New Delhi, 17 October 2017: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team today left for the 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 which begins on 22 October, 2017 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.

The Indian team, Captained by Vivek Sagar Prasad with Pratap Lakra his deputy, will go into the tournament aiming to gain exposure and experience against players from the top international teams at the Junior level. Japan, Australia, Great Britain, USA and Malaysia are the other five participating teams in the tournament, against whom India will play a match each through the round robin format.

The 18-member team had been going through the grind at the National Camp at SAI, Lucknow. Coach Jude Felix who is confident about his team’s chances at the 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 believes that the tournament will help the players in getting used to delivering the kind of performance that is required to win major trophies at the international stage. “We have done our preparations at the National Camp keeping in mind the teams we will be up against at the Sultan of Johor Cup. It is important for this young bunch to get accustomed to performing against the top teams and players from across the world. I am confident that we will showcase top-quality hockey in Malaysia,” said Jude Felix.

The Indian team finished Runners-Up the last time they took part in the 5th Sultan of Johor Cup in 2015 and Captain Vivek Sagar Prasad is aiming to better that result. “We have a great bunch of players in our squad who have shown cohesion during our National Camp. All of the team members bring something extra to our style of play and it will stand us in good stead ahead of the tournament’s opening match against Japan,” said Prasad, who hails from Madhya Pradesh.

A good performance at the 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 will prove to be a stepping stone for the Indian team which starts their journey of retaining the Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup title.

The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team will begin their campaign against Japan on 22 October, 2017 at 13.35hrs IST.

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 15 October, 2017: The Indian Men’s Hockey Team continued their good form in their Hero Asia Cup 2017 campaign with a third successive win beating arch-rivals Pakistan 3-1 in a high intensity Pool A match here at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium today. Goals from Chinglensana Singh (17’), Ramandeep Singh (44’) and Harmanpreet Singh (45’) ensured the top spot in Pool A for India.

The match between the two arch rivals started evenly balanced as both sides looked threatening on the attack looking to clinch the opener. India saw plenty of possession inside Pakistan’s box in the early stages of the first quarter but could not convert it into a goal. On the other hand, Pakistan defended well and looked to hurt India on the counter which saw them earn a penalty corner in the last minute of first quarter which they failed to convert as the teams ended the first quarter goal-less.

The second quarter started well for the Indians as they produced some slick passing to take the lead in the 17th minute. Akashdeep Singh showed some speed on the left flank to inject pace into the attack and then found Chinglensana Singh in the D-area, who finished the move with a sublime hit to give India the lead. Pakistan had a glorious chance of equalising in the 23rd minute as they earned a penalty corner, but India’s Goalkeeper Suraj Karkera made a great save to deny the neighbours. Two minutes later, the Indian goalkeeper made another great save from a fierce shot from open play as he was kept busy by Pakistan’s attack towards the latter stages of the second quarter. However, India’s defence was up to the task at hand, and showed good cohesion to deny their opponents as they took the lead into half-time.

A good performance in the third quarter was essential for both the teams to get a grip on the match. India had the chance to tighten the noose on the match as two Pakistan players were awarded yellow cards, but the Pakistan’s defence held their nerves. India were then awarded a penalty corner in the 40th minute but they could not make the most of it as the flick went wide by Varun Kumar. Pakistan also could not make the most of their opportunities as India continued to dominate possession. The Indians extended their lead to three goals as they scored two goals in two minutes towards the end of the third quarter. First, it was Ramandeep Singh who scored in the 44th minute as he got at the end of a long pass by Harmanpreet Singh from the right flank and then it was the latter who was in action once again as he converted a penalty corner in the 45th minute to make it 3-0 for India at the end of the third quarter.

Pakistan started the fourth quarter on the attack which saw them pull one goal back when Sardar Singh’s pass was intercepted inside India’s circle by Pakistan’s Muhammad Arslan Qadir whose shot fell to fellow teammate Ali Shan, who put it past Goalkeeper Akash Chikte in the 49th minute to make it 3-1. India kept their shape in the last 10 minutes of the match to finish the match 3-1 in their favour.

