News for 28 March 2009
Saturday, 28 March 2009 06:33 | 
| 
All the news for Saturday 28 March 2009
France Men move forward
The French Men’s team just completed a heavy three week schedule with three games against Belgium and Ireland.
In a period of intense training for both the national team and their Clubs, the players had to work hard physically and mentally against quality opposition in the three matches.
On Wednesday of last week, the Blues met a new-look Belgian team, and were soundly defeated 1-4 after trailing 0-3 at half time. An improved second half from France saw the score finish at 1-4, with Yannick Schambert the solitary goalscorer for the match.
The team then travelled to Dublin for two matches against a fit and well-drilled Irish team. The first game on Tuesday night was a 2-8 loss to France. A steady first 25 minutes saw the Blues leading 2-1 with goals from Nicholas Monnier and Frédéric Soyez, before Ireland dominated the second half, scoring seven unanswered goals.
“The second half was a significant wake-up call for the group,” said France Head Coach Scott Goodheart. “Ireland were more desperate and made consistently better decisions than us, on and off the ball, and the scoreline suitably reflected this.”
The Blues rebounded decisively in the second Ireland match, winning the game 1-0 and significantly reversing the statistics from game one, doubling their game one penetrations into the attacking 23, and halving the Irish entries into their defensive circle. Matthieu Durchon scored the solitary goal for the match halfway through the second half.
“The team spent a significant amount of time in the 24 hours after the first game loss looking at the way we communicate within the group on and off the field, and also the structure and tactics of our defence. To rebound back after such a result is a great testament to the character of the team, the leadership group, and also to the general potential of the squad,” Goodheart said.
“The defence for these three matches had an average age of just 22. Whilst we have older players outside these matches to come into the group, I am confident that the lessons we have learned from these games will be locked in, and will form a new baseline for the year ahead,” he said.
The Blues have a lighter period of training for the next two months whilst the Club season gains momentum before playing Australia at the end of May.
FFH Media release
England U21 Women's squad to play Spain
England Hockey has today released the names of the 18 athletes that will make up the England U21 women’s squad for the Easter fixtures against Spain at the Highfields Hockey Centre, Nottingham.
The squad features eight players who recently won Gold as Great Britain Youth (U21) at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney. From that successful GB Youth team U21 women’s coach Craig Parnham has called up Sophie Bray, Maddie Hinch, Dilly Newton, Harriet Pearce, Lauren Turner, Georgie Twigg, Hollie Webb and Nicola White.
Turner, Twigg and Webb are joined in the squad by four of their England U18 teammates from last year. Annabel Hockey Smith, goalkeeper Sarah Mansfield, Zoe Shipperley and Jess Wood were all part of the successful U18 side that won the UK School Games in Bristol in August 2008.
Talking about the matches in April Parnham says, “These games against Spain are the first in the build up to the Junior World Cup in August and they will provide a good opportunity for us to view a number of new players in the group. It will be interesting to see how we compare to Spain who traditionally produces strong teams.
“Several of the GB youth team are in the squad and will give us some of the necessary experience needed at this level.”
The squad is as follows:
Name (Club)
Sophie Bray (University of Birmingham)
Laura Bridge (Loughborough Students Ladies)
Kirsty Dawson (Poynton)
Tacita Haines (Trojans)
Maddie Hinch (GK) (Loughborough Students Ladies)
Annabel Hockey Smith (Firebrands)
Sarah Mansfield (GK) (Millfield School )
Emma McCabe (Olton & West Warwickshire)
Dilly Newton (Clifton)
Harriet Pearce (Clifton)
Lauren Sherer (University of Durham)
Zoe Shipperley (Buckingham Ladies)
Susie Townsend (Canterbury )
Lauren Turner (Leicester)
Georgie Twigg (Clifton)
Hollie Webb (Cannock)
Nicole White (Loughborough Students Ladies)
Jess Wood (Belper)
Running alongside the U16 and U18 Invitational Tournament at Highfields, the U21 women will play Spain U21 women in three matches. Spectator entry to the matches is free.
The fixtures are scheduled as follows:
Friday 10 April, 1900hrs versus Spain U21
Saturday 11 April, 1800hrs versus Spain U21
Sunday 12 April, 1800hrs versus Spain U21
England Hockey Media release
Pakistan junior team wins Egypt tournament
The Pakistan Junior Hockey Team won the five nation junior hockey tournament in Cairo, Egypt. Pakistan defeated Egypt in the final match on penalty strokes by 5-3.
