Tenaga protest Faizal demerit..

TENAGA Nasional might be severely crippled as their prolific goal-scorer Faizal Saari could be ruled out of the first leg semi-finals aginst Sapura in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League on Oct 4.
  The second semi-finals would be between Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) and Maybank.
  Faizal had scored 18 goals out of Tenaga Nasional's 26 total, but he might warm the bench in the first leg after picking up a yellow card against KLHC yesterday.
  It brought his total demerit points to ten:"The demerit points were discussed in the managers meeting and agreed that it would be carried foward until the end, and we will stick to it," said Tournament Director V. Rajamanickam.
  However, Tenaga Nasional manager Samsul Ariffin said he does not agree with the tournament director.
  "We need to see the rules and the minutes of the team managers meeting stating that demerit points would be carried foward into the knock-out stage.
  "It has been the precedent since the MHL was incepted that demerit points end at the League level, and not carried foward to the knock-out stages. So I strongly protest my player being victimised," said Samsul.
  MHC secretary Johari Aziz than clarified that the decision was not minuted but Tenaga must follow the tournament regulation.
  KLHC team manager George Koshy, who will also lose Ahmad Kazamirul to demerit points for the first leg, then said that the eight teams in the Premier and Division One semi-finals should decide if the demerit points are valid or not.
  All eight teams then voted to abolish the demerit points at the end of the League, and the technical committee then decided to discuss the matter today before making a stand on the matter.
  Meanwhile, Razie Rahim scored a hat-trick to hand Tenaga Nasional their first defeat of the season.
  Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) came back from two goals down to beat Tenaga Nasional Berhad 4-3, and also avenged their 3-4 defeat to Tenaga in the first round of the MHL.
  Amir Fariq (17th) and Shazril Irwan (21st) gave Tenaga a 2-0 lead, but KLHC skipper started the fight-back with a penalty corner deflection goal in the 25th minute.
  Razie then scored a brace in the 39th and 46th minutes but Faizal Saari levelled the terms for Tenaga off a penalty stroke in the 64th minute. But Razie had the final word, deftly scoring the fourth KLHC goal in the 67th minute for full points.
 

PREMIER DIVISION


                P  W  D  L  F    A  Pts
KLHC            10 8  1  1  49  14  25
TNB             10 4  5  1  26  21  17
Sapura          10 4  4  2  24  21  16
Maybank         10 3  3  4  21  26  12
UniKL           10 2  2  6  19  28  8
Nur Insafi      10 1  1  8  22  51  4

DIVISION ONE

                 P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts

Forces           6  4  2  0  12  4   14
Thunderbolt      6  4  1  1  12  6   13
BJSS             6  4  0  2  27 18   12
Johor HA         6  3  0  3  16  16  9
Uniten           6  2  1  3  10  12  7
UiTM             6  2  0  4  10  19  6
Politeknik       6  0  0  6  7  19   0


  RESULTS -- Premier Division: Sapura 6 Nur Insafi-MBI 5, Tenaga 3 KLHC 4, Maybank 2 UniKL 3. 
  Oct 4: Premier Division Semi-finals (first leg) -- KLHC v Maybank (National Stadium Pitch II, 6pm), Tenaga Nasional v Sapura (National Stadium Pitch II, 8pm).
  Division One Semi-finals -- Armed Forces v Bukit Jalil (National Stadium Pitch I, 6pm), Thunderbolts v Johor HA (National Stadium Pitch I, 8pm).
  Oct 7: Premier Division Semi-finals (second leg) -- Maybank v KLHC (National Stadium Pitch II, 6pm), Sapura v Tenaga Nasional (National Stadium Pitch II, 8pm).
  Division One Semi-finals -- Bukit Jalil v Armed Forces (National Stadium Pitch I, 6pm), Johor HA v Thunderbolts (National Stadium Pitch I, 8pm). 

Belgium see off Wales

Anouk Raes celebrates with goalscorer Jill Boon (Photo: Adrian Boehm)

 Belgium – Wales 4-2 (halftime: 3-0)

Belgium bounced back from their opening day defeat to Australia as they showed Wales a clean pair of heels in the early phases of the first game of the day. Stefanie de Groof scored a penalty corner and a stroke inside the first four minutes and, from there, the Welsh side never got back within range.

   

Andy Mair EuroHockey Photographer of the Year

The winning EuroHockey entry by Andy Mair

Andy Mair is the 2012 EuroHockey Photographer of the Year.
  Andy, recently retired top class umpire, has had more time recently to devoted to his beloved hobby of photography. Andy was lucky enough to be at this year’s EHL Final and to capture Niklas Bruns floating the ball past Klaas Veering, for Uhlenhorst's first goal during the EHL Final at Amstelveen.

The joy of sport...

PURE JOY: Hosts Ireland got their Champions Challenge I campaign off to a great start as they surprised South Africa with Chloe Watkins’ 52nd minute goal making the vital difference. It saw the girls in green edge home a tight, tense battle in which South Africa could not find the fluidity that marked the latter phases of their Olympic campaign.

Raja: Release my players or call off Razak Cup

KUALA Lumpur HA want their nine players for the Razak Cup released immediately after the Malaysia Hockey League ends on Oct 10, or suggested that the 50th Edition of the tournament be called off.
  KLHA secretary V. Rajamanickam made this statement after he found out that chief coach Paul Revington will be calling up about 30 players for a two-day national training on the 11th and 12 of October.
  "I know that I risk being suspended by the MHC (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) for making this call. But the truth must be said, and I am not worried about the repercussions that might come with it.
  "The tournament starts on the 14th of October and it is ridiculous for the national coach to call for a two-day training camp which will deny the states a chance to re-group their squads.
  "Nine players from Kuala Lumpur are involved with the call-up, so it is our stand that if Revington goes ahead with his plans, the Razak Cup should be called off as states would not have enough time to re-group their players," said Rajamanickam.
  The nine are Baljit Singh, Nabil Fiqri, Chua Boon Huat, Harvinder Singh, Amin Rahim, Kelvinder Singh, Radzie Rahim, Sallehin Ghani, Noor Faeez Ibrahim.
  Kuala Lumpur are Division One defending champions, and all the states exept for Sarawak have confirmed their entries for the tournament which will he held in Kuantan on Oct 14-23.
  The other teams in Division One are Perak, Terengganu, Pahang, Penang, Armed Forces, Johor and Negri Sembilan.
  Malacca have been demoted to Division Two after finishing at the bottom last year, and will play against Kelantan, Selangor, Kedah, Perlis, Police and Sabah.

Another title beckons KLHC

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) lifted their maiden  Malaysia Hockey League title in 2006, and went on to romp  away with their seventh League title on Friday with a match  in hand.
   However, they have not been so lucky in their double  attempts, as they only have three which they won in 2008,  2010 and 2011.
    Sapura (2006) and Tenaga Nasional (2007, 2009) denied  them a clean sweep of titles in epic finals.
    So, naturally, team manager George Koshy is optimistic,  but not overly confident of another mammoth feat.
    “We started off as Ernst and Young and evolved to KLHC  and have seven League and three Overall titles since 2006.
    “But looking back, even with the best available players in  the country, we were denied three Overall titles by Sapura  and Tenaga,” said Koshy.
    But the final beckons KLHC again, as they will be either  paired with Sapura or Maybank in the two-leg semi-finals.
   KLHC and Tenaga Nasional are seeded, while Sapura and  Maybank will draw lots today to determine who they meet in  the last four.
   “Frankly speaking, I would prefer to play Maybank be cause Sapura have improved much in the return leg matches.  They even held Tenaga Nasional (2-2) and are a patient side  which defends well and then mounts fast attacks.
    “And with a two-leg semi-finals, this could prove to be  dangerous,” said Koshy.
     Koshy, who is also the national seniors team manager, then  changed hats and spoke about the national team’s se lection.
    “Coach Paul Revington is keen to recall several old-timers  after watching them in the MHL. He will select 30 trainees,  and about six of them would be former players who still have  it in them,” said Koshy.
    Former internationals Chua Boon Huat, Ismail Abu, Amin  Rahim and Madzli Ikmar are being courted to return for the  Champions Challenge I in Argentina.
   “Some of them have been given training schedules and if  they follow it an improve their fitness, they might just see  themselves representing the country again.”
     Today, the Premier Division matches have no bearing as  the title as well as semi-finals slots have already been  determined after Friday’s matches.
  Meanwhile in Division One, Armed Forces won the League title when they beat Politeknik KPT 4-0. Thunderbolt ended second when they edged Johor HA 2-1.
   
