hockey~

Top Session :: Improve Basic Skills

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:24:00 +0000

This week we look at how with the right preparation you can design a session, which can be challenging for players of all standards, and be managable even when faced with large groups. Take at look at this session, if you are just starting the season in the southern hemisphere, this session can be used as part of a Try-outs or trials day.

In planning or delivering any session, it is best to start with a learning objective, for example; this session all players will come away of having improved their basic skills.

Agility: Whether your teams use static or dynamic stretches in the warm up, include some agility work without stick and ball at the start of each session, try to vary these exercises each week.

Stick and Ball: After the agility, which is often done in teams and relays - eg ladder exercises, you can progress quickly to some basic relays with stick and ball, this helps get players focussed ready to train hard, add competitive races to get players to concentrate.

Small Groups: When faced with coaching a large group with a range of abilites, using small group drills, eg 4's, means players can work with other players of similar abilites so, therefore weak players don't stop stronger players from training hard. As a coach you can direct this and therefore keep training challenging for all levels.

This session uses these principles and some top small group drills to improve and test players basics.

Pass and move into square

DESCRIPTION

Set out grids 5 by 5 m. For the practice 1 player on each corner with 1 ball between 4. Player passes ball clock wise and after pass moves to touch the cone in the middle of the square and back out again.

COACHING POINTS

Change direction of pass to anti clock wise

Click here to see interactive video!

Next on hockey~ Chasing the Game

Junior World Cup :: Malaysia must beat Spain to enter second round

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:46:00 +0000

Winner takes all! That’s the scenario for today’s last Group C match between Malaysia and Spain.

With Spain’s 0-1 loss to South Korea yesterday, Malaysia have only one option left in their pursuit for a place in the second round of the Junior World Cup Finals – beat Spain.

But then, given their inconsistent form and indifferent performances, it is hard to see National Juniors coach K. Rajan’s boys beating the European champions.

But the defeat of the Spaniards by the South Koreans, who have qualified for the second round, has given Rajan hopes of an upset today.

“It is not impossible to beat them (Spain) and qualify (for the second round),” he said yesterday.

“We have played them before and they are very good.”

Rajan, however, has reminded his boys not to repeat the mistakes they made in the 5-2 win over the United States on Wednesday.

The coach chided his players for resorting to individual play after taking a comfortable lead.

“This attitude of going for self-glory must stop. We are at a crucial stage and the players must not let their minds wander. How can we win matches this way?

“I have had a talk with the players and they know what is at stake. The message to them is simple: go out there tomorrow (today) and win at all cost.”

The Malaysians owe it to the fans to give their everything against the Spaniards today.

The National Juniors are, in fact, the envy of every team in Johor Baru. The home crowd support has been tremendous, with almost 5,000 vociferous fans cheering them on in every match.

“Yes, the fans have rallied behind us and have given the players a tremendous boost. We want to repay them by making the second round. I can assure you that we will do our best in the last match,” vowed Rajan.

To achieve that, the players – especially forwards Faizal Saari, Mohd Izzat Rahim, Mohd Sahfiq and Mohd Marhan – will have to work as a unit, and not as individuals.

The defenders have done well, although there is still room for improvement in terms of keeping their focus right up to the final whistle.

“If we can do that and stay in the fight for the whole 70 minutes then I am convinced that we can beat Spain,” said Rajan.

Junior World Cup :: S. Korea and Pakistan in second round

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:44:00 +0000

South Korea and Pakistan have qualified for the second round of the Junior World Cup Finals from here yesterday.

South Korea became the first team to qualify after a pulsating 1-0 win over Spain in a Group C match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium.

Former world champions Pakistan then made the cut from Group A when they scored two late goals to beat defending champions Argentina 3-2 at the same venue.

The Koreans snatched their third win of the tournament and have a maximum of nine points. Their last match against England will only serve to decide whether they top the group.

The Spaniards now have the beat Malaysia in order to make it. It will be straight-forward match with the winner making the cut.

Yesterday’s match was a fast-paced affair with both teams going at each other at full throttle.

After a goalless first-half, the Koreans finally made the breakthrough in the 49th minute when Seo Jin-su scored a field goal.

The Spanish side pressed hard in the last 10 minutes and had four penalty corners but they all came to nought.

South Korean coach Shin Seok-kyu described the match as a tough battle and that the pressure at the end was tremendous.

“I do not know why the umpires gave the penalty corners. Thankfully, my players kept their cool. We will think about the second round after the match against England,” he said.

The Group A match between Pakistan and Argentina was full of excitement, with the South Americans enjoying the advantage early on.

The Pakistanis persevered and it paid off with two field goals late in the match. But their win was marred by a red card to Abbas Haider in the 68th minute for an infringement.

Argentina took the lead in the seventh minute off a penalty corner goal by Leandro Tolini before Abbas Haider equalised in the 35th minute.

The Argentines struck on resumption when Santiago Monteli scored in the 55th minute.

Four minutes later Pakistan were back on level terms, thanks to Mohamed Irfan’s goal.

Mohamed Zubair then struck in the 66th minute to allow Pakistan to snatch a win over the defending champions.

