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All the news for Thursday 8 September 2011

South Africa and Egypt thrilled the crowd

JONATHAN COOK in Bulawayo


Southern Gauteng and SA midfielder Clinton Panther on the ball. PHOTO: MARIE-LOUISE VAN DER SANDT

South Africa drew their round-robin encounter with co-favourites Egypt 2-2 in the most intense of matches at the Africa Cup Olympic Games Qualifier tournament on the Khumalo Hockey Stadium pitch in Bulawayo Wednesday.

SA began in controlled fashion, holding on to possession and spreading the ball wide. Lloyd Norris-Jones made the initial turnover deep in Egypt’s half and Miguel da Graca also had a hand before skipper Wade Paton set up Norris-Jones for the perfect deflection goal from close.

After going a goal down in the first eight minutes, Egypt kept their composure and continued to build patiently. A Houssam Ghabran pass to Amr Sayed forced the Egyptians’ first penalty corner but logging goalkeeper Brendon Botes was up for the shot at goal and SA kept their 1-0 lead.

With 15 to half-time Ezze Ahmed eliminated a number of defenders and delivered an effort that on another day might have earned him a goal but Botes was again on hand. Egypt were taking increasing control and Ahmed Gamal’s speculative lob shot was too close for comfort. Ghabran was a thorn in SA’s side and keeper Botes timed his run perfectly to block the striker’s effort with his pads.

SA were stealing away to get in a few close calls of their own  but the balance of play was Egypt’s as the teams went into a half-time to applause from the crowd for the intensely absorbing quality of hockey.

But after the break the Egyptians ignited the game through Mohamed Edris’ penalty corner and Ahmed Hakim’s field goal. Trailing 2-1, SA captain Paton was unfortunate to see his top-class shot flash over the crossbar, but Ezze was also close at the other end.


SA head coach Gregg Clark feels the tension. PHOTO: MARIE-LOUISE VAN DER SANDT

Then the teams were level 2-2 after a Justin Reid-Ross penalty corner flick bulged the net. And in the last five minutes Gareth Carr was just wide before Botes was on hand in the SA goal to save superbly - and perhaps it was fitting the scored ended 2-2, leaving Sunday’s 5.30 pm final between these two a tantalising prospect.

The Investec South Africa women’s team meet Zimbabwe at 4 pm Thursday.

SA Hockey Association media release

SA hockey men will miss Taine Paton

JONATHAN COOK in Bulawayo

THE South African men’s hockey team face a massive challenge when they take on Egypt in their penultimate round robin match at the Africa Cup Olympic Games Qualifier tournament on the Khumalo Hockey Stadium pitch in Bulawayo Wednesday night.

SA will be without key midfielder Taine Paton for this 6 pm clash which is likely to be the precursor to Sunday’s 5.30 pm final.

Paton, younger brother of SA captain at this tournament, Wade Paton, was a major influence in the KZN Coastal Raiders winning the SA Men’s Interprovincial Hockey Tournament for the third time at Kaspersky Park in Randburg a fortnight ago and he was recognised with the Player of the Tournament award.

The younger Paton has a shoulder injury that also saw him miss out on the previous match, a bruising encounter with Ghana that the men in green and gold won 4-0. With Taine Paton and regular national captain Austin Smith (broken hand and not taking part in Bulawayo) not in the engine room, it will be a test of SA’s depth in this department.

To date the South Africans have beaten Morocco 18-0, Zimbabwe 10-0 and the Ghanaians 4-0, while co-favourites Egypt have accounted for Zimbabwe 5-0 and  Morocco 16-1 in between a surprising 2-2 draw with dark horses Kenya, who SA meet in their final round robin encounter at 2 pm Friday.

The log-leading Investec South Africa women’s team, who are already through to Sunday’s 3 pm final, meet Zimbabwe in their final round robin match 4 pm Thursday.

SA Hockey Association media release

Pakistan men & Korea women top tables in Ordos

Asian Champions Trophy 2011 Update


China and Korea women in action at the Asian Champions Trophy. (Photo: FIH / China Hockey Association )

The 1st men’s and 2nd women’s Asian Champions Trophy tournaments are currently taking place in Ordos, China. We take a look at the action from the tournament so far.

Men’s event – India and Pakistan lead the way

Pakistan have been impressive so far in this event, recording three wins and suffering just one defeat ahead of the final set of round-robin matches. Brilliant attacker Shakeel Abbasi gave Pakistan a 3-2 win over Malaysia in their opening fixture on Saturday before his team cruised to a 4-1 triumph over host nation China the following day. However, Pakistan fell a shock 3-1 defeat against Japan on Tuesday, but returned to winning ways on Wednesday with a superb 3-2 triumph over Korea. The Koreans forced Pakistan work hard for their victory, fighting back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the scores midway through the second half. However, a field goal from Rasool Shaqat ensured that Pakistan claimed their third win of the tournament.

Pakistan’s opponents in their final round-robin match on Friday will be eternal rivals India, a team that has also shown fine form in the competition. The side coached by former Australian international Michael Jack Nobbs is just one point behind Pakistan, and remains unbeaten after four games with wins China (5-0) and Korea (5-3) as well as draws against Japan (1-1) and Malaysia (2-2) respectively. They have scored more goals than any other team in the competition, registering 13 times in their four matches - a statistic that will fill them with great confidence ahead of the Friday’s hugely anticipated meeting with Pakistan.

A win for either Pakistan or India would be good enough to seal a place in the tournament final, and a draw may be just enough for Pakistan depending on the result between third placed Japan and a Malaysia team which is out of the running. Victory for Japan should be enough to put them in the final, but Malaysia will prove to be anything but easy opponents. Korea are also still in with a shot, but need both a win over China and other results to go heavily in their favour if they are to compete for the gold medal.

