News for 23 May 2009
Saturday, 23 May 2009 05:31 | 
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All the news for Saturday 23 May 2009
Lack of continuity among players behind India's failure: Coach
BHOPAL: Newly-appointed Indian Hockey Chief Coach, Jose Brasa has said that lack of continuity among players during crucial minutes had dashed the hopes of the national team several times.
"Lack of endurance among players during crucial minutes has put paid to the hopes of Indian Men's Hockey team on several occasion," Brasa, who was here for the first time after his appointment to the post, told reporters on Thursday.
Spanish coach Brasa's statement came in reference to dismal performance of the Indian men's hockey teams in the just concluded Asia Cup in Malaysia in which India stood 5th in the eight-nation tournament.
Stating that Indian hockey team has all the talent required to compete at the international level, he said that there is a need to use it properly.
Brasa said the Indian hockey team was a balanced one. "The team has the ability to put any competitor in trouble as it has players like Dilip Tirkey," Brasa said.
"However, there is no magic stick in my possession through which I can change their performance overnight. It will take some time," he said.
Brasa who sought sophisticated gadgets for players said that his priority would be to provide all updated information such as details of the newly adopted rules at the international level to the team as they help greatly in tournaments.
The Times of India
Canada improves to 11th in world field hockey rankings
The Canadian national men’s field hockey team have climbed two spots to reach 11th in the world according to the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) most recent world rankings released this past week. The latest list comes after the conclusion of the Asia Cup which saw India and Japan drop in world-ranking points while Pakistan improved two-spots to sit in sixth place.
It is the first time that the Canadian men have entered the top twelve since their top 10 ranking in 2000.
“We are on the right track. Some of the changes we’ve implemented over the past two years are paying off,” says national head coach Alan Brahmst. “It’s an important milestone for Canada and demonstrates that we’re doing the right things. Going forward, we feel confident that we’ve identified the appropriate strategic initiatives necessary to continue this upward momentum.”
A gold medal at last March’s Pan American Cup where they eliminated higher-ranked Argentina in the semi-finals no doubt contributed to the men’s recent climb. The win also guaranteed Canada a berth in the 2010 World Cup. The only other nations who have qualified thus far are Asian champion Korea and host India.
After their Pan Am Cup victory Field Hockey Canada initiated a four-phase ‘World Cup Preparation Program’ with specific competitive and physiological themes in each of the phases. This preparation will take them to Argentina in December to compete in the FIH Champions Challenge I, an event featuring the top 8 nations in the world not competing in the premier-level Champions Trophy.
The last phase will begin in early 2010 and include final preparations for the World Cup.
“Our World Cup program is well developed,” continues Brahmst. “For us, the immediate priority is peak performance at the World Cup next March and our preparation will focus on this objective. In the meantime, we are placing a distinct focus on our junior and development teams to sustain the rise in performance”
Canada sat in 15th-place only eighteen months ago. Their meteoric rise began with a strong showing at the Beijing Olympic Games where they earned a victory and draw against South Africa and Great Britain respectively. It was the men’s first Olympics in eight years.
The latest world rankings for women released by the FIH last February has Canada sitting in 19th-place.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Grange gallop into Europe
Grange continued on a roll last night, after winning the Scottish Cup last weekend the Edinburgh team went on to beat Glasgow’s Western Wildcats 5-2 in a play-off for the EuroHockey Club Trophy spot.
Grange coach and player, Colin Clarke said: “It was a toughly fought match; we had good possession and took our chances. We continued momentum from winning the Cup but besides that we were confident if we went in and played our game we could win.
“We are really pleased, Western is a very good team but it was a fair result.”
Grange jumped on the board quickly as Colin McIver netted a goal in the sixth minute but Western answered back when Scott McArtney stepped up to take a penalty five minutes later. Michael Watt then added to Grange’s score line in the 25th minute before Western missed a penalty in the remaining seconds of the first half, hitting the post, for a half-time score of 2-1.
After the break Grange steadily added to their tally as Martin Kelly scored within five minutes into the second half, followed by Craig Harper in the fifty eighth minute and lastly McIver again with six minutes to spare.
But Western weren’t going out easy and Andrew Sewnauth scored the Wildcats second goal with two minutes left on the clock.
Olympian and Western player Graham Moodie said: “Grange looked sharper than us; it looked like they had been playing more. It’s a disappointing end to the season, after finishing a comfortable second in the league, then losing out on penalties in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup against Inverleith and now missing out on Europe this year.
“We put a lot of effort into this season and played well for most of it, we were so close yet so far.”
