Bihar move into junior hockey semifinals

Rohit Pathak

Patna, April 19, 2017: Hockey Bihar tamed Hockey Bengaluru 5-4 via sudden death to move into the semifianls of the 7th Junior National Hockey Championships in Bhopal on Wednesday.

The game rose to a great height as both the teams displayed brilliant hockey throughout the match. The match ended goalless in the first half.

Gulshan Ekka put Bihar into the lead in the 57th minute while P Rao equalised it in the 62nd minute 1-1.

When the match failed to produce result in the regulation time, penalty strokes rule was applied. But incidentally both the teams struck three goals each.

Later in the sudden death Bihar scored the match winner,

For Bihar Tipu Ali scored two goals, Gulshan Ekka and Anwarul Shah netted one each.

The kudos to Bihar victory, however, went to custodian Rohit Pathak who saved 4 goals in the penalty strokes.

In the semifinals, Bihar will take on Punjab and Sindh Bank.

Bihar prove too good for Madhya Pradesh

Hockey Bihar team

Patna, April 16, 2017: Bihar thrashed Hockey Madhya Pradesh 5-2 in 7^th Hockey India Junior National Men’s Hockey Champioship in Bhopal on Sunday.

Bihar team was leading 3-0 in the first half.

Md Sidik put Bihar into the lead in the 17^th minute. He scored another goal in the 27^th minute to make it 2-0.

Turtan Minz struck in the 31^st minute to take the tally to 3-0.

After the breather, Md Sidik found the target again in the 38th minute to increase the lead to 4-0. Gulsahn Ekka fired the 5^th goal in the 48^th minute to complete the tally 5-0.

Earlier on Friday, the tournament (men's B division) kicked off at the Aisbagh Stadium (Bhopal), with a flurry of goals marking the beginning of the championships. 

The first action of the day came with Hockey Bihar beating Hockey Andaman & Nicobar 26-0 in their Pool E encounter. Hockey Bihar started the scoring early, Anwarullah Shah striking the first in the third minute. Shah would go on to score five times in the game (3’, 10’, 39’, 50’, 67’) and was ably assited in the scoring by their captain Md. Sidik’s six goals (19’, 23’, 29’, 51’, 55’, 57’).

In the other early game, Kerala Hockey outlasted Hockey Mizoram 2-1 in a closely fought Pool A encounter. Hockey Mizoram struck first with a 19th minute field goal from Lallawmkima. Just before half time though Kerala got an equaliser courtesy of an M Abhijith PC conversion. Both the teams were evenly matched in the second half, with neither able to break the deadlock. It took till the 57th minute for Kerala to sneak the winner, Christo Sebastian scoring off a PC to give them the victory.

Hockey Patiala beat Tripura Hockey 18-0 in their Pool F encounter. Patiala’s Rahul (13’, 36’, 53’), Baljeet Singh (50’, 60’), Gurshahzad Singh (8’, 43’) and Sandeep Kumar (4’, 51’) were prominent among the scorers.

In another high-scoring encounter, Services Sports Control Board got the better of  Telangana Hockey 12-2. Kuldeep’s five goals (24′, 32′, 33′, 56′, 64’) and H Mani Singh’s three (3’, 18’, 21’) gave SSCB the emphatic win.

The Pool H game between Assam Hockey and Sports Authority of Gujarat – Hockey Academy ended in a 2-2 draw.

IOC overcome ONGC to emerge champions

Mumbai, March 27: IOC (Indian Oil Corporation) emerged champions of the 34th PSPB Inter Unit Hockey Tournament 2016. Indian Oil produced two quick goals in the final 10 minutes of the tense and absorbing final to snatch a thrilling 3-1 win against hosts ONGC (Oil & Natural Gas Corporation) at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium on Sunday morning.

For the victors, Gurjinder Singh scored two goals; converting a penalty stroke in the 9th minute and later a penalty corner in the 69th minute of the match, while Indeerjit Singh Chadha scored the second a little earlier in the 60th minute to wrap up the issue in IOC’s favour. Diwakar Ram successfully scored from a penalty corner to enable ONGC find the equalizing goal in the 24th minute.

In the title deciding encounter, both the teams waged a grim battle for supremacy and it was even Stevens at 1-all at the end of the opening session. In the second half the teams continued to create chance but, while ONGC failed to convert from the opportunities that came their way they were punished for those misses as IOC capitalized on two openings to wrest the advantage and secure a deserving triumph.

Earlier in the match for the third place, CPCL (Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited) got the better of EIL (Engineers India Limited) by a close 1-0 margin. R. Sekar netted the lone goal of the match in the second half.

Chief Guests of the final were Shri Rahul Singh, Olympian and Shri Shivendra Singh, a Film and TV Star.

Results –finals: Indian Oil Corporation 3 (Gurjinder Singh 2, Indeerjit Singh Chadha) beat ONGC 1 (Diwakar Ram).

Third place: CPCL 1 (R. Sekar) beat EIL 0.

Other awards - Best Goal Keeper: Devesh Chauhan (IOC); Best Defender:  Baljinder Singh (ONGC); Best Forword: Prabhjot Singh (IOC);Player of the tournament: Tyron Pereira (ONGC).

Photo caption: The champions, Indian Oil players are seen with Chief Guests of the final, Shri Rahul Singh, Olympian and Shri Shivendra Singh, a Film and TV Star at the MHAL-Mahindra Stadium.

Press release

Australia crowned Hockey World League champs, India stun Netherlands in shoot-out to claim bronze

Raipur, December 6, 2015: Australia are the men's Hero Hockey World League 2015 champions thanks to 2-1 win against Belgium in the tournament final here.

Penalty corner efforts from Jeremy Hayward and Matthew Dawson were enough for Australia's Kookaburras to take the title, with Simon Gougnard snatching a late consolation goal for Belgium's Red Lions.

