Women’s Hockey World Cup: Ready to show the world what they've got

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 30: Pool D contains three teams that have not had the benefit of FIH Hockey Pro League action as Australia, Belgium, Japan and South Africa get ready to take to the field in Terrassa.

Australia’s international action since the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has been limited to Trans-Tasman competition against New Zealand. Despite this, Australia will arrive in Spain as a team to be wary. They have won this competition twice (1994 and 1998) and won silver three times (1990, 2006 and 2014). In 2018 they finished fourth.

Current Head Coach Katrina Powell was a member of the gold medal team of 1998 and, with several months of hard work on the training field under her belt, she will be looking to lead this team to a podium finish. 

The team is talking up the fact that other nations haven’t seen them in action, combined with a real fire to get back onto the world stage among the players. While there is a new look to the squad that played in 2018, with five players arriving with fewer than five caps, there is also a backbone of experience. Captain Jane Claxton is approaching 200 caps and vice-captain Kaitlin Nobbs is nearing 100. Another co-captain, Brooke Peris also has more than 180 caps. Combine this knowledge with the desire to show Australian hockey to the world again and the Hockeyroos could be there at the business end of the event. 

Belgium are a side that has benefited from FIH Pro League action and, oddly, from not being at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This latter point was made by former Red Panther Jill Boon, who said the team had been able to quietly develop and grow for the past four years without the intense pressure of an Olympic Games. Despite a high number of caps among their ranks, Belgium is the team with the youngest average age at the competition (24.11)

The team is packed with talented players that combine the exciting use of 3D skills and long aerials with a disciplined possession game when needed. Barbara Nelen, Stephanie Vanden Borre and Michelle Struck offer stability. Ambre Ballenghien, Abi Raye and Charlotte Englebert are exciting flair players and Alix Gerniers and Louise Versavel are showing the form of their lives currently.

In 2018, Belgium finished a disappointing 10th, expect much better for Raoul Ehren’s team this time.

Japan won the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022 beating India, Korea and China along the way. Under the charge of former India goalkeeper Jude Menezes, the team has grown and – in keeping with their nickname – blossomed in the past few months.

It is a team packed with talent and experience. Captain Yuri Nagai, Hazuki Nagai and Shihori Oikawa are multi capped stalwarts in the team. Yu Asai is unflappable in defence. New squad member Kaho Tanaka may only have a handful of caps so far but she has already proved herself a dynamo in front of goal.

Japan’s best finish at a World Cup was fifth in 2006 and in London in 2018 they finished 13th, despite playing some very stylish hockey. This year the Cherry Blossoms are aiming for the high branches. 

South Africa are once more the African continents sole representative and, as always, they will arrive in Terrassa ready to battle for their country and their continent’s honour. The team’s best ever World Cup finish was 7th in 1998 but in 2014 they achieved a commendable ninth, finishing above their ranking. 

South Africa has competed in every FIH Women’s World Cup since 1998 and they have been solid performers at every edition. 

The team arrives in Terrassa with a number of inexperienced players but a backbone of athletes who know exactly what competition of this level looks like. Lisa-Marie Deetlefs, Lilian du Plessis, Bernadette Coston and Quanita Bobbs are hardened campaigners who will always leave everything on the pitch. Temper this resolve with the energy and hard running of Hanrie Louw, Bianca Wood and the goal scoring potential of Jean-Leigh du Toit and it is a compelling team to watch. 

Giles Bonnet is back in charge as Head Coach and he too knows just how to get the most from his players. 

FIH press release

Aniket, Swarnika emerge champs in Bihar School Chess

Patna, June 29, 2022: Aniket Ranjan of Begusarai won the AICF-Bihar School Chess Championships title with 8 points in the boys section while Ryan Mohammad of Patna, Devraj and Nirav Vishal of Bhojpur finished second, third and fourth respectively in the decision on the basis of tie-break points between the three players who were with the same 7.5 points.

The tournament that was organized under the aegis of All Bihar Chess Association concluded at the Indoor Stadium of Patliputra Sports Complex here on Wednesday.

