News for 12 May 2009
Tuesday, 12 May 2009 09:14 | 
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Alll the news for Tuesday 12 May 2009
Air Asia 8th Asia Cup
All times local (GMT+8)
15:00 India Vs China
17:00 Korea Vs Bangladesh
19:00 Malaysia Vs Japan
Air Asia 8th Asian Cup |
| Team | Pld | Won | Drw | Lst | For | Agt | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAS | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| KOR | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| JPN | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| BAN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
Air Asia 8th Asian Cup
Pool A Results Table - 11/05/2009
| Team Names | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - BAN | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| 2 - JPN | 5 - 0 | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| 3 - KOR | 3 - 2 | ------ | ------ | |
| 4 - MAS | 7 - 1 | 1 - 1 | ------ |
Air Asia 8th Asian Cup
Pool B - 10/05/2009
| Team | Pld | Won | Drw | Lst | For | Agt | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAK | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| CHN | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| IND | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
Air Asia 8th Asian Cup
Pool B Results Table - 10/05/2009
| Team Names | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - CHN | ------ | ------ | ------ |
| 2 - IND | ------ | ------ | |
| 3 - PAK | 1 - 1 | 3 - 2 | ------ |
Malaysia and Korea move up towards semis
K. Arumugam
Malaysia made a strong claim for the semifinal berth with a moral boosting 7-1 win over Bangladesh in the Day Three of the Kuantan Asia Cup.
Malaysia will take on Japan tomorrow. Japan meanwhile lost a fighting match to Korea 2-3.
Malaysia's Abdullah Md Shahrun Bail scores a field goal in the fifth minute of the game and then goals were galore for the hosts. At half time, the team led 5-1, till the 55th minute the score read 7-1
Earlier, Korea defeated fighting Japan 3-2.This was by far the best match of the Asia Cup. Korea started the scoring act in the 12th minute with Jin Kyung Min scoring through field effort. Undaunted, Japanese waged a wave of attack which bore the fruit in the 20th minute. Forward Kawakami Kei sscored the equalizer
Thereafter off the many penalty corners the hard chasing Koreans got, two of them became the strokes. Lee Nam yong converted both the strokes without any trace of buzz. His immaculate conversins came in the 22nd and 35th minutes.
After the lemon time, the match lived upto its reputation, with a fast paced game all through. There were shots galore. Most of the times, the Japanese were having upper hand. Their efforts paid dividends in the 53rd minute, with Mizawa Takayasu scorring off a penalty corner.
The second match of the day, which attracted sizeable crowd, was one-sided notwithstanding a lone goal from the losing Bangladesh side. This new outfit, under the charge of Gerrard Rach, converted its only penalty corner in the 28th minutes. But for the goal, they were veritably struggling.
Malaysian scorers include Tengku Ahmad (39, 43 mins), Abu Ismail (13), Azlon Misron (15m), Chua Boon Huat (19 m), and Shahrun Nabil (4m)
THREE MATCHES ARE LINED UP FOR DAY FOUR (12TH MAY)
15 Hrs India Vs China
17 Hrs Korea Vs Bangladesh
19 hrs Malaysia Vs Japan
All Local Timings
Stick2Hockey.com
Korea and Malaysia closer to semifinal spot
Korea and Malaysia are closer to a place in the semifinals of the Men’s Asia Cup. On day three of the event in Kuantan, Malaysia, Korea defeated Japan 3-2, while host Malaysia was too strong for Bangladesh (7-1).
Korea did what it had to do against Japan: winning the match to stay in good shape for a place in the semifinals. Although the Korean victory was never in danger, Japan came very close.
In the best match so far at the Asia Cup, Korea opened the score in the 12th minute. Japan equaled the match less than ten minutes after the opening goal, but the 1-1 only stayed on the scoreboard for one more minute. Korea took the 2-1 lead in the 23rd minute and never gave the lead away anymore in the second half, in which both teams scored once.
In other Monday action, Malaysia had no difficulties to take home the three points against Bangladesh. It took only five minutes before the host scored the first goal.
Korea and Malaysia are the co-leaders in Pool A. Malaysia only needs a draw against Japan in Tuesday to proceed to the semifinals, while Korea has to do the same against Bangladesh to reach the last four.
In Pool B, Pakistan is sure of a place in the semifinals. India and China will decide which team will join Pakistan in the Final Four.
The winner of the Asia Cup will qualify directly for the 2010 FIH World Cup.
Results Men’s Asia Cup 12 May 2009:
Pool A:
Japan – Korea 2-3 (1-3)
Bangladesh – Malaysia 1-7 (1-4)
Ranking: 1. Malaysia 2-4 (8-2), 2. Korea 2-4 (4-3), 3. Japan 2-3 (7-3), 4. Bangladesh 2-0 (1-12).
Pakistan Hockey Federation media release
Simply ruthless
By S. RAMAGURU
KUANTAN: Malaysia hammered Bangladesh 7-1 to stay in the hunt for a semi-final berth from Group A in the Air Asia-Asia Cup at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium here yesterday.
Malaysia need only a draw against Japan today to qualify for the last-four.