Grange qualified for the elite European Hockey League, known as the EHL, in the 2007-2008 season when it replaced the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup, and Cup Winners Cup Competitions, but were dropped out in round one. Last year the squad lost out on Europe after losing the Scottish Cup 1-3 to Azzurri Kelburne, allowing Western Wildcats who finished second in the league in 2008 to head into the EHL.
With their upcoming opponents still unknown, until other European countries finish their respective leagues, Grange’s plan is simply to stick with what’s working. Clarke commented: “We’ll look to keep ourselves fit; we’ll see different styles of play for instance against Eastern European teams and we know the standard of play will be high.”
Summarising the season Clarke concluded: “This season is a testament to all the players; it was a real team effort. Our players stood up, worked hard and kept their heads down and applied themselves.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Pat Harris puts on a 5 goal show on Day 1 at Cal Cup
By Jawwad Qamar
Ciudad de Buenos Aires and Hockey Factory in action at Cal Cup 2009 - photo courtesy of Jag Reyatt
May 22, Moorpark, CA: Cal Cup 2009 started today with play in the super divisions with five women matches and five men matches. Rush’d a team of current and former usa national players led by Carrie Lingo showed why they are the team to reckon with for the ladies crown, as eight different players scored for 10-0 hammering of Pacific Impact. Rush’d followed later in the afternoon with a 4-0 win over the 2006 champions Monarcas. Monarcas had started the day’s proceedings with 3-0 win over California on the strength of two goals from Gohar Harutyunyan, a former national player from Ukraine.
Ciudad de Buenos Aires followed with their run for the money in the men’s division by blanking Bajan Beach Bums from Barbados 7-0 thanks to the 3 goal hat trick by Ignacio Manes. Buenos Aires closed out Day 1 action by defeating Hockey Factory 4-2 in the last match of the day that easily was also the Match of the Day. In a physical and exciting encounter, Juan Pablo Correa’s two goals were enough to close down the Factory after the team from Berkeley, California had pulled to one goal deficit.
The women’s division saw another tournament favorite; Jolie Pitts garner 6 points by blanking Pack Attack 5-0 and then edging out California 1-0. For the men, the other notable performances included the 1-0 win by the Dirty Birds from Vancouver, Canada over the World Cup bound USA Juniors and the 8-1 trashing of the Beach Bums at the hands of Camarillo Cougars, more specifically, at the hands of Patrick Harris. The USA veteran put on a 5-goal show that include a true 3-goal hat trick in second half at the 34, 36 and 38 minute marks, much to the delight of his aunt Karen and uncle Tom.
Rest of the divisions begin competition today at Moorpark College and Arroyo Vista Recreation Center. For all scores, schedule and directions to the hockey venues, please visit http://www.calcup.net/
Fieldhockey.com Exclusive
BHF to meet coaches' demands
Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) is likely to sign a contract next week with the two German coaches for the national team.
Talking to UNB on Thursday afternoon, BHF joint secretary Abdur Rashid Sikder said they are likely to sign a contract after the arrival of two German coaches -- coaching director Gerhard Peter Rach and team coach Oliver Michel Kurtz -- from Germany on May 25.
The German coaching duo, now on short vacation in Germany, earlier demanded from BHF a total of 10,000 dollars per month as their remuneration with free accommodation, cook and transport.
Sikder said they are still seeking sponsors to meet the expenses of the two coaches.
"We've initial discussion with Dutch Bangla Bank and hope to get a positive response soon," said the general secretary.
Despite a disappointing performance of the national team in the just concluded Asia Cup Hockey, BHF plans to recruit the two German coaches till December keeping faith in their ability to achieve a good result in the ensuing South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka next January.
The Daily Star
Malacca City Council and Armed Forces Airod go top
By Ajitpal Singh
MALACCA City Council and Armed Forces Airod moved to the top of the Malaysia Hockey League Division One following easy victories yesterday.
Malacca CC notched their second win by routing UNIMAP 3-0 in Kangar while Armed Forces edged UiTM 2-1 at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Amirrullah Zainor scored twice in the eighth and 34th minutes for Malacca CC while Mirhardy Nawawi added the third in the last minute of the match.
Malacca CC assistant manager Mazlan Mohd Said said yesterday's win was important towards achieving the team's top-two target in the league.
"It's important not to drop points against lowly opponents. My boys' played exceptionally well against UNIMAP," said Mazlan yesterday.