The top-ranked Australians dominated the early stages of the gold medal match and were rewarded when Hero Man of the Match Hayward sent a penalty corner effort into the roof of the Belgian goal one minute into the second quarter.

Dawson doubled the advantage soon after half-time with another penalty corner, and it would have been 3-0 were it not for a goal-line clearance from Emmanuel Stockbroekx towards the end of the third quarter.

Belgium rallied in the latter stages of the game but were met by stern resistance from the Australian backline. Gougnard forced home a penalty corner in the final minute of the game, although it was not enough to stop the world champions from adding the Hero Hockey World League title to their ever-growing trophy cabinet.

"I am very happy with the teams performance as we showed in the last three games against Germany, Netherlands and Belgium that we can win big matches”, said Australia legend Dwyer after the game. “For me personally, I was quite happy to perform the way I did against the best teams in the world. It gives me belief that even at 36 that I can still play the game well.”

Earlier in the day, host nation India took the bronze medal with a dramatic shoot-out victory over the Netherlands.

A huge crowd witnessed Rupinder Pal Singh score twice in the contest but it was the shoot-out heroics of goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh that gave Asian champions India victory in what was one of the games of the tournament.

In the bronze medal match, European champions the Netherlands were the dominant force in the first two quarters, with Mirco Pruijser opening the scoring before Niek van der Schoot’s backhand effort into the roof of the net doubled the advantage ahead of half-time.

India came out fighting after the break and scored three times without reply to take the lead, with Ramandeep Singh netting twice either side of a Rupinder Pal Singh penalty corner before Mink van der Weerden made the score 3-3 with six minutes remaining.

Remarkably, four goals arrived in the final stages, with Rupinder and Akashdeep Singh giving India a 5-3 lead before Van der Weerden completed his hat-trick with a late double to force a shootout.

Sreejesh forced errors from Jeroen Hertzberger, Mirco Pruijser and Valentin Verga, with Birendra Lakra, Sardar Singh and Rupinder – who netted a penalty stroke after Manpreet Singh was fouled in the shoot-out – all scoring to seal a famous victory for the home favourites.

“The way that we have played this tournament - and it didn’t work out every time - we have shown that we are a serious competitor at international top level events and that is fantastic for the team”, said delighted India Head Coach Roelant Oltmans after the match.

“At the same time, we still made mistakes that can cost you games, but luckily today it didn’t cost us the game, thanks maybe to these two guys next to me”, referring to goalkeeper Sreejesh and team captain Sardar Singh.

“These two guys played an outstanding game, as well as a few others. After the break we were able to change the game completely. We changed quite a number of things at half-time and the way the team translated that into the second half was outstanding.”

The medal matches brought the curtain down on a high quality week of international hockey that has been enjoyed by big crowds at Raipur’s 3,500 capacity Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Hockey Stadium.

Australia’s Jamie Dwyer was named Hero Best Player of the tournament, while Arthur van Doren of Belgium was given the NMDC Best Junior Player award.

Netherlands shot-stopper Jaap Stockmann was named SECL Best Goalkeeper while Gonzalo Peillat of Argentina finished as Hero Top Scorer with eight goals. The NTPC Fans Choice Award went to Indian goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh.

Results – Day 10

Final
Australia 2, Belgium 1
Hero Man of the Match: Jeremy Hayward (AUS)

Bronze medal match


Netherlands 5, India 5. India win 3-2 in a shoot-out)
Hero Man of the Match: Manpreet Singh (IND)

Final Classification
1: Australia
2: Belgium
3: India
4: Netherlands
5: Argentina
6: Great Britain
7: Germany
8: Canada

Tournament Awards
Hero Best Player: Jamie Dwyer (AUS)
SECL Best Goalkeeper: Jaap Stockmann (NED)
NMDC Best Junior: Arthur van Doren (BEL)
Hero Top Scorer: 8 - Gonzalo Peillat (ARG)
NTPC Fans Choice: P. R. Sreejesh (IND)

FIH Press release

Belgium down India 1-0 to face Australia in World Hockey League final

Raipur, December 5, 2015: A solitary strike from Cedric Charlier gave Belgium a semi-final victory over host nation India, setting up a meeting with reigning World champions Australia in the title match at the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 here.

The contest at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Hockey Stadium was witnessed by a sell-out crowd that turned up in their thousands to watch the home favourites but did not get the result that they so desperately wanted.

The Red Lions dominated the early stages of the game and took the lead in the fifth minute when Cedric Charlier was allowed to cut in from the right before firing a backhand strike between the legs of India goalkeeper P. R. Sreejesh from the edge of the scoring circle.

Belgium could have been even further ahead at half time, but India raised their game considerably in the third and fourth quarters and would have equalised were it not for a number of excellent saves from Vincent Vanasch. Arguably the best of those chances fell to S.V. Sunil, who saw his goal-bound effort kicked away by the Belgian goalkeeper with three minutes remaining to give the Europeans victory.

“We knew it would be difficult today because they have the crowd with them”, said Belgium’s Sebastian Dockier, who made his 100th senior international appearance in the match. “We did a great job in defence, but maybe we could have scored two or three more goals earlier in the match, but I am really pleased that we kept them out. We did a great job.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s final against Australia, Red Lions Head Coach Shane McLeod said: “They [Australia] are used to the experience of playing in big finals, whereas for us it is the first time that we have been in the top four at a world level event, and now we are in the top two, so we are really looking forward to it.”

India Head Coach Roelant Oltmans said: “We did everything we could to score a goal. We created chances, sometimes you are lucky, sometimes you are not and that is just the way it is. In the third and fourth quarters the team played really well, giving everything they could to change the score. They fought their hearts out, but sometimes you need a little bit of luck.”

Sunday’s final – which will be witnessed by a capacity crowd of 3500 - will be a rematch of the first place match from the FINTRO Hockey World League Semi-Final, which took place in Antwerp, Belgium, earlier this year.