Argentina will now have to beat Egypt in their last match today to book their second round berth.

In an earlier match, Belgium defeated Russia 6-1 to keep alive their hopes of a place in the next round.

Junior World Cup :: Spaniards out to grab first chance to enter second round

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:43:00 +0000

Spain will get two chances to book their berth in the second round. And they want to get it done today against South Korea in a Group C match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here.

If they fail to do so, they can secure qualification in the their final group match against Malaysia. They go into the match against the Koreans with full points from two matches. South Korea are also in the same position and they have a final group match against England.

And it could boil down to goal difference if Spain beat the Koreans and the group matches on Friday favour Malaysia and South Korea.

Spanish coach Salvador Indurain said yesterday: “Keeping it to the last minute may complicate things. Malaysia are still in with a chance and they could trip us at the last hurdle.

“The Koreans will still be in the running even if they lose to us. That is a risk we are not willing to take. One of the teams can confirm their berth tomorrow (today) and I want it to be Spain.”

Spain started off with a 9-0 win over the United States and then defeated England 2-1.

Spain may be without top forward and skipper Roc Oliva for the match against the Koreans.

Oliva was taken out of the match against England on Tuesday after five minutes because of a muscle pull.

“The injury does not look too serious and we hope that he can recover in time to play the match,” said Indurain.

The Spaniards agree that the Koreans are a top side with good stamina and speed to back their game.

“They have been impressive in their two matches.

“But I think we have the plan to take them on.

“We will go all out for a win and by our calculations, that will be enough to put us through to the medal rounds,” said Indurain.

Junior World Cup :: India face three-way fight with Dutch, Kiwis

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:43:00 +0000

Former world champions India are in a three-way battle with Holland and New Zealand to qualify for the second round from Group D.

India will play against Holland at the Sengkang Hockey Stadium in Singapore today in a crucial match where they need nothing less than a win to stay in contention.

Otherwise, Holland will confirm their berth and pave the way for New Zealand to grab the other spot. The Kiwis play against lowly Singapore and should win big to keep their chances of advancing bright.

For the Indians, a 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Tuesday has changed the equation.

Team manager Anupam Gulati said yesterday that their chances would depend very much on the result of the match against Holland.

“We have to win. It’s a three-way fight and we will take it all the way to the last match. I am confident that the players will rise to the occasion,” he said.

India won the title in 2001 while Holland and New Zealand have yet to emerge as the champions.

In Group B, 1979 winners Australia and four-time champions Germany have virtually sealed their places in the second round.

Both teams have full points from two matches and need only a point in the remaining two to advance. They play each other today and have easy final group matches on Friday. Yesterday, matches in Singapore involved weaker teams and the results had no bearing on the outcome of qualification from the two groups.

Junior World Cup :: Malaysia dish out a yo-yo display in win over the Americans

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:41:00 +0000

Malaysia produced a Jekyll and Hyde performance in their 5-2 win over the United States in a Group C match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

They were four goals up after 11 minutes of play and were swarming all over the Americans. A goal rush appeared on the cards for the Malaysians. But it stopped and they started to give away possession of the ball and soon found themselves under attack.

National coach K. Rajan was incensed with the players for their casual display and for taking their feet off the pedal.

“This is what worries me most with this team. They had everything going for them but allowed the US to get back into the game,” he said.

“We needed to win by a big margin and we made it difficult for ourselves. All they had to do was keep to the structure and play their normal game.”

Malaysia got off to a good start and opened accounts in the second minute through Mohamed Izzat Abdul Rahim, who scored from close range. They kept up their speedy play and stretched the lead six minutes later with Mohamed Marhan Mohd Jamil scoring with reverse hit.

Malaysia earned a penalty stroke in the 10th minute and Faizal Saari made the conversion to put his team 3-0 up. A minute later, Mohamed Shafiq Mohamed Zain scored his first goal of the tournament with an effort from the top of the D.

The Malaysians eased the pressure on their opponents and the US had the first good look at goal in the 21st minute. Four minutes later, Nicholas Szoke narrowed the deficit for the Americans.

The US took the initiative in the second half and had the Malaysians pegged in defence. The Americans gained two penalty corners in the 42nd and 43rd minutes but nothing came off them. But from another penalty corner in the 56th minute, Jedidiah Cunningham scored with a high flick.

In the 63rd minute, Malaysia gained their first penalty corner and Faizal was on target with the high flick. But that was all the Malaysians came up with in the second half.

In Group A, Egypt finally secured a win — beating Russia 3-0 with goals by Eslam Basha, Ahmad Shestawy and Mohamed Hamide.

Malaysia: Abdul Hakim Adnan, Khairil Annuar, Ahmad Kazamirul Nasruddin, Mohd Sybrie, Mohamed Nor Hafiq Abdul Ghafar, Faizal Saari, Mohd Izzat Mohd Rahim, Mohd Noor Khairul Azrain, Izwan Firdaus, R. Nadesh, Mohd Marhan Jalil.

Reserves: Kavin Kartik, Wong Khee Hon, Jamil Mohd Saidin, Mohd Shafiq Mohd Zain, Harvinder Singh.