Women’s tournament – Korea edging China on goals scored

Like the men’s Asian Champions Trophy tournament, the women’s event goes into the final set of round-robin matches with plenty still to play for. Korea currently have the edge over China, but it is by the smallest of advantages. Korea lead China by virtue of having scored one more goal than their opponents, with points and goal difference being completely equal.

The two giants of Asian hockey went head-to-head on Tuesday 6th September, playing out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Korea established a 2-2 lead thanks to penalty corner efforts from Kim Jong Hee either side of half time, but veteran China stars Ma Yibo (PC – 56m)and Fu Baorong (FG - 60m) ensured that the points would were shared.

Korea face Japan in their final round-robin match, and know that a draw would be enough to see them into the Gold medal match. However, a defeat against the Japanese would see their opponents into the final. China’s place in the gold medal match looks very likely, needing just a draw or a victory against bottom of the table India in their meeting on Thursday.

Asian Champions Trophy 2011

Tournament Fixtures & Results - 7 September 2011

3rd September 2011

Match No Fixture Result
M01 Korea v Japan 3-2 (2-1)
M02 India v China 5-0 (2-0)
M03 Pakistan v Malaysia 3-2 (2-2)

4th September 2011
W01 China v Japan 3-0 (3-0)
W02 Korea v India 4-1 (1-0)
M04 Japan v India 1-1 (0-1)
M05 Korea v Malaysia 4-3 (1-2)
M06 Pakistan v China 4-1 (1-1)

5th September 2011
Rest Day

6th September 2011
W03 Korea v China 2-2 (1-0)
W04 Japan vIndia 5-0 (2-0)
M07 China v Malaysia 2-4 (2-2)
M08 Japan v Pakistan 3-1 (1-1)
M09 India v Korea 5-3 (4-2)

7th September 2011
M10 Malaysia v India 2-2 (2-1)
M11 China v Japan 1-3 (1-1)
M12 Pakistan v Korea 3-2 (2-0)

8th September 2011
W05 Japan v Korea
W06 China v India

9th September 2011
M13 India v Pakistan
M14 Korea v China
M15 Malaysia v Japan

10th September 2011
W07 Women’s Bronze Medal(3 v 4)
W08 Women’s Gold Medal(1 v 2)

11th September 2011
M16 Men’s Classification(5-6)
M17 Men’s Bronze Medal (3-4)
M18 Men’s Gold Medal (1-2)

Current Standings - Men (7th September 2011)

PS TEAMS P W D L GF GA PTS GD
1. PAKISTAN 4 3 0 1 11 8 9 +3
2. INDIA 4 2 2 0 13 6 8 +7
3. JAPAN 4 2 1 1 9 6 7 +3
4. KOREA 4 2 0 2 12 13 6 -1
5. MALAYSIA 4 1 1 2 11 11 4 +0
6. CHINA 4 0 0 4 4 16 0 -12

Current standings - Women (7th September 2011)

PS TEAMS P W D L GF GA PTS GD
1. KOREA 2 1 1 0 6 3 4 +3
2. CHINA 2 1 1 0 5 2 4 +3
3. JAPAN 2 1 0 1 5 3 3 +2
4. INDIA 2 0 0 2 1 9 0 -8

FIH site

India settle for draw against Malaysia

ORDOS: The Indian hockey team continued its unbeaten run by fighting back from a goal down to hold Malaysia 2-2 on Wednesday but is still not assured of a place in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy.

The scorers for India were Ravi Pal (9th) and Danish Mujtaba (52nd). For Malaysia, the goals were struck by Tajuddin Jalil (24th) and Muhammad Amin Rahim (32nd).

India needed a win to be assured of a place in the final. A win against Malaysia would have given the Indians 10 points and a spot in the final depending on the Korea-Pakistan match to be played later today.

India play Pakistan on Friday in what will be a virtual semifinal for both the teams.

Pakistan and Korea are on six points each. With the draw, Malaysia is out of the reckoning for a place in the final as they are on four points. India are now on eight points with this draw.

India were in attack mode right at the start as Gurwinder Singh Chandi made his customary run into the Malaysian circle but the first few appeals for penalty corners were not given by the umpire.

A similar attack between Chandi, Mujtaba and Sunil also resulted in a melee but the penalty corner did not come India's way.

India, however, got the goal in the ninth minute when Sunil shot into the circle and it went off the Malaysian goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin's pads. Ravi Pal picked up the high rebound and whacked it into goal.

Malaysia started dominating the midfield after that, pushing the Indians back. Even the forwards fell back to defending as Malaysia rode on a wave of attacks into the Indian half.

They earned three penalty corners and finally got the equaliser off the third when Tajuddin Jalil deflected in the flick past the Indian goalkeeper Sreejes in the 25th minute.

India had a penalty corner but yet again couldn't trap the ball cleanly, the culprit this time being Ignace Tirkey.

India did come close a couple of times when the tries of Sunil and Walmiki were saved by Roslan in the Malaysian goal.

In the 32nd minute, Malaysia took the lead off an awful Indian error. A free ball inside the Indian striking circle with no Malaysian in sight, Sreejes came out charging and kicked the ball against an Indian defender's leg as the umpire pointed for Malaysia's fourth penalty corner.

Muhammad Amin scored off a direct flick. The Indians were now rattled as the errors mounted with the defenders and midfielders unable to clear or pass the ball properly.

At the break, Malaysia led 2-1. The second half was a frantic battle for supremacy. Gone was the five forward formula for both the teams as they battled it out for ball possession.