PREMIER DIVISION

                     P  W  D  L  F    A  Pts
KLHC            9  7  1  1  46  12  22
TNB              9  4  5  0  24  18  17
Sapura          9  3  4  2  18  16  13
Maybank        9  3  3  3  19  23  12
UniKL            9  1  2  6  16  26  5
Nur Insafi      9  1  1  7  17  45  4DIVISION ONE

                       P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts

Forces               6  4  2  0  12  4   14
Thunderbolt      6  4  1  1  12  6  13
BJSS                 6  4  0  2  27 18   12
Johor HA         6  3  0  3  16  16  9
Uniten             6  2  1  3  10  12  7
UiTM               6  2  0  4  10  19   6
Politeknik       6  0  0  6  7  19   0

  RESULTS -- Division One: BJSS 9 UiTM 4, Politeknik KPT 0  Armed Forces 4, Thunderbolt 2 Johor HA 1. 
   TODAY -- Premier Division: Sapura v Nur Insafi-MBI  (National Stadium Pitch II, 4pm), Tenaga v KLHC (National  Stadium Pitch II, 6pm), Maybank  v  UniKL (National Stadium  Pitch II, 8pm). 

7up for George and his men..

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) lifted their seventh consecutive Malaysia Hockey League title when they beat UniKL 3-1 in the Premier Division yesterday.
  KLHC still have a match against Tenaga on Sunday to complete their fixtures, but the title is all theirs as a chasing Tenaga Nasional drew 2-2 with Sapura in the last match of the day and dashed their hopes.
  However, it was not an easy win for KLHC as UniKL gave them a gallant fight and only cracked in the 25th minute, when Ahmad Kazamirul sent in a high flick to put the defending champions 1-0 ahead.
  And three minutes into the second half, KLHC doubled their advantage through the solo efforts of Syamim Yusof.
  UniKL pulled one back in the 54th minute off a Rashid Baharom deflection, but KLHC doused the fightback when Ismail Abu scored their third in the 70th minute.
  And on Pitch I of the National Stadium, Maybank booked the last semifinals spot with a gritty 3-2 win over Nur Insafi Perak.
   KLHC and Tenaga are seeded for the semi-finals draw, while Sapura and Maybank will draw lots on Sunday to determine who they meet.
  "With the League title in our hands, we will be going for the double now. Today (yesterday) my players were a little cautious and that is why we bungled many chances to seal the match early.
  "The MHL this season was quite grueling, because very little separated the top-four teams in the second round, so I consider the semi-finals are going to be a cracker," said KLHC team manager George Koshy.
  Meanwhile, UniTen (Universiti Tenaga Nasional) coach Ikmal Abadul Jabar is peeved with the Technical Committee of the MHL who kept changing their match schedule against UitM.
  "The match was scheduled for 4pm today (yesterday) but since Monday, we have been receiving calls and e-mails from the Technical Committee changing it to 6pm, 8pm and finally back to 4pm.
  "This is very unprofessional of them, as we had to keep changing our transport and other plans," said Ikmal.

PREMIER DIVISION

                P  W  D  L  F    A  Pts
KLHC            9  7  1  1  46  12  22
TNB             9  4  5  0  24  18  17
Sapura          9  3  4  2  18  16  13
Maybank         9  3  3  3  19  23  12
UniKL           9  1  2  6  16  26  5
Nur Insafi      9  1  1  7  17  45  4


DIVISION ONE

                 P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts

Forces           5  3  2  0  8  4   11
Thunderbolt      5  3  1  1  10  5  10
BJSS             5  3  0  2  18 14   9
Johor HA         5  3  0  2  15  14  9
Uniten           6  2  1  3  10  12  7
UiTM             5  2  0  3  6  10   6
Politeknik       5  0  0  5  7  15   0

  RESULTS -- PREMIER DIVISION: Maybank 3 Nur Insafi 2, UniKL 1 KL Hockey Club 3, Tenaga 2 Sapura 2.
  DIVISION ONE: UiTM 1 Uniten 0.
  TODAY -- Division One: BJSS v    UiTM (National Stadium, 5pm), Politeknik KPT v Armed Forces (Taman Daya, 6pm), Thunderbolt v Johor HA (Taman Daya, 8pm).

Archbishop hammers Catholics..

Archbishop Carroll's Alyssa Lemons (left) pushes the ball past Lansdale Catholic 's Kathleen DiFerdiando. Photo by Gene Walsh / Times Herald Staff

RADNOR — Even though Lansdale Catholic field hockey coach Concetta Valerio is in her first season as head coach of the Crusaders, she knew full well what to expect when taking her team to play a game against Archbishop Carroll on the Patriots’ field.
    “They’re always good,” said Valerio. “They always have girls with really good stick skills.”
    The Crusaders were treated to an up-close and personal look at the Pats’ skills Wednesday afternoon in a game at Carroll’s grass field in Radnor. Archbishop Carroll scored in the opening minute, had six goals in the book by halftime and went on to post an 8-0 Philadelphia Catholic League win.

Colin Batch for NZ now..

IN CHARGE: New Black Sticks men's coach, Australian Colin Batch
   
 The men's Black Sticks have appointed Colin Batch as their new coach.
    Hockey New Zealand announced this morning the former Australian player, "highly respected and recognised as a world-class coach", has taken the reins after Shane McLeod quit following a poor Olympic campaign.
  Batch has been head coach of the Belgium men's team for the last two years and assistant to the Australian men's team for eight years, which included two successful Olympic campaigns.
  Hockey NZ chief executive Hilary Poole said she is delighted with the appointment.

Adios bitches, gets coach fired..

By Philip Hersh

An Olympic assistant coach who wrote an offensive sign-off in an email letter to members of the U.S. women’s Under-21 field hockey team was fired Monday by USA Field Hockey.
    But Nick Conway, 38, was allowed to be head coach of that team in the Pan American Junior Championship that ended Saturday.
   In response to complaints about the “Adios bitches” sign-off that Conway used in a Sept. 6 email, USA Field Hockey executive director Steven Locke said in a Sept. 13 email to those who complained that both legal time constraints and expressions of support from team members led the federation to keep Conway in the position for the Pan Am tournament.
   The Tribune has obtained copies of the Sept. 6 and Sept. 13 correspondence as well as an email apology from Conway, who was named women’s national team assistant coach in December, 2011 and filled that role at the London Olympics.  Prior to that, he had been the men’s national team head coach for six years.
   The women’s Under-21 team won the bronze medal at the Junior Pan American tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico.
  Chicago Tribune

Nick Conway's full apology

Hi Everyone,

Please accept my most sincere and absolute apologies for the sign off in my email from earlier today regarding the addition of Rachel Dawson to the u21 management team.

My intent with this sign off was to reference some moments of hilarity within our group from our training camp together in Maryland, August 16-22.  It was an attempt to have you giggle to yourself, to provide a mild piece of levity and most importantly to connect our group ahead of our approaching tournament.  It was a reference to the gift that you most graciously gave to me on the final morning following the conclusion of the training camp.

