Goals continue to flow as top-ranked sides stay perfect in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023

    Day 2 of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 continued to thrill packed crowds in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela as New Zealand, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany earned comfortable victories, as Pools B and C got underway. New Zealand took on Chile in the first contest of the day in Rourkela. Early nerves from the Chilean defence allowed the Kiwis to grab the initiative and get 3 first half goals, but Chile were resurgent in the second half and grabbed their first ever goal in the FIH Men’s World Cup with a beautiful counter-attacking move to earn a well-deserved consolation goal. It was the turn of the European giants next as each one of Netherlands, Belgium and Germany faced stiff opposition from Malaysia, Korea and Japan respectively, but stepped up their game in the second halves to register comfortable wins by big margins by full times. Netherlands secured a 4-0 win against Malaysia in the second game in Rourkela. It was then Pool B action in Bhubaneswar where Belgium scored 5 second half goals to win 5-0 against Korea, before Germany repeated the same pattern, scoring 3 goals in the second half against Japan to run away 3-0 winners. Match 1: New Zealand vs Chile 3-1 New Zealand were quick out of the gates applying heavy pressure inside the Chile half. Chile relied on counter attacks, looking for runners on the wings to find space behind the Kiwi backline. Playing in their first ever World Cup game, the Chilean backline played tentatively and paid the price in the first half as Sam Lane and Sam Hiha (twice) capitalised on individual errors to put New Zealand up 3-0 inside 20 minutes. Chile were much more composed in defence in the second half and that allowed them to launch long aerial balls behind the New Zealand defence. One such ball found Ignacio Contardo who weaved into the circle, beating 3 Kiwi defenders, before taking the ball past the keeper and finishing on the reverse to give Chile their first ever goal in the Men’s World Cup! The goal proved to be a consolation but it was a good reward for Chile who shook their early nervousness and gave a great account of themselves in the second half. Chile keeper Adrian Henriquez was particularly terrific for them, pulling multiple saves to keep New Zealand out in the entire second half. Sam Ward who opened the scoring was awarded player of the match and said: “Chile are a tough team to play against. We knew it would be a good game, so it is good to get the first win. Looking forward to the next game here.” Match 2: Netherlands vs Malaysia 4-0  The start to the game looked like it could be a long day for Netherlands as the Malaysian defence frustrated the Dutch attackers, comfortably keeping them out of dangerous positions. But an error in the 20th minute by the defence gave Netherlands a half chance and they showed why they are so dangerous as Thijs van Dam pounced on the loose ball and put it away to open the scoring for Netherlands. The Dutch added a second goal before the half as Jip Janssen who had seen a penalty corner saved earlier in the half, put a penalty stroke away in the 24th minute to double his team’s lead. Netherlands added two more goals through Teun Beins and Jorrit Croon, in the fourth quarter after Malaysia had spent a good part of the third quarter on the attack trying to score a goal that would let them back into the game. The final scoreline reflected a comfortable 4-0 win for Netherlands, but Malaysia had their moments in the game for large portions, primarily in the 1st and 3rd quarters. Jorrit Croon, scorer of the beautiful 4th Dutch goal was awarded player of the match and said: “It is a great feeling playing in this stadium in front of this packed crowd. It’s a good win to start the tournament but we can’t get carried away, its just one game and its a long tournament.” Match 3: Belgium vs Korea 5-0 Belgium vs Korea promised to be a thriller with the Olympic and World Champions going head-to-head against Korea who were in brilliant form during the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup that took place in December 2022. Korea gave a great account of themselves in the first half, going toe to toe with Belgium in attack while also keeping the Belgian attack at bay to go into the half at 0-0. Belgium scored in the first minute of the second half with Alexander Hendrickx burying his third penalty corner attempt of the day. The first goal opened the floodgates for Belgium and they tacked on 4 more goals in the final 16 minutes of the game to earn a comfortable win. Victor Wegnez was awarded the player of the match and said: “It was a great team effort. I collect the player of the match, but it’s a team game and we played really well as a team to get this win, which we are very happy with.” Match 4: Germany vs Japan 3-0  Germany vs Japan followed a similar pattern to the game that preceded it as the first half saw Japan frustrate the 2-time champions and match them step for step, but a drop in intensity in the second half gave the German’s a foot in the door and they made full use of the opportunity to grab the goals and take all 3 points. Gonzalo Peillat was stopped twice in the first half from the penalty corners, so Germany tried an intricate variation in the second half and it unlocked the Japanese defence with captain Mats Grambusch getting the final touch. Germany scored a second on a brilliant counter as a pass by Müller from his own half found Rühr behind the Japanese defence, and he rounded the keeper and put the ball in the back of the

