Australia, of course....

29/08/2009

Kookaburras advance to World Cup with Oceania Cup victory

Kookaburras 3 New Zealand 1 (2-1 half time) Goals New Zealand – Nick Wilson Kookaburras – Grant Schubert 2, Jamie Dwyer 1

The Kookaburras have booked their spot at the Hero Honda FIH 2010 World Cup by defeating New Zealand 3-1 today at Invercargill, New Zealand to win the Oceania Cup. After watching the Hockeyroos go down to New Zealand earlier in the day for the women’s division of the Oceania Cup, the Kookaburras were determined to begin the match well. Unfortunately New Zealand had plans of their own, with Nick Wilson scoring the first goal of the match after a nice breakaway. Veteran and Olympic gold medallists Grant Schubert provided the spark needed for the Kookaburras, scoring two first half goals, the second coming just moments before half time. Continuing their momentum, the Kookaburras controlled the tempo after half time, but were unable to make the most of their various opportunities and further extend their one goal lead. With this New Zealand continued to grow in confidence as they remained within striking distance. A sustained period of New Zealand possession followed but the Black Sticks were unable to peg back the much needed goal. With just over a minute to play New Zealand forced their first penalty corner of the match but Hayden Shaw’s drag flick attempt was wide of the left post. Jamie Dwyer hammered the final nail into New Zealand’s coffin in the final play of the match, a cracking shot from a penalty corner. The Kookaburras will now plan their program towards the 2010 World Cup which will be played in New Delhi, India from February 28 – March 13, 2010. However their focus for the remainder of the year will be towards the ABN AMRO Hockey Champions Trophy which will be played in Melbourne from November 28 – December 6.

England crowned European King

The English men’s team pulled off a major upset in the final of the EuroHockey Nations Championships in Amstelveen, Netherlands on Sunday. The English team defeated Olympic and World Champion Germany (5:3) to become the new European Champion.

Host Netherlands finally claimed the bronze medal after a disappointing tournament. The Dutch secured a podium place after a 6:1 win over Spain. England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain earned direct qualification for the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010 in New Delhi, India.

Results Sunday 30 August 2009

Final:
England-Germany 5:3

Bronze medal match:
Netherlands-Spain 6:1

Classification 5-8:
Austria-Poland 5:4
Belgium-France 7:0

Final Ranking:

1. England (Qualified for Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010)
2. Germany (Qualified for Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010)
3. Netherlands (Qualified for Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010)
4. Spain (Qualified for Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010)
5. Belgium
6. France
7. Austria
8. Poland

Malaysia to play in NZ Qualifier?

Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010, New Delhi, India, 28 February-13 March 2010

A SMART GUESS on probable World Cup Qualifiers:

In France:
Pakistan, France, Japan, Egypt, Austria, Chile

In New Zealand
China, New Zealand, Malaysia, Poland, Scotland, Italy

In Argentina
Belgium, Ireland, Argentina, Czech Rep, Russia, USA.

THOSE WHO HAVE QUALIFIED

• India (Host)
• Canada (Champion of the 3^rd Men’s Pan American Cup)
• Korea (Champion of the 8^th Men’s Asia Cup)
• South Africa (Champion of the Africa Cup of Nations, 2009)
• Australia (Champion of the 6^th Men’s Oceania Cup)
• England (Champion of the 12^th Men’s EuroHockey Nations Championship)
• Germany (Silver medalist of the 12^th Men’s EuroHockey Nations Championship)
• Netherlands (Bronze medalist of the 12^th Men’s EuroHockey Nations Championship)
• Spain (Fourth ranked team of the 12^th Men’s EuroHockey Nations Championship)

3 vacancies left:

• Winner of the Men’s World Cup Qualification Tournament – No. 1
• Winner of the Men’s World Cup Qualification Tournament – No. 2
• Winner of the Men’s World Cup Qualification Tournament – No. 3

Quotas for Men’s World Cup Qualification Tournament

Africa: 1 (EGY)
Asia: 4 (CHN, JPN, MAS, PAK)
Europe: 9 (AUT, BEL, CZE, FRA, IRL, POL, RUS, SCO, WAL)
Oceania: 1 (NZL)
Pan America: 3 (ARG, CHI, USA)

Centralise or de-centralise?

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) should, by now, know that almost year-long centralised training has not produced any results at the international level.
In fact, the pampering of players has led to Malaysia free- falling to 16th in the world.
“There are different views on this matter, and it has been discussed many times, but personally, I feel the Malaysian players are still not ready for de-centralised training,” said National coach Tai Beng Hai.
The main reason, according to Beng Hai, in keeping the players in camp for long periods is fitness.
“We have tried giving individual players training pro grammes when there is a long break. But they return with extra kilos, and it only shows that they do not follow the fitness regime when away from camp.
“It will defeat the purpose if I have to conduct fitness training all over again to prepare for a tournament like, say, the World Cup qualifier in November,” said Beng Hai.
The evidence of a huge gap among European teams and Malaysia came to light again when Champions Challenge II winners Poland were hammered 9-0 by Netherlands and 3-0 by Spain in the ongoing EuroNationas Championships which is also a qualifier for the New Delhi World Cup, and offers four tickets to semi-finalists.
And Down Under, an e-mail from former Malaysian coach Paul Lissek advised Malaysia to do away with centralised training.
Lissek, a consultant with Australia now said: “In Australia players like Brent Livermore (pic) can still play in the national team despite not training with them but working far from Perth near Brisbane and staying with his family.
“Their main advantage is that players are very liberal and independent, which means they have a lot of self-discipline. The Australian players come for individual training-sessions and follow their different plan.
“They train with different coaches and they also come for individual video-sessions, and sit with a coach to discuss. The methodical principal ‘players as partners’ not ‘players as schoolboys’ makes the difference.
“Sometimes players work in groups on their particular issues and solve it themselves,” said Lissek.
Beng Hai feels the time is not right yet for decentralised training: “Malaysian players are not ready for de-centralised training as they do not have the discipline to work on their own when given a break.
“However, there is a possibility that the de-centralised system could be implemented in the near future,” said Beng Hai.
Centralised training has produced mediocre players, while decentralised training has produced Olympic champions, the MHF should have another look at their training programme for next year.

Beng Hai not worried about players quitting

NATIONAL hockey coach Tai Beng Hai is not the least worried that a few players are contemplating quitting the national team before the World Cup Qualifier in November.
In fact, the coach feels that if players want to call it a day, they should just inform the management (Malaysian Hockey Federation) and he will not hold a grudge against them.
“I have not received any official notification from any player or players who want to leave the team. However, if any player(s) are finding it difficult to juggle their commitments and hockey right now, they should just come out and inform the MHF.
“It is never easy being a sportsman representing the country, as one will need to sacrifice much. Any nobody should hold a grudge against players who want to call it a day and concentrate on their career,” said Beng Hai.
The national players recently returned from a playing Tour of Australia and New Zealand, and will be heading to China next month.
Beng Hai had left behind a few senior players to try out young blood, and word is that there are some who want to call it a day to concentrate on their new venture into business.
“We need to know early so that we can plan ahead for the Qualifier. The FIH will inform us later where we will be playing, but it does not matter, as winning a gold medal in any of the three venues will be a challenging task.”
Argentina, New Zealand (if the Kiwis lose to Australia in the Oceania Cup) and France are the three Qualifier venues, and Malaysia will only know after the Oceania Cup and the EuroHockey tournament where they will be playing.
“In the fasting month, I will hold training after breaking fast, and fitness will be stressed from now.
“And with the China trip almost confirmed, it will give me one last avenue to try out players, and fine tune the technical aspect for the qualifier.”
Teams who have already qualified for the New Delhi World Cup are hosts India, Pan American champions Canada, Asia Cup winners South Korea and Africa Cup champions South Africa.
The other qualifiers will come from the winner of the Oceania Cup, and semi-finalists of the EuroHockey Nations Championship.
The final vacancies will be filled up by gold medallists in the three Qualifiers, one of which Malaysia will be playing in.

