Bihar Sports

ECC Gaya clinch Paritosh Dayal Memorial Under-13 cricket trophy

2022-07-07T00:44:00.009+05:30

Patna: Empires Cricket Club (ECC), Gaya won the Paritosh Dayal Memorial Under-13 Cricket Tournament title defeating Cricket Academy of Bihar team by a huge margin of 85 runs at CAB ground here on Wednesday.

ECC won the toss and decided to bat first. Batting first, ECC, Gaya scored 32 runs for 8 wickets in 25 overs. In reply, Cricket Academy of Bihar were all out for 69 runs in 17 overs. Vicky was the wrecker in chief as he took four wickets for 29 runs.

Social worker Ritesh Ranjan alias Bittu Singh, Mudrika Mehta, Vicky Mehta (president of Yuva Shakti team), Sujit Jha, Birju Mehta, Arun Mehta, former ward councilor Vinod Gupta, youth president of Vaish Samaj Rajesh Kumar, former Viji Trophy player Saurabh. Chakraborty and social worker Vikas Gupta gave away the prizes.

Vinay Kumar, Ravi Kumar, Shivam Kumar, Divyansh Kumar, Aarav Singh, Ayush Jha were awarded as emerging players of the tournament. Other awards winners were; best fielder Vivek Kumar of SKP Cricket Club, best keeper Ayush Sinha of Basawan Park Cricket Academy, best bowler ECC, Gaya's Vicky, best batsman Police Line Cricket Academy‘s Pratyush Vidhu and Man of the Tournament Nitin Kumar of Cricket Academy of Pathans. The award of best disciplined team went to Learning School of Cricket and Player of the Final Match award went to Vicky (ECC, Gaya).

The umpires of this match were Rajesh Ranjan and Baijnath while Piyush Ranjan was the socerer.

Commentator Sandeep Patil narrated the running commentary of the match. Cricketer Sarvesh Hansraj welcomed the guests while vote of thanks was proposed by organising secretary Santosh Tiwari. Many dignitaries including coach Mukesh Kumar and Raja Kumar were present on the occasion.

Brief scores: ECC, Gaya: 154 for 8 in 25 overs, Tushar 32 runs, Harsh 23 runs, Prince 22 runs, Rajamani 20 runs, Tanmay 3/20, Pratap 2/29, Manish 1/17, Aditya 1/20, Ayush 1/40

Cricket Academy of Bihar: 69 all out in 17 overs Pratyush 19 runs, Vaibhav 9 runs, extra 10 runs, Vicky 4/29, Vikas 2/8, Harsh 1/3, Sangam 1/11, run out-2

Torch of 44th Chess Olympiad reaches Patna

2022-07-07T00:42:00.006+05:30

Patna, July 6, 2022: The Chess Olympiad torch for 44th Chess Olympiad arrived in Patna on Wednesday. The chess lovers and other sports aficionados accord grand welcome to the torch relay team. The torch arrived at Patna airport by a special plane from Gwalior. Office-bearers of All Bihar Chess Association and officials of sports department welcomed the torch.

From the airport, the torch reached Gyan Bhavan in an open four-wheeler where Sport Development Authority of Bihar DG Raveendran Sankaran welcomed the torch.

At a function organised at Gyan Bhavan, Grand Master Praveen Thipsy handed over the torch to Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan, who handed over the torch to art, culture and youth department minister Alok Ranjan Jha. Later, the torch headed towards Nalnada and Rajgir by road.

Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui

Women's World Cup hockey: India hold China 1-1 in high tempo match

2022-07-06T14:26:00.001+05:30

Lausanne, Switzerland, July 5: Nerves were fully on display in the fourth day of Women's World Cup action in Amstelveen and Terrassa. In the opening match, Chile won a war of attrition with Ireland to record their first ever World Cup win. The next match was a clash between two teams who couldn't be separated as China and India played out a high tempo game that only produced two goals but was a fascinating encounter from start to finish.

If the first two matches were tense, the third match, between Japan and South Africa was thrilling as the African team, led by Onathatile Zulu, completed a great escape after going three-nil down in the first half.

New Zealand went into a 3-1 lead over England and held onto that lead with a defiant display of defending. And in the final match of the day Australia stunned Belgium with two quick goals that took the Red Panthers by surprise.

Ireland v Chile (Pool A)

This was a match that both teams had targeted as a game where points might be available and that awareness really added to the pressure and urgency that could be felt across the pitch.

The first three quarters were goalless but full of high-energy running and a lot of attacks on both goals. Claudia Schuler was the busier of the two goalkeepers but both Schuler and Ayeisha McFerran pulled off some vitally important saves.

Chile's work was made harder in the first half with a series of cards – yellow and green – which put the side under some additional pressure.

Ireland's Head Coach Sean Dancer will doubtless be frustrated as Ireland won a series of penalty corners but failed to make any of them count. Chile's number one penalty corner runners played a vital part in keeping the higher ranked team from scoring.

The breakthrough came three minutes into the final quarter. Chile won their own penalty corner and Denise Krimerman Losada made no mistake as she fired the ball into the bottom left corner of McFerran's goal.

Ireland put Las Diablas under immense pressure for the final 10 minutes, winning a number of penalty corners but still failing to find a way past the team in red. A yellow card for Eleana Tice limited Dancer's option to remove his goalkeeper and Chile held on to record a very important first win in a World Cup.

Player of the Match was Manuela Urroz. She said: 'I am so proud of this team, we have worked hard for a number of years. I am so happy I cannot explain it. I think both teams knew that this was an important game for the group. But this is a big step for us, to win our first game at a World Cup.'

Elena Tice of Ireland said: 'We knew Chile would be a good team. We are bitterly disappointed. We didn't convert our penalty corners. We struggled with the execution. We have to do better. Now we have to go out and do better against Germany tomorrow.'

China v India (Pool B)

The second match of the day in Amstelveen got off to another tense start as India and China went in search of their first win of the tournament. The first quarter was extremely well balanced with both sides testing and probing each others' defences but there was only one shot in the first 15 minutes – with India hitting the target but finding China's goalkeeper Liu Ping in the way.

India thought they had scored midway through the second half when Tete Salima pushed the ball over the China goal-line following a pass from Ktariya Vandana. However, a smart referral by China saw the goal discounted after it was judged to have hit the striker's body.

It was China who got the breakthrough. Zhang Xindan played a lovely pass which split the India defence and found Zheng Jiali behind the defence. The subsequent shot flew past Savita to give China the lead in this hugely important encounter.

The second half began with China on the attack. First Gu Bingfeng sent a penalty corner just over the cross bar and then Zhang Xiaoxue just missed connecting with a cross that would have definitely produced a second goal.

That miss would come back to haunt China when Vandana was able to send a penalty corner rebound flying past Ping. The goal came at a time when India could have been forgiven for thinking they were never going to break through the staunch China defence.

With just under four minutes left, China went a player down as Zheng Jiali recieved a yellow card. Despite this, China won a penalty corner but Gu's shot was well saved by Savita and the danger passed.

The final minutes saw China pepper the India goalmouth with speculative crosses but no-one could get on the end of anything and both teams settled for their second drawn result of the tournament.

Player of the Match Katariya Vandana said: 'We are disappointed because we should have won the match. We worked hard and hopefully we will win the next match.'

China's Cui Xiuxia said: 'Today we played and worked hard. We should have won and hopefully we will win the next one. We need to score more goals but we enjoyed the one that went in. For our next game, we hope to score from our penalty corners.'

Japan v South Africa (Pool D)

Japan got off to a super start as they chased their first win of the World Cup in Terrassa. Captain Nagai Yuri led by example as she was able to poke a rebounded ball past South Africa Phumelela Mbande in the third minute. It took another six minutes before the Cherry Blossoms doubled their lead, this time through the quick thinking of Toriyama Mai, who got in front of her marking defender and lifted the ball over the keeper.

South Africa were shell-shocked and for a few minutes there was confusion among the green and gold players. However, they rallied and began making their own in-roads into the Japanese circle. The problem for the South African team was that, while Japan were moving the ball freely from player to player, South Africa were relying on the pace of individual players and all too often the Japanese were just able to recover possession with a strong tackle.

In the second half, South Africa sought to answer Head Coach Giles Bonnet's call for improvements in all areas of the pitch. Lilian du Plessis was the recipient of a great pass from her midfield and her shot whistled just wide of Tanaka Akia in the Japan goal. Seconds later and South Africa had a penalty corner – again it was Du Plessis shooting but Tanaka was up to the challenge.

Despite South Africa's high energy re-start, it was Japan who scored a third. Nishikori Emi was able to slot home a perfectly placed shot to extend the Cherry Blossom's lead.

South Africa hit back with a typically belligerent goal. Bernadette Costin shot and the ball flew high into the air from the goalkeeper's pads. Kirsten Paton was on hand to pluck the ball from mid-air and smash it into the goal.

The goal galvanised South Africa and suddenly the momentum shifted totally. Onthatile Zulu was causing chaos in the Japanese defence with her speed and strength and a penalty corner was her reward. With five minutes left to play, Tarryn Lombard scored from the top of the circle and suddenly it was game on.

With just over a minute left on the clock, Tarryn Lombard struck again. Head Coach Giles Bonnet had pulled the goalkeeper off the pitch. As Lombard picked up a bouncing ball and turned it into the goal, Bonnet put the keeper back on and South Africa completed the best comeback this World Cup has seen thus far.

Player of the Match Onthatile Zulu: 'It was a tough game and we started the second half 2-0 down. We came out and really fought so hard to get this result.'

England v New Zealand (Pool B)

It was a perfect start for England and Lily Owsley. The attacking midfielder celebrated her 100th England cap with a goal in the 4th minute when she was on hand to score from England's first penalty corner of the match. The ball rebounded twice before Owsley lifted it into the Blackstick's goal.

For much of the first half England looked to be dominant but they failed to capitalise on their much superior possession or circle entries. The team was made to pay in the 29th minute when a fantastic aerial ball out of defence was picked up by Katie Doar who made no mistake as she unleashed a reverse stick shot past the England 'keeper Maddie Hinch.

England thought they had scored when a Grace Balsdon penalty corner flew into the goal. A referral was upheld by the video umpire Laurine Delforge as the replay showed the shot to be dangerous.

England's day was made worse when Katie Doar doubled her personal tally. She ran the ball into the circle and wrong-footed Hinch with a quickly taken shot to give New Zealand the lead.

With just nine minutes left on the clock, New Zealand gave themselves a cushion when Tarryn Davey took a high ball out of the air and hit it into the goal. The initial shot came from a penalty corner strike from Tyler Lench. Hinch made the save but the defence couldn't clear the ball and they were made to pay.

England pushed and pushed for a lifeline. Elena Rayer was driving the team forward from the frontline and the result was a series of penalty corners. New Zealand, for their part, were defending as a complete unit. Shots were batted off the line, tackles were thrown in and still the Blacksticks' line held strong.

In total, England had 14 penalty corners and scored just one goal, something David Ralph will be concerned about as the team faces its final pool match against China.

The Player of the Match was New Zealand's Katie Doar.

Belgium v Australia (Pool D)

The final match of the day was a tough and uncompromising encounter between two teams who both have serious aspirations in this tournament. As in their first game, Belgium created a number of penalty corner opportunities but were unable to convert any in the first half. Penny Squibb was immaculate on the post and was key to Australia keeping a clean sheet in the first half.

At the other end of the field, Australia were working to create their own opportunities but they were up against some super defensive work, particularly by Helene Brasseur, and over the 30 minutes of the first half, they only had one shot. In that instance, a great interception from Lien Hillewaert kept Mariah Williams from opening the scoring just before the half-time break.

