Sports Bulletin

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 30, 2020):-President, Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Brigadier Mohammad Khalid Sajjad Khokhar (Retd.) called on the President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan Dr. Mohammad Arif Alvi at Awan-Sadar Islamabad on other day. According to media department of PHF, Khalid Sajjad briefed president Pakistan on affairs of national game hockey and discussed ways and means to uplift the standard of national game and requested him for government patronage in prompting the national sports. President Islamic Republic of Pakistan Dr Mohammad Arif Alvi assured his support to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) in its efforts to hold the first professional league in October this year 2020.  

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (January 25, 2020):-There was a new name at the top of the men's FIH World Rankings after the day's action in Sydney, Australia as Belgium men overtook the Kookaburras as the number one team in the world. A winning performance in the shoot-out gave the Red Lions a bonus point after they drew 2-2 in a thrilling match. Later in the day, a 5-1 victory for Germany men against Spain means Germany currently top the FIH Hockey Pro League table by virtue of their goal difference. The first match of the day was a meeting between Australia and Belgium. Australia women scored twice in the final two minutes of regular time to secure a 3-3 draw against Belgium before winning the shoot-out 4-2 to claim the bonus point at the Sydney Olympic Park. The Hockeyroos went ahead in the second quarter thanks to Ambrosia Malone’s fine backhand strike, but goals from Louise Versavel, Charlotte Englebert and Barbara Nelen put the visiting Red Panthers 3-1 up with five minutes left to play. Remarkably, late goals from Edwina Bone and Kalindi Commerford salvaged a draw for the home favourites, with Brooke Peris, Amy Lawton, Ambrosia Malone and Jane Claxton on target as Australia claimed two points from a possible three from the contest.  “I guess it was a little inconsistent from us”, Australia’s captain Emily Chalker said after the match. “There were some really good patches of play and stuff we’ve been building towards, but obviously the first game of the year, there was a few lapse moments when we let them score and we’ll have to come out a bit stronger tomorrow.” Belgium’s Louise Versavel, who was named Player of the Match, said: “Yes of course we are a little bit disappointed, but you have to look at the entire game and I think we played well for a big part of the game. We have to take the good things [from today] and go again tomorrow.” The men’s meeting between Australia and Belgium also featured late drama and a shoot-out, with the Red Lions equalising in the final minutes before taking the bonus point in the one-on-ones. The result sees Belgium leap-frog Australia to take top spot in the FIH World Rankings. An instinctive close-range volley from Thomas Briels put Belgium ahead in the 18th minute, with Australia eventually flipping the score-line on its head as Jeremy Hayward’s penalty corner and a penalty stroke from Tom Craig put the 2019 Pro League champions into a 2-1 lead. However, a late deflection from Belgium’s Felix Denayer levelled the scores at 2-2, triggering a shoot-out that the reigning world champions won 4-2 thanks to successful conversions from Florent van Aubel, Simon Gougnard, Victor Wegnez and Arthur van Doren.  “It was not easy to start in Australia, the number one in the world against the number two, but I think we put on a good game and I think the crowd saw some good actions”, said Belgium’s Nicolas de Kerpel, who was named Player of the Match. “We are really excited to play again tomorrow.”   In the second encounter between Spain and Germany men's teams, it was the visiting side who took control early on and never really looked like buckling under pressure. Christopher Ruhr added to his two goals from the previous day to open proceedings. Timur Oruz added another just after the hlf-time break and, although Marc Miralles gave Spain a lifeline, goals from Marco Miltkau, Lukas Windfeder and Constantin Staib were worthy reward for a dominant German performance. Speaking after the game, Player of the Match Marco Miltkau said: "We played a great defence and a good attacking game. We played as a team, we defended as a team. And our counter attacks were very good. That was our improvement on yesterday's performance." Before the game and again at half-time, Spain's Head Coach Frederic Soyez had called for more : "Clinical finishing, more aggression and more ambition." With the Netherlands their next opponents, these are all qualities the Spain team will need to find. On Sunday 27th January Australia and Belgium men and women will be back in action and then USA women will host the Netherlands in a match worth 6 points. The first match between the two sides was cancelled as a mark of respect following the tragic death of USA National Teams Manager Larry Amar. In accordance with the League’s regulations for a cancelled match, the points of this match will count double (6 points for the winning team, no point for the losing team; in case of a shoot-out, the team winning the shoot-out will get 4 points and the losing team 2 points). The complete match schedule available by clicking here. Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. FIH Hockey Pro League Estadio Betero, Valencia (ESP) Result: Men’s Match Day 6 - Saturday 24 January 2020 Spain 1, Germany 5 After Shoot-Out (Match 2 of 2) Player of the Match: Marco Miltkau (GER) Umpires: Jonas van 't Hek (NED), Bruce Bale (ENG), Coen van Bunge (NED - Video). Other Results: Match Day 6 – Saturday 25 January 2020 Sydney (AUS) – Women: Australia 3, Belgium 3 (4-2 After Shoot-) (Match 1 of 2) Sydney (AUS) – Men: Australia 2, Belgium 2 (2-4 After Shoot-Out) (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) – Men: Spain 1, Germany 2 (Match 2 of 2)

