Saturday, November 9, 2013

FIH give Lion's share to India, Argentina..

Allocated events for 2015
Event Month Location
Hockey World League Semi Final 1 – Men June Argentina
Hockey World League Semi Final 2 – Men June Belgium
Hockey World League Semi Final 2 – Women June Belgium
Hockey World League Final – Women November Argentina
Hockey World League Final – Men December India
Allocated events for 2016
Champions Trophy – Men June Argentina
Champions Trophy – Women June England
Junior World Cup – Men December India
Allocated events for 2017
Hockey World League Semi Final 1 – Women June-July Belgium
Hockey World League Semi Final 1 – Men July Argentina
Hockey World League Semi Final 2 – Men July England
Hockey World League Semi Final 2 – Women July-August Argentina
Hockey World League Final – Men December India
Allocated events for 2018
Champions Trophy – Women January Argentina
Indoor World Cup – Men & Women February Argentina
Hockey World Cup – Women 7-21 July England
Hockey World Cup – Men 1-16 December India

Friday, November 8, 2013

Malaysia playing for bronze, again...

MALAYSIA will be playing for bronze again in the Third Asian Champions Trophy when they were edged 4-3 by India in the final pool match in Kakamigahara, Japan, yesterday.
    Pakistan and Japan drew 2-2 and will meet again in the final tomorrow.
    Malaysia, tied on six points with India, will play China as they have scored more goals. India scored 12 and let in 12, while Malaysia scored 13 and also let in 13 goals.
   India will meet Oman in the fifth-sixth classification.
    For the record, Malaysia won bronze in both the previous editions.
   “Our goalkeeper (S.) Kumar was the man-of-the-day as he brought out some super saves to deny India from scoring more goals.
    “And now we will be playing to claim the bronze,” said Malaysian coach Paul Revington.
    But it won’t be easy, as Malaysia could only edge China 4-5 in the pool match.



Its India again...2018 World Cup men's hosts

We are delighted to announce that England and India will host the Hockey World Cups in 2018. England Hockey were successful in their bid to host the women’s showpiece, with Hockey India winning the race to host the men’s equivalent.
The announcements were made by FIH President Leandro Negre at a special ceremony at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Lausanne, Switzerland on Thursday evening.
“I wish to offer my sincere congratulations to England Hockey and Hockey India on their successful bids to host the Hockey World Cups 2018”, said Mr Negre. “The quality of both bids was truly extraordinary, and the FIH is greatly looking forward to bringing its top properties to England and India. I would also like to congratulate all of the National Associations that submitted bids for these events. The standard was exceptionally high, making the decision extremely hard for the FIH Executive Board.”
Alongside the Olympic Games, the Hockey World Cups are the most coveted, cherished prizes in Hockey. Held every four years, they bring together the world’s greatest teams and most skilful players for the toughest, most competitive international hockey event imaginable.
Alongside the Olympic Games, the Hockey World Cups are the most coveted, cherished prizes in Hockey. Held every four years, they bring together the world’s greatest teams and players for the toughest, most skilful and most competitive international hockey event imaginable.
Both the Men's and Women's Hockey World Cups 2018 will feature an increased 16-nation field of participants, confirming the growing interest and development of the sport. Next year's hugely anticipated Rabobank Hockey World Cup, which takes place in The Hague, Netherlands during the first two weeks of June, will see twelve men's and twelve women's teams competing in a mammoth double event.
“The decision certainly was not an easy one to make”, said FIH Chief Executive Officer Kelly Fairweather, reflecting on the bidding process. “All of the bids that we received were exceptional, being completely in line with our strategy to deliver the most entertaining, exciting and inspiring hockey events in the world. The FIH Executive Board were hugely impressed by the bids from England Hockey and Hockey India, and are convinced that both National Associations will deliver absolutely magnificent tournaments.”
The FIH has been meticulous in its approach to choosing the hosts for the 2018 showpiece events. As part of the bidding process, the FIH requested that bid questionnaires were submitted before a deadline of 31 August.
The second phase of the process saw each bid evaluated in detail, as well as further discussions, clarifications, site visits and negotiations taking place with the respective National Associations.  The final decision was made by the FIH Executive Board in Lausanne, Switzerland on Thursday, bringing the process to an end by naming England and India as the host nations of hockey’s top properties.
The World Cup hosts’ announcement is part of FIH’s new event assignment process, which was launched and presented to the National Associations at the FIH Congress in November 2012. The re-structured bidding process was designed to ensure that the majority of the unallocated events for the 2015-2018 period would be assigned before the end of this year. The FIH will make an announcement about the host nations of these events in due course.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Off to Kakamigahara with mixed crew..