The deadlock was broken in some style in the 39th minute. Belgium were reduced to 10 players when Pauline Leclef received a green card. First Greta Hayes esaped the close attention of two defenders and was able to create room to receive a pass and slip it past Elena Sotgiu to score her first senior international goal.

Things got worse for Belgium a few seconds later as they momentarily lost their discipline and defensive structure. The ball was played into the Belgium circle and the first Australian shot hit the post. Rebecca Greiner was the first to react and she pounced on the loose ball and struck it home.

Belgium began the fightback but at the other end of the pitch they found Stephanie Kershaw in tremendous form in the heart of the Australian defence. She intercepted a number of crucial passes and Belgium's attack was broken down time and again.

As the second half counted down, Belgium became more desperate to score the elusive goals. Judith Vandermeiren, in particular, was weaving her way through the Australian defence but just couldn't find the finishing touch.

Player of the Match, Stephanie Kershaw (AUS) said: 'That was really good. We knew it would be tough and important. The whole team is pleased that we got the win.'

Belgium's captain Alix Gerniers said: 'Today was important to top the pool. It was disappointing but tomorrow is another day and we will start again then.'

The action in the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup continues on Wednesday 6 July. At the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Pool A’s Ireland will play Germany at 16:30, followed by Netherlands against Chile at 19:30.

At the Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa in Spain, it is all Pool D action as Japan will face Belgium at 18:00, then Australia take on South Africa at 21:30.

Check out the pool standings here.

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

FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Spain & Netherlands 2022

5 July 2022 Results

Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED)

Match #12

Ireland 0, Chile 1

Player of the Match: Manuela Urroz (CHI)

Umpires: Ivona Makar (CRO), Wanri Venter (RSA), Annelize Rostron (RSA-video)

Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED)

Match #13

India 1, China 1

Player of the Match: Katariya Vandana (IND)

Umpires: Aleisha Neumann (AUS), Kang Hyun Young (KOR) Irene Presenqui (ARG - video)

Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa (ESP)

Match #14

Japan 3, South Africa 3

Player of the Match: Onthatile Zulu (RSA)

Umpires: Catalina Montesino (CHI), Cookie Tan (SGP), Michele Meister (GER- video)

Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED)

Match #15

England 1, New Zealand 3

Player of the Match: Katie Doar (NZL)

Umpires: Maggie Giddens (USA), Emi Yamada (JPN), Laurine Delforge (BEL-video)

Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa (ESP)

Match #16

Belgium 0, Australia 2

Player of the Match: Stephanie Kershaw (AUS)

Umpires: Kelly Hudson (NZL), Hannah Harrison (ENG) Michi Meister (GER-video)

Bihar lose in final, Dadra & Nagar Haveli win U-17 women's soccer title

2022-07-04T19:26:00.000+05:30

Bihar and Dadra and Nagar Haveli players vie for the ball in Guwahati on July 4, 2022

NEW DELHI, July 4, 2022: Dadra & Nagar Haveli defeated Bihar by a solitary goal to win Hero Junior (U-17) Women's National Football Championship 2022-23 final played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Monday.

Pooja was the difference between the two teams when she scored the winner in the 87th minute. Put in the clear, she made no mistake to place it into the back of the net.

Earlier, both teams started on a cautious note. Dadra & Nagar Haveli had the better of the possession in the initial 10 minutes. The first shot on target came as early as the 2nd minute, which was easily collected by Bihar goalkeeper Khushi Kumari. In the 10th minute, the build-up was promising enough, but Bihar defender Nisha Kumari thwarted it with a timely tackle.

In the 16th minute, Dadra and Nagar Haveli had a close shave as Bihar came close when Shruti Kumari’s attempt hit the woodwork. Bihar also had another chance in the 31st minute but Lucky’s attempt from a narrow angle missed the target.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli also had their chances. First Pooja latched onto a chip but her attempt wasn’t on target, and then in the 36th minute, she saw her placement agonisingly hit the post.

Changing over, Bihar had a golden opportunity to surge into the lead when Lucky Kumari found herself unmarked, and a free header in the 6-yard box. But her attempt lacked power thus causing no trouble for Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

In the end, it was Pooja’s late strike that helped Dadra and Nagar Haveli put the game to bed in the dying minutes, as the Union Territory was crowned champions of the Hero Junior (U-17) Women’s NFC.

The recipients of the Awards are as follows:

Best Goalkeeper of the Championship - Khushi (DNH)
Top Scorer of the Championship - Lucky Kumari (Bihar)
Most Valuable Player of the Championship - Pooja (DNH)
Runner Up - Bihar Winners - DNH

India hold England; Netherlands, Argentina, Belgium register big wins

2022-07-04T09:29:00.001+05:30

India and England players in action

Lausanne, Switzerland, July 3:Netherlands stormed their way to the top of Pool A after a 3-1 win over Germany, while India and England had an exciting 1-1 draw in Pool B play. Belgium took down South Africa 4-1 with double goals from each of Stephanie vanden Borre and Charlotte Englebert. Pool C saw an impressive performance from Canada but Korea found responses to come back and take the game 3-2, while Argentina blasted Spain 4-1.

Favourites Netherlands and Argentina sit atop their respective pools with two wins, while with only one game played each in Pool B and Pool D it’s still anyone’s game.

Belgium v South Africa (Pool D)

It was a game of penalty corners as four of five goals in the game came off set pieces as Belgium took their opening game in pool D play 4-1 over South Africa. Despite the score margin the Red Panthers had 15 penalty corners in the game to South Africa’s three. Stephanie vanden Borre put in two penalty corner goals in the second quarter to give Belgium a cushion. Belgium retained most of the possession but couldn’t find a way in free play past South African keeper Phumelela Mbande.

South Africa had few attacks but were able to garner a penalty corner in the 24th minute after a fast break. Almost catching Belgium by surprise, the ball was very quickly slapped down the pipe and Jean-Leigh du Toit’s shot beat Aisling D’hooghe between the pads to cut Belgium’s lead in half. It was a small resolve though as Belgium still dominated the second half. Credit to Mbande who continued to stymie waves of attack including several penalty corners and a stunner of a back-hand from Charlotte Englebert.

Englebert was on fire in the fourth quarter and she buried a penalty corner variation after injecting the ball to make it 3-1 in the 53rd minute. More penalty corners rained on South Africa including a rebound attempt from vanden Borre that rang the left-hand post. Late in the game a bit of pressure on Lisa-Marie Deetlefs forced a turnover at the stroke mark right to the stick of Englebert but Mbande slid out to create congestion. In the dying minutes, eventual player of the match, Englebert, was there to blast in a rebound for a fourth goal in the 57th minute. The 4-1 win gave Belgium the three points they needed to start their tournament on a high.

“We are really happy,” said captain vanden Borre after the match. “It was our first goal of the tournament to get the three points so now on to the next one. We need some more energy for the full 60 minutes to keep on playing forward.”

England v India (Pool B)

It was an action-packed opening game for England and India who drew 1-1 in Poll B play. India had a penalty corner in the opening minute but the England rushers were up to the task. While India seemed to put a little more attacking pressure, it was England who were first on the board. A quick rush down the right side allowed Lily Owsley to feed Isabelle Petter in traffic. The ball came across the circle in the air and Petter’s reaching touch effortlessly redirected the ball into the mesh for a 1-0 England lead. India didn’t seemed phase as they responded with a penalty corner in the other end. Kaur Gurjit flicked high stick side and the ball pinged off the post but eventually ended in a re-award. Shona McCallin was there to clear the second attempt.

India came out in the second quarter again with attacking pressure as Kaur Gurjit’s penalty corner delivery flew just under the stick of injector Kaur Navneet in the opening moments. Sophie Hamilton then forced a save out of Indian keeper Savita only to see the end-to-end play continue with an Indian barck-hand shot flying high and wide of the England goal. Finally, India were able to deservingly find their equalizer. A penalty corner strike from Monika was saved by the stick of a sprawling Maddie Hinch and Katariya Vandana was there to flick in the rebound and level the game before half time.

It was a quiet third quarter with England holding most of the attack and possession, but Savita was not required in action. Just before the third-quarter hooter though, India had a ball bouncing in the circle and some quality footwork allowed Neha to one-time blast the ball on her back-hand but Maddie Hinch made the save.

England continued to dominate but were unable to generate a quality chance on goal. India had fewer chances but looked just as dangerous. A bouncing ball beat Hinch and was on target for a wide open Sonika but the ball hit her in the 57th minute. England thought they had a penalty corner in the final minute but a video referral overturned it. The game remained equal 1-1, a deserving score line as both keepers were superb.

Isabelle Petter was named player of the match and said commented after the game: ‘It was always a tough first game against India. They’re a class side. We were happy with the draw would have wanted the win but happy to take the point and on to the next game now. We’ve got a rest day tomorrow and then we will focus on our next game against China.’

Korea v Canada (Pool C)

All of the action were in the first and last minutes of the game as Canada and Korea traded goals with two goals in each of the opening two minutes and final three minutes. Despite playing in their own end for a lot of the match, it was Korea that came out with the 3-2 victory to serve heartbreak to the Canadians.

Korea wasted no time earning a penalty corner in the first 30 seconds of the game as pressure forced Natalie Sourisseau to clear the ball high into her teammate. Kim Minji flick rocketed just above the backboard, stick high of Canadian keeper Rowan Harris, to give the Koreans a 1-0 lead. A minute later Canada was able to respond. A high aerial from Karli Johanssen was mishandled by the Korean defence allowing Brienne Stairs to pounce on it. Stairs fed the ball cleverly to Maddie Secco, who showed great composure to curl and bury the ball for the equalizer. Canada weathered two more Korean penalty corners in the opening quarter and then the WolfPack found themselves at the other end, earning a penalty corner after a video referral. Johanssen’s flick was swatted away by the glove of Lee Jinmin.

Canada continued to pressure and almost found the go-ahead when a back-hand cross from Sourisseau just skipped under the diving stick of Hannah Haughn at the back post in the 21st minute. Korea, who seemed docile for most of the opening moments, found some attacking strides and captain Eunbi Cheon had a reverse-stick blast that was saved well from close range by Harris.

It was a calm third quarter with a few penalty corner chances and some stingy defensive work in both ends. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Korea nabbed the lead. Seona Kim showed some brilliant composure in the circle to receive and blast one from close range past Harris after some superb transition through midfield. Canada striker Stairs turned up the heat through the final moments of game earning Canada an important penalty corner with under five minutes to go. Johanssen’s flick was saved on the post by Jungeun Seo but the play resulted in a re-award. This time Canada unleashed a brilliant set piece slip to Sara McManus and then in to the deserving Stairs, whose deflection tied the game 2-2.

Hard work from Eunbi Cheon tied up Harris in the Canadian circle and Jungeun Seo was there to tap the ball into the empty goal to end any further Canadian momentum. Canada had another penalty corner denied by Korea and then a back-hand shot by Jordyn Faiczak but they just could not find the equalizer. Korea hung on to their 3-2 lead to climb past Canada in Pool B play.

Following the game Seona Kim said: ‘We couldn’t have won that game without all the players on the team. We will try our best in every moment. We don’t know what is going to happen to next but we will try our best. We have three more days so if there are any issues or errors we will try our best to sort those out until then.’