Malaysia had the edge and they won four consecutive penalty corners after resumption but couldn't score of any. Off their eighth penalty corner, Sreejes brought off a brilliant save deflecting the ball away to the touch line.

In the 43rd minute, India earned their third penalty corner against the run of play but Rupinder Pal Singh failed to flick the ball.

India's bad run on the penalty corners continued. Struggling against the man-to-man marking of the Malaysians, India finally managed to break their hold in the 53rd minute when Gurbaz moved down the right flank and centered brilliantly as a diving Danish Mujtaba sent the ball into the goal for the equaliser.

The equaliser sparked of a search for the match-winner from both the teams. Malaysia did hold the edge as they moved much more fluently then the Indians.

The fluency that India displayed against the Koreans wasn't there. Probably playing two matches within the space of 20 hours had taken its toll.

In the dying minutes, India earned their fourth penalty corner but Rupinder Pal Singh shot straight towards Roslan in the Malaysian goal.

A few more sharp chances came India's way but the Malaysian defence did well to clear them. Malaysia almost scored in the 68th minute when Tajuddin found himself inside the striking circle with only Sreejes in front but fumbled as Raghunath cleared the ball away.

Tension mounted as India launched their last attack with 15 seconds to go but Gurbaz and then Sunil couldn't finish off the move as the hooter went.

The Times of India

Malaysia blow their chance

Jugjet Singh

MALAYSIA blew a golden opportunity when they were held 2-2 by India in the Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, yesterday.

The draw put paid to their No 2 ranking in Asia and now they will be playing in the third-fourth bracket.

Their next opponent tomorrow is Japan, who have been impressive in this tournament, and yesterday they beat China 3-1 for seven points and are now third on the standings.

In another match, Pakistan beat South Korea 3-2 to top the standings on nine points.

Malaysia went down to a Ravi Pal field goal in the ninth minute, but a penalty corner deflection by Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin in the 24th minute drew the match level again.

Amin Rahim gave Malaysia the lead again with a penalty corner flick in the 32nd minute and Malaysia went into the breather looking good.

The last 20 minutes saw free flowing hockey and Danish Mujtaba Masde made it count in the 52nd minute and India remain unbeaten in this tournament with eight points.

India's last match is against Pakistan tomorrow.

Malaysian team manager Stephan van Huizen said they were unlucky.

"Two Malaysian goals were disallowed by the umpire in the second half, if not we could have collected full points and be in the running for the bronze playoff.

"We also missed the golden chance two minutes from time as Faizal Saari's attempt hit the post," said Stephen.

RESULTS: Malaysia 2 India 2, China 1 Japan 3, South Korea 2 Pakistan 3.

TOMORROW: India v Pakistan, South Korea v China, Japan v Malaysia.

New Straits Times

Draw with India leaves Malaysia with a tough task against Japan

By AFTAR SINGH

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s task to finish in the top-four of the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy just got harder after they could only manage to draw 2-2 with India at the Yijinhuolou Hockey Stadium in Ordos, China, yesterday.

Malaysia now need to beat Japan by two clear goals in their last round-robin match tomorrow if they hope to make the bronze medal playoff.

It won’t be easy as Japan also need a win to qualify for the final after beating hosts China 3-1 yesterday.

Pakistan, who edged South Korea 3-2, have nine points and need just a draw against arch rivals India to qualify for the final. India, on the other hand, need a win to make the final.

Malaysia played well to come back from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead against India. In fact, they even had two goals disallowed in the second-half before India snatched a point.

India, the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist, took the lead through a Ravipal field goal in the ninth minute.

But Malaysia, who lost to India 2-5 in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh in May, hit back to score two penalty corner goals in seven minutes.

First, defender Mohd Amin Rahim’s flick was deflected into goal by forward Tengku Ahmad Taijuddin in the 25th minute. Then Amin himself got on the scoresheet with a direct flick off another penalty corner in the 32nd minute.

After Malaysia’s two disallowed goals, India struck in the 54th minute through a Mujtaba Danish field goal.

Malaysia nearly found the winning goal two minutes from time but forward Faizal Saari’s attempt from the top D hit the post.

Team manager Stephan van Huizen said “we were just unlucky”.

“Two of our goals were disallowed by the umpire in the second-half ... otherwise we could have collected full points and be in the driving seat for the bronze medal playoff,” said Stephen in a telephone interview from Ordos.

“We also missed a gilt-edged chance two minutes from time when Faizal’s attempt hit the post.”

“It just wasn’t our day.

“But my boys played well and created several good chances.

“Now, we must not only beat Japan but must do it by two clear goals if we hope to finish at least fourth.

“It will be tough because Japan have a lot riding ... they need to beat us to book their place in the final.”

The Star of Malaysia

Pakistan beat South Korea to set up virtual semis date with India

ORDOS (China): Asian Games champions Pakistan pipped South Korea 3-2 and will now clash with India in order to clinch a place in the summit clash of the Asian Champions Trophy being held.

Pakistan are on top of the table with nine points followed by India with eight. Japan are third on seven points with Korea stationed fourth having six in their kitty. That puts four teams with a possibility of entering the final.

India's match with Pakistan on Friday becomes a virtual semifinal as Michael Nobbs' men need to beat them in order to enter the final.

India can afford a draw provided Malaysia beat Japan. India could then sneak into the final on a better goal average that too if Korea beat China, the lowest ranked team in the tournament.

Goal averages would also count for Pakistan and Korea if India beat Pakistan. The safest bet for India, however, would be to beat Pakistan.

