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All the news for Wednesday 20 July 2011

Better performance for Black Sticks Men in second practice game against Holland

Despite a much improved performance and goals from Phil Burrows and Matt L’Huillier, it was Holland that secured victory and won 4-2 in the second and final friendly game held in Amstelveen last night (NZ time).

After a disappointing start to their first game against the Dutch earlier this week, the Black Sticks came out firing to put Holland under pressure. Pressing high in the field Steve Edwards and Shea McAleese created multiple turnovers in the midfield. Excellent ball movement from the Black Sticks created multiple attacking opportunities which put pressure on the Dutch. However, like the first game against Holland, the Black Sticks were wasteful in the circle and unable to finish off their good work.

“The first 15 minutes we were right on top of the Dutch with an improved press and some good midfield intercepts. This caught the Dutch out and we were able to counter on several occasions causing numerous shots on goal but unfortunately weren't able to score," says Black Sticks vice captain Shea McAleese.

Holland made the Black Sticks pay in the 14th minute when Roger Hoftman powered the ball into the net after a fluid attack. They doubled their lead when Taeke Taekema scored a low flick from Holland’s third penalty corner of the first half.

With a two goal deficit the Black Sticks doubled their efforts and again created genuine chances. In the 23rd minute captain Phil Burrows scored from a direct hit following impressive midfield work from Edwards and Arun Panchia. Holland were leading 2-1 at half time.

In the opening moment of the second half, Wellington defender Matt L'Huillier tested the Dutch keeper with two stinging drag flicks and on his third, rifled the ball high into the net. With the scores all locked at 2-2, both teams opened up and played end to end hockey at a frantic pace.

Jerome Hertzburger added to the Dutch tally in the 46th minute with a goal mouth scramble and Valentine Varga completed the scoring four minutes later with a far post tip in after a right hand side attack.

"It was a much improved performance today from the boys. We played with some real drive and purpose, which was good to see. However, Holland is a team that we want to be more consistent against,” says Black Sticks Men’s coach Shane McLeod.

The Black Sticks return home on Friday morning to join their region ahead of the 2011 Ford National Hockey League. The first two rounds are being played on 30-31 July before all teams go to Wellington from 6-14 August to play the remaining rounds and finals. This year’s league is the selection event for the 2012 London Olympic squads. For more information go to http://www.hockeynz.co.nz/eventscalendar/nhl/

Black Sticks Men: 2 (Phil Burrows, Matt L'Huillier)
Holland: 4 (Roger Hoftman, Taeke Taekema, Jerome Hertzburger, Valentine Varga)

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Improved Black Sticks end tour with Dutch loss

FRED WOODCOCK

Black Sticks men's hockey coach Shane McLeod is upbeat despite watching the New Zealanders end their European tour on a losing note with a 4-2 loss to world No 3 the Netherlands.

McLeod insisted this morning's (NZT) result represented a much improved performance from the 4-0 loss to the same team 24 hours earlier at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

The hosts, ranked four spots above New Zealand, needed two late goals to break the deadlock in what McLeod described as a ''pretty good game of hockey'', with far more intensity than the first test.

The Netherlands led 2-1 at halftime - New Zealand's goal came through another Matt L'Huillier penalty corner strike - but a goal to captain Phil Burrows from open play drew the Kiwis level in the second half before the hosts struck to blows late in the game.

''We made most of the play in the first half, it was probably one of our best halves of the tour so I was really happy with how we played,'' McLeod said from the Netherlands.

''They had a couple of chances and they finished them both off which was disappointing, but we got back to 2-2.

''A couple of late goals finished us off but I thought we played pretty well, and we learnt a little bit more about how they play and their style of game, so that was good.''

McLeod was much more satisfied than 24 hours earlier.

''We were just a little bit off the pace in that first game, coming off the four-nations tournament and with some travel. But today we were really competitive and the effort was good, albeit we're disappointed with the result.''

The Blacks Sticks ended the tour with a mixed record results-wise.

