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All the news for Tuesday 19 June 2012

USA vs Argentina International

**Broadcast live on NBC Sports Network

USFHA media release

Canadian Men’s Junior National Team sweeps Mexico

Three solid victories in Guadalajara


Canada vs. Mexico | Junior Men | June 15 - 17

The Canadian Men’s Junior National Team had a very strong performance this weekend against the Mexican Junior National Team in Guadalajara.  Throughout the three match series, Canada scored a convincing 17 goals while Mexico was only able to penetrate Canadian defence for one point.

“We had a strong performance,” says Head Coach Mathias Ahrens.  “We achieved most of our targets here in Guadalajara and have a clear focus on the next steps in our preparation for the Junior Pan American Championships.”

When the team returns to Guadalajara in September for the Championships, they will be hungry for another successful performance – one that would earn them a ticket to the 2013 Junior World Cup.

The Junior Men will now continue training domestically as they compete in the upcoming Field Hockey Canada Senior National Championships, June 29th – July 3rd in Surrey, BC.  They will look to come out strong against Canada’s top field hockey athletes.

For now, it’s the ladies’ turn to take on Mexico.  The Women’s Junior National Team will compete in a three match series against the Mexican Junior Team beginning tonight at 7:00pm local time in Surrey, BC.

Field Hockey Canada media release

Hockeyroos Olympic Team Announced

Regarded as one of the nation's greatest sporting teams of all time, the Australian women's outfit welcomed the new breed of Hockeyroos to the biggest stage in world sport today.

Seven players have Olympic Games experience, Captain Madonna Blyth, Casey Eastham, Teneal Attard, Toni Cronk, Kobie McGurk, Hope Munro and Megan Rivers, while the rest are set to make their Games debut.

Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens said selection had been difficult but in the end he was pleased with the final 16 that made the cut.

"We believe in this group, but we know the next six weeks are so important to our Olympic campaign," Commens said.

"We have identified the areas we need to dramatically improve on if we are to challenge for a medal at the Games."

The Hockeyroos finished a disappointing fifth at the Beijing Games four years ago and head to London with high hopes they will return with a medal in 2012.

One who is determined to make that happen is Teneal Attard, who has fought back from three knee reconstructions to play at her second Olympics.

Since taking over as Captain in 2009, Blyth also has also dreamed of seeing the women's team reclaim the title as the top nation in the world.

Kobie McGurk was last year named in the Federation of International Hockey's prestigious World All Stars team and will play a key role in defence.

After retiring to start a family, Hope Munro has returned to the top of her game and alongside stalwart Megan Rivers, will be pivotal to Australia's attack in midfield.

Goal keeper Toni Cronk is the only player left from the team that played at the Athens Games in 2004 and is set to represent her country at her third Olympics.

Casey Eastham was the baby of the Beijing Games but four years on is part of the leadership group and her performance will be important to the team's success.

Ashleigh Nelson debuted for the Hockeyroos in 2007 and was overlooked for the Olympic team a year later but the strike forward from Western Australia will make her Olympic debut in 2012.

Drag flick specialist Jodie Schulz has a big job ahead of her and a high conversion rate on penalty corners will be pivotal to whether the Hockeyroos win a medal or not.

NSW defender Kate Jenner has seized an opportunity after Jade Warrender suffered a serious knee injury that ended her Olympic campaign and left an opening on the back-line

The rest of the of the young group are exceptionally talented in their own right and have a belief they can achieve their dreams in London.

This new breed of players are determined to carve their own history, while carrying on the legacy of success that the team is known for.

Commens has reinvigorated the team with a new fast and attacking style of play and has spent hours focusing on penalty corners and developing drag flicking in the women's game to best prepare the Hockeyroos for the Olympics.

