Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has announced that the draw ceremony and the draw for the pools of the next FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Spain and the Netherlands 2022 will be held on 17 February, at the facilities of the Museu Nacional de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya (MNACTEC), in Terrassa, Spain. The draw will define the pools of the pinnacle of the FIH women’s tournaments, which will be held from 1 to 17 July 2022 and involve 16 participating national teams. Those include Spain and the Netherlands, as hosts of the competition, whilst Belgium, England, Germany and Ireland are the other European teams. Africa is represented by South Africa, recent winners of the Africa Cup of Nations. From Asia, the four following teams have qualified: China, India, Japan and Korea. Argentina, Canada and Chile are the three American teams having booked their ticket for the prestigious tournament, while Australia and New Zealand, from Oceania, complete the draw. The draw will be conducted by FIH CEO Thierry Weil, accompanied by Spanish international player Berta Bonastre as well as coach – and former international player - Santi Freixa. The Olympic Stadium of the Catalan town and the Wagener Stadion of the Dutch capital area will host the matches of the group stages and the cross-overs, with the semifinals and the final taking place exclusively in Terrassa. In the last edition, in 2018, the Netherlands claimed the title by winning the final against Ireland, while Spain achieved third place.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland:-It was bright skies in Valencia for England men and that wasn’t just the weather. The FIH Hockey Pro League newcomers recorded a second win over Spain, despite the home side playing a much more structured and attacking game. In the women’s match, the Netherlands were rocked as Spain refused to back down from the on-pitch battle and forced a draw. The subsequent shoot-out success means Netherlands leave Valencia with five points but Spain will be happy with their performances over the two days. In the opening encounter between Spain and England men, a match-winning goal in the dying seconds of the game topped off a good weekend for England interim Head Coach Zak Jones and his new look England team. The England team, which included six debutants, took all six points in their first appearance in the FIH Hockey Pro League. Several of the England players will have played in the Pro league for Great Britain, but this is the first time England has lined up to compete. In the first match, Spain didn’t really get out of bottom gear and England cruised to a 6-1 win. Spain’s Head Coach Max Caldas will have been relieved at the significant levels of improvement in the second game – if not pleased with the scoreline, a 3-2 loss. Spain men took to the pitch determined to put in an improved performance on the previous day, where they had suffered a 6-1 loss at the hands of an energetic England team. Certainly, the opening exchanges reflected this determination and England will count themselves lucky not to be facing a goal deficit in the first quarter as Spain ran through the midfield to create multiple chances. Despite the chances created by Spain, it was England who drew the first blood. Nick Bandurak was on hand to tap a rebound home to register his first international goal. Spain looked certain to equalise through a penalty corner strike but a fine mid-air save by Tom Sorsby kept the ball from the net. It was inevitable that the pressure exerted by Spain would pay off. It was from the stick of another player making his Pro League debut this weekend, Alejandro Sanz. This meant the scores were level at half-time and both coaches were relatively happy, with Jones asking for his players to place greater value on possession and Caldas asking his players to capitalise on chances. It was England who took the lead again, with Duncan Scott continuing his great start to his international career and following up on his goal from the previous day. Into the final quarter and a rocket of a goal from Xavier Gispert, scored with a back-hand shot that whipped past Oliver Payne, brought the scores level again. The match seemed destined to go to shoot-out when a last minute goal from David Goodchild on his second appearance for England meant his team would leave Valencia with six points. Speaking after the game, Player of the Match David Ames said: ‘It was really nice to win, it finishes our weekend nicely. Delighted fr while squad but particularly the new caps. 'We played exceptionally well yesterday, today we were a bit scrappy but we played right to the end.’ In the women’s match, Spain put in an energetic and spirited performance to craft a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands. For the opening 15 minutes it appeared that the Netherlands were going to hit a gear that they hadn’t managed in the previous day’s play. Yibbi Jansen showed her ability from the top of the circle with a magnificent drag flick to give the World Cup, Olympic and FIH Hockey Pro League champions the lead. However, Patricia Alvarez put Spain back on even terms when she pounced on a rebound from a penalty corner. Jansen struck again just before half time to give the Netherlands a 2-1 lead but just six minutes into the second half, a rocket from Gine Xantal from a Spain penalty corner brought Adrian Lock’s team right back into the game. The final quarter saw the Spanish team defend with passion and the Dutch were just unable to find a way through the red shirts. The game went to shoot-out, where the Netherlands prevailed 3-2. For Head Coach Adrian Lock, there would have been an awful lot to like about his team’s performance in both these matches on their FIH Hockey Pro League debut weekend. Speaking after the match, double goalscorer and Player of the Match Yibbi Jansen said: 'We started very well but in the third quarter we had a dip and we had to defend. But we were happy we won the shoot-out. It is an honour to win the award and we had two good games.' FIH Hockey Pro League Saturday 5 February 2022 - Valencia (ESP) Men’s match Spain 2-3 England Player of the Match: David Ames (ENG) Umpires: Bruce Bale (ENG), Ivona Makar (CRO) Michelle Meister (GER- video umpire) Women’s match Spain 2-2 Netherlands (Netherlands won shoot-out 3-2) Player of the Match: Yibbi Jansen (NED) Umpires: Bruce Bale (ENG), Michelle Meister (GER) Ivona Makar (CRO - video umpire) Next FIH Hockey Pro League matches: On Tuesday 8 February, the action switches to the African continent for the first time as the next FIH Hockey Pro League matches will take place in Potchefstroom, South Africa on with two further newcomers to the competition making their debut performances. In the opening match France men take on India, followed by South Africa men versus the Netherlands. On Wednesday 9 February, South Africa men will face India, and France men will take on the Netherlands.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland:-The Estadio Betero in Valencia provided the perfect conditions for two FIH Hockey Pro League matches featuring the host nation Spain as they took on the challenge of FIH Hockey Pro League newcomers England men and the mighty force of the Netherlands women in the first of two matches in the respective men’s and women’s leagues to be hosted in the Spanish city. Valencia proved a fruitful hunting ground for the visiting sides as first England men showed pace and imagination to outperform their Spanish rivals and then the Netherlands women wore down  a spirited Spanish team to win 1-0. The three points allowed the Dutch women, now under the leadership of Jami Mülders, to regain their position at the top of the FIH Hockey Pro League table. England men began their first foray into the FIH Hockey Pro League with a display of aggressive, attacking hockey as they beat host nation Spain 6-1. Player of the match David Condon spoke of the ‘aggressive and open style of play’, that his team showed for the majority of this match. The first quarter was goalless as the two teams tested each other out, but then one of six debutants in an England shirt – Duncan Scott – opened the scoring with a finely taken penalty corner. David Condon doubled the score in the latter stages of the quarter and then two goals in the third quarter from captain Zach Wallace and James Oats put the game effectively out of Spain’s reach. Condon scored a fifth and then a lovely interchange between Wallace and the experienced Phil Roper created an opportunity for David Goodchild to fire home. Spain scored a consolation goal through Ignacio Rodriguez, but the Red Sticks were unable to repeat some of their earlier Pro League recoveries. Speaking after the game David Condon said:‘We haven’t been together that long as a squad but in some ways that allowed us to play with freedom. We set out to play aggressive hockey and that was what we did.’ In the women’s match between Spain and the Netherlands, a single goal from the reliable goal machine Frederique Matla was the difference between the two sides. While Anne Veenendaal in the Dutch goal didn’t have to make a save, this was far from a walk over by the reigning FIH Hockey Pro League, World Cup and Olympic champions. A combination of a hard-working defence and a well-structured midfield saw Spain keep the Dutch at bay for large parts of the game. This was also a Netherlands team that didn’t seem to hit top gear for much of the match. Both sides fielded a number of inexperienced players and Player of the Match Maria Verschoor referred to the fact the players were still getting to know each other, which would explain the breakdown of many attacking moves that would usually end in a Dutch barrage against an opposition’s goal. The winning goal, scored in the third quarter, was a case of Matla showing her forward’s instincts. The ball bounced clear and Matla struck it goal wards. Clara Ycart, who had played a strong game in defence was unfortunate to turn it past Melanie Garcia in the Spanish goal. Speaking after the game, Player of the Match Maria Verschoor, who had played an intelligent and understated role at the heart of the Dutch midfield, said: 'I am really happy to be on the pitch with the team. We needed to get used to each other. It was a good match to get started with FIH Hockey Pro League: Results Friday 4 February 2022 - Valencia (ESP) Men’s match Spain 1-6 England Player of the Match: David Condon (ENG) Umpires: Michelle Meister (GER), Bruce Bale (ENG) and Ivona Makar (CRO - video umpire) Women’s match Spain 0-1 Netherlands Player of the Match: Maria Verschoor (NED) Umpires: Ivona Makar (CRO), Bruce Bale (ENG) and Michelle Meister (GER - video umpire)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland:-The newest entrants to the Women's FIH Hockey Pro League continued to make waves at the Sultan Qaboos Complex in Muscat as India women gave a masterclass in fast but controlled hockey and moved to the top of the FIH Hockey Pro League. The Eves added to the 7-1 win they had amassed the day before by beating their Asian rivals China by a 2-1 scoreline. While the win wasn’t as goal-heavy as the previous day, what India showed was an ability to play swift, attacking hockey without losing composure. A lack of experience and a certain level of weariness seemed to beset the China women’s team right from the opening whistle of their second FIH Hockey Pro League match against India. Lost possession, misplaced passes and a reluctance to get back and defend contributed to a lacklustre first half performance by the China team. India, by contrast, started the match with high levels of energy and an appetite for attacking play that rocked their opponents even further. Pressure exerted by the Eves on the China defence paid off quickly. A penalty corner in the third minute was converted with precision by Gurjit Kaur – to add to the goal she scored in India’s first FIH Hockey Pro League game against China. China was fortunate not to be further behind at the end of the first 15 minutes. India created several scoring opportunities but these either flew wide of the China goal or were dealt with by Wu Surong in the China goal. In the second half, China seemed to rally. They defended with more conviction and the India press was no longer able to contain the China attack. As India struggled to regain the free-flowing play of the first half, China began to make their own incursions into the India circle. A lovely pass that split the India defence left Wang Shumin with just Savita to beat. The India goalkeeper rushed forward but Wang was able to place the ball in the corner and restore both parity and her team’s confidence levels. A series of India penalty corners was the Eves’ answer to the Chinese revival but each attempt was dealt with by a resolute China defence. The final quarter saw India attack with a renewed vigour. Monika was particularly visible as she led the team forward. The hard work paid off as India won a penalty corner almost instantly. Ekka Deep Grace saw her shot fly wide but the notice had been served – India were intent on all three points. Wu Surong was quickly out of her goal to smother a fast break from Kaur Navneet. The Chinese ‘keeper was playing in only her seventh senior international and this save showed she was quickly adapting to the pace of hockey. However, Wu Surong had no chance when Gurjit Kaur stepped up for yet another penalty corner. The penalty corner specialist made no mistake as she slotted the ball home to double her team’s score. As the quarter counted down, India continued to pile on the pressure but they were also happy to try new things. They transferred the ball across the pitch with confidence and the effect upon China was to deepen the levels of fatigue within the team. If India’s Head Coach Janneke Schopman were to be disappointed with anything about her team’s performance it would likely be the fact that 33 circle penetrations only yielded six shots at goal. Monika, who played such an influential role in the match, was named Player of the Match: ‘I am really happy with the team performance over the two matches against China,’ she said. 'It was great to play as a unit like we played at the last Olympics. We are playing with freedom and it is really enjoyable.’

