Project boys on a Swiss high

THE Project 2013 hockey team started their Europe playing Tour on a high when they beat Geneva Selection 3-2 at the Richmont Hockey Stadium on Friday.
After that, they went on a rampage to beat Lyon Football Club Hockey Team 8-0 yesterday.
The team, preparing for the 2013 Junior World Cup, left on June 30 on their training-cum-playing Tour and will be back by July 22.
Against Geneva, the Project boys were 0-2 down when the half-time hooter blew, but bounced back with goals from Amir Farid (45th, 70th) and Firhan Ashaari (61st).
And against Lyon, the scorers were Mohamed Nor Faez (two goals), Mohamed Rashid (two), Mohamed Sabri, Mo hamed Nor Izzat, Amir Farid and Syamim Yusof.
Their third match in Geneva will be against a Suisse Selection, after which the team will go for a well deserved boat ride around the Chizmone lake, and will travel for more matches to Barcelona today.
“The overall performance against Geneva Selection was not convincing especially in the first half because the players looked rather lethargic and had trouble getting used to the European,” said team manager Mirnawan Nawawi.
“However in the second half the boys picked up their game and manage to score the three goals. We had at least six clear chances to score but lacked sharpness and goal scoring ability.
“And in the second match, I was impressed with the fighting spirit and character of the players which was the tonic towards winning with a big margin.”

Model vows to run naked if Paraguay wins

TOSS: Between her and Maradona!

Paraguayan pin-up and lingerie model Larissa Riquelme has just reignited this year's football summer by matching Diego Maradona’s pledge to run naked through the streets if her nation wins the World Cup.
The ears of hot-blooded males everywhere pricked up straight away when Riquelme vowed to strip off out of national pride if the South American underdogs go all the way in South Africa.
Paraguayan model Larissa Riquelme Larissa's not happy about something - the guys in front look fine with it though
After watching Paraguay come through a last-16 penalty shootout against Japan on Tuesday afternoon, Riquelme - watching with a large crowd in Asuncion, who were presumably there for the football rather than her - was asked if she was prepared to match Maradona's bold claim.
Larissa Riquelme The two cameramen in the background definitely drew the short straws for this assignment
She readily agreed - with one caveat: 'Of course I will,' she said, 'but with my body painted in the colours of Paraguay.'
I'm sure no one will complain about that.
The 24-year-old has been pictured leading the celebrations back home as Roque Santa Cruz and his team-mates fought through a group that included reigning champions Italy to qualify for the knockout stages.
Paraguay win, model Larissa Riquelme runs. Everyone's happy Paraguay win, model Larissa Riquelme runs. Everyone's happy.
Her celebrations - complete with lucky mobile phone tucked into her more than ample cleavage - caught the eye of quite a few photographers, who were on hand to record her enthusiastic cheers.
"I'm sure no one complained about that either."

Fancy playing in Barbados?

A Youth Hockey Festival will be held in Barbados from December 12 to 18, 2010. Pablo Mendoza, son of coach Rudy Mendoza from Argentina, is organising the festival to promote hockey and develop the sport in that area.

The festival will feature 3 events:
1 Youth hockey competition (Boys/Girls, Under-18, Under-16, Under-14)
2 Developmental and High Performance Coaching Course (Directed by FIH Master Coach Rudy Mendoza)
3 Clinic for players (Directed by FIH Master Coach Rudy Mendoza)
For those who are interested, go to www.caribbeansportscamps.com of call

Pablo Mendoza
Caribbean Sports Camps / Barbados
Director
Contact Number: +12462587435

Elephants could be the surprise package

COMMENT
By Jugjet Singh

SOUTH Africa has been a hunting ground for fierce predators for millions of years, and when I went there in 2002 to report on the second Champions Challenge hockey tournament, the fear factor was no longer on the plains, but ingrained in the city.
The first sign to greet Malaysian journalists in the hotel room was frank and read: “Welcome to South Africa. And now that we are done with the pleasantries, here is the truth: Don’t bring anyone who you befriend into this room because if you are lucky you will be left with only your underwear when you wake up. And if you are unlucky, you will go home with AIDS.”
It sent alarm bells buzzing like the irritating vuvuzela, and after reading the morning paper which had three pages full of crime related stories, we constantly looked over our shoulders, initially, but then became bolder and did venture into Johannesburg and downtown Soweto.
During the free hunting days, the Big Five that were favourite safari were Lion, Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Leopard and Black Rhinoceros.
But during the World Cup, the Big Five favourites seem to be Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain and England.
So when a group of journalists were having a conversation on the World Cup and eventually came to which team one supports, there was muted silence when I picked Ivory Coast over the Big Five.
I don’t expect the Elephants, as Ivory Coast are known as, to win the World Cup, but they should provide some ex citement and romance because all their players are based abroad, and will only be playing in their second World Cup.
The Elephants did not make an attempt to play at the world stage until 1974, and only qualified in 2006 but didn’t get past the first round.
And the fact that they qualified four years later, and have produced one of the best strikers from that continent, is testimony of their determination.
Hibernian, VB Stuttgart, Arsenal, Wigan Athletic, Manch ester City, Monaco, Galatasaray, Lille, Sevilla, Chelsea, Olympique Marseille ... Every Ivory Coast player in the World Cup today has a foreign club as his base and this is where their strength lies in.
The talent was honed back home, but they know that if they do not venture across their borders, they will not be able to earn a decent living, and more importantly, take their country to the World Cup for the second time.
The Elephants football team might not be as strong and ferocious as their animal Big Five but they should be able to give Portugal, Brazil and North Korea a headache in Group G.
South Africa never ceases to amaze visitors to its country so don’t be surprised if a team outside the Big Five lift the title, as you can’t rule out an Elephant stampede if they beat Portugal today.
On a parting note, among the many surprises that jolted Malaysian journalists in 2002, was the definition of Soweto.
When we visited Nelson Mandela’s matchbox house in Soweto, where he stayed during his mining days in 1946 and is now a family museum, we asked the caretaker which tribal language did the word Soweto come from, and what did it mean.
He laughed at us and said, “English my friend, English! It is in short for South Western Township.”

Hit them hard, says MHF

THE Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) views Kelantan’s attempt to cheat at the Malaysian Sports Schools (MSSM) Girls Under-12 hockey tournament as an identity fraud, and feels stern action should be taken against those respon sible.
On Saturday, The Kelantan Under-12 girls team had beaten Kuala Lumpur 4-1 in the MSSM finals, but were then stripped of the title when they were found to have registered an overage player with documents of another girl.
MHF vice-president Datuk Dr S.S. Cheema said even though it is a schools tournament, but it is still sanctioned by the MHF and stern action should be take against those responsible.
“The organisers did the right thing by giving KL the title even though Kelantan had won because identity fraud is a big crime.
“I feel there should be a follow up from the ministry (of Education) to get to the root of the matter because the player could not have done it on her own, and officials or teachers who condoned the act be punished,” said Dr Cheema.
Dr Cheema said such an act must be nipped in the bud: “On the MHF part, we can stop the said teacher(s) or official(s) from officiating at any other future tournaments.
“However I feel the Education Ministry must come down hard on those involved in this embarrassing episode to send a strong warning to others.” It was reliably learnt that after receiving the protest from KL, MSSM officials had contacted the real owner of the doc uments, and her father had confirmed that his daughter did not compete in the tournament, but was on holiday with him.
KL dominated the MSSM meet when their Under-12 boys beat Terengganu 2-1, while in their Under-18 boys beat Perak 3-0.
The only title that slipped from KL’s grip was in the Girls Under-18, which Kedah won 2-1.