Author: Abhishek Shukla

Owner of Sports India Live.
by Abhishek Shukla

New-look Bengaluru face 4.25 SC challenge

Bengaluru: A new-look Bengaluru FC squad will have their task cut out when they come up against North Korean side 4.25 SC in the first leg of the Inter-Zonal semifinal of the 2017 AFC Cup at the Kanteerva Stadium, on Wednesday.

 

Taking field for their first game of the 2017-18 season, the Blues will aim to make the most of home advantage to get a positive result ahead of the second leg, which will be played in Pyongyang a fortnight later. However, the job at hand won’t be an easy one given the fact that squad has been completely overhauled only four weeks back.

 

“It’s never easy at the start of the season. We have a new-look squad and had just four weeks to prepare. But we’re eager to get into action and are looking forward to the game. We had a good pre-season trip to Spain and we’ve been working hard in Bengaluru as well. A bunch of players from last season are still with us and we hope to carry forward the same form from the group stage,” said Head Coach Albert Roca speaking on the eve of the big clash.

On the team news front, the Blues will be without the services of talismanic defender John Johnson, who is away for personal reasons, and Braulio Nobrega, who isn’t part of the squad. Meanwhile, the rest of the foreigners, along with Indian players are all fit and available for selection. “Johnson has been an important part of the club for the last four years, and we will definitely miss him. However, we’ve signed some good foreign players who bring in a lot of experience and will help us immensely in this competition. We’ve even included some deserving youngsters from our academy in the squad and they give us some great options in different positions,” added Roca while sharing his thoughts on the composition of the team.

Opponents 4.25 SC, who are making their debut appearance in the competition, topped Group-I (East Asia Zone) with two wins and as many draws in four games, ahead of fellow North Korean side Kigwancha SC thanks to better goal difference. While their attack will be spearheaded by tournament top-scorer Kim Yu-song who has netted nine goals, they’re pretty much an unknown opponent for Roca’s boys. “We know very little about our opponents, but we are at the business end of the competition and no matter which team we get drawn against, they won’t give us an easy game. We are focused on our strengths. 4.25 SC are definitely a good side considering that they are still unbeaten in the competition and we’re expecting a tough game,” said the coach.

The match kicks off at 7 pm and will be streamed live on the Facebook and YouTube channels of AFC Cup.

by Abhishek Shukla

Jude Felix appointed as Coach for Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team

New Delhi, 22 August 2017: Hockey India on Tuesdayannounced the appointment of former India Captain Jude Felix Sebastian as Coach for the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team. In the wake of the Indian team’s successful Europe Tour that featured nine players from last year’s Junior Men’s Core Group, India’s High Performance Director David John emphasized that the programs initiated by Hockey India in the past five-six years are paying dividends with juniors rightfully pushing for a spot in the Senior team and thus increasing the talent pool in this new Olympic cycle.
The 33-member Junior Men’s core group will train under Jude Felix as they prepare for defending their title of Junior Men World Champions. “Jude Felix brings with him vast experience as former India Captain as well as a highly reputed Coach. Under him, we want to strengthen the junior core group. With Hockey India’s programs structured to bring good results in the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games, I would expect players from this junior core group to push the seniors for a spot in the team,” stated David John, Hockey India’s High Performance Director.
As a player, Felix was a vital cog in the Indian team as a half-back. His composed attitude with a wide vision for hockey’s development set him apart from his contemporaries. Felix is an Arjuna Awardee (1995) and was the Captain of the Indian Team from 1993-95. He also led the Indian team in the 1993 World Cup and in the Asian Games in 1994 at Hiroshima.
Felix has played more than 250 international matches and represented India in two Olympic Games in 1988 (Korea) and 1992 (Barcelona), two World Cups in 1990 (Pakistan) and 1994 (Sydney), two Asian Games in 1990 (Beijing) and 1994 (Hiroshima) and three Champions Trophy in 1985 (Australia), 1987 (Pakistan) and 1989 (Berlin). He has also worked as player cum coach with Racing Club in Paris (European league and French League) in 1997 -2000. He also worked as the Coach of Dutch U-18 National Team in the Leo Van Der Kar in 1997.
His previous stint with the national team was in 2014 when he assisted Chief Coach for Men’s team Terry Walsh. “I am excited to take up this new role. The Junior Core Group was picked basis their performance in the National Championships and this group will be further pruned down to 18-member squad for the Sultan of Johor Cup, our first international tournament for this year,” stated Felix.

 

by Abhishek Shukla

HERO MOTOCORP TO BE THE TITLE SPONSOR OF MEN’S ASIA CUP 2017

Dhaka, August 21, 2017: The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) today announced Hero MotoCorp Ltd, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, as the title sponsor of the Men’s Asia Cup 2017, which will be hosted by the Bangladesh Hockey Federation.

The 10th edition of the quadrennial event will take place at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium in Dhaka, returning to Bangladesh for the first time since 1985. The tournament will take place from October 11 to 22, 2017, and will be titled the ‘Hero Asia Cup 2017’.

The New Delhi (India)-headquartered Hero MotoCorp is one of the biggest global supporters for the development of hockey through its long-term association with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and has a shared vision for the growth of the sport via landmark tournaments like the Hero Asia Cup 2017.

Speaking of this partnership, Mr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Hero MotoCorp, said: “At Hero MotoCorp, we aim to build a culture of sportsmanship and team spirit among the youth across the world through our various global sports associations. We have a successful ongoing association with the FIH, and we are now glad to associate with the Asian Hockey Federation. I am sure our Title Sponsorship of the 10th Men’s Hockey Asia Cup will play the role of an enabler in taking the sport to new audiences. I wish all the participating teams the best of luck and look forward to a magnificent tournament.”

Introduced in 1982, the inaugural Men’s Asia Cup was won by the nation Pakistan who also won the next two editions in 1985 and 1989. Since then, India (2003, 2007) and Korea (1993, 1999, 2009 and 2013) have also been champions in the nine editions played so far.

The tournament will witness stiff competition among the top performing teams from across Asia with big stakes at play, the biggest incentive being a direct ticket for the winning team to the World Cup which is scheduled to take place in Bhubaneswar, India from November 28 to December 16, 2018.

This year, the premier continental tournament will feature host nation Bangladesh along with China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Oman and Pakistan.

India is the top ranked team amongst the competing teams at 6th position in the latest FIH Hero World Rankings, while Korea, the current title holders is ranked 13th in the world.  World number 12 Malaysia, riding high on an excellent performance in the recent Hockey World League Semi-Final in London, and world number 14 Pakistan round up an exciting mix of teams promising a fiercely disputedtournament ahead.

