By Adrian Hill - 14 May 2009 As I travelled around the beautiful country of New Zealand recently, I was struck by how sport unites its cosmopolitan society. The nation’s remoteness, in a way, is its strength – a “them against us” syndrome combined with the innate warrior instinct derived from the large Maori and Polynesian population.  

“We are strong in rowing, triathlon and sailing, we have excellent programmes in both swimming and hockey

May 9 - Russia's national ice hockey team has received the status of official ambassador for the 2014

He said: "Russia is a winter sports country, and ice hockey is the number one sport for half of our country

May 8 - Belarus will host the World Ice Hockey Championships in 2014, it was announced today in Bern.

  The former Soviet Union republic won an election of International Ice Hockey Federation (IHF) members

But the executive director of the National Hockey League (NHL) Players' Association would like to see

the IIHF World Hockey Championship held every two years instead of annually.

are significant in Europe but I think the Olympic are more significant and I think the World Cup of Hockey

Swedish ice hockey federation president Christer Englund said: "They should close all the leagues in

May 6 - Spaniard Jose Manuel Brasa (pictured) has been appointed as the new hockey coach of India, the

For a period of time, India's men's field hockey team was dominant in Olympic competition, winning 11

Brasa promised that India would remain true to its tradition of playing attacking hockey, starting with

"Essentially, I am here to share my hockey knowledge.  

"I expect him to take the Indian hockey team to a higher level and I’ve assured him that the Ministry

May 6 - Spaniard Jose Manuel Brasa (pictured) has been appointed as the new hockey coach of India, the

For a period of time, India's men's field hockey team was dominant in Olympic competition, winning 11

Brasa promised that India would remain true to its tradition of playing attacking hockey, starting with

"Essentially, I am here to share my hockey knowledge.  

"I expect him to take the Indian hockey team to a higher level and I’ve assured him that the Ministry

May 4 - Loughborough University will today sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan that will see both organisations working together until the London 2012 Olympic Games, as first reported on insidethegames.

taking place in Berlin in August.Japan have initially indicated that 15 sports, including athletics, hockey

April 30 - Arne Ljungqvist (pictured), the head of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) medical commission, that the amount of money invested on anti-doping is "a peanut" in world sport.

The National Hockey League last year raised the salary cap so each team could spend as much as $56.7

April 29 - The British Olympic Association (BOA) has been living through challenging financial times.

sports bodies such as the British Canoe Union, the Grand National Archery Society and the Scottish Hockey

April 26 - Randhir Singh (pictured), the general secretary of the Indian Olympic Association, has called Australia's decision to withdraw from their Davis Cup tie over security a "shocking" decision.

Besides the the Commonwealth Games, India is also due to host next year the hockey World Cup, badminton

April 12 - British Handball has appointed sports marketing agency Oaks Consultancy to help it raise funds to ensure that its men and women's teams are able to compete at the London 2012 Olympics.

”   Oaks Consultancy also works with England Hockey and England Squash & Racketball as well as

April 12 - British Handball has appointed sports marketing agency Oaks Consultancy to help it raise funds to ensure that its men and women's teams are able to compete at the London 2012 Olympics.

”   Oaks Consultancy also works with England Hockey and England Squash & Racketball as well as

April 13 - The International Hockey Federation has warned New Delhi that it will move the 2010 World

"We have asked them to have a unique body [Hockey India, a federation to represent both men’s and women

’s hockey in the country] in place before World Cup.  

April 13 - The International Hockey Federation has warned New Delhi that it will move the 2010 World

"We have asked them to have a unique body [Hockey India, a federation to represent both men’s and women

’s hockey in the country] in place before World Cup.  

April 6 - Britain today released details of its performance targets necessary for athletes to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver next year, including skier Chemmy Alcott (pictured).

The seven sports on the Olympic programme for 2010 are biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, luge

By Duncan Mackay in Chicago   April 5 - Chicago tried to put on a show today to impress the International Olympic Commission (IOC) Evaluation Commission inspecting their proposed venues if they are chosen to host the 2016 Games.

Field, which would host the finals of the football tournaments; Jackson Park, proposed venue for the hockey