It is clear that this commentary without context is inappropriate and causes offense.  If this commentary caused you any offense whatsoever I sincerely and unreservedly apologize.  Please understand that that was never my intention.  My singular goal is to assist our u21 team with qualification to the Junior World Cup and I would never deliberately jeopardize this objective.

Once again, my apologies, to everyone.  

Sincerely yours,

Nick.

The original email

Hi Everyone,

I'm absolutely delighted to announce that dual Olympian Rachel Dawson will be joining the u21 management team for the Junior Pan American Championships in a video technology and coaching capacity.

This completes our management team following the recent departure of Katelyn Nerbonne from USA Field Hockey (Katelyn was originally in position as the video support staff).

Manager:  Dingo (Beijing 2008)
Head Coach:  Nick (London 2012)
Assistant Coach:  Shellie (Beijing 2008)
Video Coach:  Rachel (Beijing 2008, London 2012)
Trainer:  Katie (London 2012)

We are a stronger staff for the addition of Rachel Dawson.  If you don't already now Rach, you guys will absolutely love her.

Welcome Rach, you will love this group.  They have a unique fun loving energy that I know you will thrive on.

Safe travels to everyone on Saturday / Sunday.

Adios bitches,

Nick.

UniKL game, but odds against them..

UNIKL are game, but it would be a tall order for them to  deny a Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) home run in the  Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL)  today.
   The University team’s confidence stems from the face that  they held Sapura and Tenaga to an identical 2-2 draw in the  return leg of the MHL.
   However, their game against double champions KLHC  might just turn into a whipping exercise.
    “We are second from the bottom because we failed to win  any points in the first leg, but after holding Sapura and  Tenaga to draws in the return leg, we have nothing to lose but  much to gain as the semi-finals slot is still not out of our  reach,” said UniKL manager Amir Ibrahim.
    UniKL took 2-0 leads in both the matches, but inexperience  saw them losing out in the second half to end up sharing  points.
    “I expect my players to give it their best and come what  may, I am proud of their effort so far as they have tried their  level best, but we were unlucky at times,” said Amir.
     As for KLHC, they could seal the title by beating UniKL and  not wait for their last match against Tenaga to decide  matters.
    The title is KLHC’s to lose, as for Tenaga to catch up with  them in the last weekend, they must not only beat the double  champions, but also pray hard that UniKL pulls off he biggest  upset of the season.
    For the record, KLHC whipped UniKL 8-1 in the first leg.
    Noor Faeez Ibrahim is UniKL’s ace with nine penalty  corner goals out of the 15 they have scored this season.
  As for Division One, Armed Forces are just a win away from  the League title.
   The Army men top the standings with 11 points from five  matches and will complete their fixtures against a winless  Politeknik KPT.

PREMIER DIVISION

                     P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
KLHC            8  6  1  1  43  11  19
TNB              8  4  4  0  22  16  16
Sapura          8  3  3  2  16  14  12
Maybank       8  2  3  3  16  21 9
UniKL           8  1  2  5  15  23  5
Nur Insafi     8  1  1  6  15  42  4

DIVISION ONE

                     P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts

Forces               5  3  2  0  8  4  11
Thunderbolt      5  3  1  1  10  5  10
BJSS                  5  3  0  2  18 14  9
Johor HA           5  3  0  2  15  14  9
Uniten               5  2  1  2  10  11  7
UiTM                4  1  0  3  5  10  3
Politeknik          5  0  0  5  7  15  0

   TODAY -- PREMIER DIVISION: Maybank v Nur Insafi  (National Stadium Pitch I, 6pm), UniKL  v KL Hockey Club  (National Stadium Pitch II, 6pm), Tenaga v  Sapura (National  Stadium Pitch II, 8pm).
    DIVISION ONE: UiTM  v Uniten  (National Stadium Pitch I,  5pm),

Double delight for Argentina at Junior Pan Ams

Argentina men claimed their tenth consecutive Junior Pan American title (Photo: FIH / PAHF / Paul Winstanley)

After 14 competition days, 79 matches and a staggering 521 goals, a hugely successful and entertaining Pan American Junior Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico has drawn to a close.
  It proved to be a fantastic event for Argentina, who continued their domination of the Junior Pan American competitions  by claiming Gold medals in both the men’s and the women’s competitions.
  For the men, it was a stunning tenth consecutive Junior Pan American tournament triumph, having won every event since the first edition in 1978. They continued their remarkable winning streak by defeating Canada in Sunday’s tournament final, but they were pushed every inch of the way by their rivals from North America. Canada twice held the lead in the game, but Argentina ran out 3-2 winners thanks to goals from Joaquin Menini, team captain Gonzalo Peillat and Joaquin Coelho.
   As well as captaining his side to the title, it was a stunning tournament for Gonzalo Peillat who was named both Player of the Tournament and Tournament Top Scorer with a 15 goals to his name. The penalty corner expert has certainly marked himself as a player to watch over the coming years.
  Women - Final Standings
1. Argentina, 2. Canada, 3. USA, 4. Chile, 5. Uruguay, 6. Venezuela, 7. Mexico, 8. Trinidad & Tobago, 9. Paraguay, 10. Jamaica, 11. Brazil.

Argentina (1st), Canada (2nd) and USA (3rd) have qualified for 7th FIH Women’s Junior World Cup
Player of the Tournament: Florencia Habif (Argentina)
Goal-keeper of the Tournament: Sofia Belen Monserrat (Argentina)
Top goal-scorer: Manuela Urroz (Chile) – 10.
Fair-play: Uruguay

Men - Final Standings
1. Argentina, 2. Canada, 3. Chile, 4. USA, 5. Trinidad & Tobago, 6. Mexico, 7. Barbados, 8. Uruguay, 9. Brazil, 10. Venezuela, 11. Jamaica, 12. Puerto Rico, 13. Guatemala.

Argentina (1st) and Canada (2nd) have qualified for the 10th FIH Junior World Cup. Chile (3rd) will be the 1st reserve country.

Player of the Tournament: Gonzalo Peillat (Argentina)
Goal-keeper of the Tournament: Kevin Pereira (Canada)
Top goal-scorer: Gonzalo Peillat (Argentina) – 15.
Fair-play: Barbados
  
 By FIH

Malaysian umpiring scene Red Carded...

 UMPIRE LINGAM (right)

THE Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) suffered a new  chaotic low, when Tournament Director V. Rajamanickam  agreed that umpiring is at its lowest standard and he was  forced to replace one on Sunday when Maybank stood their  ground.
  And Umpires Committee chairman Lt Kol. B. Muthukumar  made matters more confusing by saying that he can’t  comment when asked if he is standing by his beleaguered  umpires.
   Teams are said to be so peeved with the standard of  umpiring in the MHL, that Maybank refused to enter the pitch  against Sapura on Sunday because umpire K. Lingam was  blowing.
   It was a chaotic five minutes, as Maybank refused to enter  the pitch, and Rajamanickam bowed to the pressure and  replaced Lingam with reserve umpire Ahmad Fitri Lias to get  the match underway.
   “Maybank officials told me then that they had written to the  MHC (Malaysian Hockey Confederation) saying they do not  want Lingam to umpire their match against Sapura because  he is not up to standard and also that it would be his fourth  time umpiring a Maybank match this season.
   “I then agreed to heir request and the reserve umpire blew  their match, but later found out that Maybank had not  written in officially about the matter to MHC,” said Rajamanickam.
    Umpires guardian Muthukumar, when asked if a prece dent has been set where teams can now dictate terms on  umpires, said he does not have the mandate to speak to the  Press.
   “As far as I am concerned, I do not have the mandate to  speak to the press and you can ask the MHC secretary or  tournament director to comment,” said Muthukumar.
   When pressed if teams are now free to pick their umpires,  and dictate who they want for their matches, Muthukumar  again refused to comment officially.
   However, Rajamanickam shed some light on the current  state of umpiring in Malaysia: “There are 20 umpires for the  MHL and only five are International while 15 are Class 1 and  lower. So, there are not enough quality umpires to go around  blowing in the Premier Division and that is why the same  umpires are used.
   “The other 15 are still learning and are doing a good job in  the Division One matches,” said Rajamanickam.
   When asked how to solve the problem?
   “I personally believe we need to bring in foreign umpires  for the next MHL if we do not want more chaos,” said  Rajamanickam.
   Nur Insafi are the other team which has written in to the  Technical Committee stating that the standard of umpiring is  very low.
   The MHL has already been invaded by foreign players  because Malaysia does not have a big pool of quality players,  and it could now see foreign umpires in the future.

