Posts Tagged ‘Auckland’
Written by admin on 16 April 2012
Auckland, April 16 (IANS) The Indian women’s hockey team settled for the bronze medal going down 1-2 to the US by a golden goal in the play-off at Harbour Hockey Stadium in the first leg of the four-nation tournament here Monday.
Tied 1-1 at the end of the hooter, India conceded a penalty stroke which was converted by US captain Lauren Crandall in the 73rd minute.
The golden goal dashed India’s hope of registering their first win of the tournament.
India and US played a defensive game and it was the latter who took the lead in the 47th minute through a penalty corner. Shannon Taylor dragged the ball beating defender Joydeep Kaur to sound the board.
India started pressing and made some good penetrations in the circle but they weren’t able to score as few Indian forwards held the ball few seconds extra that allowed US defenders to come back in to high numbers to defend their goal.
India finally managed to draw level by scoring in the 56th minute when Poonam Rani penetrated into the circle to give a tailor made pass to Chanchan Thokchom and the latter made no mistake to tip-in the ball.
US got four penalty corners until the final whistle their scoring chances. On the other hand for the Indians once again Poonam could not give the final touch to Asunta’s well directed ball.
After the final whistle in the extra time, a hard hit rose alarmingly from Asunta’s stick inside the circle and the umpire gave penalty corner.
A direct shot by Shannon hit Joydeep’s foot and umpire gave penalty stroke which was converted by Lauren Crandall in the 73rd minute.
In the final match, New Zealand beat Australia by 3-2 to win the tournament.
The second leg of the four nation tournament will be played at Lloyd Elsmore hockey stadium in Pakuranga, New Zealand from April 18- 22.
India will take on the US April 18 followed by Australia and New Zealand.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 15 April 2012
Auckland, April 15 (IANS) Indian women went down 0-1 to Australia in the last round robin league match of the four-nation tournament at the Harbour Hockey Stadium here Sunday.
India missed a chance of taking early lead when a wrong pass from Rani to Vandana Katariya was intercepted by the opponents. Australia on the other hand, capitalized their chance from a penalty corner direct flick rebound which was stopped at the goal line by Joydeep and the rebound came to Georgia Nanscawen, who made no mistake in putting the ball behind the net in the sixth minute.
Australians dominated in the first half and started penetration through cross hits from both sides. Most of the attempts were well stopped and protected by the defenders Joydeep and Kirandeep Kaur.
India started well in the second half and made some constructive attack on the opponents but failed to score any goal.
India will play against US for the third-fourth position Monday.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 13 April 2012
Auckland, April 13 (IANS) The Indian women’s hockey team was held ro a 1-1 draw by the US in the Four Nation Hockey Tournament at the Harbour Hockey Stadium here Friday.
India took the lead in the 27th minute through Deepika while US found the equalizer through Katie’O Donnell in the 66th minute.
India largely dominated the proceedings in the match but faltered in the end when they lost ball possession to their rivals thereby allowing US to penetrate the striking circle and score.
India earned four penalty corners but could not encash on any as compared to the US.
The Indian defence and midfield was compact with Joydeep Kaur, Asunta lakra and Ritu Rani making timely interceptions.
India will now play Australia Sunday in their last round robin league match of the first phase of the tournament.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 12 April 2012
Auckland, April 12 (IANS) The Indian women’s hockey team Thursday went down fighting 1-2 to hosts New Zealand in their opening match of the Four-Nation Tournament at the Harbour Hockey Stadium here.
The goal scorers for New Zealand were Anita Punt (3rd) and Katie Glynn (24th), while Anuradha Devi Thokchom sounded the board for India in the 40th minute.
In windy and cool conditions, New Zealand made the perfect start with striker Anita scoring the opening goal after a circle scramble in the 3rd minute.
India made a number of penetrating runs from forwards Rani Rampal, Vandana Katariya and Ritu Rani but found the Kiwi defenders rising to the occasion.
India played full press in the first half and earned four penalty corners but were unable to break New Zealand’s clean sheet.
The Kiwis increased their lead in the 24th minute with the powerful Katie Glynn smashing the ball high into the goal past Indian goalkeeper Yogita Bali. Glynn had earlier executed an impressive drag-flick attempt from a penalty corner which was saved by Bali.
After the breather India attacked rigorously and were rewarded when Poonam Rani set up Anuradha Devi Thokchom who found the target in the 40th minute. India kept pushing for the equalizer but brilliant saves from New Zealand goalkeeper Bianca Russell enabled the home team to hold on to the 2-1 victory.