Oceania Cup punching bag has Samoa written on it

By By BRENDON EGAN

STICK TO IT: The Samoan men's hockey team get some practise in at Turnbull Thomson Park ahead of the Oceania Cup tournament in Invercargill, starting on Tuesday.ROBYN EDIE
When New Zealand hockey players turn up for an international match, they usually have four or five sticks in their gear bag.
That luxury does not exist for the Samoan national hockey team, though.
Samoa arrived for their first practice on the Turnbull Thomson Park turf in Invercargill earlier this week with most players not even owning their own stick. They will be all good to go for next week's Oceania Cup tournament in the city, however, with the Oceania Hockey Federation supplying several sticks and some also being donated from the recent Champions Trophy tournament in Australia.
Oceania Hockey development manager Gill Gemming, who is with the team for the tournament, said it was the first time many players in the side had used a stick the correct size.
"It's something New Zealand players take for granted," Gemming said.
"They turned up and were sharing them around ... The sticks they have been using are designed for kids. They were only up to their thighs. It has been an issue. It's probably the first time they've held the right size stick in their hand until now."
The Samoans have also had clothing provided by Hockey New Zealand and Hockey Australia for the tournament.
Samoa will be on a hiding to nothing at next week's tournament. The women's side has not competed in the Oceania Cup for 25 years, while the men have never played in a Pacific Cup, let alone an Oceania Cup.
On Wednesday, the men's and women's sides played Gore High School in their first ever match on a water-based turf at the Turnbull Thomson Park facilities. The enormity of their challenge next week was highlighted with the women losing 4-0 to Gore High and the men drawing their match 2-2.
Some detractors will argue that losing by a cricket score to New Zealand and Australia will not do the Samoans any good, but Gemming disagreed.
"They are aware they are underdogs. They're learning from every match they play here. It is always a difficulty if you get taken to the cleaners, but the support network around them is very good...
"At the last Oceania Cup, PNG (Papua New Guinea) were in a similar position. Samoa has had a few more build games. The Samoan men are fitter and more athletic. They're really looking forward to their first game."
The Samoan sides will be using the Oceania Cup as a leadup to the Pacific Cup tournament in Fiji in December. Gemming said gaining experience against Australia and New Zealand who are both ranked in the top 10 in the world would be invaluable for the Samoan players.
At home, Samoan hockey is taking steps to take hockey into schools and they also plan to possibly field under-19 sides at Pacific tournaments in the future. Gemming believed this would help the game in Samoa.
"Samoa have a very proactive administration. They've done a lot in the last 12 months with getting youth started. It will be a base to build on ... With time they will hopefully build up a base of players, so they have a wider group to call on."
She hoped that Fiji and Papua New Guinea would compete at the next Oceania Cup in 2011 to allow the smaller nations in the Pacific to test themselves against each other and also gain valuable top-level exposure against Australia and New Zealand.

Faizal almost ready to play among men

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD Faizal Shaari is a strong bet to don national colours when Malaysia play in the World Cup Qualifiers at the end of the year.
The Junior World Cup player, who scored eight goals in Johor Baru, has proven to be an asset in the senior ranks as well after he scored against Australia and New Zealand in the recent friendlies.
Team manager George Koshy feels he is almost ready to play among the big boys: “Faizal scored a few goals in the Australia and New Zealand series, and now he is in con tention to represent Malaysia in the qualifier.” But first, he will be tested again when Malaysia head to China for friendly against the hosts and Australia A from Sept 28- Aug 8.
“We have arranged for six friendlies against the Australia A and China sides at the end of September, and if Faizal still keeps his form, he will be given a chance in the Qualifier,” said George.
The International Hoc key Federation (FIH) have yet to confirm teams for the three qualifiers which will be held in New Zealand, Argentina and France.
“We will only know who we will be playing against, and the venue after the European championships and also the Oceania Cup.
“As such, we need to prepare by playing various teams and be ready to make an attempt to qualify for the New Delhi World Cup next year.”
Teams who have already qualified for the World Cup are hosts India, Pan American champions Canada, Asia Cup winners South Korea and Africa Cup champions South Africa.
The other qualifiers will come from the winner of the Oceania Cup, and semi-finalists of the EuroHockey Nations Championship.
The final vacancies will be filled up by gold medallists in the three Qualifiers which Malaysia will be playing in.

Project the only silver lining in Razak Cup

THE 47th edition of the Razak Cup would have been a total flop, if not for the excitement provided by the Project 2013 boys.
The fact that under-18 boys went all the way to the final in Division One, should be a good indicator for the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) to gauge development among their affiliates.
The Razak Cup is the second oldest hockey tournament, behind the Gurdwara Cup which was held for the 58th uninterrupted time recently, but states showed total dis respect to it by fielding players who were older than the tournament itself.
Kuala Lumpur, the 2008 champions, also relied on many players who should have given way to younger legs, and their folly saw then finishing third.
A check on the team lists showed that there were 41 players who were in the range of 30-40 years old, and three players in the 40-50 age group.
And it is needless to say that states which relied on players who should be playing in veterans’ tournaments found out that former greats are no longer so great.
“When I used to play in the Razak Cup, it was The chance for a player to break into the national team and we had to give our best in every match because selectors were watching.
“Right after the prize presentation, the names of those who have been selected for national training was read out, and that was how important a development ground it was,” said a former national player who declined to be named.
That is why it would be worthless to write about the action in Division Two, and Division One would also have been a wasted exercise is not for the five 16-year-olds, seven 17- year-olds and six 18-year-olds in the Project squad.
“Before the tournament started, I thought that even if my boys win two matches it would be an achievement. But they went all the way to the final, and this is a good indication that we have selected promising players to be trained for the 2013 Junior World Cup,” said Project coach K. Dharmaraj.
And the most important lesson for the MHF to learn from mistakes made in the last decade is to discard the full-time training which has failed to produce any results.
Lets learn from the semi-finalists of the recent Junior World Cup Germany, Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand. Their players were nurtured via playing in domestic tournaments rather than keeping them for long periods in national camps.
The Razak Cup failed to unearth any new talent, but it certainly showed that the MHF did at least one thing right -- they allowed the Project to play in Division One.
And it could just be the silver lining for Malaysia to perform better in the next junior world cup.

Malacca lifth 47th Razak Cup title

MALACCA played in patches, but it was good enough to beat Project 2013 2-1 in the Division One final of the 47th Razak Cup.
The title came with a bonus of RM10,000, while the Project boys pocketed RM7,000.
In the bronze play-off, which came with a RM5,000 purse, Kuala Lumpur
beat Johor 6-3.
It was a well balanced first half, as the score stood at 1-1, but a lone strike in the second half by the more experienced Malacca side was
enough to hand the Project boys their first defeat of the tournament.
"My players put up a good show, but the lack of experience clearly showed today, especially when executing penalty corners," said Project
coach K. Dharmaraj.
Malacca shocked the Project boys when Ahmad Anuar Sham was on target off a penalty corner attempt in the sixth minute, but the boys rallied back to level the score.
Faheed Saifullah's 14th minute field held into the half time, but a 47th minute penalty corner attempt by Amirullah Zainal was worth RM10,000.
"We did just enough to keep afloat, and I salute my players for being able to play seven matches in eight days and still manage to keep a blistering pace in the final," said Malacca coach K. Balakrishnan.
On the Project squad: "I see potential in these boys, as even though they are still very young, the maturity level is impressive," said Balakrishnan.
Meanwhile, in the Division Two final, Armed Forces beat Singapore 3-0 to lift the title which came with RM5,000. Zulkifli Abdullah scored in the 23rd minute, Ahmad Riduan made it 2-0 in the 39th minute and Forces
skipper cemented their win with a 69th minute strike.
Singapore collected RM3,000, while bronze mesdallists Selangor received RM2,000.
RESULTS -- Division One: Final -- Project 2013 1 Malacca 2; Third-Fourth: Kuala Lumpur 6 Johor 3.
Division Two: Final -- Armed Forces 3 Singapore 0; Third-Fourth: Selangor 7 Kedah 1.
ROLL-OF-HONOUR: Division One -- Best Player: Noor Faeez Ibrahim (Project); Best Player in the Final: ainal (Mal); Best Goalkeeper: Hanafi Hassan (Mal); Top Scorer: Nor Hafiq Ghaffar (Joh, seven goals); Fairplay: Johor.
Division Two: Best Player: Harjeet Singh (Sing); Best Player in the Final: Azman Hassan (Forces); Best Goalkeeper: Saiful Azhar (Sel); Top Scorer: Noor Mohamed Othman (Forces, 11 goals); Fairplay: Kedah.