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    SA Hockey Women named for Summer Series

      The Summer Series was a quintessential part of the South African Summer before the arrival of the covid pandemic. 2023 will see the familiar favorite make its return as UCT plays host. The South African Women will begin their 2023 adventure with a four match test series against India, supplemented by a friendly game against World Champions Netherlands. Morgan de Jager and Cailynn den Bakker will both have the opportunity to earn their first caps for their country while on the other end of the spectrum Quanita Bobbs is comfortably the most experienced with over 100 caps more than all but three players in the team The exciting Ntsopa Mokoena, who scored a hat-trick in her second test match, and Taheera Augousti, along with Kayla Swarts will play on South African soil for the first time in the green and gold. The series also marks the first test match the South African women have played in South Africa since February 2020, almost three years, simultaneously welcoming fans to the stadium. Tickets are available at the door at UCT. They are R40 for an adult and R10 for under 18. For those unable to attend live the games will be live streamed on Supersport Schools website or the app. SA Hockey Women – Summer Series 2023 Name Caps   Name Caps Antoinette Louw 7   Kristen Paton 64 Bianca Wood 27   Marlise van Tonder 24 Cailynn den Bakker 0   Morgan de Jager 0 Charne Maddocks 16   Ntsopa Makoena 7 Erin Christie 84   Ongeziwe Mali 22 Hannah Pearce 37   Onthatile Zulu 35 Hanrie Louw 18   Quanita Bobbs 163 Jean-Leigh du Toit 19   Stephanie Botha 12 Kayla Swarts 7   Taheera Augousti 7 Kirsty Adams 14   Tarryn Lombard 71   [Summer Series] The Summer Series is back. The SA Womens Hockey team will be playing India in a four match test series with a friendly game against the Netherlands. All games are at UCT, if you are in the area come down and show your support! #SummerSeries23 pic.twitter.com/6Bjeh5cKH0 — SA Hockey (@SA_Hockey) January 14, 2023    

      12 Elite Women’s Teams Compete for Indoor Hockey World Cup Glory at the FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup

        The countdown is on for the 6th FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup, presented by SPAR, as 12 countries gear up to compete for the coveted title on African soil. With Germany opting out of the tournament, the door is open for other teams to step up and take the crown. The tournament will feature one debutant, New Zealand, who will be an unknown quantity for their opponents in Pool A. Hosts SPAR South Africa will also participate in their 4th World Cup, with their best finish being 9th in 2015. The home team will be looking to make a strong showing and secure a spot in the quarter-finals in front of an excited crowd. Two-time winners and tournament favorites Netherlands will be the team to beat, not only in Pool A but in the tournament overall. They recently finished as runners-up in the EuroHockey Indoor Championship. Austria, also returning to the tournament, will be looking to replicate their fourth-place finish in 2015. Rounding out Pool A are ever-present Australia and two-time qualifiers United States. The competition for a place in the Quarter-Finals in Pool A is sure to be fierce and exciting In Pool B, the favorites are the European bronze medalists Ukraine, however, they will face tough competition from the Asian Champions Kazakhstan, African champions Namibia, and European powerhouses the Czech Republic. Namibia is competing in their second consecutive tournament after successfully defending their African title in KwaZulu Natal last year. Kazakhstan, on the other hand, secured their spot by winning the Indoor Asian Championship in 2019, but were not as successful in the 2022 edition and will be looking to improve in Pretoria. The Czech Republic will also be looking to showcase their form that led them to a bronze medal in Europe in 2020 and their status as a formidable team in indoor hockey. Belgium was originally set to host the tournament in Liege in 2022, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they were unable to do so. As hosts, they still qualified for the tournament and are determined to prove their worth on the court. The final team in the tournament is Canada, the runners-up in the Pan American Games. They will be making their third World Cup appearance and will aim to make an impact and qualify for the quarter-final stage.  It promises to be an exhilarating tournament with high octane action! Make sure you get your tickets and are part of the history (https://itickets.co.za/events/470639) Source: SAHockey.co.za

        Perfect starts for favourites on day 1 of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023

