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Three goals from Sophie Bray helped East Grinstead go top of the table in the final match of day two of the Jaffa Super 6s Women’s Premier Division.

After finishing day one of the action-packed first weekend of the Jaffa Super 6’s Men’s Premier Division with two victories in two games, Hampstead & Westminster and Sevenoaks matched the feat, finishing the whole weekend unbeaten.

Ben Somerford



The inaugural Australian Indoor Masters Challenge at Goulburn’s Veolia Arena concluded on Sunday with the winners crowned across the different divisions.

By BRIAN OTWAL IN ABUJA, NIGERIA


Telkom's Flavian Mutiva (left) vies for ball with USIU-A Spartans' Beatrice Mbugua during their Africa Cup for Club Championship match at the Abuja National Stadium on December 16, 2018. PHOTO | BRIAN OTWAL |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

Nine-time champions Telkom Kenya on Sunday maintained their winning momentum as they downed compatriots United States International University of Africa (USIU-A) Spartans 4-0 on day two of the Africa Cup for Club Hockey Championship here at the Abuja National Stadium.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Following an invitational tryout last week, U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Janneke Schopman has added the youngest rostered athlete Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.) to the senior squad. Allessie, along with a few other athletes, were invited to Spooky Nook Sports over the past two weeks to train and practice with the USWNT. She will join the team effective January 2019.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Janneke Schopman has announced the addition of three athletes to the senior squad with goalkeepers Kelsey Bing (Houston, Texas) and Kealsie Robles (Yorktown, Va.), and midfielder Linnea Gonzales (Bel Air, Md.). For the past two weeks, Bing and Gonzales have spent time training with the USWNT, where Bing earned her first international cap in the second match of the test series with Belgium. Robles spent time in goal at the Four Nations Women’s Ibaraki International Tournament in Japan in September where she earned her first cap for USA. Gonzales and Robles will join the team in May following college graduation and Bing, still a college junior, will join the team when time permits.

Sevilla (ESP)

ESP v CAN     1 - 2

Canada wins the 4 Test series 2 - 0 with 2 draws

FIH Match Centre

The Haier Hockey Series Open Pakistan starts from December 17 at the National Hockey Stadium, Lahore.

The Hockey Insider


File image of Harendra Singh. Image Courtesy: Hockey India

Days after India made a gallant exit from the World Cup, beaten 2-1 in a well-contested quarter-final by The Netherlands, the country’s hockey coach was facing the choice of quitting himself or being sacked from his position by the national federation.

Shantanu Srivastava


File image of India Coach Harendra Singh. AFP

Bhubaneswar: India coach Harendra Singh's comments against the umpiring have earned him an official reprimand from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Sunday.

s2h Team



Marauding Australians demolished English at mercy to post an impressive 8-1 win to get bronze at Kalinga stadium in Odisha.

Australia’s Tim Brand (C) dribbles past England defence during the field hockey bronze medal in Bhubaneswar on December 16. AFP

Last edition champions Australia secured a consolation bronze medal after mauling England 8-1 at the men’s hockey World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday.

Australia’s Tom Craig celebrates after scoring in the bronze medal match against England. Photograph: Aijaz Rahi/AP

Australia consoled themselves after their 2018 hockey World Cup semi-final loss by thrashing England 8-1 in India to take home the bronze. Tom Craig netted a hat-trick in a victory that ensured the Kookaburras a podium finish in Bhubaneshwar on Sunday.

HWC2018 Aus v Eng Bronze

England were made to settle for fourth place at a third consecutive World Cup after being defeated by Australia.

Ben Somerford



Kookaburras coach Colin Batch says his side had a steely resolve to finish off their 2018 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup campaign on a high following their heartbreaking semi-final defeat.

Ben Somerford



The Kookaburras have claimed the bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup with an emphatic 8-1 victory over England in Sunday’s third place match in Bhubaneswar, India.

Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 , Twitter

Olympic silver medallists Belgium defeated Netherlands in the final of Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 in a dramatic penalty shootout on Sunday at the Kalinga Stadium.

