Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Odisha (India): First up were Japan and Korea who were searching for their first points having lost their opening encounters against Germany and Belgium respectively. Japan were quick off the block, scoring inside 70 seconds, but Korea stormed back into the game, scoring twice through Lee Jungjun to take the lead inside the half that they would hold on till the end to win 2-1. The result takes Korea to 3 points, while Japan are still in search of their first. Korea beat Japan 2-1 Korea and Japan are two teams known for their defence-first approaches, but it only took Japan 70 seconds to get on the board, as they won an early penalty corner which was powerfully deposited into the right corner of the net by Ken Nagayoshi. Korea would not trail for long though as Lee Jungjun was sent through on the goal by Jang and smartly lifted the ball over the keeper and into the goal. Lee then pounced on a loose ball in the circle in the second quarter to give Korea the lead. Japan had two huge chances to level the score before the end of the half. Koji Yamasaki was the first to miss a gilt-edged chance when he skied his shot with just the keeper to beat. Captain Seren Tanaka then struck the post with a little over a minute left in the half, but the rebound could not be struck in by the Japanese players who had flocked the Korean circle. The second half produced plenty of attacking opportunities but it was the goalkeepers who had the biggest say in the game. Takashi Yoshikawa for Japan and Jaehyeon Kim for Korea were outstanding in the goal. Kim in particular was huge for Korea as Japan mounted attack after attack on the Korean goal in search of an equaliser. Japan earned a penalty corner with 2 seconds left on the clock, but a failed trap at the top of the circle ended Japan’s chances of equalising and Korea walked away from the game with all 3 points. Germany vs Belgium 2-2 Germany and Belgium promised to be a cracking contest and the first quarter delivered on the promise. Belgium earned the first penalty corner of the game and it was nearly scored by Alex Hendrickx, but for a goal line clearance by post defender Müller. Germany then had a glorious chance as a cross from the right fell to Ruhr, but his snap-shot was well saved by Vanasch. Belgium did end up scoring the opener as Charlier dribbled his way through three German defenders and his powerful hit snuck into the bottom left corner of the goal. Belgium continued to dominate possession and territory in the second quarter, but it was Germany who found the goal, with Wellen taking a free hit quickly and smashing a powerful shot from the right that beat Vanasch on the far post and went in to keep the score tied at half-time. The second half remained equally competitive as both teams created plenty of chances but a combination of great keeping by Stadler and some off target shots by German forwards kept the score at 1-1 until the 52nd minute when a push inside the Belgian circle earned Germany a penalty stroke that was dispatched with ease by Tom Grambusch to give Germany a crucial lead. Belgium were back level inside 2 minutes from conceding as an unselfish pass by Denayer presented Wegnez with a great scoring opportunity and he sent his shot into the bottom left corner perfectly. Stadler was once again called upon to make a big save in the 59th minute as Belgium made one final push, but he was up to the task and the teams ended up taking 1 point each from the encounter.

Sports Bulletin Report Odisha (India): Malaysia were the first team to get on the board, coming back from a goal down twice to beat Chile 3-2. France would replicate them later in the day winning another close contest against South Africa to register their first points in Pool A. Malaysia beat Chile 3-2 Malaysia and Chile came into the opening contest of day 4 knowing it was crucial to get a win, with both teams having faced losses in their opening encounters against Netherlands and New Zealand respectively. Both teams played the contest with an open attacking flair that they had been unable to express in their opening contests. Chile were the first to score from a penalty corner as Juan Amoroso’s drag flick went through the rushing Malaysian defenders and thumped the backboard. Malaysia then struck back as Razie Rahim scored from a penalty stroke. But Chile got their lead back before the half through a smashing reverse shot by Martin Rodriguez. Malaysia had their work cut out if they wanted to win the game in the second half, but they got their act together quickly, scoring twice in the third quarter. Ashran Hamsani got the leveller, acrobatically deflecting a high ball from over his head, into the goal. Norsyafiq Sumantri then put Malaysia in the lead, smartly passing the ball under the keeper on the reverse, after a Malaysian penalty corner attempt was deflected by the first rusher. Chile threatened to pull level in the very last second as they earned a penalty corner, but two massive saves from Malaysian keeper Hafizuddin Othman got Malaysia the win and all 3 points! Netherlands beat New Zealand 4-0 Netherlands were handed a big break inside the first 5 minutes of the game as a poor backward pass from Kane Russell was easily intercepted by Tjep Hoedemakers and he squared up the ball to captain Thierry Brinkman, who had just the keeper to beat, and his powerful shot did jus that. Netherlands added another goal in the first quarter as New Zealand substituted their keeper for an outfield player in a surprising move, which allowed Netherlands to attack the circle and find Koen Bijen who had an open goal to tap the ball into. Thierry Brinkman then added a second goal of his own before the half, as a smart deflection at the top of the circle managed to sneak past the Kiwi keeper who was brought back on in the second quarter. New Zealand were much more composed in defence in the second half, making it a fairly even battle. But the Netherlands would not be denied. They first had the ball in the back of the goal in the final minute of quarter 3, but it was taken away for a foul in the build up. The scoreline