THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 12, 1989.
First Hockey Interport Trial
WEALTH OF TALENT AVAILABLE FOR JANUARY 22
Main Problems Will Be Halves And Inside Forwards
(By "STICKS")
In spite of the fact that they are lacking in confirmation of the Interport from Macao, the Hong Kong Hockey Association are proceeding with their Interport trials as a normal procedure and hope to stage their first on Sunday, January 22, at 10.30 a.m. on the Club ground.
There is a wealth of talent available from the 33 players nominated by the various affiliated clubs and most of these represent the best in the Colony, thereby eliminating a waste of time.
Outstanding feature of the
nominated players are the many Naval players, some of whom stand an excellent chance of securing Colony honours.
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WHERE THEY HAVE PLAYED
The following players, invited to at-
+
retaining his position instead of. running all the way up the wing to cross the ball.
Willy Reed is a certainty for the centre-half position, and his dis-
than ever. It has been said that some of his performances rank with some of the best of his career.
Elsewhere on this page the play tend the Club ground on January 22¡ Plays this season have been betteri ers have been placed under separate are given below in positions they have headings denoting the positions occupied during the past and present they have filled both this season seasons:- and in the past, which should help GOALKEÈPERS: clarify the position somewhat, parti- | cularly as there are a great num-' ber of claimants for some of the positions and only one or two for another.
U. B. Souza (Radio), V. M. Benwell (Y.M.C.A.), Lt. Goodwin (R. Navy), O. Ribeiro (Recreio). FULL-BACKS:
A GOOD SELECTION
Of the remaining half-back posi-
V. C. Bond (C.B.A.), Lt. Carr (R. tion, Lt. Firth (Navy), M. R. Malik former Interport left- Navy), Pte. Stickley (Middlesex), H. (K.I.T.C.) Sommer (Y.M.C.A.), J. Gonsalves, half, M. H. Hassan (Radio), R. (Recreio), D. Taylor (C,B.A.). Marques (Recreio), Lt. Hook (R.A.) and Lt. Cdr. Kennedy (R. Navy) will have to be considered.
THE GOALKEEPERS With the retirement of M. Ram-HALF-BACKS: zan, K.I.T.C. custodian, we have four very mediocre and sometimes brilliant goalkeepers to choose from and of these Lt. Goodwin (Navy) and Ribeiro (Recreio) have been most consistent during the present season. Benwell can be magnificent on his day.
Cpl. Whetton (R.E.), W. A. Reed (Recreio), Lt. Firth (R. Navy), M. R. Malik (K.LT.C.), Lt. Hook (R.A.), J. Kempton (Y.M.C.A.), M. H. Has- san (Radio), R. Marques (Recreio), Lt. Cdr. Kennedy (R. Navy), Sgt. Dawson (R.A.F.). FORWARDS (RIGHT WING):
Lt. Whitworth (R. Navy), S. A. Fow- ler (C.B.A.), D. T. Smith (C.B.A.). In the full-back division, the Co-FORWARDS (INSIDE RIGHT):
Gurbachan Singh (Radio), H. T. lony should be able to field a very
Bartlett (R.A.F.), S. A. Fowler strong rear-guard pair, V. C. Bond,
(G.B.A.). (C.B.A.) has only recently occupied the right-back position for his team and has to date performed credit- ably, although not brilliantly. Lt. Carr (Navy) has been consistently good in the Triangular Tourna- ment matches, but is by no means good enough to withstand the shock- tactics of the Macao forwards.
Pte. Stickley, who played for the deterior- Colony last season, has ated greatly this season and is a long way off Interport form.
A STRONG CONTENDER
FORWARDS (CENTRE FORWARD):
Lt. Pritam Nath (Rajputana Rifles) Lt. Cdr. Kennedy (R. Navy), G. H Fowler (C.B.A.), Capt. Lawder (Ku- maon Rifles), Pyara Singh (K.I.T.C.). FORWARDS (INSIDE-LEFT):
Sgt. Dawson (R.A.F.), Nerain Singh (Kumaon Rifles), Pyara Singh (K.I T.C.), Lt. Medd (R. Navy), FORWARDS (LEFT WING): F. O. Miller ("Eagle"), Singh (Kumaon Rifles).
Partaub
who is the other nominated full- back, is by no means ready for an
HALF-BACK PROBLEM
Firth has played centre-half for the Navy in the Triangular series, but is not nearly good enough for the Interport team, while the same remarks apply to Hassan and Mar- ques.
H. Somiter, above, who plays at left-back for the European Y.M. C.A., stands an excellent chance of securing double Interport honours as he has already played for the Shanghai Germans against the Co- lony and will shortly be participat- ing in the Colony trials, while V. C. Bond, below, also makes his first appearance in a Colony trial, as a full-back.