Yesterday, minnows Bangladesh got their wish of scoring against a top hockey-playing country. But aside from that rare goal, they were grossly outplayed in every department.
It took just four minutes for Malaysia to open accounts with Mohamed Shahrun Nabil scoring a field goal.
Then Azlan Misron and Chua Boon Huat got into the act with two more field goals in the 13th and 16th minutes respectively. Mohamed Amin Rahim scored from a penalty corner hit in the 19th minute but a fumble in defence allowed Zahidul Islam to net for Bangladesh in the 28th minute.
The second half started off with a bang as well when Tengku Ahmad scored a brace in the 39th and 44th minutes. Ismail Abu then netted his first and Malaysia’s last goal six minutes later.
Earlier South Korea defeated Japan 3-2 in a closely fought match to virtually assure themselves of a semi-final berth as they play Bangladesh in their last group match.
Japan have to beat Malaysia to earn a berth in the semis.
Team manager Yamanaka Manabu said they will have no option but to go on the attack against Malaysia.
“Today (yesterday) we planned to hold the Koreans in the first-half and then attack in the second. It worked but they had the two-goal advantage against us in the second half. That made it a little difficult as they are a top team,” said Manabu.
Korea took the lead in the 12th minute through Jin Kyung-min but Japan were back on level terms in the 20th minute through Kei Kawakami.
But two penalty strokes in the 22nd and 35th minutes allowed the Koreans to take a 3-1 first-half lead. The strokes were converted by Lee Nam-yong. In the second-half the Japanese dominated play but despite all their hard work, they only managed to score one goal. This came in the 53rd minute when Takayasu Mizawa narrowed the score to 2-3 but then the Koreans held out to claim full points.
MALAYSIA: S. Kumar, Mohamed Amin Rahim, Mohamed Madzli Ikmar, Mohamed Shahrun Nubli, Mohamed Shukri Mutalib, Ismail Abu, Azlan Misron, Kelvinder Singh, Jiwa Mohan, Hafifihafiz Hanafi, Jivan Mohan.
Reserves: Baljit Singh, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Chua Boon Huat, S. Selvaraju, Engku Abdul Malek.
BANGLADESH: Mahbub Ullah Chowdhury Asm, Mamun Ur Rahman, Mosiur Rahman, Musharof Hossain Kuti, Ashaduzaman Chandan, Kamaruzaman Ahm, Zahidul Islam, Jimmy Rasel, Mohd Nannu Sheik, Zaid Bin Talib Shuvo, Barman Taposh.
Reserves: Shamsuddin Akm, Asiquzzaman Mohd, Nadir Iqbal, Khisa Pushkor, Rafiqul Islam.
The Star of Malaysia
Malaysia flex their muscles
By Ajitpal Singh
MALAYSIA enjoyed a good warm-up for today's AirAsia Asia Cup Group A battle with Japan by routing Bangladesh 7-1 in Kuantan yesterday.
Victory was easily achieved but Japan won't be as easy though all Malaysia need is a draw to secure their semi-final place.
Historically, Malaysia have never had it easy against Japan and the scenario is not expected to change in this crucial match.
Japan, after their 3-2 defeat to South Korea yesterday, need a win to make the last four and they can be expected to come out charging against Malaysia.
Malaysia coach Tai Beng Hai said he is expecting a tough match against the Japan side.
"They are a very disciplined side and based on ranking, we will start as underdogs in this match. Though we only need a draw, it will be wrong to play for it as it could backfire," said Beng Hai in Kuantan yesterday.
"We are going for a win tomorrow (today). The match today (yesterday) was a good warm-up and we managed to get the goals we wanted."
The Malaysians, after scoring seven goals in the opening 50 minutes, played at a lower gear after that to conserve energy for the Japan clash.
"I instructed my players to slow down their game as I did not want them to tire themselves.
"Overall, all of my players did well and I'm especially happy with the performance of Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (Tengku Jalil) and Engku Malek Engku Mohd, who have just recovered from injuries."
Malaysia started aggressively and it took them only four minutes to open accounts through Mohd Shahrun Nabil's reverse stick attempt from the top of the D.
Azlan Misron added the second with a well taken field goal in the 13th minute before Chua Boon Huat followed up with a third, two minutes later.
The Malaysians were in full control and it was just a matter of time before they added more goals. Amin Rahim then increased the goal count with his trademark penalty corner flick in the 19th minute.
In the second half, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, who did not play against South Korea on Saturday, added two quick goals in the 39th and 43rd minutes.
Ismail Abu completed the rout in the 50th minute.
Bangladesh replied through Islam Zahidul, off a penalty corner setpiece, in the 28th minute, for his team's first international goal in a Class A match in two years.
New Straits Times
Second chance for Boon Huat to make World Cup
By Ajitpal Singh
WITH age catching up, Chua Boon Huat admits he doesn't have many opportunities to play in his second World Cup.
For the 29-year-old, the ongoing 8th AirAsia Asia Cup in Kuantan offers him the best chance of doing so, as the winners of the event will get to play in the World Cup in New Delhi next year.