0-0 in rehearsal

MALACCA and Project 2013 played to a 0-0 draw in a full-dress rehearsal
for today's Division One final of the 47th Razak Cup.
Both the teams had already qualified for the final before yesterday's
match, and it was pointless to stress their players as they will be meeting
in the final again today.
"It was academic as both the teams had already qualified for the final. It
would have served no purpose for me to ask my boys to push themselves
as they final is just 24 hours away," said Project 2013 coach K. Dharmaraj.
And after the warm-up, Dharmaraj is optmistic that his charges will
deliver in the final as well.
Both Malacca and Project 2013 has three wins and three draws for 12
points, and only goals separated them. Project scored 19 and let in 10,
while Malacca scored 10 and let in seven.
"Going by their form in this turnament so far, I believe my boys have
what it takes to lift the title," said Dharmaraj.
The project team is made up five 16-year-olds, seven 17-year-olds and
six 18-year-olds. And the even surprised last year's winners Kuala Lumpur
by winning 5-4 in the curtain raiser.
"I was a little afraid that the boys will be overawed when playing against
experienced players, but they have proven me wrong in a nice way, and
now I am looking forward to see them at the top of the podium."
In Division Two, Sinmgapore and Armed Forces will battle for the title,
with the Army men starting as overwhelming favourites after they scored a
total of 27 goals and only let in five in four matches.
RESULTS: Division One -- Malacca 0 Project 2013 0, Johor 6 Penang 1,
Kuala Lumpur 3 Negri Sembilan 2.
TODAY: Division One -- Final: Project 2013 v Malacca (Tun Razak
Stadium, 5pm).
Division Two: Final -- Armed Forces v Singapore (Tun Razak Stadium,
3pm).


DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts

PROJECT 2013 6 3 3 0 19 10 12
MALACCA 6 3 3 0 10 7 12
JOHOR 6 3 1 2 18 9 10
K LUMPUR 6 3 0 3 19 17 9
PERAK 6 2 2 2 16 11 8
PENANG 6 1 1 4 13 23 4
NEGRI 6 1 0 5 10 28 3

Malacca-Project final

MALACCA could only edge Negri Sembialan 3-2, but it was enough to qualify for the Division One final of the 47th Razak Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
And Project 2013 followed suit, when they drew 3-3 with Penang in a bruising match.
Penang took a 3-1 lead, and the juniors, who only needed a draw to play in the final, rallied strongly in the second half and scored off two penalty corners to realise their dream with one match in hand against Malacca today.
"My boys deserve credit, and even though they were down by two goals, they never lost their structure," said Project coach K. Dharmaraj.
The Project scorers were Firhan Ashari (33rd), Nor Faeez Ibrahim (54th, 56th). The Penang goals were off Mohamed Azri (7th), Izwan Firdaus (38th, 48th).
Yesterday, Malacca took a 2-0 lead off Nor Ikram Sulaiman (fourth) and B. Namasivayam (sixth), but Negri drew level when Suhaimi Ibrahim (10th) and Meor Shaaril (13th) scored.
However, Mihardy Nawawi nailed the winner in the 29th minute to take Malacca into the final.
"We played badly against Negri Sembilan, but the thre points took us to the final. Now, we will rest some players, including Chua Boon Huat (who has one yellow card to his name) in our last match against Project tomorrow (today)," said Malacca coach K. Balakrishnan.
Malacca would be foolish to go all out against the Project squad, as they will be playing the final the next day itself.
In Division Two, Armed Forces and Singapore will play in the final tomorrow.
In the semi-finals yesterday, Armed Forces hammered Kedah 7-1, while Singapore were leading Selangor 2-1 when rain disrupted second half play, and the score stood.
RESULTS: Division One -- Negri Sembilan 2 Malacca 3, Kuala Lumpur 1 Perak 3, Penang 3 Project 2013 3.
Division Two: Semi-finals: Armed Forces 7 Kedah 1, Selangor 1 Singapore 2.
Fifth-Eighth: Brunei 1 Perlis 3, Pahang 5 Police 4.
TODAY: Division One -- Malacca v Project 2013 (3pm), Johor v Penang (5pm), Kuala Lumpur v Negri Sembilan (7pm) -- Matches at the Tun Razak Stadium.
Division Two: Fifth-Sixth: Perlis v Pahang (5.30pm); Seventh-Eighth: Brunei v Police (3.30pm) -- Matches at the KLHA Stadium.

DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
PROJECT 2013 5 3 2 0 19 10 11
MALACCA 5 3 2 0 10 7 11
PERAK 6 2 2 2 16 11 8
JOHOR 5 2 1 2 12 8 7
K LUMPUR 5 2 0 3 16 15 6
PENANG 5 1 1 3 12 17 4
NEGRI 5 1 0 4 8 25 3

Project a step away from final

PROJECT 2013 are just one step away from qualifying for the Division One final of the 47th Razak Cup when they beat Johor 3-2 at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
The Project boys, unbeaten so far, have two more matches against Penang and Malacca, and they only need one win to cement their spot in the final.
Project took a 2-0 lead off Fahed Saifullah (16th) and Faiz Helmi (26th), but Johor levelled the score with goals from Amir Hamzah in the 46th and 64th minutes.
The Project winner was delivered in the 68th minute by Syamim Yusof, after he collected an overhead pass and beat goalkeeper Ahmad Bazli with ease.
"I am a little surprised with the progress made by my boys since the under-23 tournament. They have matured much faster than I anticipated, and now we are in contention to play in the final.
"And the plan is to try and get the three points from Penang (today), and ease the pressure in our last match against Malacca," said Project coach K. Dharmaraj.
The boys were in their element against Johor, and should have won easily if not for the bungled sitters.
"We missed too many sitters, but then, I am happy that the boys have started to think for themselves especially during penalty corner situations.
"I took a step back, and allowed them to make decisions during penalty corners, and they made the right choices."
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur blasted Penang 6-2 in another Division One match to keep their hopes alive of playing in the final.
KL have two more matches to make ammends for their poor start in the tournament. They play Perak today, and Negri Sembilan tomorrow and two wins might even see them top the table.
The KL goals were scored by Fairuz Ramli (sixth, 52nd), Mahinder Singh (25th), Tajol Rosli (47th, 61st), Faizal Daud (70th). Khairil Anuar scored a brace for Penang in the 18th and 38th minutes.
RESULTS: Division One: Kuala Lumpur 6 Penang 2, Project 2013 3 Johor

2, Negri Sembilan 2 Perak 8.
Division Two: Group A -- Sabah 1 Brunei 3, Police 1 Armed Forces 6;

Group B: Selangor 1 Kedah 0, Pahang 6 Perlis 1.
TODAY: Division One -- Negri Sembilan v Malacca (3pm), Kuala Lumpur

v Perak (5pm), Penang v Project 2013 (7pm) -- All matches at the Tun

Razak Stadium.
Division Two: Semi-finals: Armed Forces v Kedah (KLHA, 3.30pm),

Selangor v Singapore (KLHA, 5.30pm).
Fifth-Eighth: Brunei v Perlis (KLHA, 7.30am), Pahang v Police (KLHA,