KLHC surf, Tenaga sink..

DOUBLE champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) whipped Nur Insafi-MBI 11-3 to consolidate their league title chase in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League.
  And their quest was made easier when a chasing Tenaga Nasional drew 2-2 with UniKL in another match.
  Nur Insafi, who have six imports, were never in the game and bu the 19th minute they were trailing 6-0 and four of the goals were scored off penalty corners by Razie Rahim (fifth, 12th, 18th and 19th).
  The other KLHC goals were scored by Syamim Yusof (13th), Ismail Abu (15th), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (53rd, 68th), Chua Boon Huat (54th), Harvinder Singh (62nd) and Azwar Rahim (67th).
  The Nur Insafi goals were scored by Waseem Ahmad (25th, 61st) and Nur Hrsikesa (47th).
  KLHC team manager George Koshy said the early goals rattled Nur Insafi.
  "The six early goals made a big difference as we did did not want to take any chances after Nur Insafi held Tenaga (4-4) on Friday," said Koshy.
  Now, KLHC only have to beat UniKL and then the title match will be on the Sept 30 when they meet Tenaga in their final League match.
  Nur Insafi had made a written complaint about the umpiring in their match against Tenaga: "We have returned the RM300 protest fee to Nur Insafi as they did not send in a protest but a complaint on poor umpiring.
  "The MHL technical committee will now foward the complaint to the Umpires Committee," said MHL Tournament director V. Rajamanickam.
  In another match, UniKL shocked Tenaga bu taking a 2-0 lead but inexperience saw them share the spoils.
  UniKL scored in the first minute itself when Hafiz Zainol was on target and the lead was increased by Taufik Hamid (15th).
  However, Faizal Saari saved the blushes for Tenaga with a brace in the 18th and 62nd minute to take his tally to 15 goals.
 

PREMIER DIVISION

                P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
KLHC            8  6  1  1  43 11  19
TNB             8  4  4  0  22 16  16
Sapura          8  3  3  2  16 14  12
Maybank         8  2  3  3  16 21  9
UniKL           8  1  2  5  15 23  5
Nur Insafi-MBI  8  1  1  6  15 42  4

DIVISION ONE

               P  W  D  L  F   A   Pts
Forces         5  3  2  0  8    4  11
T’bolt         5  3  1  1  10   5  10
BJSS           5  3  0  2  18  14  9
Johor HA       5  3  0  2  15  14  9
Uniten         5  2  1  2  10  11  7
UiTM           4  1  0  3  5   10  3
Politeknik     5  0  0  5  7   15  0

  RESULTS: Premier Division -- KL Hockey Club 11 Nur Insafi-MBI  3,  TNB 2 UniKL 2, Sapura 1 Maybank 1.
  Division One: Politeknik KPT 1 Uniten 2.

Tengku Abdullah to stand for FIH post..

MALAYSIAN Hockey Confederation (MHC) president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has offered himself as a candidate for the International Hockey Confederation (FIH) Executive Board.
  This was announced at the MHC Council meeting yesterday.
  "The board meeting would be held in Kuala Lumpur (Nov 2-3) and I have sent in my nomination to stand for election. I would like to serve the parent body at the Executive board level," said Tengku Abdullah.
  The council also decided that the national team will play in the Asian Champions Trophy in Doha on Dec 21-27 and the composition on the team will be determined by coach Paul Revington.
  "And for the Champions Challenge (in Argentina) we have set a target of top-five among eight teams," said Tengku Abdullah.

Johor HA turns 50 in style...

OLD GOLD: (from left) Balasingam, Poon Fook Loke, Tengku Abdullah and Wong Choong Hin.

 

 Though the match was played under a steady shower, the Johor Veterans and Mahkota United teams played their hearts out in a match to mark the 50th Anniversery of the Johor Hockey Association at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Baru.

     The Mahkota United team, led by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation president Tengku Abdullah Sulatn Ahmad Shah had four World Cuppers in their ranks - Dato Poon Fook Loke, K. Balasingam and Wong Choong Hin of the 1975 edition and Mirnawan Nawawi who played in the 2002 World Cup, both ironically played in Kuala Lumpur.

    And the JHA Veteran team was represented by the likes of former national junior coach Balbir Singh, former national team manager Kali Kavandan, former international umpire Faizal Abdullah who showed awesome reflexes in between the posts.

    The Johor team were also not short of quality coaches as A. Harbhajan Singh aka Samurai and former national assistant coach Gurmit Singh planned their tactics.

    Kali Kavandan opened scoring for JHA Veterans in the 9th minute but Mahkota United were on level terms in the 12th minute through Mirnawan.

    Fook Loke, who has lost none of his skills, turned out to be the saviour for Mahkota United as he saved a shot on the goal line in the second half.

    Though the match ended in a draw, every player who took the field was a winner as the match was played in the true spirit of sportsmanship.

KLHC ready for home run...

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) received a second life-line yesterday, and they aim to use it to romp away with the Premier Division title in the Malaysia Hockey League.
   Double champions KLHC were doomed of losing their League title when they shed five points last weekend after losing 4-3 to Tenaga and being held to a 1-1 draw by Sapura.
  However, it was a good Friday for KLHC as table toppers Tenaga were shocked by bottom-of-the-table Nur Insafi-MBI to a 4-4 draw, while Sapura was held 2-2 by a struggling UniKL.
   And the champions whipped Maybank 6-1 to reclaim their top dog billing.
   “We were almost done in after losing five points and giving away the lead to Tenaga, but the other teams did us a favour and now that we are back at the top, we aim to remain there until the end of the League,” said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
   They next meet highly unpredictable Nur Insafi-MBI today, and have to go for early goals if they want full points.
   “I was shocked when I found out that Nur Insafi pulled off a draw against Tenaga. And the fact that that the Penang-Perak side were leading 4-1 at one time should serve a warning to my players.
   “There is no room for complacency tomorrow (today) and we need early goals to take command of the match,” said Dharmaraj.
   Nur Insafi only have one win, 3-2 against UniKL, after seven matches even though they have hired six foreign players.
  
PREMIER DIVISION

                        P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
KLHC                7  5  1  1  32 8   16
TNB                  7  4  3  0  20 14  15
Sapura              7  3  2  2  15 13  11
Maybank            7  2  2  3  15 20  8
UniKL                7  1  1  5  13 21  4
Nur Insafi-MBI   7  1  1  5  12 31  4

DIVISION ONE

                    P  W  D  L  F   A   Pts
Forces          5  3  2  0  8   4   11
T’bolt           5  3  1  1  10   5   10
BJSS            5  3  0  2  18  14  9
Johor HA      5  3  0  2  15  14  9
Uniten          4  1  1  2  8   10  4
UiTM            4  1  0  3  5   10  3
Politeknik     4  0  0  4  6   13  0

  RESULTS: Division One -- Politeknik KPT 0 Thunderbolt 3, Armed Forces 2 BJSS 1, Johor HA 4 UiTM 3.
   TODAY: Premier Division -- KL Hockey Club v  Nur Insafi-MBI  (4pm),  TNB v  UniKL (6pm), Sapura  v Maybank (8pm).
   (All matches at Pitch II of National Hockey Stadium).
    DIVISION ONE: Politeknik KPT  v  Uniten  (Taman Daya, 5pm).