Boon Huat, who wants to help Malaysia to the Asia Cup crown, said: "We are making steady progress and it's important that we maintain it throughout the tournament.
"I believe that if everyone contributes accordingly, the team will qualify for New Delhi."
"I have been around for quite a while and have achieved everything in hockey. But my dream is to play again in the World Cup. I think this will be my last chance.
"If we don't win it (the Asia Cup), it will be tough to earn a place through the qualifiers (November). I'm not saying I'm quitting anytime soon but I don't think I will be around in three or four years' time."
His notable achievements were the silver medal from the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and the bronze in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.
Boon Huat, who hails from Bandar Hilir, Malacca, also played in the 2001 Junior World Cup in Hobart, 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, 2002 World Cup and 2007 Champions Trophy both in Kuala Lumpur.
He was also selected for the 2002 Asian All-Stars team.
"The Malaysian team have not been doing well internationally for quite sometime but I believe that with the present set-up and guidance from coach Tai Beng Hai ), there will be some improvement."
New Straits Times
Favourites South Korea beat Japan
KUANTAN (Malaysia): Asia's top-ranked field hockey team, South Korea, virtually sealed their place in the Asia Cup semi-finals with a closely fought 3-2 win over Japan in a Group A match in Malaysia on Monday.
Korea scored their three goals in the first half and were forced into deep defence in the second half to keep the Japanese at bay.
The Koreans are tagged as favourites to make the final on Saturday and will play lowly Bangladesh Tuesday in the last pool match.
World number five Korea are far too strong for the 34th-ranked Bangladesh and should take maximum points.
The other semi-final team from the pool will come from the winner of the Malaysia and Japan match on Tuesday.
The Malaysians had little trouble defeating Bangladesh 7-1 in the second match of the day.
The Korea-Japan match saw some fast-paced action with both teams using speed as their main weapon.
The Koreans went into attack from the start and took the lead in the 12th minute through a penalty corner drag flick taken by Jin Kyun-min.
Eight minutes later the Japanese were back on level terms with a penalty corner goal scored by Kei Kawakami.
But the Koreans continued to press hard and earned two penalty strokes in the 22nd and 35th minutes following a penalty corner execution.
Lee Nam-yong converted both the strokes to give his team a 3-1 lead.
The second half saw a charged-up Japan and they had the Koreans back peddling time and again.
In the 53rd Japan earned their fifth penalty corner and Takayasu Mizawa had all the time to place a low flick on goalkeeper Lee Myung-ho's right.
But despite their valiant efforts the Japanese failed to get further goals and will now have to beat Malaysia to secure their berth.
South Korean coach Cho Myung-jun said that it was a close match and they did not expect such a fight back from the Japanese.
"We missed our experienced players for this game. We are quite safe for the semi-finals but we have to ensure we take full points from Bangladesh.
"Japan is strong too and matches between our teams have been quite tight. It was no different today. We are happy to have collected full points," he said.
Japan team manager Yamanaka Manabu was disappointed with the result but felt that it was a fair reflection of the way the match went.
"Our strategy was to defend in the first half and then go on the attack in the second. It is just that we were not able to convert our chances well.
"Our back is against the wall as we need nothing less than a win tomorrow. But I do feel confident we can win," he said.
The Koreans have four points while the Japanese have three. Host Malaysia also has four points and a draw with Japan will suffice for them to make the semis.
The Times of India
Japan to rebuild team into world class
KUANTAN: Japan have embarked on team rebuilding in an effort to put themselves back among the elite hockey-playing nations.
And the ongoing Asia Cup tournament is part of their re-building programme.
They opened their campaign in Kuantan with a 5-0 win over Bangladesh and were beaten 3-2 by South Korea yesterday.
But Japan are confident of beating Malaysia in their last Group A tie and earn a place in the semi-finals.
Team manager Yamanaka Manabu said yesterday that they have a very young team with seven newcomers.
“We had only two weeks of training for this tournament. It will be tough playing teams who are well prepared but we feel this team have potential.
“Of course, one of our targets is to qualify for the 2010 World Cup and then the Asian Games,” said Manabu.
Manabu was the coach of the Japan team for the 2006 Doha Asian Games and also the 2008 Olympic qualifiers.
The current coach is Endo Takashi while Manabu has become the full-time manager.
Japan’s best placing in the Asia Cup is the fourth-place finishes achieved in 1985, 1989, 2003 and 2007.
The most experienced player in the team is Kazuhiro Tsubochi with 76 caps while Kei Kawakami, Ryuji Furusato and Hiroki Sakamoto have 67, 53 and 45 caps respectively.
They form the core of the new team. The team also have five players who will feature for Japan in the Junior World Cup co-hosted by Malaysia and Singapore next month.
They are Naoto Shiokawa, Ken Yoshikawa, Kenta Tanaka, Kenji Kitazato and Daisuke Suzuki.
Of the five players, Kenta has played for the senior team six times. The others are making their senior debuts.
“They are all talented players and we expect them to become our core players after their junior days. But we hope to start off a comprehensive programme soon to ensure they are well prepared for the future challenges,” said Manabu.