          Pool A and Pool D got underway on day 1 of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 as the action began in Bhubaneswar and finished in Rourkela. In Bhubaneswar, Argentina were the first to get on the board, registering a close 1-0 win against South Africa. Australia then went top of Pool A with a dominant 8-0 win against France, who played well despite the unflattering scoreline. Action then shifted to Rourkela where England got the better of neighbours Wales, winning 5-0. It was then home team India’s turn against a tricky Spanish team that has caused them some trouble over the past year in the FIH Hockey Pro League. But after overcoming early nerves, the Indian attack dominated and claimed a 2-0 win to get 3 crucial points in the Pool D encounter. Match 1: Argentina vs South Africa 1-0 Both Argentina and South Africa set a fast tone for the World Cup playing all-out attacking hockey in the first quarter. Both goalkeepers had to be on constant alert as the ball entered the circle multiple times for both teams, but neither team could produce a real threat on the goal. Argentina came out in attack in the second quarter however, earning 3 quick penalty corners, but Gowan Jones stepped up in the South African goal and kept the scores tied. Two yellow cards for Keenan and Catan in the 2nd quarter arrested Argentina’s momentum and the teams went into the break on level terms. Argentina started the second half brighter but couldn’t open the scoring despite earning their 5th and 6th penalty corners early in the half. Argentina did finally manage to break the deadlock in the 43rd minute through a field goal as Maico Casella got in front of Gowan Jones and a slight deflection on a shot by Toscani unsighted the in-form keeper. Argentina held on to the slender lead, as the South African attack lacked penetration, till the very end and took all 3 points. Maico Casella was awarded the player of the match and said: “Good to win the first match, we played well enough. I think the positive we take is the number of penalty corners we won, and we will start converting more going forward.” Match 2: Australia vs France 8-0  Australia were quick off the blocks showing why they are the early tournament favourites. They got the first goal of the game thanks to a brilliant run by Tom Craig as he split the defence, passed to Tim Brand and got a deflection on Craig’s shot to cap off the fantastic move. France were much better in the second quarter but failed to capitalise on their chances and Australia made them pay with 3 goals in the final 4 minutes. Australia had all the momentum going into the half and were quick to get going in the second half as a beautiful team move saw 4 players touch the ball in the circle before it was tapped home by Tom Craig. Jeremy Hayward then scored his third penalty corner goal to complete a smashing hattrick. Tom Brand added a third as well in the 45th minute to become the second Australian to grab a hattrick in the same game! Australia cruised through the final quarter adding one more goal through Tom Wickham to cap off a great 8-0 win and take all 3 points. Hattrick hero Tom Craig was awarded player of the match and said: “Good to get the goals but better feeling winning. We haven’t played tournament hockey since July last year, but we prepared well for this and hopefully we get even better going forward.” Match 3: England vs Wales 5-0 England made a fantastic start to the game as Nicholas Park scored within the first 20 seconds to stun Wales and grab an early lead. But Wales were quick to get up to speed and the remainder of the half was an even contest with both teams trading attacks. England scored at the perfect time again, doubling their lead through a Liam Ansell penalty corner goal with just 2 minutes left in the half, leaving Wales to try and chase the game in the 2nd half. England scored twice in the 3rd quarter to gain total control of the game. Liam Ansel scored his second goal of the game in the 38th minute from a penalty corner, and Phil Roper opened his account with a field goal in the 42nd minute to put the game beyond Wales’ reach. Wales committed heavily to the attack in the final quarter trying to claw a goal back, but England stood firm and scored a 5th goal through Nicholas Bandurak in the 57th minute to seal a perfect win and 3 points for England. Sam Ward was awarded player of the match and said: “Could not have asked for a better start to the tournament. Just want to keep the momentum going from here on out and into the next game against India.” Match 4: India vs Spain 2-0  The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela was packed to the rafters as home team India took on rivals Spain in a big Pool D encounter to close day 1 of the World Cup. The game was also attended by Shri Naveen Patnaik, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Prem Singh Tamang, Hon’ble Chief minister of Sikkim, Shri Tayyab Ikram, President – International Hockey Federation, Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey, President – Hockey India, accompanied by Cdr RK Srivastava, Executive Director, Hockey India. Spain started the game on the front foot causing India some nervy moments, but India settled down soon and were in front by the end of first quarter as Amit Rohidas capitalised on a blocked drag flick by Harmanpreet to bury a shot in the goal, which was India’s 200th goal in the competition! India struck again before the half through a goal by Hardik to take a solid 2-0 lead into the half. India had

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          FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup | Argentina edge South Africa in opener