wouldn't stay at 3-0 for long though, as Tjep Hoedemakers who was at his industrious best, got on the end of a cross by captain Brinkman to add a 4th goal in the final quarter and make it 6 points out of 6 for the Netherlands. France beat South Africa 2-1 France and South Africa have competed multiple times over the past year in the FIH Hockey Pro League as well as the recently concluded FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup. In the Pro League, it was France who got the better of South Africa twice, while South Africa gained the upper hand in the Nations Cup. With both teams facing opening day losses to Argentina and Australia, the head-to-head encounter was crucial for them both to try and win in order to avoid the bottom spot and try to make it to the quarterfinals or the crossovers. Both teams produced attacking hockey as most fans expected, but goals in the first half came through penalty corners for both sides. Victor Charlet was the first to score with a low flick that snuck in between the keeper and the post defender. Connor Beauchamp equalised for South Africa in the 15th minute with an absolute ripper of a drag flick that went over the head of the French keeper and into the goal. The second half followed a similar pattern, but it was Victor Charlet once again who made the difference, perfectly placing a low drag flick into the bottom corner to give France the lead with less than 4 minutes left, that won them the match. Argentina vs Australia 3-3 Australia were the form team of the tournament coming into the game, after winning the first game against France by a massive 8-0 margin. Argentina also came into the game with confidence off the back of a solid victory against South Africa. Argentina began the game on the front foot, forcing turnovers by Australia in their own half, creating shooting opportunities, while the Kookaburras looked tentative. Australia earned a penalty corner with their first foray into the Argentine circle and Jeremy Hayward scored his 4th penalty corner of the tournament to give his team the lead. Argentina struck back early in the second quarter through a Tomas Domene penalty corner but Australia restored their lead with 2 seconds left in the half as a moment of total chaos in the Argentine circle ended with a shot by Daniel Beale that brushed off the keeper's foot and lifted into the goal. Argentina levelled the score right at the start of the second half through the excellent Maico Casella, who scored in a second consecutive game for Argentina. Martin Ferreiro who looked menacing all evening broke the tie with 12 minutes to go, as he was afforded a lot of time and space in the circle and he picked the bottom corner from his reverse shot, with perfection.

Sports Bulletin Report Bhubaneswar (India): Spain faced off against Wales in game one, with both teams looking for their first goals and first points of the tournament. Spain are the higher ranked side and proved it as they made the big moments count, scoring twice in the first half and thrice in the second half to take all three points. Marc Reyne and Marc Miralles were on the score-sheet twice for the Red Sticks, with captain Alvaro Iglesias adding a fifth. Wales, playing in just their second ever men’s World Cup game, scored their first ever goal through James Carson, to take some positives from the loss. England and India have a recent history of playing tough matches with very little to separate the two teams and that proved to be the case once again as the battle between the two top ranked teams of Pool D ended in a 0-0 draw. Both sides had chances aplenty to score but good defending and lack of composure from attackers in crucial moments kept the score tied and earned the teams a point each. Match 1: Spain beat Wales 5-1 Wales and Spain started off as a fairly even encounter with both teams trading possession and territory in the first quarter and creating scoring opportunities without managing to convert them. Spain gained control of the game in the second quarter and scored twice. Marc Reyne was the first to get on the board before a beautiful team move was finished off by captain Alvaro Iglesias. Wales kept their intent positive in the second half and continued their search for a first goal in the FIH Men’s World Cups, but Spain used the spaces left behind the Welsh defence to add two more goals. Marc Miralles scored the first penalty corner goal for Spain in this World Cup with a thundering low drag flick, before Marc Reyne scored his second goal of the game, to seal his team’s victory. Wales would go on to score their first ever World Cup goal through James Carson in the 53rd minute, but Spain would restore their 4-goal lead 4 minutes later, as Marc Miralles was afforded a lot of space and time on the right side of the Welsh circle, and picked his spot perfectly as Spain earned their first three points in the World Cup. Match 2: England vs India 0-0 England vs India was expected to be a battle for top spot in the Pool D and the first half of the game proved the expectations were accurate as an edgy half of hockey unfolded in the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela in front of a packed crowd, with neither team giving an edge, and neither gaining one. Despite a plethora of penalty corners and opportunities for both teams, there was no finishing touch to be found as teams went into the break at level footing. The second half saw India dominate possession and territory with midfielder Hardik Singh being the standout player, but once again there were no finishing touches to be found in the circle. Mandeep Singh did get the ball in the back of the goal towards the end of the 3rd quarter but the whistle had already been blown for a foul before the goal. Phil Roper was on the end of a great long pass, which just left him with the keeper to beat, but his attempt to lift the ball over Sreejesh went just wide and India breathed a sigh of relief. The final score-line remained 0-0, but a major concern for India will be the health of standout player Hardik Singh who appeared to pull up with a groin injury towards the end of the game.