At the same time, the decision for the first position in the girls' category also had to be done on the basis of tie-break marks. The tie between Adiba Ulla and Swarnika Thakur of Patna with 7.5 points was declared on the basis of Buchholz’s points where Swarnika was declared the winner and Adiba was declared the runner-up. The three players with 7 points were also decided on the basis of tie break points in which Sweta Kumari of Purnia, Aadya Shree of Muzaffarpur and Pari Sinha of Gaya got 3rd, 4th and 5th position respectively.

Bandana Preyshi, secretary, Department of Arts, Culture and Youth, was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony.  Raveendra Sankaran, Director General of Sports Development Authority of Bihar and Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, director of Art, Culture and Youth affairs department and the Sports Development Authority of Bihar director, Pankaj Kumar gave away the prizes to top 25 players of each category. On this occasion All Bihar Chess Association president Diljit Khanna, secretary Dharmendra Kumar, senior vice president Rajendra Kumar, Patna District Chess Association Adhoc Committee's convenor Ajit Kumar Singh, Chief arbiter Arvind Kumar Singh, deputy chief arbiter Suraj Gupta, All Bihar Chess Association vice president Jai Prakash Sinha, treasurer Manish Kumar, joint secretary Vipal Subhashi, Himanshu Kumar, Shashi Nandkumar and many other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Bihar girls move into National U-17 soccer semi-finals

Bihar U-17 girls football team 

Patna, June 29, 2022: Bihar girls entered the semi-finals of the Junior National Under-17 Girls Football Championship being played in Guwahati. Bihar defeated Manipur 3-2 in the quarterfinal match.

 Oinam Babita Devi of Manipur opened the scoring in the 15th minute of the game. Ten minutes later, Shruti Kumari of Bihar scored a goal to level the match. The score was tied at 1-1 in the first half.

At the start of the second half, Manipur's Thingbaijam Sangeeta Devi scored a goal to give Manipur a 2-1 lead. Efforts were being made to score goals from both sides. In the 66th minute of the game, Sabra Khatoon tied the goal for Bihar and the match was tied at 2-2.

After this, several attempts were made by both the teams to break the deadlock. Towards the end of the game, Lucky Kumari scored a goal in the 87th minute of the game to give her team a 3-2 lead which lasted till the end.

Kite Boarding : Dylan flies to lead, Katya maintains pole position

Jehan Hoshi driver

Keona Ranjini

Arjun Mohta

Katya Saini

Tuticorin, June 29^th, 2022: Dylan Fernandes of Aqua Ouback leaped to take the lead with a consistent performance in all four races in the men’s category on day-2 while Katya Saini of Aqua Outback maintained her lead in the women’s category after conclusion of races on Day 2 in the 3^rd edition of the All-India Kite Boarding Championships held here at the Veppalodai Beach.

Dylan who had finished third on Day-1 overtook Arjun Motha of Aqua Outback and Jehan Hoshi Driver of Quest Adventure Sports Academy who had finished on top of Day 1. Dylan finished the day with a total net score of 8.0 while Arjun and Jehan finished with 16.0 and 17.0 respectively. Phillipe Dartnell, Jothi Basu and Sunil Rajani maintained their 4^th, 5th and 6^th positions respectively from Day 1.

“I was confident of taking the lead today even after getting a penalty on Day 1 because my rhythm was good and I was able to kiteboard consistently”, said Dylan after the Day 2 races.

Meanwhile in the women’s category Katya Saini of Aqua Outback maintained her lead from Day 1 with a net score of 6.0 ahead for Keona Ranjini of PKA who scored 11.0. Avishma Matta of Aqua Outback is in the third position.

“I hope to perform in the same way and finish the regatta as the champion”, said a confident Katya after the races.

The All-India Kite Boarding Championship is held under the aegis of Yachting Association of India and Premier Kite Boarding Association. Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank is the title sponsor of this event while AICCI Young Minds are the Industry Development partners. The event is hosted by Aqua Outback, Tuticorin and is organised by the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association and Chennai Sailing Academy.

Press release

Women’s World Cup hockey: Passion and pragmatism clash in Pool C

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 29: Pool C is likely to provide an intriguing mixture of teams that play with passion and flair pitted against teams where pragmatism is the watchword. Argentina and Spain are capable of fiery moments of brilliance, Korea and Canada will counter with structure and discipline.