Olympic Team:

Teneal Attard(QLD), Madonna Blyth(QLD), Fiona Boyce(WA), Jade Close(NSW), Toni Cronk(NSW), Casey Eastham(NSW), Anna Flanagan(ACT), Kate Jenner(NSW), Kobie McGurk(WA), Hope Munro(WA), Georgia Nanscawen(VIC), Ashleigh Nelson(WA), Megan Rivers(NSW), Jodie Schulz(QLD), Emily Smith(NSW), Jayde Taylor(WA)

Hockey Australia media release

Dutch women's Olympic squad announced

Current Olympic Champions bring 8 Beijing gold medalists to London


The Dutch women are the current Olympic Champions (Photo: FIH / Frank Uijlenbroek)

Dutch women's head coach Max Caldas has announced his squad for London, a team that will be aiming to defend the Olympic gold medal from the Beijing Games 4 years ago.

Eight of the players who won the 2008 title have been selected to represent their country again: Marilyn Agliotti, Naomi van As, Ellen Hoog, Sophie Polkamp, Maartje Paumen, Maartje Goderie, Lidewij Welten and Eva de Goede. A small surprise in this line-up is the inclusion of Sophie Polkamp who missed almost the entire past season because of injury.

The other half of the team will be making their Olympic debut - a group that remarkably includes veteran striker Kim Lammers. After having missed the 2008 Games due to a knee injury, 31-year-old Lammers, with 145 caps under her belt, as well as a World Cup gold and 2 silvers, will experience her first Olympic hockey tournament, as well as quite possibly her last big international tournament, having previously indicated her desire to re-focus her ambitions after London.

Also set to make her Olympic debut is Kelly Jonker who travelled to Beijing four years ago as one of the team's P accredited players who may come into the squad and have a chance to play only if one of the members of the 16 player contingent becomes incapacitated through injury or illness. Jonker wasn't called upon then, and subsequently didn't receive a gold medal, but is a part of the core 16 in the upcoming Olympic tournament.

The other 2008 P accredited player, goalkeeper Floortje Engels, has been dealt an especially tough hand, finding herself as the substitute at the second consecutive Olympic Games. After seeing the lead role go to the older and more experienced Lisanne de Roever in 2008, Engels this time takes a backseat to 21-year-old Joyce Sombroek, Holland's goalkeeping supertalent who burst onto the scene at the 2010 Champions Trophy at the tender age of 18, to find herself first goalkeeper and World Cup silver medallist only a few months later.

Squad: Marilyn Agliotti, Naomi van As, Merel de Blaey, Willemijn Bos, Margot van Geffen, Eva de Goede, Maartje Goderie, Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel, Ellen Hoog, Kelly Jonker, Kim Lammers, Kitty van Male, Maartje Paumen, Sophie Polkamp, Joyce Sombroek (GK), Lidewij Welten

P accreditations: Floortje Engels (GK), Caia van Maasakker

Source: KNHB

FIH site

In the Spotlight.... Spain Men

A closer look at the teams in the London Games


Spain will look to power through the preliminary round at the Olympics (Photo: FIH / Frank Uijlenbroek)

In the Spotlight is a series that will profile each of the 24 participating teams at the London Olympic Games. It will provide a glimpse of what to expect as each squad begins its London quest. Between now and the Olympic opening ceremony a new team will be featured every 2-3 days. Today, we feature the Spanish men's national team.

The Basics:
Spain’s results took a dip after the 2008 departure of Dutch maestro Maurits Hendriks who during his tenure led the team to an Olympic silver medal and World Cup bronze, as well as 4 Champions Trophy podium finishes including the team’s first ever title. In the post-Hendriks era, Spain have since finished 5th in the World Cup and 2 Champions Trophies, and hit bottom finishing 6th at the 2011 European continental championships – their worst finish within the continent since 1995. A mere 4 months later however, a virtually identical group of players finished second in last December’s Champions Trophy, their first medal-winning finish in a world level event since the 2008 Olympics. The big question will be whether this silver medal is a fluke or heralds a resurgence of Spanish hockey.

The Road to London:
Spain emerged as the lucky loser in the qualification process for London 2012: having missed out on direct qualification with a dismal 6th place finish in Europe’s 2011 continental tournament, they were the highest ranked team in the world not yet qualified when the South African Olympic Committee decided to forego the ticket their men’s team had won in the continental qualifier and send them into the FIH qualification process instead. The open ticket fell to Spain, greatly relieved to be spared a trip to a Qualifier with its dose of uncertainty and extra expenses.