Germany v Netherlands (Pool A)

The Netherlands soared to the top of Pool A after a 3-1 victory over Germany. Despite the score line it was a very tight match up until the final 12 minutes of the game. There was never going to be any doubt about the pace and class that would be on display between Germany (WR: 5) and Netherlands (WR: 1). It was equally special for Frederique Matla who celebrated her 100th international on home soil.

The Netherlands got off to their usual fiery start showcasing their size and strength on the ball to keep German keeper Julia Sonntag on her toes. In the 13th minute Marloes Keetels ran the left baseline and her cross was stopped by Selin Oruz but the ball bounced back to Keetels who paced it under Julia Sonntag for the opening goal. The Dutch should have gone up 2-0 when Lidewij Welten spun her check in midfield and then brilliantly fed Laurien Leurik. With all the time in the world it was unimaginable that Leurik’s shot could blast wide but it was to the relief of Sonntag.

Chances were again few and far between in the second quarter but it was Germany Lena Micheel who blasted a ball on target for a sliding Hannah Granitzki but they couldn’t connect. Germany also had a chance when Charlotte Stapenhorst earned a back-hand shot that was then denied by Dutch keeper Josine Koning. Corners happened in both ends but the first runners, Kira Horn for Germany and Margot van Geffen for the Netherlands, showed some fearless defensive efforts.

Finally, in the 48th minute, a nifty pass from Welten gave space for Freeke Moes to one-time the ball in and lift the Dutch 2-0. You could see the momentum break in favour of the Oranje and then Maria Verschoor was there to tap in a rebound to make it 3-0 just two minutes later. Horn did well to earn Germany a late penalty corner and Die Danas made no mistake. Sonja Zimmerman slipped the ball wide to Nike Lorenz, whose low flick broke the shutout of Koning. The Germans pulled their goalkeeper in the final minutes but couldn’t overcome the Dutch power. The 3-1 victory lift the Dutch to the top of Pool A.

“It was a really battlefield,” said Marloes Keetels, named Player of the Match. “We had to fight for every ball just like the Germans did. Maybe it is because we are neighbours that our games are always hard but it was a nice match to play.”

Spain v Argentina (Pool C)

There was no shortage of passion and pride on the line as Argentina and Spain were scoreless through the opening 39 minutes of play. Los Leonas finally found their strides late in the third quarter and eventually took the game 4-1 over the hosts.

Both teams had penalty corner chances in the get-going as Agustina Gorzelany had her first flick saved by the glove of Melanie Garcia in the eighth minute of play. Julieta Jankunas batted the rebound above her head towards goal but just as brilliantly Clara Ycart cleared it out of the air and away from trouble. Spain’s Xantal Gine had a penalty corner flick less than a minute later, but her shot went high and wide of the Argentine goal.

Argentina thought they had the opening goal with two seconds left in the first quarter as a penalty corner delivery from Valentina Costa was deflected in my Eugenia Trinchinetti. A good use of the self-referral saw Scotland umpire Sarah Wilson overturn the corner as the ball didn’t come out of the circle. Argentina had more penalty corner chances including a rebound attempt from Maria Granatto where she popped it up and then tried to bat it over her head and in but the ball went just wide of the goal.

Spain’s best chance came in the third quarter when a hard pass into the Argentine circle was deflected perfectly to Lucia Jimenez. With only keeper Belen Succi to beat, Jimenez just couldn’t find a way past the stacked pads. Moments later it was Jimenez, this time in the Spanish circle, who fouled Maria Granatto to force a penalty stroke for Argentina. Gorzelany made no mistake burying it glove side, high on Garcia for the opening goal. Less than a minute later and Oliva’s stick foul on a charging Agustina Albertarrio put the Leonas back at the top of the circle. This time, Valentina Raposo’s straight hit at goal ricocheted under and off the pads of Garcia to make it 2-0 for Argentina.

The goals kept coming as Gorzelany unleashed one of her best flicks of recent months, beating Garcia high stick side with mind-blowing precision and pace for a 3-0 Argentina lead. Spain turned some gears on and, with Agostina Alonso off with a yellow card, were able to get on the board. Begoña Garcia finished on a penalty corner to leave Spain trailing 3-1. With 20 seconds to go, Maria Granatto got the slightest of touches on a Gorzelany drag flick to seal the game 4-1.

Following the game, Gorzelany, now with four goals in the tournament, said: “It was a really tough game. At the beginning it was really close. They were defending their best to not allow us to enter but soring the stroke we opened the game. We were then more relaxed and then we got the penalty corner and I think we deserved the win. It was beautiful to see so many Argentina fans in the crowd here in Spain.”

There is a rest day tomorrow, Monday 4 July, and then the action in the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup continues on Tuesday 5 July. At the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, Pool A’s Ireland will play Chile at 14:00, followed by Pool B’s India and China at 16:30, and Pool B’s New Zealand vs England at 19:30.

At the Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa in Spain, Pool D’s Japan plays South Africa at 18:00, followed by Belgium playing Australia (Pool D) at 21:30.

Check out the pool standings here.

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

FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Spain & Netherlands 2022

3 July 2022 Results

Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa (ESP)

Match #7

Belgium 4, South Africa 1

Player of the Match: Charlotte Englebert (BEL)

Umpires: Catalina Montesino (CHI), Hannah Harrison (ENG), Sarah Wilson (SCO-reserve), Alison Keogh (IRL-video)

Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED)

Match #8

England 1, India 1

Player of the Match: Isabelle Petter (ENG)

Umpires: Annelize Rostron (RSA), Irene Presenqui (ARG), Kang Hyun Young (KOR-reserve), Wanri Venter (RSA-video)

Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa (ESP)

Match #9

Korea 3, Canada 2

Player of the Match: Seo Jungeun (KOR)

Umpires: Michele Meister (GER), Kelly Hudson (NZL), Cookie Tan (SGP-reserve), Ayanna McClean (TTO-video)

Wagener Hockey Stadium, Amstelveen (NED)

Match #10

Germany 1, Netherlands 3

Player of the Match: Marloes Keetels (NED)

Umpires: Aleisha Neumann (AUS), Laurine Delforge (BEL), Emi Yamada (JPN-reserve), Ivona Makar (CRO-video)

Estadi Olimpic de Terrasa (ESP)

Match #11

Spain 1, Argentina 4

Player of the Match: Maria Granatto (ARG)

Umpires: Sarah Wilson (SCO), Alison Keogh (IRL), Catalina Montesino (CHI-reserve), Cookie Tan (SGP-video)

FIH Press release

Akhil Rabindra ends Round 3 of the European GT4 Series with a P4 & P6 finish at the Misano World Circuit

2022-07-04T09:25:00.000+05:30

Bengaluru; 3rd July 2022: Bengaluru born 25-year-old Akhil Rabindra, the only Indian on the European GT4 Series Grid, completed Round 3 at the Misano World Circuit with a P4 & P6 finish in the Silver Category for his team Racing Spirit of Leman.

Akhil, driving the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, began his campaign for the weekend on a positive note in the silver category as he along with his team mate T Canning had a P2 in qualification 1, however an unexpected P10 in qualification 2 disturbed their rhythm moving into the Race 1.

Experience and high-quality driving saw Akhil & his team mate finish Race1 with a P4 finish in the silver category with a total time of 1:00:47.894 from 30 laps. The duo finished Race 2 at P6 in the SILVER category taking a total time of 1:00:45.622 from 33 laps.

“It was a tough weekend for us, but we did not let it affect our performance and gave it our best. We are not happy with how this weekend turned out to be and its time that we revisit our drawing board once again for the season ahead.,” said Akhil Rabindra after the race.

Akhil now will be seen in action during Round 4 of the European GT4 Championship at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from 28 – 31 July 2022.

Bihar U-17 girls face Dardra & Nagar Haveli in final

2022-07-03T13:50:00.016+05:30

New Delhi, July 3: The final of the Hero Junior (U-17) Women National Football Champion 2022-23 will see Bihar take on Dadra & Nagar Haveli after both sides recorded victories against Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh respectively in the semi-finals at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati on Saturday

In the first match, Bihar beat Haryana 3-1. Shruti Kumari gave Bihar the lead in the third minute of the game after a cross by Sabara Khatun from the right flank flew straight into Shruti’s feet and she headed it into the net.

In the other semi-final, Dadra & Nagar Haveli rode on Pooja’s hat-trick to beat Arunachal Pradesh 5-0.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli surged into the lead in the 14th minute when Pooja converted from the spot. Pooja doubled the lead in the 20th minute scoring off a freekick, and then completed her hat-trick in the 67th minute.

In the 81st minute, Sandhiya’s attempt hit the bar, and Vandana Kumari tapped in the rebound to make it 4-0 for Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

Pooja scored the last goal in the dying minutes – converting her shot from an acute angle as Dadra and Nagar Haveli celebrated their maiden entry into the final.

The final will be held between Bihar and Dadra & Nagar Haveli at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati on Monday (July 4, 2022) at 3 PM IST. The match will be streamed live on Indian Football’s official YouTube page.

AIFF Press release

Germany, Netherlands, Argentina register wins in women's hockey World Cup

2022-07-03T13:39:00.011+05:30

A Netherlands player in action during their match against Ireland

Lausanne, Switzerland, July 2: Emotions ran high on the second day of action at the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup. Head Coach to Chile, Sergio Vigil fought back tears as his team lined up for their first ever World Cup appearance; Eva de Goede was visibly moved as her dream of a fourth World Cup came true, despite months away from the game through injury.

On the pitch there was also no lack of drama and emotion. New Zealand returned to international action with a solid draw against China. Olivia Merry was on the scoresheet, demonstrating that she has lost none of her fire power that we saw in previous pre-Covid years. The second match saw Chile make their debut on the World Cup stage. Although the Diablas lost to Die Danas, they won a lot of fans – both for their pacy play and for the passion shown by the team and their animated Head Coach. The next match saw a masterclass in penalty corner striking from Agustina Gorzelany as Argentina broke down a resilient Korea defence to start their campaign in some style.

Reigning champions Netherlands got off to a cracking start as they put paid to gallant Ireland, two of the goals scored by Frederique Matla from penalty strokes. The final match of the day saw the re-emergence of Australia and Japan, both of whom have not figured much on the international stage in recent months. It took until the 56th minute for a breakthrough to come as Australia finally made goalmouth pressure count.

New Zealand vs China

The first quarter saw these two teams testing each other out but with no goal scored in that period of play. China came the closest when Zheng Jiali was in a perfect position to shoot after a good piece of swift passing had created space. She hit the ball as she was falling off balance and the shot flew harmlessly high.

For New Zealand, this was the first taste of international action – with the exception of matches against Oceania neighbours Australia – since the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, so it was understandable that the team began tentatively.

The second half saw the Black Sticks take the lead through Rose Tynan. In just her fourth senior match, Tynan showed skill and composure to receive the ball, turn and transfer the ball to her reverse and then fire past Liu Ping in the China goal.

At half-time China Head Coach Alyson Annan called for her team to win penalty corners. The team answered and three minutes into the second half, Zhang Ying sent a hard shot low into the New Zealand goal past Grace O'Hanlon. The ball took a deflection on the way, meaning the keeper was caught off-guard.

China added to the scoreline through a second penalty corner. This time it was Gu Bingfeng who sent the shot into the same area. Her shot was hard, accurate and just high enough to evade O'Hanlon's outstretched foot.

The momentum swung back and forth between the two teams but it was New Zealand who scored the all-important equalising goal in the 48th minute. Olivia Merry continued to show why she is a feared striker as she sent a penalty corner flying into the China goal.

The scores remained at 2-2 for the rest of the match, despite some close calls for both teams.