In the latter's case it seems a
Sydney Fowler (right-wing), Lt. great pity that he was not given Co- lony honours earlier, for although Partaub Singh (left-wing) are these Pritam Nath (Centre-forward) and
he
not
deteriorated
has since last season,
there are several other claimants who must come before him on merit,
Malik, who played for the Colony at left-half against Macao in the last Interport match, has lost none of his splendid positional play and still remains a strong con- tender for this position.
THERE IS ANOTHER PLAYER, HOWEVER, WHO BY HIS PERFORMANCES TO DATE, ALSO HAS STRONG CLAIMS FOR INCLUSION IN THE COLONY HALF-BACK LINE. I REFER TO LT. HOOK (R.A.).
three, although D. T. Smith, of C.B.A., has also been in very good form on the right-wing.
THE INSIDE BERTHS
The two inside-berths remain to be filled and I am suggesting that Lt. Comdr. Kennedy, who is a forward of exceptional merit, be given the inside right berth in support of Fowler, Both are the thrustful kind, always up with the ball and deadly in the circle. In H. Sommer (Y.M.C.A.), how-Interport match.
With Partaub Singh on the left- ever, we have the sturdy type of
wing the natural thing to do would back, who clears his line with Selection of the three half-backs to
be include Nerain Singh as inside- powerful accurate hitting, relying represent the Colony will probably
left. Dawson, of the R.A.F., how- to ä
great extent upon sound posi-present the biggest problem to the
The latter has played for the ever, is an unusually brilliant play- tioning.
sélection committee, for here we Army in the centre-half position er for this position although in- He played against the Colony for have a wealth of talent.
and has given an excellent impres-clined to be selfish at times. Still of the Deutscher Klub (German Hoc- Cpl. Whetton, (R.E.), who has pro- sion to date. His stickwork is good, the two on this season's perform- key Club, Shanghai) several sea-bably supplied the outstanding per- but it is his feeding of his forwards ance, would rather have Dawson. sons ago and should catch the eye formance of any half-back in the that I admire most. Hook is very I am certain, however, that Nerain of the selectors. J. Gonsalves (Re-Triangular Hockey Tournament, is fast and a splendid defender, but will probably be selected if only to creio), formerly an Interport left-a strong contender for honours. Al-it is pace and stamina which will maintain that balance which is so half, is now playing at left-back, though he received very little op- ultimately tell against Macao's fast necessary in attack. and is another very reliable player, position at the hands of Navy's for-attack and for this reason I am in- sound in his positioning and quick wards, against Macao he would have clined to select him for one of the
a steady game, two wing berths. on the recovery, D. Taylor (C.B.A.) to settle down to
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KENNEDY FOR ATTACK?
Lt. Comdr. Kennedy (Navy) has played at left-half for the Royal Air Force in the Hockey Associa tion Tournament where he has dis-. played excellent form. But to my way of thinking Kennedy is a much better forward, as witness his last performance · for Royal Navy against Army in the Triangular Tournament. I am not suggesting, however, that he assume the leader- ship of the Colony attack, but he would be an excellent partner for S. A. Fowler, who is more or less assured of inclusion on the right wing: More on this player,
The selection of the Colony attack
MY SELECTIONS
On the conclusions I have drawn above, I would select the Probable.. and Possible teams as follows:
Probables: O. Ribeiro (Recreio);: V. C. Bond (C.B.A.) and H. Sommer (Y.M.C.A.); Cpl. Whetton.. (R.E.), W. A. Reed (Recreio) and Lt. Hook (R.A.): S: A. Fowler (Club),Lt: Cdr - Kennedy (R, Navy), Lt. Pritam Nath (Rujputana Rifles), Sgt. Dawson (R.A.F.) and Partaub Singh (Ku- maon Rifles).
Possibles: Lt. Goodwin (R. Navy);.' ̈ J. Gonsalves (Recreio) and Lt. Carr (R. Navy); R. Marques (Recreio), Lt. Firth (R. Navy) and M. R. Malik (K.I.T.C.); D. T. Smith· ̈(C.B.A.),· Gurbachan Singh (Radio), G. H. Fowler (0.3.A.), Pyara Singh (K.I. TC.) and F. O. Miller (“Earlo"). : I understand that Mr. R. Hender son, Hon. Secretary of the Hong Kong Hockey Association has writ- ten to the Macao Hockey Club re-
WHITEAWAY, LAIDLAW & CO., LTD. is by no means an easy one although questing an immediate reply con-
in at least three of the positions, |firming the date and time of the there are certainties.
Interport match.