Red Devils beat Netherlands in sudden death to win their maiden World Cup

INDERVIR GREWAL IN BHUBANESWAR


The Belgium players celebrate after defeating the Netherlands in the World Cup final in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. AFP

The Belgian players rushed to Arthur de Sloover and a swarm of red and black jumped and screamed in ecstasy. They were the world champions. Not yet! The on-field umpire crossed his arms for a timeout. Goalkeeper Prmin Blaak wanted a video referral. The Belgians were shepherded back to the half-line by the umpires. But they still believed they had done it, until, the umpire’s arms spread-eagled. No goal! No World Cup! The platform for the victory ceremony, which was brought in the field by the overzealous staff, was hurriedly taken off.

Shantanu Srivastava


Belgium won their maiden Hockey World Cup on Sunday. AFP

Bhubaneswar: Jeroen Hertzberger stood at the 23-metre line, enduring the excruciating wait for the whistle to go off to begin his twinkle-toed journey towards Vincent Vanasch and glory. After 60 minutes and some more, all the years of dreams and sweat had precipitated into that singular, endless moment on this windy evening, beyond which waited two possibilities. This was sudden death — an 11-men sport broken down to its binary best, and not one of the 15,000 souls moved at the Kalinga Stadium. This was it.

s2h Team



The moment of triumph has come for the Rio Olympic silver medallist Belgium. It has not come a day late. The rising sun blighted the blistering attack of neighbouring giant The Netherlands in the entire sixty minutes in the Odisha World Cup final, and then went on to keep the nerves cool in the shoot out and sudden death to lift the field hockey's most coveted title here in Bhubaneswar.

Errol D’Cruz


Pic: s2h photographer Rakesh

Belgian sport burst into euphoria after their hockey team lifted the Odisha World Cup in Bhubaneswar on Sunday after a heart-stopping shootout against three-time champions the Netherlands. Winning the country’s first ever team sport world title will reportedly draw the Red Lions to a grand reception in Brussels where the mayor has invited them to appear in the city hall’s balcony on Tuesday. In a sense, you could say the World Cup has made a visit to its former home.

Red Lions edge out the Dutch in a tense shootout; Australia wallops England for bronze

Uthra Ganesan


Hard work pays: The triumphant Belgium squad with its reward. 

It took the team an extra shot, a nerve-racking 60 minutes and some tense moments but in the end, maiden finalist Belgium proved more than equal match for three-time winner the Netherlands, being crowned the new champion of world hockey at the Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday with a 3-2 win in shootouts. The game remained goalless at the end of regulation time.

He had previously overseen Ireland’s incredible rise to the top 10 in the world

Stephen Findlater


Florent Van Aubel of Belgium scores his team’s third and winning penalty at Kalinga Stadium in India. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images for FIH

Former Irish coach Craig Fulton was celebrating World Cup gold just a few months after moving on from the Green Machine as Belgium landed the title for the first time in Bhubaneswar.

©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Belgium won their first men’s World Cup as they beat the Netherlands in a final shoot-out, making their big tournament breakthrough in dramatic fashion.

By The Hockey Paper, Bhubaneswar



When Jeroen Hertzberger missed his sudden death shoot out attempt for the Netherlands, Belgium could finally celebrate a first world title – at the second time of asking.

Lausanne, Switzerland: Newly-crowned world champions Belgium are now sitting at the top of the FIH Hero World Rankings, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) can confirm.

Bhubaneswar (IND)

Final results

ENG v AUS (Bronze Medal)     1 - 8
BEL v NED (Gold Medal)     0 - 0 (3 - 2 SO)

Final standings

1. Belgium
2. Netherlands
3. Australia
4. England
5. Germany
6. India
7. Argentina
8. France
9. New Zealand
10. China
11. Canada
12. Pakistan
13. Spain
14. Ireland
15. Malaysia
16. South Africa

FIH Match Centre

Ben Somerford



Hockey Australia today congratulates Australian Hockey umpire Adam Kearns who earned the Golden Whistle after presiding over his 100th international match in Sunday’s 2018 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup final.

The Ireland women's hockey team are named RTÉ Sport Team of the Year

The Irish women's hockey team have been named RTÉ Sport Team of the Year in a public vote.

The Green Army have won the coveted RTE Team of the Year award following a public vote and head coach Graham Shaw was announced as RTE Manager of the Year. The awards come as deserved recognition for the history-making silver medallists from the summer's World Cup in London. Ayeisha McFerran was nominated for the prestigious Sportsperson of the Year but narrowly missed out to World Rugby Player of the Year Jonny Sexton.

