SPORTS SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014 ‘Geek’ helps push England into women’s hockey final Aussie women ease into hockey final GLASGOW: England will face Australia for women’s hockey gold at the Commonwealth Games after a self-confessed goalkeeping ‘geek’ helped them beat New Zealand 3-1 on a penalty shootout yesterday. Defending champions Australia had earlier cruised into the final with a 7-1 mauling of South Africa. GLASGOW: Chika Amalaha of Nigeria is seen in this file The two sides have already met once in the photo. — AP competition already with Australia running out 3-0 winners in the group stages. England Nigerian teenage keeper Maddie Hinch foiled penalties from Anita Punt, Katie Glynn and Stacey Michelsen weightlifter stripped of to book her side’s place in a Commonwealth final for the first time since 2002. Commonwealth gold “I do my homework. I’m renowned to be quite a geek when it comes to this stuff. I watch videos of the players taking penalties GLASGOW: A 16-year-old Nigerian weightlifter was and take notes,” said Hinch. “There’s no stripped of her Commonwealth Games gold medal yester- doubt Australia are tough opposition. We day because of a positive doping test. Chika Amalaha test- played them in the pool match and lost 3-0 ed positive for diuretics and masking agents after winning but it was a close match. I absolutely believe the 53-kilogram (117-pound) division last week, becoming we can beat them, it’s just about taking our the youngest ever female to win a weightlifting title at a chances.” Commonwealth Games. And England coach Danny Kerry also The gold now goes to Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea. believes they can take heart from their first Amalaha was initially suspended on Tuesday after the “A” game against Australia. “We had more shots than they did in the last game and that was sample tested positive for amiloride and hydrochloroth- the first time that has happened in two iazide, which are both banned by the World Anti-Doping years,” he said. “We always knew today was Agency. After Amalaha’s backup “B” sample also came going to be a hard game. We lost a couple of back positive, Commonwealth Games officials held a hear- players from our London 2012 Olympic team. ing into the case yesterday. “Most of the players here today are very The Commonwealth Games Federation said Amalaha young and I am just delighted with what did not contest the findings. She was disqualified and they did.” returned her medal. “It is strict liability,” CGF President In a tight game of few chances, Lilly Prince Imran Tunku of Malaysia, who chaired the hearing, Owsley’s goal just before the half hour mark told The Associated Press. “Once the tests are positive the looked to have England on course for victory. However, Glynn brilliantly swept home only thing we can do is follow the rules.” Asked whether Michelsen’s cross two minutes from time to GLASGOW: Australia’s Emily Smith (right) celebrates with Brook Peris after Amalaha offered any defense, Prince Imran said: “No.” send the game into a penalty shootout. And scoring a goal against South Africa during their women’s semifinal hockey Amalaha set Commonwealth Games records in her weight goals from Georgie Twigg, Alex Danson and match during the Commonwealth Games 2014 yesterday. — AP category with a total of 196 kilograms (432 pounds), break- Susie Gilbert allied to Hinch’s heroics sent four years ago when we just battled through “When you look at the number of scoring ing the previous mark of 188 kilograms (414 pounds). With England through. and in the end won a gold medal, which was chances, their conversation ratio is extremely Toua upgraded to the gold, Santoshi Matsa of India moves a great achievement. “But now we are really high, they are very clinical.” up to silver and India’s Swati Singh to bronze. Aussies favorites smashing sides so it shows the sky is the limit After a tight start, Emily Smith put the “It is sad it is a junior and I hope they will learn from this They will now face Australia who have and we can really move on after this tourna- Aussies in front and Kellie White quickly dou- experience,” Prince Imran said. “I think the international won the gold medal in three of the four com- ment.” South Africa coach Giles Bonnet, bled their lead to send the reigning champi- petitions since hockey was introduced to the federation should look at it carefully and see whether meanwhile, lamented his side’s inability to ons in 2-0 ahead at half-time. White, Commonwealth program. Australia took beat New Zealand in their pool earlier in the Georgina Parker and Jane Claxton made it 5- there are mitigating circumstances when it comes to the their tally for the tournament to 32 goals in sanctions.” The World Anti-Doping Agency has said it will week which meant facing Australia in the 0 after the break before Australia conceded five matches in Glasgow by thrashing South semi-finals. “Australia are a great team. We for the first time in the tournament when look into how Amalaha had access to banned substances, Africa. “I am very satisfied with the perform- knew that from before and we wanted to Celia Evans turned home a consolation for and Prince Imram also wants that explored further. “Being ance. Our ability, particularly in the second- avoid them,” he said. “We knew the New South Africa. However, normal service was a junior obviously there must some culpability from those half, to finish off our chances was excellent,” Zealand game was really important for us. quickly resumed as Parker slammed home that are looking after her, whether it is coaches or man- said Australia coach Adam Commens. We played well, but unfortunately we didn’t her second of the game before Georgia agers or doctors,” Prince Imram said. — AP “This team has come a long way from get the result and then you face Australia. Nanscawen rounded off the scoring. — AFP Olympic champion Adams in women’s flyweight final GLASGOW: Nicola Adams says she is full of confi- the final after the Northern Irish boxer won a con- second round following an accidental clash of Irishman. Host nation Scotland were given some- dence heading into today’s women’s boxing fly- troversial bout with defending champion Sean heads which resulted in a cut to Conlan’s head, thing to cheer about when Josh Taylor progressed weight final at the Commonwealth Games where McGoldrick of Wales. The fight was stopped in the with the judges awarding the fight to the Northern to the light-welterweight final with a win over she will be looking to add Glasgow gold to her England’s Samuel Maxwell. Waiting for him in the Olympic title. The Englishwoman booked her place ring will be Junias Jonas who saw of Northern in the final by beating Canada’s Mandy Bujold in Ireland’s Sean Duffy. yesterday’s semi-final. Reece McFadden was unable to add to “I am really confident and looking forward to it. Scotland’s success in the flyweight division as the It took me a little time to pin her down but once I 19-year-old lost a split decision to Australia’s got my range and timing back it was alright,” Andrew Moloney a decision the Scottish boxer Adams said. Standing between Adams and a gold slammed. “I thought I did enough to win that fight medal is Northern Ireland’s Michaela Walsh after but the judges gave it the other way. That’s what she saw off Pinki Rani of India in their semi-final. happens in boxing-it’s corrupt,” McFadden, who England’s Joseph Joyce made it through to the takes home a bronze medal, said. final of the super heavyweight division without “Everyone knows it is corrupt and I’ve been having to step into the ring after his semi-final robbed quite a few times. That wasn’t a big rob- opponent Mike Sekabembe of Uganda failed a bery there but I still thought I did enough to win.” medical yesterday morning. He will be joined by Pakistan’s Muhammad defeated Ghana’s Abdul Australian Joseph Goodall who won his fight with Omar in the other semi-final. New Zealand’s David Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba. Fellow English boxer Qais Nyika and Kennedy St Pierre of Mauritius will fight Ashfaq will also be going for gold after he defeated GLASGOW: Tiako Essombe of Cameroon (Red) grapples with Ifeoma Nwoye of Nigeria in for gold in the light-heavyweight division after they Kenyan Benson Njangiru in their bantamweight the Women’s Freestyle 55kg Freestyle Wrestling Bronze medal match at the SECC, 2014 overcome Sean McGlinchy and Nathan Thorley semi-final. Michael Conlan will be his opponent in Commonwealth Games yesterday. — AFP respectively. — AFP .