©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
SV Kampong eliminated Rot-Weiss Koln in a tense and intense 1-0 thriller to close out day one of the KO16, taking their place in Sunday’s KO8 where they join Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles, Herakles and Real Club de Polo.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
Boet Phijffer’s close range tip in from a superb Robbert Kemperman backhand proved the only difference as the 2016 champions beat the reigning champions Rot-Weiss Koln to set up a KO8 date with Racing Club de Bruxelles.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
Racing Club de Bruxelles cruised into the EHL KO8 for the second time in their history with a comfortable victory over Dinamo Kazan, winning 9-0.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
A pair of field goals powered Herakles to victory in their first ever EHL game as they saw off Atletic Terrassa, winning out 4-2 in the second KO16 game in Rotterdam
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
Real Club de Polo came from behind to beat Holcombe 7-4 to reach the KO8 once again, beating an understrength Holcombe with something to spare.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
Three Rock Rovers’ Peter Blakeney – along with Mitch Darling – is just one of two members of the club’s last EHL experience back in 2008/09 but while he was part of the first Irish side to reach the KO16, he says he is the last person to ask about his memories of it.
Ben Somerford
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Queensland duo Jake Whetton and Daniel Beale have both forged successful 100-plus-game Kookaburras careers but the upcoming Commonwealth Games marks the first time they’ll represent their country in their home state.
Feroz Khan
The 18-member Indian men’s hockey team that will represent India at Gold Coast 2018 (PTI image)The 18-member Indian men’s hockey team that will represent India at Gold Coast 2018 (PTI image)
NEW DELHI: The winds of change are blowing thick and fast in the heavily scrutinised world of Indian hockey. Under the tutelage of Dutch coach Sjoerd Marijne, the men's team is on a mission to reclaim its lost glory and the early few signs have put them on a solid footing that they are treading the right path.
Having lost last two finals to Australia, India hope to get third-time lucky
Indervir Grewal
The Manpreet Singh-led side will have to put up a disciplined performance to end Australia’s dominance in the Commonwealth Games. File photo
IT has been eight years since a masterful Australia schooled India in front of a stunned New Delhi crowd. The 8-0 hammering had come as an anticlimax to a surprisingly successful campaign — India reached the Commonwealth Games final, for the first time ever, after upsetting England in the semifinals.
Indervir Grewal
Dilpreet Singh
“The day you can tie your hair on your own, I will take you along,” Balwinder Singh had told his young son who insisted on accompanying his father to Amritsar. “When I became the coach of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Hockey Academy in Amritsar, he told his mother ‘I want to go with dad’,” added Balwinder, who belongs to Butala village, about 50km from Amritsar.
Manpreet Singh, Rani Rampal and Savita Punia. file
Rani and her teammates would have been eagerly waiting for the Commonwealth Games to start. After their Asia Cup triumph last year, the Indian women garnered widespread acclaim and gained enormous confidence.
Both men and women team reclaimed the Asia Cup last year and have the momentum to end the Commonwealth Games gold jinx in Gold Coast.
By Jaspreet Sahni
India's women hockey captain Rani Rampal and men's team skipper Manpreet Singh (Image: Twitter)
New Delhi: When Sjoerd Marijne and Harendra Singh assumed charge of their changed coaching roles last September, there was hope and doubt in equal measure. But the two, at the helm of India’s men and women hockey teams, respectively, trashed the doubts and turned hopes into gold.
By Rutvick Mehta
Sjoerd Marijne India chief coach Sjoerd Marijne (right) says that he is not obsessed with results
As Indian men’s hockey team seeks to better its silver-winning 2014 show in CWG, head coach Sjoerd Marijne talks to Rutvick Mehta about importance of doing well in Gold Coast
What are the goals you've set for the team from the Commonwealth Games (CWG)?
As Team India, we want to go into every tournament looking to win a gold medal, and that is going to be our endeavour from now on. It starts with the first match at the Commonwealth Games, which is against Pakistan. For us it's most important that we play that match well, and from there build on it. We're not watching the semifinals or finals. Of course, we know the teams that are in fray, and we know their strengths and weaknesses. But again, it's all about focussing on doing our things right.
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay - On Wednesday, the U.S. U-17 Women's National Team arrived in Uruguay and wasted no time as they hit the pitch the same day to start their preparation for their four-game series against Uruguay. This was followed by two more training sessions on Thursday and one this morning, before opening up the series at the British Schools of Montevideo. USA displayed a great scoring performance on their way to a 6-0 shutout win, as three goals in each half were matched by a defensive unit that limited Uruguay's attacking opportunities.
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: Defending overall champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt survived a scare from Anderson-Thunderbolt before winning 3-2 in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) Division One match.
By Todd Williams
The FIH, hockey’s international governing body, was formed in 1924, largely in response to the sport being left out of the Paris Olympics of that year. Ever since then, one of FIH’s primary aims has been to maintain hockey’s Olympic status. So, by the time the Games return to Paris in 2024, that objective will have been successfully achieved for a full 100 years.
