Sports Bulletin

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.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland: There are just 100 days to go until the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain & Netherlands 2022 springs into life at the joint venues of the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and the Terrassa Olympic Stadium in Terrassa, Spain. The 16 teams know both their pools and the opponents that stand between them and World Cup glory. The officials are primed and ready to ensure a smooth running and fairly contested tournament. The fans are busily purchasing tickets ready to roar on the athletes in this blue riband event, that will not only set pulses racing in the stands, but will captivate global audiences. Ahead of the event, fans across the international community were asked to suggest names for the competition’s mascot. Showing some truly astonishing creativity 400 names were suggested, which was eventually whittled down to just three. More than 600 votes were cast and the final, winning name for the 2022 World Cup mascot was revealed as Lyla. Look out for Lyla as she makes starring appearances over the duration of the tournament and at both venues. Both Spain and the Netherlands are experienced hosts when it comes to hockey competition. The Hague was the venue for the Men’s and Women’s World Cups in 2014, with Utrecht hosting the Men’s and Women’s events in 1998. Amstelveen was the venue for the Men’s World Cup in 1973 and the Women’s World Cup in 1986. Madrid was host to the Women’s World Cups of 1978 and 2006, while Barcelona hosted the first ever Men’s World Cup in 1971. Xan de Waard of the Netherlands says: 'In 100 days the World Cup starts in Amsterdam and Terrassa. The next few months see us play several games in the FIH Pro League to prepare as well as possible. We are really looking forward to start the World Cup and we hope to see you there.' Spain's captain Georgina Oliva says: 'I would like to encourage all the fans and the crowds to come to Terrassa because there are a lot of activities waiting for you. I would love to see you all in the stadium, enjoying the hockey and the spectacle of a World Cup. We will welcome you with a lot of sunny days.' Teams: Pool A: Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Chile Pool B: England, New Zealand, India, China Pool C: Argentina, Spain, Korea, Canada Pool D: Australia, Belgium, Japan, South Africa

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-A hesitant start by both sides saw late drama as Germany thought they had won the match before Marta Segu's goal equalled the scores and sent the game to a shoot-out at Deutscher Sportklub, Dusseldorf Germany. Germany 2-2 Spain (women-Spain win shoot-out 3-0): This was a match in which both teams showed glimpses of brilliance but also made costly errors. For the German side, it was hesitancy when on the ball that slowed their play and allowed Spain opportunities to attack. The Spanish side showed much creativity and energy, particularly in midfield, but will be looking to make more focused and aggressive forward moves in the next match – which takes place tomorrow (Wednesday 23 March). The first quarter saw most of the action taking place in the midfield, with Germany shading the possession and opportunities as the Spanish players struggled to break through the German last line of defence. Going with the run of play, Germany took the lead through Pia Maertens. Some strong stick work at the top of the circle by Anne Schröder saw the midfielder pick out Sophia Schwabe. She, in turn, flicked the ball goalwards for Maertens to scramble home. Spain's equaliser came from the quick thinking of Laura Barrios, who was the only player who didn't stop moving when umpire Celine Martin-Schmets signalled advantage. Barrios crashed the ball past Noelle Rother in the German goal. At half-time, neither Head Coach was satisfied with the teams' performances. Germany's Valentin Altenburg called for his team to show greater 'courage' as they attacked, while Adrian Lock called for Spain to play with 'more intent and purpose'. In the third quarter, Spain thought they had scored through a Maria Lopex penalty corner but the video review, called by the German team, showed the ball had hit a Spanish foot. Germany's second goal came with just four minutes left to play. Captain Sonja Zimmermann showed great individual skill to run the ball around the Spanish defensive circle and then struck it into the goal. With the clock ticking down, this looked like a German victory but Spain's Marta Segu had other ideas. The midfielder had played with creativity and energy all match and she was rewarded with the goal that gave Spain a draw. In the shoot-out Spain were clinical, scoring their first three attempts, as Germany were unable to find a way past melanie Garcia in the Spanish goal. Result: Women's Match 21 Germany 2, Spain 2 (Spain win bonus point on shoot-out 3-0) Player of the Match, Marta Segu (ESP) Umpires: Alison Keogh (IRL) Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL), Ben Goentgen (GER, Video Umpire)