Argentina arrive in Terrassa on the back of a rich vein of form after winning the FIH Hockey Pro League in some style. Where other teams have been tinkering with their line-ups and trying a range of squad members, Fernando Ferrara, the Head Coach, has been playing much the same squad for the past three months. 

Las Leonas has an embarrassment of riches within its ranks. Agustina Gorzelany is brilliant at drag flicks but equally classy in a defender’s role. Maria and Victoria Granatto are pure brilliance as they create scoring opportunities with skill and clever movement. Agustina Albertarrio is imperious as she goes on the attack. The less flamboyant but equally effective athletes such as Eugenia Trinchinetti, Jimena Cedres and Rocio Sanchez are crucial to the team’s success. But make no mistake; this is a team that has golden ambitions. 

Canada’s best moments in FIH Women’s World Cup history came back in the 1980s when they finished second in 1983 and third in 1986. Since 1994 they haven’t been seen at a World Cup and so will be hoping to make a renewed impact.

The team has made a lot of friends in recent seasons with its hard-working ethos and talented squad. Brienne Stairs is a top class striker and, along with Karli Johansen, Hannah Haughn and Amanda Woodcroft can cause any team problems on their day. Captain Natalie Sourisseau and Sara McManus are two more highly experienced players who will add stability to the squad.

Rob Short has recently taken over as Head Coach and will bring his own vast international experience to bear with the squad. 

Korea qualified by virtue of a second place finish in the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022. The best finish by Korea was in 1990 where they finished third. A 12th place finish in London 2018 reflected a poor performance and the team has been rebuilding since. The team’s form in Oman for the Asia Cup signals a new intent and purpose.

There will also be a sense of the unknown for their opponents. Only captain Eunbi Cheon and Kim Hyunji have over 100 caps and five players are making their debuts at the World Cup. Han Jin Soo is an experienced coach who knows how to get the most strategically from a match. 

Spain qualified as host nation and recent performances in the FIH Hockey Pro League indicate this is a team that is confident in its growth and direction of travel. The Red Sticks finished in bronze medal position in 2018 and many of that squad will be attempting to repeat that feat this time around.

Head Coach Adrian Lock has been with the squad since 2013 and has been building a real sense of legacy with his team. Players such as Georgina Oliva, Maria Lopez, Beatriz Perez and Begona Garcia are the bedrock of the team but throw in the scoring ability of Xantal Gine, the audacious skills of Lucia Jimenez and the attacking hunger of Marta Segu and you see a really well-rounded team.

The opening match of the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 takes place at the Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa on Friday 1 July at 21:30 (local time). Expect the Spanish fans to welcome the home side’s opponent’s Canada in true Spanish festival style. 

FIH press release

Aniket, Ryan , Adiba surge to top in Bihar School Chess

DG Sports Development Authority of Bihar, Raveendran Sankaran, inaugurated the Bihar School Chess Championships in Patna on June 28, 2022. 

Patna, June 28: A two -day AICF-Bihar School Chess Championships  began at the Indoor Stadium of Patliputra Sports Complex here under the aegis of All Bihar Chess Association . A total of more than 200 players from all over Bihar are participating in this competition. The tournament is being organised separately for boys and girls categories. Six players selected on the basis of this competition will represent Bihar in the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai . A total of 9 rounds are to be played in the competition and today a total of five rounds were played on the first day. 

After the end of 5 rounds , Aniket Ranjan of Begusarai and Ryan Mohammad of Patna were jointly on top with 5 points in the boys category . In the fifth round, Aniket defeated Kaifullah of Patna on the top board while Ryan outplayed Akshit Jha  on the number two board.

In the girls' category, Adiba Ulla of Patna was leading alone with 5 points. Adiba defeated Kritika Ranjan of Patna in the fifth round. Swarnika Thakur is in second place with 4.5 points. Swarnika defeated the rising player of Muzaffarpur Vandana Preyshi.

Tomorrow, four more rounds will be played in both the sections, after which the players will be selected.