            Since Belgium lifted their first ever FIH Hockey World Cup title at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the same venue played host to the opening game of the next edition. FIH Hockey Nations Cup champions South Africa taking on the 2016 Olympic champions Argentina. The opening exchanges had an element of early tournament jitters as neither side were able to create any significant moment of quality, with both offering a glimmer of the threat available as a potential warning sign. Nic Spooner was instrumental for the African champions in curtailing the Argentinean threat in the middle of the park. Argentina ramped up the pressure in the second quarter and were awarded a penalty corner that was superbly saved by Gowan Jones before the next awarded was well defended by Eustice. Argentina was clearly gaining the upper hand, but Gowan Jones was marshalling the defense in the same superb way he did at the Commonwealth Games last year. That period of dominance was halted by Argentina being shown the first card of the game when Nicolas Keenan was given a yellow card for foul play and the South Africans would see out the first half with a player advantage. They were disappointingly not able to capitalize on the number supremacy with the best moment seeing a Bili Ntuli cross narrowly miss the diving attention of Keenan Horne. At half time the tournament was still waiting its first goal. Argentina won a fortuitous penalty corner early in the second half but a poor execution from the Argentines saw Jones untroubled in the goal for the Africans. The South Africans were doing well at extinguishing the Argentine and finally had their first penalty corner opportunity in the 40th minute. The attempted variation was defended by the Argentines and the stalemate continued. It was Argentina who struck first when Maica Casella inched in front of Gowan Jones with the slightest touch and the ball bundled home to give the South Americans the lead. They had the opportunity before the break with another penalty corner, but they wasted it again. 15 minutes remained in the opening match. South Africa won a penalty corner after a superb referral from Dayaan Cassiem. The first was charged down with a foot. But the second saw Jacques van Tonder effort charged down superbly. Although they had the opportunity to create on the break the Argentines were frustrated by their lack of effectiveness. They were however awarded two penalty corners with the chance to stretch the lead, but they failed to add to the score line. Ryan Julius created his own pocket of space and went for the slap finish, but it was easily saved by Santiago. Tevin Kok then had a reverse stick shot saved, this one a lot tougher for Santiago as the Africans desperately looked for and equalizer. Dayaan Cassiem asked the next question and was rewarded with a penalty corner. The run was charged down and blown for danger, but the South Africans immediately referred but the on-field decision was upheld with four minutes remaining. Argentina slowed the game down at every opportunity as the final minutes approached. There was time for the South Africans to ask one more question but the Argentines were able to answer it and seal an opening day victory. South Africa next play France on Monday in a pivotal game of Pool A. Source: SAHockey.co.za

            FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup Trophy launched in Cape Town

              The FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup, presented by SPAR, is just 25 days away. With the tournament nearing its historic arrival on African Soil the World Cup Trophies have arrived in the country. At the recent International Indoor series in Cape Town featuring both the South African sides the trophies were launched and paraded to the adoring fans. In front of adoring fans, the trophies were placed upon their respective pedestals by SA Hockey president Deon Morgan and Namibian Deputy Minister of Sport Ms. Emma Katema-Gaomas. The trophies will be under the keen supervision of Nkosi the Lion, the mascot of the 2023 FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup until the final on the 11 February 2023. The FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup, presented by SPAR, will feature 12 Men’s teams and 12 women’s teams competing with the objective of getting their hands on the trophy and raising it aloft in jubilation at the completion of the event. Robert Tigges, the coach of the Netherlands Men’s Indoor Hockey side and captain of the team that lifted the trophy in 2015, was excited for the arrival of the tournament: “The love for the game has been created over the years and I expect the crowds to be very good and noisy. South Africa know how to host a wonderful tournament and the African energy will be good at the tournament! The youngsters will have the opportunity to see their stars play and the future stars will be inspired at the tournament. Tickets are available for the tournament at https://itickets.co.za/events/470639 [FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup] The FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup Trophies are in South Africa. They were launched and shared with thousands of kids in Cape Town as the count down to the historic tournament gets closer. More details on https://t.co/8F8iMGK8p4 pic.twitter.com/lpN9qwcLBW — SA Hockey (@SA_Hockey) January 11, 2023

              FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023: what the captains and coaches have to say! 