USA: Jonathan Ginolfi, Kevin Barber, Liam Walsh, Sebastian Schreuer, Amrit Ahluwalia, Kevin Segeren, Willam Holt, Ajai Dhadwal, jedidiah Cunningham, Nicholas Szoke, Dark Pelle.

Reserves: Tyler Sundeen, Colin Scally, Viren Padhiar, Manual Martinez, Ryan Sundeen.

Junior World Cup :: South Korean skipper quarantined

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:40:00 +0000

South Korean skipper Kang Kyung-woo who came down with high fever two days ago could miss the rest of the Junior World Cup Finals.

The player has been quarantined at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital yesterday as a precautionary measure. This follows the recent H1N1 A flu outbreak worldwide.

Tournament medical officer Dr Kamarul Hashimi said yesterday that Kyung-woo could be in hospital for up to 10 days.

The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) secretary, Hashim Mohamed Yusof, assured all teams in Johor Baru that they were constantly monitoring the situation.

“We have special medical units on stand-by at the hotel and stadium. All necessary precautions are being taken,” he said.

Kyung-woo played in the opening match against the United States on Sunday but was not fielded against Malaysia on Monday.

Junior World Cup :: Argentina move closer to second round

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:39:00 +0000

Defending champions Argentina moved closer to a second-round berth from Group A after securing a 3-0 win over Belgium at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

They have full points from two matches and they need another three from their remaining matches against Pakistan and Egypt to advance.

It was a tough game for the Argentinians yesterday with the Belgians making the early fight to keep them at bay for a goalless first half.

But the situation changed for Argentina in a counter attack in the 40th minute with Agustin Mazzilli scoring a field goal from close range.

Alan Gabriel Andino added the other two goals in the 53rd and 69th minutes to ensure full points for the champions.

Argentina coach Pablo Lombi said that the first half was evenly balanced but the breakthrough came with the first goal early in the second half.

“The pressure lifted and we were able to settle down to play our normal game.

“We are happy with the result as it puts us closer to the next round,” he said.

“But we still have Pakistan and Egypt to play and we cannot afford to take any one of them lightly.”

In Group C, Spain also moved closer to the second round following a 2-1 win over England in their second match.

The Spaniards scored the two goals in the first half through Salvador Piera (15th) and Xavi Lleonart (35th). Alex Edmonstone scored England’s consolation goal in the 69th minute.

Spain now have six points and they lead the group on better goal difference than South Korea.

For England, it was their second defeat in as many matches.

Junior World Cup :: Hakim angry with himself for lapses against the Koreans

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:37:00 +0000

Goalkeeper Abdul Hakim Adnan is angry with himself for not reading the South Koreans’ penalty corner variations better in Malaysia’s 0-2 defeat on Monday.

The 20-year-old Maybank employee has vowed to be more alert to help Malaysia remain in the hunt for a place in the second round.

“We knew that they have very good drag flickers. “We have studied their movements on video,” he said yesterday.

“The two goals could have been stopped. The first was a deflection and the second was a low flick that hit a defender’s leg before going in. It was just unlucky for us.

“I will not let it happen again. I will work harder to ensure that we stop the Americans and Spaniards in our remaining group matches.”

Hakim joined the national juniors in early 2006 and he wants to stamp his mark in the Junior World Cup to stake his claim for a place in the senior ranks.

“All the players have worked hard and we want to make the second round,” he said.

Junior World Cup :: It gets harder for Malaysians to second round hopes

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Malaysia’s chances of advancing to the second round of the Junior World Cup Finals took a hard knock when they lost 0-2 to South Korea in a Group C match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

A goal in each half from successful penalty corner executions gave the Koreans full points. The Koreans had in their opening match on Sunday beaten the United States 8-0 while the Malaysians scored a 1-0 win over England.

The Koreans went on the offensive from the start yesterday and their speed play had the Malaysians reeling in defence.

And they did not have to wait long to take the lead. They earned their first penalty corner in the fifth minute and Kang Moon-kyu deflected home the drag flick taken by Lee Woo-geun.

The Malaysians were kept pegged in defence and conceded another three penalty corners. But some very close defending prevented the Koreans from stretching the lead. Malaysia had just one good shot at goal in the 21st minute.

In the second half, Malaysia tried to take the fight to the Koreans but it soon fizzled out.

The Koreans pushed forward and earned another penalty corner in the 55th minute. This time, Jeong Yun-sang beat goalkeeper Abdul Hakim Adnan with a low flick.

Malaysia coach K. Rajan said that the Koreans’ better execution of the penalty corners made the difference.

“It is not over yet for us. We still have two more matches to go and the second-round berth is still in sight,” he said.

In another Group C match, European champions Spain began their campaign with a 9-0 win over the US.

The Spaniards had total control of the match. Gabriel Debanch scored a hat-trick and Salvador Piera had a brace. The other scorers were Javier Garcia, Diego Arana, Roc Oliva and Xavier Lleonart.

Spanish coach Salvador Indurain said that they were happy to start off convincingly.

“The tougher matches are coming up and that is where the results will matter most.

“We took our time to settle down but it all went as planned once we got the first goal.”

