Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne (Switzerland):-Darcy Bourne opened her senior side scoring account with two goals against Germany, as England women defeated their European rivals in a close 4-3 encounter at Sparkassen Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany. In the men's game, it was again England who took all three points as they took an early 1-0 lead and then somehow kept the door shut on a continuous German onslaught at the same venue. England beat Germany 4-3 (women): This was a closely-contested match from start to finish with the two teams matching each other at every turn. The opening salvos saw Germany pressure Miriam Pritchard's goal and both Sonja Zimmermann and Katharina Kiefer saw shots just missing the mark. While Germany had the ascendency in the opening minutes, it was England who finished the quarter stronger. The goal count, however, remained at zero. The second quarter began in much the same fashion. Nike Lorenz sent a shot high over Pritchard's crossbar, while Hollie Pearne-Webb's penalty corner strike was deflected wide. The ever-busy Charlotte Stapenhorst created a chance for Hannah Gablac but that was also sent harmlessly wide of the post. It was Gablac who broke the deadlock however. In the 25th minute the England defence stopped as they anticipated a whistle. Gablac however took the opportunity to neatly twist past Pritchard and slot the ball home. This galvanised England and just a minute later Grace Balsdon fired home a trademark penalty corner shot, which flew past Noelle Rother in the German goal. Just before half-time, a great run and pass by Jette Fleschutz found Kiefer. The subsequent foul earnt Germany a penalty stroke, which Lorenz sent home without hesitation to give her side a 2-1 lead going into the break. England pulled level three minutes into the second half. This was the first of Bourne's double as she picked up on a cross from Alexandra Malzer and created herself the space to fire the ball home. For Germany, Anne Schroeder was unlucky to hit the side post, and Germany began to really pile on some pressure but the sides went into the third quarter break with the scores locked at 2-2. England took the lead for the first time in the match when Tessa Howard received a beautifully weighted pass from Grace Balsdon. For Howard this was a sweet moment as she has missed a year of international action after a knee injury. Germany answered through a penalty corner from captain Zimmermann but Bourne's second, scored three minutes from full-time gave her side a 4-3 lead and three more points on the FIH Pro League table. Player of the Match Darcy Bourne (ENG) said: 'I am absolutely thrilled. We had a downhill start but we came together really well. We are a side that are just coming together now.' England beat Germany 1-0 (men): This match started evenly enough with both teams showing flair and creativity, particularly in the midfield, and the game seemed to promise a lot of goals. England took the lead in the 12th minute when Nick Bandurak was the recipient of a skilful standing reverse stick pass from David Goodfield. Bandurak only had to place his stick on the floor to deflect the ball past Alexandra Stadler in the German goal. This galvanised Germany but the attempts by the higher ranked side (Germany are ranked 5th in the world; England are ranked 7th) were spectacular but not effective. On several occasions Christopher Ruhr burst through the England defence only to see his shots fly wide, while Oliver Payne was putting in an outstanding performance in the England goal as he parried and cleared shot after shot from the German team. After the half time break, Germany increased the pressure further and England were subjected to a barrage of aerial balls across the goal circle plus the ever-present threat of Gonzalo Peillat from the penalty corner spot. In all, Germany had 23 circle penetrations to England's 11 and more than double the number of shots. A dispirited Christopher Ruhr said after the game: 'You cannot win games without scoring goals. It will be different in tomorrow's match.' Player of the Match Oliver Payne (ENG) said: 'I'm super happy. This (winning Player of the Match) doesn't happen very often, so I will enjoy this one. Germany are a good side but our lads put in one hell of a shift. In the second half it felt like wave after wave of pressure.'