Sports Bulletin Report Bhubaneswar (India): FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 continued to thrill packed crowds in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela as New Zealand, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany earned comfortable victories, as Pools B and C got underway. Match 1: New Zealand beat Chile 3-1 New Zealand were quick out of the gates applying heavy pressure inside the Chile half. Chile relied on counter attacks, looking for runners on the wings to find space behind the Kiwi backline. Playing in their first ever World Cup game, the Chilean backline played tentatively and paid the price in the first half as Sam Lane and Sam Hiha (twice) capitalised on individual errors to put New Zealand up 3-0 inside 20 minutes. Chile were much more composed in defence in the second half and that allowed them to launch long aerial balls behind the New Zealand defence. One such ball found Ignacio Contardo who weaved into the circle, beating 3 Kiwi defenders, before taking the ball past the keeper and finishing on the reverse to give Chile their first ever goal in the Men’s World Cup! The goal proved to be a consolation but it was a good reward for Chile who shook their early nervousness and gave a great account of themselves in the second half. Chile keeper Leon Hayward, who was subbed in at half-time was particularly terrific for them, pulling multiple saves to keep New Zealand out in the entire second half. Match 2: Netherlands beat Malaysia 4-0 The start to the game looked like it could be a long day for Netherlands as the Malaysian defence frustrated the Dutch attackers, comfortably keeping them out of dangerous positions. But an error in the 20th minute by the defence gave Netherlands a half chance and they showed why they are so dangerous as Thijs van Dam pounced on the loose ball and put it away to open the scoring for Netherlands. The Dutch added a second goal before the half as Jip Janssen who had seen a penalty corner saved earlier in the half, put a penalty stroke away in the 24th minute to double his team’s lead. Netherlands added two more goals through Teun Beins and Jorrit Croon, in the fourth quarter after Malaysia had spent a good part of the third quarter on the attack trying to score a goal that would let them back into the game. The final scoreline reflected a comfortable 4-0 win for Netherlands, but Malaysia had their moments in the game for large portions, primarily in the 1st and 3rd quarters. Match 3: Belgium beat Korea 5-0 Belgium vs Korea promised to be a thriller with the Olympic and World Champions going head-to-head against Korea who were in brilliant form during the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup that took place in December 2022. Korea gave a great account of themselves in the first half, going toe to toe with Belgium in attack while also keeping the Belgian attack at bay to go into the half at 0-0. Belgium scored in the first minute of the second half with Alexander Hendrickx burying his third penalty corner attempt of the day. The first goal opened the floodgates for Belgium and they tacked on 4 more goals in the final 16 minutes of the game to earn a comfortable win. Match 4: Germany beat Japan 3-0 Germany vs Japan followed a similar pattern to the game that preceded it as the first half saw Japan frustrate the 2-time champions and match them step for step, but a drop in intensity in the second half gave the German’s a foot in the door and they made full use of the opportunity to grab the goals and take all 3 points. Gonzalo Peillat was stopped twice in the first half from the penalty corners, so Germany tried an intricate variation in the second half and it unlocked the Japanese defence with captain Mats Grambusch getting the final touch. Germany scored a second on a brilliant counter as a pass by Müller from his own half found Rühr behind the Japanese defence, and he rounded the keeper and put the ball in the back of the goal brilliantly. Some more good work by Ruhr then allowed Prinz to get on the scoresheet to make it 3-0 to Germany in the 49th minute and seal the win.