The competition was inaugurated by the director general of Sports Development Authority of Bihar DG Raveendran Sankaran by lighting the lamp and playing a trick on the chessboard along with young player Partha Raj. On this occasion, the Director of the authority and the special guest  Pankaj Kumar, president of All Bihar Chess Association Diljit Khanna, secretary Dharmendra Kumar, senior vice president Rajendra Kumar, convener of Patna District Chess Association Ad-hoc Committee, Ajit Kumar Singh were present on the occasion. 

Many dignitaries including Arvind Kumar Singh, deputy chief arbiter Suraj Gupta, vice president of All Bihar Chess Association Jai Prakash Sinha, treasurer Manish Kumar, joint secretary Viparl Subhashi , Himanshu Kumar and Shashi Nandkumar were present.

 

Jehan, Katya take lead in kite boarding championships

 

Tuticorin, June 28, 2022: Jehan Driver and Katya Saini took the lead at the end of Day 1 in the men’s and women’s categories respectively of the 3^rd edition of the All-India Kite Boarding Championships at Veppalodai Beach, Tuticorin.

Jehan Driver presenting Quest Adventure finished the day with a score of 9.0 overcoming tough competition from the defending champion Arjun Motha of Aqua Outback who finished second with a score of 11.0 while Aqua Outback’s Dylan Fernandes finished third with a score of 14.0 at the end of the proceedings on Day one.

“The competition is tough here and it is going to be a very tight contest. I will try to maintain my lead in the next two days and win the title”, said Jehan Driver.

In the women’s category Katya Saini showcased a consistent performance over three rounds and finished the day on top with a score of 4.0 above Keona Ranjini and Avishma Matta who scored 6.0 and 12.0 respectively.

“The conditions are good for kite boarding and I will focus on performing consistently over the next two days”, said Katya Saini.

Amongst the men, third placed Dylan Fernandes while being more consistent amongst the top three, had to face the brunt of a 11-point penalty in round 2 by not sailing the course as defined for the championships, thereby slipping to the third place. Phillipe Dartnell, Jothi Basu and Sunil Rajani are close behind the top three being placed at the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th positions respectively.

Earlier in the day, Honorary Joint Secretary General of Yachting Association of India Captain Jitendra Dixit inaugurated the 3^rd edition of the All- India Kite Boarding Championships in the presence of Ajit Diaz, Founder Member, Tamil Nadu Sailing Association, D. Inbamani, General Manager, Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank, Dr. G.Sugumar, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Jayalalitha Fisheries University and P.R Ashok Kumar, DGM, Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank.

This All-India KiteBoarding Championship is being held under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India and Premier Kite Boarding Association. Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank are the title partners while AICCI Young Minds are the Industry Development partners. The event is being hosted by Aqua Outback, Tuticorin and is organised by the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association and Chennai Sailing Academy.

The three day event will see all top kite boarders in the country participating and the national champions will be decided at the end of all three race days.

Press release

Minister Shravan Kumar elected Hockey Bihar president; Mushtauqe secretary

 

Patna, June 26, 2022.

Bihar Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar has been elected president of Hockey Bihar while Mohd  Mushtaque Ahamed has been elected as general secretary of the association in its general meeting held in Hajipur.

Hockey Bihar's general meeting was organised at Anamika Hotel, Hajipur in which secretaries and presidents of almost all the districts of Bihar participated. In this meeting, the new office bearers of Hockey Bihar were elected. The election was held under the supervision of Hockey India's supervisor Mrs Ranjit Gill. Retired Assistant District Judge, Ganga Prasad was the election officer. Advocate Vnay Chandra Jha was the assistant election officer. Ramashish Prasad Singh of Bihar Olympic Association was the observer. A two-minute silence was observed to mourn h the sudden demise of Mohd Shoaib alias Lal Saheb, secretary, Hockey Muzaffarpur.

Other office –bearers: Mohammad Iqbal Akhtar (treasurer), Ravindra Prasad Singh (senior vice presdent), Dilip Kumar Yadav, Meenakshi Singh, Anupam Kumari, Mohammad Abdullah (all vice presidents), Manoj Kumar, Rajesh Kumar Shah, Mini Kumari, Pragya Sharma (all joint secretaries),  Sanjay Pathak, Nazir Ahmed, Salman Khan, Subodh Kumar Yadav, Navjit Kaur (all executive members)

Hockey Bihar's convener Munendra Kumar, Jyoti Mehta, Pradeep Kumar (retired IAS) and Santosh Bharat were nominated as life presidents, while Sunil Kumar Vikram was nominated as assistant joint secretary while Nagendra Prasad Singh was nominated as  assistant member executive committee.

