News for 04 March 2012
Sunday, 04 March 2012 09:34 | 
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All the news for Sunday 4 March 2012
U.S. Women champions of tournament in Spain
Ashley Meunier
COLORADO SPRINGS, C.O. – The U.S. Women’s National Team defeated Belgium, 1-0, and were declared tournament champions in Terrassa, Spain yesterday. The U.S. improves to a 2-0-1 record against Belgium, including two early test matches prior to the start of the tournament. The U.S. Team will return home to the United States today and many will spend time on the east coast with family and friends before returning to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA.
“The tour has been very successful and we were able to get good results against some very good teams,” said Head Coach Lee Bodimeade. “We’re very pleased with the outcome of our decision to provide opportunities for younger players to perform in international competitions. We have another tour coming up in Australia and New Zealand that will give us another opportunity to progress our playing depth and level of performance.”
The first half of the match was evenly matched, with Belgium and the U.S. both earning one penalty corner a piece. Both teams had scoring opportunities but neither were able to convert going into halftime.
Entering the second half, the U.S. gained momentum and was able to control the majority of the 35 minutes, earning three penalty corners to Belgium’s one. With steadily applied pressure, Belgium saw minimal scoring opportunities.
The U.S. gained an advantage in the 32nd minute and went up 1-0 over Belgium with a goal scored by team captain Lauren Crandall (Doylestown, Pa). Crandall’s goal was off of a stroke, after a Belgian defenders foot prevented Claire Laubach’s (Centreville, VA) drag flick from entering the cage.
The U.S. will travel to Australia in early April and New Zealand the end of April to continue their preparations for the London Olympic Games this summer.
USFHA media release
Ireland (Men): Ireland 4-0 Czech
Ireland made it three wins from three defeating the Czechs for the third time in as many days in their final match of the series by 4-0. Ireland first chance of the game came in the 4th minute but Jermyn shot was wide of the target. Ireland forced a PC 6 minutes later but Conor Harte's drag was well saved. Ireland dominated proceedings for the remainder of the half with the breakthrough coming eventually in the 34 minute when a reverse stick shot from McCandless found the backboard to put Ireland 1 up. In the final seconds of the half following a shot from Watt Ireland forced a PC which from the third phase was finished by McConell.
Half Time Ireland 2-0
The first five minutes of the second half John Jermyn could have scored twice but both attempts were saved by the Czech keeper. More chances followed with Darling, Cockram and Blakeney going close. A rare attack for the Czech in the 62nd minute lead to their 1st and only corner of the game but the shot never tested Fitzgerald in goal. With 4 minutes on the clock a PC switch to Harte was swept to the right post for a diving Gleghorne deflection. In the final minute Ireland were 4 up after Bell took a Harte overhead drives down the right and laid off beautifully for Watt to finish.
Ireland 4-0 Czech (2-0 HT)
(Andy McConnell, Bruce McCandless, Michael Watt, Paul Gleghorne)
Starting XI: David Fitzgerald, John Jackson, John Jermyn, Peter Caruth, Jason Lynch, Ian Sloan, Bruce McCandless, Peter Blakeney, Conor Harte, Paul Gleghorne, Michael Watt
Non Starters: Geoff McCabe (capt), Chris Cargo, Andy McConnell, Jonathan Bell, Timmy Cockram, Stuart Loughrey.
Irish Hockey Association media release
Malaysia overcome Wales
MALAYSIA beat Wales 3-1 in an acclimatisation hockey match in Cardiff yesterday, in the run-up to the Dublin Olympic Qualifier on March 10-18.
The national team, ranked 13th in the world, encountered stiff resistance from the World No 27 team before Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin scored a field goal in the 25th minute.
Izwan Firdaus then made it 2-0 in the 34th minute, before Azlan Misron scored in the 63rd minute to seal the match. The Welsh side scored in the 69th minute.
Malaysia will open accounts against World No 26 Chile on March 8, after which they meet World No 20 Russia and then World No 29th Ukraine.
Their crunch time will start after the three winnable matches, as they square off against World No 6 South Korea and finally hosts Ireland who stand at No 16.
Ireland played the Czech Republic, ranked No 23, to select their final Qualifier squad and won 7-2.
Malaysia play another friendly against Wales today, before heading for Dublin on Monday.
New Straits Times
Malaysian hockey team down Wales in Cardiff Test match
By S. RAMAGURU
KUALA LUMPUR: The national hockey team beat Wales 3-1 in a Test match in Cardiff on Friday as part of their final tune-up for the Olympic qualifiers in Dublin next week.
The Malaysian team have set up base in Cardiff to acclimatise to the playing conditions. They will play one more match, a friendly, today with the Welsh team.
As the Friday match was an official Test, both teams were only allowed to field 16 players. Malaysia rested goalkeeper Roslan Jamaluddin and Fitri Saari. They led 2-0 at half-time with two field goals via Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (22nd minute) and Izwan Firdaus (31st).
Azlan Misron assured Malaysia of a comfortable win with a third field goal in the 63rd minute. Wales pulled one back in the 67th minute through Andy Cornick.
Manager Stephen van Huizen said the players adapted well despite the long journey to Cardiff and the cold conditions.
“It was around eight to 10 degrees here in Cardiff. The players managed to pace themselves well,” he said.
“We are told it could be colder next week in Dublin. So we have to be prepared for the worst,” he said.
For the second match against Wales, Malaysia decided to have a friendly as they want to try out all the 18 players.
“The players are in high spirits and are raring to go. We’ll hold a couple of training sessions in Cardiff before moving on to Dublin on Monday,” said Stephen.
Malaysia face South Korea, Ireland, Russia, Chile and Ukraine in the Olympic qualifiers from March 10-18. Only the winner of the tournament will qualify for the London Olympics in July.
The Star of Malaysia
FIH faces a litmus test
S. Thyagarajan
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) faces a litmus test. Six Pakistan players have defied the threat of a ban to take part in the unsanctioned World Series Hockey (WSH). They are no pushovers. Shakeel Abbasi, Waseem Ahmed and Rehan Butt are celebrities.
Their defiance rings the alarm for the FIH. It will be interesting to follow how it reacts. Any decision to disqualify them from the Olympics — Pakistan earned its berth to London as the winner of the Asian Games at Guangzhou — is sure to provoke a protest, even legal in the CAS.
It will also be an embarrassment. For, the President of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, Qasim Zia, is a member of the FIH Executive Board. Assuming that the FIH sticks to the eligibility code and keeps the Pakistani players out of FIH competitions, the impact will be terrible.
It will compel Pakistan to field a weak team. There may even be calls for withdrawing from the Olympics.
The FIH should be more concerned about similar developments elsewhere. Brent Livermore, the former Aussie star, indicated at the launch of the logo for Chennai Cheetahs recently, that a handful of his colleagues are showing interest in signing up after the Olympics. He added this line of thinking prevails among players in Europe also.