FOUR former national players received a life-line to play in  the Third Asian Champions Trophy in Kakamigahara, Japan,  from Saturday.
    Former skipper Madzli Ikmar, 34, quit after the London  Olympics Qualifier in Dublin, but coach Paul Revington  recalled him for the Japan mission.
   Also recalled were Megat Azrafiq, Ahmad Kazamirul, and  Engku Malik. Kazamirul was also out in the cold for a long  period, before being recalled for the recent International  Hockey 9s in Australia, while the other two players have been  out of action for more than 18 months.
    The men’s team will have defending champions Pakistan,  India, Malaysia, Japan, China and Oman; while the women’s  tournament will be made up of Japan, India, Malaysia and  China.
    Malaysia won bronze medals in the last two editions in  Ordos, China, in 2011 and Doha last year.
    “Even though we will be fielding a mixed side, the aim is to  play in the final and better our previous outings,” said team  manager George Koshy.
    The only fresh face is Amirullah Zainol, 22, who will be  making his senior team debut.
    India, who won the title in Ordos, will be fielding 13 junior  world cup players who recently won gold in the Sultan of  Johor Cup.
     Hockey India secretary general Dr Narinder Batra said:  “With the Indian Junior team preparing for the forthcoming  Junior World Cup in New Delhi. The Asian Champions Trophy  gives us an opportunity to allow our junior players to  showcase their skills and gain experience in the international  environment.
   “Out of the 18 players selected for the Asian Champions  Trophy 13 were part of the team which won the Sultan of  Johor Cup in Malaysia.”
    India are the runners-up as they lost to Pakistan 4-5 in  2012. In 2011, India won gold when they beat Pakistan 4-2 in   penalty shoot-out.
    Malaysia: Goalkeepers: S. Kumar, Khairulnizam Ibrahim.
    Defenders: Ahmad Kazamirul, Azlan Misron, Engku Abdul  Malik, Megat Azrafiq, Madzli Ikmar, Razie Rahim.
   Midfielders: Azreen Rizal, Sukri Mutalib, Marhan Jalil,  Nabil Fiqri, Ramadan Rosli.
   Forwards: Faizal Saari, Ismail Abu, Izwan Firdaus, Amir ullah Zainol, Azammi Adabi.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Moore lands RM4 million jackpot

LAS VEGAS-based Ryan Moore pocketed an RM4 million  jackpot when beat countryman Gary Woodland with a  magical birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff in  the CIMB Classic at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club  Monday.
    The American’s ended tied on 14-under 274 on Sunday,  and the playoff was postponed to Monday after fading light  made play impossible.
    Moore, 30, hit an exquisite eight iron approach shot to  within three feet of the par five 18th hole at the West Course  to claim his third PGA Tour title.
    He also received playing rights on the PGA Tour for  essentially the next three years, a place at the Masters  Tournament next April plus a host of other invitations.
      Woodland, who had missed a birdie putt on the 72nd hole  on Sunday evening for the victory, missed the green in  regulation and then left his fourth shot short of the hole to  settle for the runner-up place.
    “Playing a play-off with someone like Gary, I know I don't  want it to last very long,” said a delighted Moore, who won  the top cheque in what is Asia’s first official FedExCup  event.
     “I had a great opportunity there on 18 with my third shot,  and it was just an absolute perfect number. It was 158 yards,  a little bit back up the hill, so for me that was just a perfect  slightly choked down full eight iron.
     “Fortunately it was a back right pin, too, and I like to hit a  little cut. It was coincidentally the exact shot I was working on  the range … with my nine iron I was actually as I didn't hit my  lay up quite as far as I had planned on. I was planning on  having a nine iron in and I had the eight iron, but it's  essentially the exact shame shot, and fortunately I hit it right  next to the hole.”
    The Las Vegas-based Moore said he was pumped up for the  play-off after making a crucial par save on the 72nd hole in  near-darkness on Sunday after a wonderful approach shot as  well.
     “Sleeping was not a matter of the fact that I had to come  back and play a play-off this morning and try and win a  million dollars.
    “It was the fact that I was a little bit jacked up because I just  made an amazing up and down on the 18th hole to just tie and  even get into it.
    “So I just had that little bit of adrenaline, so it was more  getting that out of the system than nerves for this morning,”  said Moore, who is ranked 31st in the world.
     Woodland, who was chasing his third PGA Tour title, was  disappointed he came up short against Moore after both  players ended regulation play on 14-under.
     “It was tough. It was a long hole, and Ryan hit a great shot  in there and obviously made a good birdie. But I thought I hit  a pretty good shot on the third, just obviously coming out of  the rough, I would have like to have been in the fairway, came  out of the rough and came up a little short,” said Wood land.
    He said he would not have hit his birdie putt any differently  on the 72nd hole during the final round which would have  sealed victory for him.
     “I'd like to make that putt. I hit it where I wanted to, it just  broke more. I can see it now, it was a little lighter out right  now, I can see it broke a little more, but it is what it is. I hit a  good putt, and it just didn't go in,” said the 29-year-old.
     One of the longest hitters on Tour, Woodland took the safety  first approach in the play-off with a long iron off the tee but  pushed his second shot into the rough. From there, he  struggled home as Moore cruised to victory.
      “I didn't think I could cover the bunkers this morning,  especially where that pin was. If the pin was up front, we  probably would have been a little more aggressive, but with  the pin in the back I didn't want to leave it short of the bunker  and have a tough third shot.  We decided to lay up and tried to  hit a good wedge in there,” he said.
    “I really enjoyed my time here. Obviously I played pretty  well, just came up one shot short.  All in all it was a great  week, something to build on, and look forward to coming  back.”