The meeting also selected Bhim Kumar and Preeti Kumari as players’ representatives while  Manoj Kumar (NIS) as Chairman for Development and Training. Muhammad Iqbal Akhtar was nominated as Chairman of the Technical Committee.

Later, Ranjit Gill felicitated newly elected Hockey Bihar president and minister Shravan Kumar. The newly elected president threw light on the program run by the Bihar government for the development of the game. He assured to provide all possible help for the game. In the end the vote of thanks was given by general secretary, Hockey Bihar, Mustaque Ahmed.

Netherlands men continue to dazzle; China, Belgium women keep racking up wins

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 25: The penultimate day of action in the FIH Pro League dealt up three matches that were all very different in nature. Belgium Red Panthers put a disappointing first half performance behind them to rack up a 5-0 win over USA, while China women continued to rebuild under their new leadership team as they enjoyed a comfortable victory over a very inexperienced German side. The intensity ramped up in HC Den Bosch when the new FIH Pro League champions Netherlands men and the unpredictable Spanish team treated the spectators to a display of pacy, intense, sometimes dazzling and sometimes chaotic hockey.

United States v Belgium (women)

Neither team really showed the level of performance of which they are capable in the opening quarter of this match. Belgium will be disappointed with their execution of their first few penalty corners, including one which simply passed by the attacking team at the top of the circle. Towards the end of the quarter USA had a period of pressure but they too were unable to make their penalty corners count.

The second quarter was much of the same. It took a moment of genius from Belgium's Louise Versavel to break the deadlock. The player received the ball from Pauline Leclef with her back to goal, turned sharply and fired high past Kelsey Bing in the USA goal. USA had their own chances at the end of the half as they won three consecutive penalty corners. A combination of brave defending – from Stephanie Vanden Borre in particular – and USA errors at the top of the circle, meant a total of eight penalty corner attempts came to nothing.

Belgium found their energy, momentum and fluidity in the second half as they began to discover their connections, skills and flowing play. Louise Versavel continued to lead from the front. The midfielder scored Belgium's second goal and was the driving force that moved her team from first gear to at least third gear. Versavel's second goal was a well-placed penalty corner that flew into Kelsey Bing's left-hand corner of the goal. 

Abi Raye was next to get onto the scoresheet when she deflected a sharp strike from Pauline Leclef into the goal. That was a slightly fortuitous goal but the next one was most definitely meant. Stephanie Vanden Borre got hold of a penalty corner drag flick from the top of the circle and sent the ball flying straight down the centre of the USA goal.

Raye scored her second and Belgium's fifth, after a period of flowing team play by the Red Panthers. Head Coach Raoul Ehrens had called for more aggression and energy from his team in the second half and the players answered but both Head Coaches will have a lot to think about before tomorrow's re-match.

Player of the Match, Louise Versavel (BEL), said: 'I think the first half was sloppy and we were soft in parts of the game. In the second half we were more aggressive and pressed more. But there were still too many moments when we were soft. We have a lot to improve before the World Cup.'  

China v Germany (women)

Germany fielded a young and inexperienced team in this first of two matches against China, and the Asia team were able to take full advantage to earn another win and three points.

China capitalised on penalty corner opportunities, scoring two from three in the first quarter. First Li Hong was able to control a lifted ball from the German defender after Zhang Ying's initial shot. Hong was able to receive the ball and fire it home past Chiara Vischer in the German goal. The second goal was scored by Zhang Ying herself. The shot was sent between the goalkeeper and the post player to double China's lead. 

A goalless third quarter saw China continue to control the pace of the game, but for all the changes in direction of movement and the switching of play there were very few shooting opportunities for either side. 

The third goal for China was scored by Gu Bingfeng. Her penalty corner srag flick was high, fast and accurate. While the shot was impressive, it was the movement that led to the award of the penalty corner that really caught the eye. The ball was played high out of defence with a beautiful aerial. The ball was received in the German circle by Zhang Xindan who drew the foul that led to the goal.