They beat England A twice, Korea, and Belgium, but had losses to England, Korea (in the London Cup final), and two to the Netherlands.

The players now return home to compete in the upcoming National Hockey League, while McLeod remains in Europe to scout potential Olympics opponents Germany, Australia, the Netherlands and Spain, who are involved in a four-nations tournament.

Stuff

Netherlands outclass Black Sticks in practice match

Netherlands 4-0 New Zealand


Roderick Weustof. (Photo: FIH / KNHB / Frank Uijlenbroek)

Despite having numerous chances to score throughout the game, the Black Sticks Men were beaten 4-0 by world number 3 side The Netherlands on Monday in the first of two friendly matches at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen.

Following the London Cup final against Korea on Saturday evening, the Black Sticks were sluggish in the opening spell and were made to pay, conceding two goals in the first 20 minutes. Strike forward Roderick Weusthof converted a reverse stick field goal and corner exponent Taeke Taekema scored on his fourth attempt.

The score line sprung the Black Sticks into action and created two clear field opportunities and a penalty corner which was well saved by the Dutch keeper.

The second half was more aggressive with the Black Sticks keen to get back into the game while Holland kept the pressure on and continued to attack. Both teams created opportunities, but it was Billy Bakker who stretched the lead to 3-0 when he scored off a penalty corner rebound.

In the second half, the Black Sticks had five penalty corner attempts and four opportunities on goal but they could not convert their chances.

With eight minutes remaining, strike forward Tim Jenniskens made it 4-0 with a superb reverse stick shot.

“Holland are a good team and we enjoy the opportunity to play them, we also enjoy it when we put them under pressure and consistent pressure was hard to find from us today,” said New Zealand coach Shane McLeod."We created some excellent opportunities in both halves and I'm disappointed not to have converted at least one of our six penalty corner attempts."

Black Sticks goalkeeper Kyle Pontifex was outstanding saving multiple penalty corner and field shots while Steve Edwards played with conviction in the midfield and Dean Couzins defended well at the back.

"We found it very difficult to win the ball from them” said New Zealand vice captain Dean Couzins. “We must learn to treasure the ball and execute our basics so we don't make so many easy turnovers."

The two sides meet again on Tuesday.

FIH site

Top teams bound for INSEP Hockey Challenge in Paris

Some of the best international hockey teams in the world are bound for Paris for the 2nd INSEP Hockey Challenge, commencing on 26 July.

Current World Champions, Australia, will head the field, joined by South Korea, Argentina, Ireland and the host, France.

Sandra HARIK, the 2011 Tournament organiser, is pleased with the strong field of teams in this year’s event, saying, “It is fantastic for France hockey to have some of the top teams in the world competing here in Paris. It is also great for INSEP to be able to show these teams the amazing facilities we have.”

The inaugural INSEP Hockey Challenge was held in August 2010 with great success.

Malaysia won the tournament over France, Ireland, Poland and Scotland.

This year’s tournament will once again provide an opportunity for international teams to further their objectives in a competitive environment, utilising the world class facilities at INSEP.

National Coach Scott Goodheart is also looking forward to the prospect of another challenging tournament for his young charges. “This is a great opportunity to give our players further experience at this level. The hockey will be world class, and this is one of the last chances we will have to try different combinations of players in an international competition prior to the European Nations Championships in August” said Goodheart.

France hockey fans will be treated to a quality of hockey rarely seen at home.

The Australians are the number 1 ranked team in the world at the moment. They have a number of key players who have suffered serious injuries in recent months, but the depth of their squad has enabled them to continue to have good results this year, including taking the honours against a strong field at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia in May, as well as the 2010 World Cup and 2010 Champions Trophies.

South Korea, currently ranked six in the world, has just won the London Cup. They are yet to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games, but were strong performers at the 2010 World Cup and will be fielding a very experienced line up, with the majority of their players having 100 international caps or more.

Argentina is currently ranked 11th in the world, due to their shock non-qualification at the 2008 Olympic Games. Despite this, they have been regular World Cup and Olympic Games attendees for the last 20 years, and were ranked world number 6 in 2009.