Inverleith are still very much in the driving seat in Scottish indoor Men’s National League 1 with back-to-back victories over Dunfermline Carnegie and Dundee Wanderers, but both Western Wildcats and Grange have both moved up the table with unbeaten records in their three match session.

East Grinstead and Slough are both unbeaten at the top of the early table after an action-packed day one of the Jaffa Super 6s Women’s Premier Division at the Phoenix Sport and Leisure Centre in Telford.

There were goals galore at day one of the Jaffa Super 6s Men’s Premier Division at Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire, with both Hampstead and Westminster and Sevenoaks going unbeaten.

The South African Womens team vs The All Star International Womens Team match held as part of the PSI 2018 Nationals matches played at UCT Sports Centre on 15th December 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa Photo - Andrew Swarts

An expectant crowd at UCT awaited the SPAR South Africa and PSI International All-Stars for the second match of the four-match series. The two sides had played out a scintillating opening fixture that ended 3-3 and set the scene for an exciting second match.

SPAR South Africa Indoor Hockey Ladies arrived at the Pro Series Indoor Nationals on the back of a superb 2018 that saw them win 13 of the 15 test matches they have played, without tasting defeat. They were expected to see that run end when they took on a star studded International All-Stars at UCT in the first of a four match exhibition series. They had other plans.

Sevilla (ESP)

ESP v CAN     1 - 1

FIH Match Centre

By SAIFUL AFFENDY SAPRAN

KUALA LUMPUR: After winning the TNB Malaysia Hockey Premier League last season, Terengganu Hockey Team (THT) are determined to win more next season with a target to snatch the TNB Cup from Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL).

The Hockey Insider


The Indian hockey team will not play in the FIH Pro League. AFP

Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Two years of futile search for title sponsors for the proposed global elite nations’ league has brought wisdom to the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

s2h Team



The FIH, in their executive board meeting held during the 14th World Cup, took some significant decisions. The Junior World Cup, CEO Thierry Weil said at a media conference would be held every two years now. The dates and venue for the next edition would be announced later this year, said the Frenchman. The last Junior World Cup was held in Lucknow, India, in 2016, when the hosts emerged champions beating Belgium in the final.

Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 , Twitter

Striker Akashdeep Singh faces a possible two-match suspension for breaching Code of Conduct at the end of India's quarterfinal loss against the Netherlands in the ongoing hockey World Cup in Bhubneshwar.

By Rutvick Mehta


Harendra Singh Harendra Singh , AFP

Under-fire India coach Harendra Singh faced further heat on Saturday, with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Narendra Batra threatening to take action against Harendra next week for criticising the umpires after India's quarterfinals exit against Netherlands.

Harendra blamed poor umpiring for India’s defeat to Netherlands in the quarterfinals

Uthra Ganesan


Indian Hockey team coach Harendra Singh addressing the press conference ahead of their upcoming match in the Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar on December 07, 2018. Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced some major decisions on Saturday but also made it clear that questioning its officials was not acceptable.

Amit Kamath


Rogier van 't Hek in the media tribune during the Hockey World Cup 2018 in Bhubaneswar.

Rogier van 't Hek cannot help but chuckle as he remembers the hand-made banner that his friends left at the stadium of FC Utrecht during the 1998 Hockey World Cup.

By Rutvick Mehta


Liam Sanford Liam Sanford with his parents after receiving RAF sportsman of the year award in 2017 , Twitter

Liam Sanford sees a lot of similarities in the twin careers he combines: one in shielding the England citadel as defender of the national hockey team and the other in protecting the skies as part of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF).

By SAIFUL AFFENDY SAPRAN


Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) technical director Terry Walsh slammed his critics who are demanding for his resignation following the national team’s failure to achieve their target at the World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India. (Bernama photo)

SEPANG: Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) technical director Terry Walsh slammed his critics who are demanding for his resignation following the national team’s failure to achieve their target at the World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India.

By Rutvick Mehta


Netherlands Netherlands players celebrate their win over Australia in the semifinal of the World Cup in Bhubaneswar on Saturday , AFP

Netherlands goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak saw the ball trickle between his legs and into the goal after being deflected by the body of his own teammate. After keeping the Australians at bay with multiple valiant blocks throughout the match, he let them in with 26 seconds on the clock.