The 7-8 Classification match also took place on Saturday, with Olympic champions Germany cruising to an 8-3 win over Canada to end a disappointing campaign on a positive, crowd-pleasing note.

Christopher Rühr scored twice inside the opening four minutes to put Die Honomas in charge, with Moritz Fürste, Niklas Wellen and Lukas Windfeder taking the score to 5-0 before Gordon Johnstone pulled a goal back just before half time.

Matthew Guest and Canada captain Scott Tupper found the target after half time to make the score 5-3, although any thoughts of a comeback were ended thanks to a trio of German goals, with Florian Fuchs, Olver Korn and Constantin Staib completing the match scoring.

Results – Day 9

Semi-Final
India 0, Belgium 1
Hero Man of the Match: Arthur van Doren (BEL)

7-8 Classification

Germany 8, Canada 3
Hero Man of the Match: Christopher Rühr (GER)

Match schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Sunday 6th December 2015
1830 – Bronze Medal Match - Netherlands v India
2045 – Gold Medal Match - Australia v Belgium

FIH Press release

India face Belgium in Hockey World League semifinal

Raipur, December 3, 2015: The line-up for the semi-finals of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 has been completed following quarter-final victories for host nation India and Belgium’s Red Lions here on Thursday.

In the first of the day’s quarter-finals, India upset the form book with a fine win against Great Britain. The home favourites, who finished fourth in Pool B, claimed a 2-1 victory over the winners of Pool A to book their ticket into the semi-finals.

A packed house turned up to watch India produce their finest performance of the competition to defeat their higher ranked opponents, with penalty corner expert V.R. Raghunath finding the target in the 19th minute before Ramandeep Singh hit the crossbar just after half time.

Talwinder Singh scored what proved to be the winner in the 39th minute, smashing home from a tight angle after picking up a long overhead pass from Kothajit Khandangbam. Great Britain’s Simon Mantell reduced the deficit with eight minutes remaining, but India held on to move into the final four.

“We started great and scored two good goals”, said scorer Raghunath after the match. “We learned from the mistakes that we made in the Pool matches and we know that we can upset any team in the world on any given day. We will relax, rest and focus on the semi-final match now.”

India’s opponents in the semi-final will be Belgium, who recorded a 2-1 win over Argentina in their quarter-final match.

Alexandre hendrickx gave Belgium the lead with a low, powerful penalty corner effort in the 22nd minute, before Sebastien Dockier added a second three minutes ahead of half time, forcing the ball home following a goal-mouth scramble. A defensive error from Loick Luypaert was punished by Argentina’s Leones, with Agustin Mazzilli eliminating the goalkeeper with a perfectly placed pass into the corner of the Belgian goal. However, it proved to be only a consolation, with Belgium’s defensive line holding firm to see out the victory.

“I think we had a very good game plan, very well structured, and we played it almost to perfection”, said Belgium defender Arthur van Doren. “We made one mistake and it cost us a goal, and we almost got into a bit of trouble, and we defended hard in the final minutes but we kept it together.”

Looking ahead to his team’s semi-final meeting against the competition hosts, Van Doren said: “It is a big honour to play India in India, so it is something that the whole team is really looking forward to. These are the kind of games that you train all year for, the chance to play against a good Indian side in a big stadium. We will prepare well and try to get the victory.”

As well the line-ups for the semi-finals, the classification matches have also been confirmed. India's win against Great Britain was bad news for Germany, pushing them into the 7-8 classification match against Canada. This is due to Germany and Canada having taken the least amount of points from the Pool phase. Great Britain and Argentina both earned more Pool points than Germany and Canada, and will play in the 5-6 classification match.

Results – Day 7

Quarter-Finals:

Great Britain 1, India 2
Hero Man of the Match: Birendra Lakra (IND)

Argentina 1, Belgium 2
Hero Man of the Match: Felix Denayer (BEL)

Updated Match Schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Friday 4th December 2015
1830 – Semi-Final – Australia v Netherlands
2045 – Losing Q/F Match – Great Britain v Argentina

Saturday 5th December 2015
1830 – Semi-Final – India v Belgium
2045 – Losing Q/F Match – Germany v Canada

Sunday 6th December 2015
1830 – Bronze Medal Match
2045 – Gold Medal Match

FIH release

Australia, Netherlands set up semifinal showdown

Raipur, December 2, 2015: Reigning World champions Australia will face European champions the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 following the completion of the first two quarter-finals here on Wednesday.

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Defending champions and Pool B winners the Netherlands became the first team to qualify for the semis, but were given a stern test by a Canada team that produced their best performance of the event.

Canada’s Red Caribous, who finished fourth in Pool A, made life extremely difficult for the European giants, who eventually emerged victorious with a 2-0 triumph thanks to goals from Constantijn Jonker and Roel Bovendeert. The Canadians had numerous chances of their own, but could not find a way past Netherlands goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak.

“The Canadians did very well out there, and I am very happy with the win because they had some good opportunities and our goalie was amazing today”, said Netherlands star Seve van As. “They are a tough team and they deserve to be here at the Hero Hockey World League Final, so I am really happy that we won.”

Australia claimed a 4-1 win against Olympic champions Germany in the second match of the day to set up their semi-final showdown with the Dutch. The game will be a replay of the competition final at last year’s Rabobank Hockey World Cup, where Australia triumphed 6-1 in The Hague.  

Clinical strikes Jeremy Hayward and Jamie Dwyer gave the Kookaburras a 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, while Germany wasted a big chance to reduce the deficit early in the second period when Oskar Deecke saw his penalty stroke saved by Australia’s Andrew Charter. It was a costly miss, with Australia taking a 3-0 lead into half time thanks to Matthew Dawson’s low, accurate penalty corner drag-flick.

Germany threatened a comeback when 2013 FIH Young Player of the Year Christopher Rühr volleyed home in the third quarter, but Glenn Turner added a fourth late on after Die Honamas replaced goalkeeper Nico Jacobi with an outfield player in an attempt to rescue the game.