In another match, Japan beat China 3-2. China took the lead in the 27th minute Song Yi converted a field attempt. Japan fought back with an equalizer on the break when Kazuyuki Ozawa scored from the top of the circle.

Japan added another two after the break in the 45th and 53rd minute. They took the lead through a penalty corner conversion by Shinji Kawauchi and a field attempt for the third goal by Tanaka Kenta.

Pakistan battled hard for their victory knowing that a win over Korea strengthened their chances of a place in the Champions final.

Pakistan took lead in the 7th minute when Muhammad Waqas struck a short from the right corner of the striking circle.

It was 2-0 in the 13th minute when Muhammad Irfan powered in a penalty corner. Korea fought back after the break and cut the scores in the 43rd minute Sun Hoon Cho shot in from close. The scores were equalized in the 52nd minute when Korea struck of a penalty corner converted by Hyun Woo Nam.

Both the teams searched for an equalizer and it took a counter-attack from the Pakistanis to score the match-winner in the 57th minute when Shafqat Rasool found the goal after the goalkeeper had slipped while charging out.

The Times of India

Pakistan down Korea as PHF hopes for good show in Olympics


Pakistan vs South Korea, 2010 - File photo

ISLAMABAD: Asian Games gold medallists Pakistan bounced back after the Japan defeat, sidelining South Korea 3-2, in the first Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, China on Wednesday.

Pakistan are now on top of the points table with nine points followed by India with eight. Japan are third on seven points with South Korea stationed fourth having six in their kitty.

There will be a rest day in the continental event on Thursday.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation insisted that a loss against Japan would not derail their efforts for preparing a strong squad for London Olympics 2012.

“We do lose a match against Japan which does matter but Japan is the next threat in the Asian hockey arena, besides our focus is to establish a strong corps for the main event –– London Olympics,” the secretary of the PHF Asif Bajwa told Dawn.

Japan defeated Pakistan 3-1 creating an upset of the tournament.

However, the secretary said it was not weak defence which led to defeat against Japan, instead, they [Japan] are an emerging squad in Asia.

Bajwa asserted that once rated as weak, squads like Japan in Asia and Belgium in Europe, were not weak sides anymore.

“You have to admit no side is weak in today’s fast and unpredictable game … you don’t know who is going to win any match,” he said.

He said that during the journey for establishing a strong outfit “we may face criticism and some times positive feedback but its part of the highs and lows of the field hockey sport.”

“Our players make a comeback at the championship against South Korea despite being so young. The team is a blend of young and experienced players and this tournament is a build up drill for the final show to be held at London Olympics,” maintained Bajwa, also a former Olympian.

The former Olympian said that they have taken some crucial decisions which were also criticized.

“I know some of our decisions were criticized but you will be seeing positive out come of our decisions which will defiantly bear positive results,” hoped the federation’s secretary, who was still on the bashing list of few former hockey Olympians.

Dawn

Pakistan defeat South Korea 3-2

Staff Report

LAHORE: Asian champions Pakistan carved out a narrow 3-2 victory over South Korea in the 1st Men’s Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament to top the points table in Ordos, China on Wednesday. Out of four matches played so far, Pakistan won three and lost one to claim nine points as the top team of the six-team event. Pakistan appeared masters of the situation in the first half grabbing a firm 2-0 lead but failed to maintain their hold in the following session in which Koreans stormed back with determination to level the game. The green shirts kept the issue beyond the reach of their opponents with an addition of the third goal. Muhammad Waqas Sharif, Muhammad Irfan and Shafqat Rasool shared one goal apiece for the winners. Thursday (today) is the rest day and Pakistan will take on India on September 8 in a match billed as the most thrilling encounter of the event. Korea will play China and Malaysia will face off with Japan.

India with two victories and two drawn games are at number two position with eight points. Japan with two victories, one drawn game and one defeat have seven points and are at number three position. South Korea with two victories and two defeats have six points to be at number four place followed by Malaysia with one victory, two defeats and one drawn game to have four points. Hosts China with all four defeats are pointless at number six place.

The Daily Times

India, Pak in must-win game

India will now play Pakistan on Friday, in what can be called a virtual semi-final as Michael Nobbs' men need to win in order to enter the final.

The Indian hockey team continued their unbeaten run by fighting back from a goal down to hold Malaysia 2-2 on Wednesday but are still not assured of a place in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy here.

For India, Ravi Pal (9th) and Danish Mujtaba (52nd) were the scorers, while Tajuddin Jalil (24th) and Muhammad Amin Rahim (32nd) got the goals for Malaysia.

India needed a win to be assured of a place in the final as defeating Malaysia would have given the Indians 10 points.

They will now play Pakistan on Friday, in what can be called a virtual semi-final as Michael Nobbs' men need to win in order to enter the final.

Asian Games champions Pakistan pipped South Korea 3-2 and are in line for a place in the summit clash.

Pakistan are on top of the table with nine points followed by India with eight. Japan are third on seven points with Korea fourth having six in their kitty. That puts four teams with a possibility of entering the final.

India can afford a draw provided Malaysia beat Japan. India could then sneak into the final on a better goal average that too if Korea beat China, the lowest ranked team in the tournament.

Goal averages would also count for Pakistan and Korea, if India beat Pakistan. The safest bet for India, however, would be to beat Pakistan.

In another match, Japan beat China 3-2. China took the lead in the 27th minute Song Yi converted a field attempt. Japan fought back with an equaliser on the break when Kazuyuki Ozawa scored from the top of the circle.

Japan added another two after the break in the 45th and 53rd minutes. They took the lead through a penalty corner conversion by Shinji Kawauchi and I a field attempt by Tanaka Kenta.

