Lausanne, Switzerland: The President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Dr. Narinder Dhruv Batra, has been elected IOC member at the 134th session of the International Olympic Committee today in Lausanne. While the appointment of Dr. Batra as candidate for this position was linked to his function as President of the Indian Olympic Association, this is great news for hockey and its status within the international sports family. “I feel both honored and energised to be charged with this high responsibility. I can assure everybody of my highest commitment to promote the Olympic values and develop sport globally. In addition to my passion for sport and my experience in the management of sport’s institutions, I’m also a firm believer that sport is one of the very few universal languages that has the power to unite people. I will make sure that the values of hockey, in particular our #EquallyAmazing principle, are always central to my work,” stated Dr. Batra upon his election. Dr. Batra was elected as FIH President at the 45th Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November 2016. He had been a member of the Executive Board since the 2014 FIH Congress. In 2014, Dr. Batra was given the FIH President’s Award in recognition of his long and valuable services to hockey. Since December 2017, he has been the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), a position for which he was elected thanks to his long-time involvement in the management of hockey in India, primarily. Source: FIH

Belarus played a strong, disciplined game to overcome a battling Wales in the race for fifth place at the FIH Series Finals in Valencia. A 2-0 lead looked to be enough until Wales mounted a last-ditch effort in the final quarter, but Belarus held firm to win 2-1 and finish in fifth position. Wales finish sixth. In the earlier match, Thailand beat Namibia 2-1 to take seventh place in the competition. Highlights of an entertaining match were the two goals by Thailand’s captain Tikhampon Sakulpithak and the consistently good performance, under immense pressure, of Namibia’s goalkeeper Petro Stoffberg. Match 15 Namibia v Thailand Coming into this match playing for seventh place at the FIH Series Finals, neither team had won a match and only Namibia (FIH World Ranking:42) had scored a goal – albeit against the highest ranked team, Spain. But both teams were determined to end their tournament experience on a high and so the game was open and attacking from the first whistle. The first quarter was very much spilt between Namibia controlling the first part of the quarter and Thailand (WR:28) dominating the second. And it was Thailand who opened the scoring during that period of sustained pressure, with captain Tikhampon Sakulpithak picking up the ball on the edge of the circle and striking a fierce shot which flew past Petro Stoffberg in the Namibia goal. Thailand had a chance to increase their score at the start of the second quarter when they won their first penalty corner but Namibia’s defence was strong and they cleared well. Led by the ever-busy Magreth Mengo, Namibia sought a way to break down the Thailand defence and create their own scoring opportunities. That chance came with Namibia’s first penalty corner of the match but the shot was chased down. A second corner was awarded but Thailand were not letting their lead slip easily and they were soon playing the ball in the Namibia half again. As the half continued, so Thailand began to look more like a team with a winning mentality. The players were happy to run at the African team’s defence, with Thanaporn Tongkham and Kornkanok Sanpoung particularly causing problems in the circle. The second goal was also scored by Sakulpithak, who made a strong run around the back of the Namibian circle before unleashing a shot into the Namibian goal. The second half saw both teams determined to leave everything on the pitch. Sakulpithak came close to scoring her third goal but her shot flew over the cross bar. But, despite a lot of Thai pressure, it was Namibia who scored next. Some good pressure around the Thailand circle saw Joane van Rooyen start the move that led to the goal. Her pass found Dure Boshoff who showed tremendous strength to keep possession and slip to Kiana-Che Cormack. The 17-year-old made certain that her shot was buried in Siraya Yimrajang’s goal to make it 2-1. “We are disappointed with that loss because we wanted to go out with a win and get our rankings high,” said Jerrica Bartlett, “But we fought until the end and our scoreline in the past few games do not reflect what we played like. We are a young side, our average age is 18, so this is an awesome experience. All we can do is grow from here.” Bartlett’s sister, Kiana-Che Cormack added: “Scoring felt amazing. It doesn’t happen often when you