Japan are ranked 11th in the world and they know that their ranking could drop if they fare badly here.
But for the moment Manabu is more interested in ensuring his team re-building exercise stays on track.
“It is still early times for us. But the first thing is to get a semi-final place and I think we can beat Malaysia. It will all depend on the players. We have the ability to do it.”
In 2007, Malaysia and Japan met twice in the Asia Cup in Chennai. Malaysia won 2-0 in the group tie and 5-3 in the play-off for third place.
Last year, they drew 3-3 in the Olympic qualifiers in Japan.
The Star of Malaysia
Chinese test for India
KUANTAN: Defending champions India will be under tremendous pressure and will have to come out all guns blazing when they take on China in their do-or-die last pool match of the Asia Cup on Tuesday.
Stung by their first loss to Pakistan after 2006 Commonwealth Games, India face a must-win situation against the nimble-footed Chinese as even a draw will show them the exit door from the event with China progressing to the semifinals from Pool B as the second best team alongwith Pakistan.
With a draw against China in their opening match and then Sunday's 3-2 victory over India, Pakistan have already booked their place in the last four stage being the group toppers.
India coach-in-charge Harendra also admitted that his side would be under pressure on Tuesday, but said there is only one way out for India and that is victory. "Yes, we are under tremendous pressure and any how we will have to win our match against China tomorrow. We will go out attacking from the start," he said.
Skipper Sandeep Singh, who was the player of the tournament during India's Azlan Shah triumph last month, was a disappointment on Sunday as he failed to convert a single penalty corner out of the five India have earned, but Harendra was in no mood to give much importance to the fact and said it was just an off-day for the drag-flicker.
"It's a part and parcel of the game, one day you will click and on the other day you won't. So, I don't think it's a worry for us, Sandeep is a world class player and I am hopeful he will come good tomorrow," Harendra said.
The coach-in-charge also ruled out any possible changes in the playing eleven against China. However, the Chinese won't be an easy hurdle to cross for the Indians as they are known for springing surprises. India will also have to keep in mind the fact that it was China who dented their medal hopes in 2006 Asian Games, defeating them 3-2.
The Times of India
'China won't shock us like Doha': Dhanraj Pillay
'China won't shock us like they did in Doha': Dhanraj Pillay By: Ashwin Ferro Date: 2009-05-12 Place:Mumbai
In a way, China can be held chiefly responsible for the recent slide of Indian hockey. The Chinese side shocked India in the 2006 Doha Asian Games by throwing them out of the semi-final race, denying them a medal and with it an automatic qualification for the Olympics.
Consequently, India were forced to play a six-nation Olympic qualifier tournament in Santiago, Chile, which they lost and failed to make it to the Beijing Olympics (for the first time in 80 years). Then coach Joaquim Carvalho resigned amidst severe criticism and Indian hockey hit rock-bottom.
China now have another chance to throw India out of the semi-final race, this time in the Asia Cup in Malaysia when they take on the Sandeep Singh-led side today in a crucial league match that will decide the second semi-finalist from Pool B.
However this time around, the Indian camp is confident they will not let the Chinese repeat history. "Whatever happened in Doha is history. That was one of the worst chapters in Indian hockey and I can assure you the boys will not let that repeat," Indian team manager and four-time Olympian Dhanraj Pillay told MiD DAY from the Kuantan Hockey Stadium in Malaysia yesterday.
Pakistan have already qualified as the other semi-finalist from Pool B having drawn 1-1 with China and beaten India 3-2. As China need only a draw to progress, the pressure is on India with the neighbours expected to play a defensive game. However, that will lead to their downfall, according to Pillay. "In our loss to Pakistan, I noticed that our boys were not dodging players in one-on-one situations. We have a very skillful set of players. So, we have encouraged them to dodge the opposition more often," said Pillay.
However, this does not mean the Indian forwards won't be passing the ball around today. "Dodging becomes compulsory when you have an opposition player in front of you and no teammate to pass to. Dodging also helps a player create additional space for himself besides giving him immense confidence and making the opponent wary of his next move. That has been Indian hockey's strength. Our boys must play to our strength and dodge the Chinese players," explained Pillay.
Looks like the Chinese, world famous for their own brand of medicine, are in for some traditional Indian hockey remedies at the Kuantan Stadium today.
What the Papers Say Today - Stick2Hockey.com
Under pressure India take on China
Defending champions India will have to come out all guns blazing against China in their last pool match of the Asia Cup.
Stung by their first loss to Pakistan after the 2006 Commonwealth Games, India face a must-win situation against the nimble-footed Chinese as even a draw will show them the exit door from the event with China progressing to the semi-finals from Pool B as the second best team alongwith Pakistan.
With a draw against China in their opening match and then Sunday's 3-2 victory over India, Pakistan have already booked their place in the last four stage being the group toppers.
India coach-in-charge Harendra also admitted that his side would be under pressure on Tuesday but said there is only one way out for India and that is victory.
"India go down to Pakistan"
"Yes, we are under tremendous pressure and any how we will have to win our match against China on Tuesday. We will go out attacking from the start," he said.
