournament has been a step up from previous years.

“The overall speed and fitness of the players is stronger, and the tackling and marking of players has been much better than in previous years. It has also been promising to see the number of players that are focussed on improving their drag flicking skills,” says Edwards.

Canterbury beat Midlands 2-1 in the women’s final today. Midland’s player Kate Kernahan scored early on and then Canterbury’s Hannah Mowatt equalised in the second half. With the score all locked up at, it was Bridget Blackwood’s golden goal in extra time that secured the title for Canterbury.

In the men’s final, Northern dominated play in the second half of the game to beat Midlands 4-1. Midlands player James Linehan scored in the first half, but Northern were too strong with Cory Bennett scoring two goals and teammates George Muir and James Coughlan also finding the net.

Selectors for the Junior Black Sticks Squads were Peter Miskimmin, Grant Edwards, Chris Leslie and Mark Hager.

Click here for the Junior Black Sticks Squad lists

Hockey New Zealand Media release

MP down Pepsu 8-0

Kusum Arora

Jalandhar: Punjab men will be pitted against Chandigarh while Delhi would lock horns with Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy in the semi-finals of the Federation Cup hockey tournament in Jalandhar on Monday.

In the women’s matches, Haryana beat Punjab 4-1 and ensured their berth in the semi-finals.

In the women’s matches, MP Hockey Academy derailed Pepsu 8-0. MP started the game on a fast note leaving no chance for the Pepsu to score. For MP, the first goal came from the stick of Kavita Vidyarthi in 15th minute of play. In the 29th minute, Priyanka Wankheete scored off a penalty-corner. At the lemon break, the winners were leading 2-0.

In the second half, Priyanka increased her tally by posting a field goal in the 40th minute followed by Monika who found the target a minute later. It was at the 60th minute of the game that MP once again broke the Pepsu defence after continuous raids. Shyama Tidgam scored followed by another goal from the stick of Tarini Kumari.

The 66th minute of the play saw another beautiful goal by the find of the tournament, Priyanka, while Kavita again found the net in the 68th minute, closing the tally at 8-0.

The Tribune