Junior World Cup :: Pakistan’s Haseem hopes to strike it hot

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Pakistani forward Haseem Khan is on a quest to emerge as the top scorer of the Junior World Cup Finals.

He got off to a flying start with a hat-trick against Russia in a Group A match on Sunday and he added two more in the 3-0 win over Egypt yesterday.

He faces tough competition with India’s Diwakar Ram who started off with five goals in the match against Singapore yesterday. The Indians won the match 10-0.

Argentina’s Guido Martin Barreiros Lopez, Kiwi Simon Child and Holland’s Bob de Gvood are just one goal behind the duo.

“It is still early and we can see that there are good players in the other teams. But I feel that I can achieve it if I can keep up a consistent scoring rate,” said Haseem.

“I have been quite consistent. At the junior level, I have scored 46 goals in over 40 matches. I have also scored six times at the senior level from seven matches.”

The 19-year-old from Karachi wants to emulate his uncle and idol, Hanif Khan, in making a mark in the national team.

“He is my role model and I took up the game after watching him play. He has won the big titles, among them the Olympics and the World Cup. I would like to follow in his footsteps. This is a passion for me and I will work hard to achieve this,” he said.

Haseem also has a brother who plays hockey. Asim was in the Pakistan national junior squad last year but he is no longer eligible to play in the age-group.

Haseem turns 19 on July 15 and is looking at giving himself a perfect birthday present by helping Pakistan lift the Cup.

“I want to help Pakistan regain the Junior World Cup. By having personal targets, it will drive me to help my team win matches here,” he said.

With two wins in the bag, Pakistan are looking at beating defending champions Argentina and Belgium as well in their remaining Group A matches.

Junior World Cup :: Champions Argentina get off to flying start

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:59:00 +0000

Argentina began the defence of the Junior World Cup with a 9-3 win over lowly Russia in a Group A at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here.

Nahuel Salis set Argentina on the road to victory with a field goal in the ninth minute before Guido Martin Barreiros Lopez scored the first of his four goals in the 14th minute. Barreiros Lopez was also on target in the 30th, 31st and 68th minutes.

The other scorers for Argentina were Leandro Tolini (23rd), Agustin Mazzilli (26th, 49th) and Juan Cruz Aguilleiro (66th).

The Russians replied through Alexey Mayorov (30th) and Nikolai Yankun (61st, 70th).

In another match, Pakistan chalked up their second win in Group A, beating Egypt 3-0.

The Pakistanis were lethargic yesterday and for most part of the match laboured against the defensive Egypt, who did well to end the first half without conceding a goal by clearing the ball quickly out of danger.

Haseem Khan finally broke the duck and eased the pressure on Pakistan with a field goal in the 46th minute. Four minute later, Kashif Ali scored from the penalty corner. Haseem went on to score his second goal of the match in the 54th minute.

Pakistan coach K.M. Junaid was pleased with the result but felt that the humid conditions affected his players.

“Having to play twice in a row and that too under such humid weather was tough on the young players,” he said.

“I am glad that we did not falter. These are points we need to make the second round. There are still two tough matches but the players will gain in confidence from this win.”

Pakistan play against Argentina tomorrow and wrap up their group fixtures against Belgium on Friday.

Junior World Cup :: Belgians plot to ambush the Argentines

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:55:00 +0000

The underdogs in Group A for a second round berth, Belgium, aim to ambush defending champions Argentina and pick up at least a point.

Team manager Phil Rooseleer said that their chances making the second round would very much depend on how they fared against Argentina and also Pakistan.

“If we can get a point off either of them, then there is a chance for us to go through. We would like to think that we can upset one of them here,” he said. “Although we beat Egypt 5-1 in the opening match (on Sunday), we had a poor outing. We were over cautious and at one stage the match looked headed for a draw. But, thankfully, our penalty corners worked.”

Rooseleer said besides 17-year-old drag flicker Maximillian Peters, who scored a hat-trick in the win over Egypt, they had another ace in the pack for penalty corners.

“I don’t want to reveal his name just yet. He is even better than Peters. We will let him loose tomorrow against the champions,” he said.

Junior World Cup :: A winning start for Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:28:00 +0000

Forward Faizal Saari scored the crucial goal to give Malaysia a 1-0 victory over England in their opening Group C match of the Junior World Cup Finals at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

It was a supreme performance from the Kelantan player, who was in the sin bin for 12 minutes when he was yellow carded in the 18th minute.

But as soon as he came back on, Malaysia earned a penalty corner and Faizal, who is the main drag flicker for the team, made no mistake with his attempt. The 30th-minute goal was enough to give Malaysia full points.

Malaysia got off to a nervous start but gained in confidence as the match wore on.

For most of the second half, the Malaysians defended in their half but they were dangerous on the counter attack to keep England goalkeeper Ian Scanlon on the alert.

The Malaysians were determined to win the match and held out on three penalty corners in the last 15 minutes of the match.

Coach K. Rajan was happy with the result but felt that the team could have done much better.

“There is room for improvement and we need to step up a gear. The important thing is for the players to recover quickly for the match with the Koreans tomorrow,” he said after the match.