Second Edition of Sultan of Johor Cup rolls out..

A glittering launch, more then RM1 million in sponsorship and a world class field are the ingredients that ensures that the 2012 edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup will be one of the most eagerly anticipated world hockey tournament this year.

    His Royal Highness Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almahrum Sultan Iskandar graced the launch and received the sponsorship pledges, flanked by HRH Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, the President of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation and YAB Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, the Mentri Besar of Johor.

     Six teams, namely Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Germany and Malaysia will contest it out for the trophy at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium, venue of the 2009 Junior World Cup, from the 11-18 November 2012. It is truly and international field, for the Junior World Cup has been won by only five nations since its inception in 1979 – Germany, Pakistan, Australia, India and Argentina.

     Germany are by far the most successful nation in junior hockey having won the Junior World Cup five times, 1979,1982,1985,1989 and 2009, with three of their wins on Malaysian soil – Kuala Lumpur in 1982, Ipoh in 1989 and Johor Baru in 2009.

     Thus it will be somewhat of a homecoming for the number one junior hockey team in the world.

    Pakistan (1979), Australia (1997) and India (2011) have also emerged World Junior Champions and the only other team to have won the world title is Argentina (2005).

    The Sultan of Johor Cup serves as a perfect platform for the teams in preparation of the 2013 Junior World Cup that will be held in New Delhi in December 2013.

 

THE SPONSORS

 

Johor State Government – RM500, 000: Genting Berhad – RM150, 000: UEM Land – RM100, 000: Ministry of Youth & Sports – RM100, 000: Johor Corporation – RM100, 000. Astro Arena – RM50, 000:Tenaga Nasional Berhad – RM50, 000: SAJ Holdings Sdn Bhd – RM50, 000: Iskandar Waterfront – RM50, 000: Central Malaysian Properties – RM30, 000. F&N Beverages – in kind (100PLUS).

KLHC back at the top with sixer over Maybank..

TENAGA Nasional shot themselves in the foot when they were held to a 4-4 draw by Nur Insafi in the Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League in Ipoh yesterday.
  Tenaga won the first leg 5-2, but were trailing 4-1 to Nur Insafi before the come-back fire was ignited.
  Amir Farid made it count for Tenaga in the seventh minute, but Nur Insafi powered ahead with goals from Wassem Ahmed (12th), Hairy Ramli (15th), Nur Hrsikesa Thaitchana (21st) and Harris Fadila (23rd).
  However, Tenaga came back from the dead with a fight-back started by Izad Hakimi in the 28th minute and two more goals in the second half by Amin Rahim (42nd) and Firhan Ashaari (50th) saw them share the spoils.
  Nur Insafi wrote a protest letter after almost staging a walk-out late in the match, because they were unhappy with the umpiring in general.
  "The MHL Technical Committee will meet on Sunday to decide if the protest by Nur Insafi has merit or not," said tournament director V. Rajamanickam.
  But the third draw for Tenaga opened up the league title as Sapura and UniKL also ended up sharing points on a 2-2 score.
  UniKL took a 2-0 lead off Haziq Samsul (fourth) and Noor Faeez Ibrahim (15th), but Sapura caught up in the second half with goals from Azreen Rizal (45th) and Muhammad Imran (67th).
  In another match, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) went back to the top when they beat Maybank 6-1. KLHC were lucky that the other two matches yesterday ended up in a draw, as their League title defense was in jeorpady after last weekend's defeat to Tenaga and draw with Sapura.
  Yesterday, the KLHC goals were scored by Shahrun Nabil (eighth, Nabil Fiqri (15th) and Azlan Misron (22nd), Chua Boon Huat (58th), Razie Rahim (63rd), Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (67th),
  Hairul Nizam scored for Maybank in the 48th minute.
  "We are back at the top and will aim to keep in that way in our remaining matches. Last weekend is history, and behind us. Our sights are now firmly fixed on retaining the League title and then going for the double," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
 

PREMIER DIVISION

                    P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
KLHC                7  5  1  1  32 8   16
TNB                 7  4  3  0  20 14  15
Sapura              7  3  2  2  15 13  11
Maybank             7  2  2  3  15 20  8
UniKL               7  1  1  5  13 21  4
Nur Insafi-MBI      7  1  1  5  12 31  4

DIVISION ONE

              P  W  D  L  F   A   Pts
BJSS          4  3  0  1  17  12  9
Forces        4  2  2  0  6   3   8
T’bolt        4  2  1  1  7   5   7
Johor HA      4  2  0  2  11  11  6
Uniten        4  1  1  2  8   10  4
UiTM          3  1  0  2  2   6   3
Politeknik    3  0  0  3  6   10  0

  RESULTS: Premier Division -- Nur Insafi-MBI 4 TNB 4, UniKL 2 Sapura 2, Maybank 1 KL Hockey Club 6.
  TODAY: Division One -- Politeknik KPT v Thunderbolt (Taman Daya, 6pm), Armed Forces v BJSS (National Stadium, 5pm), Johor HA v UiTM     (Taman Daya, 8pm).

Canada boys and girls qualify for 2013 Junior World Cup

In outstanding team performances today, the Canadian Men's and Women's Junior National Teams have qualified for the 2013 Junior World Cup and moved into the finals of the 2012 Pan American Junior Championships.      Canada's Junior Women took the field against Chile early this afternoon.  With the support of a loud Canadian fan section and a ticket to the Junior World Cup on the line - this team played with grit and determination.  Holly Stewart scored the first goal of the match, but Chile quickly responded to even the score.  With a 1 - 1 tie at halftime, the second half was up for grabs.  A field goal by Jessica Buttinger just two minutes into the half gave Canada the edge.  Caashia Karringten's goal off a penalty corner in the 57th minute followed by a strong Canadian defense gave the Junior Women a solid win. 
   "When it comes time to execute - we've delivered," says Karringten.  "Under tremendous pressure in our last two games, we have managed to deliver the result we wanted.  We are really proud of our efforts and are now focused on the final match."
   The Canadian Men's Junior National Team also kept fans on their seats throughout the first half of their semi-final match against Chile.  In the 5th minute, Chile took the lead after scoring on a penalty corner.  Down 0 - 1, Canada maintained composure.  After 20 minutes of patient pressure Canada earned their first penalty corner and evened the score.  The first half ended 1 - 1. 
   "In the second half we put everything out there," says Head Coach Mathias Ahrens.  They certainly did. 
   Within the first 13 minutes, Canada took a commanding 5 - 1 lead.  With a ticket to the Junior World Cup in sight, the men took no chances and sealed the deal with three consecutive goals between the 57th and 60th minute.  Gordon Johnston pulled a hat-trick and Andrew Kanerva scored two goals for Canada. 
   "We got it done," says Ahrens.  "We played tough on the penalty corners.  I am very proud of this team.  This was our best performance so far, but we still have so much more to offer.  We are ready to take on whoever we meet in the finals!"
   The Women will compete in the final match on September 22 at 7:00pm local time in Guadalajara.  The Men's final match is on September 23 at 11:00am.
   This is the first time the Canadian Women's Junior National Team has made it to the final match of the Pan American Junior Championships since 1997.  The Junior Men last competed in the finals at the 1985 Championships.  The Women's most recent appearance at the Junior World Cup was in 2005.  The Men last qualified in 2001.
   Field Hockey Canada media release

Shakeel wants KLHC scalp..