Player of the Match Cui Qiuxia (CHN) said: 'We are happy we got three points. The first quarter we started slowly but after that we played much better. We are looking forward to the World Cup. We need to focus if we are to get another winning result tomorrow.'

Spain v Netherlands (men)

Netherlands got off to a blistering start against Spain in their penultimate match of the FIH Pro League season.

In a manner you would expect of the champions, the men in orange hit the ground at top speed and Thierry Brinkman was perfectly positioned to open the scoring from close range in the fourth minute. The lead was doubled a few minutes later when a beautiful cross field aerial was received by Floris Wortelboer on the edge of the Spanish circle. He played the ball to Jelle Galema who slotted it past Mario Garin in the Spanish goal.

Spain fought back and it was a clever and audacious goal that opened their account. Alvaro Inglesias dribbled the ball along the Netherlands' baseline before shaping up to pass it back. As the defence and goalkeeper all fell for the feint, he was able to squeeze the ball home.

Immediately after the break, Spain were able to benefit from a player advantage. Laars Balk received a green card and Spain instantly went on the attack. Although Maurits Visser in the Netherlands' goal was able to stop the first wave of Spanish attack, he could do nothing about the crisply taken shot from the top of the circle by Ignacio Rodriguez. 

The final moments of the second quarter saw Netherlands quickly regain the lead. A series of quick passes saw Terrance Pieters in a great position in the circle from where he was able to lift the ball home.

The third quarter saw Netherlands playing some beautifully controlled hockey. The team in orange would run the ball into the Spanish circle on one side, realise there was no way through and so re-cycle and start again. That patience yielded two penalty corners but Spain dealt with the chances well.

There were no goal in the third quarter but both sides had their moments and, with 15 minutes to go, this looked like a match with more goals in it.

Netherlands extended their lead to 4-2 in the 53rd minute when Jonas de Geus was able to deflect the ball into the goal with a well-worked penalty corner routine. The initial ball in was played by Jip Jansen.

Spain, as is their way, battled to the end but the Netherlands are in superb form right now and were not likely to let the lead slip with just a few minutes of play left.

Player of the Match, Jelle Galema (NED) said: 'That was really good. It is difficult to come back after a celebration (after winning the Pro League last week) but we worked really hard and you saw 18 guys running like hell. For me that was a special goal because I have had two operations and it has been difficult and sometimes painful. Today I was back with my family and friends supporting me from thr stands.'

The FIH Pro League action continues on Sunday 26 June in the final day of FIH Pro League action for this season. USA and Belgium women will look to finish their season with a win at 11:00 (CEST); China and Germany wrap up the women's competition before Netherlands and Spain sign off on the men's competition at XX CEST. 

FIH Pro League – 25 June 2022

HC Den Bosch (NED)

Result: Women’s Match #71

USA 0, Belgium
Player of the Match: Louise Versavel (BEL)
Umpires: Liu Xiaoying (CHN), Sophie Bocklemann (GER) Emi Yamada (JPN -video)

Result: Women’s Match #72

China 3, Germany 0
Player of the Match: Cui Qixuia (CHN)
Umpires: Kelly Hudson (NZL), Emi Yamada (JPN), Marcin Grochal (POL - video)

Result: Men's Match #71

Netherlands 4, Spain 3

Player of the Match: Jelle Galema (NED)

Umpires: Marcin Grochal (POL), Ben Goentgen (GER), Kelly Hudson (NZL - video)

FIH press release

Payas retains U-19 title, Bodhistawa bags U-17 crown

Alappuzha, June 23: Delhi’s Payas Jain defeated statemate Yashansh Malik 4-3 to successfully defend his Youth Boys Under 19 singles title in the 83rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships at the YMCA facilities here today. The win was worth Rs. 72,000 in prize money.

But the win came after toil and sweat in what was one of the best finals in recent times. Even before what both Payas and Yashansh did, Bodhistawa Chaudhury and Preyesh Raj Suresh played out another thrilling final in the Under-17 Boys that the former won to lift his maiden trophy.