Sports Bulletin Report BHUBENESWAR (India):-It took a goal of real flair and class to separate these two teams in a match that twisted and turned as each team enjoyed moments of ascendency followed by moments of intense pressure. In the end, it was Mandeep Singh who scored the winning goal - finding the net in the final minute of play for the second consecutive day. India 4-3 Argentina (men) Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar (IND) Very much like the action from the previous day’s match, the opening quarter was a slow burn. Both teams probed each other’s defence but there was no significant goal mouth action. Nicolas Keenan for Argentina showed a willingness to attack up the Argentina left-hand side of the pitch but on the whole, there was very little created by either team. India won the first penalty corner of the game in the second minute of the second quarter. Varun Kumar took the shot, which Tomas Santiago saved well. However, Hardik Singh was on hand to volley the ball home to give his side the lead. India captain Amit Rohidas created his team’s second clear cut chance to score when he burst through the Argentina defence to draw a foul. The ensuing penalty corner gave Jugraj Singh his fourth goal for the senior team – a rasping shot that Santiago barely saw as it crossed his line. Argentina made their own chances, winning two penalty corners which they were unable to convert. In addition, Martin Ferreiro shot over the bar and the ever-dangerous Keenan also just shot wide. At half-time, Graham Reid was upbeat about his team’s performance in front of goal but felt that they could improve their possession in the midfield. Argentina started the second half with verve and intent. Leaving attackers high, Los Leones worked hard to gain possession in the midfield and then set up counter attacks. Argentina thought they had won a penalty stroke in the 32nd minute when Agustin Bugallo looked to have been fouled on his way to goal but the initial decision of a penalty stroke was overturned. Having survived an Argentina onslaught, India took up the momentum. Mandeep was unlucky not to get on the end of an aerial that eliminated most of the Argentina defence but seconds later India were on the attack again. Harmanpreet had another chance to add to his goal tally with a penalty corner but his shot flew just wide. In this most intense of games, it was Argentina’s turn to strike next. A quick attack, spear-headed by Martin Ferreiro, led to a penalty corner. Nicolas della Torre was able to send his shot past PR Sreejesh in the India goal to make it 2-1. Following the Argentina goal, India seemed to lose their structure a little. The visiting side were able to take advantage and bring the scores level when Tomas Domene sent home a lovely penalty stroke after Acosta was fouled in the circle. With nine minutes left on the clock, momentum changed again. India managed to wrest the lead back when Jugraj scored his second stupendous penalty corner of the day. Santiago had no chance of stopping the shot as it flew past him. Just one minute later, Jugraj thought he had his hat trick but the shot was disallowed following an umpire’s video referral. A fantastic piece of skill by Ferreiro saw the forward twist and turn through the India defence. His strength, while in possession of the ball, was superb and the resulting shot was world class. With just over three minutes left, the scores were once more equal. Just when it seemed that the match was going to shoot-out for the second consecutive day, Jugraj and Mandeep combined to score the most amazing winning goal. Jugraj fired the ball into the circle and Mandeep touched the ball to add the final, embellishing flourish and to seal the victory. Player of the Match, Varun Kumar said: 'I think the team made a good effort. We fought until the last minute. We created a lot of chances, although there are still things to improve on.' The result means India move to the top of the FIH Pro League ahead of Netherlands, with Argentina in fourth position, one point behind Germany. Result: Men's Match 30 India 4, Argentina 3 Player of the Match, Varun Kumar (IND) Umpires: Javed Shaikh (IND), Raghu Prasad (IND), Deepak Joshi (IND, Video Umpire)

