Category: Hockey

by Abhishek Shukla

Spirited Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team beat Defending Champions Australia 5-4

Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 10 October 2018: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team registered their fourth successive victory at the 8th Sultan of Johor Cup 2018 as they beat Defending Champions Australia 5-4. The win has helped the team top the Pool Table and an assured place in Top four stage.   
 
The Indian Team made a dominating start to their match with their best attack in the first quarter. Though their initial chance of scoring from a PC went amiss, Gursahibjit Singh scored a fine field goal to give India 1-0 lead in the 5th minute. The team built on a good start to score three more back-to-back goals in the 11th, 14th and 15th minute through Haspreet Singh, Mandeep Mor and Vishnukant Singh respectively. The 4-0 lead at the end of the first quarter was a major setback for the Defending Champions. 
 
However, India faltered in their defence in the second quarter only to give away an easy goal through a penalty stroke in the 18th minute. Damon Steffens who scored the first goal for Australia ended up scoring the second goal too when an Indian infringement inside the circle saw them concede a PC in the 35th minute, narrowing the goal deficit to 4-2. Though Shilanand Lakra scored in the 43rd minute to take India’s lead to 5-3, Australia put India through some tense moments as they appeared to make a late recovery, by stretching India’s defence. 
 
In the 59th minute, the pressure to defend the scoreline saw India Colts give away another penalty stroke which was easily converted by Steffans taking the goal difference to a narrow 5-4. But India held their nerves to finish the match in their favour.  
 
Indian Junior Men’s Team will next take on Great Britain in their fifth match on 12 October 2018 at 13.35hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Need to play cautiously against every team at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018: Manpreet Singh

Muscat, 08 October, 2018: The disappointment of losing to Malaysia in the Semi-Final of the recently held 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang still lingers on at the back of Manpreet Singh’s mind. “It was a tournament we should have won and the disappointment of losing to Malaysia in the Semi-Final still haunts us,” stated the midfielder, who was named the Captain by Hockey India for the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018. 
 
Over the past three weeks, the Indian Men’s Hockey team has been put through the grind at the Kalinga Stadium – the venue for the prestigious quadrennial event Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup, Bhubaneswar 2018. Doing well at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018 will be integral in their preparations for the mega event on home soil later this year. Manpreet said, “At the 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang, I think we were slightly overconfident that we are Asia’s No.1 team and this complacency is what we need to avoid during the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018 if we want to retain the title. Post the Semi-Final loss, the team had several meetings to understand where we went wrong and watched the videos from that match numerous times. When we regrouped for the National Camp, we told ourselves it’s time to move on and we cannot let the past affect our chances at the upcoming two big tournaments.”
 
The Defending Champions will take on hosts Oman in their opening match on 18 October and play arch-rivals and previous edition’s runners-up Pakistan in their second round robin match on 20 October. The Manpreet Singh-led squad will play 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang Champions Japan on 21 October. The team will take on Malaysia on 23 October followed by the last round robin match on 24 October against Korea. The Semi-Finals will be played on 27 October with the Final to be held on 28 October. 
 
The Captain of the team further stated that the challenging weather conditions in Bhubaneswar will help them acclimatize to the humid playing conditions in Oman. “The playing conditions in Oman will be similar to Bhubaneswar and we are training hard, sometimes train till late in the night as some of our matches start late in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018. Our aim going into the tournament is simple – We play to our potential against every team without taking anyone including Oman lightly. There won’t be any room for complacency. We have watched videos of how each of these teams play and we are prepared for the challenge,” he said.      
 
Speaking of his own role in the midfield, in the absence of stalwart Sardar Singh who announced his retirement last month, Manpreet said: “I always aim to do my best for the team and what is expected from me by the team. We have youngsters like Nilakanta Sharma who plays beside me and defender Hardik Singh who is making his debut, the seniors constantly talk and communicate on field to help the youngsters and ensure everyone understands each other’s game well. Everyone is putting their best effort in our preparations and we have paid a lot of attention to on-field communication apart from other aspects of the game,” Manpreet concluded. 
 
Indian Men’s Hockey Team list: 
 
Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Krishan Bahadur Pathak
Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Gurinder Singh, Varun Kumar, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, Surender Kumar, Jarmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh
Midfielders: Manpreet Singh (Captain), Sumit, Nilakanta Sharma, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (Vice Captain)
Forwards: Akashdeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian U-18 Women’s Hockey Team beat Vanuatu 16-0 in their 3rd match of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Buenos Aires (Argentina), 09 October 2018: The Indian U-18 Women’s Hockey continued their good form at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games as they defeated Vanuatu 16-0 in their third match of the Hockey 5s competition here today at the Parque Polideportivo Roca. Forward Mumtaz Khan (8’, 11′, 12′, 15’) scored four times and Chetna scored thrice (6’, 14’, 17’) to help India achieve this dominating win.

 

The Indian team were in top gear right from the word go. Like last match, in-form striker Lalremsiami opened India’s account scoring in the 2nd minute. Thirty seconds later, Reet scored India’s second and a minute later skipper Salima Tete joined the party to make it 3-0 in just four minutes of first period. Vanuatu had no replies to India’s constant attack as Baljeet Kaur entered score sheets twice within 5th minute making it 5-0. Chetna scored her first of three in the sixth minute as Reet doubled her tally in the same minute to take India to 7-0. Mumtaz (8’) and Lalremsiami (10’) scored apiece before the first period ended at 9-0 in India’s favour.

 

The second period looked no different as India continued to add to Vanuatu’s misery by scoring goals at will. The island nation who already had conceded 32 goals in their last two outings hardly had shots on India’s goal. The Indians took as many as 40 shots in total during the match compared to just five from their opponents. India scored a goal a minute in the first five minutes of the second half through Mumtaz (11′, 12′, 15’), Salima (13’) and Chetna (14’). India’s 15th and Chetna’s third came in the 17th minute. Ishika Chaudhary scored India’s last goal in the last minute ensuring all players except goalkeeper entered the scoresheet.

 

The Indian U-18 Women’s team will now face Argentina in their fourth match of the Hockey 5s competition on Wednesday, 10th October 2018, at 21.00hrs IST.