If the FIH shows no leniency to the Pakistan players then there is logic in the caution given to the Indian stars by Hockey India to stay away from trouble.
But, if for any reason, the FIH is diffident in taking action the HI will be held guilty of preventing players from making a fortune.
Officials in the inner councils must be wondering why the FIH got entangled in this mess. From the start the stand taken has been ambivalent.
At one point, it looked as though the FIH would look the other way. There was no suggestion of a ban, or any penalty. It perhaps avoided a legal hassle, an avenue which Neo Sports threatened to use.
Belligerent FIH
But, progressively, the FIH turned belligerent. It spoke of sanctions and issued strictures against the administration in India by two separate wings. Burgeoning rhetoric clouded the issue.
The postponement of WSH till the end of the Olympic qualifiers indicated that no hurdles would be placed thereafter. But within hours after the final whistle in the qualifiers the FIH and the HI began singing a new tune, “free to play anywhere but…”
What is the choice left now for the FIH? It will have to wait and watch Pakistan's response.
Then it has to conceive a strategy to contain further migration into the WSH net. The FIH cannot ignore the financial lure of the WSH.
A face-saving solution lies in refraining from talking of sanctions, statutes, etc. At best, the FIH can demand a guarantee fee with the assurance that WSH will never interfere with FIH tournaments.
The Hindu
Sher-e-Punjab scores in numbers to outplay Karnataka Lions
Playing like a champions, the home side Sher-e-Punjab overwhelmed Karnakata Lions 6-1 in the first of the three matches scheduled for the fourth day of the World Hockey Series.
Punjab utilized Karnataka’s poor finish to subdue them, and then built up sustained pressure to go up in every opportunity they created. With an array of forwards in the caliber of Mandeep Anil, Gagan Ajit Sigh, Prabodh Singh, besides penalty corner executioners in veteran Harpal Singh and Harpreet Singh, Shers scored at will and did not allow the Lions to settle.
Eventful first quarter remained goalless. Karnataka defence, despite coming under constant attack, not only withstood all of them but also launched serious counter attacks. Olympian Harpal Singh did some solid work inside the circle to frustrate the nippy Lions’ strikers, and keep the scoreboard clean.
Unlike in the first quarter, the Karnataka Lions refused to play second fiddle to Shers in the second quarter. The aggressive strategy paid dividend that broke the goal jinx as well. Young Vinayak Bijwad pounced on a second rebound to move the scoreboard (18th min, 1-0) and kick start a goal-spree that followed.
Lurking inside the circle, Deepak Thakur posed danger to the Lions all the time. Despite missing a couple of sitters in the early part of the match, the Olympian played a stellar role in steering Shers towards success.
After a barren first quarter, well known Indian tornado Gagan Ajit Singh and Deepak Thakur set the Olympian Surjit turf on fire. First Deepak Thakur’s athleticism helped Sher-e-Punjab get a penalty stroke and then Gagan reminisced his glorious past with a patented close range forehand shot. In a fit of blood rush, otherwise calm and composed Lions’ custodian Devesh Chauhan rushed out of the cage and felled Deepak Thakur on the top of the circle. There was no doubt in the minds of the vast crowd that it’s a serious foul, and it was punished with a stroke for Shers, the first after three days of exciting World Series Hockey.
Pakistani import Tariq Aziz had no difficulty in converting the welcome stroke (2-1). He pushed the ball to the top inside net to outwit Olympian goalie Devesh Chauhan. With this 32nd minute goal, the Shers shifted gears and took the Lions defence head on.
After a couple of quick circle penetrations, stormy forward Mandeep Antil punched a parallel pass across the circle only to be intercepted by Devesh. Lurking around like a Hawk, gangling Gagan stopped the rebound with a left-hand lunge, and once that impossible-looking act is accomplished, he whacked a forehand in a fraction of second, leaving Devesh Chauhan rooted (3-1) to his ground.
With the defence of Lions in shambles, expecting a goalie to do the miracle appeared out of question. It took a long time for the Lions to pull up their socks. Shers returned to the dressing room with a comfortable 3-1 score in their kitty.
Third quarter did not produce any sparks compared to the second, and it was due to improved defence of the Lions. Yet, the host team went up.
Harpal Singh, who stood like a Rock of Gibraltor in the defence, entered his name on the scoreboard. His hit off the fourth penalty corner brooked no answer (4-1) in the 43rd minute. This temporarily put at rest the question of the winner of this match. Later, goals from Prabhjot Singh (61st min), Harpreet Singh (61st min) were only formalities.
Its a second win for the Shers while second loss for the Lions in as many matches.
World Series Hockey website
Pune Strykers tames Delhi Wizards; Chennai Cheetahs posts win
Special Correspondent
On target: Mario Almada of Pune Strykers scores his team's first goal against Delhi Wizards. Photo: Rajeev Bhatt, The Hindu
The cacophony in the stands resembled the fare on the pitch. Confusion was rampant and tardy moves from either camp only exposed the quality of the contest. An unhindered view from the press gallery was, in any case, a luxury as Pune Strykers tamed Delhi Wizards 3-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Saturday. This was Pune's second win on the trot.
Delhi Wizards was subdued. The fluency that marked its victory over Karnataka Lions on Friday was missing. Obviously, Pune Strykers was a tougher opponent and clearly better organized.
With Kenny Pereira, the Canadian professional, orchestrating most moves the Pune outfit looked far more cohesive in the first two quarters.
A reverse flick on the turn by Mario Almada, the Argentine veteran, in the fourth minute ought to have set the tempo. The ball flew into the goal and Pune was off to a flying start. The Delhi squad had no wizard in its ranks. Rajpal Singh and Shakeel Abbasi looked up to the German forward Philip Sunkel. He did convert a Vikram Kanth pass for the equalizer.
Delhi pushed hard towards the end of the second quarter, earned a penalty corner and should have forged ahead but for a splendid save by Vikas Pillay off a Vikramjeet Singh drag flick. Action shifted in a flash to the other end as Pune forced a penalty corner. It was wasted.
The Wizards gave them some thrilling moments but Pune did not concede an inch and scored in the dying moments of the third quarter through a penalty corner conversion by Gurpreet Singh.
He was only complementing some good work under the bar by Gurpreet Singh Guri. Gurpreet later scored when he scored from a penalty stroke.
The Results: Pune Strykers 3 (Mario Almada, Gurpreet Singh (2) bt Delhi Wizards (Philip Sunkel);
At Jalandhar: Sher-E-Punjab 6 (Mandeep Antil, Tariq Aziz, Gagan Ajit Singh, Harpal Singh, Harpreet Singh 63, Prabhjot Singh 65) bt Karnataka Lions 1 (Vinayak Bijwad).
At Chandigarh: Chennai Cheetahs 5 (Syed Warsi 3, Adam Sinclair, Mark Harris) bt Chandigarh Comets 3 (Ramandeep Singh, Rehan Butt, Sukhwinder Singh).
