News for 21 January 2023
All the news for Saturday 21 January 2023
FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar - Rourkela - 21 January
Bhubaneswar - Rourkela, India
All times GMT +5:30
Bhubaneswar
Rourkela
20 Jan 2023 13:00 AUS v RSA (Pool A) 9 - 2
20 Jan 2023 15:00 FRA v ARG (Pool A) 5 - 5
20 Jan 2023 17:00 BEL v JPN (Pool B) 7 - 1
20 Jan 2023 19:00 KOR v GER (Pool B) 2 - 7
21 Jan 2023 is a rest day
Bhubaneswar
22 Jan 2023 16:30 MAS v ESP (Crossover)
22 Jan 2023 19:00 IND v NZL (Crossover)
Pool Standings
FIH Match Centre
5 hat-tricks on final day of pool play as Australia and Belgium seal quarterfinal spots 
Day 7 of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 brought the conclusion of the group stage action from Pool A and Pool B, as Australia and Belgium topped their groups, booking their quarterfinals spots, while Argentina, France, Germany and Korea now move on to the crossovers. 
Goal Festival in Rourkela
s2h team
The last day of the pool matches saw all the eight teams in the fray — at Rourkela – sparing all they have which has resulted in a flurry of goals. The four matches produced 38 goals, even a draw, fourth in the ongoing event, creating a record!
Govers scores four as Kookaburras secure quarter final berth
Blake Govers had a day out in Rourkela as the Kookaburras scored a resounding 9-2 victory over South Africa to cement top spot in Pool A and book direct passage to the World Cup quarter finals.
SA men suffer heavy defeat to Australia at Hockey World Cup
Herman Mostert
Tevin Kok. (Photo by Nathier Sulaiman/Gallo Images)
The South African men's hockey team suffered a heavy World Cup defeat to Australia in Rourkela, India on Friday.
Kookaburras don jersey designed by Aboriginal artists
The mighty Kookaburras, who normally sport the famous green-and-gold colour combination, paid tribute to the original inhabitants of Australia.
Y. B. Sarangi
Australia players in their alternate jersey with the Aboriginal theme. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Australian team’s ‘alternate’ orange-and black uniform, highlighting the Aborigines’ theme, in its World Cup Pool-A match against South Africa at the Birsa Munda Stadium was a pleasant change for many hockey lovers on Friday.
France and Argentina draw madcap thriller
Nicolas della Torre celebrates for Argentina PIC: Worldsportpics
Bhubaneswar — Hockey has a penchant for producing madcap games and France v Argentina produced just that as Argentina scored with the last strike of the game to claim second place in their pool after a quite frankly bonkers 5-5 draw in Rourkela.
Belgium top pool at FIH Men's Hockey World Cup with Japan thrashing
By Michael Houston 
Belgium secured top spot in their pool to qualify for the quarter-finals ©Getty Images
Defending champions Belgium qualified for the quarter-finals of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men's Hockey World Cup on the last day of pool competition in India with a 7-1 victory over Japan.
Belgium stays top of Pool B after dominant win against Japan
Belgium tops the group with seven points, and second-placed Germany, which takes on South Korea in the final game of the evening, will need to win by a nine-goal margin to leapfrog them.
Aashin Prasad
Tom Boon during the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup match between Belgium and Japan at Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium. | Photo Credit: World Sport Pics
Belgium hit the right notes ahead of the knockouts in its final Pool B World Cup game by walloping Japan 7-1 here at the Birsa Munda International Stadium on Friday.
Germany crushes South Korea 7-2 but fails to top Pool B
Germany will next face France on Monday in the crossovers to make the last eight stages.
Aashin Prasad
Germany players celebrate after Wellen’s opening goal. | Photo Credit: PTI
Needing a victory with a margin of eight goals in its final World Cup Pool B game to overtake Belgium to the top spot, Germany could only manage a 7-2 win over South Korea here at the Birsa Munda International Stadium on Friday.