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (January 24, 2020):-Two goals from Christopher Rühr helped visitors Germany claim a hard-earned 2-2 draw against Spain before winning the shoot-out 4-3 in front of a packed house at the Estadio Betero in Valencia.  Germany needed just three minutes to open the scoring thanks to Rühr’s smart turn and shot, but the hosts levelled before the end of the first quarter through David Alegre’s fine reactions, pouncing on a penalty corner rebound. Veteran Red Sticks striker Pau Quemada put the home favourites in front with a stunning third quarter penalty corner drag-flick, but Ruhr’s clinical strike three minutes from time, assisted perfectly by Player of the Match Niklas Wellen, ensured that the match finished level at 2-2 and triggered a shoot-out for the bonus point.  Misses from Alvaro Iglesias and Josep Romeu proved costly for Spain in the one-on-ones, with Rühr, Tobias Hauke, Wellen and Florian Fuchs all on target as Die Honamas claimed two points from a possible three from the contest.   "It is always tough to play here, we knew that from last year”, said Germany’s Niklas Wellen after the match. “We struggled in the beginning. The first half was okay but we knew we could play better. The second half was better. We played some quicker passes and I feel 2-2 was a good result." Spain and Germany will play their second match of this double header on Saturday (25 January), a day that will also see Australia’s women and men taking on the national teams of Belgium in Sydney.  The second match, planned on Sunday 26 January in the same venue, is maintained and, in accordance with the League’s regulations for a cancelled match, the points of this match will count double (6 points for the winning team, no point for the losing team; in case of a shoot-out, the team winning the shoot-out will get 4 points and the losing team 2 points). On Wednesday, FIH had extended its condolences and deepest sympathy to Larry Amar’s family, friends and all members of USA Field Hockey. Result: Men’s Match 3 - Friday 24 January 2020 Spain 2, Germany 2 – 3-4 After Shoot-Out (Match 1 of 2) Player of the Match: Niklas Wellen (GER) Umpires: Coen van Bunge (NED), Jonas van 't Hek (NED) and Bruce Bale (ENG - Video).    Upcoming fixtures Match Day 6 – Saturday 25 January 2020 Sydney (AUS) – Women: Australia v Belgium (Match 1 of 2) Time: 1600 (GMT/UTC +11) Sydney (AUS) – Men: Australia v Belgium (Match 1 of 2) Time: 1830 (GMT/UTC +11) Valencia (ESP) – Men: Spain v Germany (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1300 (GMT/UTC +1) Match Day 7 – Sunday 27 January 2020 Sydney (AUS) – Women: Australia v Belgium (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1500 (GMT/UTC +11) Sydney (AUS) – Men: Australia v Belgium (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1730 (GMT/UTC +11) Chapel Hill (USA) – Women: USA v Netherlands (Match 1 of 1) Time: 1400 (GMT/UTC -5)  

