Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Potchefstroom (South Africa):-It was a 3-3 deadlock for Malaysia and Wales in Pool D play on Day 3 at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup going on at North-West University Potchefstroom, South Africa. Late yellow cards to Malaysia allowed Wales to climb back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game. Despite several chances for Germany, India were able to hold on to earn a 2-1 victory and move to the top of Pool D. Uruguay earned the country’s first-ever victory at a Junior World Cup with a late penalty corner goal over Austria in Pool C. Argentina controlled Korea to cruise to the top of Pool C after a 2-0 win. Malaysia v Wales 3-3 Two late goals by Wales forced a 3-3 tie with Malaysia in Pool D play. Discipline plagued the Malaysian side as both Nor Isahhidun and Khairunnisa Mohd took yellow cards to give Wales the one-player advantage for 10 minutes in the game. The scoring opened on a right-side attack by Siti Husain. Husain fed Elizaberth Anak on the baseline and the intended cross ricocheted off the foot of defender Ava Dempsey to beat keeper Ffion Horrell. After a wave of Welsch pressure, the tying goal finally came on a penalty corner just before half time. Heroics came from the captain Isabelle Howell who brilliantly deflected at the far post after a clinical slap from the top by Emily Drysdale. Malaysia grabbed a 3-1 lead in the third quarter thanks to two goals just four minutes apart from Nuramirah Zulkifli. Horrell stood the test on a penalty corner strike from Kirandeep Gurdip and the rebound from Iren Hussin but a back-hand from Zulkifli finally beat a sprawled Horrell to bring Malysia ahead. Moments later a blast into the circle from Gurdip found an open Nur Azhar on the baseline. Azhar’s pass across the goal was tapped in by Zulkifli for the 3-1 lead. Nor Isahhidun’s yellow card proved costly to Malaysia as it breathed life into a resilient Welsch side. Betsan Thomas ran the right base line battling through three defenders to set up Jessica Hill for the open-goal deflection and bring their side within one. Hill then deflected a long ball fired into the Malaysian circle but the ball was kept out by the out-stretched boot of keeper Siti Nasir. Fortunately for Wales, Cerys Preston was there to flip the rebound in and tie the game 3-3. India beat Germany 2-1 India did just enough to protect their two-goal lead in the first half and a lot of that credit goes to Player off the Match and Indian keeper Kharibam Bichu Devi. Germany’s Jule Bleuel scored with three minutes to go in the game but it was not enough. The 2-1 win gives India the top position in Pool D with two wins and six points. An early penalty corner gave Deepika the flick opportunity, but German keeper Mali Wichmann did well to make the initial save. Lalremsiami was in the right spot, unguarded, and was able to bury the rebound with no pressure to send India ahead. Germany had the chance to draw level after a clever penalty corner variation freed Stine Kurz for a shot and the ball hit a defender’s foot on the line. A diving Kharibam Bichu Devi made the superb glove save on the resulting penalty stroke taken by Jette Fleschütz. India pulled ahead late in the second quarter after a clinical penalty corner execution. The strike from Reet was perfectly deflected at the far post by Khan Mumtaz to give India the 2-0 lead heading into half time. Outside of one wide blast from India, attack for either team was held to a minimum in the third quarter. Germany continued to try to claw their way back and the pressure fueled Bleuel who stormed her way into the Indian circle. Bleuel put on a master-class individual effort through traffic to bury a back-hand shot in the bottom corner in the 57th minute. Lena Frerichs later had a chance to tie the game but her one-timer fired over the Indian goal. India held on to their 2-1 win and their second victory of the tournament. German goal scorer Bleuel expressed her frustrations after the match: ‘I’m very sad because we had so many chances and we didn’t use them. So, it’s very frustrating. We’re looking forward to our last Pool game against Wales. We must work on our penalty corners and convert our opportunities.’ Uruguay beat Austria 1-0 Both Austria and Uruguay, in their inaugural appearances at a Junior World Cup event, were also both on the hunt for their country’s first win at the event. Uruguay found a late penalty corner in the fourth quarter to secure the 1-0 win. There were few chances in the opening quarter outside of a blast from Uruguay’s Agustina Suarez that was saved well by keeper Fabienne Gnehm. Austria had five penalty corners in the opening half but were unable to convert. Maria Bate denied a very promising penalty corner flick from Austria’s Johanna Czech in the second quarter to keep the game scoreless. In the second half Uruguay dialed it up and had a series of penalty corners. Lena Buchta cleared one off the Austrian goal line. Manuela Quinones earned Uruguay their eighth penalty corner late in the fourth quarter. A great variation for Elisa Civetta to slip the ball left to Pilar Oliveros. Oliveros delivered to Manuela Vida at the far post and gave Uruguay the game’s opening goal. In the dying minutes, a long ball into the circle was booked for a wide open Franziska Frey but the striker was unable to make the trap. Long aerials from Uruguay made it challenging for Austria to press for the equalizer and Uruguay hung on for the well-earned 1-0 