9.30am);


DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
PROJECT 2013 4 3 1 0 16 7 10
MALACCA 4 2 2 0 7 5 8
JOHOR 5 2 1 2 12 8 7
K LUMPUR 4 2 0 2 15 12 6
PERAK 5 1 2 2 13 10 5
PENANG 4 1 0 3 9 14 3
NEGRI 4 1 0 3 6 22 3


DIVISION TWO

GROUP A

P W D L F A Pts
FORCES 4 3 1 0 27 5 10
SINGAPORE 4 3 1 0 17 6 10
BRUNEI 4 1 1 2 6 19 4
POLICE 4 0 2 2 8 14 2
SABAH 4 0 1 3 3 17 1

GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
SELANGOR 3 3 0 0 13 3 9
KEDAH 3 2 0 1 3 2 6
PAHANG 3 1 0 2 9 9 3
PERLIS 3 0 0 3 2 13 0

Waive hosting fee, say MHF

MALAYSIA will consider hosting the Asian Champions Trophy, provided the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) waive the hosting fee of US20,000, and provide a new date.
The inaugural Asian Champions Trophy was supposed to be held in Pakistan at the end of the year, but Pakistan have since withdrew.
THe AHF then offered Malaysia to host it, and the Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) management committee, which met yesterday, placed two conditions.
The inaugural tournament will see South Korea, Pakistan, China and Malaysia battle for the title.
"We might host the tournament if AHF agres to waive the hoisting fee, and also find another suitable date. It was proposed by AHF that the tournament be held in January, but our schedule is tight at the start of the year, and we would prefer another date from AHF," said MHF vice-president Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema.

Malaysia may host inaugural Asian Champions Trophy

MALAYSIA might host the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy next year, as Pakistan are not interested to host it.
Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) secretary Tan Sri P. Alagendra said yesterday that an offer letter had been sent to the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).
"Pakistan were supposed to host the tournament in September, but they withdrew. The AHF Council met last month in China and agreed to offer the host job to Malaysia," said Alagendra when met at the Tun Razak Stadium yesterday.
The inaugural tournament will see South Korea, Pakistan, China and Malaysia battle for the title.
"We have proposed January, as it would be a good warm up for Asian teams which have qualified for the New Delhi World Cup," said Alagendra.
The MHF management committee will met today, and make a stand on the Asian Champions Trophy.

Malacca in hunt for final ticket

MALACCA placed themselves in contention to play in the final when they beat Kuala Lumpur 3-2 in Division One of the Razak Cup yesterday.
Malacca, who top the standings on eight points, only have a weak Negri Sembilan to beat tomorrow and then wrap up their fixtures against Project 2013 on Wednesday.
Yesterday, the Malacca goals were scored by B. Namasivayam (24th), Nor Ikram Sulaiman (33rd) and Ahmad Anuar (39th). The KL goals were delivered by Sallehin Ghani (16th) and M. Kaliswaran (64th).
"We have a good chance of playing in the final after beating Kuala Lumpur, however, we need to secure at least three more points in our remaining two matches," said Malacca coach K. Balakrishnan.
And the coach is cautious of his next match, even though Negri Sembilan has been at the receiving end so far.
"Negri has hit a bad patch in this tournament, but still, we can't take them lighgtly as they have many experienced players who can turn the tide is we lose our grip," said Balakrishnan.
Project 2013, who rested yesterday, will face Johor today and Penang tomorrow -- where they are expected to be tested to the limit.
In another Division One match, Johor beat Perak 2-1 to keep their hopes of playting in the final alive. Johor are tied on seven points with the Project boys.
Perak took the lead in the ninth minute when Azlan Misron scored a field goal, but two penalty corner strikes by Junior World Cup player Nor Hafiq Ghaffar in the 63rd and 65th minutes handed Johor three points.

Project on tract

PROJECT 2013 kept their unbeaten record in Division One of the 47th Razak Cup when they held bronze medallists Perak to a 1-1 draw at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
It was the third impressive dislay from the team which is being moulded for the 2013 Junior World Cup, as they had beaten gold medallists Kuala Lumpur 5-4, silver medallists Negri Sembilan 7-0 and yesterday held the bronze medallists.
Perak took the lead off a second minute J. Davendran field attempt, but the Project boys levelled the score off a Sabri Mohamed penalty corner in the 37th minute, and held onto the draw to share points.
Perak coach Manjit singh rated the Project boys as the fittest and best prepared team in the tournament.
"I believe, like Perak, most of the other states did not have much time to tarin for the Razak Cuo and fitness s a boig problem for us. On the other hand, the Project squad is fast on attack and fast to defend, and will be hard to beat in this tournament," said Manjit.
Perak only had 13 players, including their two goalkeepers, against Project: "One player is down with fever, while two boys are preparing for examinations and two other with the Masum (Universities) tournament right now.
"We did not have reserves today (yesterday), and coupled with a short training stint, I feel we did our best," said Manjit.
Perak still have Johor, Negri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur to battle with before they complete their group fixtures.
Meanwhile, Malacca finally won their first match in Division One when they beat Penang 2-1. Malacca drew their ealier matches against Perak and Johor with identical 1-1 scores.
Malacca took the lead in the 21st minute off B. Namasivayam and Chua Boon Huat consolidated their position in the 40th minute. Penang injected some fight into the match when Izwan Firdaus scored in the 45th mninute, but they failed to find the equalsier.
RESULTS -- Division One: Penang 1 Malacca 2, Project 2013 1 Perak 1, Johor 2 Kuala Lumpur 3.
Division Two: Group A: Armed Forces 8 Brunei 0, Singapore 3 Sabah 0; Group B: Pahang 1 Kedah 2, Perlis 1 Selangor 6.
TODAY: Division One -- Johor v Perak (Tun Razak, 3pm), Kuala Lumpur v Malacca (Tun Razak, 5pm), Penang v Negri Sembilan (Tun Razak, 7pm).
Division Two: Group A -- Armed Forces v Sabah (KLHA, 3.30pm), Police v Singapore (KLHA, 5.30pm)

DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
PROJECT 2013 3 2 1 0 13 5 7
MALACCA 3 1 2 0 4 3 5
JOHOR 3 1 1 1 8 4 4
K LUMPUR 2 1 0 1 7 7 3
PENANG 2 1 0 1 5 4 3
PERAK 3 0 2 1 4 6 2
NEGRI 2 0 0 2 0 12 0

DIVISION TWO

GROUP A

P W D L F A Pts
SINGAPORE 3 2 1 0 14 4 7
FORCES 2 1 1 0 12 4 4
POLICE 2 0 2 0 5 5 2
SABAH 1 0 1 0 2 2 1
BRUNEI 3 0 1 2 3 18 1

GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
SELANGOR 2 2 0 0 12 3 6
KEDAH 2 2 0 0 3 1 6
PAHANG 2 0 0 2 3 8 0
PERLIS 2 0 0 2 1 7 0

Project 2013 hammer Negri Sembilan

PROJECT 2013 sent shock-waves around the Tun Razak Stadium in Kuala Lumpur yesterday when they hammered last year's silver medallists Negri Sembilan 7-0 in the 47th Razak Cup.
The under-18 boys hold the distinction of also having beaten the gold medallists Kuala Lumpur 5-4 on Thursday, but their coach K. Dharmaraj still feels his charges will face a tough time against the other four Division One teams, as Negri had fielded a veteran team.
"We are still far from ready to try for the title even after wins against last year's finalists. I feel the other four matches will be tough, and my boys will have to play much better to win," said Dharmaraj.
The Project boys scored six penalty corner and one field goal against Negri.
Skipper Nor Faeez Ibrahim started the rout with a 16th minute goal, and then delivered again in the 41st minute. The other scorers were Sabri Mohamed (29th, 33rd, 59th, 67th) and Firhan Ashari (53rd).
"We were on target during penalty corners today (yesterday) and I believe it will not be as easy to score against our other opponents."
The Project boys play against Perak today, and the Silver State is among the better prepared teams this year.
In another Division One match, Penang beat Perak 4-2 in their first match of the tournament.
The Penang scorers were Fahmy Nasir (11th), Jamil Saidin (2nd), Razak Saidin (37th) and Izwan Firdaus (60th).
The Perak goals were scored by Hairul Nizam (ninth) and J. Davendran (20th).
RESULTS -- Division One: Negri Sembilan 0 Project 2013 7, Perak 2 Penang 4, Malacca 1 Johor 1.
Division Two: Group A -- Brunei 3 Police 3, Armed Forces 4 Singapore 4.
TODAY -- Division One: Penang v Malacca (National Stadium, 3pm), Project 2013 v Perak (National Stadium, 5pm), Johor v Kuala Lumpur (Tun Razak Stadium, 8.30pm).


DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
PROJECT 2013 2 2 0 0 12 4 6
JOHOR 1 1 0 0 5 0 3
PENANG 1 1 0 0 4 2 3
MALACCA 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
PERAK 2 0 1 1 3 5 1
K LUMPUR 1 0 0 1 4 5 0
NEGRI 2 0 0 2 0 12 0

DIVISION TWO

GROUP A

P W D L F A Pts
SINGAPORE 2 1 1 0 11 6 4
POLICE 2 0 2 0 5 5 2
FORCES 1 0 1 0 4 4 1
SABAH 1 0 1 0 2 2 1
BRUNEI 2 0 1 1 5 10 1

GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
SELANGOR 1 1 0 0 6 2 3
KEDAH 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
PERLIS 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
PAHANG 1 0 0 1 2 6 0

Malaysia hold Kiwis

MALAYSIA held New Zealand to a 2-2 draw in their fourth friendly in Napier yesterday.
The Black Sticks scored seven minutes into the match with an Andy Hayward penalty corner drag flick variation.
Malaysia equalised in the 19th minute through S. Selvaraju while Amin Rahim converted a penalty corner in the 33rd minute to take the lead.
However, Phil Burrows drew the Kiwis level just before half time.
The second half remaind scoreless. Malaysia lost 3-0, then drew 1-1 and again lost 3-0 in the other matches.
The final match of the series is in Taupo on Sunday.

Project start with flourish

PROJECT 2013 upset the form-book when they beat defending champions Kuala Lumpur 5-4 in the curtain raiser of the 47th Razak Cup at the Tun Razak Stadium in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Playing in Division One, Project 2013 were heading for a super win as they were leading 5-1, but almost collapsed in the last three minutes against the more experienced KL side.
KL started off with a bang when Faizal Daud scored in the first minute, and it looked like the juniors were in for a hiding.
However, Firhan Ashari levelled for the juniors in the 31st minute, and the boys took control of the match in the second half to score four more goals.
Shazril Irwan (38th), Amir Farid (41st, 4th) and Zulhairi Hashim (49th) gave the Project 2013 squad a healthy lead.
But the more experienced Kl side made a late rally, and rattled the boys with goals from Tajol Rosli (68th, 69th) and Fairuz Ramli (70th) but ran out of time.
"I have no idea why my boys played so badly after taking a good lead. However, I am happy with the three points, and hopefully they learn how to keep their composure in the other matches," said Project 2013 coach K. Dharmaraj.
KL's Dutch coach Jaap Suyk said his charges mised too many sitters: "They are capable of playing well as they showed in the last five minutes of the match, but missed too many sitters after scoring the first minute goal.
"I believe they did not take the juniors lightly, but paid the price for not being sharp in the semi-circle."
The Project boys, who are being moulded for the 2013 Junior World Cup, will play silver medallists Negri Sembilan today.
Negri Sembilan also had a torrid opening match when they were hammered 5-0 by Johor, before match was abandoned in the 42nd minute due to heavy rain.
The score stood as rain did not stop after the 45minutes regulation, and Johor got their their goals off Robert Alcantara (first minute), Nor Hafiq Ghaffar (3rd, 21st, 39th) and Fikri Basar (42nd).
RESULTS -- Division One: Kuala Lumpur 4 Project 2013 5, Johor 5 Negri Sembilan 0, Perak 1 Malacca 1.
Division Two: Group A -- Singapore 7 Brunei 0, Police 2 Sabah 2; Group B: Selangor 6 Pahang 2, Perlis 0 Kedah 1.
TODAY: Division One -- Negri Sembilan v Project 2013 (Tun Razak, 3pm), Perak v Penang (Tun Razak, 5pm), Malacca v Johor (Tun Razak 7pm).
Division Two: Group A -- Brunei v Police (KLHA, 3.30pm), Armed Forces v Singapore (KLIA, 5.30pm).

STANDINGS

DIVISION ONE
P W D L F A Pts
JOHOR 1 1 0 0 5 0 3
PROJECT 2013 1 1 0 0 5 4 3
K LUMPUR 1 0 0 1 4 5 0
NEGRI 1 0 0 1 0 5 0
PERAK 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
MALACCA 1 0 1 0 1 1 1
PENANG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

DIVISION TWO

GROUP A

P W D L F A Pts
SINGAPORE 1 1 0 0 7 2 3
POLICE 1 0 1 0 2 2 1
SABAH 1 0 1 0 2 2 1
BRUNEI 1 0 0 1 2 7 0
FORCES 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


GROUP B
P W D L F A Pts
SELANGOR 1 1 0 0 6 2 3
KEDAH 1 1 0 0 1 0 3
PERLIS 1 0 0 1 0 1 0
PAHANG 1 0 0 1 2 6 0

Project 2013 in for rough ride

PROJECT 2013 will open accounts against defending champions Kuala Lumpur in the 47th Razak Cup on Thurs day at the Tun Razak Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
The Project squad, being groomed for the 2013 Junior World Cup, did well in the National Under-23 where they won bronze, but the Razak Cup is another story.
And their coach, K. Dharmaraj, accepts the fact that winning even two matches in Division One will be difficult.
“I personally requested that my team plays in Division One so that they can learn from their seniors. It will be difficult for my boys to match experience, even though they have fitness on their side,” said Dharmaraj.
Kuala Lumpur have a well balanced team, and Project 2013’s opening encounter might turn into a bashing ex ercise.
“I have selected six fresh legs from states after the under- 23 tournament, but still, the majority of my players will be under-16, and I expect them to face a tough time but at the same time, it would be good to expose them early as our end target is still four years away.”
Kuala Lumpur will still rely on old hand, M. Nadarajan between the posts, and former national players Tajol Rosli, Fairuz Ramli, Faizal Daud and M. Kaliswaran
And their three young legs will be Junior World Cup players Harvinder Singh, R. Nadesh and Abdul Hakim.
The youngest player in the KL squad is 16-year-old Mohd Nor Akhmal Abdul Ghaffar.
The City side will also rely, for the first time, on a foreign coach in Dutchman Jaap Suyk.
This year, the Division One teams will play at the Tun Razak Stadium, while Division One will be held at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium.
Division One: Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan, Perak, Malacca, Johor, Penang, Project 2013.
Division Two: Group A -- Armed Forces, Singapore, Police, Sabah, Brunei; Group B: Selangor, Perlis, Pahang, Kedah.
FIXTURES -- Thursday: Division One: Kuala lumpur v Project 2013 (Tun Razak, 3pm), Johor v Negri Sembilan (Tun Razak, 5pm), Perak v Malacca (Tun Razak, 7pm).
Division Two (Group A): Singapore v Brunei (KLHA, 7.30am), Police v Sabah (KLHA, 9am); Group B: Selangor v Pahang (KLHA, 3.30pm), Perlis v Kedah (KLHA, 5.30pm).