Sports Bulletin Report BHUBANESAR (India):-A closely-matched encounter between two entertaining teams saw Argentina take the bonus point after the visiting side was more clinical in the shoot-out than their India hosts. During the match, the momentum swung from one team to the other in this fast-paced and sometimes tense match at Kalinga Hockey Stadium Bhubaneswar, India. India 2-2 Argentina (men) (Argentina won shoot-out 3-1): The match between two of the most technically skilled teams in the world was an intriguing encounter that saw Argentina unusually dominate possession in the opening half. Los Leones are often on the losing side of possession stats, preferring to score on a swift counter. In the Kalinga Stadium, however, it was the men in blue and white who started the stronger and put India under a lot of pressure in the opening quarter. Martin Ferreiro came the closest to opening the scoring but his sharply taken shot was well saved by Krishnan Pathak in the India goal. The second quarter saw India move into a higher gear and create their own chances, including four penalty corner attempts. However, with Harmanpreet sitting on 98 goals for his country and seeking to reach a century of goals, the penalty corner striker was unable to turn India’s first three penalty corners into goals. Jugraj took the fourth penalty corner but his shot scuffed the surface and was cleared easily. PR Sreejesh replaced Pathak in India’s goal and was quickly called into action when he smartly cleared the ball after Harmanpreet was caught in possession in his defensive quarter. Argentina were reduced to 10 players after Nicolas Keenan was shown a yellow card at the end of the second half. After his half-time team talk, India Head Coach Graham Reid said: ‘I was happy with the opportunities we created and we withheld Argentina’s barrage in the first quarter. Now we need to capitalise on our own penalty corner chances.’ As the second half got underway both teams got a little jittery. Passes went astray and possession was lost all too easily. One of the reasons for this is the keen sense of competition between the two sides. Of their last 10 meetings, each side has won four times and there have been two draws. They are also close in the FIH World Rankings with India ranked fourth and Argentina sixth. The breakthrough came when Gurjant Singh scored a poacher’s goal. The ball was crashed forwards by Mandeep Singh and Gurjant was perfectly positioned behind the Argentina defence to tip it past Tomas Santiago in the Argentina goal. India had more chances in the quarter as their swift and precise passing left the Argentina players chasing shadows. However, it was Argentina, against the run of play, who scored the equaliser. Nicolas Acosta’s shot took a deflection and the ball shot past Pathak to bring the scores level. With seven minutes left, Argentina won a penalty corner. Nicolas Keenen injected the ball and Nicolas della Torres played the ball back to Keenan, who lifted it home to give his team the lead. India nearly scored just seconds later as Shilanand hit the ball goalwards and Sukhjeet came tantalisingly close to directing it home, only to see it fly past the post. With India still pressing for a goal, a direct run by Jarmanpreet saw the player felled by an Argentina defender. The ensuing penalty corner was again well run down by Argentina’s number one runner, Thomas Habif. With under 60 seconds left on the clock, India managed to gain possession. A quick break saw the ball fall to Mandeep and he fired home the equaliser. Argentina took the bonus point in the ensuing shoot-out. Keenan, Tomas Domene, Lucas Toscani all scored for Argentina, and Santiago made a fabulous save from Abishek. For India, only Harmanpreet scored his attempt. The Player of the Match was Argentina's Matias Rey (ARG).  The result means India remain in second place in the FIH Pro League behind Netherlands, with Argentina in fourth position, one point behind Germany. FIH Pro League action continues at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 20 March when India men host their second match against Argentina men. The women's league action continues at the Deutscher Sportklub, Düsseldorf on Tuesday 22 March, when Germany women play host to Spain women. Result: Men's Match 29 India 2, Argentina 2 (Argentina win shoot-out bonus point 3-1) Player of the Match, Matias Rey (ARG) Umpires: Deepak Joshi (IND), Javed Shaikh (IND), Raghu Prasad (IND, Video Umpire)

Sports Bulletin Report BHUBANESWAR:-India women put the disappointment of the previous day's shoot-out behind them to put in a convincing performance in the shoot-out to take the bonus point in this hard-fought match against Germany. While that was a huge improvement in performance, Head Coach Janneke Schopman will be concerned that the team couldn't make more of their opportunities in the 60 minutes of matchplay. India 1-1 Germany (women) (India win shoot-out 3-0) In the event, it was Germany who took the lead. Felicia Wiedermann was on the end of a penalty corner routine, which began with a running injection and ended with the ball flying past Devi Kharibam in the India goal. This was just ahead of half-time and both teams trooped off the pitch after an exhausting opening two quarters. Head Coach Akim Bouchouchi said, although he was happy to be in the lead, he was not happy with much of the build-up play by his young team. 'We are making too many faults in our build-up and allowing India to take possession too easily.' India had squandered their referrral in the first five minutes of the game and, when Germany won a penalty stroke there was the sense that this decision would come back to haunt them. However, Jette Fleschütz's hard shot hit the post and the score remained 1-0. India finally broke through in the third quarter when Nisha was on hand to bundle the ball over the German goal-line after some indecision by the German defence. Both teams had further opportunities to wrap the result up. India pushed and pushed for the winning goal but found a resilient German defence that maintained discipline despite an onslaught by the India attack. This included marshalling Devi Sharmila away from the danger area and preventing the ever-threatening Navneet Kaur from creating chances. Germany were awarded a penalty corner in the dying seconds of the game but were unable to find a way past Savita. The shoot out was a reverse image of the day before. This time it was India who looked the more confident and they quickly took an unassailable 3-0 lead through the excellence of Savita and the calmness of the scorers: Tete Salima, Kumari Sangita and Sonika. Speaking after the game, Player of the Match, Navneet Kaur (IND), said: ‘I am very happy, we did very well and worked hard over both matches.' Germany's captain Lisa Nolte said: 'The feeling in this stadium is awesome but we were unlucky to lose the game today. I am proud of my team. We did a great job but we were unlucky not to win today.' The result means India move to second position in the league table behind Argentina and ahead of Netherlands. Germany remain in sixth position just one point behind Spain. To see the current women’s FIH Pro League Standings, click here. Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar (IND) Result: Women's Match 18 India 1, Germany 1 (India win the shoot-out bonus point 3-0) Player of the Match, Navneet Kaur (IND) Umpires:Celine Martin-Schmets (BEL), Raghu Prasad (IND), Javid Shaikh (IND, Video Umpire)