MAYBANK import Shakeel Abbasi is hell-bent on carving  an upset against Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) in the  Premier Division of the Malaysia Hockey League today.
    That, said Shakeel, should put them in the running to chase  for the League title after a chaotic weekend saw KLHC shed  five points.
    Maybank, with help from Pakistan Olympians Shakeel and  Muhammad Waqas, have eight points and are only six adrift  off table-toppers Tenaga Nasional.
   In the first leg encounter, Maybank lost 1-4 to KLHC.
    “Our direction depends on the matches this weekend and  the one against KLHC will be of particular interest to us as  they are bent on winning to keep their league title charge  alive,” said Shakeel who made his MHL debut two years ago  with Yayasan Negri Sembilan.
    “So the pressure is on KLHC, and as long as Maybank have  a outside chance for the title we will continue to fight and that  is why I believe that the race for the title is still open as even  Sapura will fancy their chances.”
     The initial stages were difficult for the Pakistan duo as they  failed to forge an understanding with the Maybank strike  force.
    “It is always difficult to play for a new team and it took some  adjusting but we have become more accustomed and have fit  in nicely,” said Shakeel.
     KLHC losy 4-3 to Tenaga Nasional and were held to a 1-1  draw by Sapura last weekend and can’t afford another  disastrous weekend.
     Coach K. Dharmaraj’s KLHC are expected to be take to the  wire by Maybank, but should collect maximum points against  Nur Insafi-MBI on Sunday.
     Surprise leaders Tenaga face Nur Insafi today, whom they  beat 5-2 in the first leg, but must be at their best against  UniKL on Sunday to keep their lead.
    As for UniKL: “We have two tough matches, Sapura  (Friday) and Tenaga (Sunday) and our target is to collect at  least four points this weekend,” said UniKL team manager  Amir Azhar.
 
PREMIER DIVISION

                          P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
TNB                   6  4  2  0  16 10  14
KLHC                 6  4  1  1  26 7  13
Sapura               6  3  1  2  13 11  10
Maybank            6  2  2  2  14 14  8
UniKL                6  1  0  5  11 19  3
Nur Insafi-MBI  6  1  0  5  8 27 3

DIVISION ONE

                   P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
BJSS           4  3  0  1  17 - 12  9
Forces        4  2  2  0  6 3  8
T’bolt         4  2  1  1  7 5  7
Johor HA    4  2  0  2  1111  6
Uniten        4  1  1  2  8 10  4
UiTM          3  1  0  2  2 6  3
Politeknik   3  0  0  3  6 10  0

   TODAY: Premier Division -- Nur Insafi-MBI  v  TNB  (Azlan  Shah Stadium, 5pm), UniKL  v  Sapura  (National Stadium II,  6pm),   Maybank v  KL Hockey Club  (National Stadium II,  8pm).

A hat-trick of appearances for Jean Chua...

 JEAN Chua (pic) is set to make it a hat-trick of appearances at  the US$1.9 million Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia after she  received a sponsor’s exemption to play at the Kuala Lumpur  Golf and Country Club on Oct 11-14.
     Ainil Johani received the second sponsors card, making it  her second second appearance at the only LPGA sanctioned  tournament in Malaysia.
    According to Dato’ Wahab Maskan, the Managing Director  of Sime Darby Property and the committee member of the  Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia:
  “With Jean and Ainil, we have two wonderful and well  deserving additions to the world class field. Both are young  and talented with great futures ahead and will present the  other golfers with some tough competition,” said Sime Darby  Property managing director Datuk Wahab Maskan.
    Both ladies will be aiming to improve on their previous  appearances at the KLGCC as Jean ended 53rd in 2010 and  69th last year, while Ainil 71st last year.
    “I’ve been working hard and I feel much more comfortable  about my game and I think I’m better prepared to handle the  conditions at the KLGCC. This is a world-class event and there  are so many great players competing. It’s not going to be easy  but I’m definitely going to give my best and hopefully give my  fellow Malaysians something to cheer about,” said Jean.
   The 25-year-old is a member on the LPGA’s developmental  Symetra Tour and has been in consistent form this year,  missing just one cut in her last 13 events. She has already  notched four top-10 finishes in 2012, including a tied-2nd at  the Riviera Nayarit Classic in April.
   While the younger Ainil, 22, only joined the professional  ranks last year, she has already made a strong impression.  She finished tied-12th at last year’s US$300,000 Women’s  India Open, a Ladies European Tour event.
    The former top amateur, who was sixth at the prestigious  Callaway World Junior championship in 2006, has even held  her own against her male counterparts. She competed in two  Professional Golf of Malaysia tournaments last year and  made the cut at the Seremban Classic where she finished in  36th spot.
     Said Ainil: “I’m honoured that Sime Darby has given me  this opportunity to compete in such a prestigious event. My  dream is to play on the LPGA Tour and this experience will  definitely help me become a better player.”
  Amongst the superstars already confirmed to arrive at the  KLGCC East Course are Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings  No 1 Yani Tseng of Taiwan, a five time Major winner, while  South Korean world No 2 and reigning US Open champion Na  Yeon Choi returns to defend her Sime Darby LPGA title.

Maybank Malaysian Open golf now worth US2.75 million

THE Maybank Malaysian Open will return to the Kuala  Lumpur Golf and Country Club on March 21-24 with an  increase of US250,000 in prize money .
    The lucrative purse now stands at US2.75 million, and is set  to attract the best golfers from around the globe.
    “Our sponsorship of the Malaysian Open is entering its  eighth year now and we are upping the ante by offering a total  purse of US2.75 million. We are confident that this will fire up  the competitive spirit of the golfers. Spectators can also  expect an electrifying tournament come March,” said chief  marketing officer of Maybank Mohamed Adam Wee.
    Echoing Maybank’s delight on the announced prize purse  are the event’s custodian - The Malaysian Golf Association  (MGA).
  “The Maybank Malaysian Open has established itself as  one of the major golf events to look out for. In this region, it is  a golf event that has drawn international players and  spectators alike, due to its world-class status and world- recognized stature. The increase in prize money will def initely up the prestige of the event and heighten the per formance of the golfers,”  said MGA president Admiral (R) Tan  Sri Datuk Setia Mohamed Anwar.
    The Maybank Malaysian Open is one of the most an ticipated championships in a professional golfer’s schedule.  It is the first tournament in Asia to be co-sanctioned by the  PGA European Tour and Asian Tour.
    It has also been the nursing ground for young professionals  who aim to lay their mark and build up to the ranks of  experienced professional players.

Champions Challenge for Revington..

LAUSANNE – The FIH today announced the schedule for the 2012 Argentina Hockey Men’s Champions Challenge 1, hosted in Quilmes, Argentina from November 24-December 2.

  The tournament will be the first major FIH event after the 2012 London Games and kicks off the next cycle as teams turn their attention from the Olympics to the 2014 World Cup. 
    Three of the eight teams in the competitive field were in London for the Games. Of the trio, Korea was the highest finisher in London, coming in at eighth place. Argentina and South Africa closed the games in 10th and 11th place, respectively.

   The eight-team field will be split into two preliminary round groups of four teams each. 

   In Group A is highest-ranked Korea, which holds down the seventh spot in the FIH World Ranking. They are joined by Malaysia, Canada and Poland. Group B will feature host Argentina as the top-seeded team, ranked 10th in the FIH World Ranking. Challenging Argentina in the group will be South Africa, Ireland and Japan.

   All eight teams will move onto a quarterfinal game with the first place finishers taking on the last place finishers from the other groups and the second and third place teams playing in a similar cross-over. From there, the winners will move onto the semi-finals and medal games, while the losers will play for placement.

    All eyes are sure to be on the Argentina vs. South Africa preliminary round game on the second day of action. The teams met in the bronze medal game of the 2011 edition of the Champions Challenge 1, which South Africa won, 3-1.  

      Argentina exacted revenge for that loss in London, beating the South Africans 6-3 in the preliminary round.

     The Argentina Hockey Men’s Champion’s Challenge 1 will give the teams World Ranking points and the winner of the tournament will be automatically qualified for the next edition of the men’s Champions Trophy.