Player of the Match Hope Ralph (NZL) said she and her teammates were delighted to be at the World Cup and glad to get a point on the board and a game under their belt.

Germany vs Chile

Just how much this match meant to World Cup debutants Chile were obvious from the tears rolling down the face of Head Coach Sergio Vigil as the national anthem was being sung.

However, it was Germany who got off to the perfect start. A rocket of a reverse stick shot from Pauline Heinz gave Germany a 1-0 lead against World Cup debutants Chile in the first half.

The South American side got off to a bright start putting the German defence under pressure. However, Germany gradually worked their way into the game and when Heinz pulled the trigger it was a reward for some good pressure on the Chile circle.

Germany doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when four swift passes moved the ball from their defensive circle to the back of Claudia Schuler's net. Charlotte Stapenhorst was the scorer, coolly netting the ball but the passes – particularly the pass to Stapenhorst from Pia Maertens – that led to the moment were equally sublime.

Chile struck back in the 27th minute when Las Diablas won two consecutive penalty corners. Denise Losada-Krimerman made no mistake as she rattled the German backboard with a well-struck shot.

The third quarter saw Germany really pile on the pressure as they sought to re-establish a two goal cushion. Dogged defence by Chile kept the higher ranked team at bay until the 44th minute when Germany employed a clever routine at a penalty corner to score their third goal. Anne Schroeder scored after Nike Lorenz had disguised the pass as she slipped the ball back to Schroeder, who had injected the ball.

A counter-attack of the highest quality saw Germany extend their lead to 4-1. Chile had won a hard-earned penalty corner which had been broken down by the fast German defence. The ball was quickly transferred up the pitch and Player of the Match Charlotte Stapenhorst was on hand to slot it home.

Speaking after the game, Charlotte Stapenhorst said: 'Chile had a really really good start. We didn't know what to expect of them so we took a look at them in the first quarter. We had some things to change after half time. We had some constructive comments and made some changes and they were really effective.'

Argentina vs Korea

Argentina got off to the best of starts when Agustina Gorzelany rifled home a penalty corner in the second minute. After that start, Argentina may have expected to race ahead but, despite the domination enjoyed by Las Leonas, Korea's tight marking kept the score at a narrow 1-0.

In the second quarter, Belen Succi was called into action several times as Korea began to create some space and put together some attacking moves. Cheon Eunbi was looking dangerous in the Argentina circle but her attempt was smothered by an ever-alert Succi.

Despite Korea's increased attacking momentum in the second quarter, it was Argentina who found the goal for a second time. Gorzelany was again able to show her immense ability from penalty corner routines as she sent the ball with pinpont accuracy and plenty of power high into the Korea goal. Two minutes later and Victoria Granatto was able to tip in the ball for a third goal. The initial penalty corner was saved and then Maria Granatto sent the ball goalwards and her sister got the final touch.

In the third quarter Korea again set up a resilient defence but without really troubling the Argentina defence to any real extent. In an almost mirror reflection of the previous quarter, Argentina made pressure count in the final minutes of the quarter. A penalty corner rebounded to Julieta Jankunas, who niftily lifted it past Lee Jinmin in the Korea goal.

The fourth quarter was about damage limitation for Korea. Lee pulled off a magnificent save from a dangerous shot from Jankunas and her colleagues were equally determined not to let any further goals in.

The Player of the Match was Argentina's dynamic midfielder Maria Granatto. She said the team were feeling happy and confident at the moment. Korea's captain Seo Jungeon said her team had been nervous ahead of this match but, on the whole, they were happy with their performance.

Netherlands vs Ireland

There were tears for Eva de Goede at the start of the match between Netherlands and Ireland, with the midfielder overwhelmed at being back for a home World Cup after being out of the game for so long with an ACL injury. It was a rematch of the 2018 World Cup final and, like that match, Netherlands dominated possession from the get-go but, by the end of the first quarter it was still goalless.

The breakthrough came early in the second quarter. A foul on Maria Verschoor led to a penalty stroke, which Frederique Matla had no hesitation in dispatching past Ayeisha McFerran in the Ireland goal. At the end of the quarter Eva de Goede came close to doubling the lead when a clever penalty corner routine left the midfielder with a chance to shoot. Her shot flew over the goal.

To the delight of the home spectators in the Wagener Stadium, Netherlands doubled their lead in the 35th minute when Yibbi Jansen scored from a penalty corner with a powerful drag flick that flew between McFerran and the post player. The Dutch celebrated but two minutes later Ireland stunned their oponents and the crowd when they scored from their own penalty corner. Roisin Upton getting the final touch that sent the ball past Anne Veenendaal in the Netherlands' goal.

The tempo increased as Oranje tried to recover their two goal buffer and the stadium erupted when Sabine Plonissen scored her first senior goal - another beautifully taken penalty corner drag flick. Netherlands fourth goal was scored again by Frederique Matla from a penalty stroke. Lidewij Welten intercepted the ball and slipped it to Felice Albers. Albers ran at the goal and McFerran had little option than to bring the player down. Welten's penalty stroke was precisely placed in the corner of the goal.

In the fourth quarter the Dutch extended their lead to 5-1 when Maria Verschoor showed her skill and agility to dance past the defence and slot the ball into the goal. There was plenty more for the Irish defence to do in the remaining minutes of the game but no further goals.

Player of the Match Sabina Plonissen (NED) said: 'We had a great start and we are happy to begin the tournament. We have trained hard so we were glad to win. We thought at half time that we needed to increase the tempo and put more pressure on Ireland. We did that and the goals came. I have never played in front of a crowd like that.'

Australia vs Japan

Japan started the first quarter very strongly and won a series of penalty corners against their higher ranked opponents. Towards the final five minutes momentum shifted completely and it was Australia who were peppering the Japanese goal with penalty corner attempts. Despite all the circle activity, it remained goalless after 15 minutes.

Australia started the second quarter in much the same vein as they finished the first, winning penalty corners but then finding no way past a very strong Japanese defence.

As the match continued, it looked more and more likely that the match was going to be the first goalless draw of the competition. Both teams were defending like demons and hoping to strike on the counter attack, but this approach led to stalemate with neither team able to find a breakthrough.

With penalty corner attempts getting into double figures for the Hockeyroos, it is obvious what Head Coach Katrina Powell will be looking to improve before Australia take to the field again.

The breakthrough finally came in the 56th minute when Mariah Williams pounced on the ball after a confused melee in the Japanese circle saw Mai Toriyama caught in posession just a metre from her own goal. Williams got the final touch and her team mates erupted into relieved celebrations. Japan's Head Coach Jude Menezes instantly pulled his goalkeeper Eike Nakamura and Japan tried to make the most of an outfield player advantage.

The game was put beyond all doubt with just one minute left. Rosie Malone was fed the ball by Williams and with a deft touch she steered the ball into an empty Japanese goal.

Player of the Match, Mariah Williams (AUS) said: 'It was a good fight from the girls. we dug deep and worked hard. We knew if we stuck to our processes, we could get the win.'

The action in the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup continues on Sunday 3 July. At the Estadi Olympic de Terrassa, Belgium and South Africa open their Pool D campaigns at 15:00. At 16:30, Pool B resumes as India and England face each other in the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen. Back in Spain at 18:00 Korea and Canada are in action, while at 19:30 Germany face Netherlands in the Wagener Stadium.

2 July 2022 Results

Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa, Spain

Match #2
New Zealand 2, China 2
Player of the Match: Hope Ralph (NZL)
Umpires: Laurine Delforge (BEL), Wanri Venter (RSA), Maggie Giddens (USA - video)

Wagener Stadium, Netherlands

Match #3
Germany 4, Chile 1
Player of the Match: Charlotte Stapenhorst (GER)
Umpires: Ivona Makar (CRO), Emi Yamada (JPN), Annelize Rostron (RSA - Video)

Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa, Spain

Match #4
Argentina 4, Korea 0
Player of the Match: Maria Granatto (ARG)
Umpires: Michelle Meister (GER), Alison Keogh (IRL), Hannah Harrison (ENG - video)

Wagener Stadium, Netherlands

Match #5
Netherlands 5, Ireland 1
Player of the Match: Sabine Plonissen (NED)
Umpires: Maggie Giddens (USA), Kang Hyun Young KOR), Laurine Delforge (BEL - video)

Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa, Spain

Match #6
Australia 2, Japan 0
Player of the Match: Mariah Williams (AUS)
Umpires: Cookie Tan (SGP), Kelly Hudson (NZL) Sarah Wilson (SCO - video)

FIH Press release

Bihar girls storm into U-17 national soccer final

2022-07-02T13:44:00.000+05:30

Patna, July 2, 2022: Bihar Juggernaut rolled on as the state team move into the final of National U-17 Women's Football Championships defeating Haryana 3-1 in Guwahati on Saturday

Now, Bihar will play the winners of Arunachal Pradesh and Dadra Nagar Haveli match in the final.

Shruti Kumar opened the account for Bihar in the third minute of the game (1-0). Saniya of Haryana netted the equaliser in the 16 the minute (1-1). Sabara Khatun put Bihar into the lead in the 21st minute through a nice looking goal (2-1). Bihar were leading 2-1 in the first half.

The second half saw tough fight between the two teams as both the teams made several attempts on the opposition posts. Lucky Kumari swelled the victory margin for Bihar in the 79th minute (3-1). Later, Lucky was adjudged player of the match.

Spain overpower Canada in women's World Cup hockey

2022-07-02T07:33:00.007+05:30

Lausanne, Switzerland: Spain became the first nation to win points in the 15th FIH Women's World Cup when they won the opening match on home turf at the Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa.

The magnificent venue, which has such a tradition in hockey, hosted the showpiece opening match between Spain and Canada. The Pool C match saw the host nation, who are ranked eighth in the FIH World Rankings, put in a dominant first half performance to beat Canada (WR:12) by a convincing 4-1 scoreline.

Spain broke the deadline after just five minutes when Belen Iglesias scored from a rebound off a penalty corner. There was quite a goalmouth scramble before Iglesias was able to tip the ball home and Canada's goalkeeper Rowan Harris will be annoyed that her defenders didn't clear the danger ball earlier. It was no less than Spain deserved as they dominated the first 15 minutes.

The Red Sticks doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Gine Xantal sent home a sweetly-struck hard shot that nestled in the corner of Canada's goal.

Canada created their own chance. Hannah Haughn, who has recently returned from injury, was able to weave her way through the Spanish defence but couldn't find the final touch to trouble Melabnia Garcia in the Spanish goal.

Five minutes later and Spain were back on the attack with yet another penalty corner. This time it was captain Maria Lopez who found a way past the Canada defence. Her hard shot took a deflection off the number one runner for Canada.

The fourth goal was a fabulous demonstration of fast hands and quick thinking. Georgina Oliva picked a perfect pass from close to the sideline to Begona Garcia who was waiting in the circle. Garcia shifted her position slightly to evade the defenders and guided the ball past Harris.

Following the dominant performance by the Spanish in the first half, the second half can be claimed by Canada. Spain continued to press and create chances but were unable to find a way through the Canadian defence. Canada, for their part, showed the defiant resilience for which they are renown. Goalkeeper Harris will be pleased with some of the athletic saves she pulled off in the second half.

Canada were rewarded for their efforts with a goal in the 57th minute by Karli Johansen as she slipped the ball through the legs of Jana Martinez. Natalie Sourisseau did the hard work to win the penalty corner from which Johansen found the back of the net.

Following the game, Player of the Match, Georgina Oliva, said: 'We knew the first match was important because we can be nervous, particularly in front of a home crowd. Now we must stick to our plan and play match by match and then other results will come.'

