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All the news for Sunday 8 July 2012

Misfiring India lose second hockey Test against Spain

NEW DELHI: A misfiring India squandered chances galore and conceded a late goal to go down 1-2 to hosts Spain in the second hockey Test in Santander.

By virtue of this win at the new facility in La Albericia in Santander, Spain ranked fifth in the world, pocketed the two-match series 1-0 after the first game between the two sides ended in a 3-3 draw on Thursday.

The 10th ranked Indians started on a bright note on Saturday and took the lead when Sandeep Singh converted a penalty corner in the 28th minute.

But Spain restored parity in the 34th minute when striker Pau Quemada scored from the field to go into the breather locked at 1-1.

After the change of ends, both India and Spain created numerous scoring opportunities but lacked in finishing.

Credit should also go to Indian custodian P R Sreejesh for keeping the visitors in the hunt till the last minute. Sreejesh was brilliant under the goal and denied the Spanish forwards on three clear occasions.

Spain's consistent pressure after the change of ends finally bore fruit in the 69th minute when skipper Santi Freixa Lleonart converted a penalty corner to completely stun the Indians.

Thereafter, India got two more chances to salvage a draw in the form of penalty corners, but the visitors faltered on both occasions.

India will now play a three-match Test series against South Africa starting later in the day before featuring in a three-nation invitational tournament, involving Spain and Great Britain.

The Times of India

India finishes with silver medal in 6th Junior Women’s Asia Cup

India finished the 6th Junior Women’s Asia Cup hockey championship with the silver medal – its best showing after four bronze medals – as they lost 2-5 to China in the final in Bangkok today.

Taking the pitch with confidence against a team that had beaten it 2-5 in the Group A league, India played superbly to lead the Chinese 2-0 after 25 minutes when a 10-minute interruption because of rain hampered its rhythm.

Deep Grace Ekka scored off a seventh minute penalty stroke while skipper and midfielder Ritu Rani scored a field goal four minutes later. India had the better of the exchanges for another quarter-hour before a spell of rain forced play to be suspended.

Five minutes after play resumed Na Wang scored a field goal to reduce the margin and turn the tide. She scored off a penalty corner two minutes into the second half to restore parity. Weija Hao struck two goals in three minutes from the 43rd minute to give China a 4-2 lead.

Jiaqi Li completed the tally in the 48th minute. Though India had done well to beat Japan 2-1 in the semifinal, it could be said that India played its best hockey in the tournament in the first 25 minutes of the final.

The Indian team has qualified for the Junior Women’s World Cup to be held next year.

Courtesy: Hockey India Media Release

Stick2Hockey.com

Indian eves lose 2-5 to China in Junior Asia Cup final

BANGKOK: Indian women settled for silver at the 6th Junior Women's Asia Cup hockey championship after China beat them 5-2 in the final, despite losers taking 2-0 lead.

Indian girls played superbly to lead the Chinese 2-0 after 25 minutes when a 10-minute interruption because of rain hampered their rhythm.

Deep Grace Ekka scored off a seventh minute penalty stroke while skipper and midfielder Ritu Rani scored a field goal four minutes later. India had the better of the exchanges for another quarter-hour before a spell of rain forced play to be suspended.

Five minutes after play resumed Na Wang scored a field goal to reduce the margin and turn the tide. She scored off a penalty corner two minutes into the second half to restore parity. Weija Hao struck two goals in three minutes from the 43rd minute to give China a 4-2 lead.

Jiaqi Li completed the tally in the 48th minute. Though India had done well to beat Japan 2-1 in the semifinal, it could be said that India played its best hockey in the tournament in the first 25 minutes of the final.

The Indian team has qualified for the Junior Women's World Cup to be held next year.

The Times of India

Last three are unofficial tests for SA

PJ VAN ROOYEN in Santander

South African men's hockey team manager, Martin van Staden, on Saturday confirmed that SA's last three matches will no longer be considered official Test matches and will only be considered unofficial Tests.

SA will therefore wrap up their tour of Europe and their preparations for the London Olympics with three unofficial Tests against India and Spain, with SA playing India twice, starting on Sunday.

