9 April 2022 Potchefstroom, South Africa: An energetic second half from Uruguay ended Canada’s Junior World Cup journey, while Austria and Ireland continued to enjoy beginners’ luck as the two debutant nations will now compete for a ninth place finish. The European team’s defeats of Korea and Malaysia respectively means the two Asian sides will be battling for eleventh place. Canada 1-4 Uruguay Korea (13-15th place) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) After a first 30 minutes that saw these two Pan Am nations testing each other out, the match burst into life when Uruguay took a grasp of the match in the opening minutes of the second half. Pilar Oliveros opened the South American team’s account with a well-struck penalty corner and that body blow to the Canadian team was repeated three minutes later when Elisa Civetta scored the first of two goals. It was Civetta again in the 46th minute, when Uruguay won a penalty stroke. The in-form midfielder stepped up and struck the ball home sweetly. The game was put totally out of Canada’s reach in the final five minutes of the match as Manuela Vidal was able to latch onto a good pass and fire it home past Ishaval Sekhon to make it 4-0. Canada scored a consolation goal in the final minute of the game when Jenna Berger was able to find the back of the net after some good build-up play. Player of the Match was Elisa Civetta (URU). The two-goal hero said: ‘The game was really tough. Both teams played really well. We were more precise and we scored when we needed to and we made the difference. We did our best. It was one of our best matches. It’s the first time Uruguay is playing in the World Cup. So we’re making history in our country and we’re really proud of it.’ Head Coach for Canada Jenn Beagan said: ‘We knew that coming here would be a challenge. We have a young team. Many girls who’ve never played internationally before. So we’re really proud of the efforts they put in. This was a huge learning opportunity. We take this home.’ The result means that Canada will finish in 15th position, while Uruguay will play for 13-14th place against Wales. Zimbabwe 0-1 Austria  (9-12th place matches) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) The opening quarter was very much Austria’s in terms of possession as the European team seemed to have a better structure and focus in this match to decide who would play for 13-14th place. However, when it came to converting those chances, Austria just couldn’t find their way past Jenna Mathieson in the Zimbabwe goal. The closest opportunity fell to Nathalie Matousek, whose good work was spoilt when she flicked the ball straight at the keeper. With seconds left, Johanna Czech sent a penalty corner shot just past the goalpost. In the second quarter, the game evened out as Zimbabwe began to find their place on the pitch. Alexi Terreblanche was proving a stabilising force in midfield and some good running attacks were mounted on the back of her performance. Unfortunately for the African team, the forwards were not able to find a way into their opponent’s circle. During the half-time team talks, both Head Coaches asked their players to reduce the amount of turnovers and to be more efficient int he circle. Certainly Zimbabwe started in sparkling fashion. Within seconds they had broken through the Austrian defence and had their first meaningful shot. There was no score but it certainly signalled a higher level of intent. As the game continued with no goals being scored, frustration began to creep into both team’s performance. Austria’s Fiona Felber went on a  mazy run that earns her team a penalty corner, but once again Mathieson was able to watch the ball fly wide. The deadlock was finally broken in the 54th minute when Katharina Bauer pounced on a ball that had bobbled off a Zimbabwe stick. She took the ball wide on her reverse, which gave her space to fire home and give her side an all important goal. Once they had the goal, Austria showed their ability to manage a game well as they kept Zimbabwe’s desperate measures to equalise at bay. Player of the Match Katharina Bauer said: ‘I am just extremely happy that we won as a team. We just needed to score a goal. I cannot express much more.’ Austria’s Head Coach Corinna Zerbs said: ‘It is unbelievable what this young team has achieved so far. Particularly given that we had no real preparation. We have improved from game to game. Zimbabwe defended very well but we are delighted that we scored that goal.’ Zimbabwe’s Head Coach Tendayi Maredzawas magnanimous in defeat: ‘It was a tough one but we fought hard. There had to be a winner and Austria took their chance. We could have stolen it in the second half but to do that we have to take our chances.’ Austria will now play Ireland in the 9-10th place match, while Zimbabwe will play Malaysia for 11-12th. Ireland 2-1 Malaysia (9-12th place) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) This match started at a quick pace, with both sides showing full intent. Malaysia won an early penalty corner but Ireland’s swift count attack saw Christina Hamill race the length of the pitch before being dispossessed in the Malaysian circle. Ireland then won their own series of penalty corner opportunities, but like their Asian opponents, the players in green were unable to convert. That changed in the 13th minute when yet another speedy Irish counter attack saw Yasmin Pratt race into the Malaysia circle and slip the ball to Rachel Kelly who was on hand to strike the ball home to give Ireland a 1-0 lead. In the second quarter Ireland continued to press forward but found the Malaysian defence, led by Abang Dayang, was resolute in the face of the pressure. A great bit of improvised goalkeeping by

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8 April 2022 Potchefstroom, South Africa: Quarter-finals day produced four top class matches with some tremendous skills on display but the performance of the day was that of the German team as they put on a classy show to outgun reigning champions Argentina. India put in a dominating and professional performance to defeat Asian rivals Korea. The Eves barely broke into top gear and it is exciting to think there is much more to come from this team. It was business as usual for the Netherlands as the Oranje beat South Africa 5-0, despite a strong performance from the host nation. And completing the semi-final line-up is England, who came out on top after a tense and entertaining match with USA. To see the current  standings, please click here. India 3-0 Korea (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) Efficiency in attack and speed of play and thought were the differences between these two teams as India showed immense composure and clinical finishing to secure their place in Monday’s semi-finals. Mumtaz Khan and Lalrindiki both found the back of the net in the first quarter. Khan’s goal was a fantastically worked penalty corner variation, which she deflected home past Kim Eunji in the Malaysia goal. Lalrindiki was the beneficiary after a shot from Deepika rebounded to her and she was perfectly placed to slot the ball home. At the other end of the pitch, the India defence was equally impressive, a brave, stretching tackle by Lalremsiami summed up the Eve’s commitment levels. For their part, Korea had no lack of ambition as they sought a way past the India defence, it was just that India looked a level ahead in every aspect of play. For much of the next two quarters, Korea tightened their defence and India were unable to capitalise on their opening goals. However, with five minutes left of the third quarter, we were offered a glimpse of the skill within the India team. An aerial into the circle found Beauty Dung, who actually mis-hit the ball but in doing so sent a perfect pass to Sangita, who had no hesitation in firing home. As the final quarter counted down, India were pouring on the pressure but it will be of concern to Head Coach Erik Wonink that no further goals were added despite a barrage of opportunities. Korea’s answer was to try to run the ball at the India defence, but they were always met by a solid India defence. A delighted Player of the Match, Mumtaz Khan of India, said: ‘I am so happy because we are in the semi-finals.’ Her Head Coach Erik Wonink said: ‘As you can hear, the team are very happy. This is a great experience for them and they have made the next step to the semi-finals. I cannot discuss our game plan but we will focus on ourselves as we have for all the other games. The goals we scored together today were a highlight, I really like that.’ Malaysia’s Head Coach You Moon Ki said: The India team was very strong today and we congratulate them on their performance. Now we have another match to focus on. Our players are tired but this World Cup has been a great experience.’ The result means that India will face Netherlands in what will be a fascinating match in the semi-finals. Malaysia will play the host nation South Africa for 5-8th place. Netherlands 5-0 South Africa  (quarter-final) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) The scoreline suggests a dominant performance but South Africa posed a challenge to the Netherlands throughout this quarter-final, with only their finishing in front of goal preventing a closer result. The Netherlands settled into business as usual when Jip Dicke added to her already impressive goal tally with a goal in the fourth minute. The goal was the result of a typical Dutch counter attack, with Dicke the final component in a sweeping movement between the players. However, they would have been taken aback by some of the brave and speedy running from the Africa players, as