Players to Watch:
Team captain Santi Freixa is not only one of the world’s top players for his stick skills and powerful game, but is also the epitome of leadership with a limitless passion for the game and unwavering faith in the possibility of success. Known for being highly emotional, Freixa leaves it all out on the field, and has the charisma to pull the rest of his team with him, making the Spanish men another one of the teams you should never celebrate a win against until they’re on the bus home. Joining Freixa in the squad’s prime forward line are temperamental and fierce Edi Tubau and lightning fast Pol Amat, who at 34 years old still simply outruns the vast majority of his opponents.

Coach:
Dani Martin has been the head coach for the Spanish men for close to 4 years now, having taken on the difficult task of following in the footsteps of the successful Dutchman Maurits Hendriks after the Beijing Olympics. Under Hendriks, Martin served as an assistant for years while also coaching one of Spain’s top clubs, Atlètic Terrassa during that time – a club that brought forward some of Spain’s biggest stars of today, including Santi Freixa, Roc Oliva and Sergi Enrique.

Strengths:
Spain plays a forward-oriented, fast-paced game, geared towards their world class strikers, but can also rely on a strong and experienced defense around Ramón Alegre, Sergi Enrique and goalkeeper Quico Cortes. With a less organized, more creative brand of hockey than some of their counterparts, the Spaniards are more difficult to predict, and have been known to score impossible goals.

Weaknesses:
Despite being able to hold their own against the world’s best sides, the Spaniards are prone to a certain inconsistency in their results, as evidenced for example in the 2010 World Cup, where the rogue group stage defeat at the hands of ultimately last placed Pakistan cost them a place in the semifinals and saw them finish in 5th place. Also, while Spain has some good penalty corner flickers, they lack the absolute specialist that several of their opponents have.

Crystal Ball:
Spain is a strong contender for the semi-finals, but it won’t be an easy feat, as Dani Martin recognized in a recent interview: “Australia is one of the most powerful in the world, and a clear rival to get to the semis.  Against Great Britain, the matches are always very open, and I am certain that our encounter will be very intense, but we also have the experience like from the World Cup which reminds us that all teams can take points off us. We are at the Games, and you have to work hard to get into the semis.” The stakes are high for Spain, one of the few countries with only one team in the Games, as after their women’s failure to qualify, funding and resources for the next few years may well depend heavily on their final ranking.

FIH site

Congratulations to John Gawley MBE


John Gawley with his Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 from the EHB Annual Awards

Congratulations to Lt Commander John Gawley, who has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours list.  John's MBE is for Services to Hockey.

12 months ago, John was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the EHB's Annual Awards.

For over 60 years, John has served the sport with dedication and enthusiasm, contributing approximately 30,000 hours of volunteering time.  He is a Level 3 umpire and has served as Honorary Secretary of the Constitution and Regulations Committee for the national governing body, as well as positions with the Combined Services Hockey and Umpires' Association, the Royal Navy Hockey Association, Southern Counties Hockey Umpires Association, Hampshire Hockey Association and the Hampshire Hockey Umpires Association.

Our congratulations to John on this fantastic honour.

England Hockey Board Media release

D'Souza suspended for one year

Former India hockey goalkeeper Adrian D'Souza was on Monday suspended for one year for his anti-doping rule violation committed during the recent World Series Hockey (WSH) tournament.

D'Souza had tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a metabolite of marijuana, in a sample collected after the WSH match at Jalandhar in March last.

Based on a supplementary affidavit submitted by D'Souza on Monday, the day the order was scheduled to be pronounced, the disciplinary panel, headed by retired judge Dinesh Dayal, reduced the suspension to one year.

The fresh affidavit was from one Anthony Kaithavalappil who had earlier also submitted an affidavit stating that the party at which D'Souza smoked, was at his place in Mumbai on March 15 last.