"The games will only be friendlies and will not be FIH (International Hockey Federation) accredited," Van Staden said.

"The rules don't change and stay exactly the same.

"There are no changes at all in terms of preparations, we will still treat these like international Test matches definitely."

The change in status means Andrew Cronje, who was set to earn his 100th cap for SA on Sunday against India, will now only achieve the milestone against Australia later this month, in SA's first match of the Olympic Games.

Courtesy the South African Press Association

SA Hockey Association media release

Smith looking to exploit Spanish defence

PJ van Rooyen in Santander

South African skipper Austin Smith believes his side will have to shut down the Spanish midfield and not allow their hosts to get on the front foot when the sides meet on Monday at the Local Sports Hall of Santander in an unofficial Test on the newly-laid blue astro-turf.

"I hope we don't give the Spanish midfield and the forwards that much space," Smith said.

"Their strength lies in their front six, and the opportunity for us lies in their back four [defenders].

"We will look to be as compact as possible and to turn the ball over and really exploit some of their defenders who are quite weak in some of their areas."

SA have been buoyed by the return of their captain who missed four of his team's five opening matches of their European tour due to flu.

Smith, who completed a week-long series of antibiotics and returned to training on Saturday ahead of SA's matches against India and Spain, said he was looking forward to being back in action for his country.

"I've been for a few runs, I've had a few training sessions and I'm feeling much better.

"Obviously it will be tough in the first game not having done much for a week so I'm sure I will be quite tired, but its great to be back training again.

"It's been very frustrating but the fact that it has happened now and not in three weeks' time is maybe a blessing."

The South Africans were in the stands for Spain's second Test against India on Saturday, where the team got their first taste of hockey on a blue strip, identical to the one London have for the Olympic Games later this month.

The South African captain said their hosts would be difficult to break down as they were an experienced outfit who could capitalise on any short-comings in their opponents' arsenal.

"The Spanish side, the team that they have picked in general have a lot of experienced players," Smith said.

"Their front three have been playing together since Athens [2004 Olympic Games], so there's heaps of experience there.

"They are a side that always has the ability, because of their experience, to turn it on when they really need to.

"There will be moments of time where you will be on top of them and you'll be dominating, but the ability for them to suddenly step it up a couple of notches and catch you off-guard is always a threat with the Spanish side."

Having watched most of the tour from the sideline thus far, Smith added that his side had done well to work themselves into good positions on the field and were capable of getting into their opponents' area but still had aspects of their game that need improving ahead of the Games.

"I think the quality of the pass from outside the 25-meter-area into the D (attacking area), we need a lot more attention to detail there," he said.

"Often it isn't the final shot at goal that's going wide, in the area, its the pass to set that player up.

"At the moment I think the forwards are a bit isolated, so we are trying to get midfielders closer to the ball to support the attack.

"We are creating chances which is good and now we just need to fine-tune it and put them away."

South Africa were due to play India on Sunday, in the first unofficial match against the Spanish on Sunday.

Courtesy the South African Press Association

SA Hockey Association media release

In the Spotlight.... Belgium Women

A closer look at the 24 competing teams in London


Belgium celebrates its first-ever berth to the Olympics (Photo: Stanislas Brochier)

'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 women's national team of Belgium.

The Basics:
Welcome to the ball, Cinderella. Weighing in at #16 in the FIH World Ranking, the Belgium women are the lowest-ranked team in the women’s Olympic tournament and the biggest surprise to be in London. It will be Belgium’s first appearance at an Olympics – making them the only team with no prior five ring circus experience. Belgium’s last two FIH tournaments were both winners for the small European nation. Last summer, they won the Champions Challenge 2, earning the right to move up to the next-highest tier. That victory was followed up by the unlikely home-field victory at the Olympic Qualifier in Kontich.

The Road to London:
Belgium entered its Olympic Qualification tournament as the third-seeded team and with history against them. Never had a women’s top-seeded team fail to advance to the Olympics in a qualifier. But the demise of the top-ranked Spanish team and the par performance of the Irish paved the way for Belgium to make history and win the event. Belgium beat Spain 1-0 early in the tournament and never looked back, topping Ireland in a convincing 4-1 win in the final.