they were roared on by the unashamedly partisan crowd. Both Bianca Wood and Onthatile Zulu caused a buzz in the stadium as they weaved crazy paths through the Dutch defence. Both players were clearly disappointed that the final shots didn’t end in the back of the net. Dicke gave her team a cushion in the 15th minute when she pounced on a loose ball after a good initial save by Mishka Ellis from a Noor Omrani shot. Dicke pulled the ball out of the air to guide it home. This was Dicke’s twelfth goal of the games, keeping her firmly in the top scorers position. At the end of the first half, South Africa’s shots on goal tally was six, to Netherlands’ eight – the difference, as Head Coach Lenise Marais pointed out, was the finishing. At the start of the second half, South Africa had yet another chance to rattle the Dutch as they won their third penalty corner. This time, Hari Louw saw her rasping shot fly just wide of Sophia Ter Kuile’s post. Chances fell to both teams throughout the third quarter, with Dicke coming close to adding to her tally and Zulu’s devastating running creating a handful of scoring opportunities for South Africa. Things really heated up when an incredible double save by Sophia ter Kuile, first from the penalty corner shot and then from Chante Ferreira’s follow-up, continued to frustrate South Africa. The failure to convert was punished in the 43rd minute when Noor Omrani crashed a shot past Ellis to make it 3-0. Luna Fokke scored her first of the game in the final minute of the quarter when she sent home a fierce penalty corner. The fourth quarter saw Netherlands start to contain the free-running threat of the South Africa team. As energy levels sapped, the Dutchbegan to manage the game well, as they passed the ball round and challenged the South Africans to

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4 April 2022 Potchefstroom, South Africa: It was a mix of relief and delight for the host nation as South Africa defeated Ireland in a nervy Pool B clash that would decide who progressed to the quarter-finals. If that match was edgy and goals hard to come by, the second match saw Netherlands go on a goal spree against Zimbabwe. Two weather interruptions couldn’t prevent the Netherlands showing their class when in attack. The 18 goals scored by the Dutch is a new record for a team at the Junior World Cup and beats the record the Netherlands themselves had set back in 1989 – also against Zimbabwe. The third match of the day was a north American clash between Canada and USA. The USA had never beaten Canada in a Women’s Junior World Cup match sop there was a heightened sense  of frisson as the teams took to the field. This was a day for history making though and USA’s 4-0 win was achieved on the back of some sparkling performances by the energetic USA team. South Africa 1-0 Ireland (Pool B) – Potchefstroom, North-West University (RSA) The delight on the faces of the South Africa team as the final whistle blew told the whole story. Although not the most convincing of victories, the host nation had sealed a spot in the quarter-finals. The first half in this important match between the host nation South Africa and Junior World Cup debutants Ireland was spirited and fast-paced although both sides suffered from making multiple unforced errors. With England sealing top spot in Pool B, this match would decide who would join them in the quarter-finals and nerves were clearly having an impact on both sets of players. It was South Africa who found the breakthrough on the stroke of half-time. The goal, by the highly influential defender Jean-Leigh du Toit, was from a penalty corner, earned after a good run by Cailynn Den Bakker drew a defensive error. Ireland pushed hard after the break for the equaliser but it was South Africa who looked the more composed across the pitch and the more dangerous on the attack. Du Toit nearly added to her tally when a series of four well-worked variations on the penalty corner routine put the Irish defence under all sorts of pressure, which they weathered with gritty determination. Ireland had a penalty corner opportunity with five minutes left in the match but the shot went agonisingly wide of Mishka Ellis’ goal post. As the clock ticked down, the sense of urgency became palpable. Ireland’s Amy Elliot made a good run into the South Africa circle but was met by the excellent Ellis who was letting nothing past her. Player of the Match, Jean-Leigh du Toit, said: ‘I am really proud of the goal. We gave it 100 per cent out there and matched Ireland. We would have wanted to score more but it was a good effort out there.’ South Africa Head Coach Denise Marais said: ‘We had a good first half but we allowed ourselves to face too much pressure in the final quarter.  But we absorbed it, so I am happy with that aspect of it. We take the three points and we carry on.’ Ireland’s Sarah McAuley said: ‘We’re very disappointed with this result. We had a few chances but didn’t put them away, whilst South Africa scored a pretty good goal. We have to convert our penalty corners. Now we need to try to get in the top 10.’ The result means Ireland will play Canada in the 9-15th place matches, while South Africa will have the dubious pleasure of meeting the Netherlands in the quarter-finals. Netherlands 18-0 Zimbabwe (Pool A) – Potchefstroom, North-West University (RSA) Two breaks in play due to stormy weather couldn’t prevent the Zimbabwe team falling before a goal-hungry Dutch team. In a match that saw goals in every quarter, the Dutch beat their own goal record at a Junior World Cup [also against Zimbabwe in 1989] and also saw three different players score hat tricks. The best efforts of Jenna Mathieson [in the first three quarters] and Lavender Mandoza [in the final quarter] in the Zimbabwe goal couldn’t stop an onslaught that began with Luna Fokke in the third minute and ended 17 goals later, with Mette Winter turning the ball neatly into the goal. The best goal, in an avalanche of creative goals came from the stick of Maria Steensma. The ball was cleverly flicked high over the onrushing ‘keeper’s head by captain Rosa Fernig and Steensma was on hand to control and steer the ball over the line. When Zimbabwe did start an attack the Dutch showed they were no slouches in defence either. The speedy Zimbabwe forwards, in particular Tinodiwanashe Elijah, were halted with crushing efficiency by the wall of orange shirts in midfield or defence. Player of the Match Noor Omrani, who scored a hat trick of beautifully crafted goals, summed up the Dutch attitude towards winning. She said: ‘We said to each other, whatever happens, we need to keep going and keep pushing. Whatever the score is, we needed to keep going.’ For Zimbabwe’s Head Coach Tendayi Maredza, it was a tough day at the office but he was philosophical in defeat: ‘It is never easy and it was a tough lesson for us. I am proud of my girls. We need to keep fighting, learn from this and move forwards.’ His counterpart, the Netherlands Head Coach Dave Smolenaars, said: ‘We wanted to attack the circle and score as many goals as we could. But, our defence also had to stay strong as we didn’t want to concede anything.’ Asked about the successful Dutch press, Smolenaars said: ‘Our press is all about working together as a team and being convinced you can get the ball.’ Maria Steensma also scored three goals, Jip Dicke moved to the top of the goal-scorer’s list with four, there were two goals apiece for Luna Fokke and

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1 April 2022 Potchefstroom, South Africa: The opening day of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup – the first-ever FIH World Cup hosted in Africa – was exciting and full of promising hockey. England stormed to the top of the three-team Pool B with a 3-0 win over South Africa, while Netherlands put away nine goals on the USA to take the top of Pool A. Zimbabwe provided the stunner of the day, out-playing Canada and taking a 2-1 win off the Junior Pan American champions. In Pool C, Korea squeaked out a 1-0 win over Uruguay, who were in their debut appearance at this tournament, while defending champions, Argentina, blasted past Austria, 8-0, to also secure three points and top Pool C. England v South Africa (Pool B)– Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) England’s Lorna Mackenzie was two-for-two on penalty corners as she buried from the top of the battery in the first and fourth quarter of the game. Captain Millie Giglio converted on a penalty stroke in the 45th minute to help secure the 3-0 win over hosts, South Africa. Giglio along with Claudia Swain and Maddie Axford all had dangerous chances for England, while South Africa’s chance were few and far between. Keeper Mathapelo Ramasimong was kept busy in the South African goal, while Onthatlile Zulu and Jeanrie Thomas were strong on the offence. England captain, Millie Giglio, said after the match: ‘It was a really good start from the girls. Good to start the tournament on a high. Obviously very happy with a 3-0 win, but there’s definitely a lot of things we can work on. And we’re playing Ireland tomorrow afternoon, so we need to recover and focus on the next match.’ South Africa’s Ramasimong said after the match: ‘We learnt today. We saw what works and what doesn’t, and we will use this opportunity to fix what we need to fix. I think the technics and the basics didn’t go well today. Also, we were a bit nervous, playing the opening match of such a huge tournament. But I think that when we come back Monday, we’ll know what to do, we’ll know what we want.’ Netherlands vs United States (Pool A) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) It was a scoring frenzy for the Netherlands who dropped the United States 9-0 to start off Pool A play. From the fourth minute to the 59th minute, there was no question who was in command of the match. Luna Fokke opened the scoring and added two more in the game to lead the Netherlands in scoring, while five other Dutch players also got on the board. Rosa Fernig, Netherlands captain, said after the match: ‘It was an amazing start for us. We scored a lot of goals. It’s a good feeling to start a tournament like this. So, we’re really happy with this match. Now, we will recover and look at tomorrow’s match against Canada. So, we will prepare for that one and see if we can make it as good as this one.’ In the first half, the USA were unable to muster a single shot on Annabel Skubisz , who split duties with Madison Kahn in net. Fokke opened the scoring on a beautiful drag flick into the bottom corner, while Noor Omrani made it 2-0 burying a back-hand shot after a break away. Noor de Baat, sporting a familiar white head band and number 24, showed a flash of the famous Eva de Goede as she crafted her way in to the American circle to bury a confident back-hand to push Netherlands to 3-0. Jip Dicke tipped in a left side attack to make it 4-0 at half time. In the second half Fokke put away two more drag flicks from the penalty corner battery, while skipper Roas Fernig also blasted from the penalty corner to get on the scoreboard. Marleen Jochems and Mette Winter both one-timed the ball into the goal after clinical passing plays through the circle to get the finally tally to nine and to command the top of Pool A. USA captain, Kayla Blas, said after the match: ‘We’re really looking forward to learning from this match, grabbing some lessons and forgetting about the outcome. For our next game, we will take some key points, focus on what we really want to change, not worry about anything else and go forward.’ Canada v Zimbabwe (Pool A) – Potchefstroom, North West University (RSA) Zimbabwe shocked the opening day as they earned a historic 2-1 victory over Pan American junior champions, Canada, in the second game of Pool A play. Following the match Natalie Terblanche was named Player of the Match and she said: ‘We were under a lot of pressure. We were trying to hold our possession so we wouldn’t let them take us in the last few minutes but it was a good game. I’m glad we put the two in first to keep the pressure and get the win.’ Tremendous defence and tenacious attack fended the nervous Canadian side off. Alexi Terblanche scored in the fifth minute on a baseline cross that deflected in off Canadian defender Harnoor Malhi to beat keeper Ishaval Sekhon. Lilian Pope fired the ball between the legs of Sekhon after some brave efforts from Gugulethu Sibanda in the second quarter to make it 2-0, the score line that stood at half time. Canada struggled to convert in the circle, squandering away multiple penalty corner chances. Zimbabwe picked up three yellow cards in the final two quarters, giving Canada a two-person advantage at one point late in the game. Canada’s Sam McCrory mustered an effort towards goal on another broken down penalty corner but this time midfielder Stefanie Sajko was there to get Canada on the board. Late in the game, McCrory’s 3D efforts almost notched a tying goal but the calm Jenna Mathieson, in goal for Zimbabwe, denied that chance, as she did all game. The victory comes as the

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2 April 2022 Potchefstroom, South Africa: It was a decisive day for most of the games on Day 2 at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Pool D play opened with India’s Lalrindiki’s two goals leading her side to a 5-1 win over Wales, while Germany had a clinical 10-0 win over Malaysia thanks to Aina Kresken’s hat trick. In Pool A play, the USA found their footing through a four-goal performance from Hope Rose to take care of Zimbabwe 5-0, while the Netherlands secured their spot in the Top 8 with a casual 11-0 victory over Canada thanks to a five-goal performance from Jip Dicke. The day closed with England edging Ireland with an exciting 2-1 decision thanks to a brilliant goal from Vicki McCabe. India v Wales (Pool D)– Potchefstroom, North-West University (RSA) It was rainy conditions for the opening game of Pool D but Lalrindiki tallied twice in the second half to help India drop Wales 5-1. Millie Holme’s second-quarter goal held the game to 1-1 at half time. India’s Chaudhary Ishika said after the match: ‘As you can see, the weather is not so good, but it was a good match. We started well. We had a lot of opportunities, so we will be working on our finishing in the D. We have waited for a long time for this tournament, so we’re excited and looking forward!’ Phalke Vaishnavi Vithal’s brilliant pass in the opening minutes cut through the Wales defence to find Kumari Sangita whose shot was deflected by Lalremsiami to give India the game’s opening goal. India came in waves of attack, but keeper Ffion Horrel did well including an important save to deny Kumari Sangita from an open look at goal. Strong work down the left baseline by Millie Walters set up the chance for Holme, who tied the game just before half time. Lalrindiki made it 2-1 for India when she deflected a pass from captain Tete Salima Khan. Mumtaz punished Welsch defender Ava Dempsey for her blatant turnover to make it 3-2 and it was then that India really started to capitalize. Lalrindiki finished a long-lasting penalty corner play for her second of the game in the 57th minute. Deepika put away a clinical drag flick in the last two minutes of the game to seal the 5-1 victory and give India the first three points in Pool D. Izzie Howell, captain of Wales, was proud of her team commenting: ‘Very proud of the girls! We fought hard. We’re a brand-new team. We gave it all today. We lacked just a bit of quality going forward, we got a bit tired. We were doing a lot of counter-defending. But if we keep that fight, I’m sure we’re going to beat Malaysia and go against Germany really strong.’ Germany v Malaysia (Pool D) – Potchefstroom, North-West University (RSA) Germany dominated from start to finish to charge to the top of Pool D after a 10-0 win over Malaysia. Aina Kresken scored three goals in the opening half, while Lilly Stoffelsma had a two-goal performance. ‘We’re very overwhelmed that we had a great start. It was a tough match but we’re very happy. It feels great to score three goals but it’s way more important for me that as a team we played a great match,’ said Germany’s Kresken after the match. Kresken opened the scoring just six minutes in as she calmly collected and finished a rebound off Siti Nasir’s boot. Almost identical to her first goal, Kresken finished a ball from Verena Neumann to double Germany’s lead. The striker’s third goal came off a far post deflection after a brilliant ball in from Stine Kurz. Germany had seven penalty corners in the first two quarters and Lilly Stoffelsma’s low flick finally capitalized on the final one to make it 4-0 at half time. Jette Fleschütz and Sara Strauss both scored from in tight to advance Germany 6-0. Stoffelsma tallied the highlight goal of the game as her individual skills into the Malaysian circle opened her up for a brilliant back-hand shot that rippled the top of the net for Germany’s seventh goal. Player of the Match Julie Bleuel found the back of the net off a bouncing strike in the 47th minute and Neumann curled and fired between the legs of Nasir for the game’s ninth goal. Sophia Schwabe’s touch off a bouncing pass from Julia Hemmerle provided the game’s 10th goal and made Germany the first team to reach double digits in the tournament. Malaysia’s Nor Isahhidun said of her team’s performance: ‘We played against a better team. So, this match is a very, very good experience for us. We’ve learnt how to cope with pressure.’ USA v Zimbabwe (Pool A) – Potchefstroom, North-West University (RSA) A dominating scoring performance from Hope Rose in the final two quarters propelled the United States a 5-0 over Zimbabwe despite just a 1-0 lead at half time. USA’s Charlotte de Vries commented after the match: ‘I think this win brings us confidence. We just got the hang of it more today and we’re really excited for our next game against Canada. We didn’t play them at Pan Ams, so we actually don’t know them that well, but I’m excited, I think it’s going to be a good game.’ The United States had several rushes of attack, but the composed Zimbabwe defence made it very challenging. The USA had a series of unconverted penalty corners including a great save by keeper Jenna Mathieson on USA forward Emma Deberdine. Finally, the deadlock broke after Ashley Sessa’s cross was brilliantly deflected out of the air by the stick of Charlotte de Vries in the 23rd minute. Some quality right-side attack allowed Rose to deflect in a ball from Deberdine to make it 2-0 in the 39th minute. A turnover pass from Zimbabwe defender Gugulethu Sibanda gave the Americans the space for a give-and-go play from Riley Donnelly to Rose for

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31 March 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: We are just hours away from the start of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021 and we spoke to the coaches of the 15 participating teams. Listen in to what they had to say: https://www.fih.hockey/events/junior-world-cup/women/fih-hockey-womens-junior-world-cup-2022-1301/news/what-coaches-say For the complete FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup schedule, please click here. #RisingStars #JWC2021 #HockeyEquals 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.

