Sports Bulletin

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (August 5, 2021):-India have claimed an Olympic medal for the first time since winning gold at Moscow 1980, beating Germany 5-4 in one of the most dramatic bronze medal matches in Olympic history. India fought back from 3-1 down to claim a sensational 5-4 victory over Die Honamas to seal their place on the podium this evening, with goals from Simranjeet Singh (2), Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh and Hardik Singh denying Germany a medal at a fourth successive Olympic Games (Gold: Beijing 2008, London 2012, Bronze: Rio 2016). Timur Oruz put Germany into the lead just two minutes into the contest after India failed to clear their defensive lines before Simranjeet Singh levelled the scores early in the second quarter with a fierce backhand strike. Simranjeet’s effort was the first of five goals in the second quarter, with Germany dominating to open up a fully deserved 3-1 lead thanks to goals from Niklas Wellen and Benedikt Furk before India hit a quick-fire double through Hardik Singh and the exceptional Harmanpreet Singh to take the score to 3-3 at half time. India’s momentum was not interrupted by the half time break, with Rupinder Pal Singh scoring a penalty stroke before Simranjeet Singh chipped home a fifth to put the eight-times Olympic gold medallists into a commanding 5-3 lead going into the final quarter. Germany have proven time and time again that they never know when they are beaten, and set about the task of attempting a comeback with typical determination. They reduced the deficit 12 minutes from time when Lukas Windfeder slammed home a low penalty corner, setting up a dramatic climax to the contest. Die Honamas threw everything they had at their opponents, and were given one final chance to salvage the contest when they were awarded a penalty corner with just six seconds remaining. However, the drag-flick from the top of the circle was brilliantly saved by India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, becoming the hero that sealed India’s bronze medal here at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. "That is something which I never felt in my life until today", said Sreejesh after the match. "That's a great feeling. I think I need to go back to my home to realise what it is actually. Just waiting for that I just called my dad because he was the reason behind me being here and I just wanted to tell him that I achieved it." India captain Manpreet Singh said: "I don't know what to say right now. It was fantastic, the way we played today. I think we deserved this medal as we have worked so hard, and the last 15 months has been so difficult for us, being in Bangalore away from our families. From the whole team and the coaches we would like to dedicate this medal to our doctors and front-line warriors who have been checking us and saved so many people's lives in India." It was a heart-breaking finish to the contest for Germany and their legendary captain Tobias Hauke, with the double Olympic gold medallist unable to add a second bronze to that which he collected at Rio 2016 during the final match of his extraordinary playing career.

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-Argentina overcame a magnificent challenge from underdogs India to book their place in the Olympic gold medal match, with 37-year-old captain Noel Barrionuevo rolling back the years by scoring two penalty corner drag-flicks to guide her team to victory. India – who finished fourth in Pool A but stunned highly-rated Australia in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win – took the lead inside the opening two minutes when Gurjit Kaur rattled the backboard with a superb penalty corner drag-flick. However, it was the contribution of veteran defender Barrionuevo that proved decisive for Las Leonas, firing her team into their third Olympic final. Argentina’s opponents in the gold medal match – which takes place on Friday 6 August at 19:00 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT +9) – will be the Netherlands, who are now just one win away from being in possession of the World, European, FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic titles. Fascinatingly, Argentina were the last team to beat the Netherlands, inflicting defeat on the Dutch during their FIH Hockey Pro League encounter in Buenos Aires in February 2020, with the Oranje claiming a 3-1 victory the following day.   The Netherlands booked their ticket to the final with yet another dazzling display at the Oi Hockey Stadium, overpowering Rio 2016 gold medallists Great Britain 5-1 in this morning’s first semi-final. It is a fifth successive Olympic final for the Oranje, giving them a chance to claim their fourth Olympic crown against the team that they defeated to the gold medal at London 2012. The bronze medal match will also take place on Friday 6 August, with Great Britain and India going head-to-head at 10:30 JST. Whilst it was the hugely experienced Argentina who ended up taking the victory in this evening’s second semi-final, India were outstanding against their illustrious opponents from start to finish. Gurjit Kaur’s stunning penalty corner drag-flick goal put them into a lead that was perhaps unexpected by many, but one they proved well worth thanks to an excellent first quarter display. Argentina pulled themselves level when Noel Barrionuevo produced the kind of goal she was famous for a decade ago, sending an unstoppable penalty corner drag-flick rocket to the right of India goalkeeper Savita. Barrionuevo struck again six minutes into the third quarter, although there was more than an element of fortune about her second goal, which clipped the shinpad of an India player to completely deceive Savita before nestling into the corner. It was Barrionuevo's 197th international goal in 344 appearances for her country, but few have been as important. India – who were rarely outplayed by