The action in the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup continues on Saturday 2 July. At the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen, New Zealand will play China in Pool B at 14:00. That match is followed at 16:30 by Germany versus Chile, the first Pool A game of the tournament.

At 18:00 Argentina face Korea in Pool C and at 18:30 Pool A continues as the Netherlands start their campaign in a repeat of the 2018 final, when they face Ireland in the Wagener Stadium.

The final match of the day sees Australia against Japan in the first Pool D match.

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

Result: Estadi Olimpic de Terrassa

Match #1

Spain 4, Canada 1

Player of the Match: Georgina Oliva (ESP)

Umpires: Hannah Harrison (ENG, Ayanna McClean (TTO), Kelly Hudson (NZL - video)

FIH press release

Women’s Hockey World Cup: Ready to show the world what they've got

2022-06-30T14:03:00.011+05:30

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 30: Pool D contains three teams that have not had the benefit of FIH Hockey Pro League action as Australia, Belgium, Japan and South Africa get ready to take to the field in Terrassa.

Australia’s international action since the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has been limited to Trans-Tasman competition against New Zealand. Despite this, Australia will arrive in Spain as a team to be wary. They have won this competition twice (1994 and 1998) and won silver three times (1990, 2006 and 2014). In 2018 they finished fourth.

Current Head Coach Katrina Powell was a member of the gold medal team of 1998 and, with several months of hard work on the training field under her belt, she will be looking to lead this team to a podium finish.

The team is talking up the fact that other nations haven’t seen them in action, combined with a real fire to get back onto the world stage among the players. While there is a new look to the squad that played in 2018, with five players arriving with fewer than five caps, there is also a backbone of experience. Captain Jane Claxton is approaching 200 caps and vice-captain Kaitlin Nobbs is nearing 100. Another co-captain, Brooke Peris also has more than 180 caps. Combine this knowledge with the desire to show Australian hockey to the world again and the Hockeyroos could be there at the business end of the event.

Belgium are a side that has benefited from FIH Pro League action and, oddly, from not being at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. This latter point was made by former Red Panther Jill Boon, who said the team had been able to quietly develop and grow for the past four years without the intense pressure of an Olympic Games. Despite a high number of caps among their ranks, Belgium is the team with the youngest average age at the competition (24.11)

The team is packed with talented players that combine the exciting use of 3D skills and long aerials with a disciplined possession game when needed. Barbara Nelen, Stephanie Vanden Borre and Michelle Struck offer stability. Ambre Ballenghien, Abi Raye and Charlotte Englebert are exciting flair players and Alix Gerniers and Louise Versavel are showing the form of their lives currently.

In 2018, Belgium finished a disappointing 10th, expect much better for Raoul Ehren’s team this time.

Japan won the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022 beating India, Korea and China along the way. Under the charge of former India goalkeeper Jude Menezes, the team has grown and – in keeping with their nickname – blossomed in the past few months.

It is a team packed with talent and experience. Captain Yuri Nagai, Hazuki Nagai and Shihori Oikawa are multi capped stalwarts in the team. Yu Asai is unflappable in defence. New squad member Kaho Tanaka may only have a handful of caps so far but she has already proved herself a dynamo in front of goal.

Japan’s best finish at a World Cup was fifth in 2006 and in London in 2018 they finished 13th, despite playing some very stylish hockey. This year the Cherry Blossoms are aiming for the high branches.

South Africa are once more the African continents sole representative and, as always, they will arrive in Terrassa ready to battle for their country and their continent’s honour. The team’s best ever World Cup finish was 7th in 1998 but in 2014 they achieved a commendable ninth, finishing above their ranking.

South Africa has competed in every FIH Women’s World Cup since 1998 and they have been solid performers at every edition.

The team arrives in Terrassa with a number of inexperienced players but a backbone of athletes who know exactly what competition of this level looks like. Lisa-Marie Deetlefs, Lilian du Plessis, Bernadette Coston and Quanita Bobbs are hardened campaigners who will always leave everything on the pitch. Temper this resolve with the energy and hard running of Hanrie Louw, Bianca Wood and the goal scoring potential of Jean-Leigh du Toit and it is a compelling team to watch.

Giles Bonnet is back in charge as Head Coach and he too knows just how to get the most from his players.

FIH press release

Aniket, Swarnika emerge champs in Bihar School Chess

2022-06-29T23:50:00.003+05:30

Patna, June 29, 2022: Aniket Ranjan of Begusarai won the AICF-Bihar School Chess Championships title with 8 points in the boys section while Ryan Mohammad of Patna, Devraj and Nirav Vishal of Bhojpur finished second, third and fourth respectively in the decision on the basis of tie-break points between the three players who were with the same 7.5 points.

The tournament that was organized under the aegis of All Bihar Chess Association concluded at the Indoor Stadium of Patliputra Sports Complex here on Wednesday.

At the same time, the decision for the first position in the girls' category also had to be done on the basis of tie-break marks. The tie between Adiba Ulla and Swarnika Thakur of Patna with 7.5 points was declared on the basis of Buchholz’s points where Swarnika was declared the winner and Adiba was declared the runner-up. The three players with 7 points were also decided on the basis of tie break points in which Sweta Kumari of Purnia, Aadya Shree of Muzaffarpur and Pari Sinha of Gaya got 3rd, 4th and 5th position respectively.

Bandana Preyshi, secretary, Department of Arts, Culture and Youth, was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony. Raveendra Sankaran, Director General of Sports Development Authority of Bihar and Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, director of Art, Culture and Youth affairs department and the Sports Development Authority of Bihar director, Pankaj Kumar gave away the prizes to top 25 players of each category. On this occasion All Bihar Chess Association president Diljit Khanna, secretary Dharmendra Kumar, senior vice president Rajendra Kumar, Patna District Chess Association Adhoc Committee's convenor Ajit Kumar Singh, Chief arbiter Arvind Kumar Singh, deputy chief arbiter Suraj Gupta, All Bihar Chess Association vice president Jai Prakash Sinha, treasurer Manish Kumar, joint secretary Vipal Subhashi, Himanshu Kumar, Shashi Nandkumar and many other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Bihar girls move into National U-17 soccer semi-finals

2022-06-29T17:43:00.001+05:30

Bihar U-17 girls football team

Patna, June 29, 2022: Bihar girls entered the semi-finals of the Junior National Under-17 Girls Football Championship being played in Guwahati. Bihar defeated Manipur 3-2 in the quarterfinal match.

Oinam Babita Devi of Manipur opened the scoring in the 15th minute of the game. Ten minutes later, Shruti Kumari of Bihar scored a goal to level the match. The score was tied at 1-1 in the first half.

At the start of the second half, Manipur's Thingbaijam Sangeeta Devi scored a goal to give Manipur a 2-1 lead. Efforts were being made to score goals from both sides. In the 66th minute of the game, Sabra Khatoon tied the goal for Bihar and the match was tied at 2-2.

After this, several attempts were made by both the teams to break the deadlock. Towards the end of the game, Lucky Kumari scored a goal in the 87th minute of the game to give her team a 3-2 lead which lasted till the end.

Kite Boarding : Dylan flies to lead, Katya maintains pole position

2022-06-29T17:33:00.001+05:30

Jehan Hoshi driver

Keona Ranjini

Arjun Mohta

Katya Saini

Tuticorin, June 29^th, 2022: Dylan Fernandes of Aqua Ouback leaped to take the lead with a consistent performance in all four races in the men’s category on day-2 while Katya Saini of Aqua Outback maintained her lead in the women’s category after conclusion of races on Day 2 in the 3^rd edition of the All-India Kite Boarding Championships held here at the Veppalodai Beach.

Dylan who had finished third on Day-1 overtook Arjun Motha of Aqua Outback and Jehan Hoshi Driver of Quest Adventure Sports Academy who had finished on top of Day 1. Dylan finished the day with a total net score of 8.0 while Arjun and Jehan finished with 16.0 and 17.0 respectively. Phillipe Dartnell, Jothi Basu and Sunil Rajani maintained their 4^th, 5th and 6^th positions respectively from Day 1.

“I was confident of taking the lead today even after getting a penalty on Day 1 because my rhythm was good and I was able to kiteboard consistently”, said Dylan after the Day 2 races.

Meanwhile in the women’s category Katya Saini of Aqua Outback maintained her lead from Day 1 with a net score of 6.0 ahead for Keona Ranjini of PKA who scored 11.0. Avishma Matta of Aqua Outback is in the third position.

“I hope to perform in the same way and finish the regatta as the champion”, said a confident Katya after the races.

The All-India Kite Boarding Championship is held under the aegis of Yachting Association of India and Premier Kite Boarding Association. Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank is the title sponsor of this event while AICCI Young Minds are the Industry Development partners. The event is hosted by Aqua Outback, Tuticorin and is organised by the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association and Chennai Sailing Academy.

Press release

Women’s World Cup hockey: Passion and pragmatism clash in Pool C

2022-06-29T17:28:00.000+05:30

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 29: Pool C is likely to provide an intriguing mixture of teams that play with passion and flair pitted against teams where pragmatism is the watchword. Argentina and Spain are capable of fiery moments of brilliance, Korea and Canada will counter with structure and discipline.

Argentina arrive in Terrassa on the back of a rich vein of form after winning the FIH Hockey Pro League in some style. Where other teams have been tinkering with their line-ups and trying a range of squad members, Fernando Ferrara, the Head Coach, has been playing much the same squad for the past three months.

Las Leonas has an embarrassment of riches within its ranks. Agustina Gorzelany is brilliant at drag flicks but equally classy in a defender’s role. Maria and Victoria Granatto are pure brilliance as they create scoring opportunities with skill and clever movement. Agustina Albertarrio is imperious as she goes on the attack. The less flamboyant but equally effective athletes such as Eugenia Trinchinetti, Jimena Cedres and Rocio Sanchez are crucial to the team’s success. But make no mistake; this is a team that has golden ambitions.

Canada’s best moments in FIH Women’s World Cup history came back in the 1980s when they finished second in 1983 and third in 1986. Since 1994 they haven’t been seen at a World Cup and so will be hoping to make a renewed impact.

The team has made a lot of friends in recent seasons with its hard-working ethos and talented squad. Brienne Stairs is a top class striker and, along with Karli Johansen, Hannah Haughn and Amanda Woodcroft can cause any team problems on their day. Captain Natalie Sourisseau and Sara McManus are two more highly experienced players who will add stability to the squad.

Rob Short has recently taken over as Head Coach and will bring his own vast international experience to bear with the squad.

Korea qualified by virtue of a second place finish in the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2022. The best finish by Korea was in 1990 where they finished third. A 12th place finish in London 2018 reflected a poor performance and the team has been rebuilding since. The team’s form in Oman for the Asia Cup signals a new intent and purpose.

There will also be a sense of the unknown for their opponents. Only captain Eunbi Cheon and Kim Hyunji have over 100 caps and five players are making their debuts at the World Cup. Han Jin Soo is an experienced coach who knows how to get the most strategically from a match.

Spain qualified as host nation and recent performances in the FIH Hockey Pro League indicate this is a team that is confident in its growth and direction of travel. The Red Sticks finished in bronze medal position in 2018 and many of that squad will be attempting to repeat that feat this time around.

Head Coach Adrian Lock has been with the squad since 2013 and has been building a real sense of legacy with his team. Players such as Georgina Oliva, Maria Lopez, Beatriz Perez and Begona Garcia are the bedrock of the team but throw in the scoring ability of Xantal Gine, the audacious skills of Lucia Jimenez and the attacking hunger of Marta Segu and you see a really well-rounded team.