 

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian U-18 Men’s Hockey Team beat Kenya 7-1 in third match of Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Buenos Aires (Argentina), 09 October 2018: The Indian U-18 Men’s Hockey Team registered their third consecutive win of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games as they beat Kenya 7-1 in their third Pool B match held here at the Parque Polideportivo Roca on Tuesday. India’s Sudeep Chirmako (5′, 10′), and Rabichandra Moirangthem (5′,11′) were in prime form as they scored a brace each, while skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad (8′), Sanjay (14′) and Rahul Kumar Rajbhar (17′) also scored in the convincing victory. Kenya’s only goal came in the 7th minute through Olanda Ouma.
India started the match well as they took 8 shots at the Kenyan goal inside the first three minutes. It was only in the 5th minute that the Indian team took the lead through Sudeep Chirmako’s goal. The same minute saw Rabichandra Moirangthem also register his name on the score-sheet as he took India’s lead to two goals. However, Kenya also threatened on the counter attack and scored their opening goal in the 7th minute through Olando Ouma as his shot was deflected off Indian Goalkeeper Prashant Chauhan’s left leg and into the back of the net. However, India’s Captain Vivek Sagar Prasad restored his team’s two-goal lead as he scored in the 8th minute to make the scores 3-1. It was Sudeep Chirmako who got onto the score-sheet again as he scored in the dying seconds of the first period to extend India’s lead to 4-1.
The second period also started on a positive note for the Indian team as Rabichandra Moirangthem scored his second goal of the match in the 11th minute. Three minutes later, Sanjay found himself in space inside the Kenyan half and scored with a precise finish to make the scoreline 6-1. India kept putting pressure on the Kenyans and scored their seventh goal in the 17th minute through Rahul Kumar Rajbhar. In the last minute of the match, India were awarded a Penalty Corner but Kenyan Goalkeeper Paul Ongadi made a great save to deny Sanjay.  Both the Kenyan Goalkeepers, Samuel Silong and Paul Ongadi, were busy throughout the match as they made eight and six saves respectively but their efforts could not be enough as India won the match convincingly 7-1.
The Indian team will now face Australia in their fourth match of the Hockey 5s competition on Thursday, 11th October 2018, at 02.15hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian U-18 Men’s Hockey Team beat Austria 9-1 in second match of Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Buenos Aires (Argentina), 09 October 2018: A dominant performance from the Indian U-18 Men’s Hockey team saw them register an emphatic 9-1 victory over Austria in their second Hockey 5s Pool B match of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games held here at the Parque Polideportivo Roca on Monday. The Indian Men’s team continued their winning start to the campaign as Sudeep Chirmako (6′, 11′, 14′, 18′) and Shivam Anand (4′, 10′, 17′) scored hat-tricks while Sanjay (2′) and Captain Vivek Sagar Prasad (13”) also scored in the victory. Austria’s only goal was scored by Paul Drusany in the 8th minute of the match.
There was no shortage of confidence within the Indian team as they started to attack their opponents in the first minute itself. Sanjay, Sudeep Chirmako and skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad, all took shots in the first two minutes but could not score until Sanjay scored off his second shot to give India the lead in the 2nd minute. It was Shivam Anand who doubled India’s lead in the 4th minute as Austria failed to create opportunities. Two minutes later, Sudeep Chirmako also scored to make it 3-0 in India’s favour but Paul Drusany pulled a goal back for Austria in the 8th minute. With just seconds remaining for the half-time whistle, it was Shivam Anand who restored India’s 3-goal advantage as he scored his second of the match.
Austria started the second period on the offensive as they forced Indian Goalkeeper Pawan to make three saves inside the first minute but it was India who scored again as Sudeep Chirmako pounced on a counter to make the scores 5-1 in India’s favour. The Indian team’s continued dominance saw them score four more goals in the second period which came throughSudeep Chirmako (14′, 18′ ), Captain Vivek Sagar Prasad (13′) and Shivam Anand (17′) as the team registered their second consecutive win to stay at the top of Pool B.
India will now face Kenya in their third match of the Hockey 5s competition on Tuesday, 9th October 2018, at 18.00hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian U-18 Women’s Hockey Team beat Uruguay 2-1 in 2nd match of Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Buenos Aires (Argentina), 08 October 2018: The Indian U-18 Women’s Hockey maintained their fine start to the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games as they defeated Uruguay in their second match of the Hockey 5s competition here today at the Parque Polideportivo Roca. Striker Lalremsiami (1′, 19′) continued her goal-scoring form as she scored twice again to help India defeat Uruguary, whose only goal was scored by Magdalena Verga (10′).
The Indian team, on the back of their 4-2 victory in the opening match against Austria, looked confident right from the first minute of the match and scored through in-form striker Lalremsiami in the 1st minute. India dominated the first period and saw a goal being disallowed in the 9th minute when Mumtaz Khan thought she had given India a 2-0 lead, but the umpire blew the whistle for a foul. Uruguay’s Goalkeeper Victoria Bate produced a fantastic performance to make 13 saves in the match out of India’s total 15 shots on target, to keep her team in the match. The South Americans found possession of the ball in the last minute of the first period and scored the equalizer at the stroke of half-time through Magdalena Verga (10′) to make for an interesting second period.
However, the second period was again dominated by the Indian team as they looked for a winner. The Indians took as many as 25 shots in total during the match, but could only manage to convert twice. The second instance was the one which brought India their winning goal as Lalremsiami popped up again in the 19th minute to snatch a 2-1 win for her team.
The Indian U-18 Women’s team will now face Vanuatu in their third match of the Hockey 5s competition on Wednesday, 10th October 2018, at 00.45hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team beat New Zealand 7-1

Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 07 October 2018: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockeyteam continued to impress at the 8th Sultan of Johor Cup 2018 as they notched up their second successive win here on Sunday as they beat New Zealand 7-1.
On the opening day of the tournament, the India Colts had registered a hard fought 2-1 victory against hosts Malaysia. In their second match, it was Prabhjot Singh (6′), Shilanand Lakra (15′, 43′), Harmanjit Singh (21′), Mohd Faraz (23′), Abhishek (50′) and Skipper Mandeep Mor (60′) who scored in India’s scintillating win. For New Zealand, Sam Hiha (53′) scored the lone goal.
Last year’s Bronze Medallists’ India got off to an attacking start as Prabhjot’s fine goal in the 6th minute put New Zealand on the back foot. The Junior India side displayed disciplined hockey, played to structure and ensured swift accurate passes that helped them make potential forays into the striking circle.
Shilanand Lakra, who had made his Senior debut earlier this year at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, was in good nick as he capitalized on a good assist to put the ball past the New Zealand goalkeeper winning India a strong 2-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Though New Zealand tried to overcome the initial setback, India Colts’ defence held strong not allowing any easy circle entries. India goalkeeper Pankaj Rajak too was in good stead to avert New Zealand from converting by making good saves. Building on their attack from a fine start, the Indian forwards kept up the pressure as they scored back-to-back goals in the 21st and 23rd minute through Harmanjit’s field goal and Mohd Faraz’s fabulously struck PC.
While the third quarter saw both teams drop the pace a tad bit, with India managing a single goal in the 43rd minute through Lakra.
It was Abhishek’s 50th minute goal that put India ahead by 6-0, even as New Zealand’s Sam Hiha scored a goal three minute later, it was just a consolation as India Colts’ Skipper Mandeep Mor ensured his team wrapped up the three winning points as he converted a smart variation in PC to finish with a splendid 7-1 scoreline.
The Indian Junior Men’s Team will next take on Japan in their third match on 9 October 2018 at 15.35hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian U-18 Men’s Hockey Team defeat Bangladesh 10-0 in opening match of Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games