Sports Bulletin Report BHUBANESWAR:-While the match ended 1-1, the visiting German players are more likely to be pleased with the result than their India counterparts. Not only did they take the bonus point when they won the shoot-out but, for many of the players, they performed with confidence on one of the iconic hockey stages, the Kalinga Stadium in India. India 1-1 Germany (Women)-(Germany win shoot-out 2-1): It was honours even at the end of the first half as Kaur Navneet for India and then Carlotta Sippel for the visiting German side, scored in quick succession. Navneet's goal followed a great build-up run by Sharmila Devi down the India left-side of the pitch. Her cross found Navneet who was able to guide it home. This was in the fourth minute and Head Coach Janneke Schopman will have been pleased by the way her team had countered after being put under pressure by the German side for much of the opening few minutes. Germany responded well and two successive penalty corners were eventually rewarded when Carlotta Sippel was able to fire the ball home after the ball had rebounded and bounced around in front of Savita for a few dramatic seconds. The remainder of the half continued in much the same vein, with Germany having a greater share of possession, including three penalty corners, to India's none. Neither side, however, were able to find a way past the two 'keepers; Savita for India and Mali Wichmann, who was making her debut for Germany. The third quarter saw India pushing forwards to a greater degree. Two penalty corners, both struck by Gurjit Kaur, brought two good saves from Wichmann. As the time counted down, there was a sense that some of the punchiness had left the German game, allowing India more time to run at the goal. However, it was Die Danas who came closest to breaking the deadlock when a shot seemed to have crossed the India goalline; eventually it was cleared to safety. The final quarter saw both teams digging deep to find the winning goal. The momentum looked to be with India as they responded to the encouragement from the stands. However, Germany dug deep and looked highly experienced as they managed the game well and kept tight discipline in the face of increased India pressure. In the shoot-out, Germany held their nerve to take the bonus point. While neither side showed great finishing in the shoot-out, credit should go to Mali Wichmann in the German goal as she saved four attempts and made a great video referral to get a penalty stroke overturned on a technicality.

Sports Bulletin Report BIRMINGHAM:-Pakistan will meet South Africa in their opening fixture of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022, as International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced the schedule on Wednesday, as hosts England’s men’s and women’s teams will both face Ghana in their opening match and have group games against India, Canada and Wales Both the women’s and the men’s competitions will begin on Friday 29 July, with the opening session of the women’s tournament featuring reigning champions New Zealand against Kenya and South Africa playing Scotland. Hosts, England, will face Ghana in the first match of the men’s competition with New Zealand facing Scotland in the same session. There will be 54 hockey matches in total, with 40 group games, six classification matches, four semi-finals, four medal matches and all of these matches will be played at the University of a Birmingham, the official competition venue for hockey at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 20 hockey teams taking part in the Games will also use the University of Birmingham’s world-class hockey facilities for training until competition gets underway and then the teams will be able to make use of the newly upgraded pitch at Wyndley Leisure Centre in Sutton Coldfield for training. Matt Kidson, Director of Sport for Birmingham 2022, said: “We are excited to be unveiling the official hockey match schedule today as it brings us another step closer to the start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. It’s going to be an exciting tournament with an impressive line-up of teams, featuring all of the medallists from the last edition of the Commonwealth Games. Pool A: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Scotland Pool B: India, England, Wales, Canada, Ghana, Schedule (Men’s Hockey): July 29, 2022: England vs Ghana, New Zealand vs Scotland July 30, 2022: South Africa vs Pakistan, Canada vs Wales July 31, 2022: New Zealand vs Pakistan, Australia vs Scotland, England vs Wales, India vs Ghana August 1, 2022: Scotland vs South Africa, England vs India, Canada vs Ghana, New Zealand vs Australia August 3, 2022: Canada vs India, Wales vs Ghana, Pakistan vs Scotland, South Africa vs Australia August 4, 2022: India vs Wales, Canada vs England, South Africa vs New Zealand, Australia vs Pakistan August 6, 2022: Semifinals August 7, 2022: Final