Ireland are currently ranked 18th in the world, but will be buoyed by their recent success at the 2011 Champions Challenge 2 in Lille and are emerging as a serious contender for a top ten ranking position.

France is currently ranked 17th in the world, and is chasing their first qualification to the Olympic Games since 1972. After a strong win over hockey powerhouses Pakistan in June, France finished second to Ireland in the 2011 Champions Challenge 2 final.

The tournament will start at 15hr30 on Tuesday 26 July, when South Korea will meet Ireland, and later that evening, at 18hr00, France will take on Argentina. Australia will play their first game of the tournament on Wednesday 27 July, playing against Ireland at 16hr00.

Fédération Française de Hockey media release

Revington Announces 18 Set for INSEP 5 Nations. Paris 26th July - 30th July 2011

Paul Revington has announced a squad of 18 as Ireland's men continue along the path of an intense summer as they build towards the Europeans in August. This tournament will afford Ireland the opportunity to gain match practise against top quality opposition including world number 1's Australia as well as Korea (6th) Argentina (11th) and the home side France (17th).

Commenting on the impending competition Paul Revington said We are very fortunate to be attending this event and especially considering the quality of opposition we will be facing. The games are well timed as we continue to develop various areas of our team play through the summer and our squad is provided with an immediate opportunity to press on after some success in Lille a fortnight ago.

Revingtons squad sees Cookstowns Ian Sloan back in action after recently competing in the U18 EuroYouth Nations Championship in Holland as he is called back in to compete at the Senior Level.

Ireland will complete four matches in five days, on completion they will play two further matches on home turf against Argentina on the 6th and 7th August in their last matches prior to the EuroHockey Nations Championships from the 21st - 28th August.

Irish Squad; INSEP 5 Nations
Paris 26th - 30th July 2011
David Ames (Beeston)
Chris Cargo (Reading)
Peter Caruth (Annadale)
Tim Cockram (Lisnagarvey)
Mitch Darling (Den Bosch)
David Fitzgerald (Monkstown) GK
Paul Gleghorne (Instonians)
Ronan Gormley (Club de Campo) Capt
Conor Harte (SCHC)
David Harte (SCHC) GK
John Jackson (Mossley)
John Jermyn (Cork C of I)
Eugene Magee (Dragons)
Geoff McCabe (Santander)
Bruce McCandless (Banbridge)
Andy McConnell (Hurley)
Ian Sloan (Cookstown)
Michael Watt (Santander)

Paul Revington (Coach)
Arul Anthoni (Asst Coach & Manager)
David Richards (Physio)
Stephen Barry (S&C/Video)

Match Schedule:
Tuesday 26th July Ireland v Korea 15.30
Wednesday 27th July Ireland v Australia 16.00
Friday 29th July Ireland v Argentina 16.00
Saturday 30th July Ireland v France 17.30

Official website http://www.ffhockey.org/icalrepeat.detail/2011/07/25/393/insep-hockey-challenge-ii-ihc.html

Irish Hockey Association media release

Juniors finally come good on tour

THE Malaysian Juniors finally won their first match on their European tour when they beat England Juniors 3-2 on Tuesday.

The team, preparing for the Junior Asia Cup in Malacca next year which is a qualifier for the Junior World Cup, had lost 5-1 and 6-0 to the Netherlands last week.

And on Sunday, they drew their first test 2-2 with the English.

The first goal was scored by Syamim Yusof in the 25th minute. He received a pass from Amir Farid, controlled it well before flicking the ball to the top of the goalmouth.

The English equalised in the 17th minute, but Amir Farid gave Malaysia the lead again in the 29th when he beat a defender and scored off a reverse stick attempt.

Mohamed Nor Faeez consolidated Malaysia's lead with a 39th minute penalty corner attempt, before England narrowed the gap with a 55th minute penalty corner goal.

Malaysia had only taken one goalkeeper for the tour, and according to team manager Mirnawan Nawawi, he played a big role in the win.