“The Germans are a great team and historically it is always a tough match between Australia and Germany”, said Kookaburras defender Matthew Swann after the match. “When we get the chance to play them we always want to play our best, and we were happy to get away with a win. It could have been a lot closer but our defenders were really desperate in the circle and it made it very hard for them.”

The competition quarter-finals continue on Thursday (December 3), with Pool Great Britain taking on host nation India before Pan American champions Argentina play Belgium.

Results – Day 6

Quarter-Finals:

Netherlands 2, Canada 0
Hero Man of the Match: Mark Pearson (CAN)

Australia 4, Germany 1
Hero Man of the Match: Tim Deavin (AUS)

Quarter-Final Match Schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Thursday - 3rd December 2015
18:30 - Great Britain v India
20:45 - Argentina v Belgium

Semi-Final Match Schedule

Friday - 4th December 2015
1830 - Australia v Netherlands

Saturday - 5th December 2015
1830 - Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2

FIH Press release

Great Britain emerge Pool A toppers, face India in quarterfinals

Raipur, December 1, 2015: Great Britain finished top of the Pool A standings on Day 5 of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 courtesy of a draw with Belgium, a result which simultaneously brought the competition Pool phase to a close and confirmed the line-up for the quarter-finals here.

Reigning world champions Australia defeated Canada 6-0 to earn a second place finish in the Pool, ahead of Belgium’s Red Lions and the Canadian Red Caribous in third and fourth place respectively.

The first two quarter-finals will take place on Wednesday 2nd December, with European champions the Netherlands (1st Pool B) playing Canada (4th Pool A) at 18:30 (Indian Standard Time) before world champions Australia (2nd Pool A) take on Olympic champions Germany (3rd Pool B) at 2045.

On Thursday 3rd December, Pool A winners Great Britain (1st Pool A) face host nation India (4th Pool B) at 18:30, while Argentina (2nd Pool B) will go head to head with Belgium (3rd Pool A) at 20:45. 

In the first of the Day 5 matches, Canadian goalkeeper David Carter produced a Hero Man of the Match performance but it was not enough to stop Australia from taking a 6-0 victory.

The Kookaburras were at their brilliant best in the first quarter, establishing a 4-0 lead thanks to goals from Daniel Beale, Jeremy Hayward, Dylan Wotherspoon and Matthew Dawson. It was an electric start from the world champions, but Canada tightened up their defences and a string of excellent saves from Carter kept the Aussies at bay until the dying minutes when Kieran Govers found the target before Beale claimed his second to complete the scoring. 

“I think that there was a little bit of improvement from the GB game; at the very least it was a step in the right direction”, said Australia’s Eddie Ockenden, referring to his side’s defeat against Great Britain on Sunday.

That result was not quite enough for Australia to finish top of Pool A, meaning that both the Pool standings and the quarter-final line-up would ultimately be decided by the outcome of a pulsating encounter between Great Britain and Belgium.

The Brits lead on three occasions during the match, with Phil Roper, Alastair Brogdon and Alan Forsyth goals each cancelled out by efforts from Red Lions stars Thomas Briels, Tanguy Cosyns and Tom Boon.

Belgium threw absolutely everything at their opponents in the final stages, and even replaced goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch with an outfield player in a bid to get the goal, which would have put them top of the standings. However, excellent defending ensured that GB claimed the point that they needed to win the Pool, with Australia second ahead of third ranked Belgium and fourth placed Canada. 

“We know that we came to this tournament with a few players missing, but we’ve got such strength in depth that we knew we could string three good performances together, and we’ve done that tonight”, said Great Britain goalscorer Phil Roper, reflecting on a hugely successful Pool phase before turning his attention to the quarter-final showdown with the host nation. “Playing India in India is something I’ve never experienced before, and it is something to relish.”

Belgium’s Tom Boon said: “We played a good game today, and maybe we deserved a little bit better. But on the other hand it means that we will play Argentina on Thursday, instead of India in front of their home crowd, which will not be easy.”

Results – Day 5

Pool A

Australia 6, Canada 0
Hero Man of the Match: David Carter (CAN)

Great Britain 3, Belgium 3
Hero Man of the Match: Simon Gougnard (BEL)

Quarter-Final Match Schedule
Times listed below are Indian Standard Time (UTC/GMT +5:30)

Wednesday - 2 December 2015
Match 4 - 18:30 - Netherlands v Canada
Match 3 - 20:45 - Australia v Germany

Thursday - 3rd December 2015
Match 1 - 18:30 - Great Britain v India
Match 2 - 20:45 - Argentina v Belgium

Friday - 4th December 2015
SF- Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4 (time of match to be advised)

Saturday - 5th December 2015
SF - Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2 (time of match to be advised)

Press release

Great Britain shock Australia, Belgium outplay Canada

Raipur, November 29, 2015: On Day 3 of the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015, Belgium found form with a big win over Canada while Great Britain stole headlines with an impressive victory over world number one Australia here on Sunday.

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The first match of the day saw Belgium’s Red Lions take on the Canada’s Red Caribous, with the Europeans emerging as 7-2 winners in a Pool A encounter that saw Jerome Truyens marked his 300th senior international appearance with a goal.

Belgium were in sparkling form in the first quarter, powering in four fantastic goals through Sebastien Dockier, Florent van Aubel and Thomas Briels before Truyens – who was also named Hero Man of the Match - netted in his milestone game. Canada were vastly improved in the second and third quarters, with Mark Pearson pulling a goal back ahead of a beautiful flicked finish from Devohn Noronha Teixeira. However, Belgium moved back into top gear in the final quarter, with Arthur van Doren and Tom Boon on target before van Aubel claimed his second to give the Red Lions their first win of the competition.