Players to Watch:
Jill Boon and Stephanie de Groof will provide the one-two punch on offense for Belgium. Boon is known for her strong and quick attack from the field, while de Groof is the penalty corner specialist for the team. As a fun fact, Boon’s brother Tom will be in action for the Belgium men’s side, the only brother-sister duo at this Olympic hockey tournament. ‘Players to watch’ would not be complete without mentioning the player that won’t be watched, Sofie Gierts. Just a few weeks after Gierts powered Belgium through to the Olympics with three goals in the qualifier final against Ireland, it was announced that she would not be on the London squad. Obviously this leaves Belgium with a gaping hole, but one that gives the budding forwards a chance to fill.

Coach:
Pascal Kina has come full circle within the Belgium hockey program. Kina was the assistant coach for the men’s national team until 2007 when the entire coaching staff was replaced after a last-place finish at the Champions Challenge. His replacement was Adam Commens, who has since moved onto head to Australian women’s team, making for an interesting side story come Games time if the teams meet. Kina moved over to the women’s program where he has enjoyed much success, including the surprise Olympic qualification and the Champions Challenge 2 win last summer. Most recently, Kina was named Belgium’s 2012 coach of the year in June.

Strengths:
Belgium has nothing to lose and that will make them a dangerous opponent for the higher ranked teams. There are no podium or top tier expectations, just the hope that this Olympic experience becomes the building block for the next generation of Belgium players. This puts Belgium in an enviable position – win and you’re a hero, lose and you’re still adored for making it to the show.

Weaknesses:
The #16 ranking says it all. Belgium is an entire tier of FIH events from joining the elite eight nations and it is a massive gap in talent and experience that they will endure in London. The team played a plucky style of game at its qualifier in Kontich, but spirit can only take you so far against the Argentina’s and Netherland’s of the world.

Crystal Ball:
Belgium is in the enviable Group A, giving the team a fighting chance at pulling off an upset or two. But ultimately, they will find the competition in London to be at a new level. The team plays with enough character to avoid massive lopsided results, but ultimately, Big Ben’s clock will strike 12 o’clock for the Cinderella underdog’s hopes of placing in the top half of the field.

FIH site

India determined to make a mark in hockey in London Olympics

NEW DELHI: Once the undisputed powerhouse of world hockey, India will return to the Olympic stage after a gap of eight years, determined not to end up as also-rans in London where they won their fourth of the eight Olympic gold medals way back in 1948.

The London Olympics provide the erstwhile champions with a golden opportunity to make up for the Beijing Games debacle in 2008, when, for the first time in the history of the game, India failed to qualify for the Olympics.

However, for a team which won its last Olympic gold in 1980 Moscow Games, the road to London has been a long, treacherous one, especially after the 2008 disaster in Santiago.

The Indians might be desperate to break their 32-year medal jinx in London, but for a side which is presently languishing at the 10th position in the world rankings, a top- six finish in the upcoming Olympics would be more than creditable and anything above that will be an icing on the cake.

No one better than India's chief coach Michael Nobbs can assess his team's performance. The Australian promptly quipped: "With a little bit of luck we can do wonders (in the Olympics)."

"A top-six finish will be a great result, but we will try to finish better."

Looking at the competition, India will be a surprise package in London, and all credit must go to Nobbs who, just in a year's time, has totally transformed the team and made the players battle-ready.

Nobbs brought along with him an aggressive intent, backroom approach and most importantly revived India's original game -- the attacking style of hockey.

Soon after his appointment he stressed on the importance of fitness and brought along with him fellow Australian David John (exercise physiologist) under whose watchful eyes India has become one of the fittest side in just a year's time.

But as the saying goes "a coach is as good as his team", the job eventually rests on the 11 men on the ground. India has got a rightful mix of youth and experience in its 16-member squad.

In Ignace Tirkey and Sandeep Singh, India has got two players who have the experience of playing in an Olympics. The rest of the squad will make their debut at the mega event.

In Sandeep Singh and V R Ragunath, India has two finest exponents of penalty corners, while experienced Shivendra Singh will be the fulcrum of India's forward line along with Tushar Khandker and SV Sunil.