Hardik Singh ruled out of FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar- Rourkela
The injured midfielder will be replaced by alternate player Raj Kumar Pal
Bhubaneswar, 21 January 2023: Ahead of India's crucial crossover match against New Zealand on Sunday, Hockey India announced the replacement of charismatic midfielder Hardik Singh who sustained a hamstring injury during India's match against England on 15th January. Having rested the youngster for the match against Wales, and subsequent assessment, Hardik has now been ruled out of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.
Echoes of a heartbreak
The moment when Hardik realised his World Cup was all but over
Indervir Grewal
Hardik Singh’s (left) injury is a big blow to India’s medal chances. File
It is always difficult to watch another person cry. But when that person is a professional athlete — hardened by the rigours of training and pressures of top-level competition — the sight is heartbreaking.
Cross-overs, quarter-finals and ranking matches schedule
The Kalinga Stadium will be set for more sell outs in final week PIC: WorldSportPics/Frank Uijlenbroek)
The World Cup is edging closer towards knowing the make-up of the quarter-finalists in Bhubaneswar.
New Zealand test for India in the cross-over today
s2h team
Host India faces New Zealand test today in the cross over in Bhubaneswar in their quest for a place in the coveted World Cup quarterfinal. While another sell out crowd is expected, will it help India improve its show is a moot point. India topped its pool and made it to the quarters four years ago in the last edition. That it achieved despite having top contender Belgium in its pool was hailed. However, this time India struggled with goals, failing to score any against England and then could not go beyond a brace against Spain in the opener. When forced to score a big against Wales it expectedly failed. On the other hand, scoring five goals each against Wales and Spain, England topped the pool after managing to draw strong India goalless.
Speedy Tigers coach takes a breather before tough match with Spain
By Jugjet Singh
National hockey coach Arul Selvaraj in Bhubaneswar.
BHUBANESWAR: The Jagannath hindu temple in Puri was the chosen destination of Malaysian coach Arul Selvaraj to relax his mind today ahead of their encounter with Spain on Sunday.
Speedy Tigers set to be a pain to Spain
By Jugjet Singh
Malaysian team players celebrate a goal during the FIH Men's Field Hockey World Cup match between Malaysia and Chile in Rourkela, India, 16 January 2023. -EPA file pic
BHUBANESWAR: Spain are ranked one rung higher than Malaysia, and they stand on the Speedy Tigers' way leading to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Malaysia rise to World No 9
By Jugjet Singh
Malaysia’s Faizal Saari celebrates after scoring a goal during the FIH Men's Field Hockey World Cup match between Malaysia and New Zealand in Bhubaneswar, India. - EPA PIC
BHUBANESWAR: Malaysia have moved up to World No 9 after beating New Zealand 3-2 in hockey's World Cup in Bhubaneswar, India, on Thursday.
India to face Belgium in quarters if they win crossover match against NZ
The top team of each of the four pools directly qualify for the quarterfinals while the second and third-placed sides feature in crossover matches to qualify.
India will play New Zealand in crossover match. Hockey India/ Twitter
Rourkela: Hosts India will face defending champions Belgium in the quarterfinals of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup if they beat New Zealand in the crossover match in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
Hosts India seek better show from strikers in must-win match against New Zealand
Raj Kumar Pal to replace injured midfielder Hardik Singh
In the absence of Hardik, the performance of senior players like Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep will be key for the hosts. PTI file
A below-par show against debutants Wales denying them a direct quarterfinal berth, hosts India would look to address their attacking woes against a plucky New Zealand for a place in the last-eight stage of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup here on Sunday.
Of blood, sweat and tears: Jarmanpreet & Sukhjeet’s rise to top
Indervir Grewal
Jarmanpreet and Sukhjeet’s return after career-threatening issues to make World Cup debut is nothing short of a miracle. File
Two of India’s World Cup debutants — Jarmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh — have a lot in common. Both are 26 years old and hail from Punjab. And both saw their flourishing careers almost come to a halt before they could make it to the top.