Sunday's matches: Sher-E-Punjab v trykers, Jalandhar, 7 p.m.; Marines v Comets, Mumbai, 9 p,m.
The Hindu
Sher-e-Punjab, Chennai Cheetahs go on a rampage
Sher-e-Punjab recorded their second impressive win on the trot when they overwhelmed Karnakata Lions 6-1 in the World Series Hockey in Jalandhar on Saturday.
Shers capitalised on Karnataka’s poor finishing and then built sustained pressure to go up in every opportunity they created. Punjab’s firepower upfront meant they scored at will and never allowed Lions to settle. Despite a string of attacks in the first quarter, Punjab could not breach Karnataka’s defence, who stood tall.
Unlike in the first quarter, Karnataka refused to play second fiddle in the second quarter. The aggressive strategy gave them the lead. Young Vinayak Bijwad pounced on a second rebound to score in the 18th minute. Lurking inside the circle, Deepak Thakur posed danger to Karnataka all the time. Despite missing a couple of sitters in the early part of the match, the Olympian played a stellar role in steering Punjab towards success.
After a barren first quarter, Gagan Ajit Singh and Thakur set the ball rolling for Punjab. First Thakur’s athleticism helped Punjab get a penalty stroke. Pakistani import Tariq Aziz had no difficulty in converting the stroke (2-1). From hereon, Punjab took the Karnataka defence head on. After a couple of quick circle penetrations, Mandeep Antil punched a parallel pass across the circle only to be intercepted by Devesh. Lurking around like a hawk, Gagan stopped the rebound with a left-hand lunge and then whacked a forehand in a fraction of second, leaving Chauhan rooted to his ground.
Karnataka’s defence was in a shambles and Harpal Singh, who stood like a rock in the defence, scored Punjab’s fourth in the 43rd minute. Later, goals from Prabhjot Singh (61st min), Harpreet Singh (61st min) were only formalities.
A brilliant show by drag-flick specialist Syed Imran Warsi of Pakistan helped Chennai Cheetahs post an emphatic 5-3 victory over Chandigarh Comets in another match in Chandigarh.
DNA
Sher-E-Punjab, Cheetahs post wins
Sher-E-Punjab proved too hot for Karnataka Lions as it won 6-1 in the World Series Hockey tournament match here on Saturday. On the mark for the Punjab team were Mandeep Antil (25th min), Tariq Aziz (30), Gagan Ajit Singh (32), Harpal Singh (44), Harpreet Singh (63) and Prabhjot Singh (65).
While Antil, Harpal and Harpreet converted the penalty corners, Aziz successfully sounded the boards from the penalty stroke.
In Chandigarh in another match Chennai Cheetahs got the better of Chandigarh Comets 5-3. The Chennai team rode on a hat-trick by Syed Warsi who opened the scoring as early as in the 5th minute, converting a penalty corner. He then converted two more in the 24th and 40th minute. Adam Sinclair (10) and Mark Harris were the other scorers for the Cheetahs.
The Chandigarh team did try to get back in the match through goals from Ramandeep Singh (28) and Rehan Butt (37), but could not keep the rivals at bay. Sukhwinder Singh (64) did get one more back but Harris's riposte just a minutes later kept the visitors well ahead.
The results:
At Jalandhar: Sher-E-Punjab 6 (Mandeep Antil, Tariq Aziz, Gagan Ajit Singh, Harpal Singh, Harpreet Singh 63, Prabhjot Singh 65) bt Karnataka Lions 1 (Vinayak Bijwad).
At Chandigarh: Chennai Cheetahs 5 (Syed Warsi 3, Adam Sinclair, Mark Harris) bt Chandigarh Comets 3 (Ramandeep Singh, Rehan Butt, Sukhwinder Singh).
Sunday's matches: Sher-E-Punjab v Pune Strykers, Jalandhar, 7 p.m.; Mumbai Marines v Chandigarh Comets, Mumbai, 9 p,m.
The Hindu
Pune Strykers, Sher-E-Punjab march ahead
NEW DELHI: Pune Strykers came up with a clinical display to beat Delhi Wizards 3-1 and join Sher-E-Punjab on top of the points table in the World Series Hockey on Saturday. Strykers, who had won their first match against Mumbai Marines 7-5, exploited the chinks in their rivals' armour well at the National Stadium to take their tally to six points.
Strykers started in the right earnest by slamming home in the fifth minute through Argentine Mario Almada, who got a soft ball inside the circle and put it through to give his side a 1-0 lead. Vikram Kanth, after receiving a pass from Rajpal Singh, set it up for German Philip Sunkel, who scored the equalizer for Wizards in the 26th minute.
Gurpreet Singh missed five penalty corners but his strike from the sixth helped Strykers take the lead. Gurpreet, who scored four goals in Pune's win over Mumbai Marines two days back, converted a penalty stroke just 10 minutes before the hooter to virtually seal the match. The stroke was awarded for a foul on Lungile Tsolekile inside the Delhi circle.
Delhi did get an opening to reduce the margin a few minutes later when Abassi came up with a brilliant run on the left, but his pass could not be tapped in by Sunkel. Pune Strykers were clearly the better team in the first half, forcing their way into rival defence on several occasions. Mario Almada was quite effective up front and he came close to scoring a few times but was thwarted in his attempt by goalkeeper Kamaldeep Singh.
Wizards' forwardline, on the other hand, was not quite as impressive as it was a day before, against Bangalore Lions. Though they had their share of chances, they failed to make the most of them. Both skipper Rajpal and Abbasi were found wanting in their efforts to breach the rival defence.
Wizards, who had won their opening match 3-2 on Friday against Bangalore, next play Chennai Cheetahs on Monday.
In the earlier matches, Cheetahs stunned Chandigarh Comets 5-3 in Chandigarh, while Sher-e-Punjab overwhelmed Karnakata Lions 6-1. For the Cheetahs, drag-flick specialist Syed Imran Warsi of Pakistan starred with three goals to quell a spirited second-half fightback by home side Comets. In the other match at Jalandhar, the Shers almost scored at will and never allowed the Lions to settle down.
Results: Chennai Cheetahs bt Chandigarh Comets 5-3; Sher-e-Punjab bt Karnakata Lions 6-1; Pune Strykers bt Delhi Wizards 3-1.
The Times of India
WSH: Pune Strykers beat Delhi Wizards in an away game
Penalty corner expert Gurpreet Singh's late conversions steered Pune Strykers to an impressive 3-1 win over Delhi Wizards in the third and last match on day four of the World Series Hockey here on Saturday.
Gurpreet converted a penalty corner in the dying moments of the third quarter and then pushed a penalty stroke to the left corner of the net to enable Pune overcome the fighting Delhi Wizards.
Philip Sunkel's 26th minute deflection helped Delhi cancel out Mario Almada's 12th minute stunner.