By Ajitpal Singh
ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my

NEW Zealand notched an easy 3-0 win over Malaysia in their first test match in Palmerston North on the day when the national women’s indoor team won the Asian title at the Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh yesterday.
The Kiwis, ranked eight in the world, dominated pro ceedings and opened their account through Simon Child in the 25th minute before Joel Baker added their second, 10 minutes later.
Child scored his second off a field attempt midway in the second half.
The Malaysian team, coached by Tai Beng Hai, were lacking in all areas and had only two chances throughout the match.
Faisal Shaari came the closest too scoring but his penalty corner attempt was cleared off the line by a New Zealand- stick in the opening minutes of the match.
Team manager George Koshy said his charges played well in patches.
“The outcome could have been different if the players were consistent and sharper. This result should serve as a wake- up call for them,” said George via short-messaging-service yesterday.
Malaysia and New Zealand will play their second test match tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Malaysia ‘A’ captured the women’s crown of the Asian Indoor Championships, by edging Kazakhstan 3-2 in Ipoh.
Norhafizah Azman opened accounts for Malaysia in the eight minute before Norizadah Ibrahim added the second, 14 minutes later.
Kazakhstan gave Malaysia some anxious moments and their persistence were rewarded when Natalya Sazonpova found the net in the 24th minute.
However, Norsuhali Sapie ensured the title for Malaysia with a strike in the 37th minute.
In the men’s section, Malaysia ‘A’ were defeated 3-2 by Asian giants Iran.
Iran’s goals were scored by Yaacob Bahrami (first minute), Mehdi Malik Ahmadi (sixth) and Rouhollah Roufi (32nd).
Rodhanizam Radzi and S.Shanker replied for Malaysia in the ninth and 23rd minutes respectively.
Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) secretary Hashim Yusoff said next year’s edition will double-up as a qualifier for the 2011 Indoor World Cup in Barcelona.
“We are planning to organise it next July in Ipoh,” said Hashim when contacted in Ipoh.

Anderson claim 11th title

PERAK'S Anderson claimed their 11th Champion Schools title when they edged Seberang Temerloh of Pahang 2-1 at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
Norazmirrul Azman gave them the lead when he scored a field goal in the 28th minute, and then in the 69th minute, Soffian Kamaruddin delivered the second goal also off a field attempt.
Temerloh narowed the gap in the 70th minute, but time was no longer on their side.
"My boys deserve the credit, and now we will be gunning for the Premier Schools title from Sunday onwards," said Anderson coach Mokhtar Baharuddin.
The Premier Schools tournament will be held in Kuantan, with the same teams competing, and Mokhtar feels the standard at this age group is nothingto shout about.
"Except for Temerloh and TBSS (Tunku Besar Secondary School), the rest of the teams are not impressive at this level. And I forsee the same two schools giving us a fight, together with Setapak High who will have fresh legs."
Setapak High will replace St John in the Premier Schools, and Anderson is expected to face a tough time against them to win back-to-back titles.
In the bronze play-off, TBSS of Negri Sembilan beat Khir Johari of Kedah 2-1 with goals from Shahir Arif (first minute) and Fadhirul Yahya (39th). The Khir Johari goal was scored by Anuar Wahab in the 55th minute.
RESULTS: Final -- Anderson (Pk) 2 Seberang Temerloh (Pah) 1; Third-Fourth: Tunku Besar Secondart School (Negri) 2 Khir Johari (Ked) 1; Fifth-Sixth: St John (KL) 3 Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh) 4; Seventh-Eighth: Mutiara Impian (Pg) 6 Hamzah Machang (Kel) 3.

Anderson the best bet

PERAK'S Anderson and Seberang Temerloh of Pahang will battle for the Champion Schools hockey title at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium today.
Anderson, the favourites, dominated and beat Tunku Besar Secondary School (TBSS) of Negri Sembilan 3-0 in the semi-finals yesterday.
And Seberang Temerloh beat Khir Johari of Kedah 2-0 in the other semi-finals.
The Anderson goals were scored by Zakwan Badaruddin (fourth), Jasdev Singh (29th) and Zainol Akmal (48th). The Perak school have entered the final without losing a single match, and look the better side to lift the title.
However, Seberang Temerloh are looking forward to playing in the final, as they have plans to lift the title they last won in 2006.
"We were the champions in 2006 in Kedah, and are looking forward to another exciting outing tomorrow (today). We have enough players to give Anderson a run for the money," said Temerloh coach Mohamed sufian.
Temerloh had it easy against Khir Johari in the semi-finals, and were in total control after Azwan Sulaiman scored a penalty corner goal in the second minute.
But it was a tale of missed sitters, until the 61st minute when Hafiz Zainol consolidated their position, and they sailed into the final.
"With all my players available for the final, and the semi-finals not a taxing one, we will give our best to take the trophy back to Pahang," said Sufian.
RESULTS: Semi-finals -- Seberang Temerloh (Pah) 2 Khir Johari (Kedah) 0, Anderson (Pk) 3 Tunku Besar Secondary School (Negri) 0.
Fifth-Eighth: Mutiara Impian (Pg) 2 Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh) 4, St John (KL) 5 Hamzah Machang (Kel) 2.
Ninth-10th: Armed Forces 1 Seksyen II (Sel) 3.
TODAY: Final -- Seberang Temerloh (Pah) v Anderson (Pk) 5pm; Third-Fourth: Khir Johari (Ked) v Tunku Besar Secondary School (Negri) 3pm; Fifth-Sixth: St John (KL) v Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh) 9am; Seventh-Eighth: Hamzah Machang (Kel) v Mutiara Impian (Pg).

TBS scrape into semis

PERAK'S Anderson School will square off against Tunku Besar

Secondary School (TBSS) of Negri Sembilan in the semi-finals

of the Champions School hockey tournament at the Kuala Lumpur

HA stadium today.
Anderson topped group B as the only unbeaten team in the

tournament with 12 points, while TBSS drew 2-2 with Hamzah

Machang of Kelantan to end second in Group A.
The other semi-finals will be between Seberang Temerloh of

Pahang and Khir Johari of Kedah.
Yesterday, in their final pool match, Anderson beat Seksyen

II of Selangor 1-0: "We rested some of the key players, and

told the others to take it easy against Selangor because we

had already qualified for the semi-finals before the match.
"And since the semi-finals is tomorrow (today) it would

have been foolish to stress out the players anyway," said

Anderson team manager Asrul Izraai.
TBSS coach M. Vivekananda is looking for an upset:

"Anderson have yet to draw or lose a match in this tournament

so I expect a tough semi-finals. However, we will be looking

forward to improve on our semis target, and play in the

final."
The Anderson winner against selangor was delivered by

Sofian Kamaruddim (58th).
TBSS took the lead off Shahrir Ariff in the eight minute,

only to see it cancelled by Machang's Izhharuddin Zain in the

55th minute. The Negri school again took the lead in the 60th

minute off R. Satish, but a 70th minute strike by Nur

Badruzzaman saw they share points, but it was enough to take

Negri into the semi-finals.
Pahang's Seberang Temerloh went on a 6-2 rampage to shut

out Mutiara Impian of Penang from the semi-finals.
In the last match of the day, St John of Kuala Lumpur and

Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor played to a 3-3 draw, which gave

Khir Johari the bbreak they needed to play in the semis.
RESULTS: Group A -- Hamzah Machang (Kel) 2 Tunku Besar

Secondary School (Negri) 2, Mutiara Impian (Pg) 2 Seberang

Temerloh (Pah) 6.
GROUP B: Anderson (Pk) 1 Seksyen II (Sel) 0, Sultan Abu

Bakar (Joh) 3 St John (KL) 3.
TODAY: Semi-finals -- Seberang Temerloh (Pah) v Khir Johari

(Kedah) 5pm, Anderson (Pk) v Tunku Besar Secondary School

(Negri) 7pm.
Fifth-Eighth: Mutiara Impian (Pg) v Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh)

7am, St John (KL) v Hamzah Machang (Kel) 9am.
Ninth-10th: Armed Forces v Seksyen II (Sel) 3pm.