Buenos Aires (Argentina), 07 October 2018: The Indian U-18 Men’sHockey team registered an emphatic 10-0 win over Bangladesh in their opening match of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games to start their Hockey 5s campaign on a positive note at the Parque Polideportivo Roca here today. The Indian team were helped by goals from Rabichandra Moirangthem (9′, 20′), Sudeep Chirmako (11′, 17′) skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad (9′, 18′), Shivam Anand (4′), Rahul Kumar Rajbhar (4′), Sanjay (6′) and Maninder Singh (12′).
India dominated the match from the start as they scored five goals in the first period, not giving the Bangladeshi team any chances to score. Shivam Anand scored India’s first goal of the tournament in the 4th minute and Rahul Kumar Rajbhar also scored in the same minute to make it 2-0. A third goal from Sanjay in the 6th minute saw India stamp their authority, with two more goals in the 9th minute by Rabichandra Moirangthem and skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad meant that India took a 5-0 lead into the half-time break.
A quick start to the second period saw India score two goals in the opening two minutes through Sudeep Chirmako (11′) and Maninder Singh (12′). The Indian team dominated the match throughout, taking a total of 30 shots in the match and scoring 10 goals with Sudeep Chirmako (17′), Vivek Sagar Prasad (18′) and Rabichandra Moirangthem (20′) getting their braces.
India will now face Austria in their second match of the Hockey 5s competition on Monday, 8th October 2018, at 23.15hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian U-18 Women’s Hockey Team start Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games with a 4-2 win over Austria

Buenos Aires (Argentina), 07 October 2018: The Indian U-18 Women’s Hockey team today started their Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games campaign with a 4-2 victory over Austria in their first Hockey 5s match of the competition here at the Parque Polideportivo Roca. After the Men’s team’s victory earlier in the day, the U-18 Women’s team were helped by goals from Lalremsiami (4′, 17′), skipper Salima Tete (5′) and Mumtaz Khan (16′) as Austria’s Sabrina Hruby (13′) and Laura Kern (20′) scored for the opponents.
The Indian team started the match well as they scored twice in the opening five minutes as Vice-Captain Lalremsiami (4′) and Captain Salima Tete (5′) led from the front and registered their names on the score-sheet. India took their two-goal advantage into the half-time break but the Austrian team did trouble the Indians as they took a total of 9 shots in the match.
The second period started well for India’s opponents as they scored their first goal in the 13th minute through Sabrina Hruby, but India restored their two-goal advantage three minutes later as Mumtaz Khan also scored in the 16th minute. Another goal by Lalremsiami in the 17th minute saw India extend their lead to 4-1 and maintain pressure on their opponents. However, Laura Kern scored a consolation goal for Austria in the last minute to make it a 4-2 victory for India in their opening match.
The Indian U-18 Women’s team will now face Uruguay in their second match of the Hockey 5s competition on Monday, 8th October 2018, at 18.00hrs IST.
Please find attached file photos of Lalremsiami and the match schedule of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team face hosts Malaysia in the 8th Sultan of Johor Cup opening match

Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 05 October 2018: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team will take on hosts Malaysia in the opening match of the 8th Sultan of Johor Cup 2018 here on Saturday.

The team led by the talented Mandeep Mor and Vice Captained by in-form forward Shilanand Lakra will look to start the prestigious tournament on a winning note. “It is always important to begin the tournament with a win as it boosts the confidence and motivates the team to build on their performance as the event progresses. But having said that, many players will also be playing their first international match and they must shake off the initial jitters to play their natural game,” stated Coach Jude Felix on the eve of the match.

In the previous year’s edition, India had beaten Malaysia 2-1 in a closely fought round robin match. In the Bronze Medal classification match though, the team had elevated their performance to beat the hosts convincingly by 4-0 to finish with a Bronze.

“Playing the hosts in the first match is never easy because of the home ground support the opponents would enjoy. But I am confident if these boys play their natural game, we should do well,” emphasised a confident Felix.

The Indian Junior Men’s team will play New Zealand in their second match on Sunday and play against Japan on 9 October. The team will take on defending Champions Australia on 10 October and will play their last round robin match on 12 October against Great Britain.

Though last year, India won a high-scoring match (22-0) against USA, this year the minnows have been replaced by a formidable New Zealand squad who will pose to be a thorn in India’s aim to finish on the podium. In 2017, India had won three matches in the round robin stage (3-2 against Japan, 2-1 against Malaysia and 22-0 against USA) and had lost two close matches to Australia 3-4 and Great Britain 1-2 that saw them lose the Final berth.

“According to me it’s never about who we play but how well we play and we will go into the tournament ith the mind set to play our best hockey and we have prepared well for this tournament and the players are certainly looking forward to the first match, from there on we will take one match at a time,” expressed Felix.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey Team to take on hosts England on Saturday

London, 20 July 2018: The mood among the Indian Women’s Hockey Team is upbeat as they are set to take on hosts England in their opening match of the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 on Saturday, 21 July 2018. India grouped in Pool B will take on World No.16 Ireland on 26 July followed by World No.7 USA on 29 July apart from facing the Olympic Champions England in their home ground on the opening day of the prestigious tournament.
“The pressure will be on England and not on us,” asserted Indian Team skipper Rani on the eve of the match. “Yes they will have the home ground advantage but we are not new to playing in front of big crowds. We have done well against England before and we will carry the confidence of doing well in our recent tournaments including the CWG where we had tasted victory against England in the Group Stage in Gold Coast. We will go into the match with the belief that we can beat them. We just need to make sure we don’t make silly mistakes like we did in the Bronze Medal match at the CWG which cost us the game,” added Rani.
India’s previous appearance at the FIH World Cup was in 2010 when the event was held in Argentina. Rani then was the cynosure of India’s ninth-place performance as she had scored maximum of seven goals for the team during the course of the tournament. While there will be a lot riding on Rani during the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 too, she has a unit that has shown confidence-inspiring performance over the past two years where India even climbed to a career-best ranking of World No.10. “The team, especially the forward-line does not depend on Rani alone anymore to score goals. We have young strikers including the experience of Vandana Katariya with 200 plus International Caps who have scored on multiple occasions for the team. I like to look at the positives we have and having a drag-flicker like Gurjit Kaur who is one of the best in the world is also an advantage we have,” stated Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne.
After having arrived in London a week prior to the start of the tournament, the Indian Team has had good training sessions at the event venue Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Stadium including two practice matches against Australia and Belgium. “We have had good match practice against two of the top teams in the World. The team is upbeat and excited ahead of the first match and right now, our only focus is to do well against England. We have played USA and Ireland too in the past and have specific game plan against them. But for now, our focus is on the first match,” signed off Rani.
On 21st July India will take on England in their first match of Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 at 18:30 IST. All matches will be shown live on Star Sports 2, Star Sports HD 2 and Hotstar and
DD Sports (Only India matches).
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team play out a 1-1 draw against Belgium