"We registered our first win of the tour after a brilliant display from goalkeepeer Hazrul Faiz Ahmad in denying the English, especially during penalty corner attempts," said Mirnawan.

However, Mirnawan lamented that his charges seem to lose possession after taking the lead. "We need to arrest this situation, and be more consistent in the remaining two matches against England," he said.

New Straits Times

Pakistan’s tour of Europe was a waste: Samiullah


Samiullah said Pakistan needed fresh blood in the team and they should have been tested in larger numbers in Europe. -Photo by AP (file)

KARACHI: Hockey legend Samiullah Khan slammed the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for not making use of the team’s trip to Europe by fielding a large number of tried and tested seniors.

“Pakistan hardly gained anything from the tour of Europe with 80 per cent old players in their line-up,” Samiullah told APP in an interview on Tuesday.

“PHF wasted a golden opportunity to test and groom young talent against the European teams and build them for London 2012.”

“Whatever results Pakistan achieved were not impressive,” he commented.

“The majority of the players in the team for the tour were old which was not wise,” he added.

Pakistan finished at the bottom in a 4-nation event and were beaten comprehensibly by the Netherlands and Belgium during their respective test matches.

“What have the PHF and selectors achieved by fielding the old guard, many of whom have played over 300 internationals?”

He said Pakistan needed fresh blood in the team and they should have been tested in larger numbers in Europe.

“It should have been a 50-50 mix of seniors and youngsters. While it may still not have achieved the desired results it would have given the management a fair idea of the squad to pick for the London Olympics,” Samiullah, who represented Pakistan in 1976 Montreal Olympics and was member of the team which won the 1982 World Cup in Bombay, said.

“Pakistan needed a good goalkeeper, a strong player in deep defence, a couple of young mid-fielders and 2-3 energetic and talented forwards,” he reckoned.

He expressed hope that PHF would learn from their mistake and will focus on sending more youngsters for the proposed 4-nation events in India and Australia.

Dawn

London Olympics 2012: Self-belief and optimism are keys to success

By Muhammad Ali

The next Summer Olympics will be held in London from July 27 to August 12 next year and Pakistan are hoping for a medal in the hockey competition. Pakistan, who remained up in the clouds for more than three decades and are record four times world champions and winners of three Olympic gold medals, are striving hard for a big world title since winning the 1994 World Cup in Australia. Last year in November at Guangzhou Asian Games, fired-up Pakistan won the hockey gold medal after 20 years when they defeated Malaysia 2-0 in the final. It was Pakistan’s eighth Asiad hockey gold, ending a drought that stretched back to Beijing in 1990, and handed them their first major Asian crown. Pakistan won eight gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes in all 16 Asian Games. By winning the Guangzhou Asian Games hockey final, the greenshirts also confirmed their berth for the London Games.

Pakistan finished poor eighth at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. It was their worst ever showing in the Olympics. But after winning the gold at the Guangzhou Asian Games, the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) hopes are high and they are positive of their team putting up a good show at mother of all sports competitions. The hiring of Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel has done wonders for Pakistan hockey. Under him, the greenshirts were able to win the Asian title after two decades.

The expertise of PHF president Qasim Zia and secretary general Mohammad Asif Bajwa is always there to suggest ways and means to guide Pakistan hockey towards a quantum leap. The PHF is taking the game to a more professional plane in terms of skills and competitiveness. These are attributes that were previously lacking in our hockey structure. The PHF is giving maximum international exposure and facilities to the senior as well as junior players never seen in Pakistan hockey before. Now it is up to the players and the team managements to deliver.

In London, the greenshirts would be needing a great effort to finish on the podium as they are way behind powerhouses like Australia, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. But PHF secretary Bajwa believes the Asian Games gold has boosted the team’s confidence. “Pakistan hockey has been struggling for almost twenty years but we believe that it’s time for things to change,” said Bajwa. “We have put ourselves on the road to revival by winning the Asian Games title and are now setting our sights on doing well in the 2012 Olympics and the World Cup to be played in 2014,” added former Olympian Bajwa.