Sports Bulletin Report Bhubaneswar (India): Argentina were the first to get on the board, registering a close 1-0 win against South Africa. Australia then went top of Pool A with a dominant 8-0 win against France, who played well despite the unflattering scoreline. Match 1: Argentina beat South Africa (1-0): Both Argentina and South Africa set a fast tone for the World Cup playing all-out attacking hockey in the first quarter. Both goalkeepers had to be on constant alert as the ball entered the circle multiple times for both teams, but neither team could produce a real threat on the goal. Argentina came out in attack in the second quarter however, earning 3 quick penalty corners, but Gowan Jones stepped up in the South African goal and kept the scores tied. Two yellow cards for Keenan and Catan in the 2nd quarter arrested Argentina’s momentum and the teams went into the break on level terms. Argentina started the second half brighter but couldn’t open the scoring despite earning their 5th and 6th penalty corners early in the half. Argentina did finally manage to break the deadlock in the 43rd minute through a field goal as Maico Casella got in front of Gowan Jones and a slight deflection on a shot by Toscani unsighted the in-form keeper. Argentina held on to the slender lead, as the South African attack lacked penetration, till the very end and took all 3 points. Match 2: Australia beat France (8-0): Australia were quick off the blocks showing why they are the early tournament favourites. They got the first goal of the game thanks to a brilliant run by Tom Craig as he split the defence, passed to Tim Brand and got a deflection on Craig’s shot to cap off the fantastic move. France were much better in the second quarter but failed to capitalise on their chances and Australia made them pay with 3 goals in the final 4 minutes. Australia had all the momentum going into the half and were quick to get going in the second half as a beautiful team move saw 4 players touch the ball in the circle before it was tapped home by Tom Craig. Jeremy Hayward then scored his third penalty corner goal to complete a smashing hattrick. Tom Brand added a third as well in the 45th minute to become the second Australian to grab a hattrick in the same game! Australia cruised through the final quarter adding one more goal through Tom Wickham to cap off a great 8-0 win and take all 3 points. Match 3: England beat Wales (5-0): England made a fantastic start to the game as Nicholas Park scored within the first 20 seconds to stun Wales and grab an early lead. But Wales were quick to get up to speed and the remainder of the half was an even contest with both teams trading attacks. England scored at the perfect time again, doubling their lead through a Liam Ansell penalty corner goal with just 2 minutes left in the half, leaving Wales to try and chase the game in the 2nd half. England scored twice in the 3rd quarter to gain total control of the game. Liam Ansel scored his second goal of the game in the 38th minute from a penalty corner, and Phil Roper opened his account with a field goal in the 42nd minute to put the game beyond Wales’ reach. Wales committed heavily to the attack in the final quarter trying to claw a goal back, but England stood firm and scored a 5th goal through Nicholas Bandurak in the 57th minute to seal a perfect win and 3 points for England. Match 4: India beat Spain (2-0): The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela was packed to the rafters as home team India took on rivals Spain in a big Pool D encounter to close day 1 of the World Cup. The game was also attended by Shri Naveen Patnaik, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Prem Singh Tamang, Hon'ble Chief minister of Sikkim, Shri Tayyab Ikram, President - International Hockey Federation, Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey, President - Hockey India, accompanied by Cdr RK Srivastava, Executive Director, Hockey India. Spain started the game on the front foot causing India some nervy moments, but India settled down soon and were in front by the end of first quarter as Amit Rohidas capitalised on a blocked drag flick by Harmanpreet to bury a shot in the goal, which was India’s 200th goal in the competition! India struck again before the half through a goal by Hardik to take a solid 2-0 lead into the half. India had great chances in the 3rd quarter to add to their lead, primarily through a Harmanpreet Singh penalty stroke, but the attempt was saved comfortably by Adrian Rafi. India also won 2 penalty corners in the 3rd quarter, but Harmanpreet Singh sent both attempts wide. India continued to attack, not allowing Spain to put them under pressure.