Malacca CC and Armed Forces have each accumulated seven points but the former leads the standings on goal difference.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli Abdullah and Mohd Azron Mat each scored a brace to help Dolphins thrash Ipoh City Council 5-2 in Lumut.
Dolphins took a 2-0 lead at half time through Mohd Noor Saad and Zulkifli in the 22nd and 23rd minutes respectively.
Mohd Azron added the third for Dolphins in the 41st minute before Zulkifli scored his second goal four minutes later. Mohd Azron then struck again in the 54th minute.
Ipoh CC replied through Abbas Nik Mat (38th) and Jasdev Singh (56th).
RESULTS: UNIMAP 0 Malacca CC 3; Dolphins 5 Ipoh CC 2; Armed Forces Airod 2 UiTM 1.
FIXTURES -- Tomorrow: Air Force v Malacca CC (Sungai Petani Hockey Stadium, 5pm), UNIMAP v UiTM (Kangar Hockey Stadium, 5pm).
New Straits Times
Malacca CC beat Perlis U to top hockey Div 1 table
By AFTAR SINGH
KUALA LUMPUR: Malacca City Council continued their fine form to chalk up an impressive 3-0 win over Universiti Perlis Malaysia (Unimap) at the Kangar Hockey Stadium to leap to the top of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Division One table yesterday.
Malacca CC, who have seven points from two wins and a draw, went on the attack right from the start to take an eighth minute lead through Amerullah Zainor’s field goal.
Amerullah was on target again in the 34th minute with yet another field attempt.
Mirhardy Nawawi, the younger brother of former national skipper Mirnawan, completed the rout in the last minute of the match.
Malacca CC assistant team manager Mazlan Mohd Said was delighted with his team’s performance.
“We took our chances well and we are hoping to collect full points against the Air Force team at the Sungai Petani Hockey Stadium on Sunday,” he said.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, registered their second win when they outplayed Ipoh City Council 5-2 at the Lumut Hockey Stadium.
Zulkifli Abdullah (23rd, 45th) and Mohd Azrun Mat (41st, 54th) scored a brace each after Mohd Nor Said had scored the first goal in the 22nd minute.
Abbas Nekmat (38th) and Jasdev Singh (56th) replied for the Ipoh team.
In another match, ATM Airod edged UiTM 2-1 at the Tun Razak Stadium.
The Star of Malaysia
Lack of continuity among players behind India's failure: Coach
BHOPAL: Newly-appointed Indian Hockey Chief Coach, Jose Brasa has said that lack of continuity among players during crucial minutes had dashed the hopes of the national team several times.
"Lack of endurance among players during crucial minutes has put paid to the hopes of Indian Men's Hockey team on several occasion," Brasa, who was here for the first time after his appointment to the post, told reporters on Thursday.
Spanish coach Brasa's statement came in reference to dismal performance of the Indian men's hockey teams in the just concluded Asia Cup in Malaysia in which India stood 5th in the eight-nation tournament.
Stating that Indian hockey team has all the talent required to compete at the international level, he said that there is a need to use it properly.
Brasa said the Indian hockey team was a balanced one. "The team has the ability to put any competitor in trouble as it has players like Dilip Tirkey," Brasa said.
"However, there is no magic stick in my possession through which I can change their performance overnight. It will take some time," he said.
Brasa who sought sophisticated gadgets for players said that his priority would be to provide all updated information such as details of the newly adopted rules at the international level to the team as they help greatly in tournaments.
The Times of India
Canada improves to 11th in world field hockey rankings
The Canadian national men’s field hockey team have climbed two spots to reach 11th in the world according to the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) most recent world rankings released this past week. The latest list comes after the conclusion of the Asia Cup which saw India and Japan drop in world-ranking points while Pakistan improved two-spots to sit in sixth place.
It is the first time that the Canadian men have entered the top twelve since their top 10 ranking in 2000.
“We are on the right track. Some of the changes we’ve implemented over the past two years are paying off,” says national head coach Alan Brahmst. “It’s an important milestone for Canada and demonstrates that we’re doing the right things. Going forward, we feel confident that we’ve identified the appropriate strategic initiatives necessary to continue this upward momentum.”
A gold medal at last March’s Pan American Cup where they eliminated higher-ranked Argentina in the semi-finals no doubt contributed to the men’s recent climb. The win also guaranteed Canada a berth in the 2010 World Cup. The only other nations who have qualified thus far are Asian champion Korea and host India.
After their Pan Am Cup victory Field Hockey Canada initiated a four-phase ‘World Cup Preparation Program’ with specific competitive and physiological themes in each of the phases. This preparation will take them to Argentina in December to compete in the FIH Champions Challenge I, an event featuring the top 8 nations in the world not competing in the premier-level Champions Trophy.