Akash missing piece in jigsaw?
Indervir Grewal
Akashdeep Singh is filling Hardik Singh’s big shoes for now but coach Graham Reid must find way to fix it once and for all. File
At one point during the India-Wales game, forward Akashdeep Singh jogged to the sideline and was replaced by midfielder Jarmanpreet Singh.
Graham Reid after Wales slogfest: If you don’t finish well, this is what happens
The finishing has been India’s biggest concern so far in the tournament despite the penetration and possession. At one point against Wales, India had a the ball for a massive 83 percent of time. It did not convert into goals.
Uthra Ganesan
India head coach Graham Reid | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT
For a long time after the match, the talk revolved around tactics, pressure, and gameplan before Harmanpreet Singh finally acknowledged what everyone had seen – India was not at its best against Wales despite the 4-2 win and the team needed introspection.
‘Aim is to be on podium in all tournaments,’ says Commens, the Aussie behind Belgian hockey revolution
Commens, the high-performance director of Belgium hockey, sheds light on his role, the next generation of Belgium players, the next step for hockey in the country, and more.
Aashin Prasad
FILE PHOTO: Adam Commens, who served as the coach between 2007 and 2011, is now the high performance director of Red Lions. | Photo Credit: S. Thanthoni
The Belgium men’s team is at the pinnacle of world hockey after attaining recent success by winning the World Cup (2018), Olympics gold (2021), European Championship (2019) and Pro League (2020-21). The Red Lions are at the beginning of another cycle as they are back in Odisha to defend their world crown.
Hit as a skill slowly going extinct, need it for scoring and variety, says Bovelander
Despite the pre-eminence of the drag-flick, Dutch great Bovelander believes the hit should be used more often, both for variety and as an exhibition of a player’s skills.
Uthra Ganesan
FILE PHOTO: Dutch hockey legend Floris Jan Bovlander during his time as head coach of Tata Trust at Khunti, Jharkhand, on April 09, 2017. | Photo Credit: Manob Chowdhury
Floris Jan Bovelander knows a thing or two about penalty corners and conversions, being one of the pioneering greats of the drag-flick in modern hockey. But the Dutch great isn’t too big on its over-reliance by teams and believes players need to develop additional skills to stay ahead in the scoring game.
FIH partners with JSP Foundation for hockey development and Men’s World Cup
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is thrilled to announce that it has signed a partnership with JSP Foundation for its development programs. FIH will be working closely with JSP Foundation for some of its key initiatives for hockey development over the coming months. This partnership will also see the JSP Foundation coming onboard the ongoing FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela as a Global Partner.
Indoor World Cup Roster Announcement
Field Hockey Canada announces 12 Women bound for Pretoria
Twelve months after the Indoor World Cup was postponed without a reschedule date, Canada gets their chance to shine on the world stage. Field Hockey Canada is thrilled to announce the 12-woman roster bound for Pretoria, South Africa, for the 2023 FIH Indoor World Cup.
FIH vows Paris 2024 will be last Olympics with water-based hockey pitches
By Patrick Burke
The FIH is aiming to drop the use of water-based pitches at the Olympics from after Paris 2024 ©Getty Images
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has vowed that Paris 2024 will mark the last Olympic tournaments played on a watered artificial surface.
EuroHockey Indoor U21 Championship (M) 2023 - 21 January
Nymburk, Czech Republic
All times GMT +1
0 Jan 2023 10:00 UKR v AUT (Pool A) 4 - 7
20 Jan 2023 11:15 TUR v ITA (Pool A) 2 - 6
20 Jan 2023 12:30 DEN v SVK (Pool B) 18 - 1
20 Jan 2023 13:45 CRO v CZE (Pool B) 3 - 4
20 Jan 2023 16:00 SUI v AUT (Pool A) 4 - 4
20 Jan 2023 17:15 ITA v UKR (Pool A) 5 - 4
20 Jan 2023 18:30 SVK v CRO (Pool B) 1 - 12
20 Jan 2023 19:45 POL v CZE (Pool B) 7 - 4
Pool Standings
FIH Match Centre
Tickets on sale now for ABN AMRO EHL FINAL8
Tickets are now on sale for the ABN AMRO EHL FINAL8 which will be hosted by Pinoké Hockey Club at the Wagener Stadium from April 6 to 10, 2023.