The goal will be manned by skipper Bharat Chetri, but the team's lynchpin remains playmaker and vice-captain Sardar Singh -- who is the only Indian to feature in the World XI squad for the last two years.

To make their mark in the London Games, the Indians will have to produce a superlative show as they have been placed in a tough Group B along side reigning Olympic champions Germany, past winners Netherlands, New Zealand, Korea and Belgium.

Hockey in the 2012 Olympics will be played on pink and blue turf and this eventually might turn out to be the deciding factor as the multi-coloured pitch has received rave reviews from players and coaches for its pace and uneven bounce.

Apart from skill and fitness, India's fate will also depend on how the players get themselves accustomed to the pink and blue turf.

Unlike other teams, the Indians did not get enough chance of practice on the blue turf. But the ongoing France and Spain tour and also the Olympic Test event earlier this year should give the Indians a fair idea about the pitch and climatic conditions on offer in London.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Bharat Chetri (Capt.), PR Sreejesh.

Defenders: VR Raghunath, Ignace Tirkey, Sandeep Singh. Mid-fielders: Sardar Singh (vice-captain), Gurbaj Singh, Birendra Lakra, Manpreet Singh.

Forwards: SV Sunil, Gurwinder Singh Chandi, Shivendra Singh, Danish Mujtaba, Tushar Khandker, Dharamvir Singh, SK Uthappa.

Standbys: Sarwanjit Singh, Kothajit Singh.

The Times of India

1928 Olympics: India's first step towards ascending hockey throne


The Indian hockey team which won the 1928 Olympics gold. The Hindu Archives

The 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, when India won the gold, was the country's first step towards ascending the hockey throne. It was at the insistence of the newly-formed Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) that the sport was included in the programme after a break of eight years.

When hockey made its Olympic debut in 1908 at London, the sport had barely taken root in India. Calcutta formed clubs in 1885 followed by hosting the country's first tournament, the Beighton Cup the same year, and Bombay organising the Aga Khan Cup in 1886. However, it was only on Sep 7, 1925 that the IHF had its first meeting in Gwalior where Col Bruce Turnbull was elected president and NS. Ansari, the secretary.

India's Olympic debut was marred by controversy over captaincy. Jaipal Singh, who was studying in Oxford, was selected along with two other England-based Indians, Yusuf Khan and the Nawab of Pataudi (Sr), who played only in the warm-up games but not the Olympics.

Jaipal was named captain much to the dismay of the Anglo-Indian players in the squad. The simmering discontent saw a disgusted Jaipal walk out of the team after it reached the quarter-finals and Eric Pinninger took over the leadership.

The competition that India won convincingly saw the birth of a legend in Dhyan Chand who was the top scorer of the tournament with 14 goals, including a hat-trick in the final against the Netherlands while India did not concede a single goal in five matches.

India's performance earned them rave reviews and while only three persons saw them off on their journey to London, massive crowds thronged the Bombay port to welcome the new Olympic champions.

A Dutch journalist, taken in by the Indian wizardry, wrote: "The Indian ball seems ignorant of law of gravity. One of those tanned, diabolical jugglers stares at the ball intently; it gets upright and remains suspended in the air. It only proceeds on its way when the player has bestowed an approval nod on it."

Indian team: Jaipal Singh and Broome Eric Pinninger (captain), Syed M Yusuf, Richard J Allen, Michael E Roeque, Leslie C Hammond, Rex A Norris, William John Goodsir-Cullen, Kehar Singh Gill, Maurice A Gateley, Shaukat Ali, George E Marthins, Dhyan Chand, Feroze Khan and Frederick S Seaman.

Results:

League - India beat Austria 6-0 (Dhyan Chand 4; Shaukat Ali 1; Maurice Gateley 1).

India beat Belgium 9-0 (Feroze Khan 5; Frederic Seaman 2, George Marthins 1; Dhyan Chand 1)

India beat Denmark 5-0 (Dhyan Chand 4; Frederic Seaman 1).

India beat Switzerland 6-0 (Dhyan Chand 3; Maurice Gateley 2; George Marthins 1).

Final: India beat Holland 3-0 (Dhyan Chand 2; George Marthins 1).