The national team’s performances during their recent international assignments in Europe were average: defence was found wanting, midfield missed a striker, the bench strength was poor and the team lacked aggressiveness, particularly the young forwards. And above all, the greenshirts failed to implement strategy in crucial games. Pakistan were up against oppositions of completely different strengths in both four-nation tournaments. The first assignment in Dublin pitted Pakistan against France, China and hosts Ireland — all ranked outside top 15 in the world. Critics were expecting that the greenshirts would not face much difficulty against such an opposition. But they struggled and had to fight hard to beat Ireland 2-1 in the final.

They faced a much bigger test in Amsterdam. Pakistan, ranked eighth in the world, were up against Germany, Holland and England ranked 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. Their opponents in the final were hosts Netherlands. The Dutch won by a big margin of 4-0 thus condemning Pakistan to the last place with just one point. But Pakistan’s show against England and Germany was satisfactory.

No doubt, the European tour was a step forward to prepare for the London Olympics. It was a preparatory tour to build up a team for the upcoming Olympics and expose the players to high quality experience of playing against the finest hockey nations. “We are satisfied with the outcome of the tour,” he said. The team, he explained, though could not score wins against the top teams but the players enjoyed the opportunity to play against the top sides in such events after a long time. “The European tour has its own significance in terms of imparting experience to the players and build the team for future needs. We are focusing on the Olympics and that is why we did a lot of experiments during this tour, no matter it was a four-nation tournament or a test series.”

Bajwa said in the past Pakistan were denied an opportunity to compete against the European teams in summer because of commitments of hosts countries. “But this time the team got a big opportunity to play against these teams and to learn to improve their game. Some critics may not be agreeing to our point of view because our team could not win most of the matches. These critics always want to see our team winning which is an uphill task. It is hard to maintain a winning run in every event.” Bajwa said Pakistan would definitely have a pool of 25 world-class players by the end of this year. “We want to have 25 top players so that we can pick a solid Olympic team from that pool.”

The present set up of the PHF takes great pride in having established 18 hockey academies for youngsters all over the country. It has been two-and-a-half year since these academies came into being. It is high time that the PHF start picking talented youngsters from the academies to groom them for the London Olympics. The big question is would Pakistan be able to surprise, once again, everyone by storming to gold and glory in the London Olympics next year? They certainly have the potential.

Winning or losing is indeed part of the game but what is surprising the way critics blast the PHF. “With our performance having been such, can we be looking towards 2012 with some measure of confidence?,” they question. Despite this rather gloomy analysis, we should hope that Pakistan would be competitive at the London Olympics. The greenhsirts will continue their preparations for the London Olympics. And as a part of their training, they will tour China, India and Australia in coming months to engage players in competitive hockey and to work on improvement.

Self-belief and optimism are the keys to success. By optimism, it is meant that one should firmly believe that the best would happen. No one was expecting that Pakistan would win or even reach the semifinals of the Guangzhou Asian Games but they succeeded in clinching the gold medal against all odds. Pakistan should carry on that belief with them to London. This will give the greenshirts the moral boost to carry on with their efforts. Only hard and incessant efforts will lead to success. Pakistanis should positively believe that they are going to succeed. This sort of positive thinking urges us onward till the end is achieved. Instead, if we get discouraged and lose heart, the chances are that we will fail to succeed.

The Daily Times

A litmus test for one and all

S. Thyagarajan


Michael Nobbs. Photo: K. Murali Kumar

The anguish expressed by Baljit Singh is heart-rending. Here is a goal-keeper, regarded as the best in the business two years ago, who finds himself isolated, humiliated and victimised.

A serious eye injury from a flying golf ball used thoughtlessly in practice by a coach signalled Baljit's end game from hockey.

Battling a great deal of pain, anxiety and the notorious indifference by the powers-that-be wrecked him psychologically. The Sports Ministry stepped in to bear part of the medical expenses for treatment in the United States.