Antwerp (Belgium), 18 July 2018: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team were held to a 1-1 draw by Belgium in their third round robin match of the U-23 Five Nations Tournament (Men) here on Tuesday.
The Indian Junior Men’s team had a mixed bag of results in their first two matches of the tournament as they beat Ireland 5-0 in their first match, but lost 1-3 to Great Britain in the second match. However, a strong performance against the hosts was needed and the Indian Forwards did not disappoint as they produced an attacking display in the first two quarters.
The Indian Junior team were rewarded for their constant pressure on Belgium when striker Mohammad Umar found space in the striking circle and put the ball into the back of the net at the stroke of half-time. The third quarter, however, saw the hosts produce a quick reply to India taking the lead, as Syril Frying cancelled out the lead in the 34th minute to level the scores.
Both the teams had their chances in the final quarter of the match, but neither could capitalise the chances and  the match ended in a draw, which means that India will need to win their last round robin match against the Netherlands to have a chance of qualifying for the Final match of the U-23 Five Nations Tournament.
On 20 July 2018, Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team will take on the Netherlands at 18.30 hours IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Surge in World Ranking is big motivation, says Indian Men’s Hockey Team Skipper PR Sreejesh

Bengaluru, 18 July 2018: Following their stupendous Silver-Medal performance at the recently-held FIH Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy 2018 in Breda, the Netherlands, the Indian Men’s Hockey Team have have surged ahead in Men’s FIH Hero World Ranking from World No.6 to fifth place. The PR Sreejesh-led Indian team’s recent exploits has pushed Germany to sixth place.
According to the FIH Release on Tuesday, Australia (1906 points) sit 23 points ahead of second ranked Argentina (1883), with Belgium (1709) and Netherlands (1654) occupying the respective third and fourth positions.
“We are really happy and elated to see ourselves jump one step ahead in the World Rankings. The higher we go there is a lot more responsibility on our shoulders to do well and come up with consistent performance. The elevation in World Ranking gives us a big boost to do well in the upcoming 18th Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta and the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 where we want to finish on the podium in front of our home crowd,” expressed Sreejesh on the sidelines of the ongoing National Camp at Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru.
The ace goalkeeper further added that the team needs to work hard to achieve their desirable goal of moving up to Top 3 in the World. “When you are going higher up the World Ranking, everyone (other teams) will take a close look at us and we will be in their radar constantly. We need to work really hard to maintain and improve our World Ranking. I believe we have the potential to go higher up to World No.3 but for that we need to do significantly well at the upcoming events and World Ranking has certainly added positive energy to our preparations,” stated Sreejesh, who was awarded the Goalkeeper of The Tournament title at the FIH Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy 2018.
Meanwhile, the team’s Chief Coach Harendra Singh congratulated his players for their efforts but was quick to add that they must remain persistent to climb further up. “My heartiest congratulations to all the players, support staff and Hockey India for their constant support. It is the hard work of the players that has paid dividends. I believe this team has the potential to do better and moving up to Top 3 is realistic if we finish on the podium at the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018. We must work harder now and take this as a big motivation to excel in forthcoming tournaments,” stated Chief Coach Harendra Singh.
by Abhishek Shukla

‘Can’t take any team lightly at Asian Games,’ say Indian Hockey Men and Women’s Team Chief Coaches

New Delhi, 17 July 2018: The Indian Men’s Hockey Team will begin their campaign at the 18th Asian Games 2018 Jakarta-Palembang against Hong Kong China on 22 August 2018 as per the fixtures that was announced on Monday. While the Men’s team led by PR Sreejesh will face Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong China in Pool A, the Indian Women’s team led by Rani will take on Indonesia on 19 August 2018 followed by matches against Kazakhstan, Korea and Thailand in Pool B as per the schedule announced on Monday.
“Though we are the Defending Champions, we cannot take any teams lightly. I don’t call this an easy group. We must be highly cautious against each of these teams as we have not played against teams like Hong Kong China and Sri Lanka. Japan is a rising team in Asia and are capable of surprising any team. They have done well in recent events while Korea too are a good team, play very defensive hockey and we have watched their game closely during the on-going practice matches in SAI, Bengaluru,” stated Indian Men’s Team Chief Coach Harendra Singh. The Indian Men’s Team had defeated Pakistan in the Final of the 2014 Asian Games to win Gold and qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The Chief Coach further stated that the team will go in with a must-win attitude if they wish to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games. Harendra said, “I expect the team to be hungry to win the Gold again and get direct qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games and I want to make it clear that there will be no room for complacency.”
In Men’s Pool B, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Oman, Thailand, and Indonesia, will go head to head to secure top positions in the round robin stage.
Meanwhile, the Indian Women’s Hockey Team will be vying for a Gold too in order to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games and had previous settled for the Bronze in the 2014 Asian Games. “As we arrived in London on Sunday for the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018, our focus is on the current tournament. However, in the Asian Games Pool, Korea will be our toughest challenge and I am happy we have played quite a few matches against them this year and are aware of how they play. The only thing I would say to the team is that it does not matter who we play, if we want to win, we must win against everyone whether they are ranked lower than us or higher,” Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne stated.
In Pool A of the Women’s Category, China, Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong China, and Chinese Taipei will take on each other to secure top positions in the round robin stage.
Hockey at the Asian Games will witness 21 Teams from 14 countries go head to head in the Men’s and Women’s categories in 60 matches over a course of 14 days. The winners of the Men’s and Women’s tournament will book their place in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. All matches will be played in the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Sports Complex, Jakarta, Indonesia.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey Team leave for Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018

New Delhi, 15 July 2018: The excitement among the members of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team was palpable as they boarded the flight at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Sunday afternoon for the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 to be held between 21 July and 5 August 2018.