the South American giants – came agonisingly close to equalising with just 20 seconds of the match remaining, as Navneet Kaur guided a deflection towards the bottom left corner only for Argentina goalkeeper Belen Succi to make a brilliant save, kicking out her right boot to put Las Leonas into the gold medal game. "I think we were prepared to have a match like this", said Argentina's Agustina Gorzelany. "We knew that India was going to do their best until the end, they reached the semi-final so that means they are a great team too. But I think, if you look throughout the tournament so far (and the fact the team improved each game), we just needed to win. That was the most important for us. And we did it." Looking ahead to the bronze medal match, India captain Rani said: "The tournament is not over yet. We still have a chance to win a bronze medal and we will see what we can work on and go into the match with a different mindset. An Olympic medal is a medal. If you win gold that is nice but still bronze is a medal, so we will fight for that medal and we will focus on the next match." On Thursday 5 August, the men’s Hockey competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will come to a climax, with the winners of the bronze, silver and gold medals being revealed. The bronze medal match between Germany and India will be played on Thursday 5 August at 10:30 JST. Germany will be aiming to match the third place finish they achieved at Rio 2016, with India looking for a first Olympic medal since Moscow 1980. The match will be umpired by Simon Taylor (NZL) and Adam Kearns (AUS), with Lim Hong Zhen (SGP) and Jakub Mejzlik (CZE) being the reserve umpire and video umpire respectively. The men’s Hockey gold medal match will be contested between the two highest ranked teams in the world, with Australia, Olympic champions at Athens 2004, set to face reigning World champions Belgium, silver medallists at Rio 2016, at 19:00 in a dream title match here at the magnificent Oi Hockey Stadium.  Marcin Grochal (POL) and Coen van Bunge (NED) will umpire the showpiece match, with German Montes de Oca (ARG) being reserve umpire and Benjamin Gontgen (GER) the video umpire. Hockey competitions Women’s semi-finals Netherlands 5-1 Great Britain Argentina 2-1 India Upcoming fixtures Men’s medal matches – 5 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Germany v India 19:00 – Gold – Australia v Belgium Women’s medal matches – 6 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Great Britain v India 19:00 – Gold – Netherlands v Argentina Final Standings – Men Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Great Britain 6 – Netherlands 7 – Argentina 8 – Spain 9 – New Zealand 10 – South Africa 11 – Japan 12 – Canada   Final Standings – Women Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Australia 6 – Germany 7 – Spain 8 – New Zealand 9 – China 10 – Ireland 11 – Japan 12 – South Africa

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (August 4, 2021):-Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup 2021 will start from August 8 at  Mari Petroleum Astroturf Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi under the auspices of Mari Petroleum Sports Department under the banner of Pakistan Hockey Federation, as top eight teams will take part in the 7-day fixture. The final will be played on Independent Day August 14 at same venue. Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has appointed Olympian Ayaz Mahmood as the director tournament while Rashid Butt will be the umpire’s manager. Federation appointed all umpires and technical officials in accordance with the rules of the International Hockey Federation. The 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist, Pride of Performance, Olympian Ayaz Mahmood has been appointed Tournament Director by PHF while International Technical Officers Mohammad Shafiq Bhatti (Lahore) and Mohammad Yaseen (Rawalpindi) will be the Assistant Tournament Directors. Tournament Officers include Dr. SA Majid (Karachi), M. Javed Sadiq (MEPCO), Hamza Tufail (Peshawar), Aslam Shah (Okara), Mohammad Ali (Quetta), Ikram-ul-Haq (Nankana Sahib), Ghulam Mustafa (Hyderabad), Murtaza. Bhatti (MPCL), Zulfiqar Hussain (Sukkur), Mohammad Ashraf (Islamabad), Haroon Saeed (DG Khan), Naseer Ahmad Mughal (Islamabad), Nisar Aslam (MPCL), Haji Naeem (M PCL), Mohammad Muneeb (MPCL), Dawar Ali (MPCL), Mehboob Alam (MPCL) and Shahid Gul (Faisalabad) will perform their professional duties during the event. FIH Umpires Manager Rashid Mehmood Butt has been assigned as the event's umpires manager while Ehsanul Haq (Rawalpindi) and Dilawar Hussain Bhatti (WAPDA) will be the assistant umpires’ manager. The umpiring panel will consist of Abdul Manan (Hyderabad), Mahmood Ali (PIA), Haroon Rashid (Peshawar), Sabteen Raza (National Bank), Abdul Wali (Quetta), Mohammad Imran (Bahawalpur), Takrim Iftikhar (Karachi), Mohammad Bilal (Army), Asad Abbas (Army) and Zahid Hameed (WAPDA). Lt. Col. R Asif Naz Khokhar has been appointed as the Coordinator of Pakistan Hockey Federation while Habib-ur-Rehman Satti will be the Assistant Coordinator. Pakistan Hockey Federation appoints Syed Ali Abbas as media coordinator of the event. Event Officers Meeting will be held under the chairmanship of Tournament Director Olympian Ayaz Mahmood on August 7 at Mari Petroleum Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi at 3:00 pm while Managers Coaches Meeting will be held at 4:00 pm. Under the auspices of Mari Petroleum Sports Department, the organizing secretary of this magnificent mega-domestic event will be Sports Consultant Mari Petroleum & former Manager National Hockey Team Lt. Col. R Mohsin Ali Khan. The top eight teams of Pakistan Hockey Federation rankings are participating in the event include Pakistan Wapda, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sui Southern Gas, Pakistan Navy, Mari Petroleum Company Limited, Pakistan Air Force, Punjab and Pakistan Army.