Fresh statement

In his fresh statement, Kaithavalappil said that he had smoked cigarettes “laced with marijuana” and he “offered the same cigarettes” to the player also. “Mr. D'Souza without any suspicion of its contents happened to smoke them,” the affidavit stated. The panel stated that “it appeared” from the affidavit that the “athlete has been able to establish how the prohibited substance entered his body.”

Normally in such cases, dealt under Article 10.4 (specified substances), the suspension would be for a few months only.

The Hindu

Will like to play one more Olympics for India, says Sunil

Harpreet Kaur Lamba



In 2010, striker S.V. Sunil had all but lost his way in international hockey. A knee injury during the preparatory camp for the 2010 World Cup at home forced the youngster out of the team, and hopes of his return looked grim when injury specialist Dr Anant Joshi said “his injury was one he had never witnessed before”.

“I dread those days when I think about them,” says Sunil, who will now be representing India at the London Olympics. “It was the hardest period of my career and my life, as I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to walk properly one day.”

Extreme home conditions and four siblings to take care of meant Sunil could not give up. “I knew I had to carry on... my pain, my problems were secondary. I had to support my family, and the only thing I knew was hockey. I vowed to return for them, despite my condition,” says the 24-year- old, who lost his mother at an early age.

A determined Sunil returned to the Indian squad in 2011, and has gone from strength to strength from there on.

Today, he is among the senior most forwards of the country and someone coach Michael Nobbs and his team-mates look up to in adverse situations.

Circumstance do not seem to have broken his will, as the ever-smiling striker talks about his struggle, his wish to take actor Sonam Kapoor out for dinner, and the desire to represent India in at least one more Olympic Games.

Sports played: Hockey, hockey and only hockey.
Most memorable sporting moment: The Asia Cup in 2007, it was my debut tournament and we won the gold. It was special.
Worst sporting moment: The 2010 World Cup camp where I suffered a knee injury during training, and was ruled out of the team. It deprived me of hockey for almost one-and-a-half years.
Questions most asked by the public/press: How I manage to run so fast during matches.
Sporting heroes: Dhanraj Pillay and Major Dhyanchand, who gave their best for the country. Usain Bolt is also an excellent athlete, who has inspired me with his speed and accuracy.
Favourite venues: I love to play on my home turfs in Coorg and Bengaluru.
A sport you would pay to watch: Football and tennis are my favourites.
What if not a hockey player? I have given my blood and sweat for hockey from a young age. So it’s tough to think even in my dreams what I would have been if not for this sport.
Biggest regret: The knee injury in 2010 which held me back from participating in major events like the World Cup, the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. I rue missing these tournaments.
Who would you most like to invite to dinner and why? I would like to invite Sonam Kapoor as I admire her acting skills.
Person you learnt most from: My father has been a great inspiration and motivation for taking up hockey as a profession. From a young age, he taught me to be disciplined, punctual and to respect my profession and elders as these are keys to success for one’s career. Today my parents are no more, but I owe all my success to them. Without their blessings I wouldn’t have reached this height.
How would you like to be remembered? As the best forward of Indian hockey.
Other interests in life: I like hanging out with friends, watching movies and surfing the net.
What do you never leave home without? Blessings from my family.
A habit you wish to get rid of: I am very short-tempered.
Favourite actors: Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif.
Any superstition? I only believe in myself, and that’s my greatest asset.
Where do you see yourself in five years? If luck favours, I would like to play even the next Olympics and to become the best striker in the world. I will also help, encourage and motivate our younger generation to take up the national sport.
One thing that frightens you the most: Without doubt, I am very scared of injuries as they deprive you of valuable time in the national team.
Sporting motto: Never let a win get to your head or a loss to your heart.

The Asian Age

Beng Hai named as Director of Coaching

By S. RAMAGURU

KUALA LUMPUR: Former national hockey coach Tai Beng Hai may have failed in his attempt to take Malaysia back into the Olympics but the Malaysia Hockey Confe­deration (MHC) still have faith in his abilities.

He has been appointed the MHC Director of Coaching and will also handle the 2021 Project squad for the time being.

MHC secretary general Johari Abdul Aziz said yesterday that the MHC executive board had, on Sunday, agreed to the appointment after the decision to end Beng Hai’s tenure as coach of the senior team.