Skipper Sandeep Singh, who was the player of the tournament during India's Azlan Shah triumph last month, was a dissapoinment on Sunday and was in no mood to give much importance to the fact and said it was just an off-day for the drag-flicker.
"It's a part and parcel of the game, one day you will click and on the other day you won't. So, I don't think it's a worry for us, Sandeep is a world class player and I am hopeful he will come good tomorrow," Harendra said. The coach-in-charge also ruled out any possible changes in the playing eleven against China.
He said what let India down against Pakistan was their missed chances.
"I have no complaints against the boys, they played really well. It's just that we missed a couple of chances and they capitalised on their chances." However, the Chinese won't be an easy hurdle to cross for the Indians as they are known for springing surprises. India will also have to keep in mind the fact that it was China who dented their medal hopes in 2006 Asian Games, defeating them 3-2.
China hold Pakistan to a draw
Although, the eight-time Olympic champions displayed great attacking hockey against Pakistan in the high-octane match yesterday, the Indian fowards failed to find the net on a consistent basis.
To add to that, the Indian mid-field will have to do away with their habit of losing the ball to the opponents at crucial junctures. The Sandeep Singh-led defence too looked scratchy against Pakistan yesterday as they gave lot of open spaces to their opponents and conceded soft goals.
Against Pakistan, India's many break-outs were on a very high speed, but were ineffective as they relied heavily on playing high balls and fast dribbling. The Indians will have to do away with high balls and dribbling and instead use their combinations well against the Chinese to make their attack more penetrating.
The Chinese, on the other hand, are expected to play a defensive game with swift counter attacks.
All in all, a mouth-watering clash is on the cards with India relying on their attacking hockey to come good against the formidable defence of the Chinese.
ESPNStar.com
Haseem eyes bigger goals
KUANTAN, Malaysia: Pakistan’s rising star Haseem Khan said on Monday that he wanted to achieve bigger goals and objectives for the country.
“Victory against India may be a step forward. But its still a long way before Pakistan hockey can be put back on the track,” he said here in an interview. “After playing 1-1 draw against China. We were under pressure against India. But coach Shahid told us to play normally without taking any tension,” he commented.
19-year-old Haseem Khan, a third year electronics student of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, said Allah helped me in scoring the goal. “It was a narrow angle and I made an effort with a reverse-sweep and was rewarded,” he pointed out. “This was my small contribution. I want to play my part in team’s success in winning the Asia Cup,” he said.
The News International
PHF president greets team on reaching semis
Staff Report
LAHORE: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Qasim Zia and chief selector Hasan Sardar have congratulated Pakistan team for reaching the semi-finals of the ongoing 8th Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“The green shirts put up a good performance by beating India in the most crucial match of the tournament. All players and team management deserve praise for their achievement,” the duo said in a statement here on Monday.
They expressed optimism that the team would exhibit a similar performance in the final to win the title.
“Beating India is always helpful and we hope that the team will continue its winning streak,” they added.
Meanwhile, former Olympians Khalid Bashir, Anjum Saeed, Akhlaq Ahmed, Shafqat Malik and Punjab Hockey Association (PHA) Khawaja Zarrar Kalim have also greeted the team for reaching the semi-final of the Asia Cup. They said a good combination of senior and junior players helped in achieving a desirable result against India.
The Daily Times
Love at first sight for Brasa
Mihir Vasavda
Mumbai: Jose Manuel Brasa has high regard for the 'Indian style' of hockey. On Sunday, the Spaniard was enthralled watching India play attacking hockey against Pakistan, even though Sandeep Singh's team went down 2-3.
This was the first time Brasa saw the Indian team play a formidable opposition from close quarters. He believed that the team should have won the match. "It's a pity we couldn't win this match. We missed plenty of chances in the last 10 minutes but it happens in sport. SV Sunil was very impressive. He created some really nice moves," Brasa told DNA from Kuanton.
Brasa said he already feels like one of the team members and it shouldn't take him long to feel completely at home. "I was cheering the team from the sidelines and was feeling 50 per cent Indian when the game started," he admitted.
Brasa has been interacting with the players over the past five days. "They all are dedicated, focussed and have one objective -to see India among the top nations in field hockey. This is very good to see," Brasa said.
He is confident that the Indian team can climb up the ladder. "We have the best lot of players in the world. We have to groom them into a bunch that plays consistently. They are proud of playing for the country and are passionate. That's something I share in common with the players."
Brasa remarked that the players got too excited during the first few minutes of their game against Pakistan. "Being too passionate has its drawbacks. Pakistan got the better of the exchanges when the match started today, but the boys soon realised it and then played in a relaxed manner," he said.
What the Papers Say Today - Stick2Hockey.com
Asia Cup: Tit bits here and there, Part II
K. Arumugam
Did you watch IPL? Asked John Wright, a neutral umpire from South Africa. He says the IPL is a great hit in South Africa. “Stands are full, though tickets are costly”, he said. He said he saw quite a few matches at Pretoria. The rugby’s Super 14 (a domestic competition with five franchise teams from South Africa and New Zealand and four from Australia). Which is more popular now, IPL or Super 14. “Must be both. But I think it is IPL”, he confesses. You Indians have lot of money for cricket” How much did you spend to get the IPL ticket? I asked. No, not at all. I am a member of a committee in South African Cricket body. We all got free tickets”. Good move.