“A few of the players came down with cramps and we need to ensure that they are back on their feet quickly. The Koreans play a fast game and we have to be ready for it.”

In the other Group C match, South Korea routed the United States 7-0. Drag flicker Lee Woo-geun scored a hat-trick from penalty corners in the ninth, 25th and 29th minutes.

The Koreans had full control of the match and opened accounts through Kang Moon-kyu in the 18th minute. His twin brother, Moon-kweon, was also on target in the 44th minute. The other scorers for the Koreans were Lee Dong-hyun (47th) and Kim Ju-hun (58th).

South Korean coach Shin Seok-kyu said he was happy with the win and hoped to collect three points as well in the match against Malaysia today.

“Yes, I believe that we can beat Malaysia in our next game. It was a good start and the big win should only boost the players confidence. We want a convincing win,” he said.

Junior World Cup :: Korean twins set for big roles in senior team

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:27:00 +0000

South Korean will for the first time in their international hockey history have identical twins in their ranks.

The Kang brothers, Moon-kyu and Moon-kweon, were born just two minutes apart. But their paths have gone very much the same way as they make their debut in the Junior World Cup Finals.

The older Moon-kweon has in fact gone one step ahead, having played for the senior side in the Beijing Olympics last year.

Team manager Shin Seok-kyu said yesterday that both players were among the most talented ones in their side and they would certainly make the grade to the senior team.

“Both are university students and have started playing hockey full time. They are set to play for the national team for a long time,” he said.

The twins hail from the Kim Hae. Moon-kyu studies at the Cho Sun University while Moon-kweon is with the Korean Sports University.

“I brought them into the junior squad three years ago when I was appointed coach,” said Seok-kyu.

“It was through a talent spotting exercise at a school game that I saw them in action. I was sure that they will go far and so far I have been proven right.”

Moon-kweon plays in the forward line while Moon-kyu is their playmaker, taking the centre-half role.

“What makes them different is the extra work they put in training. Usually when we finish, they will still continue training on their own. They are very committed and I have no doubt about their ability,” said Seok-kyu.

The twins are assured of places in the national senior team as Seok-kyu will take over the helm after the Junior World Cup Finals.

“It is not favouritism ... they deserve the places. I am sure they will prove themselves in this tournament,” he said.

Junior World Cup :: Pakistanis go on scoring spree against the Russians

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:26:00 +0000

Former Junior World Cup champions Pakistan started off their campaign here with a bang when they hammered Russia 7-2 in a Group A match at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium yesterday.

Pakistan’s senior team player Haseem Khan chalked up a hat-trick, scoring in the sixth, 49th and 66th minutes.

Kashif Ali scored a brace (56th, 70th) while Shafqat Ali and Zubair Mohamed added the other goals in the 21st and 53rd minutes respectively.

Russia earned their goals through Alexey Mayorov and Nikolai Yankun in the 28th and 52nd minutes.

Pakistan coach K.M. Junaid said that they were happy to start on a winning note.

“Winning big in an opening match is a bonus. It is a good start for us and we need to build on it. We started off nervously but settled down when we got the early goals,” he said.

Pakistan, winners of the trophy in 1979, have another easy match today against Egypt, who were beaten 1-5 by Belgium yesterday.

Belgian young defender Maximillian Peters scored the first hat-trick of the tournament. Peters put Belgium in front with a field goal in the 24rd minute.

One minute into the second half, Belgium increased their lead when Renaud Pangrazio scored from top D.

The Egyptians pulled a goal back in the 41st minute when Houssam Ghabran scored from a field attempt.

As the Egyptians opened up play, the Belgians were able to make good use of their counter attacks.

In a three-minute spell from the 67th minute, Belgium scored three goals. Peters scored in the 67th and 69th minute off two penalty corners while Alexandre de Paeuw added the fifth in the 70th minute.

Div 1 :: BJSS whip Unimap to claim MHL Division One top position

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:36:00 +0000

Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) chalked up an impressive 4-1 win over Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap) in a Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) Division One match at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

BJSS, the MHL Under-19 double champions, went on the offensive from the start but had to wait until the 22nd minute to score from close range through Faridzul Atif. And in the 33rd minute, Faridzul was on target again with another field attempt.

Unimap, who drew 1-1 in the first match against Armed Forces Juniors got back into the match with a penalty corner set-piece goal by Atif Gazali in the 40th minute.

BJSS, who drew 3-3 with Bandar Penawar Sports School (BPSS) in the opening match on Friday, missed a number of sitters. But they managed to score two penalty corner goals in the last 12 minutes of the match.

Shazrul Imran made it 3-1 in the 58th minute and nine minutes later, BJSS Hasrul Zari went on target.

BJSS coach S. Prakash said that his players were slowly but surely getting more confident playing against older opponents.

“This definitely is a good indication for our coming matches against stronger teams in the league,” he said.

“But my boys cannot afford to miss chances like they did against Unimap.

“We should have won by a bigger margin. The forwards have to sharpen up their finishing.”

Combining career and hockey is the way for Jiwa

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:35:00 +0000

The return of defender Jiwa Mohan provided a big boost to the national hockey team in the Air Asia-Asia Cup tournament.