The MHC are in the process of hiring a foreign coach for the national team.

“Beng Hai still has a role to play and we feel that coach education is an area where he can help. As director of coaching he will implement programmes to educate and develop the local coaches and set up the structure for them to follow.

“He will also start work on the Project 2021 squad which we will launch at a later date,” he said.

The executive board was also presented with the coaching structure from the coaching committee at the meeting. But Johari said that the structure would have to be reviewed and some adjustments made.

“It isn’t complete and we need to redefine some of the tasks involving the administration. We also need to draw the line on the various duties of the people involved and ensure there is no duplication,” he added.

Johari said the national coaching setup will not come under Beng Hai’s purview.

“Beng Hai’s task is to help develp the local coaches. The national setup will be handled by the new coach and we will draw up the guidelines soon. Besides the senior team, we also have the Project 2013 and 2017 teams to cater to,” he added.

While the MHC ponder on the foreign coach for the senior team they have confirmed the appointments for the other age groups.

K. Dharmaraj will remain as chief coach of the Project 2013 team while Lim Chiow Chuan, who was removed as the Project 2017 coach, is now reinstated to the post.

Chiow Chuan is also the director of the 1Mas programme and had handled the 2017 squad since its formation last year.

“Dharmaraj will continue to be in charge of the 2013 team with Nor Azlan Bakar and K. Gobinathan while Lailin Abu Hassan will assist Chiow Chuan,” Johari said.

The MHC are hoping to bring forward the dates for the Sultan of Johor Cup, which is slated for Nov 22-Dec 2 as the dates clash with the FIH Champions Challenge in Argentina from Nov 24-Dec 2. The senior team will be taking part in the tournament.

“We have asked the Johor organisers to look into the dates as the national team, which has several junior players. will be away,” he said.

The tentative plan is to hold the Sultan of Johor Cup in October. Malaysia are the defending champions in the tournament for Under-21 teams.

The Star of Malaysia

MHL may go private

National team may not enjoy extended centralised training stints

by Vijhay Vick

THE Malaysian Hockey League (MHL) is in for a rebranding — with even privatisation.

However, all these will only happen next year instead of in the upcoming season which will start in the third week of September.

The league format last year was a mockery as the teams played a single round of matches in just over five weeks to determine the winners, instead of the usual “home and away” format.

The same was done in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) early this year, though the “season” lasted slightly longer, over six weeks. Only the Cup knockout stages were played home and away.

“It’s not fair to say the present set-up dampens our hockey scene but surely it can be better than what it is. We are trying to get a private entity to run the league,” said Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Tengku Abdullah Shah.

“We are in a dilemma because we tend to give priority to the national team and national juniors. But this will be reviewed. Ideally the league should be longer, and perhaps even split into two parts.”

However, such a move may not be possible unless MHC do away with their policy of giving priority to the national team and long centralised training camps.

With lack of depth among the reasons given by outgoing national coach Tai Beng Hai for the failure to qualify for the London Olympics, a longer league would enable players to maintain optimum fitness for longer periods and in the long run produce more players worthy of a national call-up.

“It’s not as easy as it seems. If this can be sorted out with the clubs, it will help. It would be great if more clubs enter the league.

“The same is applicable for the ladies. How are we going be champions if we play only a month or two? It doesn’t work in any sport,” Tengku Abdullah added.

Malay Mail

Wanderers teach Wits side a hockey lesson

The Randburg hockey stadium hosted a fine display of talent last weekend, with Wanderers A securing a 6-1 victory over Wits A.

KOKETSO RAMOREI

JOHANNESBURG - Wits A suffered their third consecutive loss following an early strike from Tyron Martin who managed to put Wanderers in the driving seat just five minutes into an encounter which produced plenty of action.

Two minutes after Martin’s missile, Miguel Da Graca accelerated the victory wagon that Wanderers were surely steering in the right direction.

Although Wits were starting to feel the pressure at this point, Brenden Bekker assured his team-mates that they still held a chance of clinching the match, slotting  a goal in the 16th minute.