 

AHF President HRH Prince Abdullah Ahmad Shah was pleased to confirm Hero MotoCorp coming on board as title sponsors of the tournament and Hero’s support as the lead partner of Asian Hockey Federation.

 

He said: “We are delighted to announce this agreement with a partner of the caliber of Hero MotoCorp, one of India’s most successful businesses and an organization that has shown extraordinary support for the sport over a number of years. This is a milestone for hockey in Asia, and a vital step forward on the ambitious path the AHF is following to promote, grow and professionalize our sport.”

AHF CEO Tayyab Ikram added: “The cooperation with a global player and premier brand of Hero MotoCorp’s stature is a great success reflecting the AHF’s efforts over the last two years to take the sport to new heights in Asia. The Hero Asia Cup in Dhaka will showcase our best athletes to a global audience through our media rights partnership with the FIH, and I am looking forward to a fantastic event and thrilling match action.”

BHF President and Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar, BBP, ndc, acsc said: “I am extremely happy to be the part of organizing the biggest hockey tournament in Asia, the Hero Asia Cup Dhaka 2017. I assure BHF will put all-out effort to stage the event in an outstanding manner. We are hopeful that jointly with AHF, we will be able to present an exciting and successful tournament to the millions of hockey lovers around the world. I wish every success for the Hero Asia Cup Dhaka 2017.”

by Abhishek Shukla

FC Pune City snap ISL Golden Boot Winner Marcelinho

Pune, 21 August 2017: – Strengthening their squad further, the Rajesh Wadhawan Group owned Indian Super League club FC Pune City today secured the services of 2016 Indian Super League golden boot winner Marcelo Leite Pereira a.k.a. Marcelinho. The Brazilian winger who has plied his trade in Spain, Greece & Italy represented Delhi Dynamos FC last season. In his 15 appearances, the South American scored 10 goals and made five assists.

 

FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel was excited on the new addition to his team. “Marcelinhohas a great appetite for scoring and caused some serious damage to other teams’ defence in ISL last season. He is a busy player on the pitch, always in the thick of things – setting the pace, assisting and finding the back of the net. I know our fans really wanted him to don the FC Pune City jersey! Welcome Marcelinho.”

In his career spanning almost a decade, Marcelinho has represented Atletico Madrid B, Getafe B, Greek clubs like Skoda Xanthi F.C., Atromitos Athens, Kalamataamong others.

Head coach Antonio Habas said, “Marcelinho is one of the most accomplished attackers we have seen in Indian Super League. He has the versatility to play on wings as well as in front of the net along with great pace to match his abilities. These qualities will be of great help to the team and hope we can achieve results that we aim for in the coming season.”

On donning the orange and purple, Marcelinho said. “It’s exciting times ahead as I join FC Pune City. Antonio Habas is a great coach to work with and his vision for the club is something that got me excited. I will give my 100 % and ensure my stint with FC Pune City gives the Orange Army many reasons to celebrate.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Minerva Punjab FC appoints new Head Coach

Minerva Punjab FC the only team to be participating in the Hero I-Leaue from Chandigarh, Punjab and the entire North region welcomed Spaniard Juan Luis Perez Herrera as their new Head Coach for the senior team.
Juan Luis Perez Herrera arrived at the club premises in Mohali on Friday and took up his first training with the senior squad on Saturday. The new man incharge has UEFA Pro License with more than 12 years of experience in managing and leading teams in Spain. This will be Juan’s first stint in India, his last assignment was as Head Coach of Lions Gibraltar FC which plays in Gibraltar Premier League before which he was the Head Coach of Manchester 62 and College Europa in the Gibraltar Premier League. Before moving to the Gibraltar Premier League Juan coached a Spanish third division side Alhaurín de la Torre Club de Fútbol.
Juan’s philosophy and style of play seems to be well aligned with Minerva Punjab FC’s ethos of playing young players from their own academy. Juan took up his first training session with the boys and was elated to see the enthusiasm and desire of the players to learn. “Minerva Punjab FC is a good side and no less than any other side in the league, with the proper training and time put in, we can have the confidence to be Champions”, he told the boys. He had been studying videos of last season’s matches and coordinating with Assistant Coach Sachin Babadhe about the progress of the team prior to his arrival.
Club owner and CEO, Ranjit Bajaj said, “I am pleased to welcome Juan to the Minerva Punjab FC family and I am sure his experience will help us get good results this season, the most important thing for me was that he is totally onboard with the club’s youth development philosophy.”
by Abhishek Shukla

India finished with 10 medals in the Asian junior squash

Amman (Jordan): India’s medals tally swelled by an additional silver and a bronze in the Asian junior individual squash championship which concluded here on Saturday. India thus returned with three silver and seven bronze medals.

India had already won two silver with the final match involving Tushar Shahani in the U-17 boys’s section still to end. The Mumbai lad went down to the top seed Siow Yee Xian of Malaysia in straight games 11-7, 11-4, 11-7. The loss meant, Tushar settled for a silver.

The girls had won the six bronze medals as reported earlier and the seventh was earned by another semi-final loser Paarth Ambani in the U-13 boys’ section. Yuvraj Wadhwani had beaten him in the semi-final.

by Abhishek Shukla

7 Bizarre Records in International Cricket

Here are seven bizarre world records in cricket

1 Diamond duck (not a run out) in ODIs

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There are multiple instance in ODI cricket when batsman out for duck without facing a delivery. Most probably it is run out on such occasions. But what if a diamond duck is not on a run out?  Sound strange. Yes there are two such instances when a batsman out for suck without facing a ball and that does not involve a run out. India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar became the latest entry in this list on Ajantha Medis’ wide ball and Kumar Sangakkara’s quick stumping in Asia Cup 2014 at Fatullah, Bangladesh. The other batsman who got out in similar fashion was Canada’s Henry Osinde against Ireland in 2009 in ICC World Cup Qualifier match.

2 An over consisting 17 balls

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In cricket an over consist six deliveries if it is not no-ball or wide-ball. That’s everyone knows. But have you imagine an over can be of 17-balls? Again a strange record in cricket history. In an encounter between Bangladesh and Pakistan, Mohammad Sami bowled an epic over in ODI history. His third over of Bangladesh’s innings took 17 balls to complete which included seven wides and four no-balls for 22 runs.

3 Test match result in less than six hours

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© AFP

We have seen Test matches ending in less than three days. A recently played three match Test series between Sri Lanka and India lasted less than 11 days. There was one match which produced a result in less than six hours, which is equivalent to a single day of a Test match. Fifth and final match between Australia and South Africa lasted for just five hours and 53 minutes in which Australia won by an innings and 72 runs. South Africa bowled out for just 36 in first innings. In reply, Australia posted 153 runs in their first innings. South Africa’s second innings hardly managed 31.3 overs where team’s final score was 45 all out.