But the 28-year-old has ruled out making a full-time comeback to the team.

Jiwa said that he would consider playing for the team in top-level tournaments but he wanted to continue juggling his time between his job career and hockey.

“Full-time hockey is out for me. I firmly believe that one can work and still play top-level hockey. There is not need for me to be with the team full time,” he said.

“The Asia Cup is over and I will go back to my work (as an engineer) in Perth but will continue to train and play for my club there.”

The vastly experience Jiwa had quit the national team after the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2007. But coach Tai Beng Hai convinced him to return for the Asia Cup. He came back just three days before the tournament and was part of the back four in all five matches.

The versatile Jiwa added that the team had a lot of potential and could go far with proper guidance and hard work.

“I am sure we are heading in the right direction. It will be good if more of our players play in foreign leagues. It will be good experience for them and give better understanding on the requirements at the top level,” he said.

“I have to again press home the point that players need not be with the team full time. I have proved that one can always work and play hockey.

“Previously, we had decentralised training and assemble only when there is a tournament to prepare for. It is important that players develop their careers along with hockey.”

Jiwa is expected to make himself available for Malaysia’s campaign in the World Cup qualifying tournament in November.

Fourth place in Asia Cup the right tonic for Malaysia ahead of World Cup qualifiers

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Malaysia showed more positive attributes in the Air Asia-Asia Cup hockey tournament that can only take them forward in their effort to improve on their world ranking.

The main agenda for the national team this year is to get a place in the 2010 World Cup Finals. And finishing fourth in the Asia Cup tournament here has given them a place in the qualifying tournament along with runners-up Pakistan, China, and Japan.

South Korea emerged as the champions to earn direct entry to the World Cup Finals.

In the Asia Cup, Malaysia showed much better fitness. They also played with better commitment and greater confidence.

Credit must be given to coaches Tai Beng Hai and Nor Saiful Zaini for the turnaround in the team’s fortune.

The next assignment is the Champions Challenge II in Dublin from July 5-11. The tournament offers ranking points and Malaysia need to take it seriously.

Malaysia are now ranked 15th in the world and they are the second seeds in the tournament after 11th ranked Japan. The other teams in the fray are Ireland, Russia, France, Chile, Poland and Austria.

Beng Hai said that the tournament would be part of their preparation for the World Cup qualifiers in November and the team would resume training after a few days’ break.

“The focus is the World Cup qualifiers. We started our preparations four months ago and the team have done well,” he said.

“What lies ahead is tougher and we need to keep the improvement level going. I believe the players are just as determined as the coaching staff to work on their game.”

Changes in the team are expected, considering that the National Juniors will be available after the Junior World Cup Finals in June.

“We have said before that any changes to the training squad will be done after June. We know there are several players who could be roped into the squad. We now have 28 players in the team and some of them are still nursing injuries,” said Beng Hai.

The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) also have to make several decisions.

One is on whether to continue their search for a foreign coach or to offer Beng Hai and Nor Saiful Zaini long-term contracts. The duo have delivered on the targets set by the MHF — taking Malaysia to the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final and Asia Cup semi-finals.

The MHF must look at the domestic competitions, among them the Malaysia Hockey League (MHL), which will affect the team’s preparation for the World Cup qualifying tournament. Teams in the Premier League of the MHL, which is scheduled to start in October, are unlikely to agree on releasing their national players.

The national team are in need of top-level practice matches. They came into the Asia Cup with seven matches against South Korean clubs sides, five games in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and one friendly against Pakistan.

“We will look into increasing the number of matches when the new programme is finalised. There are areas where we can improve further but emphasis will still be on fitness training. There will be no let up in the way we have been working over the last four months,” said Beng Hai.

The outings in Kuantan and before that in Ipoh in the Sultan Azlan Cup tournament have showed that Malaysia have what it takes to regain their standings in world hockey. But it will take harder work from the players for it to bear fruits.

Asia Cup 2009 :: South Koreans use their speed to overcome Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Sun, 17 May 2009 04:20:00 +0000

South Korea won the Air Asia-Asia Cup for the third time when they beat Pakistan 1-0 in an exciting final at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

The Koreans have now equalled the three titles won by Pakistan in the series. South Korea’s two other triumphs were in 1994 and 1999 while Pakistan had won it in 1982, 1985 and 1989.

In yesterday’s final, both teams had chances to settle the issue early but it was the Koreans, who played a fast game in the second-half, who finally prevailed when they scored the only goal of the match off their third penalty corner of the match.

Kim Byung-hoon’s 66th minute strike – a trademark drag flick – took his goal tally to six, making him the top scorer of the tournament.

The match was a see-saw battle, with both sides attacking at every opportunity.

Pakistan even had the ball in the net early in the second-half but Rehan Butt’s effort was ruled out for an infringement.

Pakistan goalkeeper Salman Akhbar also played a grand game to keep the Koreans at bay in the early stages.

The first-half saw both team getting three penalty corners each but all to no avail.

You Hyo-sik and Hong Eun-seung capped a fine night for the Koreans when they won the best player of the tournament and man-of-the-match awards respectively.