At the end of the first half Pakistan was leading by one goal to nil, and at the end of the full time and extra time the match was drawn by one goal each. Muhammad Ateeq from Pakistan scored a goal in 8th minute on penalty corner, while Waleed from Egypt scored a goal in 64th minute. Muhammad Ateeq, Muhammad Zubair, Abdul Haseem Khan and Muhammad Irfan scored the goals on penalty strokes. Ahmad and Mehmood Ahmad scored one goal each from Egypt on penalty strokes.
The Ambassador of Pakistan in Egypt Seema Naqvi was also witnessed the match, while hundreds of Pakistani spectators were also present to support the Pakistan team. President Pakistan Hockey Federation Qasim Zia, Secretary Muhammad Asif Bajwa, Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali and Chief Selector Hassan Sardar congratulated Pakistan team for winning the second consecutive tournament.
Pakistan Hockey Federation media release
Pakistan colts lift Cairo title
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistan's junior hockey team won its second title in a row by beating hosts Egypt 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out in Cairo on Friday to take the first place in a five-nation tournament.
After winning all their league matches, Pakistan finally got a tough time in the title-clash that ended at 1-1 after extra-time. But the Pakistanis, who won a four-nation junior hockey title in Malaysia earlier this month, prevailed 5-3 on penalty strokes.
Pakistan led 1-0 in the first half through an 8th minute goal from Muhammad Ateeq that came off a short corner. Just six minutes before full-time, Waleed equalised the match for Egypt to take it into extra-time. Neither of the teams could break the deadlock in extra-time and the match had to be decided on a penalty shoot-out.
Muhammad Ateeq, Muhammad Zubair, Abdul Haseem Khan and Muhammad Irfan scored the goals on penalty strokes. Ahmad and Mehmood Ahmad struck for Egypt on penalty strokes.
Pakistan competed in the Cairo contest in a bid to get ready for this June's Junior World Cup to be co-hosted by Malaysia and Singapore.
The News International
Pakistan beat Egypt to win junior hockey tournament
LAHORE: Pakistan beat Egypt 5-3 on penalty strokes to win the five-nation junior hockey tournament in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.
According to the information received here, Pakistan was leading by one goal to nil at the end of the first half and the match remained drawn at 1-1 for the entire duration as well as extra time.
Vice captain fullback Mohammad Atiq converted a penalty corner for Pakistan in the eighth minute while Waleed of Egypt scored for his side in 64th minute.
Atiq, Mohammad Zubair, Abdul Haseem Khan and Mohammad Irfan scored the penalty strokes for Pakistan. Ahmad and Mahmood Ahmad converted the two penalty strokes for Egypt.
The match was watched by Pakistan’s Ambassador in Egypt Seema Naqvi along with hundreds of Pakistani spectators present to support the team. President Pakistan Hockey Federation Qasim Zia, Secretary Asif Bajwa, Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali and Chief Selector Hasan Sardar have congratulated the team on winning their second consecutive tournament.
Dawn
Vikings too good for Lakers
The Victorian Vikings turned out victors over the Canberra Lakers tonight, with a 2 -0 win in game one of this fourth round clash.
The game began with the Lakers immediately working their way into attack, starting with the ball and forcing Victoria into defence.
The Lakers were awarded a penalty corner in the 7 th minute however the shot was disallowed. This gave Victoria an attacking opportunity, working their way up the field.
The first goal of the match came through a Victorian penalty corner and a well -executed drag flick by Chris Cirello in the 15 th minute giving the Vikings an early lead.
Victoria created another attacking opportunity, leading to a one -on -one situation with Viking Alistair McLennan and ACT goalkeeper Nathan Burgers. As McLennan attempted to drag around the keeper, Burgers pulled of an impressive save, clearing the ball to teammate Seyi Onitiri.
The Lakers continued to fight for possession, penetrating their attacking circle but Victoria’s strong defence managed to hold them off, as opportunities went begging.
In the 25 th minute, the Lakers received a penalty corner but was unable to convert, and almost found themselves in trouble as Victoria forced their way into the Lakers defensive circle.
The intensity built as both teams battle for possession, each wanting to put away another goal. With less than a minute until half time the Lakers tried to force Victoria out of their defensive half and into attack, but to no avail. The half time score was left at 1 -0 to Victoria.