Scots ready to face Champions Challenge

Marshall Karrena

Scotland Women Head Coach Gordon Shepherd has revealed the squad of eighteen players for the FIH Champions Challenge competition taking place in Dublin, Ireland from 29 September-7 October.
  The Scots claimed a bronze medal in last year's FIH Champions Challenge and eleven members of that squad will travel back to Dublin for participation in this season's competition. Shepherd has elevated a number of U21 players to the senior squad since then, whilst new faces have forced their way into the Dundonian's plans.
  "I've been delighted with all the under 21 players who have made the step up to the senior squad and they have made a real impression this summer", said Shepherd.
  "The likes of Aileen Davis, Susan McGilveray and Nikki Lloyd have also successfully demonstrated their cases for inclusion in the squad after excellent performances. They should all be happy with their selection."
 
Aileen Davis

This year, Scotland will face hosts Ireland, South Africa and USA in Pool A, whilst Australia, Belgium, India and Wales make up the remainder of the competing teams in Pool B.
  Assessing the opposition the Scots will face in the Pool stage, Shepherd said, "The most important target is to retain our place in this competition, which means finishing in the top six. I'm confident we can beat Ireland, and in a one-off match, the result against South Africa could go either way. The Americans have made a number of changes since London 2012 and they will present a tough opening match for us in Dublin."
  Indeed, Shepherd will have recent international matches against Ireland and South Africa to reflect upon as he plots his side's way through the competition. The Scots edged out the Irish 2-1 in a three match series at Auchenhowie in early September, but will expect a tough examination from the South Africans, who defeated the national side 4-0 in a five match series at Clydesdale as part of their preparations for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
  Having lost out 3-0 to USA at the semi-final stage of last year's Champions Challenge, Scotland will also be wary of the threat posed from the Americans to their progress. Although the USA finished last in the Olympic Games hockey competition this summer, they can still be regarded amongst the favourites to reach the latter stages.
   Edinburgh University's Nikki Kidd will win her 100th international cap for Scotland during the competition, whilst Surbiton's Becky Merchant and Giffnock's Kareena Marshall are both in line to reach the 50th cap milestone.


Nikki Kidd

"Nikki Kidd has been a fantastic asset to the national side since she moved into the midfield position. She's become a real threat from short corner set plays and I'm delighted with her contribution. Reaching 100 caps is an amazing achievement and she should be proud." said Shepherd.
  Scotland Women: Nicki Cochrane, Ali Bell, Linda Clement (c), Leigh Fawcett, Ailsa Wyllie (all Grove Menzieshill), Catriona Ralph, Susan McGilveray, Nicola Skrastin, Amy Gibson, Morag McLellan (all Milne Craig Clydesdale Western), Samantha Judge, Sarah Robertson, Nikki Kidd (all Edinburgh University), Vikki Bunce (VWS Dundee Wanderers), Kareena Marshall (Giffnock), Becky Merchant (Surbiton HC), Aileen Davis (Clifton HC), Nikki Lloyd (Sevenoaks HC).
  Please visit the FIH Champions Challenge website for more info on match schedule, results and news.
Scottish Hockey Union media release

Champions Trophy will be India’s real test..

Five-time World Player of the Year, Australian hockey striker Jamie Dwyer has put a "two-year cap on his international career".
  Dwyer, also the Kookaburras captain, is considered among the best strikers of the present era, and even at 33 is the most sought player world-wide. His impeccable game sense and exemplary skills inside the striking circle mark him out.
  Said Dwyer in a chat, "Even though I am extremely passionate about hockey, I will have to slow down somewhere. Another two years is what I would say.
  "I have had a decent international career, with an Olympic gold and two bronze, and a World Cup title. I would have loved to finish with a gold in London, my last Olympics but we faltered in our semi-final game against eventual winners Germany. Still, I would take all that I have happily."
  Asked about India’s performance at the London Games where they finished 12th, Dwyer reckoned it took time to adapt to a new style of play.
  "India and Australia do not play hockey like the Europeans. We have our own style of attacking hockey that is different.
  "India did not look consistent during the Olympics, but I believe they are a good side and have always been tough to play against. I think perhaps they could not adapt to the changes introduced in their play structure and would be able to do so ahead.
  "The Champions Trophy in Melbourne (in December) will be their real test," said Dwyer.
  The Perth-based Dwyer, who also handles an online coaching course along with Australia team-mate Mark Knowles to help educate youngsters about the nuances of the game, will now ply his trade in the Hockey India League, set for a January 2013 bully-off.
  That the league has found an official window from the world body (FIH) makes it a huge plus for the overseas players.
  "We have been waiting for somthing like this," said Dwyer. "And India is the right place to hold such a league. The amount of passion and fan following that any sport needs is present here. India is incredible in that sense."
  Dwyer, in fact, had named his younger son Taj, after capping a successful year in India in 2010. "Year 2010, when my second son was born, was a kind of an Indian year for me. We won the World Cup and then the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and it was a high. I loved the name Taj, which is also little bit popular in Australia.
  "Though it’s funny that neither me nor little Taj have seen the beautiful Taj Mahal yet! One day hopefully we will be able to do it," he said with a smile.
   The Asian Age

KLHC: Kabhi Koshy Kabhi Gham...

GEORGE KOSHY

MALAYSIA Hockey League double champions Kuala Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) see their weekend defeat and draw in the Premier Division as more of hitting a speed-hump, than a brick wall.
    KLHC had a brilliant start by winning four matches with ease, but were stumped when Tenaga Nasional beat them 4-3 on Friday.
   And on Sunday, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sapura, whom them thrashed 5-0 in the first leg.
   The MHL was heading towards a predictable end, but KLHC’s charge was somehow derailed and now top-of-the-table Tenaga and also Sapura are also in the hunt for silverware.
   KLHC Team manager George Koshy placed the blame on the entire team, from players to officials, for their temporary slump.
    “Our performance in the last two matches was a major disappointment and the blame lies on the entire team as well as officials.
    “Most of the chances that we got in the earlier four games were converted without difficulty,  but everything went miserably wrong against Tenaga and Sapura as we failed to convert the many chances that came our way.
   “ I don’t think we have hit a brick wall in our quest to retain the League title, but more like hitting a speed bump at full speed,” said Koshy.
    KLHC are a combination of youth and experienced former internationals like Chua Boon Huat, Kelvinder Singh and Ismail Abu.
    “We have a bunch of talented and experienced individuals who I’m sure will individually and collectively work out a plan cum strategy to overcome this setback.
     “Watch us bounce back in the remaining games as we not only plan for wins but continue with our entertaining style,” said George.
     MHL current top scorer Faizal Saari saved Tenaga the blushes as well as placed them at the top of the standings by scoring the solitary goal against Maybank on Sunday to share the spoils.
    Faizal has scored a total of 13 out of Tenaga’s 16, and they will rely on him in the remaining matches to tighten their grip on the League title.

Malaysian women smell like a bunch of roses..

PICS: Malaysian women (white and red) on their way to an 11-1 win over Kazakhstan.




THE Malaysian women’s hockey team have not had it this rosy, as they whipped all and sundry to qualify for the Second Round of the World League in Kuantan last weekend.
    Starting with a 11-0 win over Singapore, the women then whipped Kazakhstan 11-1 before rounding up the tournament with a 9-0 win over Sri Lanka.
   A total of 31 goals scored, and only one went past the defenders in the International Hockey Federation tournament which serves as a qualification competition for the World Cup which take place in 2014, with 12 qualification places up for grabs.
    Round Two of the World Series will be regional and generally cover more than one continent. There will be four Round Two tournaments with six teams each. The format will be a single pool Round Robin.
    Fazilla Sylvester Silin also won Malaysia the Player of the Tournament award while Nor Hidayah Bokhari was the joint top-scorer, with six goals, with  Gulnara Imangaliyeva of Kazakhstan.
   The team, coached by former men’s national goalkeeper Nasihin Nubli, will next head for the Lanco Super Series in Australia.
   The Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHF) are also looking for a foreign consultant to further strengthen the women’s side of the game.