Malaysia’s S. Kumar (pic) was voted the best goalkeeper.

Korean coach Cho Myung-jun described the win as “the dawn of a new era for Korean hockey”.

“We will look at this win as the start of better things to come. It was not an easy final although we were confident of our chances,” he said.

“Pakistan played one of their best matches and could have scored early.

“But our plan to have a go at them in the second-half proved crucial.”

Asia Cup 2009 :: Malaysia go down to gutsy China in sudden-death penalties

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Sun, 17 May 2009 04:20:00 +0000

Malaysia failed to retain their third placing in the Asia Cup hockey tournament after going down 6-7 to China in sudden-death penalty shoot-out in the classification match at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

Both teams were level at 3-3 in regulation time. Even extra-time failed to break the deadlock.

The Malaysians had four chances to claim victory. They led three times in the match proper. Then, in the shoot-out, they were just a flick away from victory.

In the end, China prevailed. In the mandatory five flicks, only Mohd Shukri Mutalib, Mohd Amin Rahim and Jiwa Mohan converted while Nabil Fiqri and Kelvinder Singh fluffed their attempts.

For China, Song Yi, Hu Hui Ren and Liu Xian Tang converted their flicks with Lu Feng Ren and Sun Tian Jun missed theirs.

In the sudden-death shoot-out, Malaysia scored through Amin, Jiwa and Shukri while Nabil against missed his flick.

China converted all four through Song Yi, Hui Ren, Xian Tang and Tian Jun to claim third spot.

This is the second time that China have made the podium in the Asia Cup. The first time was in 1982, when they also finished third.

The only consolation for Malaysia is that they will join China in the November qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.

The game came alive in the very first minute – that was how long it took Malaysia to open accounts.

Kelvinder Singh collected the ball in the middle and dribbled into the D before sending a cross which was deflected into goal by Ismail Abu.

Instead of going for the kill, Malaysia took their foot off the pedal and this gave the Chinese plenty of space to attack. And the Chinese duly equalised in the 19th minute.

Xiang Tang collected a cross from Na Yu Bo and worked his way into the D, where he was felled by goalkeeper S. Kumar. Skipper Song Yi converted the penalty stroke.

Malaysia regained their lead in the 32nd minute off their first penalty corner when Mohd Amin’s low flick was deflected into goal by Chua Boon Huat.

The second-half saw both teams playing well in patches. Still, it did not take long for China to pull level again. Again it was Song Yi who came to China’s rescue, slotting home a penalty corner goal in the 47th minute.

Malaysia, who missed two clear-cut chances to go ahead after that, finally regained their lead in the 65th minutes through Nabil Fiqri Mohd Nor.

But like the two previous occasions, China equalised for the third time. This time Jiang Xia Shang found the net in the 67th minute to take the game into extra-time.

MALAYSIA: S. Kumar, Mohd Amin Rahim, Mohd Madzli Ikmar, Mohd Shahrun Nubli, Mohd Shukri Mutalib, Ismail Abu, Azlan Misron, Kelvinder Singh, Jiwa Mohan, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Nabil Fiqri Mohd Nor.

Reserves: Chua Boon Huat, S. Selvaraju, Engku Abdul Malek, Jivan Mohan, Hafifihafiz Hanafi.

CHINA: Su Ri Feng, Sun Tian Jun, Jiang Xi Shang, Song Yi, Lu Feng Hui, Guo Zhong Qiang, Liu Xian Tang, Cui Yong Xin, Meng Jun, Na Yu Bu, Hu Hui Ren.

Reserves: Li Jia Jia, Chen Jin, Dong Yang, Sun Zhi Xin, Sun Long.

Asia Cup 2009 :: Pakistan shatter Malaysia’s bid to reach Asia Cup final

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:06:00 +0000

Pakistan shattered Malaysia’s dream of a first final appearance in the Air Asia-Asia Cup hockey tournament, scoring a 4-2 win in the semi-finals at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

Pakistan, who were winners in 1982, 1985 and 1989, will meet 2006 Doha Asian Games gold medallists South Korea in the final tomorrow. Besides the Cup, the champions will also earn a direct entry to the World Cup Finals in India next year.

Malaysia will now play against China for the bronze medal.

Before the start of the match against Malaysia yesterday, Pakistan forward Mohamed Saqlain was given a memento by his captain, Zeeshan Asraf, for making his 300th appearance for his country.

The match got off to a furious start and Pakistan gained their first penalty corner in the second minute. Fortunately for the Malaysians, the execution was poorly done. Malaysia counter attacked and Ismail Abu latched on to a pass to score from an acute angle with a reverse hit.

The Pakistanis recovered sufficiently to apply pressure on the Malaysians. And in one of the raids in the 19th minute, Rehan Butt deflected a long cross from Haseem Khan into goal.

Pakistan had two more penalty corners in the 34th and 35th minutes to increase their score but both attempts taken by Sohail Abbas were well defended by the Malaysians.

In the second half, Pakistan were the stronger of the two sides and their attacks along the left had the Malaysians reeling time and again.

In the 47th minute, Akhtar Ali scored from close range. In the 63rd minute, the Pakistanis broke through and Rehan finished off the move with a strike from the top D. Three minutes later, Pakistani junior Haseem was on target.