4 Maximum numbers of extras in a Test innings

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Pakistan team is bunch of bizarre records in cricket history. Whether it is an individual record or a team record. In a Test innings against India in December 2007, Pakistan gave away maximum numbers of extras runs; total 76 runs. It included 35 byes, 26 leg byes and 15 no-balls.

5 A costly duck in an innings

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A duck in cricket is well understood to everyone. A batsman who is out without scoring a run. There are different types of ducks; golden duck, diamond duck, pair. But what if batsman playing more than 75 balls and out for a duck? Isn’t it a costly duck? New Zealand’s Geoff Allott took 77 balls to go in to the pavilion without scoring a single run against South Africa in 1999.

6 Most ducks in international career

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Muttiah Muralitharan might be the highest wicket taken in both Tests and ODIs, but he holds another bizarre record of scoring most numbers of duck in his international career. In 495 matches he played, batting in 328 innings, he scored as many 59 ducks in his career. The next best of this list is West Indies’ Courtney Walsh who had 54 ducks in his international career.

7 Slowest fifty in Test cricket

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Defensive batting is one of giant skill in Test cricket, especially when a team wanted to save a match. But this defensive technique could be so annoying when a player taking 350 balls to complete his fifty. Yes, this has been happened in Test cricket. In a first Test match between Australia and England in 1958, England all-rounder, Trevor Bailey who was known for his defensive batting took 350 balls and 357-minutes to raise his bat. However, his innings was not enough to save match for his team.

by Abhishek Shukla

Ghosh-Satiyan duo meets top-seed Japanese in Bulgaria Open men doubles final

New Delhi, August 19: The Indian pair of Soumyajit Ghosh and G. Sathiyan defeated compatriots Anothony Amal Raj and Sanil Shetty to entern the men doubles final of the Seamaster 2017 World Tour Asarel Bulgaria Open at Panagyurishte today.

The Ghosh-Sathiyan duo defeated Amalraj and Shetty in straight games of 11-3, 12-10, 11-8. The two will now take on the top-seeded Japanese duo of Jin Uda and Maharu Yoshimura in the final on Sunday. The Japanese had a tough time against Hungarians Nandor Ecseki and AdamSzudi before winning their semi-final match 11-9, 5-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-6.

In contrast, both Ghosh and Sathiyan faced a tough encounter against Taipei’s Lin un Ju and Yang Heng-Wei in the quarterfinals which the Indians won 3-2. However, Amalraj and Shetty had an easy quarterfinal outing against Tedor Alexandrov and Denislav Kodjabashev of the host country. But when it came to facing Ghosh and Sathiyan, except for the second game where they were extended, Amalraj and Shetty failed to press home the advantage in the semfiinal.

Earlier, Manika Batra and Mouna Das lost to their opponents Matilda Ekholm and Georgina Pota, a Sweden-Hungary combine, 4-11, 11-8, 12-14, 12-14 in tough women doubles semifinal match.

Manav Thakkar, too, had to satisfy himself with the bronze after losing his under-21 men singles semifinal match to Tomas Polansky of Czech Republic 8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 8-11.

Brief Results:

Men Doubles: (Semifinals): Soumyajit Ghosh-G. Sathiyan bt Anthony Amalraj-Sanil Shetty 11-3, 12-10, 11-8; Quarterfinals: Anthony Amalraj-Sanil Shetty bt Tedor Alexandrov–Denislav Kodjabashev (BUL) 11-8, 11-9, 11-4; Soumyajit Ghosh-G. Sathiyan bt Lin Yun-Ju-Yang Heng-Wei (TPE) 5-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7.

by Abhishek Shukla

In anticipation of India’s first International 3×3 Pro Basketball League, Gurugram to host ‘3×3 Road to Mexico’ this September

New Delhi, 19th August 2017: In an exciting and path breaking development, the launch of an International 3×3 Pro Basketball League in India was announced at a press conference today at the Taj Mahal Hotel on Mansingh Road in New Delhi.

The dignitaries present at the press conference included Mr. Robert Reiblinger (FIBA 3×3 Development Manager), Mr. Yoshiya Katoh (YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. – Chairman), Mr. Rohit Bakshi (YKBK Enterprise Pvt. Ltd. – CEO), Ms. Neha Dhupia (Indian Film Actor & Host), Mr. Jyoti Jindal (Jindal PreFab – Managing Director), Mr. Jitender Yadav (Pragati Infra Solutions Pvt. Ltd. – CEO & Founding Director).

While the League is tentatively scheduled for next year, a special two-day 3×3 showcase event called the ‘3×3 Road to Mexico’ will be conducted on 16th & 17th September at the Ambience Mall, Gurugram.

Six international and six leading Indian club teams have been invited to participate. The international teams include Hamamatsu, Alborada, Yokohama (all three are city based teams from Japan), the Malaysian National Team, Sri Lanka President’s Team and a side from Maldives.

Indian teams invited to participate are the top club sides ONGC, IOB, Railways, Services, Ludhiana Basketball Academy and Vijaya Bank.

“3×3 is not only FIBA’s second official discipline and will be played in Tokyo 2020 at the Olympics, it moreover is the number 1 urban team sport in the world. Therefore, India with its plenty of metropolitan areas has a sheer unlimited pool of athletes and talent to offer. Indian teams have had their fair share of success already in 3×3 on continental national team level and Indian players raised some eyebrows on global level when they pushed their team last year to the finals of FIBA’s 3×3 World Tour Final. FIBA is very excited to now have with this event as a direct World Tour Qualifier that will take India to the World stage again,” said Mr Reiblinger.

“We are excited to bring FIBA 3×3 Basketball to the Indian subcontinent and are committed to keep pushing this fast paced urban sport into many cities in the region. “3×3 Road to Mexico” will be a new opportunity for players, spectators and fans alike to get their first taste of 3×3 Pro Basketball League action. 3BL will create grassroots 3×3 basketball and will be building 3×3 basketball courts across the Indian subcontinent,” said Mr Katoh.

by Abhishek Shukla

India wins 2 Silver and 6 Bronze in Asian junior Individual squash championship

Amman (Jordan): India had a clutch of two silver and six bronze medals in the Asian junior Individual squash championship which is ending here on Saturday. One more Indian Tushar Shahani is still in the fray, playing the U-17 final and it could be one more silver or gold in the total tally so far of 8 medals.

Earlier, Neel Joshi (U-15) and Yuvraj Wadhwani (U-13) ended runner up in their respective section to win a silver medal each. The bronze medals came from the girls who all lost in the semi-finals.