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 4, 2021):-The Netherlands are just one victory away from being in possession of the World, European, FIH Hockey Pro League and Olympic titles after producing yet another dazzling display at the Oi Hockey Stadium, overpowering Rio 2016 gold medallists Great Britain 5-1 in this morning’s first semi-final. It is a fifth successive Olympic final for the Oranje, giving them a chance to claim their fourth Olympic crown. The Netherlands’ opponents in the gold medal match will be the winner of this evening’s second semi-final between Argentina and surprise package India, which takes place at 19:00 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9). Las Leonas are aiming to reach the Olympic final for a third time, having claimed silver at both the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympic Games. India’s sensational 1-0 quarter-final triumph over Pool B winners Australia provides enough evidence that they should not be underestimated.  Great Britain made a superb start to the contest and fully matched the top ranked team in world hockey throughout the first quarter, with the defences of both teams impressing before the Dutch took a stranglehold on the game in the second period with two goals in 60 seconds. Rising star Felice Albers slotted home after Laurien Leurink carved open the British defence, with Marloes Keetels smashing home a second with a thumping hit from the top of the circle that gave GB goalkeeper Maddie Hinch little hope of saving. The Netherlands kicked on further in the third quarter thanks to a sliding penalty corner deflection from Maria Verschoor and a second for Albers, who showed her predatory instincts to attack a cross from the left and guide her touch into the roof of Great Britain’s goal to take the score to 4-0. Giselle Ansley pulled a goal back for Great Britain with a deflected penalty corner before competition top scorer Frederique Matla put the game to bed, netting a penalty corner for her ninth goal in seven matches. While Great Britain can no longer defend the title they won in 2016, they still have a chance to claim a third successive Olympic medal (bronze - London 2012, gold – Rio 2016) on Friday 6 August when they take on either Argentina or India in the bronze medal match at 10:30 JST. "England (Great Britain) put a lot of pressure on us in the first quarter and we had to invest a lot of time and energy on creating space for us to play the game that we needed to play and I think we did that very well", said Netherlands coach Alyson Annan in the post-match press conference. "We welcomed the pressure, which is a very positive thing for us to be welcoming pressure in a semi-final. Once we opened the game up, scored two quick goals in the second quarter we were at our game and played very well for the rest of the match." Great Britain's Hannah Martin said: “We are disappointed. We wanted to keep it tight as long as we could and unfortunately those two goals came in quite quick succession. We knew we could get it back but unfortunately it wasn’t to be today.” It was a milestone match for Great Britain’s Shona McCallin, who today made her 100th international appearance. Women’s semi-finals Netherlands 5-1 Great Britain Upcoming fixtures All times Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9) Women’s semi-finals – 4 August 2021 19:00 – Argentina v India Men’s medal matches – 5 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Germany v India 19:00 – Gold – Australia v Belgium Women’s medal matches – 6 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Great Britain v TBC 19:00 – Gold – Netherlands v TBC Final Standings – Men Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Great Britain 6 – Netherlands 7 – Argentina 8 – Spain 9 – New Zealand 10 – South Africa 11 – Japan 12 – Canada Final Standings – Women Gold – Silver –  Bronze – 4 – 5 – Australia 6 – Germany 7 – Spain 8 – New Zealand 9 – China 10 – Ireland 11 – Japan 12 – South Africa

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (August 3, 2021):-The men’s Hockey gold medal match at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 will be contested between the two highest ranked teams in the world, with Australia set to face Belgium in a dream title match here at the magnificent Oi Hockey Stadium.  Goals from Tim Brand, Blake Govers and a late tap-in from Lachlan Sharp put the mighty Kookaburras into their first Olympic final since Athens 2004, when Jamie Dwyer famously scored a dramatic golden goal to win Australia’s only Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey, something they will be determined to change here in Tokyo. Australia’s opponents in the gold medal match – which takes place on Thursday 5 August at 19:00 Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9) – will be reigning World and FIH Hockey Pro League champions Belgium, who defeated eight times Olympic gold medallists India 5-2 in a thrilling semi-final contest watched by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Dr Thomas Bach. Red Lions defender Alexander Hendrickx scored his third hat-trick of the competition, taking his remarkable tournament tally to 14 in seven matches, just three goals short of the record 17 scored by Netherlands legend Ties Kruize at the Munich 1972 Games. The bronze medal match between Germany and India will be played on Thursday 5 August at 10:30 JST. Germany will be aiming to match the third place finish they achieved at Rio 2016, with India looking for a first Olympic medal since Moscow 1980. Many thought that it would be difficult for this evening’s semi-final to live up to the brilliance of the morning’s incredible encounter between Belgium and India. However, the clash between Australia and Germany was another sensational contest between two teams playing at the very top of their games. Australia took the lead when Tim Brand showed lightning-quick reactions to volley Flynn Ogilvie’s right-field pass into the Germany net just seven minutes into the contest. Germany pulled level three minutes later, with Lukas Windfeder sending a low penalty corner drag-flick against the backboard for his sixth goal of the tournament. The two teams went hard at each other throughout the second period, but it was Australia who put their noses in front again when Blake Govers netted his seventh goal at Tokyo 2020 with a typically fierce penalty corner drag-flick. The Australian defence – marshalled by goalkeeper Andrew Charter and central defender Matt Dawson – were outstanding in the third and fourth periods, repelling numerous attacks as Germany threw everything they had at their opponents. The result was eventually sealed in 59th minute when Tom Wickham broke through Germany’s last line of defence and supplied Lachlan Sharp, who tapped into an empty net after Die Honamas had replaced goalkeeper Alexander Stadler with an outfield player in a last-ditch attempt to turn the situation around. “It was great to get the result … what a great occasion and a great moment”, said Australia captain Aran Zalewski, who made his 200th international appearance this evening, before commenting on when his team will start focussing on the gold medal match. “I think we’ll enjoy tonight’s win. We’ve still got 48 hours I think before the game. We’ll stay the course, do what we usually do – recover, de-brief tonight’s game and move on sometime tomorrow and start looking at Belgium really closely.” Looking ahead to the Belgium match, Kookaburras head coach Colin Batch said: “The hockey fans are in for a real treat, aren’t they. The last time we met each other in a final was in the Pro League in 2019. This will be very different. Both teams have fought their way through some difficult matches to get to the final, and it is not easy these days as there are a lot of good teams around. They [Belgium] would have been pleased with their win this morning against India, so I think it will be a great game and two very good teams.”  