All that may be history. But it is necessary to recall and underline Baljit's determination to come back. And he did this amidst all round appreciation at the National Games in Ranchi.

In an exercise aimed at satisfying a wide spectrum of interests, HI invited more than 80 players for the camp at Bangalore.

The list included all and sundry. In the absence of a structured programme to identify talent, the only option left was to fall back on the stored data and veterans on the verge of retirement.

Risk perception

Baljit's omission from the list to the second camp is based on the risk perception taking into account the nature of his eye injury and fitness to face competition at the international level. The goal-keeper rightly questions the wisdom of pressuring him to join the camp and then be sidelined for an eye related reason.

Worrisome too is the recall of Ignace Tirkey who suffered serious ankle injury. There can be no two opinions about his proficiency in the mid-field. But can he be nursed to a level of fitness required at the Champions Trophy?

The pruned list of 48 contains four goals-keepers, seven defenders, 17 mid-fielders and 20 forwards. It is comprehensive. The coaches, headed by Michael Nobbs, have a wide choice. But to compose a balanced combination will not be easy.

There is a surfeit of deep defenders and drag-flickers. Picking two or three will again cause much heartburn. Rupinder Pal Singh holds the advantage after his show in the Azlan Shah Cup. He is young and can be shaped into an effective all-rounder.

In the mid-field, all those available are in the list. The competition for five or six slots in this layer will be intense. The 20 available for the forwardline may make the selectors' task unenviable. Prabhjot's return surprises a few. But no newcomer has matched his versatility at the left flank.

To weed out another big chunk before the Asian Champions Trophy in September will be a nerve-wracking exercise. A litmus test awaits Michael Nobbs.

The Hindu

‘Need specialist coaches’

The Indian hockey team’s national camp chief co-ordinator and assistant coach SS Grewal on Monday stressed the need to have specialist coaches of foreign origin, saying it would prove beneficial to both the players and the support staff tending to them.

“I feel we need to have coaches meant for specific roles,” said Grewal, who will be heading the national probables’ camp at the Sports Authority of India campus in the absence of chief coach Michael Nobbs, who has temporarily flown back to Australia."

For example, we have Jugraj Singh as the penalty corner coach. There is no doubt in my mind that Jugraj was one the best drag-flickers in the world. But he has been out of the game for a while now.

A lot of changes has taken place during the interim period. If we get a foreign expert in complete sync with the game, then it would be great. Not only will it help the players but also Jugraj, who can upgrade himself. And this applies to every aspect of the game, from goalkeeping to defence to midfield and to attack,” said Grewal.

There are seven assistant coaches, including Grewal, at this camp. While the Punjabi is the chief co-ordinator, Jugraj works on penalty corners and defence, AB Subbaiah handles goalkeeping and Clarence Lobo does the video analysis. There are no specified roles for BJ Cariappa, Mohd Riaz and Baljit Singh Saini.

“I’ve spoken about this to Michael and he too is keen on roping in specialists. We don’t need someone permanently but one who can give his expertise on a consultant basis. This way, it won’t cost the government much. I’ve had a chat with a Hockey India official regarding this, let’s see what happens,” added the former India international.

Grewal also felt the team needed a few sessions with an expert sports psychologist who could boost the morale of the team. “Many teams have had success following morale-boosting sessions with sports psychologists. We as coaches will provide all the technical expertise but it all depends on how the players execute it. A nice pep talk could do wonders to their confidence.”

Emphasis on endurance

The shortlist of 48 probables hit their straps on Monday with emphasis being laid on endurance, speed and overall fitness. The players were split into two batches with one undergoing fitness tests and the other trying to sharpen its hitting skills.

“Until the start of the second phase next month, emphasis will be on improving the overall physical fitness of every player and rectification of errors. Exercise physiologist David John will be conducting a series of tests following which every player will be given a programme. Every evening from 7:30 to 9.00 pm, there will be video analysis where players will notified of their errors,” said Grewal.