victory. Argentina beat Korea 2-0 Argentina put on a master-class performance of offence but were frustrated by the outstanding play of Korean keeper Eunji Kim to walk away with just a 2-0 victory. The game was played almost entirely in the Korean end with Daiana Pacheco and Valentina Raposo scoring the lone goals of the game. Pacheco, named Player of the Match for the second time, opened the scoring creating something out of nothing as she crafted her way through traffic to blast the ball past keeper Kim Eunji in just the fourth minute of play. Korea weathered a series of Argentina attacks including four first-quarter penalty corners. Eunji Kim’s pads denied a shot from Juliana Guggini, while Jungu Kim did well at the far post to prevent a deflection and keep the game just 1-0 at the first break. Nurim Choi seemed to be the lone generator of any attack for Korea, forcing Argentina defenders to desperately break the play down. Korea were able to move the ball well through midfield in spurts but just could not break through into the Argentine 23-meter area. Mariana Pineda drew a penalty corner for Las Leoncitas in the 23rd minute and Raposo’s straight hit from the top made it 2-0. Late in the second quarter Sofia Cairo set up Brisa Bruggesser at the stroke mark but Eunji Kim made a brilliant save to reward the gritty defensive efforts in front of her. Chances continued to come for Argentina. Sol Pagella hit the outside of the left post on a back-hand shot that Eunji Kim saw the whole way. Korea’s Jugyeong Gwon turned the ball over to give up a penalty corner and that gave Celina di Santo a chance at goal. Eunji Kim yet-again made a great save. Pagella had another quality chance on the back hand but it stayed out thanks to Eunji Kim’s helmet to make it a scoreless third quarter. Bruggesser had back-to-back shots denied again by Eunji Kim, while Victoria Manuele’s open look at goal deflected high over the Korean goal. Argentina earned their eighth corner late in the game but Raposo’s shot was too high. Despite their lack of finish in the circle, Argentina dominated the game and were able to nab another three points with the 2-0 victory.

Sports Bulletin Report BHUBANESWAR (India):-A tense shoot-out following a frantic end to the regular period, saw Indian men come away with a bonus point in their match against the English at Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar, India. A real up and down battle saw the lead change hands thrice and thrice the trailing team equalised, the last of which saw England score from a Penalty Stroke with mere 12 seconds left to play. Much like the game the shoot-out also saw multiple opportunities for both teams to get the win and India finally did, on the 7th shoot-out attempt. India beat England (3-2) on penalty shoot-out A dominant start to the first quarter from England got them the early lead as India took their time finding their rhythm in the match. The goal came from a penalty corner, scored by Nicholas Bandurak, who is quickly emerging as a star for the English team. But India found their rhythm towards the end of the quarter and a great run into the circle followed by a pass from Shamsher Singh found Abhishek who was quick to get his shot off before the defence could close him down. The second quarter was much more calculated from both teams as neither wanted to commit too many to the attack. India snatched the lead in the 27th minute as a 6-man struggle in the English circle lead to a push by Shamsher that hit the post and the rebound deflected into the goal off Sanford’s stick. England stuck right back however with another Nicholas Bandurak penalty corner conversion, as teams went into the break on level terms. The second half saw India impose themselves more into the game as the high temperatures looked to be taking its toll on the English team. India won its first penalty corner deep into the game in the 52nd minute. It was Harmanpreet who had won the penalty corner and he finished it with a perfectly placed flick. With 3 minutes to go, England switched their keeper out for an outfield player and within a few seconds India had won another penalty corner. India missed the golden opportunity to seal the game from that set piece though as they tried a different routine and ended up turning over possession. England got a penalty stroke with just 12 seconds left as a shot headed for goal hit Sumit on his leg. Sam Ward scored the resulting stroke and the match went into a shoot-out, where both teams scored 2 of their first 5 attempts. India went first in the sudden death and after both teams missed their first attempts, Abhishek scored the second one for India, while Ward missed his from the spot. Player of the match Harmanpreet asked about his goal said: “Happy with the goal, happy for the team as well. We played a complete game, scoring 2 field goals and one from the penalty corner, which is my job and I was happy I could convert it.” English captain Thomas Sorsby not too disappointed with the result said: “We had a great start to the game, and our aim for tomorrow will be to stretch that start and maximise it over the full 60 minutes.” Netherlands beat USA (3-0): Right from the start, Netherlands imposed their will on the Americans, who struggled all game to get out of their own half. With a suffocating high press, that the Americans found too difficult to play out of, the Dutch team had a total of 20 shots through the game and 41 circle penetrations, compared to no shots and 1 circle penetration from the Americans. Each