“It is always great to have a win in such circumstances, and also to score”, said 28-year-old Truyens, who started his international career in 2004, after the game. “The fact that my team has won and everyone has been congratulating me has been really special. You always want to score on such occasions, so I am happy that I have done that. What matters is the three points today.”

Canadian captain Scott Tupper said: "There were some part of the game when we played quite well, which is of course tough to say when you have lost 7-2. But we did play two of the four quarters very well. Hopefully we can build on that moving forward, and aim at keeping our game at a high level during the full 60 minutes."

Also in Pool A, Great Britain claimed a 5-2 victory over reigning world champions Australia, a result which moved the Brits onto six points.

Henry Weir and Chris Grassick were both on target for GB in the first quarter, before Jeremy Hayward pulled a goal back for the top ranked Kookaburras two minutes into the second period. However, an Ian Sloan penalty corner restored Great Britain’s two goal cushion with David Condon pouncing moments after half time to establish a 4-1 advantage against the illustrious Australians. A brilliant backhand strike from Matt Gohdes early in the second quarter gave the Aussies hope, but a Phil Roper strike sealed an impressive win and put Great Britain clear at the top of Pool A.

“We had to defend well at the end but you are always going to have to do that against Australia”, said Great Britain Head Coach Bobby Crutchley, reflecting on the match.

“We don’t just want to be known for one result, we want to keep going. I’ve learned a lot about them tonight that has really impressed me, and I’ll learn more about how they show up for the next game. That is because after a good win it is often the next game that is the biggest challenge.”

“We were off the pace today”, said Australia goalkeeper Andrew Charter, who made his 100th international appearance for the Kookaburras in the match. “We were a bit sluggish and GB came out with a little bit more pep than they have done against us for a while, and they really punished us for it. We’ll go back and learn a few things from this and look towards the next matches.”

Results – Day 3
Pool A:
Belgium 7, Canada 2
Hero Man of the Match: Jerome Truyens (BEL)

Australia 2, Great Britain 5
Hero Man of the Match: Dan Fox (GBR)

FIH Press release

Great Britain defeat Canada; Australia edge past Belgium; Netherlands beat Argentina; India hold Germany 1-1

Raipur, November 28, 2015: The second day of action at the Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 saw wins for Great Britain, Australia and the Netherlands, while host nation India returned to form with a deserved draw against Olympic champions Germany here on Saturday. 

Simon Mantell scored twice as Great Britain got their campaign off to a flying start with a 3-1 win over Pool A rivals Canada. Mantell needed just two minutes to open his account with a tap-in before Mark Pearson restored parity with a speculative cross from the right that found the bottom left corner. Second quarter goals from Mantell and Alastair Brogdon gave Great Britain a 3-1 advantage at half time, a lead that the dominant Europeans would never relinquish.

Also in Pool A, a solitary goal from Australia veteran Jamie Dwyer was enough for the top ranked Kookaburras to edge past Belgium. The 36-year-old five times FIH Player of the Year fired home from a tight angle in the 22nd minute to give the Aussies victory in a replay of the first place match from the Hockey World League Semi-Final in Antwerp earlier this year.

Speaking after the match, Australia striker Kieran Govers said: "It is always a good challenge to start off with Belgium, and we always have very close games with them. It was a scrappy 1-0 win, but we will look at the video, see what we need to improve on and look forward to taking on Great Britain tomorrow."

In Pool B, host nation India thrilled the fans by holding Germany to a 1-1 draw. For the second evening in succession, a large, passion-fuelled crowd turned out to cheer on the home team and was rewarded with a very good display from India, who rediscovered their form following their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Argentina on Friday evening. Germany were the first team to strike, with an unmarked Niklas Wellen finishing from close range just six minutes into the match before Akashdeep Singh scored a brilliant equalizer in the final quarter.

“We made far fewer unforced errors today than we did yesterday”, said India Head Coach Roelant Oltmans, referring to his team’s opening day defeat to Argentina. “Sometimes you need a result like that to show the way to play. I’m proud of the way we played, and this is where the tournament starts for us.”

The final match of the day was an absolute thriller between the continental champions of Europe and Pan America, with the Netherlands taking a 3-2 win over the ever-impressive Argentina to move to the top of Pool B at the end of Day 2.

Defending champions the Netherlands were irrepressible in the early stages, establishing a 3-0 lead thanks to spectacular strikes from youngster Thierry Brinkman and Seve van Ass before Roel Bovendeert tapped home a fine team move. However, two goals from Argentine penalty corner expert Gonzalo Peillat dragged Los Leones back into the game and set up a tense final quarter. Despite great pressure from their South American rivals, excellent defensive work ensured that Oranje held on to claim all three points.

Results – Day 2
Pool A:
Great Britain 3, Canada 1
Hero Man of the Match: Nick Catlin (GBR)

Australia 1, Belgium 0
Hero Man of the Match: Matt Gohdes (AUS)

Pool B:
Germany 1, India 1
Hero Man of the Match: Sardar Singh (IND)

Netherlands 3, Argentina 2
Hero Man of the Match: Robert van der Horst (NED)

FIH release

Argentina too good for India, Netherlands and Germany play goalless draw

Raipur, November 27, 2015: The men’s Hero Hockey World League Final 2015 got underway here on Friday, with Argentina defeating India before Germany and the Netherlands played out a draw in Pool B.

Penalty corner expert Gonzalo Peillat scored twice as Argentina claimed a 3-0 win over host nation India in the opening match of the competition in front of a near capacity crowd.

Following a vibrant, colourful and entertaining opening ceremony, the home fans turned out in large numbers to witness the host nation in action.

However, it was Argentina’s Leones (Lions) that came away with all three points.

The team, coached by Carlos Retegu,i were in excellent form in the opening two quarters of the match, establishing a 2-0 lead ahead of half time.

Prolific goal-scorer Peillat opened the scoring in the third minute with a deflected penalty corner rocket that left Indian shot-stopper P.R. Sreejesh stranded, before Joaquin Menini scored from close range with another set piece.