Both teams had won their opening matches and faced each other in front of a sizeable Delhi crowd here at the Major Dhyan Chand National stadium.
A faulty and panicky clearance inside the circle was pounced upon by the Pune Strykers to go up early.
International star Bikas Toppo dribbled past a host of defenders to the baseline, and passed it upfront to the waiting forwards. A Delhi defender came quick and intercepted, but let the ball bounce and trickle towards the cage. Even as the panicky defender was demanding an infringement and lost focus, Argentina's legend Almada retrieved the ball, whacked it to the net in fraction of a second (1-0).
Almada was fittingly declared the Man of the Match.
The beauty of the 12th minute goal was such that the Delhi fans jumped in joy and celebrated with bhangra, momentarily forgetting the fact the goal was struck against their team!
Rajpal Singh, Vikaram Kant and Philip Ankel worked in tandem to reply in style.
It was a copy book triangle move. Wily winger Rajpal stole the ball in the 25-yard area, took to the top of D very fast, passed to waiting Vikaram. The international star sent a strong diagonal pass towards the cage, where Ankel lunged forward to put the stick to deflect the flight. The ball crashed into the net to the right of goalie (1-1).
The same alert forward however wasted a great feed by Shakeel Abbasi in the 66th minute.
He dived and connected timely in the circle, but the flight was miscued to miss the empty goal, and agonizingly went out.
There were no goals in second and third quarters, despite plenty of penalty corners and counter attacks.
Gurpreet struck his first goal in the dying moments of third quarter, off the team's sixth penalty corner (53rd min, 2-1). The goal took the steam out of otherwise equally competent Delhi outfit.
Gurpreet scored his second goal in the 60th minute. Pune earned a stroke against the run of play. The burly youngster placed the ball to the left corner of the net (3-1) to take away the match from the host.
The Asian Age
Pune Strykers stun Delhi Wizards 3-1 in World Series Hockey
NEW DELHI: Gurpreet Singh scored twice as Pune Strykers notched up a 3-1 victory over hosts Delhi Wizards in their second match of the World Series Hockey tournament at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Saturday.
Both the teams had a winning start to their campaign but it was Pune who were able to keep their slate clean as they scored through Mario Almada (5th minute), Gurpreet Singh (53rd and 59th) for Pune.
For Delhi Wizards, who had beaten Karnataka Lions 3-2 yesterday, Philip Sunkel (26th) pulled one back.
Pune Strykers earned the first blood in the first quarter with Mario Almada's reverse strike finding the cage from a goal mouth melle in the 20th minute. Eight minutes off the first quarter, Delhi had almost scored but their goal was disallowed.
Pune created more opportunities and earned their first penalty corner in the 10th minute, but their variation didn't work out with Vikas Pillay hitting wide.
In the 13th minute, Delhi earned two consecutive PCs but Pune's defence stood like a wall to give their rivals at bay as the home team went into the break 0-1 behind.
In the second quarter, Delhi had an early chance to score but Shakeel Abbasi's pass to Vikram Kanth went off the target.
In the 20th minute, Pune earned their second short corner but the Wizards were up to the job.
The hosts finally brought up the equalizer eight minutes into the second quarter when German Philip Sunkel, standing infront of the goalpost, deflected home a pass from Vikram Kanth inside the D.
Delhi could have gone ahead but they squandered two successive penalty corners in the 30th minute. Pune were equally erroneous as they also failed to convert a penalty corner in the dying moments of the second quarter.
In the third quarter, both the teams employed a fast-paced game and made many inroads into the rival camp but without any success as the 1-1 deadlock continued.
In the dying moments, Stykers gained a short corner and this time they didn't make any mistake with Gurpreet Singh finding the back of the cage with a grounded flick.
Pushed to the wall, Delhi tried their best to create opportunities but their finishing let them down. The Strykers also made many penetrations and their efforts were awarded when Gurpreet converted a penalty stroke, ten minutes off the hooter to seal the match.
Five minutes off the hooter, Delhi made a last ditch attempt but a diving Philip failed to connect properly a pass from Abbasi as the deflection went wide of the post.
The Times of India
Sher-e-Punjab scores big win over Karnataka in World Series Hockey
JALANDHAR: Sher-e-Punjab scored an overwhelming 6-1 victory over Karnataka Lions for their second win a row, despite a barren first-quarter in their World Series Hockey match on Saturday.
With an array of forwards in the caliber of Mandeep Anil, Gagan Ajit Sigh, Prabodh Singh, besides penalty corner executioners in veteran Harpal Singh and Harpreet Singh, Shers scored at will and did not allow the Lions to settle.
The first quarter was eventful but remained goalless. Karnataka defence, despite coming under constant attack, not only withstood all of them but also launched serious counter attacks.
Olympian Harpal did some solid work inside the circle to frustrate the nippy Lions' strikers to keep the scoreboard clean.
Unlike in the first quarter, the Karnataka Lions refused to play second fiddle to Shers in the second quarter.
Young Vinayak Bijwad pounced on a second rebound to move the scoreboard (18th min) and kick start a goal-spree that followed.
Lurking inside the circle, Deepak Thakur posed danger to the Lions all the time. Despite missing a couple of sitters in the early part of the match, the Olympian played a stellar role in steering Shers towards success.
Thakur's athleticism helped Sher-e-Punjab get a penalty stroke and then Gagan reminisced his glorious past with a patented close range forehand shot.
In a fit of blood rush, otherwise calm and composed Lions' custodian Devesh Chauhan rushed out of the cage and felled Thakur on the top of the circle.
The act was punished with a stroke for Shers and Pakistani import Tariq Aziz had no difficulty in converting the welcome stroke (2-1).
He pushed the ball to the top inside net to outwit Olympian goalie Devesh Chauhan. With this 32nd minute goal, the Shers shifted gears and took the Lions defence head on.
After a couple of quick circle penetrations, stormy forward Mandeep punched a parallel pass across the circle only to be intercepted by Devesh.
Lurking around like a Hawk, gangling Gagan stopped the rebound with a left-hand lunge, and once that impossible-looking act is accomplished, he whacked a forehand in a fraction of second, leaving Devesh rooted (3-1) to his ground.
With the defence of Lions in shambles, expecting a goalie to do the miracle appeared out of question. It took a long time for the Lions to pull up their socks.
Shers returned to the dressing room with a comfortable 3-1 score in their kitty.
Third quarter did not produce any sparks compared to the second, and it was due to improved defence of the Lions. Yet, the host team went up.
Harpal, who stood like a Rock of Gibraltar in the defence, entered his name on the scoreboard. His hit off the fourth penalty corner brooked no answer (4-1) in the 43rd minute.
Later, goals from Prabhjot Singh (61st min), Harpreet Singh (61st min) completed the tally.