The business end of this season`s indoor championships
This season`s Scottish Indoor National League 1 championships have reached the business end – that is when mistakes can be fatal and brilliance can be rewarded.
PHF banks on PSL platform to revive hockey
LAHORE: Aimed at bringing national sport in the limelight, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) with the support of national cricket stars has decided to hold a five-match series between Karachi and Lahore before or soon after the HBL Pakistan Super League-8 being held from Feb 13 to March 19.
Sikhs, Lord’s and Hockey
by Dil Bahra
India v Great Britain match at Lords
Lord’s Cricket Ground, referred to by many as the ‘home of cricket’, is the most revered cricketing arena in the world.
The hockey family is no stranger to Lord’s. In 1967, 12 of the 30 games in the London Pre-Olympic Hockey tournament were held on the hallowed turf.
This tournament was billed as the first big international hockey event in England since the London 1948 Olympic Games. Twelve teams, all preparing for Mexico 1968 Olympic Games were invited with matches scheduled at Lords and the Oval.
The pitch markings at Lord's Cricket ground in 1967
The opening match of this six day tournament was at Lord’s between Great Britain and India on Monday 16 October 1967. Two pitches were laid at Lord’s. The other match, scheduled at the same time, was between Spain and German Democratic Republic (GDR).
India were the reigning Olympic champions, having won the Gold at Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games. They were also reigning Asian Champions, having won the Gold in Bangkok in December 1966.
The Duchess of Kent was presented to both teams before the start of the match. Gurbux Singh, the Indian captain, had the pleasure of introducing his team, which included seven Sikh players to the Duchess.
India v Great Britain match at Lords
Timothy Lawson from Tulse Hill gave Great Britain the lead after 16 minutes, thus becoming the first man to score an international goal at Lord’s. Jerry Barcham of Dulwich increased the lead to put Britain 2 – 0 up at half time.
Sikhs score goals in the first international at Lord’s.
Inder Singh, India’s inside left scored within three minutes of the start of the second half and minutes later Harbinder Singh, India’s centre forward and Tokyo 1964 Gold medallist levelled the scores. Victor John Peter scored the winning goal for India.
This was, however, not the first international goal scored by a Sikh in England. This honour went to Balbir Singh Dosanjh (senior) who scored the first of his six goals in the match against Argentina at Guinness Sports Ground at Park Royal on 4 August 1948 during the London 1948 Olympic Games.
Great Britain team: D A Savage (Oxton); D. Prosser (Old Kingstonians) (captain); R Oliver (Hounslow); G. Nott (Tulse Hill); Tony Ekins (Southgate); P Wilson (Oxford City); M Crowe (Tulse Hill); Timothy Lawson (Tulse Hill); M Read (Dulwich); C Donald (ICI Grangemouth); Jerry Barcham (Dulwich).
India Team: Shankar Laxman (Services); Gurbux Singh (Bengal) (captain); Vinod Kumar (Punjab); R H B Krishnamoorthy; Jagjit Singh (Punjab); Harmik Singh (Punjab); Balbir Singh (Railways); Victor John Peter (Services); Harbinder Singh (Railways); Inder Singh (Railways); Joginder Singh (Railways).
The 30-match programme of the 12 Nation six-day tournament format was that each country plays five matches each. This meant that not all the countries played each other. A total of 12 matches were played at Lord’s. India played three of her five matches at Lord’s.
India played France on 17 October 1967 at Richmond Hockey Club. Balbir Singh scored India’s goal in the 1 – 1 draw.