Final Positions: India 1, Netherlands 2, Germany 3; Belgium 4; Spain 5; France 6; Denmark 7; Austria 8; Switzerland 9.

The Hindu

1932 Olympics games: India’s dominance continues


The 1932 winning Indian team plays a friendly against the Berlin Silberschild Eleven, in Berlin. The Hindu Archives

Having won their first Olympic hockey gold four years ago, the Indian hockey team found itself in unusual circumstances at the 1936 Los Angeles Games. But despite the bickering and groupism in the team, India won their second gold medal.

The Indian team, troubled by groupism (Indians vs Anglo-Indians) that surfaced when Lal Shah Bokhari was named captain ahead of Eric Pinniger, arrived in Los Angeles to a rousing greeting.

A local newspaper headlined: “Hockey Kings arrive today; they will be accompanied by their many wives; there are two lions in the tea”.

The reference to royalty was understandable, but the second statement reflected the American ignorance and thinking that Indians have many wives when in fact there was only one lady in the contingent, the wife of manager G.D.Sondhi while the third headline was in obvious reference to the two Sardars in the team -- Gurmit Singh and Roop Singh (brother of Dhyan Chand).

Just before the march-past during the opening ceremony, second goal-keeper Arthur Hind refused to don the turban that was part of the official dress. The team’s non-playing captain Pankaj Gupta who had earlier persuaded Pinniger to accept Bokhari’s captaincy, ordered Hind to pack and go home, but the player tendered an apology and he was allowed to stay back.

En route to Los Angeles, the players were irked when manager Sondhi, travelling first class on the ship Haruna Baru that they boarded in Colombo for the 42-day journey, did not mix with the team that was lodged in “tourist class”.

The team stopped over in San Francisco where Bokhari was presented the traditional golden key at a public reception. However, Sondhi took objection and insisted that he should receive the key.

Again Gupta and Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president A. M. Hayman, who was travelling with the team, intervened and allowed Bokhari to accept the key on behalf of the squad. Once in Los Angeles, Sondhi stayed in a hotel while the team was put up at the Olympic Village.

Yet, the Indian team put in a fine performance though the field was reduced to just three contenders, United States and Japan being the other two. India notched a record 24-1 win against the hosts with Roop Singh scoring 10 and Dhyan Chand eight, and drubbed Japan 11-1 to win their second Olympic gold medal.

Indian team: Lal Shah Bokhari (captain), Richard J Allen, Arthur Charles Hind, Mohd Aslam, Carlyle Carrol Tapsell, Leslie Charles Hammond, Masud Ali Khan Minhas, Broome Eric Pinniger, Frank Brewin, Richard John Carr, Gurmit Singh Kullar, Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh, Syed Md Jaffar and William Sullivan.

Results:

India beat Japan 11-1 (Dhyan Chand 4; Roop Singh 3; Gurmit Singh Kullar 3; Richard Carr 1).

India beat United States 24-1 (Roop Singh 10; Dhyan Chand 8; Gurmit Singh Kullar 5; Broome Eric Penninger 1).

Final positions: India 1, Japan 2, USA 3.

The Hindu

Scotland under 16`s beat England

SCOTLAND  3  ENGLAND 2  (GIRLS UNDER 16)

It is not often that Scotland get one over on the English, but Scotland`s under 16 girls did just that in the opening match of the two match test series at Forthbank.

The Scots dominated the first half and finished 3-1 up at the interval, the goals coming from Inverleith`s Eilidh Thomson, CALA Edinburgh`s Millie Brown and Jessica Ross from VWS Dundee Wanderers.   The English pulled one back in the second half, but not enough to steal the victory from the Scots.

"We were very good in the first half, but the second half was less structured," said Bill Robson, Scotland`s coach.

