Sunday 1st April 2012: County champions Leicester Men’s Hockey Club Under-12 boys added the Midlands title to their growing string of successes. The tournament, held this year at Rugby School, featured the twelve top teams from the region. Based on recent performances, Leicester went into the competition quietly confident knowing that there were big hurdles to overcome.
The group stage of the event started with a thumping 6-1 victory over Lichfield with goals coming from the hugely influential Rohan Bhuhi (2), Sam Moorhouse (2), Ben Jefferson and Aaron Patel. With two more goals from Bhuhi in the next match, Leicester continued the good start with a 2-0 win over more difficult opponents, Worcester.
In bright spring sunshine, the boys’ confidence was visibly growing as they eased past Boots with another 2-0 score line. Bhuhi’s early goal was added to by Jefferson mid-way through the game. Despite not adding to the goal tally, the boys’ entertaining style of hockey was grabbing the attention of the sizeable crowd.
Leicester maintained their 100% record with victory over Coventry & North Warwickshire, thanks to a solitary Jefferson strike early in the game. With rivals Burton having drawn one of their earlier games, Leicester needed simply to avoid defeat to top the group and avoid hot favourites Beeston, from the other pool, in the semi-finals. A scoreless match, in which Burton offered no threat, set up a last-four encounter against Belper.
With a scintillating performance and goals from Jefferson, Bhuhi and Amar Chudasama, Leicester stormed into their first final at this level with a 3-0 win. This was the team’s best performance of the day as they made light work of good opposition.
In the final against giants Beeston, Leicester started cautiously and, for the first time, showed signs of feeling inferior to their opponents. Beeston came out of the blocks like a team desperate to secure yet another title, but in the fifth minute, the hard-running Ben Jefferson played a one-two with Rohan Bhuhi on the half-way line and slipped the ball past the approaching goalkeeper to put the city boys in the lead. All the defensive skills of Senna Patel, Daniel Wolloff and Saajan Patel would be needed from here on in to hold on to the slender lead.
Mid-way through the game, Beeston equalised from their second penalty corner in quick succession, and with only three minutes left on the clock they took the lead from a quick break. The Leicester boys were down but not out as they pushed to the end. Right on the stroke of full-time, a penalty corner was awarded to Leicester. This was the last play of the match and anything other than a goal would hand the title to Beeston. Ben Newcombe injected the ball to the mercurial Rohan Bhuhi, who dodged away from advancing defenders to thunder the ball into the back boards to tie the final at 2-2.
A best-of-three penalty shootout would decide the winner and it was Beeston who went first. Leicester goalkeeper Ethan Smith moved to his right to save with his pads. Aaron Patel withstood the pressure to pass the ball past the Beeston goalkeeper and hand the advantage to Leicester. Another save by Smith, this time to his left, meant that if Leicester scored their next stroke they would be champions. Captain Rohan Bhuhi stepped up to complete the job and spark huge celebrations, on and off the pitch.
By becoming Midlands champions, Leicester now progress to the National Under-12 boys championship, which will be held in May.
After the success, head coach Harvinder Bhuhi said, “This is an incredible group of boys with an amazing team spirit. It is a joy to see them having so much fun. It is their desire that inspires the coaches to put in so much time with the boys and there is no limit to what they can achieve in the future. They have done their club, county and families proud”.

The boys celebrate receiving the winning trophy
TEAM: Ethan Smith (GK), Senna Patel, Daniel Wolloff, Saajan Patel, Amar Chudasama, Sam Moorhouse, Rohan Bhuhi (C), Ben Newcombe, Ben Jefferson, Aaron Patel.

Championship winning team
Coaches: Harvinder Bhuhi, Rinoo Patel & Paul Moorhouse
Manager: Dinesh Chudasama
Leicester U12 Girls Put On Great Show
On the same day, as County champions for the 2nd year running, Leicester Under-12 girls went to the Regional Finals, held this year at Rugby School, with high hopes. Although clear winners of the County tournament, the young Leicester team knew they would have to raise their performance a notch to compete at a regional level. Their pool included the top teams from the Midlands.
The tournament started off with 0-0 draws against Belper and Telford & Wrekin, in which Leicester completely dominated both games. There were particularly strong performances from the youngest player on the pitch, 8 year old Hephzibah Smalley-Kaspruk in right midfield, and Georgia Ryman, debuting as goal keeper. Lots of goal scoring opportunities presented themselves with many near misses, unfortunately the Leicester attack were unable to convert them into results.
Finally, in the third game Leicester pulled off a 1-0 win against Lichfield following a great display of attacking skill by the Captain Simran Sembi, who slotted the ball across for Rachael Chipman for a great strike on goal.
A 2-0 defeat against Worcester left the team with a big challenge going into the final draw against a very strong Beeston side. The Leicester team battled hard, with Niamh Quaid making a big impact as attacking centre forward. Leicester were hard pressed in their own half for much of the game, however, ably led by Jaskirat Aulakh in defence and supported by Isabel Glover and Praveen Ragi in midfield, Leicester managed to stay in the game. A moments lack of concentration in the final minutes, saw the favourites Beeston put away a well struck goal. Despite a spirited response led by Simran Sembi, Leicester failed to pull the game back
Fielding the youngest team in the tournament, including Amy Jones and Ellie Lineham recent recruits from the U10s, meant that the task was going to be difficult. However, the team showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with next season, when they compete again in the same age group another year older and with another years experience under their belts.
Leicester Under-12 girls are trained and managed as part of Leicester Men’s Hockey Club Junior Development Programme
TEAM: Georgia Ryman (GK) Hephzibah Smalley-Kaspruk, Jaskirat Aulakh, Simran Sembi, Rachael Chipman, Amy Jones, Ellie Lineham, Praveen Ragi, Isabel Glover, Niamh Quaid
Tournament U12 Girls Team Managers: Antin Kaspruk & Rajinder Raji
Report supplied by U12 Girls Coach Anna Smalley
Under 10 Boys Experience Competitive Hockey
Saturday 31st March 2012: With Leicestershire offering no competitive hockey at this age group, Leicester U10 Boys travelled to Rugby School to represent the county at the Midlands tournament with half the team having never played a match.
However, it was a successful day as all the boys were smiling at the end of play. They got to know each other and some had their first experience of competitive matches.
In this context, the results were irrelevant.
The experience should encourage the boys to keep playing hockey and continue improving through excellent junior hockey provision at the club.
The boys lost their opening game against eventual champions Beeston by 3-1, with Tom Moorhouse putting in a fine performance, which he capped with a stunning goal.
Next up was a 2-0 defeat against Wolverhampton, followed by a 5-0 reverse against Burton.
By the time of the final game against Rugby & East Warwickshire the boys had run out of steam and lost 8-1, despite some heroic efforts from Yuvraj Bhuhi in goal. Tom Moorhouse, once again, the goalscorer.
To their credit, the young players left the tournament feeling that they had done their best, which is all that can be asked.

TEAM: Yuvraj Bhuhi(GK), Tom Moorhouse(C), Parmveer Ragi, Jaimin Metcalf, Henry Davison, Jay Patel, Will Roberts, Charlie Lloyd-Jones, Louis Marshall