Victoria began the second half with the ball and straight away the Lakers fought for possession.
Despite having attempts to score early, the Lakers struggled to move the ball past the Victorian defence.
After receiving a penalty corner in the 40 th minute, another well -executed drag flick by Viking number 6, Cirello gave them their second goal, and a 2 -0 lead.
Another penalty corner was awarded to Victoria in the 45 th minute but was not converted, however this didn’t affect Victoria’s tenacity to attack.
The Lakers were awarded another penalty corner in the 52 nd minute of the game but they couldn’t convert, instead the Vikings stole possession and were awarded their own corner at the opposite end. The Lakers strong defence held off Victoria’s shots, giving the Vikings their own medicine and creating attacking opportunities, but with no result.
A mis -trapped by the Lakers midfield saw Lakers goalkeeper Nathan Burgers, in an attempt to keep possession, run out of his circle and slap the ball out of trouble. But a Victorian quick hit almost caught him out, as the ball was transferred to their high striker as Burgers sprinted back to his goal to defend.
The Lakers continue to attack, penetrating the Victorian circle and almost got themselves within one, however a slap hit from Josh Hawes just inside the circle, was deemed to have hit Iain Davidson’s foot instead of his stick, despite his protests.
With only two minutes left on the clock, both teams battled for possession, with the Lakers able to create attacking opportunities only to have them broken down by the Victorian defence.
As neither team could hold possession in the last minute, the game ended with the Victorian Vikings winning 2 -0 against the Canberra Lakers.
Victorian Vikings 2 Canberra Lakers 0 (1 – 0 Half time)
Goals:
VIC – Cirello 13m PC / 41m PC
Hockey Australia media release
BPSS edge closer to league title
By Jugjet Singh
BANDAR Penawar Sports School brushed aside Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Division Two title aspirants Tenaga Nasional 3-1 at the Bandar Penawar pitch yesterday.
The win has placed BPSS in good steed to win the League title, as they only have Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) to contend with.
Yesterday, BPSS and Tenaga were tied 1-1 at one stage, but fitness saw the sports school surge ahead in the last 20 minutes.
BPSS took the lead off Faez Hilmi in the 15th minute, but Tenaga equalised in the 46th minute when their captain Faizal Yaccob scored a field goal.
But the sports school boys regained the lead two minutes later off Noor Faeez Ibrahim and increased it further in the 69th minute when Fitri Saari was on target.
"We took a step closer to the League title, and I believe the team to watch out for now is BJSS who we play second last. It could well determine who claims the title," said BPSS coach Wan Roslan Wan Rahman.
At the Tun Razak Stadium, BJSS kept their perfect record when they edged Setapak High School 2-0 with goals from Dangerous Lee Mathew (sixth) and Shazril Irwan (57th).
RESULTS -- Division Two: Bukit Jalil Sports School 2 Setapak High 0, Malacca 4 BPSS Juniors 3, Olak 2 Kijang Mas 3, Bandar Penawar Sports School 3 Tenaga Nasional 1, Anderson 4 BJSS Juniors 1, Batu Pahat 1 Petaling Jaya City Councuil 4.
Division Three: Kuala Selangor 3 Penang 8, Temerloh 1 TBSS-Tampin 5, Datuk Taha 4 Perlis 6.
New Straits Times
Leaders BPSS stay on track in title race
By S. RAMAGURU
KUALA LUMPUR: Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) continued to lead the way in Division Two (Under-19 category) of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) with a crucial 3-1 win over Tenaga Nasional at the Bandar Penawar Hockey Stadium yesterday.
While the win has bolstered BPSS’ title credentials, it has almost wiped out Tenaga’s hopes of staying in the race.
BPSS went ahead in the 15th minute with a field goal by Faez Helmi Jali.
But Tenaga equalised in the 46th minute when skipper Faizal Yaccob scored a field goal.
Two minutes later BPSS regained the lead with a penalty corner goal by Mohd Noor Faeez Ibrahim.
Mohd Fitri Saari then sealed victory for BPSS with a 67th minute field goal.
In another match, defending champions Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) beat Setapak High 2-0 at the Tun Razak Stadium to stay in second place, a point behind BPSS.
Dangerous Lee scored the first goal in the sixth minute before Shazril Irwan added the second in the 57th minute to ensure full points for BJSS.
Former champions Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) also lost ground in the title race after losing 2-3 to Kijang Mas of Kelantan at the Pandamaran Hockey Stadium.