Late last nighti the semi-final results it must be said went as per seedings with the higher seeded boys Tushar, Neel and Yuvraj, all seeded two, making it to the title round. Neel had the most impressive outing with a straight game win over his Iranian opponent Danial Gharooni. But the girls, all lower seeded, failed to spring any surprise. Still mention has to be made of ¾ seed Sunayna Kuruvilla (U-19) and unseeded Yoshna Singh. Sunayna was twice in lead but failed to capitalise against Japan’s top seed Satomi Watanabe while Yoshna came back from two games down before losing to Malaysia’s number two seed Kiroshanna Manoharan.

The results: final: Boys: final: U-15: Muhammad Amir Amirul Bin Azhar (1) (Mal) bt Neel Joshi 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9; U-13: Joachim Chuah Han Wen (1) bt Yuvraj Wadhwani 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 (semi-final) U-17: Tushar Shahani (2) bt To Wai Lok(5/8)(HK) 10-12, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6,11-7; U-15: Neel Joshi (2) bt Danial Gharooni (¾) (Irn) 12-10, 11-6, 11-4; U-13: Yuvraj Wadhwani (2) bt Paarth Ambani (5/8) 12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 12-14, 12-10

Girls: semi-final: U-19: Satomi Watanabe (1) (Jpn) bt Sunayna Kuruvilla (¾) 9-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8; Ho Ka Wing (2) (HK) bt Ashita Pranaya Bhengra (5/8) 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-3; U-17: Lui Hiu Lam (1)(HK) bt Navmi Sharma (5/8) 11-7, 11-5, 11-0; U-15: Jessica Keng (1) (Mal) bt Ananya Dabke (3/4) 11-8, 11-1, 11-1; Kiroshanna Manoharan (2)(Mal) bt Yoshna Singh 11-1, 11-4, 11-13, 5-11, 11-8; U-13: Aira Azman (1)(Mal) bt Yuvna Gupta (¾) 11-7, 11-3, 11-2.

by Abhishek Shukla

Karanataka State Bowling Tournament to start from tomorrow

KSTBA State Ranking Tournament will be held from 19th August 2017 to 21st August 2017 at  Amoeba, Church Street, Bangalore.
46 Karnataka Bowlers which include Reining State Champion Akaash Ashok Kumar, Judy Alban and Indian International Parvez Ahmed will complete in this 3 day Event. 6 Guest Players which include Daniela Wyatt (Under 16 National Champion from Colombia) will be competing for the honours.
Total Prize money: Rs. 75000.00

 

by Abhishek Shukla

Holland experience will help prepare for Women’s Hockey Asia Cup: Sjoerd Marijne

Bengaluru, 18 August 2017: After a two-week break post the Women’s Hockey World League Semi Final in Johannesburg, the Indian Women’s team is back in SAI, Bengaluru for a three-week national camp. On August 14, the 33 core probables reported for the camp that will conclude on August 31 ahead of the team’s departure for a four-match Series in the Netherlands. “While we will work on bringing different variations in goal scoring and keeping ball possession, we will pay more attention to basics such as trapping and better passing during this camp. On the fitness front, I would like to see the girls get faster on the field,” expressed Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne who will put the squad under grind with ten sessions a week that includes matches against the junior boys’ side on Thursdays and Saturdays.
In Holland, apart from playing four matches, the team will also get to work under legendary Dutch coach Toon Seipman. “We will have nine training sessions with Seipman who is a dragflick expert. Many drag flickers across the world work with him and I am sure our drag flickers can learn a great deal from him. This is an aspect we need to improve upon and I believe the exposure in Holland will help in our preparations for the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup,” stated the 43-year-old Dutch coach.
Team Captain Rani further emphasized that the team is focused on playing consistently. “There are quite a few aspects we need to learn from our outing at the World League Semi Final. While we did well against USA in the first two quarters, we could not carry on the momentum into the third and fourth quarters. Similarly, against Argentina too we put up a good fight but it’s important to play consistently through the match and we are working on it. We need to bring more energy into our attack and I am sure playing against Holland, who are very good with attack, will be a learning experience,” stated the India forward.
Meanwhile, Coach Marijne lauded the Men’s team, which had as many as nine players from last year’s junior core group, win against an experienced side like the Netherlands. “I was there during the matches India played in Holland and the energy they brought into the matches was exceptional. The women’s team makes it a point to follow the men’s matches and they are inspired by the team’s recent performance,” Marijne added.
by Abhishek Shukla

Several Indian Juniors qualifies for semifinal in Asian junior individual squash championship

Amman (Jordan): With a clutch of players in the semi-final, India’s hopes of a good show rose in the ongoing Asian junior individual squash championship here on Friday.

In the boys’ section, Tushar Shahani (U-17), Neel Joshi (U-15), Yuvraj Wadhwani and Parth Ambani (both U-13) are in the last four as are Sunayna Kuruvilla and Ashita Pranaya Bhengra (both U-19) besides Navmi Sharma (U-17), Yoshna Singh, Ananya Dabke (both U-15) and Yuvna Gupta (U-13) in the girls.

Nonetheless the one big disappointment for India came with the exit of second seed Abhay Singh in the boys’ U-19 section in the quarterfinal, losing to Pakistan’s Mansoor Zaman, the 5/8 seed in five games. The Indian had led by twogames before slipping. The Pakistan player won 8-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-9. Among the others mention has to be made of Yoshna Singh, the only unseeded among the lot to reach the semi-final. The highly promising girl made short work of a higher ranked Hong Kong player and there is hope of more from her.

The results:

 

Quarterfinals:

Boys: U-13:

Parth Ambani (5/8) bt Usman Nadeem (3/4) (Pak) 5-11, 2-11, 13-11,11-9, 11-6;

Yuvraj Wadhwani (2) bt Lo Chun Yu Kelvin (5/8) (HK) 11-5, 11-3, 6-11, 11-6;

Boys U-15:

Neel Joshi (2) bt Navneeth Prabhu (5/8) 11-7, 11-7, 11-3;

Boys U-17:

Tushar Shahani (2) bt Wong King Yeung (5/8) (HK) 11-5, 11-6, 11-9;

Girls: U-19:

Sunayna Kuruvilla (¾) bt Nur Alia Izzati Binti MuAnis (5/8) (Mal) 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 13-11;

Ashita Bhengra (5/8) bt Ho Wa King (2) (HK) 11-6, 11-3, 11-5;

Girls U-17:

Navmi Sharma (5/8) bt Sanya Vats (¾) 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9;

Girls U-15:
Ananya Dabke (¾) btWu Renee Wing (5/8) (HK) 12-10, 11-6, 11-4;

Yoshna Singh bt Wong Po Yui Kirstie (3/4) (HK) 11-5, 11-6, 11-6;

Girls U-13:

Yuvna Gupta (¾) bt V S C Sinaly (SL) 11-4, 11-4, 11-3.

by Abhishek Shukla

Bengaluru FC sign India’s no.1 Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

Bengaluru FC have completed a major signing for the 2017-18 campaign, roping in Indian National team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu from Norwegian side Stabaek FC for an undisclosed transfer amount, the club announced on Thursday.