Grewal also said the players for the development team had been identified and recommended that they work alongside the national team. He also asserted that every member in the core group of 25-26 -- which will be identified next month -- will be tried out in the next four months before finalising the squad for the Olympic qualifiers.

Deccan Herald

Memories of Madras - A fan called Balaji and other stories

PRINCE FREDERICK

The Hindu Archives The Madras team of the mid-1950s. Former national hockey player Muneer Sait recalls the glorious days of the game — of gutsy barefoot players and cheering crowds who acted as the ‘third umpire'.

Hockey umpires in Madras always had it tough. They officiated before knowledgeable crowds that closely watched their performances. Balaji – the president of Madras Fans' Association whose squads cheered at football, cricket and hockey matches – would raise slogans to praise good umpiring decisions and to decry bad ones.

Even the best hockey umpires in Madras, which included Yaqoob, Gregory Joseph and Venkatapathy, were not spared of the extreme reactions. Gregory appeared to be Balaji's pet target. Whenever this umpire was at error, Balaji pounced on him with a stock slogan: “Giri Giri, you Moore Market umpire!” However, he got syrupy when Gregory showed good judgment: “Giri Giri, I love you ma!”

Sounding the cymbals and coining catchphrases, Balaji and his men made the gallery a lively place. No surprise that dignitaries such as M.A.M. Ramaswamy preferred planks in the galleries to plush seats in the VIP bay. Balaji's fame spread far and wide and in the 1970s, he and his trademark cymbals were allowed to accompany the Indian team to the hockey World Cup at Amsterdam.

If hockey fans kept umpires under the scanner, you can imagine how closely they would have followed the players. They were aware of each player's strengths, weaknesses and idiosyncrasies. When left extreme Rangadas of City Police had to hit a penalty corner, the crowd would roar in anticipation. This bare-footed left-extreme had the habit of spitting into his palms for better grip before a short corner.

The City Police played rough and whenever one of its players crashed into an opponent, the crowd would let out a knowing sigh. Right extreme Haridas (brother of Rangadas) would advance like a military tank and opponents instinctively swerved out of his way. He however found his match in the hefty Nazam, the left fullback of Madras Blues. Haridas never took on Nazam.

Triangular offense combinations of the big teams had a fan following of their own. The famous trios included those of Southern Railways (inside-right Jimmy Carr, outside-right C.D. Cleur and right-half Badiuddin), SBI (outside-right Uttapah, inside-right Raman and right-half Rasheed Ahmed), City Police (outside-left Rangadas, inside-left Susainathan and left-half Cunningham) and ICF (inside-right Thulasingam, outside-right Jabbar and right-half Krishnamurthy).

Fans flocked to hockey matches for the artistry of the game. Synthetic turf had not entered the scene and the grassy playgrounds – such as the ones where the MCC and MUC tournaments were conducted – provided scope for clever dribbles and manoeuvres. Synthetic turf changed the DNA of the game, but that was not responsible for the decline of hockey in Madras. In the 1960s, the Anglo-Indians began to migrate to England, Australia and Canada. The community loved the sport and most of the players in railway teams were Anglo-Indians. Their exodus arrested a major fount of hockey talent in the city.

In the 1950s and 1960s, schools such as Madrasa-e-Azam and Wesley, St. Bede's and Doveton Corrie produced great hockey players, some of whom played for the country. When colleges and schools began to turn cold to hockey, the glory of Madras hockey started to recede rapidly.

BIO: M. MUNEER SAIT: Born in 1940, he was a hockey goalkeeper who represented India at the Mexico Olympics in 1968, where the team won the bronze medal. He was also part of the Indian team to the 1967 Pre-Olympics in Madrid, where the gold medal came its way. He has represented Tamil Nadu for 17 years in national championships and has also been a longtime goalkeeper for SBI. He has been on the committees of the International Hockey Federation, the Indian Hockey Federation and the Madras Hockey Association. He has served as tournament director, judge and technical expert for many hockey Olympics and World Cup tournaments. He has received the President's Award for his contribution to the sport.