Sports Bulletin Report Bhubaneswar (India): In exactly 10 days the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela will burst into action and thrill hockey fans all over the world, as the joint venues of Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar and the brand-new Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela play host to the 15th edition of the premier FIH men’s tournament in the world. The 16 best men’s hockey teams in the world have meticulously prepared for the tournament and strategized for the opponents who stand in their path to ultimate glory. The organizing team in India has pulled out all the stops to create the best experience for the players and the fans. The officials are primed and ready to ensure a smooth-running and fairly contested tournament. The fans are ready to cheer for the biggest hockey stars, and witness the highest quality of hockey action that will set their pulses racing. For the first time ever the FIH Men’s World Cup will be hosted by a nation twice in a row as the 2018 edition was hosted in the state of Odisha in India as well. The state of Odisha is no stranger to major hockey events having hosted various events in recent years including the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in 2021 and the FIH Hockey Pro League over the past 4 years, following the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup in 2018. Both Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, will host matches on the opening day of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. The first match of the day will be played in the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar, where 2016 Olympic Gold medalists Argentina will take on reigning African Champions, and victors of the recent inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup: South Africa. This will be followed by more Pool A action between World No. 1 Australia and the rapidly improving French team. The action will then shift to the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, where teams of Pool D will get their campaigns underway, as England take on Wales in the first game to be played at the brand-new stadium. The final game of the opening day will pit hosts India against Spain, two teams familiar with each other through the FIH Hockey Pro League, where they have produced highly entertaining matches with goals galore. Pools Pool A: Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa Pool B: Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan Pool C: Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile Pool D: India, England, Spain, Wales

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD: International Hockey player, Nawaz Rana has said that it was a great honour for him to represent Alliance International Hockey Team, Austria in the recently concluded World World Cup Hockey 2022 South Africa, which was held in Cape Town city under the banner of Masters World Hockey (MWH). In an interview, he further said that they played excellent hockey during the whole tournament and unfortunately lost the final and earned a silver medal in the prestigious international hockey fixture. “Our Alliance Hockey team played against Spain, Netherlands, Canada, South Africa, Argentina, and Namibia in the Pool A fixtures, “he added.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Spain and India continued their hot starts in the FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup Spain 2022, making it two wins out of two, with Spain registering a comfortable 3-0 win over Korea, and India pulling out a close 2-1 win over Japan. Ireland beat Italy (2-1): Ireland and Italy are two teams who play each other frequently on the continental level and the first half showcased their familiarity with each other’s style of play. The possession was split between the teams evenly as both teams struggled to split open their opponent’s defenses. Ireland managed to get the ball into the goal in the second half, from a penalty corner, but the goal wasn’t given due to the shot being too high from the attempted hit. Ireland changed their tactics coming into the second half, using wings to progress the ball, instead of the center of the field, and the impact was immediate. Italy were caught out on multiple occasions with Ireland captain Kathryn Mullan acting as the chief instigator for her team’s attacks. She set up the opening goal that was deflected in by Naomi Carrol, and scored Ireland’s second goal with a brilliant defense-splitting run, that culminated in a flick over the on-rushing keeper and into the net.. Spain beat Korea (3-0): Spain are proving themselves to be really fast starters, taking just 110 seconds to open the scoring in their first match against Ireland yesterday, and it took them an additional 40 seconds to open the scoring against Korea. The stadium was packed with Spanish fans and the team responded to their energy by flying out of the gates, getting 5 shots on target in the first quarter. Florencia Amundson scored the first goal with a powerful shot from the right of the circle that went in off the far post. Patricia Alvarez then doubled their lead, when she cleverly deflected a Torres-Quevedo shot from the top of the circle, to beat the Korean keeper. Korean keeper Eunji Kim played the best game of her young career, thwarting scores of Spanish attacks. Spain could have scored at least 4 or 5 more goals as they kept finding spaces behind the Korean defense, but Kim’s brilliance kept the score respectable for Korea. India beat Japan (2-1): India and Japan played out a tense and closely contested encounter that ended in an Indian win, which keeps them at the top of the table with 6 points, while Japan stay in the second position, with 3 points. India started the game on the front foot and nearly found an opening in the very first minute, when Vandana Katariya found space in the circle to get a shot away, but her swinging hit failed to make contact with the bouncing ball and Japan survived an instant scare. India kept up the pressure however, and turned the ball over in the Japanese half in the 4th minute. This time the ball fell to Salima Tete in the circle who made no mistake in dispatching a powerful hit into the Japanese goal, to give India the lead. Chile beat South Africa (2-1): Chile and South Africa played earlier in the year at the World Cup where Chile secured a narrow 1-0 win, and while that was a slow and defensive affair, the rematch in the Nations Cup was an end-to-end thriller that could have gone either way. Chile snatched all 3 points, scoring with less than a minute left in the game to take all three points and set-up a winner-takes-all game against Japan in the final pool game. Chile had the better start to the game finding players behind the South African defense twice in the opening 5 minutes, but the momentum swung South Africa’s way towards the end of the first quarter and they managed to score in the first minute of the second quarter through the impressive Ntsopa Mokoena, who has been their best player in the tournament so far..