Each visiting team has one local Liaison Officer and a security Officer in civil dress. They are given specific business card as well. Azli (his asli name is Mohad Azli bin Jaafar) is LO for Bangladesh team. He says he played hockey for ten or 12 days at school before deciding to give off. I asked, why? The instructor told me I cannot turn my body this way or that way, and I did not like it. Now I saw the players move any direction freely. It was not so then? I can only curse the game of hockey, its complex rules and how many Azlis we lost. One titbit with him: When I told asli in hindi means ‘original’ and so you are a original LO, he replied: “In malay also asli means original. So, languages are simple and all encompassing, unlike hockey which is cumbersome and complex.
One man you always encounter here is, German Gerrard Rach, who does not need any introduction in India. He is now coach of Bangladesh team, with his trusted lieutenant Oliver Kurtz. This team also has a German video analyst. He says he is happy to see Arjun Halappa and Vikram Pillay back in the team. “I don’t know why are they dropped” The burly German is fully aware of IHF, IOA, Adhoc committee politics, which is not surprising keeping ambitious Gerrard’s persona in mind.
Japan team scored five goals against Bangladesh. This Japanese team has six debutants. Gerrard is unfazed by the flurry of goals his team conceded. “We would have done the same had Oman or Sri Lanka are here”, he said. When we started attacking after good first half, they scored two goals, then things went wrong”. This is what Gerrard said about the whitewash.
I think I have some thing with India’s foreign coaches. At Kazan (Russia) last year, Richard Charlesworth sat next to me in the media room, as I was the lone Indian journalist there. The Qualifier thing is repeated here. Sitting next to me is Jose Brasa, the Spaniard who will be the chief coach of India from next assignment onwards. There are only two journalists from India, other one being from Indian Express.
The guy on the other side of my seating in the media room is Ajit Pal, a journalist covering for New Strait Times. When I introduced him to Jose Brasa, he wondered, “is there Ajit Pal in Malaysia also?” Ajit Pal was prompt in reply, “I was named after Indian legend Ajit Pal as my father was a hockey freak, he named so after Ajit Pal’s team won the World Cup here in Malaysia”. Ajit Pal’s father Harnik Singh played for Malaysia for many years. Ajit Pal covers badminton and other sports.
Diary to continue tomorrow as well
Stick2Hockey.com
Malvern, Defence Force double-up
Nigel Simon
Stag Malvern and Defence Force enjoyed a good weekend as their men’s and women’s teams won their respective matches in the Championship Division of the T&T Hockey Board at the National Hockey Centre, Tacarigua. On Sunday, Summer Hector, Nicole Aming and Kathleen Francois were all on target for the “Teteron women” in a hard fought 3-2 win over Raiders. For Raiders, the mother and daughter pair of Joan and Krizia Layne netted one each.
In the men’s match, Nicolas Wren netted a last gasp goal with the final play of the match from a penalty corner for Defence Force to eke out a 1-0 win over Petrotrin for its third win from as many matches. On Friday, a second-half brace from Mickell Pierre and another by Aaron Mc Kenzie lifted the Army/Coastguard combination to an entertaining 3-2 win over Paragon in a heated affair which saw seven players getting temporary suspensions.
Cogie Butler and Kiel Murray scored for Paragon. Coincidently, Malvern men and women won by the same margins as Defence Force men and women teams on Saturday. Colin Byron scored the only goal of the match for Malvern men to slip past Queen’s Park in their match-up. Earlier on, Teresa Lezama, Oire Trotman and Rose-Ann Reyes found the net for the Malvernites to edge Ventures 3-2. Cristina Abreu scored both goals for Ventures from the penalty spot.
RESULTS
Saturday
Under-19 Girls
Ventures 2 (Tamia Roach, Emerald Piper) vs Paragon 1 (Lisa Smith).
Carib Magnolias 3 vs Raiders 0 - by default.
Under-19 Boys
Shape 4 (Shakeel Edwards 2, Ryan Chin, Marcus Campbell) vs Paradise 2 (Vernell Rivers, Jared George).
Stag Malvern 2 (Teague Marcano, Joshua De Four) vs Paragon 1 (Salim Clapham).
Corona Fatima 4 (Quinn Clarke 2, David Lee, Jordan Vieira) vs QPCC 3 (Keegan Dos Santos 2, Mark Ayen).
Trinity Men
Shape 1 (Leroy Sookdeo) vs Paradise 0.
Men’s Championship
Stag Malvern 1 (Colin Byron) vs QPCC 0.
Women’s Championship
Stag Malvern 3 (Teresa Lezama, Oire Trotman, Rose-Ann Reyes) vs Ventures 2 (Cristina Abreu 2 pens).
Sunday
Trinity Men
Corona Fatima 9 (Lawrence Mc Master 2, Mario Mohammed 2, Shane Newallo, Dev Lum Kit, Mark Nieves, Marlon King, Dwight King) vs Police 2.