The opening match of the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022 takes place at the Estadi Olímpic de Terrassa on Friday 1 July at 21:30 (local time). Expect the Spanish fans to welcome the home side’s opponent’s Canada in true Spanish festival style.

FIH press release

Aniket, Ryan , Adiba surge to top in Bihar School Chess

2022-06-29T10:58:00.002+05:30

DG Sports Development Authority of Bihar, Raveendran Sankaran, inaugurated the Bihar School Chess Championships in Patna on June 28, 2022.

Patna, June 28: A two -day AICF-Bihar School Chess Championships began at the Indoor Stadium of Patliputra Sports Complex here under the aegis of All Bihar Chess Association . A total of more than 200 players from all over Bihar are participating in this competition. The tournament is being organised separately for boys and girls categories. Six players selected on the basis of this competition will represent Bihar in the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai . A total of 9 rounds are to be played in the competition and today a total of five rounds were played on the first day.

After the end of 5 rounds , Aniket Ranjan of Begusarai and Ryan Mohammad of Patna were jointly on top with 5 points in the boys category . In the fifth round, Aniket defeated Kaifullah of Patna on the top board while Ryan outplayed Akshit Jha on the number two board.

In the girls' category, Adiba Ulla of Patna was leading alone with 5 points. Adiba defeated Kritika Ranjan of Patna in the fifth round. Swarnika Thakur is in second place with 4.5 points. Swarnika defeated the rising player of Muzaffarpur Vandana Preyshi.

Tomorrow, four more rounds will be played in both the sections, after which the players will be selected.

The competition was inaugurated by the director general of Sports Development Authority of Bihar DG Raveendran Sankaran by lighting the lamp and playing a trick on the chessboard along with young player Partha Raj. On this occasion, the Director of the authority and the special guest Pankaj Kumar, president of All Bihar Chess Association Diljit Khanna, secretary Dharmendra Kumar, senior vice president Rajendra Kumar, convener of Patna District Chess Association Ad-hoc Committee, Ajit Kumar Singh were present on the occasion.

Many dignitaries including Arvind Kumar Singh, deputy chief arbiter Suraj Gupta, vice president of All Bihar Chess Association Jai Prakash Sinha, treasurer Manish Kumar, joint secretary Viparl Subhashi , Himanshu Kumar and Shashi Nandkumar were present.

Jehan, Katya take lead in kite boarding championships

2022-06-29T10:49:00.004+05:30

Tuticorin, June 28, 2022: Jehan Driver and Katya Saini took the lead at the end of Day 1 in the men’s and women’s categories respectively of the 3^rd edition of the All-India Kite Boarding Championships at Veppalodai Beach, Tuticorin.

Jehan Driver presenting Quest Adventure finished the day with a score of 9.0 overcoming tough competition from the defending champion Arjun Motha of Aqua Outback who finished second with a score of 11.0 while Aqua Outback’s Dylan Fernandes finished third with a score of 14.0 at the end of the proceedings on Day one.

“The competition is tough here and it is going to be a very tight contest. I will try to maintain my lead in the next two days and win the title”, said Jehan Driver.

In the women’s category Katya Saini showcased a consistent performance over three rounds and finished the day on top with a score of 4.0 above Keona Ranjini and Avishma Matta who scored 6.0 and 12.0 respectively.

“The conditions are good for kite boarding and I will focus on performing consistently over the next two days”, said Katya Saini.

Amongst the men, third placed Dylan Fernandes while being more consistent amongst the top three, had to face the brunt of a 11-point penalty in round 2 by not sailing the course as defined for the championships, thereby slipping to the third place. Phillipe Dartnell, Jothi Basu and Sunil Rajani are close behind the top three being placed at the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th positions respectively.

Earlier in the day, Honorary Joint Secretary General of Yachting Association of India Captain Jitendra Dixit inaugurated the 3^rd edition of the All- India Kite Boarding Championships in the presence of Ajit Diaz, Founder Member, Tamil Nadu Sailing Association, D. Inbamani, General Manager, Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank, Dr. G.Sugumar, Vice Chancellor, Dr. Jayalalitha Fisheries University and P.R Ashok Kumar, DGM, Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank.

This All-India KiteBoarding Championship is being held under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India and Premier Kite Boarding Association. Tamil Nadu Mercantile Bank are the title partners while AICCI Young Minds are the Industry Development partners. The event is being hosted by Aqua Outback, Tuticorin and is organised by the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association and Chennai Sailing Academy.

The three day event will see all top kite boarders in the country participating and the national champions will be decided at the end of all three race days.

Press release

Minister Shravan Kumar elected Hockey Bihar president; Mushtauqe secretary

2022-06-28T11:00:00.001+05:30

Patna, June 26, 2022.

Bihar Rural Development Minister Shravan Kumar has been elected president of Hockey Bihar while Mohd Mushtaque Ahamed has been elected as general secretary of the association in its general meeting held in Hajipur.

Hockey Bihar's general meeting was organised at Anamika Hotel, Hajipur in which secretaries and presidents of almost all the districts of Bihar participated. In this meeting, the new office bearers of Hockey Bihar were elected. The election was held under the supervision of Hockey India's supervisor Mrs Ranjit Gill. Retired Assistant District Judge, Ganga Prasad was the election officer. Advocate Vnay Chandra Jha was the assistant election officer. Ramashish Prasad Singh of Bihar Olympic Association was the observer. A two-minute silence was observed to mourn h the sudden demise of Mohd Shoaib alias Lal Saheb, secretary, Hockey Muzaffarpur.

Other office –bearers: Mohammad Iqbal Akhtar (treasurer), Ravindra Prasad Singh (senior vice presdent), Dilip Kumar Yadav, Meenakshi Singh, Anupam Kumari, Mohammad Abdullah (all vice presidents), Manoj Kumar, Rajesh Kumar Shah, Mini Kumari, Pragya Sharma (all joint secretaries), Sanjay Pathak, Nazir Ahmed, Salman Khan, Subodh Kumar Yadav, Navjit Kaur (all executive members)

Hockey Bihar's convener Munendra Kumar, Jyoti Mehta, Pradeep Kumar (retired IAS) and Santosh Bharat were nominated as life presidents, while Sunil Kumar Vikram was nominated as assistant joint secretary while Nagendra Prasad Singh was nominated as assistant member executive committee.

The meeting also selected Bhim Kumar and Preeti Kumari as players’ representatives while Manoj Kumar (NIS) as Chairman for Development and Training. Muhammad Iqbal Akhtar was nominated as Chairman of the Technical Committee.

Later, Ranjit Gill felicitated newly elected Hockey Bihar president and minister Shravan Kumar. The newly elected president threw light on the program run by the Bihar government for the development of the game. He assured to provide all possible help for the game. In the end the vote of thanks was given by general secretary, Hockey Bihar, Mustaque Ahmed.

Netherlands men continue to dazzle; China, Belgium women keep racking up wins

2022-06-26T02:20:00.006+05:30

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 25: The penultimate day of action in the FIH Pro League dealt up three matches that were all very different in nature. Belgium Red Panthers put a disappointing first half performance behind them to rack up a 5-0 win over USA, while China women continued to rebuild under their new leadership team as they enjoyed a comfortable victory over a very inexperienced German side. The intensity ramped up in HC Den Bosch when the new FIH Pro League champions Netherlands men and the unpredictable Spanish team treated the spectators to a display of pacy, intense, sometimes dazzling and sometimes chaotic hockey.

United States v Belgium (women)

Neither team really showed the level of performance of which they are capable in the opening quarter of this match. Belgium will be disappointed with their execution of their first few penalty corners, including one which simply passed by the attacking team at the top of the circle. Towards the end of the quarter USA had a period of pressure but they too were unable to make their penalty corners count.

The second quarter was much of the same. It took a moment of genius from Belgium's Louise Versavel to break the deadlock. The player received the ball from Pauline Leclef with her back to goal, turned sharply and fired high past Kelsey Bing in the USA goal. USA had their own chances at the end of the half as they won three consecutive penalty corners. A combination of brave defending – from Stephanie Vanden Borre in particular – and USA errors at the top of the circle, meant a total of eight penalty corner attempts came to nothing.

Belgium found their energy, momentum and fluidity in the second half as they began to discover their connections, skills and flowing play. Louise Versavel continued to lead from the front. The midfielder scored Belgium's second goal and was the driving force that moved her team from first gear to at least third gear. Versavel's second goal was a well-placed penalty corner that flew into Kelsey Bing's left-hand corner of the goal.

Abi Raye was next to get onto the scoresheet when she deflected a sharp strike from Pauline Leclef into the goal. That was a slightly fortuitous goal but the next one was most definitely meant. Stephanie Vanden Borre got hold of a penalty corner drag flick from the top of the circle and sent the ball flying straight down the centre of the USA goal.

Raye scored her second and Belgium's fifth, after a period of flowing team play by the Red Panthers. Head Coach Raoul Ehrens had called for more aggression and energy from his team in the second half and the players answered but both Head Coaches will have a lot to think about before tomorrow's re-match.

Player of the Match, Louise Versavel (BEL), said: 'I think the first half was sloppy and we were soft in parts of the game. In the second half we were more aggressive and pressed more. But there were still too many moments when we were soft. We have a lot to improve before the World Cup.'

China v Germany (women)

Germany fielded a young and inexperienced team in this first of two matches against China, and the Asia team were able to take full advantage to earn another win and three points.

China capitalised on penalty corner opportunities, scoring two from three in the first quarter. First Li Hong was able to control a lifted ball from the German defender after Zhang Ying's initial shot. Hong was able to receive the ball and fire it home past Chiara Vischer in the German goal. The second goal was scored by Zhang Ying herself. The shot was sent between the goalkeeper and the post player to double China's lead.

A goalless third quarter saw China continue to control the pace of the game, but for all the changes in direction of movement and the switching of play there were very few shooting opportunities for either side.

The third goal for China was scored by Gu Bingfeng. Her penalty corner srag flick was high, fast and accurate. While the shot was impressive, it was the movement that led to the award of the penalty corner that really caught the eye. The ball was played high out of defence with a beautiful aerial. The ball was received in the German circle by Zhang Xindan who drew the foul that led to the goal.

Player of the Match Cui Qiuxia (CHN) said: 'We are happy we got three points. The first quarter we started slowly but after that we played much better. We are looking forward to the World Cup. We need to focus if we are to get another winning result tomorrow.'

Spain v Netherlands (men)

Netherlands got off to a blistering start against Spain in their penultimate match of the FIH Pro League season.

In a manner you would expect of the champions, the men in orange hit the ground at top speed and Thierry Brinkman was perfectly positioned to open the scoring from close range in the fourth minute. The lead was doubled a few minutes later when a beautiful cross field aerial was received by Floris Wortelboer on the edge of the Spanish circle. He played the ball to Jelle Galema who slotted it past Mario Garin in the Spanish goal.

Spain fought back and it was a clever and audacious goal that opened their account. Alvaro Inglesias dribbled the ball along the Netherlands' baseline before shaping up to pass it back. As the defence and goalkeeper all fell for the feint, he was able to squeeze the ball home.

Immediately after the break, Spain were able to benefit from a player advantage. Laars Balk received a green card and Spain instantly went on the attack. Although Maurits Visser in the Netherlands' goal was able to stop the first wave of Spanish attack, he could do nothing about the crisply taken shot from the top of the circle by Ignacio Rodriguez.

