Project 2013 to benefit from Ordos outing

PROJECT 2013 coach K. Dharmaraj is pleased that four of his charges have broken into the senior ranks, but feels they should return to junior side once their assignments are over.
Four of his players, brothers Faizal and Fitri Saari and Firhan Ashaari, Amir Farid will play in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, China, from Saturday.
They will be up against Asian Games champions Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, China and India in the tournament.
“It is good that some of my players have managed to secure places in the senior side as their confidence level is sure to grow by playing alongside the best in the country.
“However, they need to return to the Project 2013 squad after their senior assignments to touch base with their team mates so that we have a team with a good understanding for the Qualifier next year,” said Dharmaraj.
The Junior Asia Cup in Malacca next year May is also a qualifier for the Junior World Cup in India.
“Their return to the junior side will also help improve the other players in training for the Asia Cup. If they are kept with the seniors side, then, the others in the Project Squad will become stagnant as they do not have any one to challenge their spots,” said Dharmaraj.
Faizal, who scored eight goals in the Singapore-Malaysia Junior World Cup in 2009, has since been actively involved with the senior side and has lost touch with the Project players.
He is 20-years-old, and is only eligible for the Qualifier and not for the Junior World Cup if Malaysia make the cut.
Meanwhile, the national team departed for Ordos yes terday and will open accounts against Pakistan on Sat urday.
Pakistan, who beat Malaysia 2-0 in the Asian Games final, will be without both their goal scorers Rehan Butt and Sohail Abbas as well as Salman Akbar in Ordos.
As for India, their world-class penalty corner drag flicker Sandeep Singh and midfielder Sardar Singh will be missing from the list, as both were banned two years for walking out of training camp.
ASIAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY: Sept 3: Pakistan v Malaysia; Sept 4: South Korea v Malaysia; Sept 6: China v Malaysia; Sept 7: Malaysia v India; Sept 9: Malaysia v Japan.

And the European champions are...

BY FIH (Cloudy journalism, one has to read until the last pare to know the final score)

The men's GANT EuroHockey Championship final between Germany and the Netherlands was a fitting end to a great tournament: skillful, exciting, a fantastic showcase for the sport.
In a sold out 10.000 seater stadium full of enthusiastic supporters of the two best European teams, tension was high from the starting whistle, and there was barely a minute on the clock when Philipp Zeller tipped in a ball across from Mo Fürste.
Shocked into action, the Dutch attacked to pull even, and a fast and even game developed. With extraordinary skills on both sides, both teams had a number of opportunities, and the Netherlands were more effective, pulling level through Roderick Weusthof who beat German goalkeeper Max Weinhold with a superb reverse stick shot. The game went into frantic end-to-end play, with no advantages on either side, and stayed even until the 32nd minute, when a penalty corner for Germany yielded a penalty stroke that Mo Fürste converted without hesitation to give Germany the 2-1 halftime lead.
In the second half, both sides tried to control play better, but Florian Fuchs managed to get Germany ahead again with a great finishing touch to a ball from Thilo Stralkowski for the 3-1. The Netherlands were trying hard to make up some ground, but the German defense stood firm, and there was no passing their ranks, until the Dutch succeeded in winning a penalty corner, which the ever reliable Taeke Taekema converted with another cracking flick. At 2-3 only one goal behind again, the Dutch stepped their game up and attacked relentlessly, but could not beat the wall of the German defense. The Germans were still able to also create danger on fast breaks, and in the 68th minute, Oli Korn deflected a pass across into the goal for the 4-2 lead, and effectively, the victory for Germany. With the final whistle, the new European Champions were crowned: Germany men won their first European title since 2003.
In the other encounters, England defeated Belgium by Golden Goal to claim Bronze, and in the 5-8 bracket, Ireland wrestled down Spain to take 5th, and Russia overwhelmed France for 7th place. Individual awards went to Taeke Taekema of the Netherlands as the event's topscorer, and Mo Fürste of Germany as Most Valuable Player.
Final Ranking: 1 Germany (European Champions); 2 Netherlands; 3 England; 4 Belgium; 5 France; 6 Spain; 7 Russia (Relegation for 2013); 8 France (Relegation for 2013).

Amir & Fitri still in a daze

PROJECT 2013 players Fitri Saari, 18, and Amir Farid, 20, were shell shocked when they were named to make their senior debut in the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, China on Sept 3-11.
Both of them had only joined the senior side for a weeks training, and played a few minutes against Japan in the Five- Series friendlies but impressed coach Tai Beng Hai enough to seal their spots.
“I’m still in a daze as I did not expect to be selected for the Asian Champions Trophy after just one week with the seniors,” was the frank assessment from Fitri, whose brother Faizal Saari is also with the national seniors.
Amir was also equally shocked, in a pleasant way: “I too felt that I did not have any chance of playing in Ordos, but now that I have been selected, I will naturally give my best.”
Both the players, together with Faizal, will play in the Junior World Cup Qualifier in Malacca next May.
And when asked how they felt upstaging more experienced players to stake a claim in the senior squad, Amir said: “I am honoured to be selected over some seasoned players and I feel this chance to play with the best teams in Asia should give us an added advantage when we play in the Junior World Cup Qualifier.”
In Ordos, Malaysia are ranked second behind Asian Games champions Pakistan. However, the challenge to play in the final is expected to come from South Korea.
With former skipper Azlan Misron was left out due to injury, while forward Hafifi Hafiz requested not to be included because of personal reasons and Kelvinder Singh left behind to continue his fitness programme, it will be uphill all the way in Ordos.
The tournament does not offer any ranking points and this initiative by Asian Hockey Federation is some 20 years too late as Europe have progressed tremendously by playing regularly among themselves.
Malaysia are building a team for the Champions Challenge I in South Africa on Nov 26-Dec 4 which provided valuable ranking points. The national players need to finish top-five among eight teams to move up from their present 15th to 12th in the world.
For the Champions Challenge I, Malaysia are in Group B with Canada, Argentina and Japan. Group A comprises New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium and Poland.
ASIAN CHAMPIONS TROPHY: Sept 3: Pakistan v Malaysia; Sept 4: South Korea v Malaysia; Sept 6: China v Malaysia; Sept 7: Malaysia v India; Sept 9: Malaysia v Japan.