This is the first time in eight years that the Indian Women’s Hockey Team will appear at the prestigious World Cup and no other player in the current squad apart from skipper Rani and Deepika have ever played at a World Cup before. “The team is extremely excited and we have waited for this moment ever since we won the Asia Cup last year. For almost everyone on the team, this will be a first-time experience to be playing at the World Cup,” expressed skipper Rani who was brimming with confidence ahead of the team’s departure.

Though this will be the first-appearance at the quadrennial event for most of them, the fact that the team consists of players who have more than 100 International Caps is an advantage feels Rani. She said, “It is a plus point for us that this team barring only three or four players have been playing together for over two years now and have had good international exposure with many of them having more than 100 or 150 plus International Caps for India. Every player in the team has grown from strength to strength and I am confident we will do well at the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018.”

The Indian team is grouped in Pool B with Olympic Champions England, World No.7 USA and Ireland. In their first match on 21 July 2018, the Indian team will take on hosts England. Having beaten the team who are ranked World. No 2 at the recent Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Rani believes the pressure will be on England when they meet on the opening day. “The pressure is not on us but it will be on England because they know we are capable of doing well against them. Though they defeated us in the Bronze Medal match at the CWG, we made some silly errors that cost us the match that day. The Indian Women’s Team are no longer the underdogs and in our mind, we want to get off to a good start regardless of England having home support and advantage,” stated an assertive Rani.

On 21 July 2018, the Indian Women’s Hockey Team will take on hosts England at 18.30 hours IST.

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

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Women’s Hockey Team grouped with England, Ireland and USA for the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018

New Delhi, 26 November 2017: The Indian Women’s Hockey Team will be grouped with England, Ireland and USA in Pool B for the prestigious Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 scheduled to begin on 21 July 2018.
The 16 national women’s teams qualified for the event now know who they will face in next year’s pinnacle event with the pools and schedule for the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 officially released by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) today.
Fans can also get in on the action with all remaining tickets now released for general public sale via the official ticket website. A look at the schedule reveals some fantastic match-ups as the top teams in the world prepare to go head-to-head.
While in Pool A, the world number one side and current holders of the World Cup, Netherlands, await the challenge of Asian giants China and Korea as well as rising European stars Italy, Pool B is headed by the host nation and World No.2 England. They will face tough challenges from the Indian Women’s team who were recently crowned Asia Cup Champions which won them the World Cup berth. USA who won the 2017 Hockey World League Semi-Final in Johannesburg and Ireland also feature in Pool B.
India will face hosts England in their first match on July 21. “We look forward to the challenge in Pool B. England (World No.2) and USA (World No.7) are ranked above us but the Indian Women’s team is on the rise with confidence-boosting performances in the past few months. Every match at the World Cup is important and each match needs to be played like a Final. It will be crucial for us to have a good outing in the Commonwealth Games next year so we carry a winning momentum into the World Cup. We have set our sights on Mission 2018 and all our training will be focused on peaking at the prestigious tournament,” stated Indian Women’s Team Chief Coach Harendra Singh.
Argentina are ranked number three in the world, and they have European rivals Germany and Spain to contend with, along with African continental Champions South Africa in Pool C. Pool D sees Oceania rivals Australia and New Zealand go head to head along with Japan and 2017 Rabobank EuroHockey Championship runners-up Belgium.
There are some amazing games to look forward to in the Pool stages, with many matches guaranteed to have fans on the edge of their seats.
With England’s 10,000-seater Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park sold out for six sessions, including all England’s Pool matches – plus their potential quarter-final, the semi-finals and final, fans should not hesitate in snapping up the remaining tickets.
For those who can’t make it to the venue, this event will be broadcast to millions across the world in over 100 countries through FIH’s global broadcaster partners.
With eight months between now and the Vitality Hockey Women’s World Cup London 2018 and today’s release of the match schedule, the countdown has really begun.
by Abhishek Shukla

2nd edition of Hockey India 5-a-side Senior National Championship 2017 (Men and Women) starts tomorrow in Pune

Pune, 13th November 2017: After tasting success in their 1st edition last year, the futuristic Hockey India 5-a-side Senior Hockey National Championship 2017 (Men and Women) is back with its second edition starting in Pune, Maharashtra onTuesday, November 14 at the Shivaji Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Boxing Hall.

The six-day domestic extravaganza will see teams vie for top honours in three categories – Men’s, Women’s and the all-new Combined Men & Women event which will see men and women play in a combined team on November 18.
Hosted by Hockey Maharashtra, the 2nd Hockey India 5-a-side Senior National Hockey Championship 2017 will see a star-studded line-up with members of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team, who recently created history by clinching the 2017 Asia Cup in Japan, turn up for their respective state teams.
The Combined event is pegged as the most exciting event of the tournament which will put both men and women on an equal pedestal to showcase their talent in the most exciting format. A team participating in this category will feature a minimum of either 4 men or women in their team of nine member 5-a-side team. In this category, Hockey Haryana, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Odisha and Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu form Pool A whereas Hockey Maharashtra, Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Punjab and Hockey Jharkhand are in Pool B.
In the Men’s category, Hockey Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh Hockey, Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu and defending Champions Hockey Maharashtra are placed in Pool A while Hockey Haryana, Hockey Odisha, Hockey Jharkhand and Hockey Punjab will lock horns in Pool B.
In the Women’s category, Hockey Haryana, Hockey Karnataka, Hockey Odisha and Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu will make up Pool A while Hockey Punjab, Hockey Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh Hockey and Hockey Jharkhand are in Pool B.
Rules:  
 
This exciting short format is played on a 38.5 meter x 22.5 meter size indoor court. In this format, each team consists of 9 members, out of which only 5 members can be present on the court at any given time of the match which includes one goalkeeper. The duration of the match is 30 minutes which is divided into three periods of 10 minutes each with an interval of 3 minutes between the periods.
The key differences from outdoor field hockey are in terms of the way the goals are scored and penalties are imposed. A goal is awarded when a goal is scored from anywhere on the court which is unlike traditional hockey where you cannot score directly from outside the circle. In addition, the ball is moved using a push, scoop or flick and no hitting is allowed as it is played in an indoor arena.
In terms of fouls, only free hits and challenges are awarded for respective offences by an attacker or defender. A Challenge is similar to the way shootouts are conducted in modern hockey. Free hits and fouls follow the same rules as modern hockey as well.
by Abhishek Shukla

Rani’s golden goal ensures Indian Women’s Hockey Team win Asia Cup after 13 years