Sports Bulletin Report BARCELONA (Spain):-Pakistan national hockey team outclassed hosts Spain 4-1 in the first fixture of the 2 Test-Match Tie in Barcelona on Tuesday. It was the 5th match of Europe tour, as earlier Green Shirts encountered Netherlands and Belgium, the Pakistan hockey team played an excellent game with the Spanish hockey team and defeated them by four goals to one. Rizwan scored the first goal for Pakistan in the first quarter of the game through a short corner. Ijaz Ali scored the third field goal for Pakistan. At the end of the first half, Pakistan took a three-goal lead over Spain. In the fourth quarter of the second half, Pakistan's Roman scored the fourth goal. The Pakistan team is accompanied by Manager Olympian Khawaja Junaid, Head Coach Siegfried Ekman, Assistant Coach Olympian Wasim Ahmed, Drake Flicker Coach Richard Snatcher, Goalkeeper Coach Bob John Weldeff, Video Analyst Nadeem Lodhi. Pakistan will play the second match of the two-match series against Spain on May 4 in Barcelona.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland:-Hero (Hero MotoCorp), the world's largest manufacturer of two wheelers and a long-time partner of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and hockey in general, has been named title sponsor of the first-ever senior World Hockey5s event organised by FIH, which will take place on 4 and 5 June 2022, in Lausanne, Switzerland. ‘Hero FIH Hockey5s Lausanne 2022’ will combine a thrilling competition involving some of the powerhouses of international hockey (Women: Switzerland, India, Poland, South Africa and Uruguay; Men: Switzerland, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Poland) with an initiation to hockey offered to the public and a musical entertainment throughout both days. Bharatendu Kabi, Hero MotoCorp, said: “Hero MotoCorp has been one of the largest corporate promoters of sports across the world. In keeping with this commitment, we are glad to support Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) in staging the inaugural Hockey 5s, a brand-new format added to the sport of Hockey. As the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, Hero has always been at the forefront of sustainable technology and innovation. We congratulate FIH for introducing a new format with a fast-paced game that involves high levels of skill and aimed at further increasing the reach and popularity of the sport. With 5s, fans around the world will get to watch a great exhibition of hockey in action over the course of two days in Lausanne in the summer.” FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “We’re delighted to have Hero as title sponsor of our inaugural Hockey5s international tournament in Lausanne. This demonstrates once more the deep commitment of Hero to be a leader in the development of hockey worldwide. FIH is determined to grow hockey globally and we’re convinced that Hockey5s has a great potential to contribute significantly to the fulfillment of this objective. It is therefore particularly encouraging to be supported in our vision by such a strong and faithful hockey partner. On behalf of FIH, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to Hero.” In 2019, in order to further boost the development of hockey globally through Hockey5s, the FIH Executive Board decided to create an FIH Hockey5s World Cup - with the inaugural edition planned in 2024 in Oman - and, in the near future, a Hockey5s World Tour, which will consist of events similar to Lausanne’s.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Hosts Belgium defeated Pakistan 5-1 in the 3rd fixture of the ongoing Europe tour. According to the details, during the tour of Europe, the Belgian hockey team defeated the Pakistan hockey team 5-1. Belgium scored one goal in the first quarter while in the second quarter Belgium scored the second goal and took a two goal lead in the match against zero. In the second quarter Pakistan played aggressively and unfortunately lost several chances. Rizwan scored first goal for Pakistan in the third quarter with the help of a short corner. Later, Belgium scored three consecutive goals to take a 5-1 lead and win the match. The national hockey team will have a practice session in Belgium on April 30 and will leave for Spain on May 1 to play a two-match series against the Spanish team. The national team will return home on May 5.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan hockey team defeated hosts Netherlands 5-3 in their 1st match of Europe tour, as Rizwan was the star after scoring three goals to make a hat trick. According to the media department of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Green Shirts overcame Netherlands 5-3 in the first match on the tour of Europe. At the beginning of the game, Pakistan's Ijaz scored a goal to give his team 1-0 lead. Hosts Netherlands scored two goals in a row to take a one goal lead. The second match of Pakistan's tour of Europe will be played on April 27 against the Netherlands in Breda.