The Hindu

2011 Unity Games– Day 3 – Ashanti Region Women Send Warning Signals

Written by Walter Brown

A youthful Ashanti Region Women’s hockey team served a warning notice to the other contestants in the women’s competition that they are aiming at the ultimate prize with a 5-0 spanking of Central Region.

The medium paced game produced its first goal in the 26th minute through Martha Sarfoaa who finished off a move from midfield. Six minutes later, Martha was on hand again to double her tally to give the Ashanti Region team a 2-0 cushion to end the first half.

Back from the recess, Elizabeth Opoku sneaked through the Central Region defense to connect for a third goal in the 42nd minute. She stepped up again in the 57th to raise her tally to 2 and the team’s to 4 from a penalty corner. Janet Adampa completed the route with a clinical finish in the 62nd minute from a penalty corner situation.

Earlier, CEPS women staked their claim as potential gold medalist with an emphatic 3-0 win over Police Service. Dorcas Owusu Aboagye got a brace in the 12th and 53rd minutes from open play while Priscilla Forkua also scored in the 39th to ensure victory.

In the men’s encounter, Police Service stretched Greater Accra Region to their limits but succumbed 5-3 in the end. Greater Accra raced into a 5-0 lead through playmaker Elikem Akaba who got a hat-trick (5th, 42nd and 47th), Johnny Botsio (11th) and Leslie Barnor (35th). Greater Accra Region seemed to have gone to sleep as Police turned on the heat from the 55th minute and managed to pull a goal back in the 57th minute through Erasmus Mills. With the crowd cheering them on, Police struck again in the 60th through Daniel Botchway to bring the stadium alive. Greater Accra struggled out of their slumber and managed to hold the Police men at bay till the 65th minute when Albert Ntow brought the fans to their feet with a sublime finish. The crowd yelled for more goals from the Police team but the Greater Accra chaps kept their cool to end the match 5-3. Greater Accra men thus qualify for the quarter final stage and Police and Western will battle to for the next qualifying ticket to the next stage. 

Eastern Region men held CEPS to a low scoring first half conceding only one goal from the Charles Moses penalty corner. CEPS struggled in the second half but eventually managed an additional goal in the 61st minute through an Isaac Moses penalty corner conversion to seal their qualification to the quarter final.

Day 4 will see an all men’s affair as the women take a break. Central will pitch their strength against Armed Forces, Ashanti take on Prison Service, Western Region play Police Service and Volta Region will try to topple Eastern Region.

Ghana Hockey Association media release

Junior Men's National Team and Development Squad selected

Katelyn Nerbonne

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The Junior Men’s National Championship, held July 6-10 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA, offered athletes a chance to showcase their talent and compete for a spot on the USA Men’s Junior National Team roster. Following the tournament, a U20 Team and U15 Development Squad was selected. 

This year, four teams, compiled of athletes from around the country, competed in the Junior Men’s National Championship: Ventura County Red Devils, East Coast Juniors, San Diego Surfers and the San Francisco Gold. The East Coast walked away on top, however, to most athletes the event meant more than just regional bragging rights. More importantly, the tournament provided an opportunity for a select few to leap on to the path into the Men’s High Performance Program.  

Selection to the USA Junior National Team and U15 Development Squad provides athletes with a base to their training program and a pipeline onto the USA National Team. The men selected will train throughout the year together and compete in friendlies with other countries. The Junior Men’s National Team will face Argentina in Moorpark, CA in early August, before visiting our neighbors to the North in Vancouver, Canada for a series at the end of the month. The year will conclude with Canada traveling to Moorpark, CA in early November for a second series of matches. Potential tour dates for 2012 will be available on our website as they are determined. To view the remaining 2011 schedule for the USA Men’s National Team and USA Men’s Junior National Team, click here.

Congratulations to all of the athletes who attended the Junior Men’s National Championship and those that were selected to the Junior National Squads.  To view a list of the selected athletes, click here.

USFHA media release