are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. It was a tough match, so scoring kept us in the match.” Double goalscorer Tikhamporn Sakulpithak said: “I am very proud of the team. We played really well and I was very pleased to score the goals but it was a great effort by everyone in the team.” Supansa Samanso added: “The first feeling was that we had to win that game. We wanted to leave the FIH Series Final with a win. For future tournaments, we have learnt that when we go into the lead we have to keep pushing for more goals.” Namibia 1, Thailand 2 (7/8th play-off) Umpires: Dahiya Deepa (IND), Ines El Hajim (FRA)  Match 16 Wales v Belarus In the battle for fifth place Belarus (WR:20) looked the stronger team in the opening stages, creating more attacking opportunities. But Wales (WR:27) had learnt a lot about defending under pressure from their encounter with Spain the previous day and, in those early exchanges, the team broke down the Belarus attack and played the ball calmly out of their defending circle. It was Wales who won the first penalty corner but their usual slick routine fell down under the strong running of the Belarus defence. The second quarter took a similar pattern as the Belarus team looked to swing the ball swiftly and strongly around the pitch, while Wales defended with huge amounts of discipline and then looked to catch their higher-ranked opponents on the break. Belarus continued to push and their persistence paid off as they won two consecutive penalty corners. The second of these was well-converted by Krestina Papkova to give Belarus a 1-0 lead. It also moved the talented goalscorer to the top of the goalscoring table. Urged forward by hard-working captain Leah Wilkinson, who recently became her country’s highest capped sports player, Wales won their second penalty corner. Again, the usually reliable not-so-secret weapon let the team down and Belarus was able to counter attack with a speedy surge up the pitch by Ulyana Kasabutskaya. Xenna Hughes was the next to show a devastating turn of speed. The attacking midfielder tore up the pitch but her cross was cut out by Maryna Navitskaya in the Belarus goal. The game definitely turned the way of Belarus just ahead of the half-time break. A penalty corner was awarded and Maryna Nikitsina was on hand to volley the ball home. In the second half, Wales tried everything they could to break the stranglehold that Belarus had upon the game. Two searching crosses by, first Eloise Laity and then Wilkinson, would

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Two tasty semi-finals await in Valencia as the final FIH Series Finals event moves towards its concluding stages. A confident and disciplined Italy saw off the challenge of Belarus to set up a match with in-form Canada, while host nation Spain will play South Africa after a tenacious display that saw the top-ranked team emerge 1-0 winners against a gritty Welsh side. The result means Belarus and Wales will play off for fifth place in tomorrow’s second match of the day. Match 13 Italy v Belarus The opening exchanges between the two sides were well-balanced although Italy (WR:17) looked the more composed. And it was Italy who created the early chances; first a penalty corner shot from captain Chiara Tiddi that flew wide and then a diving effort from Ivana Pessina, which was well-saved by Maryna Navitskaya in the Belarus (WR:20) goal. The next Italian attempt on goal came after a mazy run from Maryna Vynohradova. The Italian goal machine elected not to shoot on this occasion, passing to Jasbeer Singh. The resulting shot from Singh went just wide. Belarus for their part were playing a patient passing game. A searching aerial ball into the Italian circle upset the higher-ranked team for a moment and, among the blue-shirted ranks, was a sudden realisation that Belarus had a game-plan of their own. After that scare, Italy put together a swift passing movement that forced a penalty corner. Lara Oviedo made no mistake as she deflected the initial shot high into the Belarus goal net. The second quarter yielded no further goals as Italy looked to take the pace out of the game and Belarus were happy, at this stage, to simply contain the Italian attacks. Ryta Batura, in particular, was playing a strong defensive game to keep the Italian attack out of the circle. Italy’s goalkeeper Natalia Schinoni was called into action for the first time when Yuliya Kurhanskaya unleashed a shot that whipped at hip height at the goal. Schinoni reacted fast and the teams entered the break separated by a one goal margin. The Italian lead was doubled when Sofia Cessaneli did a neat reverse stick tap into the goal following Italy’s fourth consecutive penalty corner. The Italian side had tried three variations before a double slip left Cessanelli with the space to score. The