Mohd Fudhail put Olak ahead in the 16th minute and got his second in the 35th minute.
But a hat-trick from Kijang Mas forward Shahrul Annuar Ibrahim in the 31st, 39th and 41st minutes was enough to give the Kelantan team full points and keep them in the race for a top-six finish.
Perak’s Anderson are also in the mix for a quarter-final berth after registering a 4-1 win over Bukit Jalil SS Juniors at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.
Anderson’s scorers were Mohd Zainul Akhma, Mohd Soffian Kamaruddin, Mohd Nazri and Amir Mohd Nazli while BJSS Juniors replied through Mohd Fitri Ismail.
At the Johor Baru Hockey Stadium, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) also kept up their winning ways with a 4-1 win over JSC-Batu Pahat.
Dielvin Mula opened the scoring for MBPJ with a field goal in the 14th minute before Harmesh Singh doubled their lead three minutes later.
Mohd Faiz (42nd minute) and Ahmad Rafeal (48th) made it 4-0 for MBPJ before Mohd Faizul Syafiq scored Batu Pahat’s consolation goal in the 59th minute.
The Star of Malaysia
Pakistan confident of a top-two finish in Azlan Cup meet
KUALA LUMPUR: Pakistan are eyeing a top-two finish in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which will be held in Ipoh from April 5-12.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be the first tournament for the Pakistani hockey team under new coach Shahid Ali Khan.
And the opening match against Malaysia will be the first time the Pakistanis will be in action since the start of the year.
Shahid said in a telephone interview from Lahore yesterday that they would be “going in blindly” for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which is part of their preparations for the Asia Cup in May.
“This tournament is just a testing ground for me. We are confident of a top-two finish. I would rate India and New Zealand as the favourites for the title,” he said.
“They are well-prepared for the challenge but the tournament offers the Asian teams a good chance to test their squads ahead of the Asia Cup.”
The Pakistan team for the Ipoh meet will have two surprises — they will have only one goalkeeper in Nasir Ahmed and two debutants — Zeeshan Ali and Sibtain Raza.
Shahid said the decision to bring just one goalkeeper was to give more outfield players the chance to prove their worth for the Asia Cup squad.
“The two players making the debut have done well in training and I felt that they should be given a chance to cement their places. Nobody is assured of a place in the Asia Cup squad yet,” he said.
Pakistan are regulars in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, having played 15 out of the 18 times the tournament has been held. They also won the title in 1999, 2000 and 2003.
Shahid is a familiar figure in Malaysia, having worked with the National Juniors and the senior teams since 2005 and returning to Pakistan last October after his contract was not renewed by the National Sports Council (NSC).
In February, he was named as Pakistan’s new coach.
The Star of Malaysia
Tatas to start a hockey academy
K. Arumugam
Renowned global business house, Tata is all set to start a hockey academy. The proposed Academy will come up in Jamshedpur, where the century old and their blue chip Tata Steel Company is located.
Jamshedpur is around 150 km from Ranchi, Jharkand State capital.
Jharkhand has been producing a flurry of hockey players from the tribal belt, which extends to adjoining Orisaa as well
Bimal Lakra, and his sister Asunta Lakra, and Sumrai Tete are from Jharkahand.
In order to harness the hockey potential, Tatas will add hockey academy utilizing the existing infrastructure in their industrial complex.
Tatas have a lush green hockey ground in their sports complex, with facility for boarding and lodging.
It is said that the leading business house will acquire synthetic turf soon, but the start of the academy will be from immediate effect.
A Delhi based leading coach has been entrusted to prepare full-pledged Project Report for the Academy.
Stick2Hockey.com
Olympian Aslam Sher Khan in the Parliamentary election
K. Arumugam
Olympian Hockey Player Aslam Sher Khan gets nomination from the ruling Indian National Congress for the forthcoming election for the central government.
The former Member of Parliament will be contesting from Sagar constituency in Madhya Pradesh.
Congress, though ruling at the centre, is the opposition party in Madhya Pradesh
Aslam Sher Khan, the 1975 World Cup hero, contested successfully from the same state twice in the 90s. He previously contested from Betul.
For a brief period, he was made the Union Minister of State for coveted Prime Minister Office.
Aslam is currently one of the five national selectors
Though he won twice on Congress ticket, Aslam briefly defected to BJP and NCP before coming back to his mother party.
True politician indeed.