While securing the services of India’s No.1 goalkeeper, the Blues have also completed the official paperwork in time for him to be part of the 2017 AFC Cup campaign. The lad from Chandigarh will be available for selection for the home leg of the crucial Inter-Zonal semifinal against North Korean side April 25 SC on August 23.

Gurpreet who completed formalities on a one-year deal on Wednesday night, becomes the first Indian player to be signed from a European club by an Indian club in a move involving a transfer fee.
The ’keeper, who arrived in Bengaluru on Thursday, was ecstatic ahead of the newest chapter in his career. “I’m extremely delighted to have signed for Bengaluru FC. While the experience of playing in Europe was fantastic, lack of game time was an important factor in making the decision of moving back to India. I had an offer from another top-flight club in Europe, but the need to play regularly ahead of the AFC Asian Cup in 2019 was something that was on my mind.”

“The fact that Bengaluru FC was interested in me was encouraging considering what they have achieved over the last few years. With BFC playing on the continental level this season as well as the next one will provide the perfect platform for me,” he added.

Club CEO Parth Jindal was pleased with the Blues’ latest acquisition. “It’s a matter of pride that Gurpreet has chosen to play for BFC. For us, he as big as an European signing. His presence and leadership will add immense stability to the team. While he is with us we will provide him with all the support he needs to be back among Europe’s elite.”

Having already played in front of the Blues’ faithful on a number of occasions while representing India, Gurpreet is eager to take the field at the Fortress. “The fans here are fantastic. The atmosphere we had at the Kanteerava was unbelievable and probably one of the best I’ve seen. I’m now excited to be playing in front of them on a regular basis and hope we can achieve something special.”

Turning pro in 2010 where he had a brief loan spell with AIFF’s developmental side Pailan Arrows (2010-11), Gurpreet returned to East Bengal, going on to become the first-choice custodian in the latter part of his three-year spell. At East Bengal, Gurpreet won the 2012 Federation Cup apart from topping the Calcutta Football League on numerous occasions.

Standing tall at 6’ 4”, Gurpreet moved to Europe as a 22-year-old, signing for Norwegian club Stabaek in August 2014 where he featured in a number of cup games, including the entire 2016 Cup run. He eventually made his League debut in May 2016 in an away match against IK Start, and in the process, became the first Indian footballer to play in a European top division league. In June 2016, the Punjabi lad put another feather in his cap, becoming the first Indian footballer to feature in a UEFA Europa League match by playing against Welsh side Connah’s Quay Nomads FC in the competition’s qualifiers.

Having represented India (U19 & U22) numerous times at the youth level, Gurpreet was called up to the senior national team for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, and made his debut couple months later in the AFC Challenge Cup. After playing second fiddle to Subrata Paul, Gurpreet finally cemented his position as India’s number one during the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers while even skippering the side on a few occasionn.

by Abhishek Shukla

Confident Indian Men’s Hockey Team beat Austria 4-3

Amstelveen (Netherlands), 16 August 2017: Indian Men’s Hockey team scored a sensational 4-3 win against Austria in their final encounter during the Europe Tour here on Wednesday. India ended the tour with three wins and two loses. It was double goals by Ramandeep Singh (25′, 32′) and Chinglensana Singh Kanjugam (37′, 60′) that saw India through against Austria.
After two successive wins against World No.4 The Netherlands, the Indian Men’s Hockey team made a steady start against Austria. While they kept most of the ball possession, penetrating into the striking circle was hard to come by.  In fact, it was Austria who took an early lead through Oliver Binder’s goal in the 14th minute to end the quarter 1-0.
India however made amends in the second quarter when they won a PC in the 25th minute. A clever variation saw comeback-man Amit Rohidas pass the ball to Ramandeep Singh who deflected the ball into the circle to equalise the score to 1-1.
The 10-minute halftime break saw India comeback into the game as a stronger team with better attack. They made better circle penetrations and a brilliant breakthrough came in when Ramandeep scored a rollicking field goal in the 32nd minute. It was a reverse hit from the top of circle which flew past the Austrian goalkeeper to give India a 2-1 lead.  India found another chance to score when Mandeep Singh helped win a PC through a stick check. But the opportunity when amiss with the ball hitting the cross bar. However, another opportunity created by Mandeep again was successfully converted by Vice Captain Chinglensana Singh in the 37th minute through a superb variation by drag-flicker Varun Kumar.
Going into the final 15 minutes, India had a comfortable 3-1 lead. But a determined Austria put one past the India goalkeeper when they won a PC and Michael Korper converted it successfully in the 53rd minute to set up a close finish. Though India had won a PC only minutes before- thanks to forward Gurjant Singh, injector Manpreet Singh sent the ball slightly wide. With a little over eight minutes left, forward Lalit Upadhyay found a great opportunity to score.  But was brilliantly saved by the Austrian goalkeeper. Austria then pushed India on the back foot when they scored in the 55th minute via Patrick Schmidt to equalise 3-3. It was a tense final few minutes with India pushing hard for a goal. With just 10 seconds left for the final hooter, Chinglensana scored a sensational goal when Ramandeep made a brilliant circle penetration to find Gurjant Singh. A cross hit by Gurjant saw Chinglensana deflect the ball into the goal and seal the match with winning points.
On August 18, the Indian Men’s Hockey team will return from the Europe Tour. They land in New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 01.40 hours.
by Abhishek Shukla

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu leaves his Norwegian club Stabæk, will come to india

As per reports in Norwegian website www.budstikka.no, Indian star Goalkeeper has left Stabæk. It also added that he is leaving the club as he is not getting proper playing time with the club.

 

Report translate in English:

At the same time it is clear that Indian goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu leaves Stabæk. The Indian has struggled with playing time since joining Stabæk in 2014, leaving the club for the benefit of Indian football.
Singh has been a good person to have in the club, and has developed a lot in time in Stabæk. Now he has made a club change which I think will be good for him, “said Ordinas, the goalkeeper who had a contract with Stabæk in the season.

In one tweet Sports journalist Jonas Giæver from Oslo, Norway  claims that Gurpreet Singh Sandhu will return to India.