Despite a powerful Rupinder Pal Singh shot being cleared off the line, Argentina were well worth their lead and continued to play excellent hockey in the third and fourth quarters.

Eventually, a third goal arrived, with Peillat grabbing his second with a penalty corner drag-flick that sailed into the roof of the Indian net in overtime.

"We started very well, the intensity was very good”, said Argentina’s two goal hero Gonzalo Peillat after the match. “We earned enough corners. Now we need to think how we play against Holland as they have a really good team."

India coach Roleant Oltmans was disappointed by the result, stating: "The first half could have been better. We did more in the second half but it was still not enough. Today we didn't deserve anything. We need to recover quickly now because the next match is tomorrow."

The day’s other match was also in Pool B, as Germany and the Netherlands battled to a 0-0 draw in a rematch of the EuroHockey Championship Final.

The last meeting between the teams saw the Netherlands power to a 6-1 win to claim the European title, but today’s match was all about the defensive lines.

Both goalkeepers were in good form in the game, with Germany’s Nico Jacobi pulling off a number of world class saves while Stockmann was deservedly named Hero Man of the Match. 

“It is always good to play against the Netherlands at a tournament like this on the way to the Olympic Games”, said Germany midfielder Tobias Hauke. “I think it was interesting today after our last meeting in the EuroHockey Championship Final, where we lost pretty hard. It was important to see today, with different teams of course, that we are close now and it was a hard game for both sides.”

Netherlands Head Coach Max Caldas said that Germany were arguably the better side in the first half, but was happy with his team’s display in the second period. 

“I am a big fan of the German players and the German style, and always look forward to playing them”, said Caldas. “It was a tough game but I think we took more control in the second half, although our goalkeeper saved us a little bit in the first half.”

Results – Day 1

Pool B:
Argentina 3, India 0
Hero Man of the Match:  Agustin Mazzilli (ARG)

Germany 0, Netherlands 0.
Hero Man of the Match: Jaap Stockmann (GK - NED)

FIH Press release

India defeat New Zealand 3-2 in the third match of the New Zealand tour

New Delhi, October 9, 2015: In the third match of the ongoing New Zealand tour, India through their last minute goal secured the 3-2 win over the Kiwis at Christchurch, New Zealand today.

The first quarter started with a series of attacks coming in from the Indian side who dominated the entire session. Without wasting much time, Akashdeep Singh broke into the opponents defence from the left flank but unfortunately his attack was stopped by New Zealand’s Nick Haig. In the 10th minute India was awarded with a penalty corner which was effectively converted by Rupinder Pal Singh giving India the much required lead of 1-0. The opening goal got the hosts on the back foot and they tried to get back in the game but were continuously denied by the strong Indian defence leaving the scorecard at 1-0 in favour of India at the end of the quarter.

In the second quarter of the game, India dominated the early part with attempts from Nikkin Thimmaiah who pushed the ball into the opponent’s inner circle from the left flank as he passed the ball to Mandeep Singh but unluckily his deflection went wide off the post. This was followed by the New Zealand strikers counter attack as they broke through the Indian defence by an unmarked Jared Panchia, who, from a cross ball scored a field goal in the 22nd minute and equalised the score at 1-1. Going ahead in to the game dextrously, the Kiwi Team yet again got an opportunity to take the lead through a penalty corner but Nick Haig flicked the ball off the target. With this, the first half of the game ended with a levelled score of 1-1.

With the change of ends, both the teams tried to make continuous efforts to pierce the opponents half but could not find a way through. It was in the 41st minute when Akashdeep Singh surged ahead and gave a well crafted pass to Ramandeep Singh who calmly finished, giving India its second goal through a field effort which advanced the scores at 2-1 in the visiting team's favour. With each added goal, New Zealand boys were seen in tremendous pressure to equalise the score but the Indian defence stood strong to wipe out all the scoring opportunities for them. However, the third quarter finished with India leading 2-1.

The Indian team got a great chance to extend its lead in the early minutes of the fourth quarter with Nikkin Thimmaiah running into the Kiwi defence with classical personal skills but the Kiwi defence blocked the attack without any damage. On the other side, New Zealand counter attacked and levelled the score at 2-2 in the 52nd minute with a field goal coming from the stick of Steve Edwards. As the scores were equalled on 2-2, India intensified the attacks on the opponent and Sardar Singh initiated a move from the left side of the post and pushed a cross ball inside the New Zealand’s D which went wide. While, New Zealand was seen in desperation to score goals, the Indian boys in the 60th minute turned around the table in their favour when Dharamvir Singh penetrated the nets through a reverse hit which concluded the game at 3-2 in favour of India.

India will take on New Zealand in the last match of the Series on October 11, at Christchurch.

Hockey India release

India men hockey team posts 3-1 win against New Zealand A

New Delhi, October 2, 2015: Playing an aggressive game, the India men hockey team outplayed New Zealand A, 3-1 in the first match of the New Zealand Tour being played in Auckland today.

The first quarter started with New Zealand A going on the attack and earning two back-to-back penalty corners in the first few minutes. India’s star goalkeeper PR Sreejesh displayed his quick moves in front of the goal-box and thwarted both the attempts. Post that it was Ramandeep Singh who was seen brilliantly dribble past the opponents defenders giving a beautiful pass to forward Akashdeep Singh, who was quick to put the ball into the nets without giving any chance to the New Zealand custodian in the 3rd minute. After conceding a goal, New Zealand A players attacked again and looked for opportunities to score equaliser. However, the Indian defenders restricted their moves and maintained pressure on the home team. The score-card remained 1-0 by the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Indians started with fierce attacks and kept the ball moving in the opponent’s half. In the 20th minute, Ramandeep sneaked into the defence-line and scored a spectacular field goal taking the score to 2-0. Inspired by Ramandeep’s goal, defender Gurjinder Singh sneaked into the opponent’s half and passed the ball to forward Nikkin Thimmaiah, who outfoxed defenders with his dribbling skills and hit the ball into the goal-box in the 26th minute. With this marvellous field goal, Indians were in lead with 3-0 by the end of the second quarter.