The Times of India
Comets suffer another defeat
Deepankar Sharda
Chandigarh: It seemed even the presence of a big audience failed to boost the home team of Chandigarh Comets in their match against Cheenai Cheetahs at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here on Saturday.
The home team tasted their second defeat in their match of World Series Hockey (WSH) Championship here. The team compromising of young players playing under guidance of experienced players like Rehan Butt and Bharat Chikarra failed to catch the eye.
On other hand Imran Warsi was the star of the day. He scored three goals out of his four penalty corner attempts for the Cheenai Cheetas to defeat the home team 5-2.
Giving an early shock to the home team penalty corner specialist and full-back of Chennai Chetas, Imran Warsi opened the account in the 7th minute of the game after converting the penalty corner.
On other hand, after missing a chance to score the lead in his first match against Shere-E-Punjab, Adam Sillicar today doubled the lead after diverting a pass by Jospeh Reardon, over the goal line in the 9th minute move the score to 2-0.
Soon after the start of second quarter, Imran Warsi struck again in the 22nd minute through a penalty corner and took the score to 3-0 but the home team reduced the margin through rolling substitute Ramandeep Singh , who made it 3-1 in the 26th minute by scoring a field goal.
With three minutes left for the second half , the Cheetas got two penalty corners but in the absence of Imran Warsi, the team failed to add goals to their camp. On other hand, showing his class Rehan Butt took full advantage of a mistake committed by defender Sunil in the 36th minute and took the score to 3-2. The home team again got a chance to reduce the margin but stopper Ranjodh Singh failed to take full advantage of the penalty corner just before the end of third quarter.
The Tribune
Imran scores hat-trick in Chennai's win over Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH: Pakistan international Syed Imran Warsi scored a hat-trick as Chennai Cheetahs beat Chandigarh Comets 5-3, their second successive defeat, in the World Series Hockey on Saturday.
With both teams having lost their opening games earlier, the Chennai team dominated the proceedings for most part of the match taking an early lead.
They were leading 3-1 at half-time of the four quarter match, with each quarter being of seventeen-and-a-half years duration.
The remaining two halves saw some keenly contested hockey but Chennai maintained the edge.
The visitors, led by Brent Livermore, dominated the first quarter all through tasting success in the seventh minute with drag-flicker Imran earning them the lead in the first penalty corner.
Playing before a thin home-crowd, the Chandigarh team was looking hapless and lacking in intensity in the first quarter and conceded another goal when Adam Sinclair finished a good attack build up by Mark Harris.
The home team failed to capitalise on the presence of Pakistani import captain Rehan Butt, who had not featured in the first match.
Butt was running around without passes reaching him and his substitution for a while also did not help the team cause in the first quarter.
Their misery compounded when Warsi pumped in another goal off the second penalty corner which the team earned in the 5th minute of the second quarter making it 3-0.
Ramandeep Singh in the ninth minute deflected a pass finally scoring for Chandigarh. However, a golden chance which the home team got soon thereafter to score went abegging, with Mohd Amir failing to deflect an easy pass.
Rehan was in action in the third minute of the third quarter and scored his first goal taking a single handed shot.
Warsi, who was off the field for a while getting some treatment for back spasm in the second quarter, was once again in thick of action completing a hat-trick of the fifth penalty corner in the fifth minute of the third quarter.
Chandigarh scored their third goal in the 12th minute of the last quarter, with Sukhwinder Singh Gabbar finally finding the net on fourth penalty corner.
However, the visitors were in no mood to let them celebrate with Mark Harris finishing off a well build attack from the left flank to make it 5-3 with barely four minutes left in the match.
Chandigarh had lost their opening match to Bhopal Badshahs while Cheetahs too did not have a favourable start against Sher-E-Punjab.
The Times of India
WSH serves notice on Shivendra Singh
MS Unnikrishnan
New Delhi: Sports Minister Ajay Maken had expressed his surprise at Hockey India’s decision to select 48 probables for the Olympic hockey preparatory camp, even though only 34 players had been called for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament coaching camp, when he came to watch the Delhi leg of the World Series Hockey (WSH) between Delhi Wizards and Karnataka Lions at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium here last night.
Maken also added in good measure that he was in favour of WSH as it was providing a platform for the players, and Hockey India’s move to stonewall the national campers from participating in the cash-rich league, which has got more sponsors than many major sports events, has not gone down well with other well wishers of Indian hockey, including former Sports Minister Dr M.S.Gill.
And now, WSH has started cracking the whip against players who backed out of the league, after signing the “Player Agreement” on December 20, 2010 with Nimbus Communications Ltd, the promoters of the WSH.
Shivendra Singh, who played a pivotal role in the forward line to help India qualify for the London Olympics in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, has been served a notice by the WSH, dated 28 February, for “breach of contract” after agreeing to “provide services as hockey player for the World Series Hockey (the “League”) for 3 seasons”. (Shivendra is among the 48 probables for the Olympic camp, who have been banned from playing in the WSH by Hockey India).
“You are hereby formally notified in accordance with Clause 13.6 of the agreement that the Agreement has been assigned by Nimbus to World Series Hockey Private Ltd (WSH)”.
The notice further states: “In accordance with the Agreement, you have been paid the amount of Indian rupees one lakh (including tax deductions) as advance payment of your Player Fee.
“In breach of your contractual agreement, you have failed to report for and participate in the league’s training camp on 19 February, 2012.
The agreement clearly requires you to report punctually for and participate in all designated training camps, training sessions and squad or team meetings during the availability period (i.e 1st October 2011 to 30th April, 2012) (see schedule of the agreement).
It has also come to our attention that you are seeking to renege on your obligation to participate in the League”.
Shivendra has been warned that the WSH will be “constrained to take appropriate action” for his decision “not to play in the league” which would “constitute fundamental and material breach of the agreement for which the WSH will be entitled to pursue all available remedies against you”.
According to sources, the World Series Hockey has also not paid the promised amount of Rs 5 lakhs to the Indian team for winning the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in New Delhi, to book their berth for the London Olympics, after missing the Beijing Olympics for years ago.
The Tribune
WSH slaps notice on Indian players
Ramendra Singh
BHOPAL: Sparking off yet another controversy, organisers of the World Series Hockey (WSH) tournament have slapped notices on players of the national team for failing to honour their commitments. Team India's striker Shivendra Singh said he had received a mail from the organising committee seeking reasons for his absence. Shivendra had been picked to play for Bhopal Badshahs in the WSH.
According to sources, similar notices have been served on some other players of the national team for reneging on their WSH commitments. In the notice to Singh, WSH says they are disappointed by the breach of the contract signed on December 20, 2010. It says Shivendra has breached the agreement by not taking part in the WSH training camp sessions and team meetings. Shivendra was signed for the period of October 1, 2011 to April 30, 2012. His contract was for three seasons.