Pakistan battled hard for their s victory knowing that a win over o Korea would strengthen their chances of a place in the final.

In the match against Malaysia, r India were in attack mode right g from the start as Gurwinder i Singh Chandi made his custom i ary runs into the opponents' circle but the first few appeals for d penalty corners were not given by the umpire. h A similar attack between c Chandi, Mujtaba and Sunil also e resulted in a melee but the J penalty corner did not come I India's way. t India, however, got the goal in the ninth minute when Sunil y shot into the circle and it went off the Malaysian goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin's pads. Ravi Pal picked up the high rebound and whacked it into goal. Malaysia started dominating the midfield after that, pushing the Indians back.

Even the forwards fell back to defend as Malaysia rode on a wave of attacks into the Indian half. They earned three penalty corners and finally got the equaliser off the third when Jalil deflected a flick past the Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh in the 25th minute.

India had a penalty corner but yet again couldn't trap the ball cleanly, the culprit this time being Ignace Tirkey.

India did come close a couple Pakistan in their final league gam of times when shots by Sunil and Walmiki were saved by Roslan in the Malaysian goal.

In the 32nd minute, Malaysia took the lead off an awful error by India. With a free ball inside the Indian circle and no Malaysian in sight, Sreejesh came out charging and kicked the ball against a defender's leg as the umpire blew for Malaysia's fourth penalty corner. Muhammad Amin scored off a direct flick.

At the break, Malaysia led 2-1.

The second half was a frentic battle for supremacy. Gone was the five forward formula for both the teams as they battled it e to qualify for the final.

out for ball possession.

In the 43rd minute, India earned their third penalty cor ner against the run of play but Rupinder Pal Singh failed to convert.

India's bad run on penalty cor ners continued. Struggling against the man-to-man mark ing of the Malaysians, India finally managed to break their hold in the 53rd minute when Gurbaz moved down the right flank and centered brilliantly as a diving Danish Mujtaba sent the ball into the goal for the equaliser.

The goal sparked of a search for the match-winner from both teams though Malaysia held the edge as they moved much more fluently than the Indians.

The pace that India displayed against the Koreans wasn't there.

Probably playing two matches within the space of 20 hours had taken a toll on them.

In the dying minutes, India earned their fourth penalty corner but Rupinder Pal Singh shot straight towards Roslan in the Malaysian goal.

A few more sharp chances came India's way but the Malaysian defence did well to clear them.

The Asian Age

Black Sticks Women win United States test series

The Black Sticks Women have won the series against the United States, thanks to a 4-0 win in their third of five test matches at the Olympic Training Centre in Chula Vista, San Diego today. Two goals from Gemma Flynn and one each from birthday girl Krystal Forgesson and Auckland’s Katie Glynn sealed the victory.

“It was a strong performance. We were much more structured and disciplined, especially in the first half. It was one of the hottest days on record – it was very trying conditions - so both teams wilted a bit in the second half, but overall a great team performance,” says Black Sticks Women’s coach Mark Hager.

“The United States is a great side to play against - they are continuing to press very hard and they put a lot of pressure on our defence. They have shown up our weaknesses and this has helped us identify what areas need to be worked on moving forward,” says Hager.

The Black Sticks were awarded two penalty corners early on. Although unable to convert, there was a breakdown at the second penalty corner which allowed the Black Sticks to feed the ball back into the circle and Gemma Flynn was perfectly positioned to tap it in.

In the 19th minute, Charlotte Harrison crossed the ball into the circle and Katie Glynn scored her third goal of the series.

The Black Sticks continued the attacking pressure and ten minutes later it paid off when Cathryn Finlayson passed the ball into the circle, the United States mistrapped it, and Forgesson found the back of the net.

The United States was awarded their first penalty corner of the game in the 33rd minute, but were unable to convert and it was 3-0 when the teams left the field at half time.

In the 43rd minute, Finlayson made a break and the ball was passed into the circle, with Katie Glynn taking a shot on goal which was rebounded out, picked up by Finlayson, and tipped in by Flynn.

The Black Sticks were awarded two more penalty corners in the half but were unable to convert, with a shot from Glynn going just wide of the net. The teams have one days rest and will play their next match on Saturday 10 September at 9am NZ time (Friday 9 September at 2pm US time).

Their final game is Monday 12th September at 9am NZ time and will be broadcast live on www.usafieldhockey.com

Full time: 4-0 (NZ win)
Half time: 3-0 (NZ lead)
Goal scorers: Gemma Flynn (2), Krystal Forgesson (1), Katie Glynn (1)

Hockey New Zealand Media release

Black Sticks women complete USA series win

KEVIN TUTTY

The Black Sticks have completed a series win against the United States with a 4-0 win in San Diego this morning.

New Zealand has won the first three tests in the five match series and are now determined to carry on and complete a clean sweep, winning the final two tests.

The win today mirrored the second test won by the same margin on Tuesday. The Black Sticks were 3-0 up at the break but their game dropped off after the interval, adding just one more goal.

The drop-off in effort was understandable today. San Diego had one of its hottest days on record with temperatures at game time (2pm) reaching 36deg.

Coach Mark Hager was pleased that the team won the series and kept a clean sheet on defence for a second game, but he is still unhappy with the drop-off in intensity in the second half , and it has become a priority for the coaching staff to rectify before the team's three-test Oceania Cup series against Australia in Hobart next month.

A three goal burst in 15min in the first half sealed the series for the Black Sticks.

Gemma Flynn scored the first after 14min from a penalty corner breakdown, Katie Glynn scored the second from field play 5min later and Krystal Forgesson added the third also from field play after 29min.

Cathryn Finlayson scored the final goal 8min into the second half.