QPCC 19 (Raphael Govia 5, Gary Griffith 5, Jerezano Bell 5, Kadeem Fortune 4) vs Petrotrin 0.
Trinity Women
Ventures 3 (Arielle Cowie, Tamia Roach, Susie Gomes) vs Police 1.
Harvard Maritime Checkers 3 vs Petrotrin 0 - by default.
Men’s Championship
Defence Force 1 (Nicholas Wren) vs Petrotrin 0.
Women’s Championship
Defence Force 3 (Summer Hector, Nicole Aming, Kathleen Francois) vs Raiders 2 (Krizia Layne, Joan Layne).
The Trinidad Guardian
India Series cancelled due to H1N1 Virus
The exhibition and test matches featuring the Canadian women’s national field hockey team versus Team India, which were to be played between May 26th and June 4th in Surrey, British Columbia, have been cancelled. Ms Amrit Bose, Hon. Secretary General of the Indian Hockey Confederation, informed FHC that the decision not to travel to Canada was based on the advisement from her Department of Sports not to visit the countries where swine flu cases have been found.
"I am disappointed that this series got cancelled because these matches would have been very valuable for both our national and developmental teams but I understand India's position", says Canadian head coach Louis Mendonca.
Field Hockey Canada and the Women’s National Team would like to thank both the band of volunteers who in a short time worked very hard to organize a professional event and all the sponsors for their generous support.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Daly’s express delivery
By Graham Wilson
MATT Daly proved that he can be counted on as part of England’s penalty corner armoury as he twice hit the mark against Olympic and world champions Germany in Nuremberg.
Coach Jason Lee gave five players their debuts in Saturday’s first Test which they lost 2-0.
Adam Dixon (Beeston), Simon Egerton (Bowdon), Dan Fox (Hampstead and Westminster), Ian Mackay (Reading) and Richard Smith (Loughborough Students) also had to cope with playing under new rules in England’s first international outing since Great Britain’s fifth place in the Beijing Olympics.
Germany took advantage as Christoph Menke hit goals in the 14th and 40th minutes, though Richard Mantell had a corner hit a post while James Tindall, making his 100th international appearance, was denied a penalty stroke.
In Sunday’s second Test, England came back from two goals down, with Richard Braun and Christoph Zeller giving Germany the lead.
But Surbiton striker Daly shared the corner duties with Reading’s Mantell to convert two strikes in the 50th and 53rd minutes. Egerton then put England ahead in the 61st minute only for Oliver Korn to level the match at 3-3 four minutes later.
Daily Express
EH Lady Masters Accept Invite to Play Croatian National Team
England Hockey is delighted to announce that the EH Lady Masters will play the Croatian national women’s team in Zagreb later this month. The matches represent a further progression of the game at over 40 age level.
Competing against a full national team is a ‘first’ for Masters Hockey within England and members of the EH Masters Steering Committee who oversee the promotion and development of all Masters Hockey are very excited at the prospect.
The Lionesses team will be led by EH Lady Masters Organiser Deb Wilkes as coach and team Captain Chris Rowland–Jones. Speaking about the trip to Croatia, Chris says: “It is a great thrill to be part of the EH Lady Masters and we all wear the England colours with great pride. However, the icing on the cake for me is the privilege of being captain of such a great team of players who, along with myself, are determined to put on an exhibition of hockey that shows how as Lady Masters we all appreciate England Hockey’s faith in our skills and abilities to represent our sport at this level.”
The visit of the EH Lady Masters is also eagerly anticipated in Croatia with the hosts using the matches as part of their preparation for some big summer tournaments. Mr Sinisa Peranic, the Croatian Women’s National Team Senior Coach, explains: “We welcome the forthcoming matches which we feel will be a challenging training opportunity for the Croatian Women’s National Team ahead of our competing in the Alps Cup in July and the EuroHockey Nations Challenge in August. We also hope that we will have an opportunity to show our honoured guests some of Croatia’s natural beauty.”
Jelena Kupres, the Croatian Women’s Captain, adds: “We are looking forward to meeting EH Lady Masters in Zagreb in May. The planned test matches will be an excellent opportunity to exchange skills and knowledge with experienced players, which is important for our young team to develop. Moreover, the event gives an opportunity for the promotion of the mutual friendship between our two teams and hopefully will contribution to the growth and the development of the European hockey family.”
The team selected to represent EH Lady Masters against Croatia is as detailed below.
Name (Club)
Chris Rowland-Jones (Capt) (Towcester)
Sue Willers (GK) (Towcester)
Ruth Hine (Staines)
Sue O’Connell (Staines)
Mandy Gatherer (Olton & West Warwickshire)
Mel Linnell (Kettering)
Vicky Wright (Havant)
Kate Cowlard (East Grinstead)
Deb Chalcraft (Poynton)
Helen Johnson (Exe)
Linda Webb (Aldridge)
Ann Meredith (Aldridge)
Linzi Webster (Charnwood)
Julie Pearce (Wellingborough)
Fixtures Schedule
Saturday 23 May v Croatia - 1800hrs (local), 1700hrs (BST) – Zagreb
Sunday 24 May v Croatia - 1100hrs (local), 1000hrs (BST) – Zagreb
Monday 25 May v Croatia - 1800hrs (local), 1700hrs (BST) – Zagreb
England Hockey Media release
Second XI silverware goes to Bowdon, Team Bath, East Grinstead and Eastcote
The weekend saw the finals of the Men’s & Women’s Second XI Cup & Trophy as Bowdon and East Grinstead continued their fantastic seasons to claim more silverware.