Kakamigahara (Japan), 5 November 2017: Indian Women’s Hockey Team create history as they beat China in a tense shootout to lift the Women’s Asia Cup 2017 after 13 years and qualify for next year’s Women’s World Cup as Continental Champions here at Kakamigahara Kawasaki Stadium in Japan. It was India skipper Rani who scored the winning goal for India while Savita made a great save in sudden death to ensure India the 5-4 score in penalty shootout. Earlier, it was Navjot Kaur who scored India’s lone goal in the 25th minute. It was in 2004 when Indian Women’s Team lifted the Asia Cup after beating Japan 1-0 in the final.
It was advantage China right at the start as a stick check in the circle saw India concede a penalty corner in only the second minute of the game. However, Indian goalkeeper Savita was at her usual best to pad it away while an alert Deep Grace cleared the ball. Soon after, Indian forwards launched a swift attack with Navneet Kaur and Vandana working in tandem to find space in the Chinese D but an attentive Wang Na averted the danger. China, meanwhile, won their second PC but Savita was spot on yet again to pad away Meiyu Liang’s flick.
With the first quarter ending in a stalemate, India came back looking determined to find a breakthrough. The Indian forwards kept the pressure on China as they made brave forays into the striking circle. Navjot Kaur came close to converting a field goal in the 17th minute but her diving effort was blocked even as skipper Rani made a quick attempt to find a deflection. It was not until the 25th minute when India found its first breakthrough when Navneet Kaur and Rani played give-and-take before penetrating the circle only to assist Navjot who took a clear shot on goal. It was a much-needed 1-0 lead for India. Though China launched a counter attack soon after, Indian defenders were up to the task in denying success.
India began the third quarter rather positively as they stayed persistent with an aggressive attack. They dominated the ball possession with accurate passing, rotating the ball and testing China’s patience. Neha Goyal and Lilima Minz showcased good dribbling skills to steer past Chinese defenders but a second goal was not to come by even as the clock ticked away to the third hooter. On China’s part, they stayed disciplined in their defence to deny India a chance to score through a PC.
The final quarter was tense as China won a PC through successful video referral in the 47th minute. Tiantian Luo kept low as she improvised from the injection to find the right corner of the post, scoring a sensational equalizer for China. The following minutes saw both teams play on par with each other not allowing either of them to stay in control. With nine minutes left for the final hooter, India upped their attack desperately attempting to find a gap in the 15-yard mark but Chinese defenders were resolute not allowing any room for error.
Meanwhile China won their fourth PC of the match with little less than three minutes to go for the final whistle. But it was brilliantly saved by rusher Sunita Lakra and almost immediately, India launched a counter attack but only to send the ball wide off the target and complete the full-time in stalemate resulting in a shootout. In the penalty shootout Rani scored twice while Monica, Lilima Minz and Navjot scored a goal each to ensure India reclaimed the Asia Cup title after 13 years. Savita was adjudged Goalkeeper of the Tournament while Monica won Woman of the Match award.
It is a sweet double for both Indian Men and Women as they are crowned Asia Cup Champions this year.
The victorious Indian Women’s Team will arrive on 6 November 2017 at 9.00PM at the IGI Airport New Delhi.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team lose 3-4 to Australia in 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017

Johor Bahru, Malaysia, 26 October 2017: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team lost 3-4 to Australia in a high scoring encounter in their fourth match of the 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium here today. Dilpreet Singh (30’, 47’) and Sanjay (9’) scored for India in the match but goals from Joel Rintala (3’), Coby Green (36’), Jonathan Bretherton (45’) and Nathan Ephraums (49’) were enough for Australia to secure the victory.

Australia dominated the proceedings in the initial stages of the first quarter as they attacked the Indian defence to start on a bright note. This resulted in the Australians winning a penalty corner in the 3rd minute of the match which was well converted by Joel Rintala to give his side the lead. However, after conceding an early goal, the Indian team stepped up their efforts in the latter half of the first quarter and won themselves a penalty corner in the 9th minute which was finished off by Sanjay to level the scores at 1-1.

The game was very well balanced between the two sides throughout the second quarter as both the defences showed resilience to keep out the efforts. However, in the last minute before the half-time hooter, a misplaced pass from the Australians led to beautiful counter-attacking play from the Indian side meant that Dilpreet Singh scored from just inside the circle with a fiercely struck shot to give India a 2-1 lead at half-time.

In the third quarter though, Australia focused on getting an equalizer by controlling the rhythm of the play and attacking the Indian defence with some fast-paced passing. This meant that the Australians finally managed to convert another penalty corner in the 36th minute when Coby Green found himself free in front of goal after the drag-flick was not successfully executed by his teammates. Australia then scored again in the 45th minute to take a 3-2 lead when another unsuccessfully executed penalty corner was followed up by a well taken shot on goal by Jonathan Bretherton.

In the last quarter, it was India who had to put pressure on the Australian defence to find an equalizer, and they did so successfully when a long pass to forward Dilpreet Singh was calmly finished off by him to level the scores in the 47th minute. However, India could only stay level at 3-3 for two minutes as Australia’s Nathan Ephraums converted a penalty corner in the 49th minute to give Australia a 4-3 lead. India tried to equalize yet again in the last ten minutes of the match, but their efforts were kept out by a resolute Australian defence which meant that Australia won the match by a score-line of 4-3.

India will now face Great Britain in their fifth match of 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 on Saturday, 28th October 2017 at 13.35 hrs IST.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Men’s Hockey team win the Hero Asia Cup 2017

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 22 October, 2017: Indian Men’s Hockey Team were crowned as the Hero Asia Cup 2017 Champions after they beat Malaysia 2-1 in the Final of the tournament here today at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium. Goals from Ramandeep Singh (3’) and Lalit Upadhyay (29’) secured the title for India as Malaysia failed to make an impact on the game in the early stages but came back with a solitary goal through Shahril Saabah (50’).
This is the third time that India have won the Asia Cup title and after a gap of 10 years. The team started the match aggressively, making clear that their intention was to win the title against the second highest ranked team in Asia. It was in the 3rd minute that the Indians found a gap in the Malaysian defence when SV Sunil played a pass from the right flank to find Ramandeep Singh inside the circle, who hit the target on his second attempt to give India the all-important lead in the Final.
India continued to dominate the possession in the first quarter as Malaysia failed to produce any good opportunities. The second quarter also saw India produce some outstanding attacking play as they looked to extend their lead. However, Malaysia held on and created some chances of their own as the Indian defence stood tall to deny Malaysia of any real opportunities to score. At the stroke of half-time, it was India was threatened again through the left flank as Akashdeep Singh found Sumit in an advance position with a long pass and the latter then found Lalit Upadhyay inside the circle, who then calmly tapped in the ball in the back of the net to make it 2-0 in India’s favour.
The third quarter was a balanced one where Malaysia started to open up spaces in the Indian defence but all their efforts were well kept out.
India on the other hand, had opportunities of their own in the latter part of the third quarter but could not produce a third goal to seal the deal. Malaysia took advantage of the same as they came back hard in the fourth quarter scoring a field goal in the 50th minute via Shahril Saabah as the Indian defence failed to stop the Malaysian attackers.
Malaysia kept up the pressure on the Indian defence in the final 10 minutes of the match, but India absorbed the attacking forays made. The Indian team showed some resolute defending in the last five minutes to keep their 2-1 lead intact. In the end, the defensive skills displayed by India were enough for them to clinch the title after a gap of 10 years.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team start their Sultan of Johor Cup campaign with a 3-2 win over Japan