Murray Wenzel
A Rio reality check brought about a complete Kookaburras overhaul with survivor Jacob Whetton confident they have now caught up with the pack.
Ben Somerford
Kookaburras midfielder Tom Craig’s love of hockey doesn’t follow convention. A year spent in Canada as a toddler spawned a life-long passion which has led to his maiden Commonwealth Games.
Manuja Veerappa
BENGALURU: The Indian hockey team at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games wears a fresh look. Most of them are at their maiden Games. There is an air of joy, excitement, anticipation and pressure among the 18 players.
Rohit Paniker
Indian men's hockey vice captain Chinglensana Singh during a training session in Bengaluru.
For about every village in Manipur, there is a minimum of two fulllength football grounds gushing with youngsters enjoying the beautiful game. The same cannot be said about hockey, though. The Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal provides the only Astroturf ground for the Manipuri players to play the sport, with a majority of the players travelling from different parts of the state. The struggle to compete with the state's stupendous football culture is real for the players trying to make it big in hockey, according to Indian men's hockey vice captain Chinglensana Singh.
By Rod Gilmour
As the Gold Coast start looms, Sam Ward reflects on his rise through the England ranks while Mark Gleghorne reveals England’s ‘Dumb and Dumber’ pairing
KUALA LUMPUR: The biggest challenge for the Malaysian women’s hockey team at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, is scoring goals.
By Ashley Gillespie
Photo by Getty Images
A bunch of Kookaburras and Hockeyroos stars spent part of their Good Friday visiting sick children at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
The world’s best club hockey competition hits full throttle this weekend as 16 of Europe’s top clubs battle it out for the four tickets on offer to the FINAL4 and the pursuit of the Alain Danet Trophy.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
Florent van Aubel says Dragons are getting into what the club call “EHL form” as they build up to their KO16 date with HC Bloemendaal on Saturday evening.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
Uhlenhorst Mülheim will have the services of some of their top stars available for the EHL KO16 as they face Racing Club de France for the first time in this competition.
Three Rock Rovers will travel to Rotterdam to compete in the KO16 of the EHL. There, they will face Saint Germain HC and the side will include many familiar names given they have a plethora of French internationals who competed in Belfast at World League 2 last March. The sides meet on Saturday 31st at 11:30am CET. Click here for the full match schedule.
Ben Somerford
Hockey Australia and the Northern Territory Government today confirms the world number one Kookaburras will again compete at the Darwin International Hockey Open in 2018.
There is a weekend of youth international hockey on the cards at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre this weekend as Scotland welcomes the Wales in U16 and U18 boys’ and girls’ squads for international test series’.
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: Anderson-Thunderbolt have never beaten defending overall champions Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI)-Thunderbolt before.
LAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has removed its associate secretary former Olympian Khalid Bashir on disciplinary grounds.
Malaga (ESP)
ESP - CHN 3 - 1
Spain win the 4 Test series 1 - 0 with the other 3 Tests ending in a draw
FIH Match Centre
This year will be the sixth time hockey has been contested at the Commonwealth Games and, in the words of Australia mens’ head coach Colin Batch, “the competition has never been so tight”.
By Sjoerd Marijne, India Men’s Hockey Coach
For me it is not about how someone was in the past but how good he is now.
On being appointed as coach of the men’s team ahead of the 2017 Asia Cup, it was important for me to have an idea about the quality and depth of players in the squad. The best way to do that was in tournament conditions. To analyse players by only training camps is not as effective because there is no pressure. How a player reacts in a difficult match situation is different from how he reacts in everyday training.
Sundeep Misra
Rani Rampal will lead India's women's hockey team CWG. Twitter/@imranirampal
When he’s not talking hockey, he is usually thinking about it. Obsession would be too mild a word to describe the idiosyncrasies of Indian women’s coach Harendra Singh. In a career that spans probably 40 years where he played the sport as a junior, then turned out for India at the Asian Games in 1990 and then donned the cloak of a coach, life has been full of steep curves, only a couple of straight lines and some top of the world feelings.
Vijay Lokapally
For Harendra Singh, the experience of coaching hockey girls has turned out to be “unique.”
Ben Somerford
Jodie Kenny admits she watches her last-gasp equalising goal in the 2014 Commonwealth Games all the time. “I can’t get enough of it,” Kenny laughs.
Photo: www.photosport.nz
New Zealand will be well represented both on and off the turf at the Commonwealth Games with five umpires and officials in action on the Gold Coast.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
“I have missed the EHL; the club has missed the EHL!” Jeroen Hertzberger cannot wait to get back up and running in the world’s best club hockey competition after a four year wait.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
“It’s why we play hockey,” says Rot-Weiss Köln coach André Henning as he looks forward to part three of their EHL trilogy against SV Kampong on Friday evening (8pm CET) in the KO16 in Rotterdam.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
David Alegre says Real Club de Polo’s path to the EHL FINAL4 features “complicated but not unbeatable teams” as they look to negotiate their way through the KO16 and KO8 this weekend in Rotterdam.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
It seems something of a circle of the life of a talented Atlètic Terrassa to shine at home, make a move to a big league in the Netherlands or Belgium, before returning to the home comforts.