The organisers also claimed that Shivendra was paid Rs 1 lakh in advance as part of the player fee after signing the agreement. When contacted, chief operating officer of Nimbus Sport, Yannick Colaco, said that respective franchises must have sent the letter. "It is the right of the franchise which owns a WSH team to opt for legal action against players who failed to participate in the tournament," he said.
The national hockey camp for London Olympics will start at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre, Bangalore on March 5. If Shivendra and others skip the camp to play in WSH, they will be automatically disqualified.
Shivendra told TOI that he will take up the issue with Hockey India before replying. However, Shivendra said that his priority was to play in the Olympics. "There will be no second thought."
The Times of India
Spark missing despite fireworks
Uthra G. Chaturvedi
For an event that completely lacked any kind of publicity, the crowds that turned up at the Sector 42 sports complex stadium on Wednesday must have been heartening for the organizers of the World Series Hockey.
These are still early days for the tournament and the Bollywood-heavy opening ceremony might have had something to do with the turnout, but the signs were positive.
As the private rebel league kicked off with performances from the stars of tinsel town pushing the schedule back by an hour, the stands were almost full —- or as full as it can get with large areas blocked by a massive stage set up for the pre-match show. Despite entry not being free, a substantial turnout would have given hope to the sponsors and broadcasters that the lack of Indian star power may still be overcome.
That lack of star power may well be restricted to the 18 who were part of the recent Olympic qualifiers. Players like Mandeep Antil and VS Vinaya, stand-bys during the qualifiers, have joined up with their respective WSH teams. And with several players deciding to remain with the league, Hockey India will have to come up with a rethink if it is to retain the entire pool of 48 for the Olympics.
What was a slight dampener was that former Pakistan captain and playmaker Waseem Ahmad along with Chandigarh captain Rehan Butt failed to make it in time for the opening game after missing their connecting flight to the venue. The two decided to make the trip to Chandigarh by road and are likely to join their respective teams by Thursday morning.
Players from Pakistan, especially Butt and Shakeel Abbasi (who has joined the Delhi team), are expected to be the biggest draw in the competition, given the absence of big-ticket Indian names. “We do not know what decision the PHF will take. But we do not regret our decision (to participate). We made a commitment to play in the WSH knowing everything and we are not backing out. Rest what happens in future, we can’t say,” Rehan said.
Former New Zealand centre half Casey Henwood, also spoke out in support of the league. Playing for Bhopal, Henwood thinks this was perhaps the best thing to happen to hockey. “Something like this should be replicated throughout the world. Why not? It’s a great concept, the atmosphere is great and hockey needs this. It’s a shame that certain players are not being able to play here but we can’t do anything about it,” he said.
Despite the fanfare and all the talk, the match, which saw Bhopal Badshahs beat Chandigarh Comets 4-3, did not live up to expectations of a fast, pacy game. However, it remains a fact that most of these players, whether Indian or foreign, are past their prime and either retired or on the verge of retirement. Like Ken Pereira, the Canadian captain who was recently in action at the Olympic qualifiers in New Delhi, or his team mate Sukhwinder Singh Gabbar.
But the organizers are confident of success.The fact that Sports Minister Ajay Maken gave his thumbs-up to the WSH, albeit in a recorded message would have come as a big relief for the organizers battling for recognition. “I congratulate the World Series Hockey and the Indian Hockey Federation for daring to dream and conducting such a grand hockey feast for the people of India and hockey players of the world. Sport needs sponsors and entertainment to become popular and it’s very heartening that the WSH is taking care of all these issues. As India’s Sports Minister it gives me great pride to announce that we are launching the first of its kind, a global league for the sport of hockey,” Maken said.
The organisers would have learnt a few lessons, though. The fact that the opening match started way beyond schedule and went on till late was a dampener midway through, but ringside entertainment was a key factor in involving the public. When the Premier Hockey League started in 2005, it too was hailed as the big revolution in the sport, before off-field tussles brought it to an abrupt end. It remains to be seen if the current version can sustain interest for the length of the tournament, especially in non-hockey centres, out of the Punjab heartland.
Indian Express
Semifinalists spotted in the Nehru-SAIL Champion Colleges Cup
Municipal College, Rourkela, CRA Sonepat, DAV Jalandhar and Al Ameen Bangalore have made it to the semifinals of the 19th Nehru-SAIL Champion Colleges Cup underway in New Delhi.
On day four today, on a crucial day, intense matches were held fitting the stage at which the prestigious tournament was in -- to spot the semifinalists.
Pool toppers move to the semis, and all the pool toppers have been spotted today after two matches played today.
Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar needed an outright victory over Municipal College to reach the semis, but it was not there.
Municipal colleges struck twice, a goal apiece in each half. Khalsa which scored the first goal of the match in the 10th minutes, equalized in the 52nd minute. The draw took the team from east India to the semis from Pool A.
Annamalai University too was in the same mould as that of the Jalandhar outfit. It need to win DAV Jalandhar, could only draw. The score was also same, 2-2. Annamalai settled for the last spot in Pool C. DAV Jalandhar, having won Ludhiana college on second day moved to the semis from Pool C.
With two handsome, one-sided matches, CRA Collge, Sonepat already made it to the semis while Jamia, which drew Almeen lost to the team from Bangalore to be in the semis. Al Ameen had better goal difference than Jamia.
Stick2Hockey.com
DD Sports telecast College Champions Cup semis today
National broadcaster DD Sports channel will telecast semifinals and finals of the ongoing Nehru-SAIL Champions Colleges Cup.
The first semifinals between Municipal College, Rourkela and DAV College, Jalandhar, will be played 12 hrs. This will be followed by the second semis between CRA College, Sonepat and Al Ameen, Bangalore.
The prestigious tournament started on Delhi’s Dhyan Chand National Stadium on 28th February. The teams were divided into four pools, topper of each pool made it to the semifinal.
Stick2Hockey.com
Leaders East Grinstead March On
Jonty Clarke, Reading
Bottom of the table University of Exeter faced a daunting journey to Premier Division leaders East Grinstead – a team which has only lost two games in the league all season.
And while they didn’t take anything from their away trip, the 6-1 scoreline could’ve been a lot worse.
A 2-0 half time lead with goals from Danny Hall and Mark Gleghorne turned into a 6-1 win by the final whistle with Tom Carson getting the consolation goal for Exeter.
Although Exeter are bottom of the table, they are only three points off Bowdon and so it is still all to play for.
That was a result of Bowdon being on the end of a seven goal onslaught from Reading in the day’s only other result in the premier division.
Andy Carruthers was on target twice for Reading who find themselves mid table and within reach of the upper and lower echelons of the league.
This victory could well act as a catalyst to push them up rather than down though, with Simon Mantell, Richard Mantell, Jonty Clarke (pictured above) and Nick Catlin also on the scoresheet.
In the EHL Men’s Conference North, Barford Tigers gained what could be an important point against Olton and West Warwicks.