quarter was all but over when Eugenia Bianchi was able to take the score to 3-0 and effectively put the game out of Belarus’ reach. The midfielder was on hand to flick the ball home after Navitskaya had blocked the initial penalty corner shot. The final quarter saw Elisabetta Pacella add to the Italy scoreline with a skilfully taken goal that she seemed to pluck out of mid-air before scoring on the volley. The goal symbolised the confidence with which Italy performed throughout this game. Belarus did score a consolation goal – Elena Sazhina was on hand to send the ball past Schinoni after sustained Belarus pressure in the final 10 minutes. Despite his pleasure that his side scored, the goal left Head Coach Herman Kruis wondering why his side hadn’t been able to produce such hockey earlier in the match. “I am really disappointed as we haven’t played the game we can play,” said the Head Coach. “There were a lot of technical mistakes which meant that Italy could press us easily. Also, Italy were much more innovative in the ‘D’.” Captain of Italy, Chiara Tiddi said “When we played in the World Cup we gained the confidence and belief that we can play anyone. I think we learnt then that we need to play every minute of every game and in the crucial game, such as today, we were calm and confident.” The result means Italy will face Canada in the first semi-final on Wednesday. Italy 4, Belarus 1 (cross-over match) Umpires: Gabriele Schmitz (GER), Catalina Montesino (CHI)  Match 14 Spain v Wales With 20 places separating Spain (WR:7) and Wales (WR:27), this could have been a one-sided show. The coaching team of Kevin Johnson and Gareth Weaver-Tyler and their team had other ideas however and from the first whistle the Welsh were happy to take the game to the World Cup bronze medalists – defending with courage and counter-attacking when the chance arose. But Spain are not ranked top-10 for nothing and soon the Red Sticks were piling on the pressure and eventually the Welsh wall was breached. The goal was fortuitous for Spain. Rose Thomas made a great reaction save but the ball bounced off a player, off the post and Lucia Jimenez found herself on the score sheet with the most unlikeliest of goals. For those opening moments there was little doubt about the Spanish intention. Wave after wave of speedy attack saw Thomas called into action time and again. The danger player, among many, was Beatriz Perez, her devastating turn of speed left players trailing in her wake. However, despite sustained pressure, the first quarter saw only the one goal. If the first quarter had been played at a ferocious intensity that had put Wales under the cosh, the second quarter was far more about the Welsh passing game. It was Spain’s turn to defend as Wales showed their own attacking instincts – Danni Jordan and Hannah Cozens were particularly busy as they tried to find an equaliser. Towards the end of the quarter, a lovely aerial ball from Joanne Westwood released Cozens down the right-hand side of the Welsh attack. A scurrying Spanish defence kept the Welsh striker at bay. The importance of Georgina Oliver at the heart of the Spanish defence was highlighted during this period of pressure. The midfield/defender emerged with the ball time and again, using all her experience to set up counter-attacks. If Spain were expecting the Wales team to eventually wilt under the pressure then the third quarter showed just what level of resilience the Welsh side has developed in recent months. Thomas is absolutely essential to this, her calm presence and agility

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Lausanne, Switzerland: With more hockey National Associations involved every year, the hockey community has greatly supported and celebrated the 2019 Olympic Day all over the world. From Asia to Africa, Europe to Oceania, North to South America, more than 60 National Associations have organized specific activities on the occasion of Olympic Day. Throughout last week, FIH.ch has embarked you on a journey highlighting some of these projects: – On the Pan American continent, the Chilean Hockey Federation is starting an initiative to introduce hockey to young people with physical and learning disabilities. The initiative is being launched through four workshops across the country, where people of all abilities can join together and spend a day playing hockey. The workshops are being run by experienced coaches and all the participants – with or without disabilities – are enjoying a day of fun, entertaining and educational hockey activities. – In Europe, the Czech Republic Hockey Association is using the occasion to showcase the diversity and global nature of hockey. International schools are competing in a tournament, running alongside the schools’ competition. Additionally, there is a Beach Hockey