31 March 2022 As we build up towards the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup, which springs into action on 1 April in Potchefstroom, South Africa, here is a preview of the teams that comprise Pool B. Pool B: England, Ireland, South Africa Lausanne, Switzerland: Since it was finally not possible for Ukraine to reach South Africa and play this FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, Pool B will involve three teams only, namely the hosts, South Africa, as well as England and Ireland. Nevertheless, Ukraine will for sure be even more in everyone’s thoughts as the event starts. Ukraine should even have played the opening match against Ireland … Now, the curtain raiser will see England facing the host nation South Africa, with both teams looking to get a good result from which to start their campaign. For South Africa, this will be an emotional experience. Indeed, this is the first time that a FIH Hockey World Cup has taken place on African soil and, after the disruptions of the past few months, including a postponement of the event, to finally step out on the pitch will provide an even higher level of motivation for the team in green. Christa Ramasimong of the South Africa national team says: ‘Playing on home turf just gives you an extra boost because you know that you’re actually playing for more and people at home are looking at you. I feel that in South Africa, a lot of people don’t know much about hockey, but this is going to be a new introduction into South Africa, a new culture in our sports.’ England’s squad is relatively new with many players recently moving to the senior team, so this is a chance for players such as scoring sensation Maddie Axford and goalkeeper Mila Welch to shine. England has never finished in the medals at the Junior World Cup, the highest finish was fourth in 2013. But as England’s captain Millie Giglio says: ‘We are out to do our best in every single game but if we come out with a medal that will be great. We have a great side, with a lot of potential so a medal is always on the table.’ For Ireland, it will be a first appearance at this competition. The Junior Green Army was invited after other teams, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Belgium and Spain withdrew due to ongoing pandemic circumstances. Ireland’s Christina Hamill says the team in green have been motivated by the performance of their senior women at the 2018 World Cup, when they won silver against all the odds. “I think it’s a privilege to be involved and to get to play in such a high-end tournament. Hopefully we’ll come back with a medal around our neck”, she added. For the complete FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup schedule, click here. #RisingStars #JWC2021 #HockeyEquals 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.

31 March 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: Following its most thorough and extensive review to date, the website of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is now available in a greatly modernised version combining more engaging content and a more appealing look and feel. Simultaneously, FIH has taken this opportunity to change the name of its website, moving away from FIH.ch to become FIH.hockey, in better adequation with its global nature. The website review includes two phases. The key improvements of the first one are related to events, news, videos, data, mobile consumption and a more user-friendly platform: A centralized hub for “everything hockey”: A strong focus on events All international match scores updated LIVE Dedicated event sites for all live and upcoming international events (including non-FIH events) with all event-related information and fan-engaging content Dedicated event sites for all event archives since 2013 (including non-FIH events) and all event archives for major FIH events and Olympics A dedicated section for all latest and archived news (since 2005), with news articles now presented alongside videos, social media posts, etc A video section fully integrated with the FIH YouTube channel: all YouTube videos are now available on the website; and in order to ease the navigation, a tagging and playlist creation feature will be added soon A series of further improvements will be brought in the near future, such as a substantial increase of data and stats, a redesigned interface for the FIH World Rankings, player and team profiles, etc A complete access to hockey data, thanks to the full integration of the FIH Tournament Management System A more user-friendly website, fast and responsive A more modern and clearer look and feel A website optimized for mobile (noting that, currently, mobile accounts for roughly 70% of the overall FIH website consumption) The second phase of the review will be developed in the coming months and focus on the remaining sections of the website, such as “About FIH” or “Grow Hockey”. FIH CEO Thierry Weil said: “In addition to the expansion of our social media handles, the growth of the Watch.Hockey app or the launch of an NFT marketplace – just to name a few – the complete review of our website will add on to the ongoing transformation of our digital ecosystem. This will contribute substantially to our mission of better engaging with and serving the global hockey community – the 30 million hockey players and all the fans, in particular.” In the near future, FIH.hockey will also serve as a gateway for further engagement tools, including gaming, NFTs and an e-shop. #HockeyInvites For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please consult FIH.hockey, follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and download the Watch.Hockey app.