quarter followed a similar pattern as the game stayed concentrated in the American half as their defence tried to fend off the Dutch attackers. After a dominant but goalless first quarter, Netherlands finally found a breakthrough via Moes Freeke in the 18th minute after a rare breakdown by the American defence gave her a lot of space and time to receive the ball in the circle, pick her spot and bury it beyond Kelsey Bing. Bing had a terrific game and could have been hardly asked for more. She pulled off save after save, but the Dutch attack was relentless and found a second goal in the 25th minute through Fiona Morgenstern on a penalty corner rebound after Bing had pulled off another save. The second half went much the same way, with the Americans unable to play out from the back and the Dutch trying to switch wings in repeated attempts to score more goals. The third goal finally came from the stick of Morgenstern again, but it was created by a magical run into the circle by captain Matla, who provided the pass that set up the goal. The Dutch players will have something to work on after their set pieces were sometimes ineffective. They won a total of 9 penalty corners, and converted one of them, which also came off a rebound, after Bing had saved the initial feeble attempt. For the Americans this was a third consecutive game of resolute defending after their 2 games against Germany last week. While they found no joy in attack, their defensive solidity in the face of non-stop attacks does provide them with positives going forward, given their 15th place world ranking compared to their opponents who are ranked 1st in the world. Xan de Waard won the player of the match and asked about the final scoreline said: “It’s difficult actually when the opponent sits so deep. You have to try and score against 11 players inside the 25. So sometimes it’s hard and our last pass in the D was a bit lacking and that’s why we didn’t score many goals today.”

Sports Bulletin Report Potchefstroom (South Africa):-India’s Lalrindiki’s two goals leading her side to a 5-1 win over Wales, while Germany had a clinical 10-0 win over Malaysia thanks to Aina Kresken’s hat trick at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in North-West University Potchefstroom, South Africa. In Pool A play, the USA found their footing through a four-goal performance from Hope Rose to take care of Zimbabwe 5-0, while the Netherlands secured their spot in the Top 8 with a casual 11-0 victory over Canada thanks to a five-goal performance from Jip Dicke. India beat Wales 5-1 It was rainy conditions for the opening game of Pool D but Lalrindiki tallied twice in the second half to help India drop Wales 5-1. Millie Holme’s second-quarter goal held the game to 1-1 at half time. India’s Chaudhary Ishika said after the match: ‘As you can see, the weather is not so good, but it was a good match. We started well. We had a lot of opportunities, so we will be working on our finishing in the D. We have waited for a long time for this tournament, so we’re excited and looking forward!’ Phalke Vaishnavi Vithal’s brilliant pass in the opening minutes cut through the Wales defence to find Kumari Sangita whose shot was deflected by Lalremsiami to give India the game’s opening goal. India came in waves of attack, but keeper Ffion Horrel did well including an important save to deny Kumari Sangita from an open look at goal. Strong work down the left baseline by Millie Walters set up the chance for Holme, who tied the game just before half time. Lalrindiki made it 2-1 for India when she deflected a pass from captain Tete Salima Khan. Mumtaz punished Welsch defender Ava Dempsey for her blatant turnover to make it 3-2 and it was then that India really started to capitalize. Lalrindiki finished a long-lasting penalty corner play for her second of the game in the 57th minute. Deepika put away a clinical drag flick in the last two minutes of the game to seal the 5-1 victory and give India the first three points in Pool D. Izzie Howell, captain of Wales, was proud of her team commenting: ‘Very proud of the girls! We fought hard. We’re a brand-new team. We gave it all today. We lacked just a bit of quality going forward, we got a bit tired. We were doing a lot of counter-defending. But if we keep that fight, I’m sure we’re going to beat Malaysia and go against Germany really strong.’ Germany beat Malaysia 10-0 Germany dominated from start to finish to charge to the top of Pool D after a 10-0 win over Malaysia. Aina Kresken scored three goals in the opening half, while Lilly Stoffelsma had a two-goal performance. ‘We’re very overwhelmed that we had a great start. It was a tough match but we’re very happy. It feels great to score three goals but it’s way more important for me that as a team we played a great match,’ said Germany’s Kresken after the match. Kresken opened the scoring just six minutes in as she calmly collected and finished a rebound off Siti Nasir’s boot. Almost identical to her first goal, Kresken finished a ball from Verena Neumann to double Germany’s lead. The striker’s third goal came off a far post deflection after a brilliant ball in from Stine Kurz. Germany had seven penalty corners in the first two quarters and Lilly Stoffelsma’s low flick finally capitalized on the final one to make it 4-0 at half time. Jette Fleschütz and Sara Strauss both scored from in tight to advance Germany 6-0. Stoffelsma tallied the highlight goal of the game as her individual skills into the Malaysian circle opened her up for a brilliant back-hand shot that rippled the top of the net for Germany’s seventh goal. Player of the Match Julie Bleuel found the back of the net off a bouncing strike in the 47th minute and Neumann curled and fired between the legs of Nasir for the game’s ninth goal. Sophia Schwabe’s touch off a bouncing pass from Julia Hemmerle provided the game’s 10th goal and made Germany the first team to reach double digits in the tournament. Malaysia’s Nor Isahhidun said of her team’s performance: ‘We played against a better team. So, this match is a very, very good experience for us. We’ve learnt how to cope with pressure.’ USA beat Zimbabwe 5-0 A dominating scoring performance from Hope Rose in the final two quarters propelled the United States a 5-0 over Zimbabwe despite just a 1-0 lead at half time. USA’s Charlotte de Vries commented after the match: ‘I think this win brings us confidence. We just got the hang of it more today and we’re really excited for our next game against Canada. We didn’t play them at Pan Ams, so we actually don’t know them that well, but I’m excited, I think it’s going to be a good game.’ The United States had several rushes of attack, but the composed Zimbabwe defence made it very challenging. The USA had a series of unconverted penalty corners including a great save by keeper Jenna Mathieson on USA forward Emma Deberdine. Finally, the deadlock broke after Ashley Sessa’s cross was brilliantly deflected out of the air by the stick of Charlotte de Vries in the 23rd minute. Some quality right-side attack allowed Rose to deflect in a ball from Deberdine to make it 2-0 in the 39th minute. A turnover pass from Zimbabwe defender Gugulethu Sibanda gave the Americans the space for a give-and-go play from Riley Donnelly to Rose for the third goal. Rose thought she tallied her third deflecting a penalty corner delivery from Caroline Ramsey. The ball hit the foot of Sibanda on the line and Rose converted the penalty stroke to indeed complete the hat trick. Ramsey and Rose did connect on the game’s final goal as the clinical penalty corner set piece saw a sliding Rose bury the fifth and final goal of the game. Despite the loss, Zimbabwe did well to stay more disciplined defensively and Terblanche sisters, Alexi and Natalie, were again their team’s biggest generators of attack while Mathieson continued to anchor them in goal. ‘I think we started off a bit slow. The USA came so hard at us. We lost a little bit of our energy after yesterday’s match but who says we can’t get it back? We’re only at the beginning of the tournament. Against the Netherlands, we will start back from the bottom. Working on basics, working on first touch and go from there,’ commented Alexi Terblanche of Zimbabwe. Netherlands beat Canada 11-0 Four goals from Player of the Match Jip Dicke provided another casual victory, this time 11-0 over Canada, for the Netherlands in Pool A play. Luna Fokke continued her dominance from penalty corners and had a hat trick in the match. Dicke said after the match: ‘We did a really, really good job. Yesterday nine goals, today 11. Very proud of the team. The four goals I scored are the result of the performance of the team. We’re looking forward to the other games.’ Mette Winter opened the scoring in the fifth minute as she collected and fired a ball in from Marleen Jochems down the right side. Josephine Murray’s pass from the right base line was superbly deflected in on the run by Dicke to double the Dutch lead. Fokke’s penalty corner flick made it 3-0, while second-quarter deflections from each of Teuntje de Wit and Tessa Beetsma made it 5-0 at half time. At the break Netherlands head coach Dave Smolenaars was happy with his side’s performance but when pressed, casually suggested they could improve on their penalty corners. After only converting one-of-seven in the first two quarters, the Dutch heeded their coach’s words almost immediately. Fokke and Dicke each scored off drag flicks on the next two Dutch penalty corners, while Dicke finished on her back hand minutes later to tally her third of the match and the team’s eighth goal. Despite the score continuing to run up Canada’s Allison Kuzyk earned her side their lone penalty corner late in the third quarter. Captain Melanie Scholz’s strike was booked for the stick of yesterday’s goal scorer Stefanie Sajko at the far post, but the ball skipped wide of the post. In the final quarter Dicke tapped in a pass from Teuntje de Wit to lift the Netherlands up 9-0. Tessa Beetsma curled and buried a ball from close range to send her team in to double-digits, up 10-0 in the 52nd minute. Fokke buried one more penalty corner to make the final tally 11-0. Canada’s Lonica McKinney said after the match: ‘Playing the Netherlands is a once in a lifetime opportunity! When we started hockey, we watched videos of the Netherlands, how they play and you want to play like that. No matter what the score ends up being, it’s a great experience. Our upcoming match against the USA is a rivalry game. A lot of us play in the States, at universities, so we’re aware of their culture and how they play. It certainly will be an exciting game to watch and to play.’ England beat Ireland 2-1 Vicki McCabe’s spectacular finish in the third quarter was the game-winner that gave England the 2-1 win over Ireland in a feisty and end-to-end match up in Pool B. The game came right down to the final seconds as Ireland tried to claw their way back to tie it up. The England defensive penalty corner unit stood the test to protect the lead. Player of the Match and England skipper Giglio said after the game: ‘I’m just coming off the adrenaline at the moment. I thought the girls put in 100% of the effort in and that’s all we can ask for. We asked for 100% intensity and 100% focus and that’s what the girls gave today. Credit to Ireland who put up such a good fight today.’ The Irish opening the scoring in just the fourth minute of play. Irish captain Caoimhe Perdue’s low sweep towards goal took a touch off a charging Millie Giglio to lift Ireland up 1-0. Ireland’s Katie-Jane Marshall’s foul on forward Maddie Axford resulted in a penalty stroke, converted by England captain Millie Giglio to level the game 1-1.   In the second quarter England’s Katie Curtis forced Perdue to send the ball off her backline to give England a crucial penalty corner chance. Lorna Mackenzie’s slap towards goal found the stick of Claudia Swain but the ball sailed high over the Irish goal. Ireland had a penalty corner late in the second quarter but the low flick from Anna Horan was easily cleared by Evie Wood, in goal for England. The game remained tied 1-1 at half time. In the 36th minute, Aoife Taafe earned Ireland a penalty corner after wearing a hard challenge from Mollie Mason outside the English circle. Mackenzie did well defensively charging the initial shot and disrupting the rebound but a re-award was given. Perdue’s shot was again denied by excellent defence while Emily Guckian cleared a ball off the line that hopped over the foot of Wood. England seemed shook by the Irish pressure as minutes after Mason’s green card, Sofia Martin was sent off for two minutes. Despite the Irish pressure, England had a brilliant counterattack play and Maddie Long’s pass skipped through the Irish midfield. McCabe raced down the field and in a diving finish, buried the ball perfectly on her backhand to give England the much-needed 2-1 lead. The momentum continued to swing back and forth and Giglio set up another chance for England but the strike was well cleared by the boot of keeper Holly Micklem. Ireland had their chance to tie the game with four penalty corners in the final minutes. Fantastic defence from first runner Giglio and Wood in goal secured England the 2-1 comeback victory and a spot in the Top 8. “Every time we play England, it’s always an intense and really tough game. We’re so familiar with each other. England were very fortunate and they took their shots to make it. We need to focus on our PC attacks and just linking together a bit better, and I’m sure we’ll come out and will be strong”, said Ireland’s Caoimhe Perdue.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Potchefstroom, South Africa:-England stormed to the top of the three-team Pool B with a 3-0 win over South Africa, while Netherlands put away nine goals on the USA to take the top of Pool A. Zimbabwe provided the stunner of the day, out-playing Canada and taking a 2-1 win off the Junior Pan American champions. In Pool C, Korea squeaked out a 1-0 win over Uruguay, who were in their debut appearance at this tournament, while defending champions, Argentina, blasted past Austria, 8-0, to also secure three points and top Pool C in the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup at North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Results (FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup): Result: Match 1 England beat South Africa 3-0 Player of the Match: Lorna Mackenzie (ENG) Umpires: Lisette Baljon (NED), Victoria Pazos (PAR), Gema Calderon (ESP – reserve) Result: Match 2 Netherlands beat United States 9- 0 Player of the Match: Luna Hokke (NED) Umpires: Alison Keogh (RL), Wanri Venter (RSA), Sophie Bockelmann (GER-reserve) Result: Match 3 Zimbabwe beat Canada 2-1 Player of the Match: Natalie Terblanche (ZIM) Umpires: Yoon Seon Kim (KOR), Ines El Hajem (FRA), Maria Locatelli (ARG-reserve) Result: Match 4 Korea beat Uruguay 1-0 Player of the Match: Jung Sunghee (KOR) Umpires: Rebecca Woodcock (ENG), Ivona Makar (CRO), Catalina Montesino (CHI-reserve) Result: Match 5 Argentina beat Austria 8-0 Player of the Match: Daiana Pacheco (ARG) Umpires: Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL), Ilaria Amorosini (ITA), Lisette Baljon (NED-reserve)

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Uruguay and Austria hoped that they would perform well on debut in the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup Hockey Tournament, which will be started from April 1, 2022 at Potchefstroom, South Africa. It was inconceivable that the title holders might not qualify and defend their title but this was nearly the case with Argentina. The young Lionesses finished behind Canada, USA and Uruguay at the Junior Pan Am Championship and so failed to qualify for the Junior World Cup. The withdrawal of a number of teams opened up a space and there is little doubt that the Argentinians will be seeking to defend their title. Las Leoncitas has a good record in the event. As well as their 2016 title, they also won gold in 1993, silver in 2001, 2009 and 2013 and bronze in 1997. Korea is another team with a good record at this event, winning in 2001 and 2005. Captain Seona Kim said her team had been working incredibly hard to prepare for this event and would be ‘making things very difficult’ for their opponents. After failing to qualify for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, Korea women’s hockey has been rebuilding, and were impressive when they won the silver medal behind Japan at the Asia Cup in January of this year. The junior