Hager said he will rest captain and midfield general, Kayla Sharland for the fourth test on Saturday (NZ time).

"We'll give her a break and see how the young ones go without her on the field.''

Sharland said it was encouraging to win the series with two tests left.

"To win the series over here was really good and to put away the amount of goals we have has been great. A key for us over here has been making sure they don't get a sniff and that we have the upper hand on them.''

Sharland said the team is aware it has to reduce reduce the tunrover rate that has marred its play after good starts in the last two games.

"We're probably trying to attack too much. We're going forward pretty fast and not connecting with that final pass. Those are the turnovers we want to cut out to make sure we have control.''

Stuff

Black Sticks shut out USA, 4-0

Ashley Meunier

Led by three goals in the first half, the 6th ranked New Zealand team overpowered USA again this afternoon at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. With the shutout victory, New Zealand improves to a 3-0 record in the series.

New Zealand opened the match on attack and scored the first of four goals in the fourteenth minute on a penalty corner. Gemma Flynn made diving deflection that ricocheted passed Jackie Kintzer in goal.

Katie Glynn, who scored two of New Zealand’s four goals in Monday’s match proved her dominance on offense again, tallying one for the black sticks. Glynn maneuvered herself around USA’s defense and redirected a shot taken from the top of the circle into the cage.

In the last seven minutes of the first stanza, Krystal Forgesson collected the ball at the stroke mark and riffled it past Kintzer. USA had sustained periods of attack, but we unsuccessful at converting any opportunities into goals. New Zealand had a three goal cushion going into the second half.

New Zealand kept putting on the attack and Flynn netted the black sticks fourth and final goal. New Zealand collected a rebound in the circle and sent it to Flynn who was prepared at post to finish. 

USA will face New Zealand for the fourth match of the series on Friday, September 9th at 2pm PDT. The final match of the series on Sunday, September 11th, will be broadcast live on usafieldhockey.com. The match falls on the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. To commemorate the day, the team with have a moment of silence before the first whistle and black ribbons fastened to their jerseys to remember those that lost their lives in the tragic events. 

USFHA media release

Will FIH re-think on Champions Trophy?

S. Thyagarajan

The reaction to FIH taking the Champions Trophy out of Delhi seems over the top. An impression is sought to be created that it was unexpected.

Not long ago, the FIH had hinted that a review of the allotted competitions was inevitable. This was a consequence of the ‘agreement' arrived at between Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation.

What must have alarmed the FIH about the Champions Trophy was the inactivity of Hockey India.

There was nothing to suggest that HI was moving towards staging the prestigious event. If it had done something, the media, which the HI floods with illuminating reports whenever India wins a match, was kept in the dark.

Presumably, the FIH thinking is governed also by the absence of a key figure like Suresh Kalmadi in pushing matters through as he did during the World Cup 2010.

It is also probable that the FIH assessed the financial implications of the Champions Trophy in view of the questions raised by RBI on the dues from the World Cup.

It is sad that India has been deprived of staging the showpiece event. The disappointment is understandable.

The larger question is what exactly the FIH wants? Simply put, it needs to know who governs hockey in India. The FIH has recognised the HI — whatever the ethical need for the latter's creation — on the recommendation of the IOA. Nothing has changed, apart from the moves by the Sports Ministry to sort out the differences between the feuding entities. The FIH is dealing with HI, which is responsible for fielding teams and represents the country in its Council. Why then should it impose a fiat that no other unit within the country can also be engaged in promoting hockey?

Is the HI not empowered to earmark or outsource a few competitions within its framework? As long as HI functions in the ambit of the international federation and the National Olympic Committee, what is FIH's objection?

The Sports Ministry's involvement stems from an element of compulsion to restrain needless posturing and recriminations leading to legal hassles. It is time the FIH understood the complexities that abound in governance of sport, not only hockey, in India.

The FIH administration has lived with all these problems since 1927. Helmsmen like Rene Frank, Etienne Glitchitch, Juan Calzado and Els van Breda Vriesmann all managed to untie the knots at various points using their tact, wit and diplomacy.

Leandro Negre should now act as a good counsellor. He must ensure that a major power like India is not abandoned on the sidelines. Rigid interpretation of the statues must be tempered by a sense of realism and logic. India needs the FIH, and vice versa.

The FIH president is urged to come up with an acceptable solution during his visit next week. For the huge hockey community in India and abroad, the chaos has crossed the limits of patience. Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

The Hindu

Did FIH do a volte-face on June letter to IHF?

MUMBAI: Less than three months after asking the Indian Hockey Federation to exhibit patience and await the government's process in solving the differences between IHF and its rival Hockey India (HI), the International Hockey Federation (FIH) appears to have pulled the plug on the move.

FIH had on Tuesday withdrawn the Champions Trophy from India "to maintain the integrity" of hockey.

But in a reply on June 21 to IHF's missive, the FIH asked the former to wait for the outcome of the government's process, it was learnt.

"We have received the Statement of Case and exhibits prepared by you on behalf of the Indian Hockey Federation, seeking a declaration that the FIH is not entitled to recognise Hockey India as its member for India, rather your client is the only body entitled to recognition as the member of the FIH for India," FIH's CEO Kelly Fairweather had written to IHF's lawyers.

"We understand that the Indian Government is currently in the middle of trying to broker a settlement of all outstanding differences between Hockey India and the IHF, including vis-a-vis the FIH. Indeed, this process is expressly envisaged and called for in paragraph 8 of the Court Order dated 27.07.2010 exhibited to your Statement of Case.