 

 

by Abhishek Shukla

Roca announces Blues’ squad for 2017 AFC Cup knockout rounds, Key player misses out

Bengaluru: Bengaluru FC, on Wednesday, announced their 25-man list for the 2017 AFC Cup knockout rounds as Albert Roca’s men prepare to take on North Korean side April 25 SC, at the Kanteerava Stadium, in a week’s time. The new-look squad sees as many as fourteen new faces following the Indian Super League draft, and features two graduates from the Blues’ residential youth academy in Bellary.

Australian midfielder Erik Paartalu, along with Spaniards Toni Dovale and Dimas Delgado join defender Juanan Gonzalez to make up the Blues’ foreign contingent for the knockout rounds and Roca believes his side is ready for the task ahead.

“We’ve had very little time to prepare but the trip to Spain has been good exposure for the boys. We’ve tested ourselves against good opposition and this is the squad that we’ve been able to put together. We have a week more to prepare and I believe the boys will be ready for the challenge,” said Roca.

However, defensive mainstay John Johnson is set to miss the rest of the Blues’ 2017 AFC Cup campaign owing to personal commitments. The Englishman had joined the Blues for pre-season in Spain and though his absence in the 2017 AFC Cup will be a blow, Roca believes that his players will step up to the occasion.

“Johnson’s absence is a massive blow for us, but we are aware of his situation and it was the right decision to make for us to let him be at home. It is unfortunate for us, but his return for the club’s ISL campaign will be a boost,” he added.

The squad also features BFC academy graduates Leon Augustine and Prashanth Kalinga, who impressed Roca in pre-season with the club, as they took on FC Cartagena, UCAM Murcia CF and Baniyas Club.

The first leg of the Blues’ Inter Zonal semifinal against April 25 SC is set to kick off at the Kanteerava Stadium, onAugust 23rd with the return leg slated to played at the May Day Stadium, in Pyongyang, on September 13th.

FULL SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Lalthuammawia Ralte, Abhra Mondal, Calvin Abhishek.

Defenders: Rahul Bheke, Subhasish Bose, Zohmingliana Ralte, Collin Abranches, Joyner Lourenco, Juanan Gonzalez, Nishu Kumar, Prashanth Kalinga.

Midfielders: Erik Paartalu, Dimas Delgado, Antonio Dovale, Boithang Haokip, Lenny Rodrigues, Alwyn George, Harmanjot Khabra, Malsawmzuala, Robinson Singh.

Strikers: Sunil Chhetri, Udanta Singh, Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Thongkhosiem Haokip, Leon Augustine.

by Abhishek Shukla

India tour of Sri Lanka: Test series in numbers

First ever clean sweep in overseas Test series by India, average dominance in both bat and bowl and many more. Stats highlights from Test series between Sri Lanka.

1 First time India have whitewashed an away Test series comprising three or more Tests. Overall it is India’s fifth whitewash in a Test series of three or more Tests.

2 Number of times Sri Lanka whitewashed at home in a three or more Test match series. Before this, Australia whitewashed them in 2004; overall this their sixth whitewash in a three or more Test match series.

3 Number of 300-plus first innings lead by India in this series, their most in any series. 309 in first Test, 439 in second and 352 in third Test. India had got two such 300-plus lead before; against Sri Lanka at home in 2009-10 and against West Indies last year.

487 India’s lowest score in a completed innings in this series, their highest lowest in a three or more Test match series. Their previous highest lowest score in completed innings in a three or more Test match series was 485 against Sri Lanka in 1997-98. On other hand, Sri Lanka’s highest score in this series was 386.

45 Test matches taken by Ravichandran Ashwin to complete his 250 Test wickets, the quickest by any bowler in Tests. Dennis Lillee had taken 250 Test wickets in 48 match which was the previous record in this category.

5 Hardik Pandya became fifth Indian player to score maiden first-class hundred in Tests. His previous best score in Tests was 90 for Baroda against Railways in 2015. Vijay Manjrekar, Kapil Dev, Ajay Ratra and Harbhajan Singh are other players to score their maiden first-class hundred in Tests.

86 Balls taken by Hardik Pandya to complete his hundred, the second fastest by Indian in away Tests. Virender Sehwag’s 78-balls fifty in the fastest by Indian in away Tests.

7 Overseas Test wins for Virat Kohli as a captain, second-most by Indian captain after Sourav Ganguly who had 11 such Test wins. Kohli surpassed MS Dhoni’s six Test wins in overseas Tests.

by Abhishek Shukla

India ends FIBA Asia Cup 2017 campaign with loss to Syria

Bengaluru/Beirut, 14th August 2017:  The Indian men’s basketball team has ended its campaign at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017, after a 78-87 loss to Syria in the final game of the group stages.

 

It was a game of two halves, as India was absolutely brilliant in the first twenty minutes. At half time, India was leading 51 – 35 which grew to 19 early in the second half.

 

But Syria began to stifle India thereafter. They were hustling the Indian men into taking tough shots, while scoring relentlessly at the other end. Syria tied the game at 71 each with 6 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, before taking the lead for good.

 

The big centres on both sides starred for their teams with double-doubles: Ivan Todorovic with 23 points and 14 rebounds for Syria, and Amritpal Singh with 17 points and 13 rebounds for India.

 

Aravind Annadurai top scored for India with 20 points, most of which came in a hugely impressive first half. While the team will be disappointed at not progressing deeper into the tournament, it was excellent exposure for the younger players looking to build chemistry ahead of the all important 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup (Asian Qualifiers). Grouped with Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, India’s qualification campaign will begin against Lebanon on 23rd November 2017.