In the match between Payas and Yashansh, playing for Delhi together knew each other for 10 years, and it was not surprising that they took the match to the seventh game. But what surprised everyone was the way Yashansh got his shots so well to put Payas in all sorts of trouble.

The big rallies and service winners dominated the final. Payas should have sealed the match when he led 5-1 in the sixth game, but Yashansh staged a remarkable comeback to take it to the decider. In the last game, he led 3-1 before Yashansh changed sides at 5-4. But Payas allowed him just a point before finishing in style when he got going with his backhand flips that fetched him a good number of points.

In the left versus left final in Under-17, Bodhistawa Chaudhury from West Bengal got it all right, particularly with his excellent service and a crucial net-cord point to wrap the match 4-2. The maiden national championships title apart, the Bengal boy carried home Rs. 60,000 in prize money.

The final did not disappoint the spectators one bit as they could see a range of shots, from close to the table to away from the table, long rallies and excellent service variations. Preyesh’s undoing was his backhand which failed to come off as gently as it used to be. But Budhistawa was superb in the afternoon with his executions.

In the last game, he was down 4-7, 8-6. But three good service points brought him back to the stage from where he could dictate terms. At 10-9, he held a match point and when Preyesh deuced, it gave the latter a semblance of a chance.  But it was not to be and the West Bengal lad earned a lucky to lift the trophy.After playing two back-to-back tough matches, including the quarterfinals last night, a much-relaxed Payas went about his task clinically. The top seed did get extended by the talented Ankur Bhattacharjee of West Bengal in the second and third games, but it did not alter the result of the match, as the World No. won 4-0.

Yashansh Malik struggled before overcoming Deepit Rajesh Patil 4-3 in the second semifinal. The Delhi boy was in some trouble after Deepit levelled the match 2-2. Despite the pressure on him, Yashansh kept attacking to unsettle the Maharashtra boy.

Preyesh Raj Suresh struck form in the quarterfinals and semifinals to enter the final in the Under-17 Youth Boys section. The left-hander defeated Khelendrajit Yengkhom of Manipur 4-1 after surging into a 2-0 lead. Though dropped the next game, the Tamil Nadu boy wrapped it up before any further hiccup to post a 4-1 triumph. But the Manipuri lad did exceedingly well to come back in the quarterfinals.

Bodhisatwa Chaudhury from West Bengal, too, dropped one game in the middle, but Shlok Bajaj of Gujarat could not make any headway. Bodhisatwa showed patience and variety on the table, which won him many admirers. However, last night most of the seeded players in both sections exited earlier than expected jeopardising their selection chances and leaving the national selectors in a fix.

Results:

Youth Boys U-17: Final: Bodhistawa Chaudhury (Ben) Preyesh Raj Suresh (TNTTA) 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5, 13-11; Semifinals: Preyesh Raj bt K. Yengkhom (Man) 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6; Bodhistawa Chaudhury (Ben) 11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 11-4; Quarterfinals: Khelendrajit Yengkhom (Man) bt Sarth Mishrra (UP) 9-11, 11-9, 14-12, 11-8, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8; Preyesh Raj bt Jash Modi (Mah) 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9; Bodhisatwa Chaudhury bt Aadarsh Om Chhetri (Del) 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10; Shlok Bajaj bt Punit Biswas (Ben) 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7.

Youth Boys U-19: Final: Payas Jain (Del) bt Yashansh Malik (Del) 2-11, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6; Semifinals: Payas Jain bt Ankur Bhattacharjee (Ben) 11-9, 13-11, 12-10, 1-4; Yashansh Malik bt Deepit R Patil (Mah) 11-5, 6-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10; Quarterfinals: Payas Jain bt Varun Shankar (Telg) 12-10, 11-3, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6; Ankur Bhattacharjee bt Sarth Mishra (UP) 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-4, 11-7; Yashansh Malik bt Divyansh Srivastava (UP) 11-6, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2; Deepit Patil bt Aadarsh Om Chhetri (Del) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6.

TTFI press release

 

 

Netherlands hit super six against China, India finish campaign on a high against USA

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 22: It was a bitter sweet moment for USA's Lauren Moyer as she celebrated 100 international caps for her team but then suffered a 4-0 loss at the hands of an impressive India team. For the Eves this was a great result as it meant they finished their first season in the FIH Pro League in third place.