But those ambitions were quickly hushed three minutes later when Cameron Smith scored a third goal for Wanderers, with Mike Heyink  also registering his name on the score sheet.

Things  went downhill for Wits as the 5-1 scoreline at the halftime break  suggested.

The second stanza did not offer much as Wits continued with their persistent fight for survival.

After their 5-0 loss the week before, Wits doggedly almost came back into the game from a near-miss from Gareth Cox.

For Wanderers, errors were not on their priority list and this was confirmed by James du Plessis when he scored  the final goal that would lead  his  celebrating a well-deserved victory.

In other men’s league games, Wanderers B suffered a   4-0 loss to UJ A.

Brandon Panther with two goals, and Lethabo Leoto and Mare Le Seur were the destroyers who led UJ to the triumph.

In other action,   Crusaders A punished UJ B 5-2.

In  women’s matches, Jeppe St Andrews A recorded a 3-0 victory over Wanderers A, while  Jeppe St Andrews B And Crusaders A were deadlocked with the final score of 0-0.

Absa VUT A and Wanderers B finished in a 2-2 draw while Pirates A and Wits A  concluded at a 1-1 stalemate.

The Citizen

Tanvir Dar Hockey Academy twice came from behind to beat Oranje Zwart( one of Holland’s strongest clubs) 3-2

By Ijaz Chaudhry

Oranje Zwart has a proud history. Apart from a number of Dutch greats who have played for the club, players from other countries have also donned the famous shirt. Just look at some of the names: Pakistan’s Shahbaz Ahmad- the greatest player of his generation, German great Carsten Fischer called The Man with The Hammer for his ferocious penalty corners, Australian Brent Livermore- Olympic gold medallist 2004, among others. The club recently finished 6th in the top most tier of the Dutch league. Interestingly, the club is presently coached by Michel Van Den Hauvell, who was the coach of  the national team of Pakistan a few months back and had to leave the assignment because of differences with the PHF.

It was Dar HA’s last outing on the tour of Holland which saw them play as many as six matches all against Men’s first teams of the Dutch national league over just seven days.

As has been the case in the last few ties, the academy boys made a sluggish start and paid for that. After they saw off the penalty corner conceded in the third minute due to timely rush by a defender, the 6th minute Oranje Zwart manouvre from the right side provided acres of space to Niele van der Shoot in front of goal who easily put his side ahead. They had two more chances soon afterwards but the shots went wide. The visitors restored parity within three minutes when a right side cross was easily availed by Awais, standing unmarked on the far pole. Another chance in the 12th minute went unutilised when an Aamir Ali minus from right didn’t find any Dar HA stick in front of the goal. The Lahore academy  had their first PC in the 15th minute through slick stick work by Salman. But Salman wasn’t that proficient when it came to utilising the set piece. He had ample time but hit it straight into the goal keeper’s pads.                                                                                              

The hosts started combining well and succeeded in getting their 2nd PC in the 20th minute but misfired the chance. Next few minutes saw the game mainly confined to mid field. In the 25th minute, after receiving a good ball from Asad, Aamir Ali made a fine attempt but the OZ net minder managed it finely.  Very next minute, a long OZ ball reached their unmarked striker in the circle; his effort was thwarted by the diving goal keeper Waqas Butt. Then three PCs came to the Dar HA in a very short period. A wonderful two touch drill on the first of them saw their star striker Bilal Mahmood’s attempt brush the bar. The OZ short stopper confidently padded away the two shots on the next PC while the third one couldn’t be executed properly.  After some relentless pressure by the Pakistani boys for around five minutes, the hosts managed to get a PC, in the last minute of the half, due to a defensive howler by Abid Bhatti. The diving custodian Waqas Butt again rescued his side.