Pakistan beat Canada by 4-3 to earn seventh place in the Tournament Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: A Dayaan Cassiem master-class led South Africa to victory over Ireland in the thrilling final of the inaugural FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup South Africa 2022, securing qualification into the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24 season for the hosts. The packed crowd in Potchefstroom was treated to an end-to-end display of attacking hockey in a closely fought match that ended in a 4-3 win in favor of South Africa. The attacking stars from both teams showed up in the big finals with Dayaan Cassiem and Shane O’Donoghue scoring twice, while Tevin Kok, Mustaphaa Cassiem and John McKee also getting on the scorecard. Dayaan Cassiem was especially brilliant, scoring two fantastic goals for the hosts in the first half before winning the penalty stroke, scored by younger brother Mustaphaa that gave South Africa the win in the final quarter. Pakistan beat Canada (5-4) in 7th place match: Pakistan started the 7th place playoff game on the attack, scoring two goals inside the first 6 minutes of the game. Canada didn’t let Pakistan run away with the game, and found two goals of their own to end the first half on level terms. Both teams scored a goal each from penalty corners and open play. The second half continued to follow a back and forth pattern. Pakistan struck first in the 4th quarter after a scoreless 3rd, but Canada answered back within a minute. Canada then took the lead for the first time in the game with 6 minutes left, through a second Sean Murray goal, from a penalty corner. Pakistan responded instantly as a brilliant move from the right by Abdul Rana split the defense and allowed him to lift the ball over the keeper, into the net. Pakistan carried the momentum into the final minutes and a brilliant counter attacking move resulted in a goal scored by a diving Usama Bashir, to give Pakistan the lead with 3 minutes left to play that they carried to the end. Usama Bashir, the winning goal scorer for Pakistan, was awarded the player of the match and said: “It came a bit late but as the tournament went on we started implementing the plan that coach Aikman had devised for us. That is what has got us the win today and we will improve further in the future.” France vs Japan 2-2 (Shoot-out: 4-2) 5th place match: The French resurgence at the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup continued as they finished their campaign on a high with a shoot-out win against Japan to claim the 5th position. Japan finish in the 6th place at the end of a good campaign that could’ve ended very differently had a few key moments gone their way. France were quicker off the block and threatened to run away with the game, scoring twice in the first quarter. Captain Victor Charlet added the 5th goal of his campaign from a thundering penalty corner and Timothée Clément scored his first goal, diving across the goal to deflect a cross sent in by Gaspard Xavier. Korea beat Malaysia (4-0) in Bronze medal match: The Bronze medal match set-up a replay of the opening day match between Korea and Malaysia, where Korea had edged Malaysia in a narrow 1-0 win. While Korea once again emerged victors in the repeat contest, the margin between the two teams was much wider this time, thanks to the offensive masterclass the Korean attack put in. After a goalless first quarter, Korea added two goals that gave them a lead they fully deserved. Seo Inwoo scored the opener before captain Namyong Lee doubled the lead with a great deflection at the back post. If Malaysia were looking for a reset at the interval, they did not get one. It was all Korea again in the 2nd half and they further added to their lead from a 39th minute penalty corner. The Malaysian rushers went straight for Jonghyun Jang, the top scorer at the Nations Cup, but Korea went for a variation with Jang passing it off to Jeon, and his pass to the far post was deflected in by Taeil Hwang. Jang still managed to get his 7th goal of the tournament though, with Korea winning a penalty corner in the 59th minute that Jang dispatched into the bottom left corner of the goal putting a cherry on top of the Korean win. South Africa beat Ireland (4-3) in gold medal match: South Africa started the second half strongly once again, and doubled their lead in the opening minute through a piece of individual brilliance by Tevin Kok who found the ball in a crowded space inside the circle, but calmly tapped it up, on to his stick, and lifted it over the keeper to double South Africa’s lead. South Africa could have sealed the win with another goal, but it was the Irish who scored the next goal of the game, with Shane O’Donoghue scoring his 5th goal of the campaign. John McKee then brought Ireland level with a goal right at the stroke of the 3rd quarter buzzer that took a deflection off Keenan Horne’s stick and sailed over the head of Kriek who was left stranded by the deflection. With 15 minutes left for both teams to look for a winner, Ireland committed too many players forward and an errant back pass was intercepted by the sharp Dayaan Cassiem who charged at the Irish goal with just the keeper to beat, but was brought down by O’Donoghue, resulting in a penalty stroke. It was Dayaan’s younger brother, Mustaphaa Cassiem who stepped up to take the penalty stroke and calmly slotted the ball past David Fitzgerald to get the lead back for South Africa.