tournament. This represents innovation within the sport. The message: you don’t need a state-of-art artificial turf to play hockey, a pitch marked out on the beach can be equally fun and exciting. – Schools across Zimbabwe, in Africa, are combining sport and art in celebration of Olympic Day. Pupils of all age groups are being encouraged to design a poster as the Zimbabwe Hockey Association pulls out all the stops to raise awareness among children of both the message and ideals of the Olympic movement as well as the inclusivity of hockey as a sport for all. – In Tonga, Oceania, it’s all about the role that hockey can play in promoting a healthy lifestyle. Many of the activities focus on primary school children, with the idea that encouraging an active lifestyle from an early age will develop habits that last a lifetime. Also, a strong message is sent surrounding the #EquallyAmazing campaign. In a country where many young girls and women do little sporting activity, this is a chance to change that. – In Asia, the Afghanistan Hockey Association has ambitions to restore hockey’s popularity in the country and is using Olympic Day as a vehicle to do this. The Association is looking to use hockey as a tool for peace and a means of rebuilding society. It was 73 years ago that Afghanistan was one of the top 10 hockey nations in the world. Since then, wars and civil unrest have meant that the sport has drifted out of public consciousness and the national men’s team now sits at 91 in the FIH World Rankings, while the women have no world ranking at all. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has made best use of its campaign “Sticks for the World” to have sticks donated to young hockey players by elite players involved in the FIH Series Finals in Hiroshima, Japan, and Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France, as well as in the Women’s FIH Pro League match USA-Germany, therefore supporting activities to grow hockey. In Le Touquet, sticks were donated to Senegal, the host of the next Youth Olympic Games in 2022. FIH is currently developing a Targeted Assistance Progamme (TAP) in the West African country. As part of FIH’s Hockey4Life global development programme, “Sticks for the World” contributes to source equipment to hockey development projects all around the world. On Olympic Day itself (23 June), the captains of the teams of all FIH Pro League matches of that day – Belgium-Argentina (Men and Women), Great Britain–New Zealand (Men and Women) and Netherlands–Australia (Women) – read the following message just before the start of each match: “Today is Olympic Day, an initiative from the International Olympic Committee for the world to get active, learn about the Olympic values and discover new sports. The International Hockey Federation, whose global Hockey4LIFE programme encourages people of all ages to START, PLAY and STAY in hockey, supports this initiative. So does the global hockey community by organising multiple projects all over the world. We, as athletes, encourage you, your families and friends, to do sports.” In Paris, in view of the 2024 Olympic Games, the French Hockey Federation was part of the Olympic Day event staged on Place de la Concorde with an artificial turf pitch of 10m x 20m and a visual placed near the pitch explaining the rules of the game. During the day, several hockey exercises were proposed to the public and a demonstration match of 3vs3 took place. #OlympicDay

The climax to a wonderful, action-packed first edition of the FIH Pro League – the ground-breaking home and away league involving many of the world’s leading hockey nations – will take place in the Netherlands later this week, with Amsterdam’s iconic Wagener Stadium providing the stage for the FIH Pro League Grand Final. The event features the top four finishers from both the women’s and men’s leagues, with the teams taking to the field between 27-30 June in a bid to make history by becoming the first ever champions of this pioneering competition. The women’s semi-finals are scheduled to take place on Thursday 27 June, with two-time world champions Argentina (FIH World Ranking: 4) facing triple Olympic champions Australia (WR:3) at 1715 CEST (UTC/GMT+2) before reigning world champions and FIH Pro League table toppers the Netherlands (WR:1) play Germany (WR:5), bronze medallists from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, at 2000. The winners of the women’s semi-finals will meet in the title match on Saturday 29 June, with the losing teams playing in the 3-4 play-off. The men’s semi-finals – which were finally settled in a thrilling day of action on Sunday 23 June – take place on Friday 28 June, with table-toppers Australia (WR:2) facing fourth place finishers Great Britain (WR:7) at 1715 ahead of a meeting between world champions Belgium (WR:1) and