Stick2Hockey.com
France Men move forward
The French Men’s team just completed a heavy three week schedule with three games against Belgium and Ireland.
In a period of intense training for both the national team and their Clubs, the players had to work hard physically and mentally against quality opposition in the three matches.
On Wednesday of last week, the Blues met a new-look Belgian team, and were soundly defeated 1-4 after trailing 0-3 at half time. An improved second half from France saw the score finish at 1-4, with Yannick Schambert the solitary goalscorer for the match.
The team then travelled to Dublin for two matches against a fit and well-drilled Irish team. The first game on Tuesday night was a 2-8 loss to France. A steady first 25 minutes saw the Blues leading 2-1 with goals from Nicholas Monnier and Frédéric Soyez, before Ireland dominated the second half, scoring seven unanswered goals.
“The second half was a significant wake-up call for the group,” said France Head Coach Scott Goodheart. “Ireland were more desperate and made consistently better decisions than us, on and off the ball, and the scoreline suitably reflected this.”
The Blues rebounded decisively in the second Ireland match, winning the game 1-0 and significantly reversing the statistics from game one, doubling their game one penetrations into the attacking 23, and halving the Irish entries into their defensive circle. Matthieu Durchon scored the solitary goal for the match halfway through the second half.
“The team spent a significant amount of time in the 24 hours after the first game loss looking at the way we communicate within the group on and off the field, and also the structure and tactics of our defence. To rebound back after such a result is a great testament to the character of the team, the leadership group, and also to the general potential of the squad,” Goodheart said.
“The defence for these three matches had an average age of just 22. Whilst we have older players outside these matches to come into the group, I am confident that the lessons we have learned from these games will be locked in, and will form a new baseline for the year ahead,” he said.
The Blues have a lighter period of training for the next two months whilst the Club season gains momentum before playing Australia at the end of May.
FFH Media release
England U21 Women's squad to play Spain
England Hockey has today released the names of the 18 athletes that will make up the England U21 women’s squad for the Easter fixtures against Spain at the Highfields Hockey Centre, Nottingham.
The squad features eight players who recently won Gold as Great Britain Youth (U21) at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney. From that successful GB Youth team U21 women’s coach Craig Parnham has called up Sophie Bray, Maddie Hinch, Dilly Newton, Harriet Pearce, Lauren Turner, Georgie Twigg, Hollie Webb and Nicola White.
Turner, Twigg and Webb are joined in the squad by four of their England U18 teammates from last year. Annabel Hockey Smith, goalkeeper Sarah Mansfield, Zoe Shipperley and Jess Wood were all part of the successful U18 side that won the UK School Games in Bristol in August 2008.
Talking about the matches in April Parnham says, “These games against Spain are the first in the build up to the Junior World Cup in August and they will provide a good opportunity for us to view a number of new players in the group. It will be interesting to see how we compare to Spain who traditionally produces strong teams.
“Several of the GB youth team are in the squad and will give us some of the necessary experience needed at this level.”
The squad is as follows:
Name (Club)
Sophie Bray (University of Birmingham)
Laura Bridge (Loughborough Students Ladies)
Kirsty Dawson (Poynton)
Tacita Haines (Trojans)
Maddie Hinch (GK) (Loughborough Students Ladies)
Annabel Hockey Smith (Firebrands)
Sarah Mansfield (GK) (Millfield School )
Emma McCabe (Olton & West Warwickshire)
Dilly Newton (Clifton)
Harriet Pearce (Clifton)
Lauren Sherer (University of Durham)
Zoe Shipperley (Buckingham Ladies)
Susie Townsend (Canterbury )
Lauren Turner (Leicester)
Georgie Twigg (Clifton)
Hollie Webb (Cannock)
Nicole White (Loughborough Students Ladies)
Jess Wood (Belper)
Running alongside the U16 and U18 Invitational Tournament at Highfields, the U21 women will play Spain U21 women in three matches. Spectator entry to the matches is free.
The fixtures are scheduled as follows:
Friday 10 April, 1900hrs versus Spain U21
Saturday 11 April, 1800hrs versus Spain U21
Sunday 12 April, 1800hrs versus Spain U21
England Hockey Media release
Pakistan junior team wins Egypt tournament
The Pakistan Junior Hockey Team won the five nation junior hockey tournament in Cairo, Egypt. Pakistan defeated Egypt in the final match on penalty strokes by 5-3.