HALF TIME 1-1

Dar HA began aggressively. In the very second minute,  Rizwan expertly received an aerial ball and sprinted to the circle unchecked, only to mis hit the shot on the goal. Game slowed down a bit over next few minutes. But OZ started dominating the proceedings and the Dar HA came under severe pressure. The hosts raided continuously. An edge of circle reverse hit went wide and high in the seventh minute. Then another fluent move resulted in as many as three consecutive tries on the goal but the Dar HA goalie displayed tremendous anticipation and positioning. However, the persistence paid off. In the 10th minute, a place hit near the 23 metre line was confidently flicked in by Rudolf van Schaik. Not contented with regaining the lead, the OZ continued with their aggressive play and created more chances. A couple of them were thwarted by the Dar HA goalie, a few went out and a penalty corner couldn’t be stopped properly.

The Dar HA finally managed to come out of the shackles. Salman had a good run on the left but his goal labelled pass wasn’t taken well by Awais. The equaliser came in the 17th minute via Dar HA’s fifth PC: after a dummy, the ball was passed to Salman who beautifully pushed the ball into the goal. The irresistible Salman created another PC when after yet another run along the left flank, his cross struck an OZ foot in the dee. But indecisiveness meant the PC couldn’t be converted. And the OZ made an excellent swift counter, gaining their fourth PC. It was thrown away due to a mis hit. Few attacks were seen over next five minutes or so.  It was that man Salman again; he helped his team gain the lead for the first time in the 27th minute.. His minus from deep down left was collected by Rizwan who calmly put it into the net.

A very open and fast game was seen in the last five minutes with both the sides getting good opportunities. A mistake by defender Waqas gave the Dutch striker plenty of space. As the goal keeper rushed, the OZ player scooped it over his head but Khalid Bhatti made a tremendous save at the goal line by flicking the ball over the goal. Soon another OZ strike at the goal went out. A Dar HA counter attack saw a reverse hit by Awais sailing just over the bar. It was immediately followed by a  Bilal Mahmood miss who frittered away an inch perfect pass of Salman.

Dar HA had a fright in the last minute as the hosts manufactured their fifth penalty corner. But their lead remained intact as the OZ were pulled for the dangerous hit. Hence an entertaining game thoroughly enjoyed by the onlookers came to an end.

Tanvir Dar Hockey Academy, Pakistan: 3 (Awaiz, Salman, Rizwan)
Oranje Zwart, Holland: 2 (Niele van der Shoot, Rudolf van Schaik)

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

Students shine

By Oscar Pilipili

Two-time winners Strathmore University intensified their campaign to reclaim the title they surrendered to Kenya Police last season with a valuable 1-0 victory over Karate Axiom.

The students achieved the feat in a tight hockey premier league tie at the City Park Stadium in Nairobi.

Allan Iningu scored the goal that handed the university students three points in the 37th minute.

Strathmore are now at par with leaders Nairobi Simba Union on 12 points, but the latter are placed first in the league table standings on better goal aggregate.

Nairobi Simba who have played one more match than Strathmore did not play any match at the weekend.

Top action was witnessed in the competitive men’s National League where a massive 25 goals were recorded in five matches, an average of five per match on two days.

Nakuru trounced hapless Thika Rovers 4-0 in an entertaining match to bag maximum points and assume men’s National League leadership.

Ali Musa notched a double for Nakuru while Harminder Singh and Kenneth Alumasa contributed a goal each for Nakuru.

Nakuru are now perched at the top of the second tier league with 14 points out of the possible 18.

National Youth Service were taught hockey lesson the hard way after they succumbed to humiliating 13-1 defeat in the hands of experienced Parklands Sports Club in another men’s National League tie on Sunday.

It was a walk in the park for Parklands as they scored four goals in the first half and burst with nine more in the next 37 minutes to achieve the highest number of goals scored in a match this season.

Amritpal Suri (36th, 55th, 61st) and Owen Oduor (48th, 52nd, 67th) each registered hattricks. Allan Odongo (14th, 30th) and Bernard Mita (32nd, 51st) contributed a brace each while Frankline Koyondo (39th), Farhat Singh (64th) and Felix Otieno (70th) came out of the match with a goal each.

The victory enabled Parklands to dethrone Multimedia from second slot that they now occupy with 13 points.

Kimathi University had a successful campaign in Nairobi after they beat Mount Kenya University 2-0.

The Standard Online