Reflecting on his team’s defeat, Germany’s Mats Grambusch said: “We have to recognize that we are not dangerous enough in the opponent's circle compared to Belgium and Australia. Australia has this quality of scoring goals with few chances. We are simply not making enough of the many opportunities and corners. In the end, what counts is what is on the scoreboard - it is of no use to you if you were superior. But we will also get out of this situation and get bronze on Thursday! " Wednesday 4 August is women’s semi-finals day, which begins with a re-match of the gold medal game from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands will be heavy favourites against title holders Great Britain but, as we have already seen here in Tokyo, nothing can be predicted.  The two sides go head-to-head at 10:30 JST, with the second semi-final – between Argentina and surprise package India – being scheduled for 19:00. Las Leonas are aiming to reach the Olympic final for a third time, having claimed silver at both the Sydney 2000 and London 2012 Olympic Games. India’s sensational 1-0 quarter-final triumph over Pool B winners Australia provides enough evidence that they should not be underestimated.  Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – Hockey competitions 3 August 2021 – Day 11 Results - Men’s semi-finals India 2-5 Belgium Australia 3-1 Germany Upcoming fixtures All times Japan Standard Time (UTC/GMT+9) Women’s semi-finals – 4 August 2021 10:30 – Netherlands v Great Britain 19:00 – Argentina v India Men’s medal matches – 5 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze – Germany v India 19:00 – Gold – Australia v Belgium Women’s medal matches – 6 August 2021 10:30 – Bronze 19:00 – Gold

SB REPORT Tokyo (August 2, 2021):-India women produced the performance of their lives to claim a stunning quarter-final victory over Pool B winners Australia, with the team that finished fourth in Pool A to be guarenteed a first top four finish at an Olympic Games since Moscow 1980. Gurjit Kaur scored the only goal of the game as India, who finished 12th in the standings at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, ensured their ambition of medalling in Tokyo was kept alive and kicking.  India’s opponents in the semi-finals will be Argentina, who defeated the much-fancied Germany in the day’s first quarter-final. Goals for Agustina Albertarrio, Victoria Granatto and rising star Valentina Raposo earned Las Leonas a comprehensive 3-0 victory over the much-fancied Germany, eliminating the team that finished second in Pool A to march into the semi-finals. It is the fifth time that Argentina’s women have reached the final four of the Olympic Games, having medalled on each of the four previous occasions (silver – Sydney 2000, London 2012; bronze – Athens 2004, Beijing 2008). The two remaining women’s quarter-finals – the Netherlands versus New Zealand and Spain versus Great Britain – will take place this evening. The women’s semi-finals will take place on Wednesday 4th August. Quarter-finals Germany 0-3 Argentina Argentina were worthy winners of their quarter-final against Germany, with the team that finished 3rd in Pool B claiming their place in the semi-finals by defeating the 2nd ranked team from Pool A. Las Leonas produced arguably their best performance of the competition to overpower Die Danas, a team many saw as potential medallists here in Tokyo thanks to a European silver medal and four wins out of five in their pool. The giants of Pan American hockey were largely dominant in the first two quarters but excellent defending from Germany kept them at bay until the final three minutes of the second period, with Agustina Albertarrio’s close range tip-in and Victoria Granatto’s angled penalty corner deflection establishing a 2-0 lead. Germany gave everything they had to get back into the contest but goal-scoring chances came and went before Argentina put the result beyond all doubt with eight minutes of the match remaining. The goal came from the stick of 18-year-old defender Valentina Raposo – one of the breakout stars of Tokyo 2020 – who smashed a blistering penalty corner strike against the Germany backboard. "I can't believe it”, said Argentina’s Victoria Granatto, referring to scoring in an Olympic quarter-final. “Every player who scores it's a great moment for us and today was for me. But I think we did a very, very good game and all the team needs to be happy for this because we fight till the end." Germany’s Franzisca Hauke, who announced her international retirement, said: “We are so disappointed. We had the goal to win a medal in Tokyo and it didn't work out.  We haven't been at our best today and that's what makes us really sad because we could do better. And if you do your best game and you lose, it's not that disappointing like it is now.” Australia 0-1 India India’s women are now certain to at least match their highest ever finish at an Olympic Games after recording the biggest shock of the competition to beat the Hockeyroos of Australia. A fourth-place finish at Moscow 1980 was India’s previous best, although they have good reason to set their sights even higher this time around. India, who lost their first three matches of the competition and finished fourth in Pool A, matched runaway Pool B winners Australia throughout the first two quarters, and came closest to breaking the deadlock when Rani’s angled deflection rattled the right post as lively Indian attackers caused real problems for the Hockeyroos’ defence. Australia certainly had their chances, with India goalkeeper Savita being tested numerous times before the Asians snatched a shock lead when Gurjit Kaur’s penalty corner drag-flick somehow found its way into the bottom right corner. The Hockeyroos threw everything they had at India in the latter stages, winning numerous penalty corner opportunities. However, India – with goalkeeper Savita in truly inspired form – stopped the three times Olympic gold medallists from getting the goal they so desperately needed, with India’s women matching the achievement of their men’s team by reaching the final four for the first time in over 40 years. “I don't know what to say because emotions are too high at the moment, and we all are very happy because it was not an easy game to win from Australia", said elated India captain Rani. "But I'm super proud of my team; each one of them really worked so hard throughout the game. And we just said one thing to each other, 'Just believe in ourselves, we can do this well.'” Hockeyroos captain Edwina Bone said: "There's all sorts of emotions that are going on. Disappointment, but I'm still really proud of the way that we played today.  