India and Pakistan will face each other again in Hero Asia Cup 2017 as they have both qualified for the Super 4s stage of the tournament.

Matches will be shown Live on Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD 2 and Hotstar.

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 11 October 2017: Indian Men’s Hockey Team started off their Hero Asia Cup 2017 campaign with a 5-1 win over Japan here today. SV Sunil (3’), Lalit Upadhyay (22’), Ramandeep Singh (33’), Harmanpreet Singh (35’, 48’) were the goal-scorers for India as they emerged victorious.

The Indian team started the match with an early goal in the 3rd minute which came on the counter as Akashdeep Singh played a forward pass to SV Sunil, who then got behind the goalkeeper to score. However, Japan were quick to equalize as they won the ball at the half-line, and scored through Kenji Kitazato in the 4th minute to make it 1-1.

Both the teams looked threatening in the second quarter as they looked to get the lead in the match. India’s counter attacking was again sublime in the 22nd minute as forward Lalit Upadhyay beautifully brought down a long ball, made a turn and shot at the Japanese goal to give the lead to Asia’s number one ranked team.

The third quarter also went India’s way as they scored just two minutes after the resumption of play when Ramandeep Singh made a fierceful strike from the right flank to score India’s third goal of the day in the 33rd minute. The Indian team then won a penalty corner in the 35th minute which was well converted by drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh to make it 4-1 in India’s favour. India did not let Japan make a comeback into the game and kept the possession to end the third quarter with the same score-line.

Fourth quarter was all about keeping shape and possession for the Indian team but they did not stop attacking the Japanese defence as they won a penalty corner in the 48th minute. It was Harmanpreet Singh who scored his second goal of the match to make it 5-1 in India’s favour. The Indian team held onto the score-line as they kept out Japan’s late efforts to pull a goal back.

India will now play Bangladesh in their next Pool A encounter on Friday 13 October 2017 at 17.00hrs IST.

Dhaka Bangladesh, 10 October 2017: The Indian Men’s Hockey Team will take on Japan as they open their campaign in the Hero Asia Cup 2017 here at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium in Dhaka on Wednesday. Though India are clear favourites for the title and interestingly also have the backing of the local crowd who welcomed the team with loud cheers during their practice match on Monday against Oman, they need to bring their top game to every match to ensure they top Pool A which will also see Bangladesh and Pakistan in the fray.

“The opening match of the tournament is always challenging because we need to get over the early nervousness and find our rhythm. We have had two good practice sessions on the main pitch and even played a practice match against Oman. The team is upbeat and ready for the first challenge,” stated skipper Manpreet Singh on the eve of their first match.

India previously played Japan in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup earlier this year where they beat them 4-3. It’s Japan’s ability to play fast-paced hockey with good attack that makes them an unpredictable team. At the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup they set up a shocking 3-2 win over World No.2 Australia. “We have seen how they play and they are definitely one of the fastest improving sides in Asia. We can never take Japan to be an easy team,” expressed Manpreet.

India’s defence line-up saw a minor change with the experienced Kothajit Singh missing out due to an injury. “But we are now joined by Amit Rohidas who has just returned from a good outing at the Australian Hockey League and he did well during India’s tour of Belgium and Holland so we don’t see Kothajit’s absence as a set-back,” explained Manpreet.

On the other hand, Japanese National Coach Siegfried Aikman minced no words when he said that every team stands a chance to make the final in this tournament. “It’s a major tournament which gives us the opportunity to play at the highest level. The World Cup qualifier makes it even more challenging for us but reality learns that we need to know our place in the ranking. We stand for a huge challenge to compete with outstanding teams in our group. However, this is sports and in sports its always possible to flip the script. So, let’s wait and see,” he stated.