India will now play the US in their second match Friday.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 29 March 2012
Auckland (New Zealand), March 29 (IANS) Team MRF, with a two-car line-up comprising Indian champion Gaurav Gill (co-driver Glenn Macneall) and fresh recruit Chris Atkinson (Stephane Prevot), both in brand new Skoda Fabia S2000 cars, will begin their quest to regain the Asia Pacific Rally Championship title here this weekend when the Rally of Wangharei will be held.
Queenslander Atkinson and Delhi-based Gill, in the Race Torque-prepared cars, are determined to push for victory against last year’s championship-winning Proton team.
Perth-based Race Torque, who have run Group N Mitsubishi Lancers in recent seasons, have taken delivery of the Czech-built Skodas with both drivers eager to get behind the wheel for the first time.
‘I’m really looking forward to working with the guys at Race Torque and driving the Skoda in New Zealand,’ Atkinson said soon after his return to the World Rally Championship in Mexico.
‘So far, I have only driven the Proton in the Super 2000 class, so it will be interesting to hop into the Skoda and see how it compares. I was speaking to Sebastien Ogier about the car when I was in Mexico and he was saying it’s a fantastic car to drive.
‘Until I drive it, it’s hard to compare it against what I’ve driven before, but it’s won the IRC series and a lot of rallies in Europe, so I’m sure it’s a great car.
‘The team will have a pretty good idea on set-up for New Zealand, so the performance won’t be miles away,’ said Atkinson who replaces 2010 champion Katsu Taguchi with MRF switching from Mitsubishi Lancer to the Skoda this season.
‘Winning in Whangarei was the highlight of the championship for Stephane (Prevot) and I last year. To drive on the old WRC stages is a real thrill, and in the Super 2000 car it’s just amazing,’ Atkinson said.
Gill and his Kiwi co-driver Macneall, will receive equal number one status in Team MRF, with both crews pushing hard to start the year with maximum points.
Team MRF’s biggest opposition for the 2012 championship title is likely to come from Proton Motorsports, with last year’s series winner, Alister McRae, being joined by Sweden’s Per Gunnar Andersson this year.
Malaysian veteran, Karamjit Singh, heads a three-car Proton assault from the Cusco Rally Team that is also likely to challenge for podium placings.
‘The 2012 season has been a long time in the planning, but we’re extremely excited about getting to the first event and putting the new Skodas to the test,’ Race Torque managing directing, Lane Heenan, said.
‘The Skoda is one of the most competitive cars in the Super 2000 category, and I know both drivers are eager to get behind the wheel to see how fast the cars really are.
‘We’ve had some shipping delays in getting the cars to New Zealand, but with drivers of the calibre of Chris and Gaurav, that shouldn’t be a problem.’
Team MRF are three-time APRC champions, having taken the title with Germany’s Armin Kremer (2003), Finland’s Jussi Valimaki (2005) and Japan’s Katsu Taguchi in 2010.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 08 January 2012
Auckland, Jan 8 (IANS) China’s Zheng Jie came back from a set down to claim the ASB Classic women’s tennis title 2-6, 6-3, 2-0 here Sunday.
Playing indoors after the scheduled match day was washed out by rain Saturday, Italy’s Flavia Pennetta yielded the game when she pulled out with a back injury while trailing in the third set.
It was the first WTA title for the unseeded Zheng since winning at Estoril and Stockholm in 2006.
Zheng went down 2-6 in the first set, but took control of the match when the fourth seed Italian started complaining of a back injury.
The first signs of trouble came when the Italian called a medical time out for a problem with her back while she was leading 5-2.
Despite the problem, Pennetta’s play appeared to be unaffected and she held serve to claim the set.
However, the second set proved to be her breaking point and Zheng took four games in a row.
Fearing she would aggravate her injury, Pennetta called it quits early in the third set, when Zheng was leading 2-0.
Zheng secured her place in the finals by defeating number 3 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 Friday.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 05 January 2012
Auckland, Jan 5 (IANS) Top seed Sabine Lisicki of Germany was forced to retire injured in her ASB Tennis Classic quarterfinal against compatriot Angelique Kerber here Thursday.
Kerber won the first set 6-4 and was up 4-3 in the second when Lisicki withdrew with an abdominal injury, Xinhua reported.
Kerber will play the fourth seed Flavia Pennetta of Italy in the semifinal, who beat Elena Vesnina of Russia in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
China’s Zheng Jie also had little trouble in beating Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic, winning 6-2, 6-3.