Errol D’Cruz

Neighbours last clashed for top honours in the World Cup 43 years ago. In an epic battle, India beat Pakistan 2-1 to win their first – and only – World Cup title in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

By Todd Williams



And so, after 34 matches, we finally reach the last day of this wonderful World Cup and the two games that will determine the three medal winners.

For Australia and England, how do they come back less than 24 hours later and repeat for bronze?

Dutch horror for Oz, Belgium crush England

Indervir Grewal in Bhubaneswar


The Netherlands players congratulate goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak after beating Australia in a penalty shootout. PTI

The Oranje squeezed into the final after a thrilling encounter with Australia, ensuring that the World Cup will go to a country other than Australia and Germany for the first time in 20 years.

©: Frank Uijlenbroek / World Sport Pics

Belgium and the Netherlands will face off in a repeat of the 2017 European Championships in Sunday as they contest the World Cup final in Bhubaneswar following their wildly contrasting semi-final wins

by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru

Netherlands battled past two-time defending champions Australia in a penalty shootout to set up an all-European World Cup final against Belgium in Bhubaneswar, India on Saturday.

Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 , PTI

World No. 4 Netherlands broke Australia's dream of clinching a hat-trick of World Cup titles, beating the two-time defending champions 4-3 in sudden death in a pulsating semi-final of Men Hockey's show-piece tournament in Bhubneshwar on Saturday.

Netherlands celebrate their victory against Australia in the semi-final of the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar. Image Courtesy: Twitter @HockeyIndia

Bhubaneswar: Belgium created history by making their maiden appearance in the men's hockey World Cup summit clash, thrashing England 6-0 in a lopsided first semi-final while World No 4 Netherlands broke Australia's dream of clinching a hat-trick of World Cup titles.

Shantanu Srivastava


The Netherlands moved to their seventh World Cup final with a sudden death win over defending champions Australia on Saturday. AFP

Bhubaneswar: When Dutch coach Maximiliano Caldas was asked what to expect of the Netherlands-Belgium World Cup final, he had the shortest and the most accurate answer conceivable. Spectacle, he said. For two teams who have sneakily built momentum and gathered pace as the tournament wore on, Sunday promises to be their busiest workday. It could also be the most entertaining day of the tournament.

Belgium hammers England with its biggest ever competition win

Uthra Ganesan


Netherlands players run to greet to their goal keeper Piramin Blaak (No.26) after win their match in the penalty shootout against Australia in the Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 semifinal match at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar.  Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

Australia proved why it is considered one of the toughest teams in the sport, taking the fight till the very end but its dreams of becoming the first team to win a hat-trick of World Cup titles were crushed with a heartbreaking 4-3 shootout loss to the Netherlands in the semifinals here on Saturday. The teams were tied 2-2 at the end of regulation time.

s2h Team



Is the Odisha World Cup is turning out to be the craziest. Indications go this way. Earlier, Olympic Champions Argentina were sent packing. Now, the defending champions Australia too faced the same fate of Rio Champions, despite a heroic equalizer struck by captain Eddie Ockenden a mere 26 seconds before the full time, and thus stretching the Dutch to the shoot out.

Ben Somerford



The Kookaburras have suffered World Cup heartbreak losing Saturday night’s semi-final to the Netherlands in a shootout after earlier equalising with less than 30 seconds to play.

Focuses on rest and recovery ahead of the final

Y.B. Sarangi


BHUBANESWAR, 15/12/2018: Belgium players celebrates after score goals against England in the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 semifinal match at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar. Photo Credit: Biswaranjan Rout

Belgian players will keep their feet on the ground and postpone their celebrations for 24 hours even after securing the country’s maiden World Cup medal by reaching the final for the first time in six appearances. The players did not want to spoil the fine campaign before getting the best possible result.

By Rutvick Mehta


File photo of Simon Gougnard

At the end of the Belgium-England quarterfinals, every Belgian player went up to Simon Gougnard and gave him a hug.

Danny Kerry at the Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup

England were defeated 6-0 by Belgium in their World Cup semi final, and while coach Danny Kerry was of course disappointed with the outcome, he praised his troops for their continued development throughout the event.

England defenders look dejected as they fell to semi-final defeat for the third hockey World Cup in a row. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images for FIH

England’s dream of reaching a first men’s hockey World Cup final since 1986 was ended in humbling fashion as they were beaten 6-0 by Belgium in Bhubaneswar, India.