The last phase will begin in early 2010 and include final preparations for the World Cup.
“Our World Cup program is well developed,” continues Brahmst. “For us, the immediate priority is peak performance at the World Cup next March and our preparation will focus on this objective. In the meantime, we are placing a distinct focus on our junior and development teams to sustain the rise in performance”
Canada sat in 15th-place only eighteen months ago. Their meteoric rise began with a strong showing at the Beijing Olympic Games where they earned a victory and draw against South Africa and Great Britain respectively. It was the men’s first Olympics in eight years.
The latest world rankings for women released by the FIH last February has Canada sitting in 19th-place.
Field Hockey Canada media release
Grange gallop into Europe
Grange continued on a roll last night, after winning the Scottish Cup last weekend the Edinburgh team went on to beat Glasgow’s Western Wildcats 5-2 in a play-off for the EuroHockey Club Trophy spot.
Grange coach and player, Colin Clarke said: “It was a toughly fought match; we had good possession and took our chances. We continued momentum from winning the Cup but besides that we were confident if we went in and played our game we could win.
“We are really pleased, Western is a very good team but it was a fair result.”
Grange jumped on the board quickly as Colin McIver netted a goal in the sixth minute but Western answered back when Scott McArtney stepped up to take a penalty five minutes later. Michael Watt then added to Grange’s score line in the 25th minute before Western missed a penalty in the remaining seconds of the first half, hitting the post, for a half-time score of 2-1.
After the break Grange steadily added to their tally as Martin Kelly scored within five minutes into the second half, followed by Craig Harper in the fifty eighth minute and lastly McIver again with six minutes to spare.
But Western weren’t going out easy and Andrew Sewnauth scored the Wildcats second goal with two minutes left on the clock.
Olympian and Western player Graham Moodie said: “Grange looked sharper than us; it looked like they had been playing more. It’s a disappointing end to the season, after finishing a comfortable second in the league, then losing out on penalties in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup against Inverleith and now missing out on Europe this year.
“We put a lot of effort into this season and played well for most of it, we were so close yet so far.”
Grange qualified for the elite European Hockey League, known as the EHL, in the 2007-2008 season when it replaced the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup, and Cup Winners Cup Competitions, but were dropped out in round one. Last year the squad lost out on Europe after losing the Scottish Cup 1-3 to Azzurri Kelburne, allowing Western Wildcats who finished second in the league in 2008 to head into the EHL.
With their upcoming opponents still unknown, until other European countries finish their respective leagues, Grange’s plan is simply to stick with what’s working. Clarke commented: “We’ll look to keep ourselves fit; we’ll see different styles of play for instance against Eastern European teams and we know the standard of play will be high.”
Summarising the season Clarke concluded: “This season is a testament to all the players; it was a real team effort. Our players stood up, worked hard and kept their heads down and applied themselves.
Scottish Hockey Union media release
Pat Harris puts on a 5 goal show on Day 1 at Cal Cup
By Jawwad Qamar
Ciudad de Buenos Aires and Hockey Factory in action at Cal Cup 2009 - photo courtesy of Jag Reyatt
May 22, Moorpark, CA: Cal Cup 2009 started today with play in the super divisions with five women matches and five men matches. Rush’d a team of current and former usa national players led by Carrie Lingo showed why they are the team to reckon with for the ladies crown, as eight different players scored for 10-0 hammering of Pacific Impact. Rush’d followed later in the afternoon with a 4-0 win over the 2006 champions Monarcas. Monarcas had started the day’s proceedings with 3-0 win over California on the strength of two goals from Gohar Harutyunyan, a former national player from Ukraine.
Ciudad de Buenos Aires followed with their run for the money in the men’s division by blanking Bajan Beach Bums from Barbados 7-0 thanks to the 3 goal hat trick by Ignacio Manes. Buenos Aires closed out Day 1 action by defeating Hockey Factory 4-2 in the last match of the day that easily was also the Match of the Day. In a physical and exciting encounter, Juan Pablo Correa’s two goals were enough to close down the Factory after the team from Berkeley, California had pulled to one goal deficit.
The women’s division saw another tournament favorite; Jolie Pitts garner 6 points by blanking Pack Attack 5-0 and then edging out California 1-0. For the men, the other notable performances included the 1-0 win by the Dirty Birds from Vancouver, Canada over the World Cup bound USA Juniors and the 8-1 trashing of the Beach Bums at the hands of Camarillo Cougars, more specifically, at the hands of Patrick Harris. The USA veteran put on a 5-goal show that include a true 3-goal hat trick in second half at the 34, 36 and 38 minute marks, much to the delight of his aunt Karen and uncle Tom.