The final moments of the second quarter saw Netherlands quickly regain the lead. A series of quick passes saw Terrance Pieters in a great position in the circle from where he was able to lift the ball home.

The third quarter saw Netherlands playing some beautifully controlled hockey. The team in orange would run the ball into the Spanish circle on one side, realise there was no way through and so re-cycle and start again. That patience yielded two penalty corners but Spain dealt with the chances well.

There were no goal in the third quarter but both sides had their moments and, with 15 minutes to go, this looked like a match with more goals in it.

Netherlands extended their lead to 4-2 in the 53rd minute when Jonas de Geus was able to deflect the ball into the goal with a well-worked penalty corner routine. The initial ball in was played by Jip Jansen.

Spain, as is their way, battled to the end but the Netherlands are in superb form right now and were not likely to let the lead slip with just a few minutes of play left.

Player of the Match, Jelle Galema (NED) said: 'That was really good. It is difficult to come back after a celebration (after winning the Pro League last week) but we worked really hard and you saw 18 guys running like hell. For me that was a special goal because I have had two operations and it has been difficult and sometimes painful. Today I was back with my family and friends supporting me from thr stands.'

The FIH Pro League action continues on Sunday 26 June in the final day of FIH Pro League action for this season. USA and Belgium women will look to finish their season with a win at 11:00 (CEST); China and Germany wrap up the women's competition before Netherlands and Spain sign off on the men's competition at XX CEST.

FIH Pro League – 25 June 2022

HC Den Bosch (NED)

Result: Women’s Match #71

USA 0, Belgium
Player of the Match: Louise Versavel (BEL)
Umpires: Liu Xiaoying (CHN), Sophie Bocklemann (GER) Emi Yamada (JPN -video)

Result: Women’s Match #72

China 3, Germany 0
Player of the Match: Cui Qixuia (CHN)
Umpires: Kelly Hudson (NZL), Emi Yamada (JPN), Marcin Grochal (POL - video)

Result: Men's Match #71

Netherlands 4, Spain 3

Player of the Match: Jelle Galema (NED)

Umpires: Marcin Grochal (POL), Ben Goentgen (GER), Kelly Hudson (NZL - video)

FIH press release

Payas retains U-19 title, Bodhistawa bags U-17 crown

2022-06-24T01:51:00.001+05:30

Alappuzha, June 23: Delhi’s Payas Jain defeated statemate Yashansh Malik 4-3 to successfully defend his Youth Boys Under 19 singles title in the 83rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships at the YMCA facilities here today. The win was worth Rs. 72,000 in prize money.

But the win came after toil and sweat in what was one of the best finals in recent times. Even before what both Payas and Yashansh did, Bodhistawa Chaudhury and Preyesh Raj Suresh played out another thrilling final in the Under-17 Boys that the former won to lift his maiden trophy.

In the match between Payas and Yashansh, playing for Delhi together knew each other for 10 years, and it was not surprising that they took the match to the seventh game. But what surprised everyone was the way Yashansh got his shots so well to put Payas in all sorts of trouble.

The big rallies and service winners dominated the final. Payas should have sealed the match when he led 5-1 in the sixth game, but Yashansh staged a remarkable comeback to take it to the decider. In the last game, he led 3-1 before Yashansh changed sides at 5-4. But Payas allowed him just a point before finishing in style when he got going with his backhand flips that fetched him a good number of points.

In the left versus left final in Under-17, Bodhistawa Chaudhury from West Bengal got it all right, particularly with his excellent service and a crucial net-cord point to wrap the match 4-2. The maiden national championships title apart, the Bengal boy carried home Rs. 60,000 in prize money.

The final did not disappoint the spectators one bit as they could see a range of shots, from close to the table to away from the table, long rallies and excellent service variations. Preyesh’s undoing was his backhand which failed to come off as gently as it used to be. But Budhistawa was superb in the afternoon with his executions.

In the last game, he was down 4-7, 8-6. But three good service points brought him back to the stage from where he could dictate terms. At 10-9, he held a match point and when Preyesh deuced, it gave the latter a semblance of a chance. But it was not to be and the West Bengal lad earned a lucky to lift the trophy.After playing two back-to-back tough matches, including the quarterfinals last night, a much-relaxed Payas went about his task clinically. The top seed did get extended by the talented Ankur Bhattacharjee of West Bengal in the second and third games, but it did not alter the result of the match, as the World No. won 4-0.

Yashansh Malik struggled before overcoming Deepit Rajesh Patil 4-3 in the second semifinal. The Delhi boy was in some trouble after Deepit levelled the match 2-2. Despite the pressure on him, Yashansh kept attacking to unsettle the Maharashtra boy.

Preyesh Raj Suresh struck form in the quarterfinals and semifinals to enter the final in the Under-17 Youth Boys section. The left-hander defeated Khelendrajit Yengkhom of Manipur 4-1 after surging into a 2-0 lead. Though dropped the next game, the Tamil Nadu boy wrapped it up before any further hiccup to post a 4-1 triumph. But the Manipuri lad did exceedingly well to come back in the quarterfinals.

Bodhisatwa Chaudhury from West Bengal, too, dropped one game in the middle, but Shlok Bajaj of Gujarat could not make any headway. Bodhisatwa showed patience and variety on the table, which won him many admirers. However, last night most of the seeded players in both sections exited earlier than expected jeopardising their selection chances and leaving the national selectors in a fix.

Results:

Youth Boys U-17: Final: Bodhistawa Chaudhury (Ben) Preyesh Raj Suresh (TNTTA) 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5, 13-11; Semifinals: Preyesh Raj bt K. Yengkhom (Man) 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10, 11-6; Bodhistawa Chaudhury (Ben) 11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 11-4; Quarterfinals: Khelendrajit Yengkhom (Man) bt Sarth Mishrra (UP) 9-11, 11-9, 14-12, 11-8, 9-11, 10-12, 11-8; Preyesh Raj bt Jash Modi (Mah) 7-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9; Bodhisatwa Chaudhury bt Aadarsh Om Chhetri (Del) 8-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7, 12-10; Shlok Bajaj bt Punit Biswas (Ben) 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7.

Youth Boys U-19: Final: Payas Jain (Del) bt Yashansh Malik (Del) 2-11, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6; Semifinals: Payas Jain bt Ankur Bhattacharjee (Ben) 11-9, 13-11, 12-10, 1-4; Yashansh Malik bt Deepit R Patil (Mah) 11-5, 6-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10; Quarterfinals: Payas Jain bt Varun Shankar (Telg) 12-10, 11-3, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6; Ankur Bhattacharjee bt Sarth Mishra (UP) 7-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-4, 11-7; Yashansh Malik bt Divyansh Srivastava (UP) 11-6, 11-7, 11-2, 11-2; Deepit Patil bt Aadarsh Om Chhetri (Del) 11-4, 11-8, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6.

TTFI press release

Netherlands hit super six against China, India finish campaign on a high against USA

2022-06-23T14:31:00.002+05:30

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 22: It was a bitter sweet moment for USA's Lauren Moyer as she celebrated 100 international caps for her team but then suffered a 4-0 loss at the hands of an impressive India team. For the Eves this was a great result as it meant they finished their first season in the FIH Pro League in third place.

The second match saw China steam-rollered by the Netherlands as the Dutch team turned on the style and smothered any attempts by China to gather attacking momentum. This was Netherlands at their compelling best and both their flowing build-up play and the subsequent goals were precise and unanswerable at times.

United States v India (women) – HC Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NED)

The first quarter was goalless although Devi Shamila had a golden opportunity to score when she received the ball with only goalkeeper Kelsey Bing to beat. Shamila scuffed the shot and USA breathed a sigh of relief. For their part, USA won two penalty corners were unable to convert.

The second quarter also remained goalless although India created a number of chances, mainly in the form of penalty corners. Three penalty corners in quick succession were all wasted as either the injection or the trap were not good enough to provide Gurjit Kaur with a clean shooting opportunity.

The breakthrough came in the 39th minute when Katariya Vandana was on the scoresheet for the second consecutive day. She got the slightest deflection to a Gurjit Kaur penalty corner strike. The shot was hard and on target and the touch from Vandana was just enough to send the ball home past Kelsey Bing.

That goal opened the door for India. There were two more goals in quick succession, firstly from Vandana and then Sonika. In both cases, the ball was played swiftly from player to player and the final pass put the striker in front of the goal.

The fourth goal came courtesy of a fabulous surging run down the Indian left hand side of the pitch by Nikki Pradhan. Her pass found Kumari Sangita, who only had the goalkeeper to beat. A good advantage by the umpire Bruce Bale, meant Sangita was able to continue the move and slot the ball home.

USA had more chances from their penalty corner routines but were unable to breach the India defence.

This match was India's final FIH Pro League match and the win seals third spot. USA has two more matches against Belgium to try to add to their one victory in the league this season.

Player of the Match, Tete Salima (IND), said: 'That was a tough game. Today was our last [FIH Pro League] match so we wanted to finish well. The second half we played much better and the result was four goals.'

China v Netherlands (women) - HC Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NED)

The first half of the match between China and Netherlands was all about the Netherlands as they romped to a 3-0 lead. China were far less solid in defence compared to the previous day and they added to the pressure by repeatedly losing possession, often in their own defensive quarter.

Netherlands also received a boost with the return to action for Eva de Goede after a lengthy lay-off for a knee injury.

The opening goal was scored by Maria Verschoor, adding to her goal from the previous day. That was followed just three minutes later when Felice Albers picked up the ball on the Netherlands' defensive 25 and then ran the length of the pitch before firing past Li Xinhuan who was starting in the China goal.

Frederique Matla scored the next three goals. The first was a fierce penalty corner in the second half and then the tall striker sent two beautifully taken penalty strokes into the goal at the start of the third quarter.

The pressure from the Dutch was unrelenting for the remainder of the third quarter. Only some great running at penalty corners by Li Hong prevented a stream of goals. Just before the final break China's woes were increased when the goalkeeper made the decision to try to challenge Lidewij Welten outside the circle. Welten inevitably nicked the ball, before rounding the stranded 'keeper and scoring an easy goal.

There will be some scant consolation for Head Coach Alyson Annan and her team as China managed to keep the score sheet clean in the final 15 minutes. Before the match the Head Coach spoke about the fact that there were five new players in the team and this was very much a learning experience.

Player of the Match Felice Albers (NED) said: 'It was a great performance, we scored some nice goals. We discussed about defending on the right and we did that well today. Eva de Goede is a great player and we are very happy that she is back.'

The result means Netherlands finish second in the FIH Pro League, eight points ahead of India. China remain in eighth place with two matches left to play - against Germany.

FIH Pro League – 22 June 2022

HC Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NED)

Result: Women’s Match #70

USA 0, India 4
Player of the Match: Tete Salima (IND)
Umpires: Liu Xiaoying (CHN), Bruce Bale (ENG) Laurine Delforge (BEL -video)

Result: Women’s Match #69

China 0, Netherlands 6
Player of the Match: Felice Albers (NED)
Umpires: Laurine Delforge (BEL), Céline Martin-Schmets (BEL), Bruce Bale (ENG-video), Céline Martin-Schmets (BEL)

FIH press release

Hockey: South Africa to host inaugural Men’s Nations Cup

2022-06-23T14:28:00.001+05:30

Lausanne, Switzerland, June 22: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has appointed South Africa as the host country for the inaugural FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup. The event will take place at the North-West University of Potchefstroom – which successfully hosted the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in April this year - from November 28 to December 4 this year.