SB News ISLAMABAD (January 12, 2020):-Reigning champions the Netherlands women made it two wins from their opening two FIH Hockey Pro League matches on Sunday by claiming a 4-2 victory over hosts China at the Wujin Hockey Stadium in Changzhou. Following on from their 3-0 success against the home favourites on Saturday (11 January), today's result means that the Dutch will leave China having claimed a maximum six points from their opening two games of the competition. China made a lively start to the match but quickly found themselves behind, with Laura Nunnink's speculative backhand strike somehow squeezing between the legs of China goalkeeper Ye Jiao just five minutes in. Marloes Keetels took the Dutch lead to 2-0 midway through the second quarter before China's Peng Yang reduced the deficit on the stroke of half time, rifling home a wonderful backhand strike to give her team hope. However, close range finishes from Lidewij Welten and Frederique Matla put the result beyond all doubt before China's Chen Ye netted a late consolation goal. Speaking after the match, Netherlands star Frederique Matla, who was named Player of the Match, said: "I'm really happy because we haven't had the longest preparation. We are really glad that we started this year with two wins. We still have to sharpen it up because we have to show that we are the best - we want to show that to the world." China captain Cui Quixia said: "In the first match we didn't score, but this match we scored two goals, so I'm very happy that we got those two goals. Our defence has big problems, so we need to change a lot. We need to learn [from these matches against the Netherlands]." The FIH Hockey Pro League continues next weekend when the men's competition gets underway, with debutants India facing matches against the Netherlands at Bhubaneswar's magnificent Kalinga Stadium on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 January 2020. To see the complete match schedule, click here. This weekend's opening fixtures in Changzhou were the first of 144 matches that will be contested between January and June 2020, with the world’s finest men’s and women’s international teams fighting for the chance to win the respective titles. Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. FIH Hockey Pro League result – 12 January 2020 Wujin Hockey Stadium, Changzhou (CHN) Result: Women’s Match 2 China 2, Netherlands 4 (Match 2 of 2) Player of the Match: Frederique Matla (NED) Umpires: Amber Church (NZL), Kang Hyun Young (KOR) and Junko Wagatsuma (JPN – video)

SB News ISLAMABAD (January 11, 2020):-Ginella Zerbo was the star of the show as reigning champions the Netherlands kick-started season two of the FIH Hockey Pro League in winning fashion, cruising to a 3-0 away victory over hosts China at the Wujin Hockey Stadium in Changzhou on Saturday (11 January).  Whilst the home favourites had their moments, the Netherlands were deserving winners of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2020 curtain-raiser, with 22-year-old Zerbo instrumental in giving the World and European champions the winning start demanded by head coach Alyson Annan.  Zerbo hit the opener just eight minutes into the contest, coolly firing into an unguarded goal on the backhand after China’s defence were caught napping in a first quarter totally dominated by the European giants.  China were much improved in the second quarter but found themselves two goals down within seconds of the start of the third period, with Laurien Leurink passing into an empty net after Xan de Waard superbly eliminated China goalkeeper Li Dongxiao with a perfect pass for her compatriot to score.  The Netherlands extended their advantage to 3-0 before the end of the third quarter, with Zerbo scoring her second of the match from close range after the impressive Li – who also saved a fourth quarter penalty stroke from 2018 FIH Player of the Year Eva de Goede – had made two fine penalty corner blocks before being eventually beaten for the third and final time.  Speaking after the match, Dutch ace Zerbo said: "It was our first match in a while, but we worked very hard for each other and I'm very happy with the three points." China captain Cui Quixia said: "We played a good team, but it is 'part one'. Our defence was not very good so I hope next match we do much better." The opening fixtures in Changzhou are the first of 144 matches that will be contested between January and June 2020, with the world’s finest men’s and women’s international teams fighting for the chance to win the respective titles.  FIH Hockey Pro League result – 11 January 2020 Wujin Hockey Stadium, Changzhou (CHN) Result: Women’s Match 1 China 0, Netherlands 3 (Match 1 of 2) Player of the Match: Ginella Zerbo (NED) Umpires: Kang Hyun Young (KOR), Junko Wagatsuma (JPN) and Amber Church (NZL – video)  Upcoming fixtures Match Day 2 - Sunday 12 January 2020 Changzhou (CHN) – Women: China v Netherlands (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1400 (GMT/UTC +8) Match Day 3 - Saturday 18 January 2020 Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India v Netherlands (Match 1 of 2) Time: 1900 (GMT/UTC +5.30) Match Day 4 - Sunday 19 January 2020 Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India v Netherlands (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1700 (GMT/UTC +5.30)  

