ACN 2022 – Match Schedules – DAY 1

ACN 2022 - MATCH SCHEDULES - DAY 1MATCH SCHEDULE - JANUARY 17, 2022 Namibia(W) 3 Uganda(W) 0   Watch live S. Africa(W) 3 Zimbabwe(W) 0   Watch live Ghana(W) 2 Nigeria(W) 2   Watch live Ghana(M) 1 Uganda(M) 1   Watch live Egypt(M) 4 Nigeria(M) 2   Watch live S. Africa(M) 13 Namibia(M) 0   Watch live ACN 2022 - Day 1 Pictures

ACN 2022 – Match Schedules

ACN 2022 - MATCH SCHEDULESMATCH SCHEDULE - JANUARY 17, 2022 Namibia(W) 3 Uganda(W) 0   Watch live S. Africa(W) 3 Zimbabwe(W) 0   Watch live Ghana(W) 2 Nigeria(W) 2   Watch live Ghana(M) 1 Uganda(M) 1   Watch live Egypt(M) 4 Nigeria(M) 2   Watch live S. Africa(M) 13 Namibia(M) 0   Watch live MATCH SCHEDULE - JANUARY 18, 2022 Zimbabwe(W) 5 Uganda(W) 0 Nigeria(W) 2 Zambia(W) 1 Nigeria(M) 10 Uganda(M) 3 Namibia(W) 0 S. Africa(W) 6 Namibia(M) 1 Kenya(M) 4 Ghana(M) 0 Egypt(M) 1 MATCH SCHEDULE - JANUARY 19, 2022 Kenya(W) 3 Zambia(W) 0   Watch live Kenya(M) 0 S. Africa(M) 0 MATCH SCHEDULE - JANUARY 20, 2022 Nigeria(W) 1 Kenya(W) 2 Zimbabwe(W) 1 Namibia(W) 1 Egypt(M) 3 Uganda(M) 1 Ghana(W) 4 Zambia(W) 0 S. Africa(W) 10 Uganda(W) 0 Nigeria(M) 1 Ghana(M) 1 Pool Matches and more coming soon!

Argentina tops the polls in FIH Best of 2021 fan vote

Media Release – Argentina tops the polls in FIH Best of 2021 fan vote

14 January 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: The top honours in the FIH Best of 2021 fan vote have both gone the way of Argentina, with the men’s team taking the Best Goal prize and the women the award for Best Match, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) can reveal.  The Best Goal of 2021 award, as voted for by the fans of the sport, goes to Nicolas Keenan’s outrageous smash-shot against host nation Japan in the pool phase of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.  Following an exchange of passes with Juan Lopez, Keenan produced a moment of sporting magic with three touches all within a second of each other, lifting the ball over a defender’s stick at the top of the circle before changing the angle in mid-air and crashing a vicious overhead strike against the backboard of the Japanese goal.  It was a strike of pure, instinctive brilliance from Keenan, a truly iconic moment from a wonderful hockey competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.  The fan’s choice for the Best Match of 2021 also came from Tokyo 2020, with Argentina’s superb 3-0 quarter-final triumph over Germany generating the most votes.  Germany’s second place finish behind the Netherlands in Pool A saw them come into the match against Las Leonas, who finished third in Pool B, as marginal favourites. However, the giants of Pan American hockey produced a dominant display against Die Danas, with the deadlock being broken in the 27th minute by Agustina Albertarrio, a goal voted by the fans as the second best of 2021.  A Victoria Granatto penalty corner doubled Argentina’s advantage just before half time, with the result being put beyond all doubt by teenager and FIH Rising Star of the Year 2021 nominee Valentina Raposo, who fired home a superb penalty corner strike to send the eventual silver medallists into the semi-finals.  The top three in both the best goal and best match categories can be found below.  Best Goal of 2021 1st Place: Nicolas Keenan (ARG). Argentina Men v Japan (Pool phase) – Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 2nd Place: Agustina Albertarrio (ARG). Argentina Women v Germany (Quarter-Final) – Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 3rd Place: Dayaan Cassiem (RSA). South Africa Men v Belgium (Pool phase) – Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Best Match of 2021 1st Place: Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Women’s Quarter-Final – Germany 0-3 Argentina 2nd Place: Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Men’s Pool B – South Africa 4-3 Germany  3rd Place: Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: Men’s Bronze Medal – Germany 4-5 India To see the complete shortlists for the goal and match of 2021 categories, please click here. 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. #FavouriteGoal #FavouriteMatch #HockeyInvites