We came in with lots of momentum, we created lots of opportunities and unfortunately that's how sport goes sometimes. It can be cruel and today just wasn't our day unfortunately." The evening matches begin at 18:30 as reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the Netherlands (1st Pool A) face Oceania continental champions New Zealand (4th Pool B) before Spain (2nd Pool B) and Great Britain (3rd Pool A) go head-to-head at 21:00. Day 10 (Evening): The semi-final line-up for the women’s Hockey competition of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has been revealed, with the Netherlands and Great Britain joining Argentina and surprise package India in the final four. The Netherlands – the reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions – powered to their sixth win on the bounce in Tokyo with a 3-0 quarter-final victory over New Zealand, with Lidewij Welten, Frederique Matla and Lauren Stam on target as the Oranje confirmed a seventh successive appearance in the medal matches. The Dutch will face Rio 2016 gold medallists Great Britain in the semi-final, with GB sealing their place with a drama-filled shoot-out victory against Spain. As she did against the Netherlands in that famous final in Rio de Janeiro five years ago, goalkeeper Maddie Hinch produced a sensational goalkeeping performance to save all of Spain’s shoot-out attempts as GB won 2-0.   Earlier in the day, India women produced the performance of their lives to claim a stunning quarter-final victory over Pool B winners Australia, with the team that finished fourth in Pool A now guaranteed their first top four finish at an Olympic Games since Moscow 1980. Gurjit Kaur scored the only goal of the game as India, who finished 12th in the standings at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, ensured their ambition of medalling in Tokyo was kept alive and kicking.  India’s semi-final opponents will be Argentina, who defeated the much-fancied Germany in the day’s first quarter-final. Goals for Agustina Albertarrio, Victoria Granatto and rising star Valentina Raposo earned Las Leonas a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Die Danas, eliminating the team that finished second in Pool A to march into the semi-finals. Across both the men’s and women’s Hockey competitions, teams from seven different nations representing four continents have qualified for the semi-finals here at Tokyo 2020 - India (2), Great Britain, Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, Germany and Belgium. Netherlands 3-0 New Zealand Having won all five of their matches in Pool B, the Netherlands started their quarter-final clash with New Zealand in assured fashion, dominating the Black Sticks and scoring goals in each of the first two quarters to firmly take control. Lidewij Welten got the ball rolling in the seventh minute when she tapped home after fine work down the right from Laurien Leurink, who worked her way along the backline before sending the perfect pass into the path of her onrushing team-mate.   That lead was extended in the second quarter by Frederique Matla’s perfectly placed penalty stroke, which was awarded after Caia van Maasakker’s penalty corner drag-flick hit the body of a New Zealand defender on the goal-line. The third and final goal for the Netherlands came from the stick of Lauren Stam, sending a penalty corner drag-flick into the goal via the left glove of New Zealand goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon.  “I’m very happy that we won with the team and got to the semi-finals”, said Netherlands goal-scorer Lauren Stam, who is competing in her first Olympic Games, after the contest. “Of course, it is really nice to score an Olympic goal as well. I have ‘goosebumps’, as you say in English.  I’m excited about everything [here in Tokyo], about the [Athlete’s] Village, the Olympics; I’m very honoured to play here.” Commenting on the emotions of losing their quarter-final match, New Zealand captain Stacey Michelsen said: "Pretty heart-breaking. We were a little bit disappointed with the way that we came through the pools, and we obviously set ourselves up for a very difficult quarter-final against the world No.1. But we were excited for the game, we put everything out there and we certainly worked hard as a team, but unfortunately it just wasn't enough against a better side today.” Spain 2-2 Great Britain (0-2 After Shoot-Out) The quarter-final between Spain and Great Britain was fiercely contested from start to finish, with the Red Sticks proving equals to the reigning champions – 3-1 winners against Spain at the same stage at the Rio 2016 Games – throughout this thrilling, high-octane contest. The two teams went hard from the very first whistle, showing incredible bravery in the battle to keep their Olympic title hopes on track. It was Great Britain who edged ahead early in the second quarter when Hannah Martin’s quick hands allowed her to move past three Spanish defenders before firing a diving slap-shot between the legs of Spain goalkeeper Maria Ruiz. Martin’s wonderful solo goal was cancelled out three minutes later by a perfectly executed Spanish penalty corner routine, with Belen Iglesias sending an angled deflection inside the left post. Great Britain retook the lead in the third quarter when Grace Balsdon launched a penalty corner drag-flick into the top right corner of the Spanish goal. Spain hit back yet again, with Berta Bonastre showing superb skills to control a high ball before lifting it over the head of the helpless Maddie Hinch to force a shoot-out. GB’s shot-stopper Hinch was exceptional in the shoot-out, stopping all four Spain’s attempts on goal, with Hannah Martin and Sarah Jones scoring what proved to be decisive goals as the title holders booked their ticket to the semi-finals. Tuesday 3rd August is men’s semi-final day at the Oi Hockey Stadium, with the four highest ranked teams in the world all fighting it out for the chance to reach the gold medal match. At 10:30 (JST), India men will look to move one step closer to a ninth Olympic title when they take on reigning World and FIH Hockey Pro League champions Belgium. The evening match will be played at 19:00 and will see 2004 Olympic gold medallists taking on four times winners Germany. The two teams met in the semi-final stage of the London 2012 Olympic Games, with the Kookaburras looking to avenge the 4-2 defeat suffered at the hands of eventual champions Germany.