 

Syria (Ivan Todorovic 23 pts, 14 rebs; Micheal Madanly 18 pts; Tarek Aljabi 18 pts) bt India (Aravind Annadurai 20 pts; Amritpal Singh 17 pts, 13 rebs; Amjyot Singh Gill 17 pts) 87–78 [17 – 25, 18 – 26, 25 – 17, 27 – 10]

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Men’s Hockey team beat World No.4 Netherlands 4-3 in a thrilling encounter

Waalwijk (Netherlands), 13 August 2017: Indian Men’s Hockey team beat home side Netherlands 4-3 in a thrilling encounter here at the Robo Super Series, part of India’s tour of Europe on Sunday. It was double goals by Manpreet Singh in the 30th and 44th minute of the match, Varun Kumar’s 17th minute goal and Harjeet Singh’s 49th minute brace that helped India beat the Dutch who had a great build-up to the series with a 7-1 win over Germany last week.
Though India made a strong start with forward Ramandeep Singh finding an early chance to score, his attempt went slightly wide. Soon after, Netherlands drew first blood when they won a PC in the fifth minute. The drag flick, however, found the foot of skipper Manpreet Singh resulting in a re-award which subsequently went into a penalty stroke. Mink van der Weerden broke no sweat in putting the ball past India goalkeeper Akash Chikte to give the Dutch a 1-0 lead.
India got over the early jitters with a strong display, largely controlling the midfield led by Manpreet who showcased top quality skill and stick work. The attacking approach helped with India finding a PC opportunity in the 17th minute. Junior World Cup hero Varun Kumar successfully beat Dutch goalkeeper to equalize the score. Though the Netherlands earned a PC soon after, the effort was tactfully saved by India goalkeeper.
India pushed the World no.4 team further when Manpreet Singh brilliantly deflected Armaan Qureshi’s cross pass in the 30th minute to give India a 2-1 lead. India controlled the first half with better ball possession and opportunities created in the striking circle.
The contest intensified in the third quarter with Manpreet taking a brilliant shot on goal but the Dutch keeper came up with a class act to pad it away. The following minutes saw the Dutch being awarded back to back PC but comeback man Amit Rohidas was effective as first runner to deny Dutch successful conversion. India then set up a thrilling counter attack to put Netherlands under pressure but the Dutch goalkeeper made a good save again.
The third quarter however ended with India skipper Manpreet scoring another goal in the 44th minute to give India a 3-1 lead and take charge of the game. A good buildup in the midfield followed by a quick-thinking effort by forward Lalit Upadhyay earning the PC. Though Dutch earned a PC with little less than two minutes left for the quarter to end, it was saved by Chikte.

India stayed on course to a win with Harjeet Singh taking the lead to a formidable 4-2 with a well-struck field goal in the 49th minute. The final minutes were thrilling with Nilakanta Sharma making a strong attempt on goal but it was saved by Dutch defender. Though Bob de Voogd scored two goals for the Dutch, India sealed the match 4-3 and walked away with winning point.

On August 14, the Indian Men’s Hockey team will take on Netherlands at 23.30 hours.
by Abhishek Shukla

Maratha Yoddhas emerge as the Champions of Super Boxing League

New Delhi, 12 August 2017: A star-studded final match of the inaugural season of Super Boxing League saw Maratha Yoddhas being crowned as the champions after they defeated Haryana Warriors by a score line of 10-9 in a nail-biting finish here at the Siri Fort Squash & Badminton Stadium.

 

It was Maratha Yoddhas who started the final fight night on the front-foot as they won the first two bouts through Sandeep Singh and Andy Chuaua in their respective categories to give their team a 6-0 lead as Mumbai Assassins’ owner Sohail Khan, Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan, singer Kanika Kapoor and director, producer Anurag Kashyap witnessed the action. However, to the delight of Haryana Warriors’ owner Sonu Sood, who was also cheering his side on, it was Suman Kumari, Sandeep Nain and Sukhdeep Singh who won their respective bouts to take a 9-6 lead after five bouts. The turning point of the match was in the last bout when Sandeep Chhikara won by a Technical Knock Out to win the league for his team, Maratha Yoddhas.

 

The first bout of the night was between debutant Sandeep Singh from the Maratha Yoddhas and Naveen Nehra from the Haryana Warriors in the Feather Weight category. It was Sandeep Singh who hit some great moves and combinations on Nehra to steal the victory by Unanimous Decision and give his side a 3-0 lead.

 

In the second bout of the night, it was up to Haryana Warriors’ Parmod Kumar to cut down the lead for his team as he faced Andy Chuaua from the Maratha Yoddhas in the Welter Weight category. However, the Warriors’ man could not succeed in his ambition as Andy Chuaua was awarded the victory by Split Decision after four Rounds. It meant that the Maratha Yoddhas extended their lead to 6 points.

 

In the third bout of the night, it was Haryana Warriors’ Suman Kumari who impressed for her side as she faced Maratha Yoddhas’ Lalnunfeli in the Super Fly category. The latter started the match aggressively but Kumari kept her composure to make a comeback in the last two Rounds to win the match by Unanimous Decision which saw Warriors open their account on the night.

 

In the fourth bout of the night, it was Haryana Warriors’ Sandeep Nain who caused an upset when he beat Maratha Yoddhas’ skipper Deepak Tanwar in the Middle Weight category. Coming into the match, Tanwar had won all his four bouts in SBL, but it was Nain who produced the miraculous victory which was awarded by Unanimous Decision. It meant that Warriors equalised the scores at 6-6 after four bouts.

 

The fifth match saw a Super Middle Weight category bout between Maratha Yoddhas’ Vivek Jangra and Haryana Warriors’ Sukhdeep Singh. It was the latter who started the match positively as the 22-year old beat Jangra by Unanimous Decision to take a 9-6 lead for his side.

 

Just like in the semi-final, Maratha Yoddhas’ Sandeep Chhikara was assigned with the difficult task of getting a victory in the last bout to make the scores level or give his side the win, as he took on Jagdeep Singh of the Haryana Warriors in the Heavy Weight category. Chhikara started to hit aggressive punches in the first Round itself and took down Singh at least four times. Yoddhas’ Chhikara showed his power again as he took down Singh for one final time as referee stopped the match and decided to award Chhikara with a Technical Knock Out victory. It meant that the Maratha Yoddhas won the match 10-9 to steal the Super Boxing League trophy.

by Abhishek Shukla

India show considerable improvement in close loss to Jordan

Bengaluru/Beirut, 12th August 2017:  The Indian men’s basketball team continued their FIBA Asia Cup 2017 campaign with a 54 – 61 loss against Jordan on Friday. Unlike the last game against Iran, the Indian men sank some early buckets and raced to a 12 – 8 lead. But Jordan fought back and wrested back a one point lead by the end of the first quarter.

 

India did well to stay in the game right through, but Jordan’s Mousa Alawadi scored crucial buckets to maintain their lead every time the Indian men closed the gap. He top scored for Jordan with 22 points. Power forward and captain Amjyot Singh Gill led the scoring for India with 17 points, and Aravind Annadurai grabbed 10 rebounds.

 

The Indian team will also be encouraged by a cameo from 17-year-old Baladhaneshwar Poiyamozhi, who played with urgency and made some good plays on transition in the second half. With seasoned guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi rested for this game, Baladhaneshwar’s performance was all the more timely.

 

Eventually, this turned out to be a low scoring game, with both teams going on extended stretches where they failed to score. Both teams will be disappointed with their conversion rate, as they shot a sub-par 34%.