At the end of the first half Pakistan was leading by one goal to nil, and at the end of the full time and extra time the match was drawn by one goal each. Muhammad Ateeq from Pakistan scored a goal in 8th minute on penalty corner, while Waleed from Egypt scored a goal in 64th minute. Muhammad Ateeq, Muhammad Zubair, Abdul Haseem Khan and Muhammad Irfan scored the goals on penalty strokes. Ahmad and Mehmood Ahmad scored one goal each from Egypt on penalty strokes.
The Ambassador of Pakistan in Egypt Seema Naqvi was also witnessed the match, while hundreds of Pakistani spectators were also present to support the Pakistan team. President Pakistan Hockey Federation Qasim Zia, Secretary Muhammad Asif Bajwa, Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali and Chief Selector Hassan Sardar congratulated Pakistan team for winning the second consecutive tournament.
Pakistan Hockey Federation media release
Pakistan colts lift Cairo title
By our correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistan's junior hockey team won its second title in a row by beating hosts Egypt 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out in Cairo on Friday to take the first place in a five-nation tournament.
After winning all their league matches, Pakistan finally got a tough time in the title-clash that ended at 1-1 after extra-time. But the Pakistanis, who won a four-nation junior hockey title in Malaysia earlier this month, prevailed 5-3 on penalty strokes.
Pakistan led 1-0 in the first half through an 8th minute goal from Muhammad Ateeq that came off a short corner. Just six minutes before full-time, Waleed equalised the match for Egypt to take it into extra-time. Neither of the teams could break the deadlock in extra-time and the match had to be decided on a penalty shoot-out.
Muhammad Ateeq, Muhammad Zubair, Abdul Haseem Khan and Muhammad Irfan scored the goals on penalty strokes. Ahmad and Mehmood Ahmad struck for Egypt on penalty strokes.
Pakistan competed in the Cairo contest in a bid to get ready for this June's Junior World Cup to be co-hosted by Malaysia and Singapore.
The News International
Pakistan beat Egypt to win junior hockey tournament
LAHORE: Pakistan beat Egypt 5-3 on penalty strokes to win the five-nation junior hockey tournament in Cairo, Egypt, on Friday.
According to the information received here, Pakistan was leading by one goal to nil at the end of the first half and the match remained drawn at 1-1 for the entire duration as well as extra time.
Vice captain fullback Mohammad Atiq converted a penalty corner for Pakistan in the eighth minute while Waleed of Egypt scored for his side in 64th minute.
Atiq, Mohammad Zubair, Abdul Haseem Khan and Mohammad Irfan scored the penalty strokes for Pakistan. Ahmad and Mahmood Ahmad converted the two penalty strokes for Egypt.
The match was watched by Pakistan’s Ambassador in Egypt Seema Naqvi along with hundreds of Pakistani spectators present to support the team. President Pakistan Hockey Federation Qasim Zia, Secretary Asif Bajwa, Olympian Rana Mujahid Ali and Chief Selector Hasan Sardar have congratulated the team on winning their second consecutive tournament.
Dawn
Vikings too good for Lakers
The Victorian Vikings turned out victors over the Canberra Lakers tonight, with a 2 -0 win in game one of this fourth round clash.
The game began with the Lakers immediately working their way into attack, starting with the ball and forcing Victoria into defence.
The Lakers were awarded a penalty corner in the 7 th minute however the shot was disallowed. This gave Victoria an attacking opportunity, working their way up the field.
The first goal of the match came through a Victorian penalty corner and a well -executed drag flick by Chris Cirello in the 15 th minute giving the Vikings an early lead.
Victoria created another attacking opportunity, leading to a one -on -one situation with Viking Alistair McLennan and ACT goalkeeper Nathan Burgers. As McLennan attempted to drag around the keeper, Burgers pulled of an impressive save, clearing the ball to teammate Seyi Onitiri.
The Lakers continued to fight for possession, penetrating their attacking circle but Victoria’s strong defence managed to hold them off, as opportunities went begging.
In the 25 th minute, the Lakers received a penalty corner but was unable to convert, and almost found themselves in trouble as Victoria forced their way into the Lakers defensive circle.
The intensity built as both teams battle for possession, each wanting to put away another goal. With less than a minute until half time the Lakers tried to force Victoria out of their defensive half and into attack, but to no avail. The half time score was left at 1 -0 to Victoria.
Victoria began the second half with the ball and straight away the Lakers fought for possession.