29 March 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: As we build up towards the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, which springs into action on 1 April in Potchefstroom, South Africa, here is a preview of the teams that comprise Pool A. Pool A: Canada, Netherlands, United States and Zimbabwe As runners-up at the Junior EuroHockey Championships (beaten by Spain on shoot-out), and the team with the highest number of wins at this tournament (3), Netherlands will be the team to beat in this pool. Head Coach Dave Smolenaars will have a host of players at his disposal who have been part of a national structure that produces wave after wave of quality hockey players. The Netherlands open their account with a match against USA on the first day of competition. The most intriguing meet-up in this pool will be the Pan Am clash between USA and Canada. The Canadians will be full of confidence after they won the Junior Pan Am Championship for the first time in their history. USA have been very much in a rebuilding stage so it will be interesting to see how the players respond to this challenge. USA Head Coach Tracey Paul will be looking for the experience of players such as Hope Rose and Charlotte de Vries to lead her team through to the knock-out stages. USA’s highest ever finish in their eight previous appearances was seventh in 2013. Canada’s last appearance was in 2013, when they finished 14th. Like USA, the Canadian team’s previous best was a seventh place in 1989. For Canada, nine of the team that won the Junior Pan Am Cup will be making the trip to South Africa. Head Coach Jenn Beagan is delighted at the prospect of both the junior and senior Canada teams competing in World Cups this year, saying: ‘This is an exciting time and I have no doubt the athletes will rise to the occasion.’ Zimbabwe are a country that has been really focused on developing their national teams in the past few years, and they could spring a surprise on their more experienced opponents. Their previous three appearances have seen the African team finish in last place, but, with the event taking place on African soil for the first time, they will be aiming much higher this time around. Mutsa Bera, the Zimbabwe captain said: ‘We are going to learn a lot from playing at such a big event. It is about taking up the challenge, just going in there and putting up a fight. ‘It is such a big thing to be able to go out there and make a mark for Zimbabwe hockey and show how ready we are to do this.’ Zimbabwe face Canada in their opening Pool A match on 1 April. #RisingStars #JWC2021 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.

25 March 2022 Lausanne, Switzerland: With just a few days to go before the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021 springs into action in Potchefstroom the squads for the participating nations are now known. For all the squad lists, please click here. Among the athletes from the 16 teams are Olympians, Olympic medallists and players that have already seen top class action through the FIH Hockey Pro League. This is also the stage upon which new stars are revealed to hockey fans. It was back in 1997 that an unknown junior called Luciana Aymar led Argentina to a Junior World Cup bronze medal – we all know how that story unfolded. Today’s crop of Las Leoncitas will be hoping to retain the gold medal that the 2016 squad won in Santiago, Chile. For teams such as Netherlands, Germany and Korea, the Women’s Junior World Cup has been a traditional hunting ground for medals. Those three teams between them have won 12 medals, and all three will want to be adding to their tallies. For Germany, players such as Pauline Heinz and Jette Fleschütz will be bringing a huge amount of experience of top flight hockey, having already experienced Olympic and FIH Hockey Pro League action. In addition, the German U21 squad played two senior FIH Hockey Pro League matches against India, gaining a wealth of experience the process. Also on the hunt for medals will be the India women’s side. Having observed the rapid rise of their women’s senior team through the rankings, and the adulation to which the squad returned on the back of an Olympic fourth place finish, the India team will want to take advantage of the momentum surrounding women’s hockey in the country right now. At the other end of the experience continuum are teams such as Ireland and Uruguay who will be experiencing their first ever foray into Women’s Junior World Cup territory. Ireland’s athletes are already bringing a sense of joy to the show, with their revelation that the team managers included pool-based flamingo racing as part of their early morning warm-up routines. And then there is the emotion that will be so very present at this event. For South Africa, this is the momentous occasion when they hold the continent’s first ever FIH World Cup event. For Canada, this is the place where they were caught in limbo for a while in December as a result of pandemic movement restrictions – they will be looking for a happy return to Potchefstroom. And, of course, there is the potential presence of Ukraine. When, and if, the blue and yellow clad team line up for the opening match of the tournament against Ireland, there is unlikely to be a dry eye at the pitch. The media kit of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup is available 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.