 

India will be hoping he is fit for their final game of the group stages against Syria on 13th August at 2100 local time (2330 IST), in what is essentially an elimination game as both teams bid to finish third in the group and qualify for the next phase of the tournament.

 

Jordan (Mousa Alawadi 22 pts; Mah’d Abdeen 14 pts; Ahmad Alhamarsheh 13 rebs) bt India (Amjyot Singh Gill 17pts; Muin Bek Hafeez 10pts; Aravind Annadurai 10 rebs) 61–54 [15 – 14, 11 – 9, 18 – 14, 17 – 17]

 

by Abhishek Shukla

Maratha Yoddhas & Haryana Warriors to face off in SBL finals

New Delhi, August 11, 2017: As the Super Boxing League enters its final stage, the audience will be witnessing some nail biting action as Haryana Warriors take on Maratha Yoddhas in the final match of the inaugural season of the league at the Siri Fort Squash & Badminton Stadium here on Saturday.
 
In the first ever Super Boxing League final, it will be semifinal 1 winners Maratha Yoddhas who will take on semifinal 2 winners Haryana Warriors. It will be an interesting match as both teams have a good blend of experience and young in their ranks. The match will see two undefeated boxers on either side trying to get the trophy home for their respective teams. Maratha Yoddhas skipper Deepak Tanwar and Haryana Warriors’ Sukhdeep Singh have won all their four respective bouts so far in the Super Boxing League. 
 
The final match will witness some of the most exciting bouts as Maratha Yoddhas captain Deepak Tanwar takes on Sandeep Nain in the Middle Weight category. Where as, in the Super Middle Weight category we will witness Haryana Warriors Sukhdeep Singh take on Vivek Jangra. The last bout of the night will see semifinal 1 knockout winner Sandeep Chhikara take on Jagdeep Singh in the Heavy Weight category.  
 
 
Sunday 12th August, 2017 – Maratha Yoddhas vs Haryana Warriors live & exclusive on SONY ESPN, SONY ESPN HD 7:30 pm onwards
by Abhishek Shukla

Chinglensana Kangujam completes 150 International Caps for India

Boom (Belgium), 11 August, 2017: The Indian Men’s Hockey team lethal midfielder Chinglensana Singh Kangujam achieved the distinction of playing 150 matches for his country on Thursday. He achieved the milestone in India’s second match against Belgium during India’s tour of Europe.

 

The Manipur-born Chinglensana made his international debut in the 2011 Champions Challenge in South Africa. Since then, he has been a regular member of the Indian Men’s Hockey team and has also been a part of some of the team’s most memorable feats such as the Silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, a Gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, a historic silver medal at the 36th FIH Champions Trophy in London last year as well as the Gold medal in the Asian Champions Trophy in 2016.

As a midfielder, 25-year-old Chinglensana is fast with the ability to set off aggressively inside the opponents half. creating a chance for the Indians to breakout. He is often entrusted with the role of a stopper when Harmanpreet Singh or Rupinder Pal Singh attempts a drag-flick to convert a penalty corner.

Mohd. Mushtaque Ahmad, Secretary General, Hockey India, congratulated Chinglensana on his 150th international appearance. “Chinglensana is a vital cog in the Indian team who silently holds fort in the midfield. Though he sports a smile at most times (off the field), he can be quite lethal on the field. He has been part of India’s great wins in recent times and most importantly guides and motivates new comers in the team. I wish him the very best as he continues to serve the Indian Men’s team with utmost commitment. I am sure he has with his performances inspired a new generation of players not just from the North East but from across the nation.”

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Men’s Hockey team go down against Olympic Silver Medal Champions in Belgium

Boom (Belgium), 11 August 2017: Home team Belgium beat the Indian Men’s Hockey team 2-0 in the two-match Series played in Boom on August 9 and 10. While Tom Boon scored a 60th minute goal to take home the winning points in the first match which otherwise was headed to a goalless draw, the Belgian squad ranked No.5 in the world beat India 3-1 in the second match to wrap up the series.

 

Though India which comprised a young brigade that included as many as nine players from the 2016 Junior World Cup winning team put up a resilient show with quality defence in both the games, the team fell short in terms of posing a real threat with their attack.

 

In the first match against Belgium, six Indian players Varun Kumar, Gurjant Singh, Armaan Qureshi, Dipsan Tirkey, Nilakanta Sharma and Suraj Karkera made their international debut and ensured they put up a commendable performance.

 

The team led by midfielder Manpreet Singh pushed Belgium to the limits with strong defence that saw Varun Kumar, Dipsan Tirkey, Gurinder Singh and Amit Rohidas hold fort along with the experienced Kothajit Singh. They rallied together and set a pattern that one would see repeated over the course of the game. Though it was the Belgians who started strong with opportunities being created in the striking circle, Akash Chikte was up to the task right from the first hooter as he denied Belgian attackers from scoring.

 

But a small error in the striking circle saw India concede a crucial PC in the dying minute of the match. Experienced drag flicker Tom Boon ensured the opportunity didn’t go amiss as he successfully beat rookie goalkeeper Karkera who had replaced Chikte in the final quarter to seal the match for Belgium. The first match ended 1-0 in favour of Belgium.

 

The second match on Thursday began under overcast weather conditions with India setting the momentum of the match with a head start. While Karkera made a brilliant save in the initial minutes of the first quarter, forward Armaan Qureshi drew first blood with a well-struck field goal in the 4th minute that earned India a 1-0 lead. Though India won an opportunity to double the lead soon after with a PC, the chance went amiss.

 

The following minutes saw India keep Belgium goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch busy. India’s goal scorer Qureshi took two back-to-back shots on goal but Vanasch was up to the challenge as he denied any further lead. The first quarter however ended with Belgium equalizing the score with Amaury Keusters converting a field goal in the 9th minute.

 

Though India rallied together to gain better ball possession and circle entries, Belgium pushed India back with strong goalkeeping. The second quarter saw both teams trade PCs, while Belgium found success through Loïck Luypaert converting in the 21st minute, India’s attempt was brilliantly saved by the Belgian goalkeeper. In the 30th minute Cédric Charlier took Belgium’s lead to a strong 3-1 with a field goal.

 

The third quarter saw India come close to converting a field goal but Sumit narrowly missed a deflection off Mandeep. While the final quarter saw India press hard in the midfield which stalled Belgium from entering the attacking zone, Indian attackers Mandeep Singh, Qureshi and Ramandeep Singh’s attempts paid no dividends as the Belgian goalkeeping continued to be valiant ensuring Belgium prevailed in the second match 3-1.

On August 13, the Indian Men’s Hockey team will take on World No.4 The Netherlands at 18.30 hours IST in Waalwijk, Netherlands.