The following day, 18 October 1967 India beat Spain 2 – 1 at Oval Cricket Ground. Inder Singh and Victor John Peter scored India’s goals.
India returned to Lord’s for the match against Australia on 19 October. India had played all their matches with the same 11 players.
Harbinder Singh scored three goals at Lords
David Wiggins reported in The Times on India’s two goals as follows: “The first goal was engineered by Joginder and scored by Harbinder from Inder’s pass from a beautifully judged overhead scoop. Eight minutes after half time Harbinder collected a superbly judged pass from Balbir, he ran half the length of the field, fainting, swerving and dummying his way past a cluster of defenders to put India 2 goals up.”
India’s last match of the tournament was against Pakistan on Saturday 21 October 1967. A crowd of 14,000 which was the biggest at any hockey match in England since the final of the London 1948 Olympic Games at Wembley. This match, which was televised live in the sub-continent, was the eighth meeting between the two giants of hockey. – India having won three, drawn two and lost two. Their last encounter was at the Asian Games Final in Bangkok on 19 December 1966 which India won 1 – 0.
India v Pakistan match at Lords in 1967
The match proved to be a classic with the crowds cheering every move.
When Pakistan scored the only goal of the match, the pitch was invaded by the excited Pakistan fans. The pitch was also invaded at the final whistle.
A short two minutes British Pathe clip of the match can be found on this link:
(1) India V Pakistan Hockey Match (1968) - YouTube
The Indian team were, however, no strangers to London. Four months earlier they had stopped over in London on their way back home from the Madrid international tournament. They played against The London Hockey Club at Surbiton on 6 June 1967. The India X1 that evening included eight Sikhs – Prithipal Singh (Punjab) (captain); Amarjit Singh (Services); Harmik Singh (Punjab); Joginder Singh (Railways); Balbir Singh (Punjab); Balbir Singh (Services); Inder Singh (Railways); Tarsem Singh (Punjab).
India and The London Hockey Club Teams at Surbiton in 1966
India had also played in London against The London Hockey Club after the Lyons tournament in October 1963 and the Hamburg tournament in June 1966. All these matches were played at Surbiton Hockey Club.
International Hockey Festivals at Lord’s
Following the success of the 1967 tournament, England Hockey Association played host to four nations international matches at Lords in March from 1969 to 1980. These matches were the showpiece of the English Hockey season.
England, Ireland, West Germany and Spain were the four teams that played in the international hockey festival in 1974, sponsored by Guinness. The first match, England against West Germany, the Olympic Champions and holders of the European Cup was played at Lord’s on 23 March 1974.
The Germany team included seven members of their gold medal winning team in the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.
The England team, led by Bernie Cotton, included two new caps, Sutinder (Suti) Singh Khehar and Roly Brookman, both from Slough Hockey Club.
First Sikh to play for England
Sutinder Singh Khehar
Sutinder thus became the first Sikh player to play an international match for England.
He went on to represent England 60 times and Great Britain 12 times. He also earned 12 caps with the England indoors team. He represented England at Buenos Aires 1978 World Cup and Bombay 1982 World Cup where he was honoured with the captaincy of the England team against Malaysia on 11 January 1982 during the Bombay 1982 World Cup.
England Team: P A Mills (Cardiff); David Whitaker (Southgate); M J Parris (Slough); Peter Freitag (Old Kingstonians); Bernie Cotton (Southgate) (captain); Roly Brookman (Slough); Sutinder (Suti) Singh Khehar (Slough); G.J. Evans (Surbiton); J L Neale (Southgate); Colin Whalley (Hightown); Steve Long (Bury St Edmunds); Sub.: B Purdy (Trojans).
The first Sikh to play in an international match in England, however, was Tarlochan Singh Bawa of India who represented India against Austria at Lloyds Bank Sports Club in Sudbury on 31 July 1948 during the London 1948 Olympic Games. Three Sikhs, Balbir Singh Dosanjh (senior), Tarlochan Singh Bawa and Grahandan ‘Nandy’ Singh were in India team at London 1948 Olympic Games.
