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.

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.

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.”

Thai-phoon Kiradech behind US players...

AMERICANS Chris Stroud and Ryan Moore claimed a slim one-stroke lead going into the final round of the CIMB
Classic at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, but hot on their heels is Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
    Stroud returned four-under 68, while Moore had three-under 69 for combined totals of 12-under 204 for the joint-
lead.
   But Kiradech and United States golfer Gary Woodland, who had three-under 69 and five-under 67 for a three-day
combined total of 11-under 205 are within striking distance for a big payout in the RM22 million rich tournament.
   And it looks like its going to be anybody's title today, as Jerry Kelly of the United States is
alone at 10-under, while three other players are also a close nine-under.
   The winner today will receive a handsome cheque of US$1.26 million, 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.
    Moore was disappointed with a poor stretch on the back nine where he dropped four shots over five holes after
turning in 31.
    “It was almost two different days out there. I really got going, really hot early, making a lot of putts and making a
lot of birdies.  And then just kind of hit a pretty rough stretch there in the middle,” said Moore.
    “I've obviously been playing some pretty good golf this week. It's been a little up and down these last couple
days, but I have enough positives that I've just got to kind of keep doing exactly what I'm doing.”
    Stroud hit four birdies in a row from the fifth hole to launch himself into contention on a day when the leaders
came back into the field through dropped shots on the more challenging back nine on the West course.
   “I really hung in there, gave myself a lot of good looks and I got on a good tear there. There's a lot of wedges, but
I'll tell you what, if you do not hit a fairway, you're going to struggle to make par, and that's really my focus,” he
said.
    Kiradech, the current Asian Tour number one, ended his game with an anxious wait at the end of his round to
review television footages of an incident at the 13th hole when his ball moved.
   But after being cleared by the rules officials, the talented 24-year-old will now shoot for his biggest career victory
yet, and also his second title on the West course after winning the Malaysian Open here in March.
     “I feel really pleased with the way I'm playing.  It was a good start, three days in a row on the front nine, but
struggling a bit on the back. Three rounds, kind of mixed golf on the back nine.  But I'm working on my putting a lot
from yesterday, and that helped. I’m happy with three under, and just a good chance which I'll try to catch up in the
final round,” said Kiradech, who made three birdies and an eagle in his opening 10 holes before dropping a double
bogey on 14.
    “I’m just going to try to play my game, stick to my game plan and just play on my form,” said Kiradech. “I don't
want to look at the leaders too much, so if you look at the score, maybe the results are so tough to make the score.
Just try to focus, play and enjoy the final round.
    “I don't want to put a lot of pressure to me. Like I said, I just want to play  good golf, have fun.”
   It wasn’t quite a fun finish when Kiradech was asked to review the incident on the 13th. He later explained: “I had
my mark on the ball, and I put the ball always in the centre. When I walked to the ball, I only looked at the pin. First
time I looked back at the ball, I could see my marker not being on the centre. Normally it is, and I'm sure my ball is
moving.  I walk in and just walk out and called the rules (official), and I'm really sure that I haven't touched the club
before the ball moved. There was no penalty,” said Kiradech, who will play in the penultimate group in the final
round.
      Overnight leader Keegan Bradley struggled to a 76 to fall three shots off the pace while world number three Phil
Mickelson shot his week’s best round to date with a 68 to lie five behind the leaders alongside South Korea’s K.J. Choi in equal 11th place.