team will be looking to prove that the future of hockey is bright in Korea. Like Ireland, this is a first appearance for Uruguay and the South American team will be keen to strut their style. Uruguay are one of the fastest developing hockey nations, with the recent opening of a new national base, complete with new turf, a real boon for hockey in the country. At the Pan Am Championships, Uruguay showed they could defend with real strength and they will have been focused in on developing their goal scoring abilities since that event in January. Talking ahead of the competition, Agustina Martinez of Uruguay said: ‘It is the first time we are going to a World Cup. We qualified in August, which was historic, so for us this was very emotional. It was like a dream that came true. I think that we didn’t even dare to think about it but once we made it, it was very moving, also because we could live this moment with our families and see the emotions this provoked among people in Uruguay.’ The most recent addition to the roster of teams lining up in Potchefstroom is Austria. The European team were invited to participate after the exclusion of Russia by FIH. This will be Austria’s first appearance at a Junior World Cup and the squad has a baptism of fire as they face Argentina on the opening day. “I really think that we don’t have any big expectations because we don’t know how our opponents are going to be, especially Korea, since I think none of us has ever played against this team. We all know that Argentina in our group is going to be a big opponent and that it will be very tough, but we’re just going to give 150% and we will be happy with our game”, says Austrian player Fiona Felber. The first Pool C matches take place on the opening day of competition. Korea will face Uruguay, while Argentina will play Austria.

RAJA HAFEEZ Lausanne, Switzerland: As we build up towards the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, which springs into action on 1 April in Potchefstroom, South Africa, here is a preview of the teams that comprise Pool A. Pool A: Canada, Netherlands, United States and Zimbabwe As runners-up at the Junior EuroHockey Championships (beaten by Spain on shoot-out), and the team with the highest number of wins at this tournament (3), Netherlands will be the team to beat in this pool. Head Coach Dave Smolenaars will have a host of players at his disposal who have been part of a national structure that produces wave after wave of quality hockey players. The Netherlands open their account with a match against USA on the first day of competition. The most intriguing meet-up in this pool will be the Pan Am clash between USA and Canada. The Canadians will be full of confidence after they won the Junior Pan Am Championship for the first time in their history. USA have been very much in a rebuilding stage so it will be interesting to see how the players respond to this challenge. USA Head Coach Tracey Paul will be looking for the experience of players such as Hope Rose and Charlotte de Vries to lead her team through to the knock-out stages. USA’s highest ever finish in their eight previous appearances was seventh in 2013. Canada’s last appearance was in 2013, when they finished 14th. Like USA, the Canadian team’s previous best was a seventh place in 1989. For Canada, nine of the team that won the Junior Pan Am Cup will be making the trip to South Africa. Head Coach Jenn Beagan is delighted at the prospect of both the junior and senior Canada teams competing in World Cups this year, saying: ‘This is an exciting time and I have no doubt the athletes will rise to the occasion.’ Zimbabwe are a country that has been really focused on developing their national teams in the past few years, and they could spring a surprise on their more experienced opponents. Their previous three appearances have seen the African team finish in last place, but, with the event taking place on African soil for the first time, they will be aiming much higher this time around. Mutsa Bera, the Zimbabwe captain said: ‘We are going to learn a lot from playing at such a big event. It is about taking up the challenge, just going in there and putting up a fight. ‘It is such a big thing to be able to go out there and make a mark for Zimbabwe hockey and show how ready we are to do this.’ Zimbabwe face Canada in their opening Pool A match on 1 April.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Two third-quarter goals propelled the Germany women over the visiting United States in Mönchengladbach to give Germany just their second-straight victory after their 3-0 win over Spain earlier in the week. Just 45-seconds in to his first match for the Germany men, former Argentine penalty corner ace Gonzalo Peillat gave the home side the lead. In late February, the Mannheimer HC defender gained his German passport and gave André Henning an interesting decision to make ahead of their first FIH Pro League games of 2022. It looks like Henning made the right choice as Germany dropped Spain 2-1. Women’s Fixture: Germany beat United States 2-0 It was an action-packed opening half that saw the fitness and physicality of the hosts dominate in both play and possession. Despite the Germany dominance, the USA had quality opportunities of their own. USA keeper Kelsey Bing and her counter-part Julia Sonntag were called to duty on multiple occasions to keep the game scoreless at half time. Germany’s Elisa Gräve was named player of the match and said after the game: ‘It was quite hard actually [about USA’s stingy defence]. We had to take our chances and get more specific on our actions in the circle and that’s what we did in the second half and that’s how we won. We are very happy about that result.’ Laura Saenger has the first quality chance for Germany but her penalty corner flick bounced low and wide of a diving Bing stick. The USA had a first-quarter penalty corner but Sonntag was able to deny Ashley Hoffman’s delivery and the near-post rebound. The Americans had back-to-back scoring attempts just before the first break. The first happened when a streaking Paityn Wirth picked up a brilliant midfield pass but her back-hand shot was squandered high and wide. Then, Sonntag’s left leg denied another close-range shot to keep the Americans at bay. Germany’s Sonja Kimmerman delivered a ball into the USA circle that was deflected to Hanna Granitzki and the striker did well to control and shoot but the ball bounced just wide of Bing. Germany continued to pounce on the Americans as Anne Schröder capitalized off a very quick free hit outside the circle and blasted a shot but Bing’s glove was there to redirect the ball wide. The American defence unit did well to match the speedy German strikers but it was the outstanding confidence of Bing that really kept them in it. In the 35th minute, Germany finally broke the deadlock. Some patient passing opened up Nele Aring on the left side of the circle. Aring did well to send a hard back-hand cross for an open Granitzki to confidently deflect past USA keeper Jennifer Rizzo in for a 1-0 Germany lead. Olivia Bent-Cole had a one-on-one chance for the USA but the 16-year-old’s sweep was calmy guided away by the pads of Sonntag. In the last moments of the third quarter Germany caught Hoffman’s foot to earn a penalty corner. Zimmerman’s low flick boomed towards the goal and the ball had enough power to ricochet up and in to secure the lead. Germany had a sloppy fourth quarter and the Americans did well to put their back line under pressure. Unforced errors gave the USA promising circle entries but Germany were able to do just enough to protect their 2-0 lead and eventual final score. Men’s Fixture: Germany beat Spain 2-1 It was Gonzalo Peillat’s first international match since the 29-year-old fell out with then Argentinian coach German Orozco following the 2018 World Cup. He has since played the last six seasons with Mannheimer HC and now joins Germany as the former top scorer at the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics where he was crowned Olympic champion with the Leones.  In the opening 45 seconds Germany earned a penalty corner and it was a sign of what was to come. Peillat, showing he had not missed a beat, stepped up and confidently delivered the 1-0 Germany lead. From there the Honomas dominated possession and the attack putting Spain keeper Mario Garin to work. Garin did well to deny a flurry of Germany chances including two from Jusus Weigans and a far-post opportunity for Christopher Rühr. In the 19th minute Spain post-player Ignacio Rodriguez made a mind-blowing goal line save on a fierce Peillat flick. Minutes later Garin’s out-stretched left foot denied Peillat on Germany’s third penalty corner. Germany continued to knock on Spain’s doorstep and clung to their 1-0 lead at half time. Minutes in to the third quarter Ruhr made quick work of Spain’s Alejandro Alonso and was able to spin and send a pass to a diving Weigand but the ball slid just under his stick and wide. Thirty seconds later and Ruhr cut through the German circle and blasted a back-hand shot just wide of the Spain goal. Max Caldas wanted his side to be more clinical in the German circle in the second half. Joaquin Menini started the charge as he collected a ball in tight and crafted an opportunity out of nothing but the ball bounced wide of Alexander Stadler’s goal. Germany made them pay as on the next rush Marco Miltkau slid a deceptive pass to Niklas Wellen who made no mistake with a blast in for a 2-0 Germany lead in the 35th minute. In the final quarter Rafael Vilallonga was leading Spain’s pressure up front but the German defence line was impenetrable and well quarter-backed by Mathias Müller. A yellow card to Germany’s Timur Oruz gave Spain the final five minutes with a big advantage. Spain captain Marc Miralles crafted his way through the German circle but blasted a shot wide. Villalonga then one-timed a shot with under three minutes to go and forced a penalty corner from a sprawled Stadler. Stadler made the save on the initial flick but Ricardo Sanchez showed no mercy to bury the rebound and break the shutout. Spain continued to pressure with Menini making quick work on the baseline but he was met at the post by the pads of Stadler. Then, Villalonga found Alvaro Iglesias alone but the one-timer went just wide – an agonizing result as Spain seemed so close to force a shootout. Time ran out to leave Spain just short and Germany celebrated the 2-1 victory at home.