Despite having attempts to score early, the Lakers struggled to move the ball past the Victorian defence.
After receiving a penalty corner in the 40 th minute, another well -executed drag flick by Viking number 6, Cirello gave them their second goal, and a 2 -0 lead.
Another penalty corner was awarded to Victoria in the 45 th minute but was not converted, however this didn’t affect Victoria’s tenacity to attack.
The Lakers were awarded another penalty corner in the 52 nd minute of the game but they couldn’t convert, instead the Vikings stole possession and were awarded their own corner at the opposite end. The Lakers strong defence held off Victoria’s shots, giving the Vikings their own medicine and creating attacking opportunities, but with no result.
A mis -trapped by the Lakers midfield saw Lakers goalkeeper Nathan Burgers, in an attempt to keep possession, run out of his circle and slap the ball out of trouble. But a Victorian quick hit almost caught him out, as the ball was transferred to their high striker as Burgers sprinted back to his goal to defend.
The Lakers continue to attack, penetrating the Victorian circle and almost got themselves within one, however a slap hit from Josh Hawes just inside the circle, was deemed to have hit Iain Davidson’s foot instead of his stick, despite his protests.
With only two minutes left on the clock, both teams battled for possession, with the Lakers able to create attacking opportunities only to have them broken down by the Victorian defence.
As neither team could hold possession in the last minute, the game ended with the Victorian Vikings winning 2 -0 against the Canberra Lakers.
Victorian Vikings 2 Canberra Lakers 0 (1 – 0 Half time)
Goals:
VIC – Cirello 13m PC / 41m PC
Hockey Australia media release
BPSS edge closer to league title
By Jugjet Singh
BANDAR Penawar Sports School brushed aside Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Division Two title aspirants Tenaga Nasional 3-1 at the Bandar Penawar pitch yesterday.
The win has placed BPSS in good steed to win the League title, as they only have Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) to contend with.
Yesterday, BPSS and Tenaga were tied 1-1 at one stage, but fitness saw the sports school surge ahead in the last 20 minutes.
BPSS took the lead off Faez Hilmi in the 15th minute, but Tenaga equalised in the 46th minute when their captain Faizal Yaccob scored a field goal.
But the sports school boys regained the lead two minutes later off Noor Faeez Ibrahim and increased it further in the 69th minute when Fitri Saari was on target.
"We took a step closer to the League title, and I believe the team to watch out for now is BJSS who we play second last. It could well determine who claims the title," said BPSS coach Wan Roslan Wan Rahman.
At the Tun Razak Stadium, BJSS kept their perfect record when they edged Setapak High School 2-0 with goals from Dangerous Lee Mathew (sixth) and Shazril Irwan (57th).
RESULTS -- Division Two: Bukit Jalil Sports School 2 Setapak High 0, Malacca 4 BPSS Juniors 3, Olak 2 Kijang Mas 3, Bandar Penawar Sports School 3 Tenaga Nasional 1, Anderson 4 BJSS Juniors 1, Batu Pahat 1 Petaling Jaya City Councuil 4.
Division Three: Kuala Selangor 3 Penang 8, Temerloh 1 TBSS-Tampin 5, Datuk Taha 4 Perlis 6.
New Straits Times
Leaders BPSS stay on track in title race
By S. RAMAGURU
KUALA LUMPUR: Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) continued to lead the way in Division Two (Under-19 category) of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) with a crucial 3-1 win over Tenaga Nasional at the Bandar Penawar Hockey Stadium yesterday.
While the win has bolstered BPSS’ title credentials, it has almost wiped out Tenaga’s hopes of staying in the race.
BPSS went ahead in the 15th minute with a field goal by Faez Helmi Jali.
But Tenaga equalised in the 46th minute when skipper Faizal Yaccob scored a field goal.
Two minutes later BPSS regained the lead with a penalty corner goal by Mohd Noor Faeez Ibrahim.
Mohd Fitri Saari then sealed victory for BPSS with a 67th minute field goal.
In another match, defending champions Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) beat Setapak High 2-0 at the Tun Razak Stadium to stay in second place, a point behind BPSS.
Dangerous Lee scored the first goal in the sixth minute before Shazril Irwan added the second in the 57th minute to ensure full points for BJSS.
Former champions Old La Sallians Association of Klang (Olak) also lost ground in the title race after losing 2-3 to Kijang Mas of Kelantan at the Pandamaran Hockey Stadium.