WICKLOW, Ireland - The U.S. U-19 Women's National Team built on the momentum present in yesterday's game to earn their second victory today and cap off their tour and test series against Ireland's U-21 team. Played at St. Gerald's School, the U-19 USWNT netted one in the first quarter and extended the lead in the third, but not before Ireland fought back to cut the goal margin. USA stayed relentless to tally another three in the fourth to seal a 5-2 win.
The Glasgow National Hockey Centre
Women’s EuroHockey Championship II will be held in Glasgow from 4-10 August 2019. The EuroHockey (EHF) Executive Board awarded the tournament to Scotland, which will see another summer of top international hockey coming to Glasgow.
By Aftar Singh
KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Akhimullah Anuar Esook (pic) is on a roll in the Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL).
KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has announced 51 probables for the selection of a national team for the 3rd Youth Olympics Qualifying Round to be held in Bangkok, Thailand from April 25 to 29. The 3rd Youth Olympics will be held in Argentina from Oct 1 to 12, 2018. The top two teams from the qualifiers will represent Asia at the Youth Olympics. The training camp will be held in Abdul Sattar Stadium from Monday (April 2). The players have been directed to report to Kamran Ashraf, the coach of the national junior team, at the stadium on Sunday. It is pertinent to mention that the hockey event of the Youth Olympics will be played on 5-a-side format. Hence, the PHF has planned a 5-a-side tournament for the camp trainees, at the newly-established Shahnaz Sheikh Hockey Stadium in Rawalpindi. That event will be held along with the training camp. According to Qamar Ibrahim, the manager of Pakistan juniors, this tournament will help in assessing the players` potential. After the conclusion of this tournament, the final squad for the youth Olympics qualifiers will be announced. The team will attend a short training camp before departing for Thailand.
By AYUMBA AYODI
Telkom coach Jos Openda (left) and captain Tracy Karanja lead Kenyan hockey queens in celebrations after they were presented with the trophy for winning the women’s 2017-18 Premier League on February 18, 2018 at City Park Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kenya Hockey Union (KHU) has made drastic changes to the men and women’s Premier Leagues ahead of the new season which gets underway on April 7.
Shamir Osman
Dahlia Borhan (stairs, second from left) with three other members of Singapore’s 1993 SEA Games gold medal-winning women’s hockey team (from left) Foo Siew Chin, Chua Buay Choo and Geraldine Ho. The four attended a reunion dinner where they met the 2012 national hockey team.PHOTO: NEW PAPER
SINGAPORE - Former Singapore hockey international Dahlia Borhan died on Wednesday (March 28) afternoon. The former national women's coach succumbed to cancer. She was 58.
The beauty of the Commonwealth Games is the prospect of compelling match-ups between nations that rarely play each other. It is these scenarios where acts of ‘giant killing’ can take place and players who normally compete in front of a handful of spectators suddenly find themselves in the role of hero, with an audience of thousands.
Photo: Sydney Mahlangu /BackpagePix
The South African Hockey Association today has confirmed the call up of Kara Botes to the Commonwealth Games squad to replace Bernadette Coston, who is unavailable to travel with Team South Africa. An urgent “Late Athlete Replacement” application was submitted to the Commonwealth Games Federation who subsequently approved the inclusion of Botes.
Ben Somerford
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Kookaburras goalkeeper Tyler Lovell will be standing between the sticks representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games next month but he may have headed down the cricket path.
PHOTO COURTESY: ASIAN HOCKEY FEDERATION
The Pakistan national hockey team departed for Gold Cost, Australia on Tuesday morning from Karachi aiming to win gold at the Commonwealth Games beginning from April 5.
Coach Harendra’s arrival has meant a lot to the team
Vijay Lokapally
Rani Rampal
She played a World Cup when she was 15. Eight years down the line, Rani Rampal is now the face of Indian women’s hockey, exuding infectious confidence on the eve of the team’s departure for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.
WICKLOW, Ireland - Following a 0-0 draw in the first of three matches, The U.S. U-19 Women's National Team claimed their first victory of their Ireland tour with a 3-0 win over the U-21 Ireland team at St. Gerald's School. Similar to the two teams' first outing both sides agreed to four, 17.5 minute quarters, as well as a practice shootout round, where USA also won.
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
As always, the EHL KO16 will be broadcast live by a wide variety of different outlets around the world, showcasing the world’s best club hockey competition. Here’s where you can watch each KO16 and the four KO8 knock-out games:
©: Frank Uijlenbroek/world Sport Pics
The Euro Hockey League will offer blind and partially-sighted fans a unique hockey experience at HC Rotterdam on Monday, April 2. In association with Koninklijke Visio and ABN AMRO, the stadium will host a special stand with seats for the blind.
©: Hannie Verhoeven
The ABN AMRO Junior EHL will run in parallel to the EHL with six of Europe's top youth clubs contesting the trophy this season.
Photo: Planet Hockey
The Vantage Black Sticks Women are set to play in Cromwell for the first time when they contest the Pioneer Energy Tri Nations Women’s International Hockey tournament this May.