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland:-With just a few days to go before the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021 springs into action in Potchefstroom the squads for the participating nations are now known. Among the athletes from the 16 teams are Olympians, Olympic medallists and players that have already seen top class action through the FIH Hockey Pro League. This is also the stage upon which new stars are revealed to hockey fans. It was back in 1997 that an unknown junior called Luciana Aymar led Argentina to a Junior World Cup bronze medal – we all know how that story unfolded. Today’s crop of Las Leoncitas will be hoping to retain the gold medal that the 2016 squad won in Santiago, Chile. For teams such as Netherlands, Germany and Korea, the Women’s Junior World Cup has been a traditional hunting ground for medals. Those three teams between them have won 12 medals, and all three will want to be adding to their tallies. For Germany, players such as Pauline Heinz and Jette Fleschütz will be bringing a huge amount of experience of top flight hockey, having already experienced Olympic and FIH Hockey Pro League action. In addition, the German U21 squad played two senior FIH Hockey Pro League matches against India, gaining a wealth of experience the process. Also on the hunt for medals will be the India women’s side. Having observed the rapid rise of their women’s senior team through the rankings, and the adulation to which the squad returned on the back of an Olympic fourth place finish, the India team will want to take advantage of the momentum surrounding women’s hockey in the country right now. At the other end of the experience continuum are teams such as Ireland and Uruguay who will be experiencing their first ever foray into Women’s Junior World Cup territory. Ireland's athletes are already bringing a sense of joy to the show, with their revelation that the team managers included pool-based flamingo racing as part of their early morning warm-up routines. And then there is the emotion that will be so very present at this event. For South Africa, this is the momentous occasion when they hold the continent’s first ever FIH World Cup event. For Canada, this is the place where they were caught in limbo for a while in December as a result of pandemic movement restrictions – they will be looking for a happy return to Potchefstroom.

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the FIH Hockey Pro League participating nations have agreed on a new schedule for the fourth season of FIH’s global league celebrating ‘Hockey at its Best’. The season, which will run from 28 October 2022 to 5 July 2023, will be divided into a series of date blocks, agreed by all parties, to assist with international and domestic competition planning, within which “mini-tournaments” will be played where several teams will gather in one venue to play two matches against each other. This move will have a major positive impact on players’ welfare and the environment, thanks to a substantial reduction in the amount of travel needed for each team and the officials. Another great advantage of this revised format is that it increases the number of dates available for athletes to compete in their domestic leagues and club competitions. FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “The FIH Hockey Pro League is still a relatively ‘young’ competition. Therefore, it is our duty, together with the participating nations, to proceed to a regular review and make adjustments as appropriate for the enhancement of the experience. This new schedule will be better for athletes, better for hosts, better for fans and better for the environment!” For the first season with this new schedule, matches will be hosted in the following seven nations:  Australia, Argentina, Belgium, England, India, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-A magnificent display of goalkeeping by Nathalie Kubalski, playing on her home ground in Dusseldörf, kept an ever-threatening Spanish attack at bay and brought home three points for Germany for the first time this Pro League season. With Spain dominating possession and sometimes by-passing the German midfield and defence with ease, this was an outcome completely against the run of play. Germany 3-0 Spain Germany took the lead in the first quarter through an excellent strike from Pia Maertens. The attacking midfielder turned at the top of the Spanish circle to create the room to fire a shot at goal. This was one of only a few German attacking opportunities as most of the first 30 minutes saw Spain on the attack and playing with energy and fervour. The only thing the Red Sticks were missing was a goal. If Kubalski was frustrating Adrian Lock's Spanish team in the first half, she put up an inpenetrable wall in the second half of the game. Spain were playing the ball through the centre of the pitch with an ease that will have given German Head Coach Valentin Altenburg headaches. Experienced players such as Lucia Jimenez, Begona Garcia and Belen Iglesias all found themselves foiled by the sheer brilliance of Kubalski as she dealt with overhead shots, deflections and one-on-one encounters. While Germany were worryingly porous in defence, they were ruthless when on the attack. Die Danas only had four shots in the entire game but they scored from three of them. In the 36th minute, Lena Micheel was the beneficiary of a swift counterattack down the righthand side of the pitch. Maertens added her second with a classy strike while in full forward motion. The talented player dinked the ball up and over Melanie Garcia's foot. The goal moves her to third place in the FIH Pro League top scorer's table. Spain, for their part, created plenty of chances and had a total of 14 shots on goal. While Valentin Altenburg said he was not pleased with the performance and will have plenty to work on, in terms of getting his players to keep possession of the ball and shore up their defence; for Adrian Lock, the difficulty will be unravelling why his team were unable to score depsite some quite mesmerising build-up play.