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (July 31, 2021):-Olympic debutants Ireland missed out on a place in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Hockey competition, suffering a heart-breaking defeat to reigning champions Great Britain in the final match of the women's pool phase. Following India’s dramatic 4-3 win over South Africa earlier in the day, the Green Army went into the match against the Rio 2016 gold medallists knowing that only a victory – even by the narrowest of margins - would be enough to secure a place in the knock-out stages. However, it was not to be for the Irish, whose Olympic dream ended with a 2-0 loss. The first match of the evening session saw the Netherlands confirm their status as the winners of Pool A with a 3-1 triumph over Germany, who finished second in the standings. Quarter-finals – Monday August 2, 2021: 09:30 – Germany (2nd Pool A) v Argentina (3rd Pool B) – Match 3 12:00 – Australia (1st Pool B) v India (4th Pool A) – Match 4 18:30 – Netherlands (1st Pool A) v New Zealand (4th Pool B) – Match 1 21:00 – Spain (2nd Pool B) v Great Britain (3rd Pool A) – Match 2 Semi-Finals Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2 Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4

SAJJAD SOHAIL Tokyo (July 31, 2021):-Australia completed their Pool B campaign with a perfect record of five wins from five matches, beating Argentina 2-0 to set in stone their status as pool winners. Remarkably, it is the first time that the Hockeyroos, who are triple Olympic gold medallists, have finished the pool phase at an Olympic Games with a 100% win record. A 2-0 defeat proved costly for Las Leonas, who finished third in Pool B behind Spain – 4-1 winners against Japan earlier in the day – on goal difference. Despite losing against China, New Zealand finished fourth in Pool B and will take their place in the quarter-finals. In Pool A, India were pushed all the way by South Africa before taking a 4-3 win, moving them ahead of Ireland and into the top four ahead of the Green Army’s must-win clash against reigning Olympic champions Great Britain this evening. More information about the matches can be found below, with the women’s competition quarter-final line-up being revealed following the conclusion of the evening session here at the Oi Hockey Stadium.  Women’s Pool B China 3-2 New Zealand China came into their match against New Zealand knowing that they needed a big win against the Black Sticks to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals, but their 3-2 success was not enough for a top four finish. Despite defeat, New Zealand’s qualification for the knock-out stages was confirmed, although they had to wait for the outcome of Spain’s match against Japan before knowing their final placement in Pool B. China were arguably the better team in the first quarter before a yellow card five minute suspension for Liang Meiyu swung the contest in the Black Sticks’ favour, with Ella Gunson scoring a penalty corner tap-in just ahead of the quarter time break. Liu Meng restored parity when she slapped home a second quarter penalty corner before Chen Yang put China ahead mid-way through the third quarter. A fierce forehand drive from Rose Keddell tied the scores at the end of the period, but Liang Meiyu’s 54th minute winner ensured that the points – but not the ticket to the quarter-finals – went to China.  "It's definitely a pleasure”, said China’s Peng Yang. “We have been facing huge pressure and to be able to win the last game is definitely a pleasure, and we feel excellent with the win. Although we did not proceed to the next stage, ultimately to finish off the competition with a win is definitely the most motivating factor that we can take away from this.” New Zealand’s Katie Doar said: "China played really well. At critical times we didn't really do the right things, so I guess we're just gonna have to reflect tonight. We've got a rest day tomorrow, so we'll definitely learn from that to come out better in our quarter-final.” It was a milestone game for China’s Wang Na, who made her 100th senior international appearance. Japan 1-4 Spain Spain knew that a point against Japan would be enough to book their place in the competition quarter-finals, but a comfortable victory over the Cherry Blossoms guaranteed them at Pool B finish of at least third before the result of the Argentina vs Australia match was known. It was a sad ending for the players and coaching staff representing the host nation, who finished sixth in the pool. Japan took a sixth minute lead when Kanon Mori scored from open play, an advantage that they held until mid-way through the second quarter when Laura Barrios ensured that the teams went into half time with the scores level. The Red Sticks kicked on after the break, with Begona Garcia and Candela Mejias on target before Berta Bonastre fired into an empty net three minutes from the end. It was a brilliant win for Spain head coach Adrian Lock, who returned to the sidelines today after being in Covid-19 quarantine since the start of the tournament. “We are so happy to have him back, it gives us a big plus on the pitch”, said Spain’s Maria Lopez after the match. “He came back this morning at 5am. We are so lucky to have him as our coach. It was extra motivation for us.” Commenting on her team’s third successive win, Lopez said: ““I think we are ready. We have been improving in each game, and [here] we scored four goals. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the next game.” Argentina 0-2 Australia Australia’s Hockeyroos continued their magnificent Tokyo form by completing the pool phase with a perfect five wins out of five, beating Argentina 2-0 to confirm their status as Pool B winners, with Las Leonas finishing third in the standings due to Spain’s marginally better goal-difference. There was little to choose between the two teams throughout the contest, although Argentina perhaps had the better of the early scoring chances with Delfina Merino and Agustina Gorzelany both going close. However, Australia’s magnificent defence, which has conceded just once in five matches here in Tokyo, proved to be almost impenetrable. The deadlock was eventually broken by Savannah Fitzpatrick, who stole possession from Argentina’s hugely impressive teenage defender Valentina Raposo before powering a backhand strike against the backboard. The win was confirmed a minute from the end when Emily Chalker bundled home from close range, finishing off a fine attacking move down the right.    