SB News Lausanne, Switzerland: This coming weekend sees the return of the FIH Hockey Pro League, with the second season getting off to a flying start as inaugural women’s champions the Netherlands begin their title defence with two away games against China. The opening fixtures, which take place at the Wujin Hockey Stadium in Changzhou on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 January, are the first of 144 matches that will be contested between January and June 2020, with the world’s finest men’s and women’s international teams fighting for the chance to win the respective titles. The first edition of this trailblazing competition took place in 2019 and featured some fantastic hockey moments, with home fans embracing the opportunity to witness their national teams testing themselves against the world’s best on home soil. The 2020 edition is set to be equally significant. Twenty venues in 11 countries will host FIH Hockey Pro League matches this year, providing a global spread of world-class hockey across multiple time-zones over the next six months. The fact that 16 of the 18 competing teams will also feature at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 adds even more spice to an event that is, as 2019 proved, rarely short of excitement. All of the competing teams will be acutely aware that a strong showing in the FIH Hockey Pro League would provide a significant boost to confidence levels going into the XXXII Olympiad. Reflecting on last year’s inaugural edition, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said that the event had “allowed the sport of hockey to showcase itself like never before”, as growing stadium, broadcast and live streaming audiences were entertained on a weekly basis by shock results, sensational team performances and extraordinary individual achievements. However, despite being understandably delighted with many aspects of the first edition, Dr Batra believes that the learnings from season one will make for an even better second edition. “It is not in our nature to maintain the status quo by simply standing still”, said the FIH President. “The 2020 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League sees the introduction of a new match schedule, splitting home and away matches over two consecutive seasons to create a series of ‘double headers’ throughout the competition. This is an important move in terms of player welfare and sustainability, significantly reducing travel fatigue and environmental impact by cutting the number of flights by half, which in turn substantially lowers travel and accommodation costs for the competing teams.” Another change from the inaugural edition is the removal of the end-of-season Grand Final event, with the respective men’s and women’s champions of 2020 being the teams that have accumulated the highest number of points by the end of the competition. The FIH Hockey Pro League welcomes another powerhouse of international hockey to the competition this year, with India men (FIH World Ranking: 5) joining the fold. The eight-times Olympic champions will play their home matches at the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the 15,000-capacity venue that so wonderfully staged the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup in 2018. India will be keen to impress in a competition that features the nine highest ranked teams in the world, with Pro League title holders and Oceania champions Australia (WR:1), World and European champions Belgium (2), Olympic champions Argentina (WR:4), the Netherlands (WR:3), Germany (WR: 6), Great Britain (WR:7), Spain (WR:8) and New Zealand (WR:9) all involved.   It comes as little surprise that the Netherlands (WR:1), the reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions, are seen very much as the team to beat in the women’s competition. However, they are certain to be pushed all the way by the eight other teams who are determined to wrestle the trophy from their grasp. 2019 Pro League silver medallists Australia (WR:2) – the only team to defeat the Netherlands in the inaugural edition – could well be the team most likely, while Pan American Games champions Argentina (WR:3), European silver medallists Germany (WR:4), Olympic champions Great Britain (WR:5), Oceania champions New Zealand (WR:6), China (WR:10), Belgium (WR:12) and USA (WR:13) will all be looking to make their mark. China v Netherlands (W) Where: Wujin Hockey Stadium, Changzhou (CHN) When: 11 & 12 January 2019, Both matches at 14:00 local time (GMT/UTC+8) The essentials… Current FIH World Rankings: China: 10 | Netherlands: 1 Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: China: 7 | Netherlands: 1 