Mohd Fudhail put Olak ahead in the 16th minute and got his second in the 35th minute.
But a hat-trick from Kijang Mas forward Shahrul Annuar Ibrahim in the 31st, 39th and 41st minutes was enough to give the Kelantan team full points and keep them in the race for a top-six finish.
Perak’s Anderson are also in the mix for a quarter-final berth after registering a 4-1 win over Bukit Jalil SS Juniors at the Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Ipoh.
Anderson’s scorers were Mohd Zainul Akhma, Mohd Soffian Kamaruddin, Mohd Nazri and Amir Mohd Nazli while BJSS Juniors replied through Mohd Fitri Ismail.
At the Johor Baru Hockey Stadium, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) also kept up their winning ways with a 4-1 win over JSC-Batu Pahat.
Dielvin Mula opened the scoring for MBPJ with a field goal in the 14th minute before Harmesh Singh doubled their lead three minutes later.
Mohd Faiz (42nd minute) and Ahmad Rafeal (48th) made it 4-0 for MBPJ before Mohd Faizul Syafiq scored Batu Pahat’s consolation goal in the 59th minute.
The Star of Malaysia
Pakistan confident of a top-two finish in Azlan Cup meet
KUALA LUMPUR: Pakistan are eyeing a top-two finish in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which will be held in Ipoh from April 5-12.
The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup will be the first tournament for the Pakistani hockey team under new coach Shahid Ali Khan.
And the opening match against Malaysia will be the first time the Pakistanis will be in action since the start of the year.
Shahid said in a telephone interview from Lahore yesterday that they would be “going in blindly” for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which is part of their preparations for the Asia Cup in May.
“This tournament is just a testing ground for me. We are confident of a top-two finish. I would rate India and New Zealand as the favourites for the title,” he said.
“They are well-prepared for the challenge but the tournament offers the Asian teams a good chance to test their squads ahead of the Asia Cup.”
The Pakistan team for the Ipoh meet will have two surprises — they will have only one goalkeeper in Nasir Ahmed and two debutants — Zeeshan Ali and Sibtain Raza.
Shahid said the decision to bring just one goalkeeper was to give more outfield players the chance to prove their worth for the Asia Cup squad.
“The two players making the debut have done well in training and I felt that they should be given a chance to cement their places. Nobody is assured of a place in the Asia Cup squad yet,” he said.
Pakistan are regulars in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, having played 15 out of the 18 times the tournament has been held. They also won the title in 1999, 2000 and 2003.
Shahid is a familiar figure in Malaysia, having worked with the National Juniors and the senior teams since 2005 and returning to Pakistan last October after his contract was not renewed by the National Sports Council (NSC).
In February, he was named as Pakistan’s new coach.
The Star of Malaysia
Tatas to start a hockey academy
K. Arumugam
Renowned global business house, Tata is all set to start a hockey academy. The proposed Academy will come up in Jamshedpur, where the century old and their blue chip Tata Steel Company is located.
Jamshedpur is around 150 km from Ranchi, Jharkand State capital.
Jharkhand has been producing a flurry of hockey players from the tribal belt, which extends to adjoining Orisaa as well
Bimal Lakra, and his sister Asunta Lakra, and Sumrai Tete are from Jharkahand.
In order to harness the hockey potential, Tatas will add hockey academy utilizing the existing infrastructure in their industrial complex.
Tatas have a lush green hockey ground in their sports complex, with facility for boarding and lodging.
It is said that the leading business house will acquire synthetic turf soon, but the start of the academy will be from immediate effect.
A Delhi based leading coach has been entrusted to prepare full-pledged Project Report for the Academy.
Stick2Hockey.com
Olympian Aslam Sher Khan in the Parliamentary election
K. Arumugam
Olympian Hockey Player Aslam Sher Khan gets nomination from the ruling Indian National Congress for the forthcoming election for the central government.
The former Member of Parliament will be contesting from Sagar constituency in Madhya Pradesh.
Congress, though ruling at the centre, is the opposition party in Madhya Pradesh
Aslam Sher Khan, the 1975 World Cup hero, contested successfully from the same state twice in the 90s. He previously contested from Betul.
For a brief period, he was made the Union Minister of State for coveted Prime Minister Office.
Aslam is currently one of the five national selectors
Though he won twice on Congress ticket, Aslam briefly defected to BJP and NCP before coming back to his mother party.
True politician indeed.
Stick2Hockey.com