"We do not wish that process to be interfered with or disturbed in any way; nor do we want to spend time or resources on issues that may shortly become moot. We will therefore hold the Statement of Case in abeyance pending notice from Hockey India, the Indian Government and/or yourselves as to the outcome of the current settlement process," the letter from FIH to IHF said.

FIH has recognised HI as India's governing body, responsible as a member of the world body for running the game in the country in accordance with its objectives rules and regulations.

FIH, reasoning why the December 3-11 Champions Trophy was snatched away from India, stated that the issue involved was the governance structure of hockey in the country.

"At issue is the governance structure of the sport of hockey in India. It is a fundamental and non-negotiable requirement of the Olympic Charter and the FIH Statutes that there is only be one governing body for any one sport in any country with exclusive authority and responsibility to govern, organise national competitions and to enter national teams in international competitions," FIH said in its statement.

FIH president Leandro Negre also expressed regret for the decision to move the premier tournament away from India.

"We regret that we have to move the Champions Trophy from India. It is difficult for the teams, the organisers and the fans. But we feel that this is the only way to maintain the integrity of our sport," Negre stated.

Two-time Olympian and chairman of the FIH athlete's committee, Dr Michael Green also supported the decision.

"The first priority has to be the athletes, and while this was a tough decision for the FIH to make, I feel that they have ultimately made the choice that is best for the athletes involved," he said.

The Times of India

Humbled Hockey

History lessons forgotten

Jaideep Ghosh

Tuesday was supposed to be a day of good news for India, with the hockey team defeating the powerful South Koreans in the Asian Champions Trophy tournament in Ordos, China. Such victories have become rare, and while the team and supporters geared up to celebrate, another piece of news put hockey right back where it has been for a long time - in the dumps of despair.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) chose that very day to announce that the Champions Trophy hockey tournament, one of the big events on the FIH calendar, has been taken from India (Delhi was the host city) and the tournament will now be played on the same dates, December 3-11, at a different venue. Not only that, India would also not be allowed to participate in the tournament and had been relegated to feature in the Champions Challenge in South Africa.

This is the same Indian hockey team that once was the toast of the sport. Not an event of any scale went without the side making a mark. But those days are long past. While the team struggles to make headway, its progress is in no way helped by the ugly and ungainly struggle for supremacy between those who are supposedly the guardians and promoters of the sport in India.

It has now been 13 long years since India has had any real impact on the hockey world, with the Asian Games victory in 1998 in Bangkok. Coincidentally, it was the same South Koreans whom they had beaten in a tense tie-breaker to claim gold.

Since then, it has been downhill all the way. They finished 5th in the Qatar Asian Games and since they failed to make the top four there, they also missed out on qualifying for the Beijing Olympics, which saw hockey being played, for the first time ever in Olympic history, without Indian participation.

This is the side which was unbeatable in the early years of the Olympics, but it is only fair that we delve on only relatively recent successes. The 1975 World Cup at Kuala Lumpur, where the Ajit Pal Singh-led India should have scripted a revival in the sport, seemed to be going in the right direction with the Moscow Olympics gold in 1980. But post that, successes were few and far between till 1998.

The Azlan Shah Trophy, India’s last bastion of some semblance of success, also slipped out of their hands recently and as things stand, with the FIH even threatening to pull the Olympic qualifiers out of India, it won’t be much surprise if the London Olympics also don’t see the Tri-colour in the hockey ranks.

Hockey is supposed to be a people’s game in India. While all sports have lost ground to cricket, a high-level hockey tournament will bring people flocking, as was evident in the World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. But the way things are going in terms of cohesive application off the field and results on it, the future doesn’t look too bright. One can only hope that some sanity is brought to affairs soon. Otherwise, India will be left marvelling at the past and ruing the present and future.

The Tribune

This will harm the game: IOA

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday termed the international hockey federation's (FIH) decision to move the men's Champions Trophy out of India “unfortunate and uncalled for” and said it would do “incalculable harm to the game not just in India but all over the world”.

‘Reverse decision’

IOA’s acting president, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, asked the FIH to reverse its decision, adding that he was “very keen that Indian hockey regains its glory”.

“The huge success of the World Cup and hockey competition in the Commonwealth Games is a testimony to the game's popularity in the country.

“Hockey is India's national game and a huge number of fans are keenly waiting to watch the Champions Trophy at Dhyan Chand Stadium.”

‘Maken responsible’

Holding sports minister, Ajay Maken, responsible for the IHF-Hockey India mess, Malhotra said, “I don't know what his agenda is, but he has landed the country in another unnecessary controversy.

“Thank God, the Sports Development Bill got scuttled, otherwise India would have faced problems from the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and its participation in the London Olympics and other international competitions including the Asian and Commonwealth Games would have been jeopardised.”

The IOA chief said he has been cautioning the minister “against dabbling in federations but he refuses to listen. The FIH decision is the first warning signal.”

‘Stop politicking’

Meanwhile, former India captain, Viren Rasquinha, asked all concerned with running the sport to stop politicking.

“I am not too worried about the Champions Trophy (being taken away), but am more concerned about what could happen to the hosting rights for the Olympic qualifiers (scheduled in Feb 2012) awarded to India,” he said.

Pointing out that India could be in danger of missing the berth, Rasquinha said, “The FIH is doing everything possible for India to qualify (for the London Games). We should not let go of this opportunity & regret later.”

Hindustan Times

PHF not to bid for Champions Trophy hosting rights

LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation will not bid for the hosting rights of the Champions Trophy, which was shifted from India due to the administrative row over the governance of the game there.

"We have no intention of participating in this late bid for the Champions Trophy," PHF secretary Asif Bajwa said.

He said the PHF was not in a position financially to host such a big event in existing circumstances.