FIH unveils new World Ranking system for 2020 SB Report Lausanne, Switzerland:- Following 12 months of painstaking research, analysis and testing, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to reveal details of the new FIH World Ranking system that will be employed from 1 January 2020. The fresh approach – which has been approved by the FIH Executive Board – sees a switch from the existing tournament-based World Rankings to a more dynamic, match-based system, one which is designed to increase opportunities for all National Associations to gain rankings points and also provide a better reflection of current performance. The outgoing FIH World Ranking system has served the sport since 2003, being originally devised to allocate teams into pools at tournaments. The old model operated well on various levels, ranking the top teams who participated in FIH and Continental events with a good level of accuracy whilst also allowing those nations to earn ranking points two to three times per year. However, the numerous restrictions of the tournament-based system – including the limited opportunities for lower-ranked teams to earn points, the degree of subjectivity required to determine the relative strengths of the five continents in order to calculate continental ranking points, and the fact that over 60 percent of international hockey matches had no ranking points on offer – have provided an ever-strengthening case for a change of approach. The new match-based World Ranking system involves an exchange of points between the two teams competing in each FIH-sanctioned match played. In short, the number of points exchanged depends on a trio of factors: the result of the match, the relative ranking of the teams and the importance of the match. As well as the aforementioned increased opportunities to earn points, the new model removes much of the subjectivity surrounding continental weighting by creating a system which is fair to all, whilst also encouraging the playing of international matches. The decision to introduce a new World Ranking system comes at the end of a year-long trial period. Using every official international match played since the end of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, a working model of the new system was created, allowing for constant monitoring, assessment and adjustment throughout 2019. The results of the test phase indicated that the new system was more dynamic and immediately reflective of current form than the existing World Ranking system and was subsequently approved by the FIH Executive Board.  The introduction of the new system for calculating the FIH World Rankings will not affect the current placements – each nation will start 2020 in the same ranking position and with the same number of ranking points that they finished with in 2019.

Celebrating the people behind the scenes SB Report Lausanne, Switzerland: They are the team behind the team, the ones that get things done. Quietly, efficiently and without ever stepping in the limelight, thousands of people play their part in making sure that our sport appears in its very best light. On 5 December, FIH is joining the United Nations and many other organisations in celebrating International Volunteer Day. In highlighting the work of the men, women and young adults who willingly give up hours of their time across all aspects of the sport, we are also reminding ourselves to stop and thank people on a regular basis. It is also worth considering all the many roles within hockey that are filled by volunteers. The most visible are the umpires and tournament officials who leave their families and take time off work to make sure that international events are run smoothly and efficiently. From the tournament director and umpire manager through to the umpires and technical officials - the third team are all volunteers. 

Hockey goes into the blue for World Children's Day SB Report Lausanne, Switzerland:  Federation of International Hockey (FIH) is throwing its full support behind World Children’s Day by encouraging hockey communities across the world to don blue kit as they take part in hockey activities. Unicef’s World Children’s Day is a global day of action for children’s rights. Among the many celebratory activities taking place around the world, children will be taking over high visibility roles in sport and the media and participating in national summits, where they will discuss the issues of today and the future. With the colour blue symbolising World Children’s Day, famous landmarks around the world will light up in blue to show support for children’s rights. FIH is encouraging hockey groups in schools and colleges and national associations to get behind the movement. They can do this by running tournaments, matches or other hockey-related activities, or simply by putting on some blue kit and supporting World Children’s Day.

National Junior’s Hockey Championship from December 5, 2019 SB News LAHORE:-As a part of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Development Plan to groom our coaches and technical officials, a series of clinics are being organized on regular basis. In this regard, the National Coaches Course will be held at Lahore in conjunction with 36th National Junior Hockey Championship, which will be held from December 5 to 8, 2019 National Hockey Stadium Lahore. The course will be conducted by Khawaja Mohammad Junaid coordinated by Nadeem Khan Lodhi as Local Coordinator. The course because of importance will be more intensive and formal as National Course will be certified under the supervision of PHF.  The following should report to Kawaja  Junaid at National Hockey Stadium, Lahore on 5th December.  Ajmal Khan Lodhi (Sialkot), Rana Zaheer Ahmad Babar (SSGC), Waseem Ahmad (WAPDA), Kamran Ashraf (PIA), Mohammad Khalid (PIA), Mudassar Ali Khan (WAPDA), Zeeshan Ashraf (NBP), Mohammad Imran (MPCL), Syed Sameer Hussain (Karachi), Khawar Javaid (Gojra), Waqas Sharif (WAPDA), Mohammad Usman (PIA), Mohammad Ali (Customs), Muhammad Naeem (Customs), Asim Khan (NBP), Mohammad Sarwar (ABL), Rehan Butt (WAPDA), Muhammad Saqlain (ABL), Qamar Ibrahim (PIA), Zahid Afzal (ABL), Nasir Ahmad (PIA), Asif Ahmad Khan (NBP).