FIH Media Release

Media Release – Women’s Junior World Cup to be played in South Africa in April, Indoor World Cup cancelled

Lausanne, Switzerland: Meeting today virtually for the first time of the year, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) have decided that the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, which was initially scheduled to be played in December 2021 but had to be put “on hold” due to the Omicron variant outbreak, will be staged from 2 to 13 April 2022 at the originally planned venue, the North-West University of Potchefstroom in South Africa. “Since the postponement of this event, we’ve been in permanent contact with the South African Hockey Association. Based on the reports about the current evolution of the health situation in the country, the EB has confirmed its decision from its December meeting, namely that the tournament should be postponed – and not cancelled – and that South Africa should have priority for hosting it. We’re aware that the new dates are challenging for some nations – in particular because of Ramadan or the European club calendar – but it was essential for FIH to fully support the wish of the athletes to play. We’re looking forward to a great event with hockey’s female rising stars!”, FIH CEO Thierry Weil commented. Sadly however, FIH and Hockey Belgium have been forced to cancel the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup Belgium 2022. This decision has been taken on the basis of the current health situation in Belgium and after extensive consultations with and recommendation from all official and competent authorities in the country. Thierry Weil said: “The FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup is the pinnacle of indoor hockey. Therefore, considering all indoor hockey athletes and fans, it was extremely hard to cancel the 2022 edition planned in just a few weeks. But, of course, we have followed the recommendations of the local authorities. On behalf of FIH, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the Belgian organisers, and in particular the Belgian Hockey Association, for their tremendous preparation works and their great dedication.” Finally, the EB took note that the first FIH Hockey Pro League matches of the year, involving the Women’s teams of China and India, will take place on 31 January and 1 February 2022 in Oman, where both teams will be to play the Women’s Asia Cup, which has recently been moved from Thailand to Oman, precisely. 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. 

FIH_Sports Radar

Media Release – FIH appoints Sportradar as exclusive betting data rights partner through 2030