Rest of the divisions begin competition today at Moorpark College and Arroyo Vista Recreation Center. For all scores, schedule and directions to the hockey venues, please visit http://www.calcup.net/
Fieldhockey.com Exclusive
BHF to meet coaches' demands
Bangladesh Hockey Federation (BHF) is likely to sign a contract next week with the two German coaches for the national team.
Talking to UNB on Thursday afternoon, BHF joint secretary Abdur Rashid Sikder said they are likely to sign a contract after the arrival of two German coaches -- coaching director Gerhard Peter Rach and team coach Oliver Michel Kurtz -- from Germany on May 25.
The German coaching duo, now on short vacation in Germany, earlier demanded from BHF a total of 10,000 dollars per month as their remuneration with free accommodation, cook and transport.
Sikder said they are still seeking sponsors to meet the expenses of the two coaches.
"We've initial discussion with Dutch Bangla Bank and hope to get a positive response soon," said the general secretary.
Despite a disappointing performance of the national team in the just concluded Asia Cup Hockey, BHF plans to recruit the two German coaches till December keeping faith in their ability to achieve a good result in the ensuing South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka next January.
The Daily Star
Malacca City Council and Armed Forces Airod go top
By Ajitpal Singh
MALACCA City Council and Armed Forces Airod moved to the top of the Malaysia Hockey League Division One following easy victories yesterday.
Malacca CC notched their second win by routing UNIMAP 3-0 in Kangar while Armed Forces edged UiTM 2-1 at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Amirrullah Zainor scored twice in the eighth and 34th minutes for Malacca CC while Mirhardy Nawawi added the third in the last minute of the match.
Malacca CC assistant manager Mazlan Mohd Said said yesterday's win was important towards achieving the team's top-two target in the league.
"It's important not to drop points against lowly opponents. My boys' played exceptionally well against UNIMAP," said Mazlan yesterday.
Malacca CC and Armed Forces have each accumulated seven points but the former leads the standings on goal difference.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli Abdullah and Mohd Azron Mat each scored a brace to help Dolphins thrash Ipoh City Council 5-2 in Lumut.
Dolphins took a 2-0 lead at half time through Mohd Noor Saad and Zulkifli in the 22nd and 23rd minutes respectively.
Mohd Azron added the third for Dolphins in the 41st minute before Zulkifli scored his second goal four minutes later. Mohd Azron then struck again in the 54th minute.
Ipoh CC replied through Abbas Nik Mat (38th) and Jasdev Singh (56th).
RESULTS: UNIMAP 0 Malacca CC 3; Dolphins 5 Ipoh CC 2; Armed Forces Airod 2 UiTM 1.
FIXTURES -- Tomorrow: Air Force v Malacca CC (Sungai Petani Hockey Stadium, 5pm), UNIMAP v UiTM (Kangar Hockey Stadium, 5pm).
New Straits Times
Malacca CC beat Perlis U to top hockey Div 1 table
By AFTAR SINGH
KUALA LUMPUR: Malacca City Council continued their fine form to chalk up an impressive 3-0 win over Universiti Perlis Malaysia (Unimap) at the Kangar Hockey Stadium to leap to the top of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Division One table yesterday.
Malacca CC, who have seven points from two wins and a draw, went on the attack right from the start to take an eighth minute lead through Amerullah Zainor’s field goal.
Amerullah was on target again in the 34th minute with yet another field attempt.
Mirhardy Nawawi, the younger brother of former national skipper Mirnawan, completed the rout in the last minute of the match.
Malacca CC assistant team manager Mazlan Mohd Said was delighted with his team’s performance.
“We took our chances well and we are hoping to collect full points against the Air Force team at the Sungai Petani Hockey Stadium on Sunday,” he said.
The Dolphins, meanwhile, registered their second win when they outplayed Ipoh City Council 5-2 at the Lumut Hockey Stadium.
Zulkifli Abdullah (23rd, 45th) and Mohd Azrun Mat (41st, 54th) scored a brace each after Mohd Nor Said had scored the first goal in the 22nd minute.
Abbas Nekmat (38th) and Jasdev Singh (56th) replied for the Ipoh team.
In another match, ATM Airod edged UiTM 2-1 at the Tun Razak Stadium.
The Star of Malaysia