05 Jun, 2024 Today’s World Environment Day gives us the opportunity to update all our stakeholders on the steps that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has done towards using water with more care than ever before. With water becoming scarcer and scarcer due to climate change and ever-growing human demand, using it wisely is an obligation we all have if we are to ensure its availability for future generations and protect the environment. FIH has fully recognised its responsibility and is acting. From when hockey started playing on synthetic turf fields in the late 1970s until today, the sport has preferred to play on wet turfs. Watering provides a fast, predictable, and consistent playing surface that allows the players to perform to their best ability. But even though turfs used today are much more water efficient than those used in the past, the volumes of water used are still significant, as are the infrastructure costs associated with irrigating a field. For many, this is increasingly out of step with society’s desire to live in a more sustainable way. This is why FIH launched its Dry Turf Initiative at its Congress in 2018. Today, working with the leading members of the FIH Quality Programme, we are seeing surfaces that have enhanced playing characteristics without the use of water. A year ago, FIH published its innovation standard for Dry (non-irrigated) Hockey Turfs, and today seven companies (see www.fih.hockey/dryturf for details) have developed surfaces that incorporate dry turf technology. As these new Dry Turf surfaces are being installed, FIH is working with the UK’s Loughborough University, the National hockey Associations and the turf manufacturers to collect player feedback on how they perceive these new surfaces to perform. Feedback to date is showing players can, and do, adapt to these new surfaces, but it is also noted that it is important that players have adequate opportunities to train and play on them before they are used at the highest levels of competition. Pleasingly, we are also seeing that the environmental benefits of playing on Dry Turf surfaces is being welcomed by many. We are finding that our strategy complements the sustainability policies of many that invest in hockey. FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “FIH launched a global sustainability strategy for hockey in 2022. This commitment was then reinforced as a key part of the FIH Empowerment and Engagement strategy that we launched a year ago. As a concrete milestone of this strategy, we were proud to initiate a global and ambitious programme called “Give back to forest” consisting in planting thousands of trees all around the world. Reducing water consumption is another commitment of ours. Remarkable progress has been made in this regard in the last decade. For example, the consumption of water between the Rio 2016 and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has been reduced by 40%! And a further substantial reduction will take place at the Paris 2024 Olympics where, on top of that, the world’s first carbon-zero hockey turf (Poligras Paris GT Zero) will be used. We will spare no efforts to continue along this path.” Joining us on the journey to a more sustainable future, ball, stick and shoe manufacturers all have a role to play, and we are engaging with key manufacturers in each sector. Together, it is hoped that the transition from always playing top-level hockey on wet fields to using wet or dry surfaces can occur with minimal impact on the way the game is played. Source: FIH.hockey

4 June 2024 Lausanne, Switzerland – The Black Sticks made it four wins from four to end the pool phase in style while Spain outclassed Korea in the women’s tournament in Terrassa. New Zealand’s women’s team was involved in a highly entertaining fixture to take a crucial point against Japan while Chile and Ireland cruised past Canada and Italy, respectively. The other men’s game saw South Africa doing enough to pip Poland. (Women’s) Chile 3-0 Canada Chile got their first set of points in the bag in Spain with a 3-0 win over Canada. After a heartbreaking loss in their opener, the Chileans started the game against Canada with attacking intent, forcing goalkeeper Rowan Harris into action a few times. After three penalty corners, Las Diablas finally found the back of the net in the fourth attempt in the 20th minute. The shot from Josefa Salas found a way in through a crowded circle. To make matters worse, the Canadians gifted their opponents when Anna Mollenhauer failed to control a back pass. Manuela Urroz pounced and produced a cheeky assist for Maria Maldonado to tap in. While Chile dominated the game, it took them six more penalty corners to find the third goal. It came from Constanza Palma via a deflected shot in the 52nd minute. Manuela Urroz of Chile was judged player of the match and said: “We are happy with the win. We knew it was a good game. We know about Canada as we play them in America. We need to be tough against Japan next. We will watch our videos to see where we can improve.” (Women’s) Japan 2-2 New Zealand New Zealand came back from two goals down to draw against Japan in a Pool B fixture in Terrassa. It was a cautious start to the game from both sides. New Zealand had more penalty corners, circle entries, and possession in the first half but it was Japan that made their chances count. Four minutes into the second quarter, Kanon Mori squeezed in from a penalty corner. It was a dramatic goal that saw the first two shots from Yu Asai and Hazuki Nagai saved before the finish from Mori. Meanwhile, New Zealand failed to take advantage of a penalty stroke that was fired wide by Megan Hull. For Japan, a goal came out of nowhere in the final minute of the first half when Nagai deflected a long and hard ground ball from Shihori Oikawa. New Zealand wasted no time in restoring some balance to the scoreline by earning a penalty corner two minutes after the restart. It became a penalty stroke when the ball hit Nagai’s foot. Stephanie Dickins’ powerful drive hit the crossbar and went in after hitting the pad of goalkeeper Eika Nakamura. New Zealand continued to apply pressure and finally got the equaliser with six minutes to go. Dickins’ long pass was deflected for Hannah Gravenhall to smash it in. New Zealand’s Rose Tynan won player of the match and said: “It was a dominant performance. We were disappointed to be down at halftime. Props to everyone to keep pushing and get the goals in the second half.” (Women’s) Ireland 3-0 Italy Ireland responded well to the bashing from Spain on the opening day to beat Italy 3-0. They started finely as Hannah McLoughlin drew the defenders towards her before crossing from the right for an unmarked Niamh Carey to tap in in four minutes. The women in green looked organised and disciplined to keep Italy at bay. The second quarter saw them double the advantage with McLoughlin powering one down the middle from a penalty corner in the 17th minute. They looked like a team reborn as McLoughlin got her second and Ireland’s third in the last minute of the first half. It’s not that Italy did not try, but they weren’t able to convert the chances despite getting six penalty corners. The second half finished goalless as Ireland recovered brilliantly from the opening-day defeat to stay alive in the competition. Hannah McLoughlin of Ireland won player of the match and praised her teammates for the performance. She said: “It’s definitely better than our performance yesterday. We worked on our penalty corners and it paid off. But it’s a team win today.” (Women’s) Korea 1-3 Spain Spain came back from a goal down to beat Korea 1-3 to enjoy a great home tournament in Terrassa. Barring a few chances for the hosts, the game was not living up to hype in the first half. But all that changed within a couple of minutes. In the 24th minute, Korea won a penalty corner that was smashed in by Minjeong Kim. Just when it looked like Korea would go into halftime with the lead, a cheap error resulted in a penalty stroke. Lola Riera made it 1-1 with ease to set up an intense 30 more minutes. Within nine minutes of restart, Spain started to find the pockets. A penalty corner in the 38th minute was well-saved by Eunji Kim, but Sara Barrios was given acres of space for a goal a minute later. Spain turned on the heat from then on and added one more thanks to a superb penalty corner from Riera. The excitement of the third quarter faded out in the fourth with both teams just wanting to see out the match as Spain continued to dictate the terms and finish with another crucial win. Lola Riera was awarded player of the match and said: “I think in the beginning it was a bit hard to play against them. I think the final balls are the most important in these types of games and we are happy with the win.” (Men’s) New Zealand 4-2 Korea New Zealand topped Pool A after winning their fourth game 4-2 against Korea to qualify for the semi-finals. The Black Sticks started strongly against Korea, attacking from all sides of the pitch and got their reward within five minutes. It was a

Continue Reading →