Bowdon was the scene of Women’s Second XI Cup & Trophy and the Men’s Second XI Cup with Guildford hosting the final of the Men’s Second XI Trophy.
The first match of the day at Bowdon was between Team Bath Buccaneers and Maidenhead in the Women’s Second XI Trophy Final. In an evenly contested match, Team Bath Buccaneers’ Jessica Cremin was the heroine as she scored a brace, including a last minute winner, as they won the trophy for the second time, condemning Maidenhead to their second final defeat in three years.
The Women’s Second XI Cup followed and was a much more one sided affair as Bowdon took advantage of a partisan home crowd to put seven past Ipswich in a comfortable victory. Bowdon’s Julie Hope scored a hat-trick with Bethan Williams scoring twice as Bowdon became cup champions for the first time.
Last up at Bowdon was the Men’s Second XI Cup and again the crowd was treated to another close affair as East Grinstead snatched victory with a golden goal in a 3-2 win over Loughborough Students. East Grinstead found themselves 2-0 up at half time but Loughborough Students scored twice in the second half, including the equaliser five minutes from time, to send the final into Golden Goal Extra Time. With all to play for it took just three minutes for a winner to emerge as East Grinstead’s Duncan Howarth scored from a penalty corner to secure victory for his side.
Also on Sunday, Eastcote and Brighton & Hove battled for the Men’s Second XI Trophy at Guildford Hockey Club with Eastcote the surprise winners as they came from behind to beat a Brighton & Hove team that had beaten them twice in the league this season. The scores were level at 1-1 when Eastcote’s Chris Sleeman scored a last minute winner to send his side into wild celebrations.
England Hockey Media release
IOA plans elections for Hockey India
by Sharad Deep
Bigwigs show interest but legal hurdles may derail plans
MUCH BEFORE the expiry of the six-month deadline set by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for installing a unified body for hockey in India, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has kicked in efforts to set up Hockey India and hold elections for the body.
The IOA has decided to hold elections for the new body, instead of the Indian Hockey Federation, but legal hurdles may derail their plans. KPS Gill, president of the suspended IHF, has filed a case in the Delhi High Court, which has asked IOA to hold IHF elections.
“It would be better to hold elections for Hockey India after bringing all parties concerned under one umbrella,” said an IOA insider. “This would sort out the problem for time being, otherwise we may lose the 2010 World Cup.”
However, the IOA will have to clear a number of roadblocks as its intention to hold elections itself has opened further fissures in the already divided house.
Sources claimed that at least seven heavyweights have expressed their interest in contesting for the post of president. They include Bengal Hockey Association chief JB Roy, who claims to have a ‘big following’ among state hockey associations, Narendra Batra of J & K, Chandrashekhar of Chandigarh, K Krishnamurthy of Karnataka, Prattap Satpathy of Orissa and Amrit Bose, secretary of the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF).
KPS Gill and IOA secretary general Randhir Singh are being dubbed the dark horses. But some believe that thanks to the IOA patronage, ad hoc committee convener Mohd Aslam Khan may manage to hold his own in the elections which sources said could be held some time towards the end of this month.
But Aslam may face lot of opposition. “How can he lead Hockey India when is not a member of a state association?” questioned a state hockey boss.
Though the IOA is planning elections, the IWHF still maintains that no decision has been taken on Hockey India.
IWHF joint secretary Bula Ganguly said any decision regarding merger of the two bodies has to be taken by the general council. “Some individuals can’t take a decision. So far the IWHF has not received any information about the proposed merger,” she said.
Well there are as many voices as people and only the threat to the World Cup may bring them together. But that can happen only after the legal hurdles are cleared
Hindustan Times
Bhopal to have most Astroturf hockey stadiums
Bhopal, May 10 (UNI) Famed as India's hockey nursery, the state capital is all set to become the city with most number of Astroturf stadiums in the country as work over Aishbagh stadium nears completion. ''The stadium would be ready for practicing and hosting competitions from June,'' Madhya Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare Department Director Sanjay Choudhary told UNI here. An estimated amount of Rs five crore has been spent on installing Astroturf and flood lights in the stadium. The work for laying Astroturf was being done by a foreign company. He said another hockey stadium was being prepared over an area of three acre over a hill in front of Mayur park in the state capital.
The work for creating base for Astroturf on this stadium began today. A foreign company would lay Astroturf on this stadium also. ''The specialty about this stadium would be that audience would be able to enjoy hockey in open atmosphere from audience gallery akin to cricket stadiums in Australia. This audience gallery was being prepared by cutting out the hill,'' he said.
What the Papers Say Today - Stick2Hockey.com