European champions the Netherlands (WR:3), who finished second and third in the standings respectively. The winners of the men’s semi-finals will meet in the title match on Sunday 30 June, with the losing teams playing in the 3-4 play-off. The eight competing teams have all demonstrated their qualities by consistently getting the required results over nearly six months of competition that have seen over 120 matches take place in Pan America, Oceania, Asia and Europe. As well as securing qualification for this event, their consistency also saw all eight teams take a significant step towards the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 thanks to the tickets to the FIH Olympic Qualifiers – which take place later this year – that came with a top four finish. A look at each of the teams taking part in the semi-final matches can be found below, with a complete list of fixtures for the four-day showpiece available here. 27 June 2019: Women’s semi-finals SF2: Argentina (2nd FIH Pro League) vs Australia (3rd FIH Pro League) Following a disappointing 2018, the return of two iconic figures at the start of 2019 has triggered a renaissance for Argentina. Charismatic tactician Carlos Retegui – who guided Argentina’s men to Olympic gold at Rio 2016 and also Las Leonas to World Cup glory in 2010 – has restored self-belief, while Carla Rebecchi’s comeback after two-and-a-half years has also played a big role in revival. Rebecchi, Rosario Luchetti and goalkeeper Belen Succi have masses of world level experience, while Maria Granatto, Florencia Habif and Lucina von der Heyde – named Best Young Player at the World Cup in London – have all been outstanding performers this year. Even without injured star striker Delfina Merino, Argentina will feel that they have every chance of achieving glory at the Wagener Stadium. Australia are the only team to have beaten reigning world champions the Netherlands in this competition, with combative midfielder Jane Claxton scoring the only goal of the game when the two sides met in Melbourne in February. Whilst the team coached by former Kookaburra Paul Gaudoin have been good at home, their away form has been exceptional, claiming victories in New Zealand, USA, China, Great Britain and Germany. Savannah Fitzpatrick has top-scored for her team in the FIH Pro League, while the form of shot-stopper Rachael Lynch is likely to put her amongst the frontrunners for the Best Goalkeeper award. The team are certainly not short of confidence and will believe that anything is possible when they take to the field in Amsterdam. SF1: Netherlands (1st FIH Pro League) vs Germany (4th FIH Pro League) Reigning world and European champions the Netherlands – coached by former Australia international Alyson Annan, a double Olympic gold medallist and twice FIH Player of the Year – have been consistently brilliant, recovering from an early loss against Australia in Melbourne by recording a succession of victories to qualify for the Grand Final with consummate ease. Lidewij Welten, captain Eva de Goede and Xan de Waard – all shortlisted for the FIH Player of the Year Award 2018, with De Goede taking the prize – have been exceptional, while Frederque Matla and penalty corner ace Caia van Maasakker have been prolific in front of goal. The Oranje are unquestionably the team to beat in Amsterdam, and it will take something truly extraordinary to stop them winning the inaugural FIH Pro League title. Germany have produced some terrific performances on the way to sealing a top four finish in the FIH Pro League, with impressive away wins against New Zealand, Great Britain, Belgium and USA adding valuable points to the five victories they secured on home soil. Captain Janne Müller-Wieland, Lena Micheel, Elisa Gräve, Nike Lorenz and goalkeeper Julia Sonntag have all been excellent performers for Die Danas this year. Star attacker Charlotte Stapenhorst has been arguably Germany’s most influential player in the competition, but a serious knee injury sustained in her side’s recent home defeat against Australia has ruled her out of the Grand Final. The team are coached by Xavier Reckinger, who as a player made over 300 international appearances for Belgium. 28 June 2019: Men’s semi-finals SF1: Australia (1st FIH Pro League) vs Great Britain (4th FIH Pro League) Australia – coached by former Kookaburra Colin Batch, a gold medallist at the 1986 FIH Men’s World Cup in Willesden, England – secured a first-place finish by winning ten of their 14 matches, recording notable away wins over world champions Belgium, Olympic champions Argentina and European champions the Netherlands. The Kookaburras squad is packed full of quality and experience. The 350 capped Eddie Ockenden co-captains the team alongside influential defender /

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