Indian stars in cold storage for two years

INDIAN hockey players Sandeep Singh (L) and Sardara Singh who have been banned for two years for indiscipline - PTI
In a development that can have serious repercussions on the Indian team’s future, Hockey India on Saturday banned senior players Sandeep Singh and Sardar Singh for two years on grounds of indiscipline.
Drag-flicker Sandeep and midfielder Sardar had left the just-concluded national camp in Bengaluru on August 23, citing “family matters”.
There was more to the players’ sudden departure though, with reports of the duo being involved in an altercation with camp co-ordinator S.S. Grewal.
Sandeep and Sardar were also part of the five “rebel” players, who had left the camp mid-way last month to attend a function pertaining to the World Hockey Series, a league by the rival Indian Hockey Federation.
Some sections believe that the two were also under pressure from the IHF for “apologising” to HI, for their conduct.
Said Hockey India general secretary Narinder Batra here on the day, “This is the third offence in six months by these two players. Hockey India took note of the happenings and decided that enough was enough.
“Sandeep and Sardar have been banned for two years from all international and national events pertaining to Hockey India. It is sheer indiscipline and if we do not act now, it will influence the juniors in the team.”
The players, however, have been given 30 days time to appeal the ban, following which a five-member committee would decide on further action. They committee would consist of a member each from the Sports Authority of India, the Indian Olympic Association, a players’ representative and two HI officials.
On the day, Sandeep and Sardar — part of the China-bound Indian team for the Asian Champions Trophy beginning September 3 — were asked to explain their actions but the duo’s contradictory statements went against them.
Sardar, it was learnt, told the committee members that he had serious family problems that had lingered since the last three weeks. Sandeep cited family problems too, while also accusing Grewal of “using abusive language and misconduct”.
Said an official, “The general view was that the players had deserted the team in the most difficult times. If they had problems, they could have informed Hockey India in advance, and not three days before the team’s departure. The priority should be playing for the country, but sadly it hasn’t been the case with these two, even in the past.
“In today’s meeting, they stood their ground and also regretted their decision to leave the camp. It was highly contradictory.”
The players refused to comment on the matter, saying they “were contemplating what to do next”.
The duo were an integral part of chief coach Michael Nobbs’ plan over the next few years.

-- DECCAN CHRONICLE

Rajpal: Controversies not a bother

Indian Hockey has been dogged by a spate of controversies in the recent past, including the pull-out of two senior players from the national camp, but captain Rajpal Singh (pic) feels that won’t affect the team’s performance in the upcoming inaugural Asian Champions Trophy.
“It is true that we have seen a lot of controversies in recent past but I can assure you that they will not affect us in the ground. All the players are in form and raring to go.
The atmosphere in the team is terrific,” Rajpal told PTI Bhasha.
The inaugural Asian CT will be played in Ordos, China from September 3 to 11.
While the team will be leaving on Sunday, Rajpal will go a day later after receiving the Arjuna Award on 29th of this month.
He also denied that the team will miss the services of seniors Sardara Singh and Sandeep Singh who left the national camp for personal reasons.
“We are not feeling any pressure due to their absence.
Their replacements (V.R. Raghunath and Vikas Sharma) are also equally talented. We have to groom the youngsters to field the best team in London Olympic qualifiers.”
Asked about the realistic goals in the tournament, he said this will be a launching pad for their preparations for London.
“Coach Micheal Nobbs has been telling us repeatedly that win or loss in this tournament does not matter. We will judge ourselves on the basis of performance in this tournament. It will tell us whether our preparations for qualifiers is on right track or not,” he said.
“We had won a bronze in Asiad, so naturally we would like to go a step further and play the final.”
Rajpal, who had a bitter face-off with previous coach Jose Brasa, described Nobbs as a good and understanding coach.
“Nobbs is a good coach. He is a disciplinarian and friendly with players as well. Being an Australian his emphasis is on attacking hockey. As fas as Brasa is concerned, there was a small misunderstanding with him. He is also a good coach,” he said.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Imran might have said that India will enjoy an edge over his team when the arch-rivals meet in Asian CT, but Rajpal is not thinking on those lines.
“We will face Pakistan in the last match. We will play four matches — against China, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia — before that. We can qualify for the final by winning first four matches and then the match again Pakistan will be irrelevant for us. We are not thinking about that match as of now.”
The Hindu