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland):-After a very even and scoreless opening half England was able to capitalize and take down the United States, 3-1, in North Carolina. Holly Pearne-Webb and Grace Balsdon capitalized from penalty corners while Elena Rayer, also named Player of the match, tallied on a brilliant deflection for England. Despite the score line both teams had quality opportunities. It was a bright moment for USA captain Amanda Magadan celebrating her 100th international at home, while both teams were able to give some youngsters an opportunity to get some experience including several just returned from the FIH Junior World Cup. United States beat England (women) 3-1 It was a scoreless and even opening half. Both teams traded penalty corner options while youth on both sides gave way for several counter-attack plays. England set the pace early on with a series of penalty corners earned. Hollie Pearne-Webb put a deceptive sweep wide of the right post and her second attempt was cleared by USA defender Julianna Tornetta. USA found their strides and had chances of their own. Ashley Sessa was the first to force a save out of England keeper Sabbie Heesh. Periods of brilliance did emerge in the scrappy affair including a fantastic off-ball lead from Hope Rose. Rose looked to find Erin Matson in front of the goal but Heesh calmly denied the cross. Late in the second quarter, Matson poached a ball and went in solo into the England circle but good defensive work by Grace Baldson and Pearne-Webb sparked a quick counter-attack. Holly Hunt fed Darcy Bourne who took to her back-hand to send a rocket cross. Elena Rayer came sliding in at the far post just missing at the far post. USA came out of the break with a strong attack. Captain Amanda Magadan, playing in her 100th international, did all the hard work on the right baseline but her cross trickled through traffic inches away from but parallel to the goal line and out the other side. Matson and Ashley Sessa had a nice combination play after a quick aerial from Tornetta but the ball was shot wide of the England goal. Against the rush and down a player, England turned the tides. Bourne and Rayer battled through traffic to earn a penalty corner. Pearne-Webb finished brilliantly in the bottom corner to lift England 1-0. USA’s Paityn Wirth nearly drew the game level on an open net but the ball was painfully touched wide. Kealsie Robles was then kept busy in the USA circle battling a few England attacks including another set of penalty corners. Following a long video review, England got to work and Bourne took to the baseline and fed Rayer who effortless one-touched the ball past Robles to double England’s lead. Grace Balsdon then converted on her fourth penalty corner attempt. A flick high, glove side beat Robles to make it 3-0 for England. Matson was able to bury a consolation goal in the final minute of the game to break the shutout and the 3-1 loss will give the USA something to improve on in the teams’ match up tomorrow. Argentina beat South Africa (men) 4-3 Argentina came out of the gate with two goals in the first five minutes of play. Federico Monja deflected a penalty corner with extreme precision after a perfect delivery from Lauraro Ferrero to give the home side the 1-0 lead. Nicolas Acosta was able to find Federico Fernandez unmarked for the tap in to make it 2-0 in the fifth minute. Before the end of the quarter, hard work from Keenan Horne gave Nqobile Ntuli a chance to get on the board. Ntuli dug the ball out of Emiliano Bosso’s pads and calmly rolled the ball in to the net for South Africa to now trail 2-1. After half time the game seemed to sit heavily in favour of the home side, but things started to heat up after Argentina took a 3-1 lead. In the 38th minute, Ferrero scored Argentina’s third goal off a powerful flick through the legs of keeper Estiaan Kriek. It also marked Ferrero’s first international goal. With nothing to lose, South Africa’s press started to creep higher and it paid dividends. The Argentine back line uncharacteristically saw themselves panicking in their outlet allowing South Africa to show their precision on attack. In the 43rd minute Matthew Guise-Brown stepped up to the penalty corner battery and without hesitation flicked a low shot past Bosso to cut Argentina’s lead to one. But as they do, Argentina wasted no time in responding. A Juan Catan and Acosta combo set up Facundo Sarto at the stroke mark, for the tap in and Argentina’s fourth goal.  South Africa never let up and were back in the game on another penalty corner flick from Guise-Brown to bring South Africa trailing again by one, down 4-3. Ntuli thought he might draw the game level after a high press earned them a circle entry but the reverse stick shot was denied by a sliding Emiliano Bosso. Guise-Brown was then denied on back-to-back penalty corner flicks with outstanding goalkeeping from Bosso to protect Argentina’s 4-3 victory.