The third quarter started with an aggressive game from New Zealand A, who were lagging behind by three goals. They managed to keep the ball in the Indian half and tried to create opportunities to score goals. In the 36th minute, they earned a crucial penalty corner and successfully converted into their first goal. The Indians counter-attacked on the home team and created the pressure again. New Zealand was now playing a defensive game and kept their goal-box protected. The score-card stood 3-1 by the end of the third quarter in India's favour.

In the fourth quarter, both the teams pushed themselves harder to score more goals as well as defend their goal-box. Indian forwards Ramandeep, Akashdeep and Nikkin kept the defenders busy and played most of the game in opponent’s half. After a series of attacks from India, the match finished at 3-1 in favour of the visiting team.

Hockey India release

Aiming for a better penalty corner conversion rate, says Arman Qureshi

New Delhi, September 29, 2015: With the excitement gearing up for the much awaited 5th Sultan of Johor Cup, the India Junior Men Team looks in no ambiguity to retain the title and assert themselves as the third time reigning champions in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Among the bunch of talented young forwards, one player to set the eyes upon will be 20-year old Arman Qureshi, who has always made the team proud of his artistic moves and swift attacking skills. He is one of the most active players on ground and has an ability to penetrate confidently in the opponent’s D with a credit of scoring most crucial goals for his team.

Forward players Gurjant Singh, Ajay Yadav and Parvinder Singh will also share Arman’s responsibility and keep the opponent’s defenders at bay. Completely motivated to give a tough time to the opponents, the Junior Men are leaving no scope of slip-ups and certain to keep the winning record intact in the upcoming tournament.

Speaking on the upcoming tournament, forward Arman Qureshi said, “The team is very confident of the fact that we are the two-time champions of the Sultan of Johor Cup and we look to retain the title this time around too. This has made us even more positive of playing the matches ahead. During our practice sessions, we have made good progress and aim for a better penalty corner conversion rate. We want to make our attack even stronger in the upcoming matches and look forward to carry out our game strategies firmly to claim the title.”

HI Press release

Aiming to make our attack even more stronger, says SK Uthappa

New Delhi, 27 September 2015: With an intention to secure a big win in the New Zealand tour, the India Men National Team is all set to exhibit their finest skills and put-up their best show on the field during the tournament which is scheduled from 02 October to 11 October 2015. The New Zealand tour will be in preparation for the Hero Hockey World League Raipur 2015 which is scheduled from 27 November to 6 December in Raipur, India followed by the all important RIO Olympics next year.

Talented mid-fielder, SK Uthappa is one such player who is vying to continue his consummate attacking skills by utilising the dexterity gained from the practice sessions in the ongoing preparatory camp. Well aware of the fact that mid-fielders have played an active role in scoring goals, Uthappa will be seen emphasising more on ball possession of the field to craft well connected passes.

The Indian team coached Roelant Oltmans also earned praise for their recent victory in the Europe Tour where they beat France and Spain and is now constantly showing signs solidity and certain to replicate the success of the previous tournaments.

Speaking before the New Zealand Tour, mid-fielder SK Uthappa said, “The team has been trying to give their best so far and the New Zealand tour will help us to polish our skills for the most important 2016 Rio Olympics. We aim to capitalize more goal scoring opportunities and make our attack even stronger in the tour ahead. We will look to carry out our game strategies in high detail and structure as we expect an intense clash. The coach is working on different combinations so that we are aware what works best for us before the all important tournaments ahead. With Manpreet and Dharamvir back in the squad it automatically adds huge boost to the line-up.”    

India and New Zealand A will be playing their first match on 2nd October 2015in Auckland.

HI Press release

Defence will play a more dynamic role in attack, says Anand Lakra

New Delhi, 26 September 2015: With the 5^th Sultan of Johor Cup just around the corner the India Men Jr Team are gearing-up to go all out and ensure positive results. Slated to take place from 11^th to 18^th October 2015, the two-time reigning champion India Junior Men Team is determined to defend its title for the third time in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Riding high on confidence, 19-year old young Indian defender Anand Lakra is working hard to strengthen his skills to ensure positive results in his favour. Being an integral part of the team in the international tournaments, he has been constantly providing support to the midfielders and forwards by initiating attacks for them by taking possession of the ball and counter attacking.

Speaking on the upcoming tournament, defender Anand Lakra said, “I am very confident of the team’s chances of winning the tournament again as most of the players are the same from the last edition. Our team is improving gradually and rectifying our problem areas in a planned manner. As the tournament will be tougher from previous year, we will have to fill-up the gaps and strengthen the defence structure of our team as defence will play a more dynamic role in attack.  We are satisfied with our performance in the preparation camp and definite to retain the title.”

HI Press release

Improving on our penalty corner conversions and defence, says Manpreet Singh

New Delhi, September 25, 2015: Being confident for the upcoming New Zealand Test Series, the India Men Hockey Team is geared-up to take on the kiwi challenge. Slated to take place from October 2 to 11, the Indian Men Hockey team is looking forward to the upcoming clash that the series is all set to throw at them.

Shouldering responsibilities in a crucial position of centre-half, the talented mid-fielder Manpreet Singh is seen enormously adding value to the Indian team with his excellent capability of controlling the ball controlling in the D and which helps facilitate the team to capitalize and score goals. He is also considered as a very potent weapon for producing attacks on penalty corners and successfully provides a link between forward line and defense.

Speaking ahead of the much awaited New Zealand Tour, mid-fielder Manpreet Singh said: “We have prepared a lot for the upcoming New Zealand tour and we are pretty excited about the tournament. The coach is also making us work a lot harder during our preparations helping to improve on penalty corner conversions and our defence”.