                Bhubaneswar, India – With just 1 day to go for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, the players and coaches of all teams have spoken to express their expectations. David Ames, Captain (England) “India is always an exciting place to come and play hockey. We are looking forward to playing against big teams and registering some famous victories in the tournament. I think we are a contender for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela trophy. There is a lot of belief in our camp as everyone is confident about their abilities.” Thierry Brinkman, Captain (Netherlands)  “The last few months in the build-up to the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela have been pretty good for us. The team is completely ready for the tournament. It is amazing to be here again and we are excited to play in front of the hockey fans in the tournament.” Jorge Dabanch, Head Coach (Chile) “It will be interesting to play in Rourkela as they have built a new stadium here and the crowd is amazing as well. There are many top teams in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela and we will look to register a win against these top sides in the tournament.” Akira Takahashi, Head Coach (Japan) “We have played in India before and are excited to be here for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. Our team has some good players who can play well against the top sides in the tournament and it will be a pleasure to play in front of such a big crowd. The tournament is filled with top teams and we are ready to face them and produce exciting results.” Frederic Soyez, Head Coach (France) “We are not looking for the title at the moment. Our team is focused on the first match of the tournament right now and then we will see where we end up. We prepared for this tournament with an aim to do better than last year and I think we have the quality to perform well against the top teams.” Alvaro Iglesias, Captain (Spain)  “We know the stadium in Rourkela is bigger. We know there will be a lot more crowd there. It will be hard to listen to our teammates and the instructions from the referee as well. But it will be an incredibly exciting atmosphere and we are really looking forward to playing here,” Lee Namyong, Captain (Korea)  “Our players are excited to be here and we have big ambitions in the tournament. We want to do well and have confidence that we will be able to win the big matches in FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. Our team has a lot of experience and it will be crucial for us.” Rupert Shipperley, Captain (Wales)  “We are here to win, it’s as simple as that. We are not here to just make up the numbers, we are here to cause an upset. We are looking forward to playing India in front of their fans, it is going to be a special occasion. We have faced all the teams in our pool before and we know what to expect, we are just raring to go now.” Greg Nicol, Head Coach (New Zealand) “We came to Bhubaneswar not so long ago to play in the FIH Pro League and are excited to come to Odisha again for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. The crowd here is fantastic and our team really enjoys playing in this atmosphere, especially in the World Cup. It’s a major tournament for our sport and hopefully, we can play well and get some wins.” Marhan Jalil, Captain (Malaysia) “We are fully prepared for the World Cup and will look to do our best on the pitch. Our group is tough as we have teams like the Netherlands and New Zealand in it and it will be an uphill task to beat them. However, we have full belief in ourselves and the matches will be exciting for the players.” Andre Henning, Head Coach (Germany)  “We had a strong year as we won 13 FIH Pro League matches and were between 5th and 6th in the World Rankings. So, we are looking forward to playing in the tournament and if we reach the semis that would be a big success. However, our ultimate aim is to win the World Cup trophy.” Eddie Ockenden, Captain (Australia)   “Our players are really excited to be here and we have big ambitions in the tournament. We want to do well and have confidence that we will be able to win the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela title. Our team has a lot of experience and it will be really crucial for us.” Cheslyn Gie, Head Coach (South Africa) “We think the games against Australia and Argentina will definitely be the toughest for us in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. It is an exciting prospect for the players to have two venues, and if we get to play India it will be an experience as the whole stadium becomes very vibrant due to the fans.” Matias Rey, Captain (Argentina) “We take inspiration from Lionel Messi and our football team who won the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They did a great job and we will try to repeat the same thing at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, it will be difficult but we are motivated and want to win the tournament and make the country proud.” Felix Denayer, Captain (Belgium) “I think the tournament will be a challenge, but we also have the experience so we feel confident and we are very hungry to retain the trophy. We are an ambitious group. And I think we need these kinds of challenges to perform at our best level,” Harmanpreet Singh, Captain (India) “There is anticipation and excitement in equal measure. As

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                Trophy Celebrations for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 to get underway today in Odisha

                  11 January 2023 The festivities of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela will get underway today at 6pm (IST) as some of the biggest performers of India will headline the Trophy Celebrations at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha. The celebrations will see global and local celebrities light up the stadium with their musical and dance performances. Bollywood superstars Ranveer Singh and Disha Patani will perform in front of a packed stadium that will seat over 40,000 spectators. Not just those in the stadium will get to witness the spectacle, but fans all around the city will also be able to watch on Giant LED screens in the 16 Hockey Fan Parks for live streaming of the celebrations. The fans will also get to sway to the musical stylings of internationally acclaimed K-Pop band: Black Swan, which includes local Odisha singer Shreya Lenka! Popular Indian musician/composer Pritam, who composed the official anthem of the World Cup “Hockey Hai Dil Mera”, will also take stage along with the 11 singers who sang the anthem. The rich night of music will be further enhanced by the rock and roll music of iconic bollywood singers Benny Dayal and Neeti Mohan. Talented performers from the state of Odisha will also add in a local flavour, led by Odissi dancing legend: Guru Aruna Mohanty. The Trophy Celebrations will showcase India’s rich culture and history, while also highlighting its recent advancements. It will also signal the start of the 15th edition of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, which will get underway on 13 January 2023, with the first two matches of the day being played in Bhubaneswar followed by two more matches in the evening, in the brand-new Birsa Munda International Hockey stadium in Rourkela. The FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela Trophy Celebrations start at 18:00 local time (13:30 CET) and can be watched by hockey fans all around the world on Watch.Hockey. #HWC2023 #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website.