Third seed and two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia plays Sara Errani of Italy Thursday evening to decide who will take the last semifinal berth.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 11 December 2011
Auckland, Dec 11 (IANS) Australia made history by becoming the first team to win four FIH Champions Trophy hockey tournaments in succession following a 1-0 win over Spain in the final here Sunday.
Eddie Ockenden was in the right place at the right time to force home a penalty corner rebound eleven minutes from the end of the game, giving the mighty Kookaburras a stunning success.
The match was an incredibly close contest, with both sides enjoying periods of domination. Spain arguably had the better of the first half and could easily have been ahead when Roc Oliva and David Alegre saw their efforts miss the target. Newly-crowned FIH Young Player of the Year Matthew Swann also produced an outstanding tackle on Spain’s Edi Tubau as the striker was about to shoot in the dying moments of the first half.
Tempers began to flair at the start of the second half and umpire Hamish Jamson informed team captains Jamie Dwyer and Santi Freixa that their sides need to cool it. As the match progressed, the world champions began to assert their authority and went close to opening the scoring through Timothy Deavin and Jason Wilson, but the outstanding Spanish defence held firm.
In the 59th minute, Australia scored the crucial goal from a penalty corner, with Eddie Ockenden following up to volley home moments after Spain keeper Francisco Cortes saved Luke Doerner’s flicked effort from the top. Although the Spanish rallied hard towards the end, the all-conquering Australians closed the game out to add yet another trophy to their ever growing collection.
‘It was a typical final,’ Australia coach Ric Charlesworth was quoted as saying in the official website.
‘It was very tough. We played much better than our first game against Spain, which was good. The one or two chances that Spain had came from out errors so if we can iron them out we will be a very tough team to beat.’
Five time FIH Player of the Year Jamie Dwyer was also pleased with the performance of his team. ‘I am very proud to win it again. Spain came here with a point to prove after the disappointment of the Euros and did just that so we are very happy to win.’
Final standings: Gold: Australia, Silver: Spain, Bronze: The Netherlands.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 10 December 2011
Auckland, Dec 10 (IANS) Australian hockey superstar Jamie Dwyer was honoured with the men’s FIH Player of the Year for 2011 while compatriot Matthew Swann won the Young Player award.
It is Dwyer’s fifth FIH Player of the Year Award, following wins in 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2010. The brilliant attacker has now won the annual award two occasions more than any other male player in history – a staggering achievement.
The winners of the awards were presented with their prizes at the Owen G. Glenn FIH Champions Trophy by International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre, with the ceremony taking place during half time of the match between The Netherlands and Spain.
Dwyer fought off competition from fellow Australian Eddie Ockenden, German duo Moritz Furste and Max Muller as well as three time winner Teun de Nooijer of The Netherlands to claim the prize.
Dwyer’s win is even more remarkable when it is considered that he spent almost six months on the sidelines recovering from a serious knee injury before returning to action in September. His form at the Champions Trophy has been nothing short of sensational, netting seven goals in four games as Australia booked a place in the tournament final with a game to spare.
The 32-year-old will be looking to continue his fine form both this weekend and in build-up to the London 2012 Olympics, where he will be looking to win a second gold medal to accompany the one he claimed at Athens 2004.
Fellow Australian Matthew Swann,22, has been hugely impressive over the past 12 months, becoming a key defender in Ric Charlesworth’s all-conquering team.
Swann is one of the youngest members of the Kookaburras squad but has been integral to their success in recent years, helping them to win the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games in 2010. This year he has been better than ever and is currently proving to be a defensive rock as Australia aim to win a fourth successive Champions Trophy.
Nominations for this prestigious prize were put together by a panel of selected coaches from many of the world’s best international teams, including Ric Charlesworth (Australia), Markus Weise (Germany), Jason Lee (England & Great Britain), Pablo Lombi (Argentina), Shane McLeod (New Zealand) and Colin Batch (Belgium).
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 10 December 2011
Auckland, Dec 10 (IANS) Spain continued their remarkable return to form with a superb 3-1 win over The Netherlands Saturday to set up a title clash with Australia in the final of the Owen G. Glenn FIH Champions Trophy hockey.
Goals from Edi Tubau, Roc Oliva and Gabriel Dabanch proved to be enough for a Spanish team that has come on leaps and bounds since their hugely disappointing 6th place finish at the EuroHockey Nations Championships last summer.