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: The high quality hockey in both semi-finals were settled with moments of brilliance as Ireland and South Africa booked their spots in the first ever finals of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup South Africa 2022, with the winning team earning a promotion into the FIH Hockey Pro League for the 2023-24 season. France beat Canada (7-1): France came into the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup as strong favorites but so far had flattered to deceive, with losses against Ireland and South Africa followed by a draw against Pakistan. Their defense had done reasonably well through most of the three matches, barring an errant 2nd half display against Pakistan, but their attack, which boasts of some real stars, never got going in the pool stage. Things turned around big time today, as France met Canada in the 5-8 classification match. It took France 15 minutes to open the scoring through captain Victor Charlet, but that goal opened the floodgates and France scored 6 more goals over the course of the match. Blaise Rogeau was the pick of the players scoring the first hat-trick of the Nations Cup. Canada scored a cracking goal of their own through a Matthew Sarmento tomahawk shot from the edge of the circle, but it was little more than a consolation as the game ended 7-1 in favor of France. Japan beat Pakistan (3-1): Pakistan’s best performance in the Nations Cup ends up in a loss, as their failure to convert chances, and Japan’s  helps Japan earn a victory and the opportunity to face France in the 5th place playoff. Pakistan looked threatening through the first three quarters of the game, often getting into the Japanese circle with chances to score, but for all their attacking intent and opportunities, the final touch was missing. Their defense lived dangerously too, conceding far too many penalty corners, and Japan finally broke the deadlock right before half-time, through their 6th opportunity from the set piece. As Pakistan’s looked to mount a comeback, they overcommitted on attack, and Japan exposed the space behind the Pakistani defense with two goals on the counter-attack. Pakistan scored one goal of their own in the 4th quarter through the impressive Rooman, but it wasn’t enough, as Pakistan will now face Canada in the 7th place play-off, while Japan will face France in the battle for 5th place. Ireland beat Malaysia (3-0): Two moments of pure magic from Ireland in the third quarter broke a stalemate leading them to a win and a spot in the finals of the inaugural FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup 2022, in a tough, tactical battle against Malaysia. In a tense and fairly even game, the momentum swung from one team to another, but neither team could find a breakthrough until the 41st minute, when a brilliant piece of control by Benjamin Walker in the Malaysian circle allowed him to swivel and smash a shot past the Malaysian keeper to give Ireland the lead. Two minutes later, yet another Irish attack from the left saw the ball pass around beautifully, allowing Jeremy Duncan to pass the ball into an empty goal. And while Malaysia searched for a way back into the game in the final quarter, it was Ireland through Duncan again, who created a wonderful 3-on-1 opportunity and scored the goal that sealed Malaysia’s fate. South Africa beat Korea 1-1 (2-3 shootout): Korea and South Africa met in the second semi-finals which proved to be another cagey affair with neither team able to produce a goal in the first half. But much like the first semi-final, a moment of brilliance broke the deadlock. For South Africa it was 25 year-old Tevin Kok, who has scored some belters already in the Nations Cup, coming up big once again, with a smashing reverse shot to open the scoring. Jonghyun Jang, the leading scorer of the Nations Cup stepped up once again from the penalty corner, to get his 6th goal, to level the score for Korea and the match headed into a shoot-out. The shoot-outs are always a nervous affair, but that was not the case for South African keeper Anton van Loggerenberg, who was substituted in for the shoot-out, and showed no nerves as he showed remarkable composure in the goal throughout the shoot-outs.