The second match saw China steam-rollered by the Netherlands as the Dutch team turned on the style and smothered any attempts by China to gather attacking momentum. This was Netherlands at their compelling best and both their flowing build-up play and the subsequent goals were precise and unanswerable at times.

United States v India (women) – HC Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NED)

The first quarter was goalless although Devi Shamila had a golden opportunity to score when she received the ball with only goalkeeper Kelsey Bing to beat. Shamila scuffed the shot and USA breathed a sigh of relief. For their part, USA won two penalty corners were unable to convert. 

The second quarter also remained goalless although India created a number of chances, mainly in the form of penalty corners. Three penalty corners in quick succession were all wasted as either the injection or the trap were not good enough to provide Gurjit Kaur with a clean shooting opportunity. 

The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Katariya Vandana was on the scoresheet for the second consecutive day. She got the slightest deflection to a Gurjit Kaur penalty corner strike. The shot was hard and on target and the touch from Vandana was just enough to send the ball home past Kelsey Bing. 

That goal opened the door for India. There were two more goals in quick succession, firstly from Vandana and then Sonika. In both cases, the ball was played swiftly from player to player and the final pass put the striker in front of the goal.

The fourth goal came courtesy of a fabulous surging run down the Indian left hand side of the pitch by Nikki Pradhan. Her pass found Kumari Sangita, who only had the goalkeeper to beat. A good advantage by the umpire Bruce Bale, meant Sangita was able to continue the move and slot the ball home.

USA had more chances from their penalty corner routines but were unable to breach the India defence.

This match was India's final FIH Pro League match and the win seals third spot. USA has two more matches against Belgium to try to add to their one victory in the league this season.

Player of the Match,  Tete Salima (IND), said: 'That was a tough game. Today was our last [FIH Pro League] match so we wanted to finish well. The second half we played much better and the result was four goals.' 

China v Netherlands (women) - HC Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NED)

The first half of the match between China and Netherlands was all about the Netherlands as they romped to a 3-0 lead. China were far less solid in defence compared to the previous day and they added to the pressure by repeatedly losing possession, often in their own defensive quarter. 

Netherlands also received a boost with the return to action for Eva de Goede after a lengthy lay-off for a knee injury. 

The opening goal was scored by Maria Verschoor, adding to her goal from the previous day. That was followed just three minutes later when Felice Albers picked up the ball on the Netherlands' defensive 25 and then ran the length of the pitch before firing past Li Xinhuan who was starting in the China goal.

Frederique Matla scored the next three goals. The first was a fierce penalty corner in the second half and then the tall striker sent two beautifully taken penalty strokes into the goal at the start of the third quarter.

The pressure from the Dutch was unrelenting for the remainder of the third quarter. Only some great running at penalty corners by Li Hong prevented a stream of goals. Just before the final break China's woes were increased when the goalkeeper made the decision to try to challenge Lidewij Welten outside the circle. Welten inevitably nicked the ball, before rounding the stranded 'keeper and scoring an easy goal.

There will be some scant consolation for Head Coach Alyson Annan and her team as China managed to keep the score sheet clean in the final 15 minutes. Before the match the Head Coach spoke about the fact that there were five new players in the team and this was very much a learning experience.

Player of the Match Felice Albers (NED) said: 'It was a great performance, we scored some nice goals. We discussed about defending on the right and we did that well today. Eva de Goede is a great player and we are very happy that she is back.'

The result means Netherlands finish second in the FIH Pro League, eight points ahead of India. China remain in eighth place with two matches left to play - against Germany.

FIH Pro League – 22 June 2022

HC Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NED)

Result: Women’s Match #70

USA 0, India 4
Player of the Match: Tete Salima (IND)
Umpires: Liu Xiaoying (CHN), Bruce Bale (ENG) Laurine Delforge (BEL -video)

Result: Women’s Match #69

China 0, Netherlands 6
Player of the Match: Felice Albers (NED)
Umpires: Laurine Delforge (BEL), Céline Martin-Schmets (BEL), Bruce Bale (ENG-video), Céline Martin-Schmets (BEL)

FIH press release