Speaking about India in the tournament, Aikman said, “I think that India has the best chances as the highest ranked team in this tournament. But behind India almost all countries can surprise. As I said before we don’t come only to participate we came to achieve our goals.”

On 11 October 2017, India will take on Japan in their first Pool A match at 14.30 hours IST.

Matches will be shown Live on Star Sports 2 and Star Sports HD 2 and Hotstar.

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 09 October, 2017: The countdown to the much-awaited Hero Hockey Asia Cup Bangladesh 2017 is finally over with the coveted event starting on October 11 at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here in Dhaka. While the participating teams have descended in the capital city, hockey lovers from across Bangladesh as well as other parts of Asia will be present in large numbers to cheer for their favorite hockey stars.

The opening match of the tournament between India and Japan on Wednesday will unfold a slug-fest with teams battling it out to lift the prestigious title that will elevate the winning team to No.1 position in Asia.

While top ranked team in the competition India will play for pride and aim to retain their No.1 status, teams such as China, Korea, Japan, Bangladesh and Oman will battle it out to earn a berth for Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 in Bhubaneswar, India. Though India have qualified for the World Cup as host country, Malaysia and Pakistan won the ticket to the World Cup by finishing 5th and 7th respectively in the Hero Hockey World League Semi Final earlier this year in London.

In the official Press Conference on Monday, Dato’ Tayyab Ikram, the Chief Executive of the Asian Hockey Federation, Member of the IOC Commission, hoped the tournament opens the door of new opportunities for hockey. “We have been waiting for a long time to see Dhaka step into the modern hockey arena, this edition of Hero Asia Cup 2017 is a special one with the Asian Hockey Federation extending all the support behind it, I thank all the involved stakeholders and Bangladesh government for hosting the meet, I hope Hero Asia Cup 2017 will produce a brilliant level of hockey” said the Chief Executive of the AHF.

That this prestigious event returns to Dhaka after 32 years calls for jubilation with hosts Bangladesh Hockey Federation supported by event sponsors Hero MotoCorp, Indian motor cycle and scooter manufacturing giant, leaving no stone unturned in their preparations to make this year’s Hero Asia Cup a grand success. “It is a momentous occasion for us as the Hero Asia Cup 2017 is being hosted in our country after a span of 32 years. This event will not only bring hockey lovers from across Bangladesh to watch best teams compete for top honours but those traveling for the event to Dhaka will get to witness the warm hospitality of the people of Bangladesh and will also get a chance to soak up our culture,” expressed an elated Abdus Sadeque, THE General Secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation.

“I always believe that hockey has a special place in Bangladesh, with all the modern facilitates like the newly installed floodlights the Asia Cup 2017 is the platform from where we can look and jump forward” added Sadeque.

Four-time Asia Cup winners and the defending champions Korea will remain tough contenders for the title with their coach sounding off a caution to other teams as they arrive in Dhaka with an eye on the World Cup Qualification. India, on the other hand, will watch out for Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and hosts Bangladesh who have the ability to spring a surprise on any given day. “I am aware we go into the tournament as the favourite to win but we cannot be complacent about any participating team as each one is capable of coming up with a tough fight. Winning the tournament is a priority but to do that, we would like to take each match at a time and make sure we perform well in all aspects of the game,” expressed Manpreet Singh, Captain, Indian Men’s Hockey Team.

For some of the participating teams, the Hero Men’s Asia Cup 2017 is not just about winning but also finding the right balance in the team and find out new ways to improvise in this new Olympic cycle. “For China, this is a transitional period with many of our senior players retiring and for the new and young players this is great exposure. While qualifying for the World Cup is the aim, we want to find out how well the team can stand up to the challenge and this will help us find out the areas that needs to be worked on to become better before the qualifying for 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” expressed Chinese Coach Liu Dongwei.

The event was held at Pan Pacific Hotel, Dhaka and was attended by the captains of participating teams apart.