The aim of this new yearly event is to offer a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and give the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League the next season, precisely. Therefore, the FIH Hockey Nations Cup marks the start of the promotion-relegation principle for the FIH Hockey Pro League, with the winning team of the first FIH Hockey Nations Cup having the chance to be promoted to the 2023-24 FIH Hockey Pro League (provided they meet the necessary requirements for it).

The following eight teams - which include some of the powerhouses of world hockey! - will participate in the very first edition, having qualified based on their position in the FIH World Rankings of May 2021: South Africa, France, Canada, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Pakistan and Malaysia.

FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “On behalf of FIH, I’d like to thank wholeheartedly the South African Hockey Association for hosting this inaugural edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup. Everyone could see how successful the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup – the first FIH World Cup to be staged on African soil – was, and we’re delighted to go back to Potchefstroom soon! With the Nations Cup, not only a true hockey festival awaits all hockey fans, but there’s a lot a stake for the teams, including a place within the FIH Hockey Pro League!”

Shaune Baaitjies, Acting CEO of SA Hockey: "South Africa showed our capacity as a world class host with the hosting of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom earlier this year. The North West University facilities were outstanding and received wonderful reviews from all involved. We are delighted that the FIH has chosen to host the FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Potchefstroom. The South African Men enjoyed playing the home series of games in the FIH Hockey Pro League at the venue and look forward to adding more remarkable memories for the international hockey family. It promises to be a wonderful tournament at a wonderful venue!"

The inaugural FIH Hockey Women’s Nations Cup will be held in Valencia, Spain, from 11 to 17 December this year.

FIH release

Ronaldo celebrates birthday with silver medal at Asian Track Cycling

2022-06-23T14:21:00.005+05:30

Ronaldo (left) at the medal podium

Birjit Yumnam

New Delhi, 22 June 2022:

The last day of the Asian Track Cycling Championship 2022 ended with India’s Ronaldo Singh producing a terrific performance winning a historic silver medal in the sprint event of senior category.

Ronaldo, the show stopper hogged the limelight in the men elite sprint. This was his third medal in the championship. Earlier, he had won bronze medals in 1Km Time Trial and Team Sprint events. On Wednesday, he gave a tough fight to Japan’s experienced rider Kento Yamasaki but finished with a silver. Yamasaki defeated Ronaldo in back-to-back two races to finish at the top of the podium. Kazakhstan’s Andrey Chugay won Bronze in the event.

In the morning, Ronaldo defeated Kazakhstan’s Andrey Chugay in the Semifinal. Ronaldo lost the first race but bounced back to win the next two races to storm into the final.

After settling the Silver medal on his birthday, Ronaldo said, “Gold was in my mind but I’m also happy with the first ever Silver, this is the best ever performance of my career and in every tournament I improved my technique, this is most important and with the blessings of my family, I achieved it.”

Indian Junior Cyclist Birjit Yumnam added one more Bronze for himself as well for India, he secured 23 points in 15km Points Race of Men Junior category and was unlucky by 1 point to grab the Silver as his opponent from Korea Sungyeon Lee secured 24 points for the same. Gold was won by Farrukh Bobosherov of Uzbekistan.

A big surprise of the day was when 19-year-old Chayanika Gogoi opened the Indian tally with Bronze over Kazakhstan’s favourite Rinata Sultanova in 10km Women Scratch Race finals. Youri Kim won Gold while Kie Furuyama of Japan clinched Silver.

Chayanika Gogoi expressed her happiness at winning the medal. She said that “I never missed my training and was very glad that the hard work paid off. My sole aim is to represent and win medals for the country”.

The final day witnessed exuberant performances on the Velodrome with finals of 10 events taking place. However, there were a handful of crashes too but the pain was all erased in the enthusiasm of the cyclists.

Japan topped the medal tally with 18 Gold, 7 Silver and 2 Bronze medals in the 41st Senior & 28th Junior Asian Track & 10th Para Track Cycling Championships held at IGI Sports Complex here. In the world class field, the Indian Cycling team finished their campaign by winning 23 medals including 2 Gold, 6 Silver & 15 Bronze in the Championships which is best ever performance of any Indian Cycling contingent. Korea finished second with 12 Gold, 14 Silver & 3 Bronze medals while Kazakhstan secured third place with 4 Gold, 4 Silver & 3 Bronze.

At the end of championships, delighted Maninder Pal Singh, General Secretary of Cycling Federation of India said, “We started off as the underdogs but we performed more than what was expected from us. He further added that when your athletes start winning medals at the international arena, then every one’s heart says “Ye dil maange more”. I’m happy with the commendable show of our athletes and in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, I’m confident that our athletes will surely give a tough fight to opponents.”

COMBINED MEDAL TALLY OF 41 ST SENIOR & 28 TH JUNIOR ASIAN TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

COUNTRY GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JAPAN 18 7 2

KOREA 12 14 3

KAZAKHSTAN 4 4 3

THAILAND 3 1 2

INDIA 2 6 15

MALAYSIA 2 5 6

IRAN 2 1 3

UZBEKISTAN 1 0 6

UAE 1 0 0

INDONESIA 0 1 0

MEDAL TALLY OF 41 ST SENIOR & 28 TH JUNIOR ASIAN TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

COUNTRY GOLD SILVER BRONZE

JAPAN 15 7 2

KOREA 12 14 3

KAZAKHSTAN 4 4 3

MALAYSIA 2 5 6

UZBEKISTAN 1 0 6

UAE 1 0 0

INDIA 0 4 13

INDONESIA 0 1 0

IRAN 0 0 3

MEDAL TALLY OF 10 TH PARA TRACK CYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

COUNTRY GOLD SILVER BRONZE

THAILAND 3 1 2

JAPAN 3 0 0

INDIA 2 2 2

IRAN 2 1 0

Press release

Qualifier Anshuman packs off 2nd-seed Divyansh

2022-06-23T14:15:00.005+05:30

Alappuzha, June 22: As qualifier Anshuman Agarwal from Goa celebrates his 3-2 victory against Divyansh Srivastava, the second seed from Uttar Pradesh must be licking his wounds, mulling over the first-round loss in the 83rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships at the YMCA facilities, here today.

The UP boy, a potential challenger to top-seed Payas’ hegemony, has to blame it on his lackadaisical performance, and that too, after levelling the score 2-2. To begin with, the Goan lad pushed the envelope beyond his capacity to come out the winner was credible. On the other hand, Divyansh failed to finish his points. In the decider, both had their opportunities and experienced Divyansh should have clinched the game. But a few unforced errors and, in his anxiety to finish, forced himself when he could have kept his cool.

A few other matches in the section witnessed intense battles. Samrath Sharma of Chandigarh posed some problems to Priyanuj Bhattacharyya of Assam when he levelled the score 2-2. The Assam lad, however, won the decider on minimal points to move into the round of 32.

Tharun Shanmugam of Tamil Nadu, leading 2-0, lost his grip over the round of 64 matches when Soumil Mukherjee of West Bengal seized the moment to win 8-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-9. Shivam Chandra of UP made amends in the nick of time to win his first-round match 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 9-11, 12-10 against P. Yeshwanth of Karnataka.

Fortunately, however, all the eight seeds sailed into the round of 32 in the Youth Boys Under-19 in their first-round matches. Seventh-seed Divyansh Srivastava, despite scratchy, defeated Priyansh Bhati of Rajasthan 3-1 to move up. All the other seeded players went through the motions, but the race could intensify as the rounds get closer to the last-four stages that get underway tomorrow.

Important Results:

Youth Boys U-17 (Round 64): Ankur Bhaattacharjee (Ben) bt Sujan Bharadwaj (Kar) 11-7, 11-9, 11-7; Sarth Mishra (UP) bt Chaitanya Karode (MP) 11-4, 11-5, 11-5; Preyesh Raj Suresh (TNTTA) 11-7, 12-10, 11-8; Jash Modi (Mah) bt Udit Sachdev (Mah) 11-5, 11-7, 11-5; K.J. Aakash (mar) bt Aditya Jain (TTFI) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6; Aadarsh Om Chhetri (Del) bt H. Lalruatsanga (TTFI) 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6; Shankhadip Das (Ben) bt Gaurav Panchangam (Mah) 11-9, 11-3, 11-2; Amshuman Agarwal (Goa) bt Divyansh Srivastava (UP) 11-6, 12-10, 4-11, 9-11, 11-9.

Youth Boys U-17 (Round 64): Payas Jain (Del) bt Manoj Arnav (mah) 11-9, 11-8, 11-7; Varun Balusuri (Telg) 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8; H. Jeho (Miz) bt Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Asm) 11-3, 11-5, 11-8; Ankur Bhattachaaryee (Ben) bt Kesavan Kannan (Telg) 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-8; Deepit R. Patil (Mah) bt Anish Sontakke (Mah) 11-7, 11-6, 11-2; Aadarsh Om Chhetri (Del) bt Anokh G. Nair (Ker) 11-5, 11-6, 11-3; Divyansh Srivastava (UP) bt Priyansh Bhati (Raj) 11-7, 13-11, 10-12, 11-6; Yashansh Malik (Del) bt Samrath Sharma (Chd) 11-5, 11-2, 11-2.

A TTFI press release

Ronaldo Singh advances to semifinal in sprint event on day 4 of Asian Track Cycling Championships

2022-06-23T13:53:00.003+05:30

Himanshi Singh

Harashveer Singh Sekhon

New Delhi: June 21, 2022: As we head into Day 4 at the Asian Track Cycling Championships, it is Japan that leads the medal tally with 11 golds. The Japanese have won 11 golds, 6 silver and 2 bronze, with a total of 19 medals. Three of their golds have come from Para Cycling.

The Koreans are in second position with 10G, 9S, 2B ahead of Kazakhstan (4G, 3S, 1B). India is at 5^th place with 2G, 5S & 13B.

Today there were 6 finals but India’s search for a medal on 4^th day of the Championship continues to draw a blank. The growing event ‘Cycling’ in India couldn’t give any medal to India at the end of 4^th day of the Championship but Indian Cyclists won the hearts by giving their best ever performances.

Harashveer Singh Sekhon gave a good fight to the Korean (Euro KIM) & Japanese (Naoki Kojima) Riders in the 30,000m Points race. In this power event, peddlers have to show their endurance & sprint performance where peddlers have to go for Sprints with full energy after every 10 laps of 120 laps race.

Sekhon was in the leading bunch and peddling neck to neck with opponents & finishing creditable 4^th with 43 points behind Korea (61 points) & Japan (60 points) riders. Hammadi Al Mirza secured Gold in this event with 69 points.

Ronaldo Singh won his quarter final event of the Men's Sprint event and advanced to Semi Final where he will challenge to Andrey Chugay of Kazakhstan. Ronaldo clocked 10.394s (69.27km/h) & 10.234s (70.353 km/h) respectively to defeat Jee One Park of Korea in continuous two sprints.

Junior Cyclist Himanshi Singh earned second place in the 7.5km scratch race but was later disqualified on the ground of dangerous driving. She was blocked behind the Malaysian rider and in an attempt to go ahead of the Malaysian & Japanese rider, she made a technical fault and was disqualified by the Commissionaire.

The Gold was won by Ci Hui NYO of Malaysia ahead of Japan’s Mizuki Ikeda & Sofiya Karimova of Uzbekistan.

I had no other option as I was blocked by the riders; you have to learn from every mistake and I will work on my techniques to handle such types of situations in future.” said disappointed Himanshi.

Star Rider Esow once again failed to win his quarter final event of Men Sprint. He lost to Andrey Chugay of Kazakhstan. Esow finished his journey empty handed in this tournament.

Press release