Martin Marquardt opened the scoring on five minutes but a Tom Mallett goal after 54 minutes meant Olton left with a share of the spoils.
England Hockey Board Media release
Leaders Reading Make no Mistake
Jen Wilson, Canterbury
Reading showed why they sit top of the Investec Women’s Premier Division with a 3-0 victory over second placed Leicester on Saturday. With a record with just one loss and no draws, they are now ten points clear at the top and it’s difficult to see them getting caught.
Alex Danson gave them the lead inside three minutes with a goal from open play. Leicester managed to limit the damage and held firm to half time.
But then in the second half, goals from Emma Thomas and Lisa Letchford saw Reading run out comfortable winners and Leicester are now looking over their shoulders at Clifton and Canterbury who are both in touching distance after winning their games today.
In the first game of the day, Clifton hosted Sutton Coldfield and it was all over by half time. Els Mansell was on target in the first minute and goals from Zoe Leach, Fleur Horner and another from Els Mansell made it 4-0 by the break. There were to be no further goals in the second half and the win takes Clifton to within one point of Leicester.
Canterbury are just one point behind Clifton and now level on goal difference following a 9-3 thrashing of bottom club Cannock. It’s been a miserable campaign for Cannock and it didn’t get any better today although there were signs of what they are capable of.
In 15 games, the side have only scored seven goals with three of them coming today. Hits from Jade Marsh, Chloe Mcintosh and Holly Turbill saw them drawing the game 3-3 at half time.
But Canterbury blitzed their goal in the second period and Jen Wilson (pictured above) ended the game with a hat-trick. Grace Balsdon and Lucy Hyams helped themselves to two goals each.
Bowdon Hightown and University of Birmingham are separated by only two points in the premier division and with Birmingham occupying the second from bottom spot, they need to be getting something from the teams around them.
Today, they could only manage a draw against Bowdon. Jenna Woolvern put them ahead only for Hannah Pike to respond minutes later. The second half was goalless and leaves the midlands team in a precarious situation.
Olton and West Warwicks managed to keep within five points of Canterbury with a close fought win over Slough. The game was tied at 2-2 at half time and then a Rachel Clift strike on 57 minutes was enough for them to take all the points.
In the Investec Women’s Conference North, Wakefield travelled to Northampton hoping to keep their push on the top three alive against the team at the foot of the table.
Braces for Cat Horn, Heather Stafford and Molly Rawnsley saw them leave with a 10-0 win.
Surbiton stay top of the Investec Women’s Conference East after a 3-0 win over Old Loughtonians and in the Investec Women’s Conference West, Buckingham remain undefeated with a 2-1 win over Gloucester City.
England Hockey Board Media release
Kelburne relentlessly march on
SCOTTISH SUBWAY NATIONAL LEAGUE (MEN)
Glynhill Kelburne`s march to their eighth consecutive Subway national league title continued unabated as they crushed bottom side VWS Dundee Wanderers 8-2.
The Paisley outfit were only 3-2 up at the interval, Mark Ralph, Chris Nelson and Lee Morton were the scorers, Blair Williams and James Weyers from the spot replied for the Taysiders. The second half was all Kelburne, Alan Forsyth notched a hat-trick, Morton got another and Jonny Christie scored a penalty.
Grange held on to second spot with a 3-1 win over Edinburgh University. The opening goal came from a penalty corner, Rob Barr`s flick was deflected home by Cammie Fraser. Duncan Batchelor was then fouled as he tried to round the goalkeeper and Barr found the net with a low shot from the spot to put Grange two up. Back came the students, in an overtime penalty corner Stuart Laing forced home the rebound for a 2-1 score at the interval. Grange sealed the three points midway through the second half, Barr again scored from the spot after Fraser was pulled down from behind by an Edinburgh defender.
Inverleith kept in touch at the top after seeing off CALA Edinburgh 6-2 at Peffermill. Derek Salmond put Inverleith ahead in only five minutes, but CALA retaliated with two penalty corner strikes by David Patterson to take a 2-1 lead. Inverleith bounced back with two goals before the interval, Chris Duncan from a set piece and Phil Hall put them 3-2 ahead. After some stern talking by coach Stevie McCurry at the interval, Inverleith stepped it up, Duncan scored again with a fierce reverse stick shot and Andrew Malcolm picked up two late goals to seal the three points.
AMN Hillhead moved above CALA and out of second bottom spot on goal difference after a comfortable 6-2 win over Greaves Clydesdale. It was 1-1 at the interval, Graeme Campbell opened for Hillhead and Raymond Wrightson levelled for Clydesdale. Hillhead took the second half by the scruff of the neck and strolled into a 6-1 lead through Campbell again, Wei Adams, Johnny Horn and brothers Andrew and Iain Hilton before Wrightson netted a consolation for Clydesdale.
Western hang on to third spot after a 1-1 draw with Grove Menzieshill, but only on goal difference from Inverleith,
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Thunderbolts poised for double
SSTMI have the edge over UniKL
By JUGJET SINGH
Bukit Jalil Sports School captain Azrul Hasbullah (right) will be leading his teammates in their third and placing playoff match against MBI Anderson today.
TENGKU Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI) Thunderbolts hold a slight advantage over UniKL Young Guns in their quest to win their first Junior Hockey League (JHL) double at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh today.
SSTMI Thunderbolts, formerly known as Bandar Penawar Sports School, had shared the silverware with UniKL for the last two seasons, and this year, a 1-1 draw against UniKL was enough to hand them the League title on goals scored.
But the draw in the league cannot be taken into consideration in the Milo Cup title chase, as Thunderbolts went on a rampage while UniKL crawled into the final.
Thunderbolts have the two JHL top-scorers in Shahril Saabah (18 goals) and Sufi Ismat (15 goals) as well as senior team drop-out Firhan Ashaari.
Firhan was named by Thunderbolts before the start of the season, but he could only help his club in the quarter-final stage as he went into training and tours with the Olympic Qualifier team. But after he was dropped from the senior side, he scored four goals in the knock-out stage.
Firhan, 19, is a capable player as he scored seven seconds from time to hand Malaysia a bronze medal in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Orods, Inner Mongolia. Malaysia edged Japan 3-2 then.
"It is now or never for Thunderbolts. This is our best chance to win the JHL double after two frustrating seasons of sharing the spoils with UniKL," said Thunderbolts coach Wan Roslan.
In 2010, UniKL won the Overall crown while Thunderbolts took the League title. And last year, Thunderbolts won the Overall, while UniKL the League title.
This year, Thunderbolts took the League title, and the Milo Cup will be a toss between both of them again.
But the fact that only two teams have been showing class, especially in the 26-team JHL this season, did not escape Wan Roslan.
"The standard among the other teams is quite worrying, as instead of improving, it is becoming worse after each year. I noticed only four out of the 11 teams in Division One had some good players, while the 17 teams in Division Two are too far behind," lamented the seasoned JHL coach.