“We are working on rectifying our mistakes as we would not want repeat them in the upcoming tournament. Playing in the opponent’s home ground- New Zealand will be a tough challenge for us but we are confident of a positive result,” he added.

India and New Zealand A will be playing their first match on 2nd October 2015 in Auckland.

HI Press release

Japan tame India 5-4 in Junior Women Asia Cup hockey

Changzhou (China), 12 September 2015: India Junior Women Hockey team today went down fighting 2-2 (2-3 shoot out) against Japan during the Semi-Final match of the 7th Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2015. After a closely fought match and riding with the goals scored by Deep Grace Ekka and Renuka Yadav, Indian eves lost the match in the shoot-out where their Asian counterpart edged-past Indians by 3-2. India will now be playing against Korea in the 3rd-4th classification match on September 13.

The first half started with India’s surprise attack on Japanese side and very soon they earned a penalty corner. Deep Grace Ekka received the shot and hit hard into the goal-box to score the first goal of the match in the 4th minute. With the early 1-0 lead, Indian eves managed to put pressure on their opponents and played most of their game in the Japanese half. Japan took some time to recover and counter-attacked on the Indian side. 

After few charges, they earned a penalty corner but Indian goal-keeper Inderpreet Kaur thwarted the attack. Japanese got another penalty corner in 18th minute and this time captain Yukari Mano converted, ensuring that the game equalised at1-1. 25th minute and midfielder Renuka Yadav sneaked into Japanese half with her quick moves and sent the ball to the nets to score the second goal for her team. After the 2-1 lead, Indians managed to control the match again and maintain the samescore-line till the end of first half.

 The second half started with more aggression from both sides as both the teams stepped on the ground with their game-plans. India soon earned a penalty corner but failed to materialise it. In the next moment, Japan counter-attacked and earned a penalty corner and was perfectly saved by Inderpreet. In the 57th minute, Japan’s Ayane Hirahara entered into the Indian D and scored the second goal for her team. Both the teams post that were seen to take one up in the game but failed to materialise on the opportunities. With the game tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation time the match entered the shoot out phase.

During the shoot-out, Japan converted three and Indian team managed to convert only two. Navjot Kaur and Preeti Dubey successfully converted the opportunities whereas Navneet Kaur, Deep Grace and skipper Rani failed to score.

HI Press release

India go down 2-4 to China in the 3rd Pool match of the 7th Women’s Junior Asia Cup

Changzhou (China), September 9, 2015: After winning two pool matches against DPR Korea and Singapore with a huge margin, India Junior Women Hockey team today went down fighting 2-4 against host nation China in their third match of the 7th Women’s Junior Asia Cup.

Both the teams started with aggressive attacks and tried to dominate each other. India started the match with effective strategies and gained the ball possession in the early minutes. However, China scored three back-to-back goals through penalty corners and that made a difference between the two fighting teams.

The first half started with intense battle between the two teams and players from both sides charged on each other. China Junior Team with their early attack earned a penalty corner in the first few minutes and which was perfectly saved by goal-keeper Inderpreet Kaur. However, the opponents came back strongly and attacked from all sides towards the Indian half to create more opportunities. They earned three penalty corners in a short span of six minutes and converted all to take the score to 3-0. Bingfeng Gu (2 goals) and Qiu Guo scored the goals through penalty corners in the 10th, 11th and 15th minutes respectively for China.

After conceding three consecutive goals, Indian eves fought back with full force and earned a penalty corner, but they failed to materialise. However, in the next minute, Indian earned another penalty corner and this time drag-flicker Jaspreet Kaur converted the first goal for India in the 33rd minute. With this goal, the first half finished at 3-1 in favour of China.

In the second half, both the teams stepped in with more aggressive strategies and fought for ball possession. After series of attacks from both sides, it was India who earned the first penalty corner but could not materialise.

China quickly counter-attacked on Indian side and Chenyang Guo scored a field goal in the 50th minute to increase their lead by 4-1. India again charged on Chinese circle and managed to earn another penalty corner. This time Gurjit Kaur took the shot and converted the penalty corner in their second goal in the 56th minute.

In the next minute, China fought back and earned a penalty corner, but Indian custodian Inderpreet thwarted their attempt. In the last minutes, both the teams tried their level best to increase add another goal but they failed to sneak into each-other’s defence-line. By the final whistle, the score-line was 4-2 in favour for China.

HI Press release

International auctioneer Bob Hayton to conduct HIL Auction 2015

New Delhi, September 9,  2015: Post successfully conducting the inaugural auction of the Hockey India League (HIL), world renowned auctioneer Bob Hayton will be back for the Hockey India League auction 2015, slated to take place on 17th September 2015, New Delhi. Bob will be seen asking for bids from all six franchisees as he will putting more than 275 players under the hammer during the much awaited auction.

Speaking on Bob Hayton’s involvement in the HIL Auction 2015, Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, Chairman, Hockey India League said: “It’s a privilege to have Bob Hayton, the world’s best auctioneer, to conduct another round of auctions for Hockey India League. With his acute knowledge of the game, the players and the skill with which to conduct the auctions is commendable and hence a big reason to feel honoured to have him on board for the day.”

Bob Hayton, a professionally qualified Auctioneer and Valuer, has more than 30 years experience in the field of Fine Arts and Chattels in the UK. He in the past has advised on and conducted Auctions in Europe and Dubai. He is also a part of the Bid & Hammer’s Advisory Panel with a view to investing his knowledge, experience and contacts to its growth and profitability as an international auction house.

In the recent past Bob is the most sort after International Auctioneer in India and has to his credit of conducting the Hockey India League’s inaugural edition, inaugural edition of IBL along with the prestigious Auction on behalf of HH the Maharaja of Jodhpur for the One World Retreat at the Umaid Palace in Jodhpur. 

The Hockey India League auction slated to be held on 17 September 2015 at New Delhi, where 135 Indian and 141 foreign players will come under the hammer.

HI Press release