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-The National Selection Committee (NSC) of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) named the 20-man squad for the upcoming Europe tour, as Umer Bhutta would be the skipper of national Pakistan hockey team. According to an official of PHF, the team will be headed by Umar Bhutta, whereas Ali Shan will vice-captain. The duties of goalkeepers will be performed by Mohammad Akmal and Abdullah Ishtiaq. For the tour, the other players comprised Mubashir Ali, Amad Shakeel Butt, Abubakar Mahmood, Mohammad Abdullah, Moin Shakeel, Umar Bhutta, Ali Shan, Rana Abdul Waheed, Ghazanfar Ali and Ajaz Ahmad. Besides this, Hammad Anjum, Junaid Manzoor, Salman Raziq, Roman Khan, Abdul Hannan Shahid, Abdul Mannan, Arbaz Ali and Rizwan Ali are also part of the team for the European tour. Olympian Khawaja Junaid will be the team manager, while Siegfried Aikman will be the head coach. The national hockey team will be headed to Holland and will play one match each with Holland and Belgium, respectively. The team will also take on the Belgium hockey team in three matches.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne (Switzerland):-Victoria Granatto scored two goals in a 3-0 victory for Argentina over the USA women. From start to end it was the Leonas who held the tempo of the game. While experience proved to be their enemy, the youthful American side showed they have a bright future ahead. Argentina beat United States (women) 3-0 It was the lions versus the lambs today as an experienced Argentina lineup, with 10 players with 100 caps or more, dropped a talented but youthful USA side 3-0. Packed stands at the Cenard in Buenos Aires roared on the Leonas who wasted no time turning on the heat. The returned Delfina Merino forced a save from USA keeper Kelsey Bing in the second minute of play. Victoria Granatto and Julieta Jankunas wreaked havoc all game for the American defence. A penalty corner in the seventh minute allowed Valentina Costa an opportunity but the drag flick and rebound were kept out by the defensive unit. Erin Matson what forward attack the USA could muster but Leonas keeper Cristina Cosentino was barely called in to action. Costa had another penalty corner strike in the final minutes of the opening quarter but Amanda Magadan was there to clear the ball. Despite their dominance it took 19 minutes for Argentina to find their first goal. A composed Granatto curled in tight to beat Jacqueline Sumfest and slide the ball between Bing’s legs to make it 1-0. Brave running from Brooke Deberdine denied a series of Argentina penalty corners to leave it a one-goal half at the break. In the third quarter Granatto doubled the lead. Jankunas did all the work to get to the right baseline and her cross was sent in to traffic where Granatto deflected in from the tightest of angles. Argentina continued to come in waves of attack but Bing did well to organize her back line and minimize the space. Delfina Thome fed the ball to Jankunas on the left baseline in the 47th minute. Jankunas patiently waited for a gap and flipped the ball towards a crowded stroke mark. Captain Rocio Sanchez deflected the ball out of the air and in to make it 3-0 for Argentina. The USA then sustained even more pressure with Granatto putting a blast over the net and then Bing saving a back-hand shot from Agustina Alonso and another from Granatto. France beat Argentina (men) 2-0 The tides turned in the Argentina-France Pro League double-header as France earned three points with a 2-0 win over Los Leones. The teams started at pace with both ends getting tested early on. Francois Goyet and Matteo Desgouillons were the first to test the Argentine defence but a quick interception and counter-attack allowed Tomas Domene to stir up trouble in the other end. France did well to put the pressure on as Jean-Baptiste Forgues fed Stanislas Branicki in the circle but the deflection was denied by Nehuen Hernando, who was in goal for Argentina. The pressure paid off in the 11th minute as Gaspard Xavier’s delivery was cleverly deflected by Branicki for a 1-0 France lead after the opening quarter. A stingy France defence frustrated the usual potent Argentine offence as runs from Ignacio Nepote and Agustin Mazzili were denied. Two green cards in the final minutes of the second quarter left Argentina on the backfoot. A penalty corner flick from Timothée Clément was booked for the top of the net but Hernando calmly made the save. Argentina had a promising break just before half time as a long aerial found the stick of Tobias Martins but his centering pass was well intercepted. Argentina’s closest chance was a penalty corner flick from but it was saved on the line by Masson and deflected off the end line. In the third quarter France continued to provide the energy and pace for the game but the craftiness of Domene almost drew the game level. A brilliant save from Arthur Thieffy denied a blast from Domene just four minutes in to the third quarter. The pace was high and both lines of defence were dialed in. Following a video referral France found themselves with a penalty corner and a clinical execution from Viktor Lockwood back to Masson to beat Hernando short side and give France a 2-0 lead. France did the work they needed in both ends of the pitch to protect their lead. Rey and Mazzili combined well in the final minute of the game to earn a Leones penalty corner but it was overturned after a video referral and France sealed the deal on the important three points and enjoyed a2-0 victory.