Olympian Randir passes away..

FORMER Olympian Randir Singh passed away on Sept 15, leaving behind memories of a disciplinarian for those who were coached by him.
   Randir played hockey in the 1972 Munich Olympics, where Malaysia finished eighth among 16 teams.
   He was a midfielder, and the Army man was fondly remembered by veteran coach C. Paramalingam.
   “He played alongside the likes of Khairuddin Zainal, Takbir Ahmad, A. Belvantheran, N. Sri Shanmuganathan and Brian Sta Maria in the Munich Olympics.
   “And he was also the assistant coach during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The thing I remember most about him is that he was a disciplinarian who in his coaching days, was responsible for making the LA team physically at their best,” said Paramalingam.
    After Randir retired as a Warrant Officer, he ventured into business in Klang.
   “We used to met occasionally after he retired from the Army, and talk about how he made the players run up the Sungai Besi hill (high gradient) where all the players would complain and struggle to finish.
   “But later on, they thanked him for the physical training which made them into better players,” said Paramalingam.

KLHC held by Sapura...

KUALA Lumpur Hockey Club (KLHC) suffered another body-blow when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sapura in the Premier Division Of the Malaysia Hockey League yesterday.
  This came at the back of a 3-4 defeat to Tenaga on Friday, and now the double champions have shed five points and are in danger of losing their League title.
  Izwan Firdaus scored for Sapura off a field attempt in the third minute, and KLHC only recovered in the 55th minute when Azlan Misron tapped in a penalty corner set-piece from the sidelines.
  "This is a terrible weekend as we dropped five points and will now have to wait for favours from other teams to defend our League title.
  "My players looked like they never recovered form the Tenaga defeat, and played too cautiously as they were afraid of making mistakes today (yesterday). This led to them making more mistakes and creating less scoring opportunities when in the semi-circle," said KLHC coach K. Dharmaraj.
  Sapura lost 0-5 to KLHC in the first leg, and even their coach K. Balakrishnan was taken aback by the draw.
   "We were not physically and mentally ready for KLHC in the first leg, ans let in all five goal in the first half itself. Today (yesterday) we scored early and that almost won us the match," said Balakrishnan.
  In another match, Maybank shocked Tenaga Nasional with a Mohamed Irfan field goal in the 10th minute, but the country's No 1 striker Faizal Saari put his side on level terms with a penalty corner goal in the 28th minute. It was his 13th personal goal in six matches.
  Maybank were in control of the match after that, but failed to score the winner and shared the spoils.
  Meanwhile, Malaysia might skip the Asian Champions Trophy after the  Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) changed its dates.
  AHF had scheduled their tournament from Dec 13-21 in Doha, but were forced to shift the dates after FIH included India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy to be played in Melbourne on Dec 1-9.
  Now, the Asian Champions Trophy has been moved to Dec 20-27, playing over Christmas, and the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC) will decide on Sept 23 at the Council meeting whether to play, or skip the tournament.

DIVISION ONE

              P  W  D  L  F  A  Pts
BJSS          4  3  0  1  17 12   9
Thunderbolts  4  2  1  1  7  5    7
Johor HA      3  2  0  1  10 9    6
Armed Forces  3  1  2  0  4  2    5
Uniten        4  1  1  2  8  10   4
UiTM          3  1  0  2  2  6    3
Politeknik    3  0  0  3  6  10   0

PREMIER DIVISION
                  P  W  D  L  F   A  Pts
TNB               6  4  2  0  16  10 14
KLHC              6  4  1  1  26  7  13
Sapura            6  3  1  2  13  11 10
Maybank           6  2  2  2  14  14  8
UniKL             6  1  0  5  11  19  3
Nur Insafi-MBI    6  1  0  5  8   27  3

  RESULTS: Premier Division: Nur Insafi-MBI 0 UniKL 4, KLHC 1 Sapura 1, Tenaga 1 Maybank 1.
  Division One: Uniten 3 BJSS 6.

Malaysian women score 31 goals in three matches..

MALAYSIAN women qualified for the second round of the World League when they thrashed Sri Lanka 9-0 in Kuantan yesterday.
  This brought their overall tally to a massive 31 goals as they had beaten Singapore and Kazakhstan by identival 11-goal margins.
  The Malaysian goals were scored by Norbaini Hashim (second, 37th), Fazilla Sylvester Silin (sixth, 43rd), Juliani Din (27th), Siti Rahhmah Othman (34th), Siti Noor Amarina (47th) and Nor Hidayah Bokhari (49th, 53rd).
  Kazakhstan will also play in the Second Round, after they beat Singapore 5-1 in an earlier match to finish second on the standings.
  The International Hockey Federation (FIH) made a mockery of the four-team tournament when they allowed two, instead of the champions, to advance.
  RESULTS: Singapore 1 Kazakhstan 5, Malaysia 9 Sri Lanka 0.

Kazakhstan in Second Round

Kazakhstan booked a place in the second round of the World League when they defeated Singapore 5-1 at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium.

  It was a much better performance from Kazakhstan who made use of their experience and utilised the chances to register a convincing win despite a hesistant start.

   They almost took the lead in the 15^th minute through a penalty corner when Vera Domashneva whose attempt went narrowly past the post.

   However Kazakhstan were not to be denied as they opened scoring in the 18^th minute through Gulnara Imangaliyeva.

   But Singapore were undeterred and found the equaliser in the 31^st minute through O Ming Fen whose penalty corner hit was deflected into goal by Kazakhstan defender.

   hree minutes into the scond half Natalya Gataulina weaved past three defenders before slotting the ball past Singaporean custodian Cookie Tan Koon Kim to give Kazakhstan a 2-1 lead.

   Natalya scored a superb third goal for Kazakhstan, sending in a reverse stick flick sailing into goal from the edge of the semi circle.

   Gulnara then added a fourth goal in the 54^th minute, before Vera made it 5-1 in the 65^th minute and Kazakhstan were well on the way to the second round.

  

Malaysia outclass Kazakhstan 11-1

THE Malaysian women booked their Second Round ticket when they outclassed Kazakhstan 11-1 in the World League in Kuantan yesterday.
   With two out of four teams in Kuantan moving into the next round,  there was never a doubt that Malaysia would advance.
  And the ladies showed their class by taking a 6-0 lead in the first half itself And the match against Sri Lanka today will be sheer formality for Malaysia to complete the fixtures.
  What is remarkable is that Malaysia has scored 22 goals in two matches.
  “Honestly I never expected this scoreline as Kazakhstan has an experienced side. Perhaps they were tired playing two consecutive matches. Still, I will not take the credit away from my players who played a super game,” said Malaysian coach Nasihin Nubli.
   The Malaysian goals were scored by Nadia Abdul Rahman (third, 16th), Fazilla Slyvester Silin (sixth), Siti Rahmah Othman (15th), Fatin Naimah Zaki (18th), Siti Noor Amarina (22nd), Rabiatul Adawiyah (37th), Norazlin Sumantri (44th, 64th), Nur Hidayah Bokhari (49th) and Raja Norsharina (65th).
  The Kazakhstan goal was scored by Gulnara Imangaliyeva in the 59th minute.
   In another match, Sri Lanka beat Singapore 3-2 to keep their hopes alive of landing a berth into the second round.
  But the Lankans face a daunting task of having to beat Kazakhstan today to advance.
  RESULTS: Singapore 2 Sri Lanka 3, Kazakhstan 1  Malaysia 11.
  TODAY: Singapore v Kazakhstan (4pm), Malaysia v Sri Lanka (6pm).