Malaysia earned a consolation goal in the 70th minute when Ismail scored off a penalty corner rebound.

Malaysian coach Tai Beng Hai said they failed to take their early chances and allowed Pakistan to take control.

“It’s always difficult when you allow them to come at you and give them space to attack. We matched them early in the match and should have scored the equaliser in the second half. Instead they made better use of their chances,” he said.

“I am not disappointed with my players’ performance but it was just that they were lacking in some areas today.”

Malaysia: S. Kumar, Mohamed Amin Rahim, Mohamed Madzli Ikmar, Mohamed Shahrun Nubli, Mohamed Shukri Mutalib, Ismail Abu, Azlan Misron, Kelvinder Singh, Jiwa Mohan, Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin, Nabil Fiqri Mohamed Nor.

Reserves: Chua Boon Huat, S. Selvaraju, Engku Abdul Malek, Baljit Singh, Hafifihafiz Hanafi.

Pakistan: Salman Akbar, Zeeshan Asraf, Ali Akhtar, Shakeel Abbasi, Sohail Abbas, Mohamed Irfan, Haseem Khan, Tariq Aziz, Rehan Butt, Waseem Ahmad, Sajjad Anwar.

Reserves: Mohamed Saqlain, Mohamed Imran, Fareed Ahmad, Mohamed Waqas, Abas Haider.

Asia Cup 2009 :: South Korea fight back to reach final, thanks to You

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:05:00 +0000

South Korea made short work of China to qualify for the final of the Asia Cup hockey tournament, chalking up a 5-1 semi-final victory at the Kuantan Hockey Stadium here yesterday.

It will be the fourth appearance in the final for South Korea, who won the title in 1994 and 1999 and were runners-up to India in 2007.

The match started off on a slow pace with the Chinese controlling play. And they took the lead in the 11th minute off their first penalty corner with defender Hu Huiren executing a direct flick to beat goalkeeper Lee Myung-ho.

The Koreans were happy to defend and in one of their quick counter attacks earned their first penalty corner in the 29th minute. And their leading scorer, Kim Byung-hoon, delivered with a powerful drag flick to take his tally to five goals.

In the second half, the Koreans went 3-1 up in a six-minute spell. Forward You Hyo-sik scored the first of his three goals from a goalmouth melee in the 36th minute and was on target again in the 41st minute from a similar situation.

The Koreans pushed hard and did not give space for the Chinese to attack. Hyun Hye-sung added the fourth goal in the 56th minute before Hyo-sik completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute.

Korean coach Cho Myung-jun said that they were not at all worried after the Chinese took the lead.

“Our tactic was to hold them in the first half and keep the score down. We reverted to our normal play in the second half and it worked. The early goals we scored in the second half took the fight out of the Chinese,” he said.

Chinese coach Guo Jie conceded that the Koreans were the much better side.

“They are the top ranked team here and it showed. We tried our best and it was just not enough. We hope to recover in time for the playoff for third place and we will try to get on the podium,” he said.

South Korea are ranked fifth in the world while China are in 16th spot.

Asia Cup 2009 :: Japan to take fourth qualifier spot

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:05:00 +0000

Japan are likely to take the fourth spot for Asian teams in qualifying tournaments for next year’s World Cup Finals.

Japan are to play in the fifth-sixth place playoff tomorrow against the winners of today’s classification match between India and Bangladesh.

The Asia Cup offers the champions a direct entry to the World Cup Finals and the next four teams go into qualifying tournaments. If Japan play against India tomorrow, they will get into the qualifiers even if they lose the match because India are automatic qualifiers for the Finals as hosts.

There will be three qualifying tournaments involving six teams each and they will be held in Lille, Auckland and Dubai.

Asia Cup 2009 :: Furious encounter on the cards

noreply@blogger.com (-z-ad-) — Fri, 15 May 2009 05:01:00 +0000

A fast and furious encounter is expected when the two East Asia teams meet in the semi-finals of the Asia Cup hockey tournament here today.

South Korea, who are ranked fifth in the world, are the clear favourites to beat China. At the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, the Koreans claimed the gold medal beating the Chinese 3-1 in the final.

However, the Koreans by their own admission are not well-prepared for the Asia Cup and it present their opponents the best chance to chalk up a win.

Coach Cho Myung-jun said: “We do not have several top players for this tournament and we only started our preparations a month ago.

“Although I have great confidence in the team’s ability, I would think that we are vulnerable as well. But I still think we can regain the Asia Cup (South Korea were champions in 1994 and 1999).”

Myung-jun added that he regarded China as the next fittest team in the tournament after his side.

“I am impressed with China’s game here. They have improved greatly since the Beijing Olympics. Their game is similar to the Japanese but they are able to play at a faster pace,” he said.

Chinese coach Guo Jie said that they would play the same way that brought them draws against Pakistan (1-1) and India (2-2).

“We have good teamwork and the Korean style is known to us. We will give it our best shot. We are also here tto win the title. In recent years, we have beaten Asia’s other top teams and I see no reason for us not being able to beat the Koreans,” he said.