Sports Bulletin Lausanne, Switzerland: Argentina men and women continued their dominance at the Pan Am Cup where both teams won their respective finals. Victories for both teams means the men's team has won four of six titles and the women remain unbeaten since the competition began in 2002. The 2022 Pan Am Cup will be remembered for the history-making performances of Chile men and women after they both finished runners-up to Argentina and secured qualification spots at the next edition of the FIH Men’s and Women’s World Cups. The gold medal match in the women’s competition saw Argentina beat Chile 4-2, with two goals from Maria Granatto – who was also voted Player of the Tournament – plus goals from Agustina Albertarrio and Agustina Gorzelany. Denise Krimerman answered with two goals for Chile. In the bronze medal match, and for the third qualification spot, Canada beat USA 1-0. This was a tense, closely fought game, with both sides highly conscious of what was at stake. In the end, a goal at the end of the first quarter, scored by Amanda Woodcroft, was all that separated the teams. The result means Canada will join Argentina and Chile at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, Spain and Netherlands 2022. The tournament’s top scorer was USA’s Erin Matson with 10 goals. Final standings: Argentina Chile Canada USA Uruguay Trinidad and Tobago Peru In the men’s competition, Argentina put in a dominant display to beat Chile 5-1. The goals all came in the second half after Chile and put up a resolute defence for the first 30 minutes. Santiago Tarazona opened the scoring for Los Leones; Maico Casella scored twice with two opportunistic goals; Jose Tolini continued to show his ability from penalty corners; and Martin Ferreiro also got on the scoresheet. Chile responded with a goal from Felipe Renz. In the bronze medal match, Canada bounced back from their defeat at the hands of Argentina to beat USA 3-1. The USA team took the lead through Jack Heldens but Canada responded well. Fin Boothroyd opened the scoring for the Wolfpack before captain Gordon Johnston and Matthew Barnett added to the scoreline. The results mean Argentina and Chile men will be the PAHF representatives at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar and Rourkela 2023. The tournament’s top scorer was Canada’s Gordon Johnston with 10 goals. Final standings: Argentina Chile Canada USA Mexico Brazil Trinidad and Tobago  

SPORTS BULLETIN Lausanne, Switzerland:-The final FIH Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 qualification place available from the Women’s Pan Am Cup 2022 was decided over a 60 minute period in which Canada and USA slogged away at each other, trying to break down each other’s well-organised and determined defences. There was so much resting on this bronze medal match. Aside from bragging rights and a medal at this prestigious continental event, it was also the final chance for the teams to claim a qualification spot at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, Spain and Netherlands 2022. Both Canada and USA had been left feeling deflated after they had lost semi-finals to Argentina and Chile respectively. This was about which team could pick itself back up most effectively. The pressure on the players showed as neither side seemed prepared to take many risks in the opening stages. The majority of the first quarter saw the teams testing each other and probing for gaps in the defence. Then, with just seconds left before the whistle, Amanda Woodcroft – who hadn’t featured in the semi-final – slotted home from a penalty corner to give Canada the lead. In the second quarter, the USA showed their usual relentless work rate as they tried to get back on terms with Canada but Canada’s defence was solid and the USA had to beware counterattacks, as Canada continued to drive forwards at every opportunity. Brienne Stairs and Elise Wong were particularly active as they worked to get behind the USA defence. With time counting down for USA, Erin Matson began to make her presence felt. Her dizzying skills won her team four consecutive penalty corners in the final minutes of the third quarter but a combination of ill-worked routines and the excellence of goalkeeper Rowan Harris saw the efforts come to nothing. The final quarter continued in the same manner. Matson, Rose Hope and Ashley Sessa were showing their class as they skipped into the Canada circle but the Wolfpack was not going to relinquish a chance to go the World Cup easily. Led by captain Natalie Sourisseau, Canada dug deep, defending heroically and walked away from the pitch with a bronze medal and a ticket to the World cup for the first time since 1994. Speaking after the match, a delighted Rowan Harris said: ’I am so just proud of this group. To pull this off. I am super excited. I think the way we pulled together as a team was really good and it is a quality that we will hold onto as we go forward. This is a really good feeling’ Captain Natalie Sourisseau was emotional as she paid tribute to her team ‘I have so many emotions. This team has been through so much. For example, they couldn’t train for five weeks before the tournament because of the weather. The team hasn’t qualified in 28 years and it feels pretty special to have done that. Our job was to concentrate on this tournament and the qualification. Now we will plan the next steps.’ Amanda Woodcroft, who scored the winning goal, said: ‘It [the goal] was a team effort and I just happened to be in the right place to put it in the net. Holey-Moley did we work hard today and I am so proud of everyone.’