FINAL STANDINGS

GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
PAHANG 4 3 0 1 12 4 9
NEGRI 4 2 1 1 12 5 7
PENANG 3 2 1 0 5 2 7
KELANTAN 4 1 2 1 3 8 5
ARMED FORCES 4 0 0 4 1 14 0


GROUP B

P W D L F A PTS
PERAK 4 4 0 0 14 2 12
KEDAH 4 2 0 2 7 8 6
K LUMPUR 4 1 1 2 10 13 4
JOHOR 4 1 1 2 6 11 4
SELANGOR 4 1 0 3 5 8 3

Perak qualify for semis

PERAK'S Anderson School hammered St John of Kuala Lumpur 5-1

to qualify for the semi-finals of the Champion Schools hockey

tournament at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
Perak, in Group B, are unbeaten after three matches, and

will wrap-up their fixtures against Seksyen II of Selangor

today.
Anderson started the goal-count in the 10th minute, when

their skipper Jasdev Singh scored off a penalty corner, and

the other goals were scored by Norazmirul Azman (16th),

Zainol Akmal (42nd), Firdaus Sidek (48th) and Rasyid Hazar

(59th). The St John goal was scored by Harith Rosli in the

54th minute.
In another Group B match, Seksyen II of Selangor shocked

Khir Johari of Kedah 4-0 with goals from Al-Hakim Maula

(25th, 62nd), Nashriq Farhan (35th) and Hafif Elkan (53rd).
In Group A, Tunku Besar Secondary School (TBSS) of Negri

Sembilan blew a chance to qualify for the semi-finals early

when they lost 2-0 to Mutiara Impian of Penang.
Now, TBSS must beat or hold Hamzah Machang of Kelantan to a

draw today to play in the last four. The TBSS defeat has also

thrown the semi-finals tickets wide open, with Negri, Penang,

Kelantan and Pahang all in the hunt to play in the knock-out

stage.
Mutiara Impian scored two late goals off Muhaimin Aziz

(60th) and Rashid Baharom (66th) to top Group A on seven

points.
In the last match of the day, Pahang beat Armed Forces 2-0

with goals from Hafiz Zainol (28th) and Zulhannan Mazlan

(47th) to keep their semis hopes alive.
RESULTS -- GROUP A: Mutiara Impian (Pg) 2 Tunku Besar Tampin

(NS) 0, Seberang Temerloh 2 Armed Forces 0; Group B: Anderson

(Pk) 5 St John (KL) 1, Seksyen II (Sel) 4 Khir Johari (Ked)

0.
TODAY: Group A -- Hamzah Machang (Kel) v Tunku Besar

Secondary School (Negri) 7.30am, Mutiara Impian (Pg) v

Seberang Temerloh (Pah) 9.30am.
GROUP B: Anderson (Pk) v Seksyen II (Sel) 3.30pm, Sultan

Abu Bakar (Joh) v St John (KL) 5.30pm.


GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
PENANG 3 2 1 0 5 2 7
NEGRI 3 2 0 1 10 3 6
PAHANG 3 2 0 1 6 2 6
KELANTAN 3 1 1 1 1 6 4
ARMED FORCES 4 0 0 4 1 14 0


GROUP B

P W D L F A PTS
PERAK 3 3 0 0 13 2 9
KEDAH 4 2 0 2 7 8 6
SELANGOR 3 1 0 2 5 7 3
K LUMPUR 3 1 0 2 7 10 3
JOHOR 3 1 0 2 3 8 3

TBSS impress in 2-1 win

TUNKU BESAR Secondary School (TBSS) of Negri Sembilan came back from a goal down, to beat Seberang Temerloh of Pahang 2-1 in Group A of the Champion Schools at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
And TBSS will be out to seal their semi-finals ticket when they square off against Mutiara Impian of Penang today. But if they falter, they will have to beat defending champions Hamzah Machang of Kelantan on Wednesday.
The match was evently matched into the breather, but Seberang Temerloh took the lead off an Ikhwan Manshor penalty corner in the 58th minute, only to see TBSS equalise three minutes later off a field attempt by Ikhwan Ishak.
The match was heading towards a draw, but a 66th minute field goal by Shahir Arif handed TBSS three valuable points.
"We have two tough matches back-to back after this, and need to keep our momentum to play in the semi-finals. Penang and Kelantan are both formidable opponents, and we need to play much better than the previous two matches to beat them," said TBSS coach M. Vivekananda.
In another Group A match, Hamzah Machang could only beat Armed Forces 2-0, while their final pool opponents TBSS had hammered the Army boys 8-0.
Hamzah got their goals off Nur Badruzzaman (31st) and Faizal Razab (70th). In Group B, St John of Kuala Lumpur beat Seksyen 11 of Selangor 4-0 with goals from R. Ramesh (40th), Ahmad Kafeel (58th), Joel van Huizen (65th) and A. Kaartheik (67th).
RESULTS: GROUP A -- Tunku Besar Tampin (NS) 2 Seberang Temerloh (Pah) 1, Armed Forces 0 Hamzah Machang (Kel) 2.
GROUP B: St John (KL) 4 Seksyen II (Sel) 0, Khir Johari (Ked) 1 Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh) 0.
TODAY -- GROUP A: Mutiara Impian (Pg) v Tunku Besar Tampin (NS) 3.30pm, Seberang Temerloh v Armed Forces (5.30pm); Group B: Anderson (Pk) v St John (KL) 7.30am, Seksyen II (Sel) v Khir Johari (Ked) 9.30pm.

GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
NEGRI 2 2 0 0 10 1 6
PENANG 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
KELANTAN 3 1 1 1 1 6 4
PAHANG 2 1 0 1 4 2 3
ARMED FORCES 3 0 0 3 1 12 0

GROUP B
P W D L F A PTS
PERAK 2 2 0 0 8 1 6
KEDAH 3 2 0 1 7 4 6
K LUMPUR 2 1 0 1 6 5 3
JOHOR 3 1 0 2 3 8 3
SELANGOR 2 0 0 2 1 7 0

Anderson move closer to semis

ANDERSON of Perak stamped their mark in Group B of the
Champion Schools hockey tournament when they beat Khir Johari
of Kedah 2-1 at the Kuala Lumpur HA Stadium yesterday.
It was their second win, and it has placed them in a good
position to claim a semi-finals slot.
Anderson took the lead in the fifth minute off Soffian
Kamaruddin but Khir Johari equalsied off Firdaus Sabri in the
30th minute.
The Anderson winner was delivered by their skipper Jasdev
Singh in the 40th minute.
In another Group B match, Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor beat
Seksyen II of Selangor 3-1. Azizul Shah (second), Herwan Shah
(29th) and Azhari Zafree (53rd) scored for Johor, while the
Selangor goal was scored by Al-Hakim Maula.
In Group A, defending champions Hamzah Machang of Kelantan
suffered another blow when they lost 3-0 to Seberang Temerloh
of Pahang.
Ahmad Qusyairi (10th), Zulhannan Zainol (53rd) and Hafiz
Zainol (59th) delivered for Pahang. For Kelantan, it was
another nail in their hopes to qualify for the semi-finals,
after being held 1-1 by Mutiara Impian of Penang in the
curtain raiser.
Kelantan are the victims of a new rule introduced in the
Champion Schools, which capped the tournament for Under-18
players only.
Previously, even Form Six boys were allowed to play in the
tournament. Kelantan had to replace three of their top
players, and suffered a draw and a defeat.
RESULTS: Group A: Seberang Temerloh (Pah) 3 Hamzah Machang
(Kel) 0, Mutiara Impian (Pg) 2 Armed Forces 1; Group B:
Seksyen II (Sel) 1 Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh) 3, Khir Johari
(Ked) 1 Anderson (PK) 2.
TODAY: GROUP A -- Tunku Besar Tampin (NS) v Seberang
Temerloh (Pah) 7.30am, Armed Forces v Hamzah Machang (Kel)
9.30am.
GROUP B: St John (KL) v Seksyen II (Sel) 3.30pm, Khir
Johari (Ked) v Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh) 5.30pm.