"The reality is that even if we think about hosting the tournament, participating teams will continue to have security issues about playing in Pakistan in such a high profile event," Bajwa said.

He said the PHF was more keen on hosting a four-nation international tournament in Pakistan.

"That is the way forward for us and we are working on this plan and we are also trying to convince the FIH ( International Hockey Federation) to support us in this regard," he added.

Bajwa declined to comment on the FIH's decision to take away the Champions Trophy from India.

"Look it is an internal issue of the Indian hockey people we wouldn't like to make any comments but obviously we would like to see this issue resolved and India hosting events again because it is good for Asia," he said.

Bajwa said the PHF was also continuing its efforts to hold a bilateral series with India at a neutral venue.

The PHF secretary said the PHF had got the opportunity to host the Asian Champions Trophy but declined because of financial issues.

The Times of India

KLHC get boost ahead of new season

DOUBLE champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club will have five new faces when they start the defence of their Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) titles when the tournament starts on Sept 17.

Nine teams will play in the Premier Division and Division One with five teams doing battle for honours and a single slot for the TNB Cup, which is the knockout stage.

The Premier Division teams are KL Hockey Club, Sapura, Tenaga Nasional,Maybank, UniKL, Yayasan Negri Sembilan, Nur Insafi Penang, Armed Forces and UiTM.

The five teams in Division One are Bukit Jalil Sports School, Ipoh City Council, SSTMI-Thunderbolt, Uniten and Unimap.

The league starts with a Charity Shield match between defending champions KLHC and TNB. All the Premier Division matches will be played at the refurbished National Hockey Stadium. It will be a single round league with Oct 9 the last day of league matches.

Teams in Division One will play home and away with matches in Alor Star, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur.

The KLHC five players who have either quit playing or moved to other teams are Megat Azrafiq Megat Termizi (Sapura), Noor Faez (UniKL), Khairul Nizam (Sapura), Hairulnizam Maizan and Mohamed Suffian, who has been elevated to the post of assistant coach for KLHA.

And their replacements are Ahmad Kazamirul, who played for Sapura last season, Mohd Syamim (UniKL), Mohd Fitri Saari and Mohd Harfizi, who kept goal for Yayasan Negri Sembilan last year.

KLHC's current internationals are Shahrun Nabil, Fitri Saari, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Azlan Misron, Nabil Fiqri, Roslan Jamaluddin, Shukri Mutalib and Kelvinder Singh.

And KLHC's ex-internationals, some who are still good enough to play in the current national side, are Chua Boon Huat, Ismail Abu, Harvinder Singh and Ahmad Kazamirul.

"Defending titles is always difficult as our opponents will always play a notch higher when up against us. But I am confident my charges will be able to withstand the pressure," said KLHC team manager George Koshy.

New Straits Times

KLHC want to create history as first team to retain MHL league and overall crowns

KUALA LUMPUR: Double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) aim to create history in the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), which will begin on Sept 17.

They want to become the first team to retain both the league and overall titles since the MHL’s inception in 1985.

KLHC lost 2-0 to Tenaga Nasional in the season-opening Charity Shield but went on to clinch the double last year.

Ironically, KLHC will again face Premier Division runners-up Tenaga in the curtain-raiser match on Sept 17.

KLHC have made four changes to the team after five players decided to either quit or represent other teams.

Three players have joined other teams – Megat Azrafiq Megat Termizi (Sapura), Mohd Noor Faez (UniKL), Khairulnizam Ibrahim (Sapura) – while Hairulnizam Maizan has quit and Mohd Suffian has been appointed assistant coach for the new season.

Those who have been roped in to replace them are Ahmad Kazamirul, who donned Sapura colours last season, Mohd Syamim (UniKL), Mohd Fitri Saari and former Yayasan Negri Sembilan (YNS) goalkeeper Mohd Harfizi.

KLHC, powered by nine national players, will again be the team to beat this season.

The national players in the team are goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin, defenders Mohd Razie Abdul Rahim, Mohd Shahrun Nabil, midfielders Mohd Fitri, Nabil Fiqri Mohd Nor, Kelvinder Singh, Mohd Sukri Abdul Mutalib and forwards Tengku Ahmad Taijuddin and Azlan Misron.

KLHC will again be counting on penalty corner specialist Razie for goals.

He was the top scorer in the MHL last season with 27 goals.

Team manager George Koshy said they had retained 16 players from last year’s squad.

KLHC’s mission in the coming season was “to bag the double back-to-back”.

“We have a reliable team and we hope to be the first team ever to retain the titles although we only started training a week ago,” said George, who is also the national team manager.

“Our national players are in China (for the Asian Champions Trophy) and will only rejoin the team next week.

He hopes that his team would be able to get off to a winning start against Tenaga in the Charity Shield match.

KLHC won the double under the guidance of Project 2013 coach K. Dharmaraj last season.

However, Dharmaraj won’t be handling the double champions this year.

R. Vivekanandan is back to handle the team after last coaching them in 2009.

Nine teams will feature in the Premier Division and three teams – YNS, Nur Insafi and UiTM – have already hired foreign players to bolster their challenge.

The Star of Malaysia

Children's Academy clinch DSO U-17 hockey title

MUMBAI: Children's Academy clinched the District Sports Office's (DSO) under-17 hockey title (West Zone) when they beat St Annes 5-3 in the tie-breaker.

In the inter-collegiate (under-19) final, MMK (Bandra) overcame Rizvi 2-1. In the girl's under-17 final, MMK beat Durello Convent 5-4 via the tie-breaker. Children's Academy had won the Dhyanchand tournament before their second title triumph on Monday.

The Times of India