ASIAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY (ORDOS):
DAY 1-- RESULTS: Korea 3 Japan 2, India 5 China 0, Malaysia 2 Pakistan 3.
SUNDAY: Japan v India, South Korea v Malaysia, Pakistan v China.
MALAYSIA lost 3-2 to Pakistan in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, inner Mongolia, yesterday.
Coach Tai beng Hai’s men took the lead off Amin Rahim in an 18th minute penalty stroke but Pakistan were quick to equalise and then take the lead.
However, Project 2013 player Amir Farid threw a lifeline with a field goal in the 33rd minute and the score was level at 2-2 into the breather.
And just when Malaysia started to get comfortable, Shakeel Abbasi scored the winner for Pakistan off a penalty stroke in the 64th minute to seal the three points.
Meanwhile, India started with a bang when they hammered hosts China 5-0.
In the first half, India led 2-0 with goals from Gurwinder Singh Chandi (5th) and Yuvraj Walmiki (21st). While in the second half, India scored through Rupinder Pal Singh (41st), Rajpal Singh (43rd) and V. Raghunath (62nd).
RESULTS: Korea 3 Japan 2, India 5 China 0, Malaysia 2 Pakistan 3.
TODAY: Japan v India, South Korea v Malaysia, Pakistan v China.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Pakistan not invincible in Orods
MALAYSIA will start their inaugural Asian Champions Trophy challenge in Ordos, inner Mongolia, against Pakistan and nothing but a win will do to justify their No 2 ranking in Asia.
Pakistan will also be fielding an average side, as the dropped their penalty corner flicker Sohai Abbas and prolific striker Rehan Butt as well as Salman Akbar.
“It will be a tough match as we will be starting against the Asian Games champions but it does not matter as we are here to try out some new players, as well as strengthen our team for the Champions Challenge as well as the Olympic Qual ifier,” said chief coach Tai Beng Hai.
South Korea, India, Japan and China are the other op ponents in this long overdue tournament organised by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) in tandem with the Cham pions Trophy.
The women’s tournament was resting in the pipeline for the past five years, and finally started off with the women’s tournament hosted by South Korea which saw four teams compete.
The men’s version was supposed to be hosted by India, but problems with two governing bodies there derailed the noble idea.
However, even though the tournament does not carry any International Hockey Federation ranking points, Orods will nevertheless see a groundbreaking tournament to strength en Asian sides.
“There are two pitches here and we trained at the second pitch as the main pitch has been closed for the opening ceremony today (yesterday).
“The players found the second pitch to be generally bumpy and slippers as it it newly laid.
“And also, the temperature is around 13-21 Celsius and much colder at night because of the wind.”
But the coach is not worried about the weather, and pitch, as it will trouble all the other teams too.
“My main responsibility here is to see that the players play to the system that we have been training, and the young players adapt fast to the tournament,” said Beng Hai.
TODAY: Korea v Japan, India v China, Malaysia v Pakistan
Pakistan will also be fielding an average side, as the dropped their penalty corner flicker Sohai Abbas and prolific striker Rehan Butt as well as Salman Akbar.
“It will be a tough match as we will be starting against the Asian Games champions but it does not matter as we are here to try out some new players, as well as strengthen our team for the Champions Challenge as well as the Olympic Qual ifier,” said chief coach Tai Beng Hai.
South Korea, India, Japan and China are the other op ponents in this long overdue tournament organised by the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) in tandem with the Cham pions Trophy.
The women’s tournament was resting in the pipeline for the past five years, and finally started off with the women’s tournament hosted by South Korea which saw four teams compete.
The men’s version was supposed to be hosted by India, but problems with two governing bodies there derailed the noble idea.
However, even though the tournament does not carry any International Hockey Federation ranking points, Orods will nevertheless see a groundbreaking tournament to strength en Asian sides.
“There are two pitches here and we trained at the second pitch as the main pitch has been closed for the opening ceremony today (yesterday).
“The players found the second pitch to be generally bumpy and slippers as it it newly laid.
“And also, the temperature is around 13-21 Celsius and much colder at night because of the wind.”
But the coach is not worried about the weather, and pitch, as it will trouble all the other teams too.
“My main responsibility here is to see that the players play to the system that we have been training, and the young players adapt fast to the tournament,” said Beng Hai.
TODAY: Korea v Japan, India v China, Malaysia v Pakistan
Aussie and Kiwi women in Olympics
The Hockeyroos and New Zealand will have a further opportunity to test each other before the 2012 London Olympics, with Fiji withdrawing from the Oceania Cup-Olympic Qualifier event to be held in Hobart from October 5-9.
Originally planned as a three team tournament, Fiji’s withdrawal means that the Hockeyroos and New Zealand will now play in a best of three series to determine who is the Oceania Cup champion.
Fiji will still compete in the men’s competition of the tournament taking on the Kookaburras and New Zealand, with each team playing each other once before the top two teams meet in the final to decide the winner of the Oceania Cup.
As both the Hockeyroos and New Zealand are the top two ranked teams in the Oceania Federation, they will now receive automatic qualification to the 2012 London Olympics.
However despite this, there will still be plenty on the line for both teams.
Not only will the Hockeyroos be seeking revenge after New Zealand defeated them at the 2011 Champions Trophy, but with the two teams set to be placed in the same pool at the London Olympics, both teams will be keen to observe one another and gain a psychological edge ahead of the Games.
Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens said that with the team not competing in the 2012 Champions Trophy in January, any opportunity to play a quality team with something on the line was a positive.
“The reality is that New Zealand are currently ranked ahead of us (New Zealand 6 – Australia 7). We aren’t competing at the Champions Trophy next year, so the fact that we will get another game against a higher ranked team will help our development towards the London Olympics,” said Commens.
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