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne (Switzerland):-Argentina took down their North American rivals, the United States, 3-1 in the first of their two match-ups in Buenos Aires. Valentina Costa’s penalty corner double earned her Player of the Match in a game that marked the 100th international for Victoria Sauze. Danielle Grega scored the USA’s opening goal, also her team’s first in the Pro League. Argentina beat United States (women) 3-1 A familiar Pan American rivalry match up ended with Argentina grabbing another three points after a 3-1 win over the United States. The score line didn’t reflect the superb performance from the young USA team who were up 1-0 heading into half time. The game did mark big milestones for Victoria Sauze who played her 100th international, while stalwart keeper Belen Succi exited the pitch in the final seven seconds of the game with a standing ovation for her performance, worthy of her 255th appearance. For the USA, the recent return of Ashley Hoffman paid dividends for the composed back line, while the offensive return of Erin Matson, who didn’t compete in the FIH Pro League games in Holland, was key. At the break the USA wanted to continue their good work in the opening half but the Leonas overcame the discomfort of trailing by a goal. In the 34th minute Valentina Costa’s penalty corner flick beat the out-stretched left foot of USA keeper Kelsey Bing to draw the game level. Less than a minute later Argentina were back at the top of the circle. This time Maria Jose Granatto delivered from the top but the ball rebounded out. Attempts from Eugenia Trinchinetti and Delfina Merino couldn’t beat the crowd of USA defenders but Rocio Sanchez was able to find a way through to bring the Leonas ahead 2-1. The United States had back-to-back penalty corners in the fourth quarter but an untidy execution denied them any quality shots. Argentina nearly pulled ahead again through Sanchez. The ball beat Bing but Jacqueline Sumfest was there to calmly clear the ball from the goal line. With seven seconds to go the Leonas had another penalty corner and this time Costa unleashed a flick high over the shoulder of Bing to seal Argentina’s fifth FIH Pro League victory. Argentina’s finish in the circle was all that stood between the two teams as the USA put on a valiant performance in both ends of the field. Argentina move to third in the standings with 15 points and a perfect 5-0-0 record. Argentina beat France (men) 4-2 Argentina scored three goals late in the game to climb their way back from a 2-1 deficit against France and win 4-2. Los Leones opened with a penalty corner in the third minute and Tobias Martins buried the rebound after Federico Fernandez’s flick was saved. France had their early chances with a penalty corner in the eighth minute but Timothée Clément’s back-hand was denied by a charging Matias Rey. Early in the second quarter Clément had a penalty corner flick booked for the bottom corner but the ball ricocheted off Nicolas Cicileo’s foot on the line and a penalty stroke was awarded. Etienne Tynevez perfectly executed from the spot, finding the top corner, stick side on Emiliano Bosso, to bring France level. Les Bleus continued to make tough work for Los Leones with Eliot Curty’s long aerials stretching the Argentine defence. Before half time Argentina had a chance to pull ahead as they couldn’t convert on two penalty corner rebounds. Rey had the final blast but it deflected high over the net. The teams traded opportunities in the second half. Clement had a drag flick denied by the stingy Argentine penalty corner defensive unit. Then, Viktor Lockwood sent a hard ball across the Argentine circle and the ball deflected high and to the back post. Antonin Igau, in world-class fashion, knocked the ball from over his head, down and in to bring France ahead 2-1. France keeper Arthur Thieffry gave up a penalty corner late in the fourth quarter giving Tomas Domene a chance to strike from the top. Thieffry got a foot on Domene’s low delivery but the ball ricocheted into the net to bring the game to 2-2. Minutes later Argentina showed their strides in a brilliant counter-attack that allowed Nicolas Acosta to pick up the ball deep in France territory. Acosta drew the penalty corner that was finished by Lautaro Ferrero to give Argentina the 3-2 relief. France felt the pressure as Thieffry was called on big to deny a shot from Joaquin Leonel Coelho and then a diving effort from Agustin Mazzilli. Tobias Martins was there to tidy up the rebound and double Argentina’s lead, 4-2.