The first known Sikh to play hockey in England is Hardit Singh Malik who played for Eastbourne College, Sussex in 1910.
The first match of the 1977 international hockey festival at Lord’s was England against West Germany on 12 March 1977.
The England team, captained by Bernie Cotton, included four new caps – John Hurst, Mike Featherstone, Gavin Featherstone and Balwant (Bal) Singh Saini.
First Sikh to score a goal for England
Balwant Singh Saini
Balwant celebrated his debut with a brilliant solo goal in the 22nd minute to give England the lead. England led 2 – 1 at half time but West Germany came back strongly in the second half to win 3 – 4.
Balwant (Bal) Singh Saini’s goal in this match was the first international goal scored by a Sikh player for England. The match was shown live on BBC 1 and the goal can be viewed via the below link.
(1) Bal Saini's solo goal at Lords in 1977 - YouTube
Balwant went on to play 18 times for England. He also earned 18 caps with the England indoors team. He represented England at Buenos Aires 1978 World Cup.
This was the first time two Sikh players, both Kenyan born and from Slough Hockey Club, played for England in the same match.
England Team: John Hurst; Mike Featherstone; David Whitaker; Gavin Featherstone; Bernie Cotton (capt); D C Aldridge; Sutinder (Suti) Singh Khehar; Ian McGinn; John French; Balwant (Bal) Singh Saini; Steve Long.
Manager: Ian D.N. Taylor; Coach: Trevor Clarke.
The annual international festival at Lord’s in 1978, sponsored by Rank Xerox, was held at Lord’s on the 11th and 12th March. England, India, Scotland and Australia were the four-teams competing.
England’s first win over India
The tournament started with a game between England and India on Saturday 11 March. The match was televised by BBC 1.
Both teams were preparing for the World Cup hockey tournament in Buenos Aires a week later. India beat England 2 – 1 in the third World Cup in Kuala Lumper in March 1975 and that was the only meeting between the countries.
Great Britain had played against India 19 times since the Final of the London 1948 Olympic Games but never beaten them.
Ashok Kumar, India’s Captain gave his side the lead at half time but two quick goals, a penalty corner by Steve Long and a penalty stroke by David Whitaker, within a space of five minutes midway through the second half put England in the lead which they maintained.
This victory was the first by a National team from United Kingdom over India. The England team’s centre forward in that match was Balwant (Bal) Singh Saini. Sutinder (Suti) Singh Khehar, England’s established midfield player had suffered a fractured jaw at the indoor club championships at Crystal Palace the week before and was therefore not fit for this game. India had four Sikh players in their team.
England Team: John Hurst; Paul Barber; David Whitaker; Peter Freitag; Bernie Cotton (capt); Ian Thomson; Alistair McGinn; Ian McGinn; Roly Brookman; Balwant (Bal) Singh Saini; Steve Long.
Manager: Tony Ekins; Coach: Trevor Clarke
India Team: Manuel Fredericks; Baldev Singh; Dung Dung; Varinder Singh; Justin Karaketta; Vasudevan Bhaskaran; Vincent Lakra; Ashok Kumar (capt); Sukhbir Singh Grewal; Surinder Singh; Syed Ali.
Manager: Kartar Singh Coach: R S Gentle.
First Sikh to umpire a hockey match at Lords.
Bawa Singh
The annual University match between Oxford and Cambridge was also played at Lord’s from 1969 – 1989.
Bawa Singh, an international umpire on the English Hockey circuit and a member of Midlands Counties Hockey Umpires Association, umpired the 1981 match on 23 February 1981.
Bawa Singh also umpired the 1985 encounter. He is the only known Sikh umpire to have officiated at Lord’s.
With the introduction of astro-turf pitches, hockey found new homes such as Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club, Willesden Sport Centre and the National Hockey Stadium at Milton Keynes.
International Hockey at Lord's passes
Sikhs in Hockey