20 December 2021 Agreement includes provision of a bespoke Competition Management platform for FIH and its member associations Lausanne and St.Gallen, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Sportradar (NASDAQ: SRAD), the leading global sports technology company that creates immersive experiences for sports fans, today announced a global partnership which makes Sportradar the exclusive betting and gaming data rights partner of hockey’s world governing body through to the end of the 2029/30 season. As part of the agreement, Sportradar will collect and distribute betting data globally from all FIH competitions for the next nine years. This includes approximately 300 matches each season including the FIH Hockey World Cups, FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers, FIH Indoor Hockey World Cups, FIH Hockey Pro League and FIH Hockey5s World Cups, as well as the Olympic Qualifiers. Sportradar will also provide FIH with a bespoke Competition Management platform to manage their tournaments and data more effectively. Intuitive and easy-to-use, the platform is tailor-made to fit FIH’s rules and regulations and will help manage competitions, match results, player statistics, rankings and much more. The Competition Management platform will also be made available to all FIH member associations including continental and national associations. Through a dedicated and focused effort to collect a deeper level of data, FIH will be able to harness the data to provide more insights to engage hockey fans around the world. As part of the agreement, Sportradar will also provide Integrity Services. Sportradar’s Universal Fraud Detection Service (UFDS), a proven bet monitoring system, will help maintain the integrity of FIH competitions and protect them from match-fixing and other risks. Education and prevention workshops will also be provided to officials. Ed Blonk, Chief Commercial Officer and Regional CEO APAC, Sportradar said: “Sportradar’s experience and technological know-how will allow us to create bespoke solutions for FIH that will help to elevate the profile of hockey and enable the continued growth of the game. Combined with the expertise in leveraging the power of sports data, we look forward to creating enhanced levels of engagement with hockey fans together with FIH.” FIH CEO Thierry Weil added: “One of our key initiatives is to develop exciting and entertaining events that are meaningful for athletes as well as fan-focused to attract new fans and boost participation. With Sportradar’s proven track record supporting some of the world’s biggest sports federations, we are confident that this partnership will largely contribute to growing hockey globally through bespoke data. Furthermore, we’re looking forward to benefitting from Sportradar’s expertise in providing intelligence solutions to maintain sport’s integrity.” 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.  About Sportradar Sportradar is the leading global sports technology company creating immersive experiences for sports fans and bettors. Established in 2001, the company is well positioned at the intersection of the sports, media and betting industries, providing sports federations, news media, consumer platforms and sports-betting operators with a range of solutions to help grow their business. Sportradar employs more than 2,300 full time employees across 19 countries around the world. It is our commitment to excellent service, quality and reliability that makes us the trusted partner of more than 1,600 customers in over 120 countries and an official partner of the NBA, NHL, MLB, NASCAR, UEFA, FIFA, ICC, and ITF. We cover more than 750,000 events annually across 83 sports. With deep industry relationships, Sportradar is not just redefining the sports fan experience; it also safeguards the sports themselves through its Integrity Services division and advocacy for an integrity-driven environment for all involved. www.sportradar.com Source: Sportradar Group AG