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland: History was made in Santiago at the Women’s Pan Am Cup as the host nation Chile secured their first ever qualification for the FIH World Cup. It was double joy for both semi-final winners as Argentina and Chile sealed automatic qualification spots at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, Spain and Netherlands 2022 and also booked their places in the final of the 2022 Pan Am Cup – a fixture that is a repeat of the 2017 Pan Am Cup. While the whole of the Chile hockey contingent celebrated the momentous achievement, Argentina’s captain Agostina Alonso enjoyed her own moment of celebration as she was awarded her 100th international cap. With three qualification places available for teams from the event in Santiago, Chile, whichever teams qualified for Saturday’s final knew they would also be travelling to Europe for the blue riband event in July. The third spot will go to the winner of the bronze medal match – either Canada or USA. In the first semi-final Argentina (FIH World Ranking:3) faced the second ranked team in the tournament Canada (WR:14) to determine who would advance to Saturday’s final. History was heavily on Argentina’s side as they remain unbeaten in all five previous editions. For their part, Canada women have never achieved higher than third place at this event and in the last edition in 2017 they finished fourth. That said, Canada were determined to take the match to the reigning champions and it was a fast-paced and hard-fought first half. Argentina created more chances, including four penalty corners, but Canada goalkeeper Rowan Harris and her defence held strong in the face of a Leonas onslaught. It was Argentina’s fifth penalty corner that broke the deadlock. Eugenia Trinchinetti slotted home to give her side a 1-0 lead just after play resumed in the second half. Jimena Cedres opened her account for Argentina with two goals in the fourth quarter; both goals came from open play and the second goal involving an exquisite piece of skill to lift the ball past the defence and into the net. Speaking after the game, Maria Granatto said: ‘Well, we've just accomplished our main goal, being in the top two of the tournament and getting the ticket to attend the World Cup. ‘Now we are going to play the final in the shirt we train so hard for and love so much. And now we have  qualified for the World Cup, we are very calm and confident about our team. It's truly a tremendous joy for us and the team is very happy.’ ‘Whoever we face in the final, we will be very focused. we know that if we keep mentally focused we can maintain our game and we have trust in ourselves. This will make it very difficult for our opponent. So, we are very calm and confident in this tournament, we advanced step by step and the biggest one – qualifying – well, we've already done it.’ The second semi-final saw USA (WR:15) take on the host nation Chile (WR:17) in what had all the promise of an exciting and competitive match. USA had enjoyed a good tournament to this point, winning all three games with conviction. Chile had lost their opening game to Argentina and then beaten Uruguay to finish second in the pool. An 11-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago had secured Chile a place in the semi-finals and a chance to qualify for the World Cup. The game started at a brisk pace, with Chile looking the more attack-minded in the opening exchanges. A double save from USA ‘keeper Kelsey Bing prevented Chile from taking the lead after a good spell of pressure towards the end of the second quarter and the first half remained goalless. The first 14 minutes of the second half was much of the same. Chile kept piling on the pressure and USA looked solid in defence. However the breakthrough came when Camila Caram – who had been a dynamo for Chile throughout the match – swept the ball goalwards from a penalty corner. Domenica Ananias was on hand to tip the ball past Bing to give her side a precious lead. Excitement was building around the ground as Chile sensed a historic win but USA are nothing if not determined. Head Coach Anthony Farry pulled the ‘keeper from the pitch and the USA surged forward. With less than two minutes on the clock, Erin Matson unleashed a reverse stick shot that flew into the goal and gave the team the equaliser. In the shoot-out, Claudia Schuler in the Chile goal proved herself up for the challenge as she saved the first four USA attempts, sealing the Diablas’ historic qualification. The final day of action at the Women’s Pan Am Cup will take place on Saturday 29 January. Argentina will play Chile in the gold medal match, while Canada take on USA for that final coveted World Cup qualification spot. Results (January 27: Thursday): Trinidad and Tobago 0-5 Uruguay (forfeit) Argentina 3-0 Canada (Argentina qualify for FIH Hockey World Cup Spain & Netherlands 2022) USA 1-1 Chile (Chile win shoot-out) (Chile qualify for FIH Hockey World Cup Spain & Netherlands 2022) 2022 Women’s Pan Am Cup match schedule for Saturday 29 January: (All times are local Chile Summer Time) 3rd/4th place 16:00 Canada v USA Final 18:30 Argentina v Chile