Commenting on winning five from five pool matches and finishing on top of Pool B, Jane Claxton said: "It's pretty special. I think it's a new record for (Australian) women's hockey (to win all five pool matches) which obviously you can't not acknowledge. It's not every day that you win five out of five at an Olympic Games. But unfortunately, this is now the business end and that won't count if we go into a quarter-final and aren't successful." Argentina’s Agustina Gorzelany said: "No one wants to lose and we are angry about this result. We were trying some changes and I think this was the game to try them. These things do happen but from now on we know where we need to get better so we are now focusing on the quarterfinals and getting ready for that." Sofia Toccalino reached a personal milestone by playing her 100th international match for Argentina. Women’s Pool A India 4-3 South Africa Three goals from Vandana Katariya helped India complete their Pool A campaign with an important win over South Africa, a result which keeps alive their dream of qualifying for the competition quarter-finals. The result puts India into fourth place in the pool, but will have to wait until the end of today’s play before knowing if it is enough to progress, with fifth placed Ireland needing to defeat Olympic champions Great Britain to snatch quarter-final qualification away from the Indians. It was far from straight-forward for the India, who faced a South Africa team utterly determined to end their own competition on a high. Katariya’s fourth minute opener was cancelled out by South Africa’s Tarryn Glasby on the stroke of quarter time, with Katariya restoring India’s lead shortly after the re-start. Erin Hunter restored parity seconds before half time, but again India hit back when Neha established a 3-2 lead. Marizen Marais made the score 3-3 in the latter stages of the third quarter, putting real pressure on India’s hopes of claiming a crucial three points. However, the Indian victory was sealed 11 minutes from the end when Katariya completed her hat-trick. The action continues later today with the final two matches in Women’s Pool A, with Germany and the Netherlands going head-to-head to determine which nation will finish top of the standings. That match is followed by the Ireland versus Great Britain clash, with Ireland needing to defeat the reigning Olympic champions in order to leap-frog India into the fourth quarter-final qualification position. The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 take place from Saturday 24 July to Friday 6 August 2021. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches.

SAJJAD SOHAIL TOKYO (July 29. 2021):-The Netherlands and Great Britain have both joined Men’s Pool B leaders Belgium in the quarter-finals of the hockey competition of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. A fourth successive win for Belgium sees them remain clear at the top of Pool B, with a thrilling draw between the Dutch and GB earning them a point apiece to confirm their respective berths in the knock-out stages. However, a shock defeat for Germany at the hands of South Africa means that their place in the last eight is not yet sealed, with the excellent South Africans still having a slim chance of progressing. In Men’s Pool A, India defeated reigning Olympic champions Argentina to book a ticket to the knock-out phases, with Los Leones currently outside of those all-important top four positions with one round of matches remaining. India 3-1 Argentina A tense encounter between India and Argentina was eventually won by the eight times Olympic gold medallists, who came away with a 3-1 victory against the reigning Olympic champions. India are now certain of a top two finish in Pool A, although Australia’s three point lead – and a vastly superior goal-difference – would make a first place finish unlikely going into the final round of matches. India did most of the attacking in the first two periods, but Argentina produced an excellent defensive performance to keep the Asian giants off the scoreboard. The pressure eventually told when Varun Kumar’s deflected penalty corner drag-flick deceived Argentina goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi and flew into the net. Argentina hit back thanks to Maico Casella, who ripped a high and powerful penalty corner drag-flick into the goal to restore parity with 12 minutes of the match remaining. However, late goals from Vivek Prasad and Harmanpreet Singh wrapped up the points for India and inflicted another blow to Argentina’s hopes of defending their Olympic title. Reflecting on the victory, India’s Rupinder Pal Singh said: "Feeling great after the win but there's a lot of things to improve yet because the important games are coming in a few days." Argentina’s Maico Casella said: "It was a tough game. We defended a lot. We knew that the game was going to be like this. We played the game we had to play but they did well also. We have to play against New Zealand and we have to win. Our mind now is there." Belgium 9-1 Canada Reigning World champions Belgium thrashed Canada to earn a fourth win on the bounce, maintaining their three-point lead at the top of the Pool B standings while eliminating the Canadians from the competition in the process. Canada are now unable to qualify for the quarter-finals, being six points away from the qualification positions with just one match, against fifth-placed South Africa, remaining.  Canada kept the brilliant Belgians under control for large periods of the opening two quarters, with Alexander Hendrickx’s 12th minute opener being cancelled out by a superb run and backhand strike from Mark Pearson. The Red Lions had to wait until the 29th minute before taking the lead, with Sebastian Dockier on target ahead of a rampant display after half time. Dockier and Hendrickx both claimed second goals either side of an effort from Felix Denayer, with Simon Gougnard and Cedric Charlier pushing the score to 7-1 at the end of the third quarter. Tom Boon and a stunning deflection from Florent Van Aubel – playing his 250th match for Belgium – completed the scoring, as Belgium hit nine goals for the second successive match; an ominous sign for their gold medal rivals here in Tokyo.  "We've got it all in our hands and that was the number one priority, and now we know how this kind of tournament works”, said Belgium’s Florent Van Aubel. “We're qualified for the quarter-finals and it's now that we have to do it. So we have one game against GB (Great Britain), an important game, and then it's do or die, three games in a row. That's what we play for." Canada goalkeeper Antoni Kindler said: "Obviously disappointed. We're playing the world champions so to be competitive with those guys you have to play your best hockey for 60 minutes. Unfortunately we let it slip there in the third quarter. With a team of their quality, every opportunity they have they capitalise.” South Africa 4-3 Germany South Africa produced unquestionably the biggest shock of the tournament so far with a stunning 4-3 victory over the much-fancied Germany. While the result keeps South Africa’s chances of qualifying for the competition quarter-finals technically alive, they would need not only for results to go in their favour but also for a dramatic change in goal-difference if they are to catch the Germans, who ended the day fourth in the Pool B standings. Germany justified their status as pre-match favourites when Timm Herzbruch fired home a messy penalty corner, but South Africa were level just a minute later thanks to a penalty corner of their own, with Matt Guise-Brown slamming a rocket against the backboard. Keenan Horne put South Africa ahead on the stroke of quarter time, but goals from Lukas Windfeder and Constantin Staib swung the match back in Germany’s favour, earning them a 3-2 half-time lead. Germany battered South Africa throughout the third period, but a superb counter-attack goal inspired by the exceptional Dayaan Cassiem resulted in Nicolas Spooner levelling the scores at 3-3. The winner came from the stick of Dayaan’s younger brother Mustaphaa Cassiem, with the 19-year-old – who was crying tears of joy at the end – seeing his speculative cross end up in the goal via a Germany stick, giving South Africa a famous victory over the European giants. "It's awesome”, said South Africa captain Tim Drummond. “It's something we've trained really hard for and moments like this and results. We knew we had it in us and it's just great for the guys to get this feeling now and hopefully we can remember this feeling.” Germany’s Lukas Windfeder said: “Our aim was to win here. Then we get 3-2 after a difficult start, we have everything in our own hands, but let us counter stupidly twice. Of course, there should have been more goals today through chances and corners, but it can't be that we have to score five or six goals per game to win. We want to decide the matches for us on the good defensive. And that doesn't work that way. " Netherlands 2-2 Great Britain Great Britain produced an incredible late fightback to steal a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, a result which put both teams through to the knock-out stages. Both teams have seven points, with Netherlands currently sitting second in the standings above third placed GB due to a superior goal difference. Thierry Brinkman put the Netherlands ahead in the 22nd minute before a penalty corner from Jip Janssen doubled the Dutch advantage five just a minute after half-time. Great Britain battled hard to get back into the contest and got the reward that their perseverance deserved thanks to a late double from striker Sam Ward, who guided home an open play deflection before bagging a penalty corner with three minutes left to play. The Dutch had a succession of penalty corners in the final minute, but could not find a way past inspired goalkeeper Oliver Payne, who was outstanding throughout. Great Britain striker Sam Ward said: "Coming back from the loss we had the other night - it was pretty tough to lose 5-1 to the Germans - we managed to put a performance in and do ourselves proud." Netherlands captain Billy Bakker said: "For the first three quarters we were good, but it's difficult to keep up that level for four quarters. In the fourth quarter GB (Great Britain) also played very well - they also have quality - and we weren't focused enough on our defensive positions. We lost the ball a lot and they benefited from that - we needed to keep the ball better. But we're satisfied.” The action continues later today with four matches in the women’s competition, three in Pool B and one in Pool A. In Pool B Spain face China before Japan and Argentina take to the field, with the Oceania derby match between Australia and New Zealand also scheduled. The Pool A match is a mouth-watering clash between reigning Olympic champions Great Britain and the Netherlands, the current World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions in a re-match of the Rio 2016 gold medal game.

SPORTS NEWS LAUSANNA, SWITZERLAND (July 15, 2021):-Due to the ongoing uncertainties surrounding the evolution of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to postpone its ‘FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2021’ event, initially planned in September this year, to 2022. FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “Whilst it is of course disappointing to have to delay this event by one year, especially considering the role it is meant to play for the exposure of Hockey5s globally, we came to the conclusion that it was the best decision in order, precisely, to preserve the full promotion potential of this event. I’d like to extend sincere thanks to all stakeholders who have considerably helped us so far, and in particular the City of Lausanne, the canton of Vaud, the Fond du Sport Vaudois, the Swiss Hockey Association, our partners and all teams who had confirmed their participation. I look forward to pursuing our preparations together and invite all hockey fans to join us next year!” Next year’s event, which will be staged on the Place de la Navigation - an iconic location near the Lac Léman bordering the Olympic Capital -, will provide an exciting mix of intense competition, music entertainment and additional activities, such as an initiation to hockey for the public.