FIH Media Release

Media Advisory – Plenty of highlights despite a year of uncertainty

21 December 2021 Lausanne, Switzerland: Will it won’t it? Will it won’t it? Whether sports events were going ahead or not during 2021 was the most common question among athletes, coaching staff, volunteers and fans. Despite the uncertainty that gripped the world, teams continued to prepare, volunteers continued to offer their services and fans continued to hope that they would get the chance to watch, support, cheer and celebrate. And by a combination of determination, incredible attention to detail, superb organisation and a collective willingness, the greatest sports show on earth did get its day in the sun. The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 finally burst into life 12 months later than originally scheduled but with the same verve, energy and excellence of any previous Games. It was also a common observation that this Games was more emotional than any previous one, simply because everyone was so relieved that they could finally get to compete. And it was glorious. Belgium men and Netherlands women came away with gold medals after displays of sheer excellence. The final between Australia and Belgium men will long be remembered as one of the most dramatic endings to a competition, while the Netherlands women swept to victory against Argentina at the end of a campaign that sealed their position as one of the best teams – in any sport – in the world. It was not all about the winners. South Africa men dazzled us with their skill and creativity; India men and women’s teams showed how a nation’s support could be ignited by a performance; the host nation showed how an army of volunteers could make even an empty stadium a warm, welcoming and exciting place to be. The other major international event to take place was the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar. It was an event where new heroes stepped forth, not least the Player of the Tournament Timothee Clement of France and goal-scoring machine Miles Bukkens of the Netherlands. But it was the junior men of Argentina, led by former international and 2016 Olympic gold medallist Lucas Rey who stole the show. They out-played the hitherto excellent German team to win the title and become another chapter in Argentina’s hockey success story. The third season of the FIH Hockey Pro League also got under way with some European teams able to get the competition started. Netherlands women continued where they finished season two – winning their matches against Belgium and Germany – and introducing a number of new players to their roster. Belgium men had mixed fortunes. They had a glorious opening encounter with Germany, winning both matches in dazzling style. They then met the rejuvenated Netherlands under new Head Coach Jerome Delmee. The Dutch won and gave a glimpse of an exciting new era for the men in orange. The FIH Hockey Pro League continues in February with new teams taking their place in the competition – for this season only. Spain and India women’s national teams and Canada and South Africa men will be new names on the fixture list and the hockey world cannot fail to be excited to see these teams in action on a regular basis. Looking ahead to the first part of 2022, the top quality action gets underway in Liège, Belgium, with the sixth edition of the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup. The event is always a great spectacle and introduces new players and teams to hockey fans. Among the teams appearing in Liège will be Kazakhstan, Namibia, Iran, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, each displaying their own style of hockey. A launch event for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup Belgium 2022 took place in September, with FIH CEO Thierry Weil, Wallonia Brussels Federation Sports Minister Valérie Glatigny, Liège Province Vice-President Katty Firquet, Wallonia Brussels Federation Sports Administration General Manager Alain Laitat and Royal Belgian Hockey Association President Patrick Keusters all in attendance. The event runs from 2 February to 6 February. Despite some international hockey action taking place, much has also been disrupted or cancelled due to the global pandemic. The Junior Women’s World Cup in South Africa was a casualty, although FIH has confirmed that everything will be done so that the event takes place in 2022. Australia and New Zealand have seen all their international involvement curtailed due to Covid-related travel restrictions. These restrictions have not stopped online hockey activity; the use of which has sped up and proliferated during the pandemic. The #HockeyInvites Year of the Youth initiative, created and organised by the FIH Academy, saw numerous projects launched, with the aim of inspiring the next generation of athletes, coaches, officials and leaders. Among the projects launched were FIH World Hockey Camps, the FIH Academy Young Leader Membership and a #HockeyInvites Year of the Youth programme where young, aspiring hockey players from around the world were able to link up with athletes and coaches to remain engaged with the game and to develop their understanding and performance. Meanwhile, also utilising online facilities to bring people together to share ideas was the programme of FIH Gender Equality Workshops. An opening webinar introducing the theme and starting a conversation was held in the early part of 2021 and from that launch point, webinars have been held by the Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF), the African Hockey Federation (AfHF) and the European Hockey Federation (EHF). Each webinar unearthed different gender issues and set in motion plans to make important, progressive changes. 2021 was the year when the spotlight was thrown on every organisation’s environmental impact and sustainability strategies. The creation of the FIH Sustainability Task Force in March is an important step for hockey in this regard. Working with its partner Polytan and its Preferred Suppliers, the FIH will endeavour to ensure its environmental footprint is as small as possible. The delivery of climate positive turfs for Tokyo 2020 was one example of the progressive work being carried out in this area. One of the pillars of FIH strategy

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FIH Media Release

South Africa and Canada to join Men’s FIH Hockey Pro League

8 December 2021 Lausanne, Switzerland: Meeting today virtually for the last time of the year, the Executive Board (EB) of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) approved the participation of South Africa and Canada in the third edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey Pro League. As informed earlier, this participation is temporary and limited to this edition only. Both teams replace Australia and New Zealand, who had to pull out of the current season due to COVID-related international travel constraints. “It’s great that both South Africa and Canada are joining the FIH Hockey Pro League. Both teams are the first ones from Africa and North America to join the Men’s League, which is excellent for the growth and globalisation of hockey”, FIH CEO Thierry Weil commented. The first Pro League matches of the year in 2022 will involve the Women’s teams of China and India. They will take place on 31 January – 1 February in Thailand, where both teams will be to play the Women’s Asia Cup 2022. The current match schedule of this Pro League season is available here. Furthermore, the EB members extended congratulations and thanks to Hockey India for their outstanding work in hosting a magnificent FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. Regarding the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021, which was initially scheduled for this month but had to be put “on hold” because of the Omicron variant outbreak, the EB has decided that this event should be postponed and that South Africa should have priority for hosting it. The EB also expressed thanks to the organisers – both the South African Hockey Association and the North-West University of Potchefstroom – for their intense preparations. 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.