Johor Bahru (Malaysia), 22 October 2017: The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey team started off their 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017 campaign with a hard fought 3-2 victory against Japan in their opening match of the tournament here today at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium. Dilpreet Singh (11’, 53’) and Sukhjeet Singh (41’) scored the goals for India while Kyohei Ogawa (23’, 31’) scored a brace for Japan.
India started their opening match of the campaign on a bright note as they displayed a good shape, and were constantly attacking Japan in the first quarter. It was in the 11th minute that India’s efforts were rewarded with a goal as they scored through Dilpreet Singh after the Japanese defence failed to clear the ball.
In the second quarter, Japan fought back into the match as they gained control of the possession. They were awarded a penalty corner in the 23rd minute when the ball hit the foot of an Indian player inside their circle. Japan’s Kyohei Ogawa converted the PC as he brought the teams level on 1-1 after the second quarter.
The Japanese had a good rhythm to their play going into half-time and they maintained it at the start of the third quarter when Kyohei Ogawa scored his second of the match through a field-goal in the first minute after the restart to give Japan a 2-1 lead in the 31st minute. However, the young Indian team showed their character in the latter part of the third quarter when they struck back through a penalty corner in the 41st minute to level the scores at 2-2. It was Sukhjeet Singh who got onto the score-sheet as he brought back confidence within the Indian team.
Going into the fourth quarter, India seemed to control the game and kept looking for the third goal which would help them register a win in their first match of 7th Sultan of Johor Cup 2017. The dominant performance in the last quarter by the Indian team was rewarded when Dilpreet Singh popped up again inside the circle to score his second of the match in the 53rd minute which gave India a morale-boosting 3-2 win over the Japanese.
India will now face Malaysia in their second match onMonday, 23rd October 2017, at 18.05hrs IST.
by Abhishek Shukla

Dominant Indian Men’s Hockey Team beat Pakistan 4-0 to register a place in the Final of the Hero Asia Cup 2017

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 21 October, 2017: The Indian Men’s Hockey Team booked their berth in the Final of the Hero Asia Cup 2017 with a convincing 4-0 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super 4s match here today at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium. Goals from Satbir Singh (39’), Harmanpreet Singh (51’), Lalit Upadhyay (52’) and Gurjant Singh (57’) ensured the top spot in Super 4s for India.

This was the second match between the two sides in the Hero Asia Cup 2017 as they have already faced each other in the Pool stage where India came out on top with a 3-1 victory. However, in the Super 4s stage, Pakistan started the match on the attack as they won three penalty corners inside the first quarter but could not convert any as the Indian defence was up to the task. Pakistan kept their defensive shape well as they did not allow India to have spaces in behind their defence which meant that the latter struggled to attack. But India also won a penalty corner in the 14th minute which was scuffed by drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh. The tempo of the match increased towards the end of the first quarter but the teams ended the first quarter goal-less.

The second quarter saw both the teams battle it out in the midfield as they looked to establish their authority in the match. It was India who got the first chance to take the lead in the 24th minute through Ramandeep Singh but the Pakistani goalkeeper Amjad Ali deflected his shot to deny the Indians. Asia’s highest ranked team then turned on the heat in the latter part of the second quarter as they won a penalty corner in the 28th minute, however the flick from Harmanpreet Singh hit the crossbar as the teams ended the second quarter without a goal being scored.

The third quarter finally saw India penetrate Pakistan’s circle as their team-work led to a great goal in the 39th minute when forward Satbir Singh made a darting run on the right flank and passed the ball towards the Pakistan goal which made its way inside the goal as the Pakistani defence failed to intercept it. India kept the possession well throughout the third quarter and dictated play as cracks began to open up in the defensive line of their arch rivals. India had a glorious chance to extend their lead in the 45th minute when Captain Manpreet Singh found Lalit Upadhyay free inside the circle but the latter could only hit a shot which was saved by goalkeeper Amjad Ali as India kept their 1-0 lead after the third quarter.

India started the fourth quarter aggressively as Varun Kumar missed a chance to score when Gurjant Singh found him in the circle with a calculated pass in the 46th minute. India won two successive penalty corners in the 48th and 49th minute, both of which were saved by Pakistan’s Amjad Ali with some heroic saves to deny the Indians. India were dominant in the final 10 minutes of the match as they scored twice in two minutes to make it 3-0 in their favour. First, it was drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh who converted a well-taken penalty corner in the 51st minute to score his 7th goal of the tournament while the third goal was scored by Lalit Upadhyay as he finished off a brilliant team-move in the 52nd minute to make it 3-0 in India’s favour. India secured victory in the 57th minute when Gurjant Singh struck a fierce shot from the edge of the circle to make it 4-0 in India’s favour and register their berth in the Final of the Hero Asia Cup 2017.