SCOTLAND 3  ENGLAND 5  (BOYS UNDER 16 MEN)

The boys were not so successful, they lost 5-3 to England.        The English were two up at the interval, but within 30 seconds of the restart Grange`s Hamish Imrie had pulled one back.   The English piled it on and went 3-1 up, before Gordon Amour made it 3-2 from a penalty stroke.  Callum Boag gave the Scots a sniff of victory with a reverse stick shot to tie the scores at 3-3, but the English pulled away with a couple of late strikes.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Irish reel in the double

UNDER 18 YOUTH CELTIC CUP

SCOTLAND  0  IRELAND  3  (MEN)

Scotland men`s youth side lost 3-0 to a powerful Irish outfit in the second match of the under 18 Celtic Cup at Peffermill and slip back into third spot in the pool.  The Scots had no real chances in the first half, it was the Irish who did all the pressing and took a 1-0 lead into the interval. 

By the middle of the second half the Irish had increased their lead to 3-0, and it was only then did Scotland begin to exert some pressure on the visitors.  At their third penalty corner Glynhill Kelburne`s Lee Morton had his shot saved by the Irish goalkeeper.   In the final eight minutes the Scots created two good scoring opportunities, Aidan Docherty and Ed Greaves created the opening up the left, pushed the ball on to Morton who fired his effort over the bar.   A similar move up the right created a further opportunity for Morton, this time he tried to flick the ball over the advancing keeper, in this he succeeded but the ball also sailed over the bar.

"This was a much better performance by the boys today despite the scoreline.   This was a big step up against the Irish and we played with a much higher intensity," said Elanor Cormack, Scotland`s manager.

In the other game Wales beat Switzerland 5-0 to move above the Scots on goal difference with Ireland in pole position after two straight victories.

SCOTLAND 2  IRELAND 4  (WOMEN)

The women went behind in only 42 seconds but retaliated to reach the interval level at 1-1, Watsonians` Kirsten Peters drove into the circle and her strike went through the Irish goalkeeper.

Ten minutes into the second half the Scots took a shock lead, at a penalty corners Jenny Eadie struck the ball goalwards and CALA Edinburgh`s Amber McNeill deflected the ball home.   But the power of the Irish began to tell, they started to pick up loose balls, drove towards the Scottish circle and set up three further scoring chances to advance the result to 4-2.  Thereafter the Scots had a fair amount of pressure but no real chances to eat into the Irish lead.

"The squad played very well but the Irish were a really strong side.   We were disappointed to lose but it was a really good effort from the team and there were a lot of positives to take from the game," said Louise McIntyre, Scotland`s manager.

In the other game Wales were 8-0 winners over the luckless Swiss.

Scottish Hockey Union media release

Narrow escape for Wilayah Persekutuan



Wilayah Persekutuan almost blew a two goal advantage before scrapping a 4-2 win over Terengganu at the Sukpa Stadium in a Group A match of the Malaysian Games in Kuantan, Pahang this evening.

And they were also fortunate that Terengganu ace striker Faisal Saari was hampered by an ankle and hip injury and played well below his normal self.

Wilayah took the lead in the 8th minute through Mohd Noor Faeez Ibrahim who converted a penalty corner. nd they went 2-0 up in the 26th minute through the efforts of Muhammad Ramadhan Rosli.

Just when it looked as if Wilayah were coasting to a win, Terengganu reduced the deficit in the 30th minute through an snap shot by Faisal from the edge of the semi circle.

Barely two minutes upon the second half resumption, Terengganu were on level terms through Mohammad Firhan Ashaari.

But Wilayah hit a purple patch in the space of two minutes. First it was Mohd Zulhairi Hashim who made it 3-2 by scoring in the 62th minute. And two minutes later Nor Izzat Sumantri capped a brilliant performance when his sweet reverse stick hot sailed into goal for a 4-2 win, their second in as many matches after a 8-1 win over Negeri Sembilan the previous.

In other matches, Negeri Sembilan defeated Kelantan 3-2 while Selangor coasted to a 4-1 win over Kedah.

Malaysian Hockey blogspot

Johor women's hockey players down with food posioning

KUANTAN : TWO Johor female hockey players have been warded at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital here due to food poisoning after complaining of abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Johor contingent secretariat liaison officer Rohayatun Roslan said 15 other state women's hockey players were treated as outpatients.

"We hope the duo will recover soon and rejoin the squad," she told Bernama.

The players were said to have been affected by food poisoning after having their meals.

Johor are scheduled to take on Melaka at the Pahang Sports Complex here today.

Malay Mail