Sports Bulletin Lausanne, Switzerland: As the 2022 Asia Women’s Cup reaches the half-way stage in Muscat, Oman, four teams have secured their places at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022. By finishing in the top two positions in their respective pools, Japan (FIH World Ranking: 13), India (WR:9), China (WR:12) and Korea (WR:10) will now meet in the semi-finals of the competition and have also secured the four automatic qualification spots available from this continental qualifier. It is currently Japan and Korea who are flying high. Both teams are undefeated so far, with Japan putting in the most striking performance when they defeated reigning champions India 2-0 in a pool A match. Korea’s 4-0 demolition of China was also an impressive performance, which left Korea top of Pool B. In the final day of pool action, China defeated Indonesia (WR:7-0; Korea beat Thailand (WR:29) 6-0; Japan were 8-0 victors against Malaysia (WR:20); and India put nine goals past Singapore (WR:41), to win 9-1. At this stage of the competition, Korea’s Cheon Eunbi is topping the goal scorers’ table with five goals; Japan’s Shihori Oikawa is currently one goal behind. The semi-finals will take place on Wednesday 26 January, with Korea facing India and Japan taking on China. Earlier on the same day in the fifth to eighth place matches, Malaysia will face Indonesia and Thailand will play Singapore. India’s captain Savita was in an ebullient mood after her team’s victory over Singapore: ’Our first match wasn’t very good and I think the second match, against Japan, we played better. ‘Qualifying in tournaments for events is always good. We did that for the 2016 Olympic Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games This is my fourth Asia Cup and my first as captain. It is always a great honour for me and my team to play for our country, whether it is the Asia Cup, the Commonwealth Games or the World Cup. ‘I was more happy for our coach., We really worked hard and our coach Janneke [Schopman] really inspires us.’ Asia Women’s Cup 2022 match schedule for Wednesday 26 January: 5-8th place 11:30: Thailand v Singapore 14:00: Malaysia v Indonesia Semi-finals 16:30 Korea v India 19:00 Japan v China

Lausanne, Switzerland (Sports Bulletin Report):-The Africa Cup of Nations saw a week of exciting hockey action culminate in a double victory for South Africa, giving the top ranked teams in both the men’s and women’s competition automatic qualification for the respective FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela and the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, Spain and Netherlands 2022. Although South Africa men’s and women’s hockey teams continue their dominance at this event, both finals were tough contests. The women went behind to a well-organised and hard-working Ghana team before rallying and winning 3-1. The men were held to a 1-1 scoreline by a resilient and skilful Egypt, but held their nerve to win the shoot-out by a 3-1 scoreline. In the women’s final, the host nation was hoping that home advantage would serve the players well as they faced South Africa in the final. This was the fifth consecutive final in which the two teams had faced each other, with South Africa emerging the victor on each of the previous occasions. Both teams had shown good form going into the final: South Africa were unbeaten and had conceded no goals to that point. Ghana had drawn with Nigeria and won their other two matches with ease. An early goal from Elizabeth Opoku – following the award of a penalty stroke against South Africa – gave Ghana the lead in the sixth minute. The noise levels among the spectators rose as they sensed the opportunity for an upset. However, South Africa responded well and were 2-1 ahead at half-time, courtesy of goals from Charne Maddocks and Kristen Paton. The match was put beyond doubt in the final quarter when Lillian du Plessis scored a penalty stroke to give her side a 3-1 lead. Tarryn Glasby of South Africa was the competition’s overall top scorer with nine goals. Speaking after the match, she said: ‘It is nice to get a win in Ghana. As a striker you are supposed to score goals, so I am happy to be the top scorer. Looking forward to the World Cup, it is all about trusting our processes.’ The captain of Ghana women, Nafisatu Umara, said: ’We are impressed with our performance. We took the lead in the first quarter, which shows how much we have really improved. We now have the courage to carry the ball, so we are happy with our performance. The last time we played South Africa we lost 6-0, so this was a big improvement. We will look at what happened today, we will do our homework and next time we will beat them.’ South Africa’s Head Coach Inky Zondy said: ‘I am really excited and really happy with the game. It was a tough game, so thank you to Ghana. We have really enjoyed our week here. We are a team that has changed, so we have to learn from what has happened this week and represent Africa well at the World Cup.’ In the men’s final, it was a repeat of the previous five editions, with reigning champions South Africa facing Egypt. Any hope Egypt had of hitting South Africa hard in the early stages was dashed when Matt Guise-Brown stepped up to fire home a penalty corner in the 12th minute. South Africa looked comfortably in control of the game for much of the first half but they failed to capitalise on a number of chances. With seven minutes of the half remaining, Egypt’s Ziad Adel took the opportunity to even the scores with a well-taken goal that eluded Siyavuya Nolutshungu in the South African goal. The teams continued to probe and seek a breakthrough throughout the third quarter but neither team could find the goal. With 15 minutes left, South Africa turned up the pressure a notch. An early penalty corner attempt flew wide and a devastating run from Nqobile Ntuli ended with a tame shot. Egypt continued to dig deep defensively and the team’s resilience paid off as the final whistle blew and the match went to shoot-out for the first time since 2005 [when South Africa beat Egypt 3-2 on penalty strokes]. Clinical finishing by the South African attackers and some great goalkeeping by Nolutshungu saw the higher ranked team finally break down their Egyptian rivals as South Africa won the shoot-out 3-1. Speaking after the match, South Africa’s Head Coach Gareth Ewing said: ’I’m shattered. That was too close for comfort. Ghana is such a great host, there was such a great atmosphere in the stadium, it was great to win. Based on tonight’s performance, we have a lot to do before the World Cup.’ Captain of South Africa, Tim Drummond said: ’We are ecstatic. That was tough but we are missing some players so that shows that we have depth in the squad. There is a long way to go before the World Cup but we hope to make a lot of improvement and finish in the top ten.’ Egypt’s Head Coach Zaman Tahir, said: ‘That was heartbreaking for all the boys. South Africa’s experience to handle this sort of pressure is huge. Shoot-out is down to nerves and South Africa had an advantage. Losing on shoot-out - it could have been any one’s game.’ South Africa’s penalty corner specialist Matthew Guise-Brown was top goalscorer with six goals. Earlier in the day, Kenya women had taken third place after they beat Zimbabwe in a tense match that had finished goalless at full time. Kenya’s goal keeper Milicent Adhiambo performed heroics to keep the Zimbabwe attackers at bay and the Kenyan team were able to finished one place higher than their previous fourth place in 2017. In the men’s match to decide third place, Nigeria put in an energetic performance to defeat Kenya 4-2. Goals from Sunday Godwin, Emmanuel Sunday, Benjamin Ibrahim and James Samaila sealed the bronze medal and the highest ever finishing position for Nigeria. Final positions at the Africa Cup of Nations. Women’s Africa Cup of Nations 1. South Africa - qualified for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, Spain and Netherlands 2022 2. Ghana 3. Kenya 4. Zimbabwe 5. Nigeria 6. Namibia 7. Zambia 8. Uganda Men’s Africa Cup of Nations 1. South Africa - qualified for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar and Rourkela 2. Egypt 3. Nigeria 4. Kenya 5. Ghana 6. Uganda 7. Namibia

RAJA HAFEEZ Lausanne, Switzerland: The Women’s Asia Cup 2022 will be taking place from 21-28 January at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, in Muscat in Oman. The venue was switched from Bangkok, Thailand due to ongoing Covid-19 complications. This event was first played in 1985 and only four teams’ names have appeared on the trophy since – Korea, India, Japan and China. After two tumultuous years of Covid-related disruption, all eight participating teams will be desperate to start the year in winning style and one expert in the game says it is a situation where 'anything can happen.' India are the defending champions, having won this event in 2017. Since then, the Eves have grabbed the headlines with their historic fourth place finish at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – a feat that has rocketed them into 9th place in the FIH World Rankings (WR). This eight-team competition promises to be a highly competitive affair. The winning team will establish its position as the top team in a hockey-mad area of the world and the top four teams will book their places at the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup, Spain and the Netherlands 2022. The teams vying for the top four places alongside India are: China (WR:10), Korea (WR:12), Japan (WR:14), Malaysia (WR:20), Thailand (WR:29), Indonesia (WR:36) and Singapore (WR:37). Former Head Coach to India men and an Olympian with the national team, Cedric d’Sousa, says this is a very open tournament with the top four ranked teams all capable of winning the competition and any of the eight teams taking a place in the top four. ‘It is such an important tournament because it is a direct qualification to the World Cup. And Oman is a country that loves its hockey so there will be a lot of local interest in the event.’