GROUP A
P W D L F A Pts
PENANG 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
NEGRI 1 1 0 0 8 0 3
PAHANG 1 1 0 0 3 0 3
KELANTAN 2 0 1 1 1 4 1
ARMED FORCES 2 0 0 2 1 10 0

GROUP B
P W D L F A PTS
PERAK 2 2 0 0 8 1 6
KEDAH 2 1 0 1 6 4 3
JOHOR 2 1 0 1 3 7 3
K LUMPUR 1 0 0 1 2 5 0
SELANGOR 1 0 0 1 1 3 0

Australia made to sweat for win

By Bruce Hamilton

CANBERRA, August 2 – Australia had to work hard to defeat Malaysia 1-0 in the final of the three-nations tournament here Sunday.
Chris Ciriello converted Australia’s fifth penalty corner chance in the 24th minute, flicking into the middle of the net with Malaysia’s goalkeeper Kumar Subramanian getting a touch on the ball which fell behind him into the goal.
Australia earned a total of 13 penalty corners in the match and converted only one – drawing the ire of Australia’s coach, Richard Charlesworth.
“We scored one from 13 and that is pretty appalling and is obviously an area that requires attention and is disappointing. We have to spend a lot more time on that,” Charlesworth said.
“Our defence has been better over the last few days and it is an area that is critical,” Charlesworth said.
Australia shaded Malaysia for possession and maintained a high tempo of play but with lapses of quality.
“We are still too up and down and there is not an evenness to how we play and that something we have to look after. We have to have more consistent performance from everybody,” Charlesworth concluded.
Malaysia’s high strikers Faizal Saari and Ismail Abu had quality shots on goal after midfield turnovers of possession by Australia.
Australia’s midfield and backfield contributed to Malaysia’s lightning-fast counter-attacks with slow ball-speed on passes, making it easier for Malaysia to make interceptions and attack the ball carrier.
Malaysia’s coach Beng Hai Tai was delighted his 16th ranked team was able to match it with Australia ranked second in the world.“
This is a very good result for us,” Tai said.
“The boys did very well in defence today and while we conceded too many short corners we were much more in the game with possession of the ball which is what contributed to the result today,” Tai said.
Australia A plays Canada in a practice match on Tuesday and Canada and Australia play two more tests next week on Thursday and Friday.

Australia win Four-Nation

THE Kookaburras held off a determined Malaysian team to record a 1-0 victory in the final of the 3 Nation/ 4 Team series today in Canberra.
In what was a complete contrast to their previous encounter in which the Kookaburras won 11-3, the result was a mixed one for the Kookaburras who dominated Malaysia in terms of penalty corners, shots on goal and circle penetrations.
While pleased to get the win, and to also deny any penalty corners for Malaysia, the fact that only one goal was converted from 13 penalty corners will no doubt be addressed ahead of the 2010 World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand in late August.
The Kookaburras started the match well, recording four penalty corners within the first 15 minutes, with another shot on goal from Mark Knowles going agonisingly close.
However it was not until the 24 minute mark until the Kookaburras recorded their first and only goal of the match, a penalty corner converted by up and comer Chris Ciriello.
When the Kookaburras recorded two more penalty corners in the first six minutes of the second half it appeared only a matter of time before they would score again.
However to the credit of the Malaysian defence the second goal never came.
Malaysia remained under siege throughout the second half conceding 17 circle penetrations and 10 shots of goal.
Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth paid particular attention to his teams disappointing penalty corner conversion rate after the game.
”The conversion rate was appalling. They (Malaysia) were good in defence but it is something we need to pay some attention to,” said Charlesworth.
The Kookaburras and an Australia A side will remain in Canberra to play Canada in three separate matches next week.
Kookaburras 1 Malaysia 0 (1-0 half time) Goals – Ciriello 24m PC
Hockey Australia media release

Australia 1 Malaysia 0

MALAYSIA pulled off another surprise when they only lost 1-0
to Kookaburras in the final of the Four-Nation in Canberra
yesterday. In the pool match, Malaysia were hammered 11-3, but pulled
up their socks and their only blemish was letting in the
winner scored by Chris Ciriello. The Kookaburras are the Australian national team.
In the play-off, Australia A beat Canada 4-1.
Coach Tai Beng Hai's men will next head to New Zealand, for
a series of friendlies with the Kiwis in preparation for the
November World Cup qualifier.
"When we lost 11-3, I tried playing open hockey with the
Kookaburras but the plan back-fired. So we went back to tactical play, and only lost 1-0 to Kookaburras," said Beng Hai.
And considering that they beat the Kookaburras 1-0 in a friendly before the Four-Nation, Beng Hai feels they are heading towards the right direction.
"These are all friendlies where I can experiment, not only with some new players, but also try out different approaches to prepare for the qualifier," said Beng Hai.

Kelantan start with a draw

CHAMPION Schools defending champions Hamzah Machang of
Kelantan got off on the wrong foot in Group A when they were
held 1-1 by Mutiara Impian of Penang at the Kuala Lumpur HA
Stadium yesterday.
However, Tengku Besar secondary School of Negri Sembilan
started on a high when they hammered Armed Forces Apprentice
School 8-0 in Group A.
TBSS, who have set themselves a semi-finals target, took a
2-0 lead off Saiful Akhmar (fourth) and Zainol Ashraf (35th)
before scoring six more in the second half off Zainol (46th),
Irsyaduddin (52nd, 55th, 65th), Saiful (62nd) and Syafiq
Shukor (68th). Mutiara Impian took the lead off Rashid Baharom (37th) but Hamzah Machang equalsied in the 51st minute off Mohamed
Paizol.
In a Group B match, bronze medallists Anderson of Perak
beat silver medallists Sultan Abu Bakar College 6-0 with
goals from Harris Fadila (18th), Amir Nasli (19th), Jasdev
Singh (22nd, 46th), Zainul Akmal (35th) and Soffian
Kamaruddin (60th).
"We are fielding a team whih has JHL (Junior Hockey League)
experience, and our target is to play in the semi-finals. The
big margin today (yesterday) is no reason to celebrate yet,
because we will face many strong teams in our group after
this," said TBSS coach M. Vivekananda.
And TBSS will also be involved in the Premier Schools
tournament in Kuantan a day after the Champion Schools ends.
"At least one title, is what we expecct from these boys who
will be playing in back-to-back tournaments," said
Vivekananda. All the teams in Champion Schools, except for Armed Forces and Kuala Lumpur's St Johns, will be involved in the Premier
Schools tournament.
Kuala Lumpur will be represented by
Setapak High School.
RESULTS: Group A -- Hamzah Machang (Kel) 1 Mutiara Impian
(Pg) 1, Tunku Besar Secondary School 8 Armed Forces 0; Group
B: Sultan Abu Bakar College (Joh) 0 Anderson (Pk) 6, St John
(KL) 2 Khir Johari (Ked) 5.
TODAY: Group A: Seberang Temerloh (Pah) v Hamzah Machang
(Kel) 3.30pm, Mutiara Impian (Pg) v Armed Forces (5.30pm);
Group B: Seksyen II (Sel) v Sultan Abu Bakar (Joh) 7.30am,
Khir Johari (Ked) v Anderson (PK) 9.30am.

Malaysia to play Kookaburras in final

MALAYSIA beat Canada 3-2 to qualify for the final of the Four-Nation in Canberra yesterday. The national players will square off against the mighty Kookaburras again today, and the result is difficult top predict. Malaysia lost to the Kookaburras 8-1 in a Test match prelude to the tournament, but bounced back to win the second Test 1-0.
However, in the Four-Nation, the Kookaburras hammered Malaysia 11-3.
Yesterday, 18-year-old Faizal Shaari scored a brace, while Razie Rahim score the other goal. The Canadians got their goals off Scott Tupper and Wayne Fernandes.
In another match, the Kookaburras beat Australia A 8-2.