As for UniKL, their passionate manager Amir Azhar was a total wreck during the knock-out stages.
"We had a good season in the League, and were unlucky not to have lifted the title. However, in the knock-out my players fared miserably and should consider themselves lucky to be in the final tomorrow (today).
"But if we play like we did in the quarters and semis, we will be slaughtered by Thunderbolts," said Amir.
New Straits Times
Bold Firhan predicts Thunderbolt will bag the double
By AFTAR SINGH
IPOH: Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt forward Mohd Firhan Ashaari said nothing is going to stop his team from bagging the elusive double in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).
Firhan made the bold prediction after his team trounced MBI-Anderson 10-1 in the second-leg of the semi-final on Friday to qualify for the Milo Cup final on a 15-3 aggregate.
“We are playing exceptionally well and are confident about getting the better of Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) in the final (today at the Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh),” said Firhan, who was dropped from the national squad for the Olympic qualifiers in Dublin starting on March 10.
“We have the best strike force led by top scorer Mohd Shahril (Saabah), Mohd Sufi (Ismat) and me.
“We tore apart the MBI-Anderson defence in the second leg and will go all out to do the same to our arch rivals UniKL in the final,” said Firhan.
Shahril, who has scored 18 goals, three more than Mohd Sufi, is favourite to win the top scorer award.
This will be the third consecutive time that SSTMI-Thunderbolt and UniKL will be playing in the Milo Cup final.
In 2010, UniKL edged Thunderbolt 2-1 to win their first ever title in the Under-19 league. But last year they won the Division One title but lost the overall title to Thunderbolt in the final on penalty strokes.
Both the teams failed to break the 2-2 deadlock in extra-time and the match had to be decided on penalty strokes, which SSTMI-Thunderbolt won 3-2.
Last month in Johor Baru, SSTMI-Thunderbolt drew 1-1 with UniKL in the league match. The two teams ended their league campaign equal on points but Thunderbolt won the title because they scored one goal more than UniKL.
The 19-year-old Firhan from Terengganu said their last three meetings with UniKL since last year have ended in draws – in the league and final match last year and also in the league match this year.
“But this time we will go all out to score an outright win over them to bag the elusive double,” said Firhan.
UniKL qualified for the final with a 5-3 aggregate win over former champions Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS).
UniKL skipper Mohd Taufik Hamid admitted they are struggling to find their form to give their best in the final.
“We did not play well against BJSS (Bukit Jalil Sports School) in the second leg of the semi-final as we were trailing 2-0 before we fought back to draw 2-2 to qualify for the final,” said Taufik.
“Judging by Thunderbolt’s performance in the knockout stage they look the clear favourites lift the overall title.
However, we hope to rise to the occasion and avenge our defeat to them in the final last year and also for losing the Division One title last month,” said Taufik, a former Thunderbolt player who joined UniKL in 2010.
The Star of Malaysia
Diminutive Fitri hits new heights as UniKL’s top goalkeeper
Revelation: UniKL goalkeeper Mohd Fitri Jasni stands only 158cm but he has raised eyebrows in the MJHL.
IPOH: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) goalkeeper Mohd Fitri Jasni is proving that size does not matter in hockey.
The 17-year-old Bandar Baru Sentul player is only 158cm (5’ 2”) tall but has been impressive in the Under-19 league to warrant a call-up to the 2017 Project squad last month.
And to date, UniKL have not lost a single match this season because of Fitri’s good goalkeeping.
This is only Fitri’s second outing in the MJHL. Last year he played for Kuala Lumpur Sports School in Division Two before joining UniKL this season.
UniKL team manager Amir Azhar Ibrahim praised Fitri and added that despite his height disadvantage he has yet to let the team down.
“He has proven that size does not matter as he can save all high balls from penalty-corner flicks. I am confident that he will play well to stop all the attempts from SSTMI-Thunderbolt in the final,” said Amir.
Fitri thanked Amir for having faith in him.
“I played well in the Division One league match against SSTMI-Thunderbolt in Johor Baru last month, as I made a number of saves in that match which ended 1-1.
“We failed to retain the Division One title because SSTMI-Thunderbolt scored one goal more than us in the league,” said Fitri.
Fitri said that although many have picked Thunderbolt to win the final because they are a solid team but he vowed to give his best to deny them.
“The final will be the biggest challenge of my hockey career since I picked up the sport five years ago. I don’t want to let my team-mates down.
“I also expect the final to be a tense affair because we have a score to settle with them.
“Furthermore they have been our arch rivals for the last three years.
“Although the odds are stacked against us, we will go all out to get the better of them to win the overall title and end our campaign with at least one silverware this season,” said Fitri.
The Star of Malaysia
Jersey No. 23 Retired For Falgowski
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Katelyn Falgowski became the fourth player in North Carolina field hockey history to have her jersey retired when No. 23 was officially set aside during a ceremony Wednesday night at halftime of the UNC men's basketball game at the Dean E. Smith Center.
The Tar Heel field hockey team also was honored for its 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship, the 17th in program history.
Falgowski, from Landenberg, Pa., was named the 2011 National Player of the Year by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. She is the fourth Tar Heel to earn national player of the year honors, following Leslie Lyness (1989), Cindy Werley (1996 and 1997) and Rachel Dawson (2007).
"There's no question that Katelyn is one of the most talented players ever to be part of our program," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "As a college coach for 31 years, I have seen plenty of players who rely solely on their talent, and Katelyn is good enough to have done just that. However, she never has.
"Throughout her career - and during her senior year as much as ever - she has been the embodiment of hard work and leadership. She is one of the smartest and savviest players I've ever coached, and that combined with her talent made her into the best player in the college game in 2011, and one of the best in the world. In my opinion, she defines what a collegiate student-athlete should be. She works hard and works smart, she sets a great example and she represents UNC and our country with excellence."
A four-year starter and two-time captain for UNC, Falgowski finished her career as Carolina's career leader in assists. In addition to her national honor, she was the South Region Player of the Year and was named first-team All-America for the second time after earning second-team All-America honors in her freshman and sophomore years.
Falgowski was the 2011 ACC Tournament MVP as UNC won the crown. She also was named All-ACC.
A member of the U.S. National Team since high school, she continued to represent her country throughout her time in Chapel Hill. She played for the 2008 Olympic team and in October helped the U.S. qualify for the 2012 Summer Games. She was named a 2011 World All-Star team, the only U.S. player on the 18 member squad, which is intended to recognize the top players in the world over the calendar year. Additionally, she one of five nominees for the 2011 FIH Young Player of the Year Award, which goes to the best player in the world under age 23.
A communication studies major who graduated from UNC in December, Falgowski earned ACC Academic Honor Roll and Dean's List honors during her career at Carolina. A graduate of St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Del., she is the daughter of Ken and Cindy Falgowski.
The full story and photos can be viewed on the Tar Heels website by clicking here.
USFHA media release