The result guaranteed Spain’s participation in the final even before New Zealand stepped on to the field for their match against Australia as the Black Sticks could no longer get enough points to secure a top two finish in Pool C.
The contest between New Zealand was a classic Trans-Tasman encounter, full of passion and commitment. A sell-out crowd of 3,500 were vocal throughout the contest, but the Kookaburras maintained their winning streak at this year’s Champions Trophy with a 2-1 victory.
Earlier in the day, Germany and Great Britain won their respective matches against Pakistan and Korea to ensure that they will contest Sunday’s 5-6 classification match. The 5-6 game is hugely important as a win would guarantee a place in next year’s Champions Trophy tournament.
The Spaniards blasted out of the blocks at the start of the first half and took the lead inside two minutes when team captain Santi Freixa fed Tubau who scored home from a tight angle. Gabriel Dabanch almost made it two with a clever deflection but Netherlands goalkeeper Jaap Stockmann pulled off a fine save to keep the score to 1-0.
The Netherlands had some very good chances to equalise, with Roderick Weusthof coming the closest with a low penalty corner effort that was brilliantly cleared off the line by Spain defender Juan Fernandez.
Spain moved into a 2-0 lead in the 25th minute and again it was Santi Freixa who was the provider. Freixa’s perfectly weighted pass from midfield was beautifully finished by Oliva, who touched the ball over Stockmann’s pads and into the goal.
The Netherlands pulled a goal back just before half time thanks to a field goal from Bob de Voogd, and the Dutch began the second half determined to grab an equaliser. They would surely have done so were it not for some high quality goalkeeping from Francisco Cortes, who made important saves from Rogier Hofman and Jeroen Hertzberger.
The killer blow came in the 51st minute when Jose Carlos Ballbe worked his way into the circle from the right and set up the easiest of tap-ins for Jorge Dabanch to give Spain a 3-1 lead. The Netherlands rallied hard towards the end, but Spain defended their lead resolutely to confirm their place in the tournament final.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 09 December 2011
Auckland, Dec 9 (IANS) New Zealand must beat Australia Saturday to stay in contention for a spot in the final of the Owen G. Glenn FIH Champions Trophy hockey tournament.
New Zealand had lost 2-3 to Spain in their Pool C match.
World No.1 Australia has reached the final with a game to spare thanks to a fine 4-2 win against the Netherlands.
New Zealand have rarely occupied a place at the top table in a world event – this is the first time they have made it through to the last four – so it’s an opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of.
The Black Sticks universally agree they can’t be passive against the world champions and No 1-ranked side. They were passive against Spain last night when they led 2-1 and it cost them dearly.
‘We learned we need to be positive when we play them. We can take them on one-on-one and play just as well as them if we are positive,’ New Zealand captain Dean Couzins was quoted as saying in New Zealand Herald.
Of course, Spain could make the possibility of qualifying for the final academic if they topple the Netherlands in their match Saturday- it takes place immediately before New Zealand’s – but the Black Sticks have to believe they will still be in with a chance.
They will also approach that match knowing they have beaten Australia recently. They beat the Hockeyroos 3-0 in the opening match of the recent Oceania championships and drew the second game, before Australia mauled them 6-1 in the final match to retain the trans Tasman trophy.
‘The big learning from that series was that there’s no point us sitting and waiting for them to come at us. Let’s have a go.’
Australia have said they don’t think they are playing well at the Champions Trophy yet but they have still won every match and they beat a strong Dutch side 4-2 Thursday.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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Written by admin on 07 December 2011
Auckland, Dec 7 (IANS) Defending champions Australia will look for revenge when they face fellow medal contenders the Netherlands in hockey’s Champions Trophy Thursday.
The Dutch inflicted a 6-1 defeat on an under-strength Kookaburras side during a Four Nations tournament in Germany, and 122-cap defender Fergus Kavanagh is among those who haven’t forgotten that July encounter.
‘That was the first time I’ve lost a match by such a big deficit,’ the 31-year-old West Australian said.
‘We hadn’t been shown up like that for a long time and it put us back in our place. I think a lot of us will be looking back on that game with a bit of revenge and bit of a extra meaning.’
The Kookaburras did beat the Dutch 2-0 in a warm-up last week, but Kavanagh said not much could be read into practice games, especially given that the opposition on that day were still shaking off the effects of travel.
In another match Spain and New Zealand meet Thursday, having progressed to the medal phase of the tournament from different pools.
Tags: Auckland, New Zealand
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