Emotion flowed through Simon Gougnard on Saturday as he helped Belgium reach their World Cup final with a 6-0 defeat of England, hours after his father passed away.

Errol D’Cruz


Photo: s2h photographer Rakesh

It’s all too familiar for England. This is their third semifinal defeat in the World Cup and after two fourth-place finishes at New Delhi 2010 and The Hague 2014, the team has to pick itself up ahead of the bronze medal match a day after a crushing 0-6 defeat to Belgium at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday.

David Ames at the Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup

England's World Cup dream was ended by Belgium at the semi final stage as the Olympic silver medal winners won with a comprehensive scoreline.

That’s mine: Belgium’s Simon Gougnard (front) vying for the ball with England’s Liam Ansell during the Hockey World Cup semi-finals at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India, yesterday. — AP

PETALING JAYA: It was a historic moment for Belgium when they powered their way to the Hockey World Cup final for the first time in 47 years.

Bhubaneswar (IND)

Results Semi-finals

ENG v BEL (SF 1)     0 - 6
AUS v NED (SF 2)     2 - 2 (3 - 4 SO)

Finals 16 December 2018

ENG v AUS (Bronze Medal)   1 - 8
BEL v NED (Gold Medal)   0 - 0 (Shoot out - 3 - 2 (x=goal  ooxxo x - xoxoo o))

Belgium are World Champions
Neterlands  - Silver
Australia - Bronze

FIH Match Centre

Sorry for the slight delay this morning. I have had to run some errands. Today's news is on the Archive portion of the site if you can't wait.

INDIA’S defender Harmanpreet Singh and forward Simranjeet Singh are having a great run in the Hockey World Cup.

By B.G.Joshi (Sehore-Bhopal, India)

Asian Champions Trophy winner Indian men and women will open their campaign in Melbourne Hockey Festival on November 23 against hosts Australia. Indian men (World Ranking 6) team will face Kookaburras (World Ranking 1) in 4-nations tournament league match, while Indian women (World Ranking 12) will challenge Hockeyroos (World Ranking 4) in first test of 3-match series. Statistical highlights are:

Patrick Rowley (BEM) receives his British Empire Medal Award at the Tower of London by the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London.   Left to Right:  Lord-Lieutenant of London, Mr Kenneth Olisa OBE, Elizabeth Rowley (wife), Patrick Rowley BEM, Alison Heeks (nee ROWLEY his daughter)   and  Constable General Sir Nicholas Houghton GCB CBE ADC

International sports journalist Patrick Rowley received the British Empire Medal for services to Hockey at a ceremony held at The Tower of London on Friday 4 November.

Patrick Rowley, arguably the best known hockey journalist there is has been rewarded for his outstanding services to hockey with the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Pat Rowley. Photo: Hockey Writers Club

When I started Fieldhockey.com 20 years ago one of the first journalists to support and encourage my efforts was the English writer Pat Rowley, I am utterly delighted to report that Pat has been awarded a British Empire Medal for services to Hockey in the Queen's Birthday Honours list released today.

By Dil Bahra


Alex Danson displaying why she won Player of the Tournament. Photo: Koen Suyk

There have been a few great action photos in our sport of hockey over the years but this photo by Dutch photographer Koen Suyk tops them all. Koen, a photographer for over 40 years has covered seven Olympic Games and states that Sports photography is his great love, with hockey, golf and tennis as his specialties.

by Dil Bahra


Kenya Hockey Team on tour of India, April 1964 Back Row (L - R): Surjeet Singh Jnr,; Saude George; Anthony Vaz; Amar Singh Mangat; Egbert Fernandes; Sang Singh; Edgar Fernandes; Jack Simonian; Jagnandan Singh. Sitting (L - R): Hardev Singh; Hilary Fernandes (V.Capt,); Hardial Singh (Coach); Anthony D'Souza (Manager); Sukdev Singh (Asst Manager); Avtar Singh (Capt.); Alu Mendonca. Ground (L – R): Santokh Singh; Arif Khan; Silu Fernandes; Leslie Pinto; Reynolds D'Souza.

Kenya’s triple hockey Olympian, Egbert Carmo Fernandes, died in Canberra, Australia on 6 November 2014.  He was aged 73.

These screen grabs are from The Official YouTube stream. Note the running time of the video in the bottom left. This covers a pan from 2:47:27 - 2:47:30. Punjab Warriors are in blue.

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