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland: India ended their home stint in perfect fashion taking all 6 points available from the two games against Germany. It was a different script from the game last night as Germany learned from their performance last night and limited India’s penalty corner attempts to just 3 all game. But it was the Indian youngsters who also lifted their game, with young Sukhjeet and Abhishek scoring a goal apiece from the field, to go with a Varun Kumar drag flick goal from a penalty corner, that gave India enough of a lead to see out the game without too much discomfort. Before the match started India’s coach Graham Reid said he was pleased with the result last night but the team would not be taking their opponents lightly as they viewed the final two games of their home leg as a semi-final and a final, so we would not see them take it easy against their relatively less experienced opponents. German coach Andre Henning was also pleased with his young team's performance last game as they created opportunities and hung around in the contest until the final quarter and hoped his team would convert any chances that fell their way today. Both teams played out the game as per their coaches’ instructions, with India trying to impose their will early, while the Germans played more aggressively, harrying the Indian midfield, that was largely untroubled in the first game. India still managed to create early chances, primarily through some great work by Manpreet, where twice he worked his way into the German circle and his pass only needed a touch to open the scoring for India. But Akashdeep and Sukhjeet both couldn’t get their sticks to the crosses and the teams went into the quarter break tied at 0-0. India came out stronger in the 2nd quarter, much as they did last evening after a goalless first fifteen. They threatened to open the scoring through Moirangthem who found acres of space on the right side of the circle after some good switch play by India caught Germany out, but his shot/cross deflected out off a German stick before it could threaten the German keeper. India finally made the pressure pay though, as a long corner saw some great work by a combination of Hardik, Manpreet and Nilakanta. Nilakanta then sent a fast pass towards the goal and Sukhjit smartly got ahead of Danneberg to deflect the ball in. Germany started to get on the front foot towards the end of the first half, but they could only muster one shot on target, that did not trouble Krishan Pathak too much, and he saved to maintain India’s lead heading into the second half. Graham Reid once again spoke at half time about missed opportunities and wanted his team to convert more of the chances they were creating, and his team didn’t let him down. 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter Lalit showed great skill to run into the German circle and baited the German defence into fouling him, winning India their first penalty corner of the game. It was Varun Kumar who took on the corner instead of Harmanpreet, and he showcased the depth India has in that department by blasting a low flick to the left bottom corner of the goal, giving India the 2-goal cushion they desperately desired. Germany were not quick to give-in though, and a great run into the Indian circle from the left baseline by Smith, forced Sreejesh to come charging out and Smith reversed the ball to Boeckel who had an empty goal to slot the ball into, right at the end of the 3rd quarter, setting up a wonderful finish to the game. India retreated a bit in the 4th quarter allowing Germany to commit numbers into attack. The strategy worked wonders for them as it opened up space behind the tight German mid-field and the dangerous Indian counter attacks started catching the German defenders out. India finally managed to convert one of their counter attacks into a goal as a long pass by Harmanpreet found the lively Abhishek at the top of the German circle, and his quick reverse hit was strong and perfectly placed into the corner of the German goal, leaving the otherwise excellent keeper Danneberg with no chance of stopping it. India finished off the last 5 minutes of the game with minimum fuss, except for one penalty corner that was won by the tireless German captain Zwicker. Krishan Pathak pulled off a stunning save on the resulting flick to keep India’s two goal lead intact and allowed them to play the final 2 minutes out with relative ease. The win gives India a 10-point lead at the top of the table, but as coach Reid pointed out before the game, India have played more matches than any other team, so the points buffer at the top is something they wanted to increase with this game and have successfully managed it with 6 points out of 6 taken against Germany.