India will now face either Malaysia or Korea in the Final of the Hero Asia Cup 2017 on Sunday, October 22, 2017 at 17.00hrs IST.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Men’s Hockey Team will look to continue winning form against Pakistan: Marijne

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 20 October 2017: Even as hockey fans around the world gear up for yet another exciting India Vs Pakistan encounter on Saturday here at the Hero Asia Cup 2017 Super 4s stage, Indian team Chief Coach Sjoerd Marijne stated that his team will be focused on improving their performance from their previous outing where they beat Pakistan 3-1 in the Pool stage. “We were happy with the win against Pakistan in our previous match but we know we can perform better. On Saturday, we will go into the match focusing on our structure and stick to the game plan we have against Pakistan,” expressed the 43-year-old Dutchman.
India have sailed through the tournament showcasing impressive form. They notched up three successive wins in the Pool stage but the forward line was put to test against a highly defensive Korean side in their first Super 4s match. India mustered a goal in the 59th minute to settle for a draw but bounced back into the Super 4s with an astounding 6-2 win against Malaysia, who have in the past year beaten India twice. India showed sublime skills in their clinical demolition of the Malaysian side and will look to carry on the winning form.
Though India are on top of the table with four points from one draw and one win, Malaysia are close second with three points from their win against Pakistan, while Korea have two points from two draws and Pakistan are at No.4 with one point. Yet, the Pool is open for any of these teams to make the Final. “Because the stage is open for anybody to make the Final, it is exciting to the last moment. As a Coach I want my players to perform under pressure and this is the best way to create that scenario. For us, at this moment, it is a lot important to play top international matches because we can raise our level,” he added.
He further emphasized that the team will make most of the exposure they gain from this tournament going into an all-important Odisha Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017 this December. “In Super 4s we get to play more matches and the team is tested at a top level. We must be our best in every game. I think this format is especially good for us now as we go into the Odisha Men’s World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017 in December,” Marijne expressed.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Coach Farhat Khan expressed that his team, especially their forward line, needs to go all-out against India if they want to be in the Final. “We not just need to win against India but we need to win with a big margin (at least 3 goals) so we make the Final by the virtue of goal difference. But it is going to be easier said than done because I am not happy with how our forwards have performed in this tournament. We have missed many opportunities in the circle and against India we cannot misfire,” asserted the Coach.
On 21 October 2017, India will take on Pakistan at 17.00 hours IST in their last Super 4s encounter.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Men’s Hockey Team ensure fireworks in Dhaka with 6-2 win over Malaysia

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 19 October 2017: It was a Diwali blockbuster in Dhaka as a resilient Indian men’s hockey team edged out Malaysia 6-2 in their Super 4s match to stay on course to make the Hero Asia Cup 2017 Final here at the Moulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium on Thursday. After suffering two back-to-back loses to Malaysia earlier this year, the Manpreet Singh-led Indian team ensured a well-structured game to demolish the Malaysian defence. It was goals by Akashdeep Singh (14’), Harmanpreet Singh (19’) and SK Uthappa (24’) that gave India a 3-0 head start followed by Gurjant Singh (33’), SV Sunil (40’) and Sardar Singh (60’) who ensured fireworks in favour of India.
Played in front of a vocal and partisan home crowd there was no doubt that this top of the table clash was going to be played with pace and skill and the teams didn’t disappoint. Having won all their matches thus far in the tournament, Malaysia raced out of the blocks at a frenetic pace, attacking India constantly. They made two strong circle entries at the start of the game but an alert Indian defence kept them out of scoring. India’s first break-through came in the 14th minute when Manpreet Singh assisted Akashdeep Singh inside the circle with a fiercely-struck long pass. The Indian forward was impeccable in his attempt to improvise the pass to beat the Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramiam to take a 1-0 lead in the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera make brilliant saves that had the Dhaka audience in raptures. His first big save came only two minutes into the second quarter when Malaysia won a PC. Karkera was resolute to pad it away. Later in the 23rd minute, another PC was averted when Karkera saved a fiercely struck dragflick to keep Malaysia from converting. Earlier, Harmanpreet Singh was at his best when he found the centre of the goal to take India’s lead to 2-0 in the 19th minute. A good assist by SV Sunil saw SK Uthappa score India’s third goal in the 24th minute.
Post the 10-minute half-time break, India scored two more goals to stamp their supremacy over Malaysia. It was Gurjant Singh in the 33rd minute followed by a splendid goal by SV Sunil brilliantly-assisted by Gurjant Singh who worked in tandem to score India’s fifth goal. A trademark reverse hit by Gurjant from the left flank to Sunil who made a diving attempt to push the ball into the post ensured the local crowds were thoroughly entertained. This goal by SV Sunil was also adjudged as the goal of the match.
The final quarter saw India make a few defensive errors that saw them concede PCs. With 10 minutes to the final hooter, Malaysia’s Razie Rahim utilized the chance to put one past a diving Akash Chikte in the 50th minute. Malaysia won another PC in the 54th minute but Chikte was outstanding in his save. Almost immediately, Malaysia won another PC but an alert Chikte averted a goal again. Malaysia won two back-to-back PCs in the 58th minute but couldn’t make the chance count. Though their second goal came through in the 59th minute via Ramadan Rosli, India extended their lead in the 60th minute when stalwart Sardar Singh picked up a brilliant assist to get a reverse shot on goal. There were some tense moments towards the final minutes of the match but India held their sway to win.
On 21 October 2017, India will take on Pakistan at 17.00 hours IST in their last Super 4s encounter.
by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Men’s Hockey Team hold Korea to 1-1 draw

Dhaka (Bangladesh), 18 October 2017: India held their nerve till the last hooter to hold defending Champions Korea to a 1-1 draw in their first Super 4s match here at the Hero Asia Cup 2017. It was Gurjant Singh’s 59th minute goal that ensured India remained in the hunt for the Hero Asia Cup 2017 Final on Sunday. Jungjun Lee had earned Korea the 1-0 lead in the 41st minute.
India opened the game patiently, rotating the ball between themselves waiting for an opening into the Korean defence. Despite the several circle penetrations, it took till the 14th minute for the first real chance to materialize, as India won the first PC of the game. The opportunity went amiss though, Harmanpreet Singh attempting a different set piece, but a flick to injector Ramandeep Singh was blocked away by Korean defender. Earlier, Korea’s Mookyoung Lee made a brave attempt when he dribbled into India’s circle and made a diving effort to take a shot on goal. But he was wide off the mark.
After ending the first quarter in a stalemate, Korean defence continued to test the Indian forwards as they allowed little room for penetration.  Meanwhile, the Indian defence stayed resolute in their circle to deny their feisty opponents a lead. Both teams couldn’t find a successful breakthrough as they went into half-time with scoreboard reading 0-0.
Though India were attacking constantly, getting closer each time to finding a breakthrough, it didn’t help their cause with the Koreans constantly intercepting their passes. A close chance in the 40th minute saw Amit Rohidas assist Akashdeep Singh in the circle but the forward could not fashion a deflection. One minute later, Jungjun Lee fashioned a chance out of nothing, spinning away from his markers to unleash a shot on the goal; beating India goalkeeper Akash Chikte to the post taking a 1-0 lead.
Down to the final quarter with time ticking away, India attacked in droves but Korea stayed resilient in their defence. India removed their goalkeeper with less than four minutes to go for the match. India appealed for a PC in the 57th minute but the video umpired ruled otherwise.
However, the following minute, good counter by Sardar Singh saw the ball passed on to Gurjant Singh who won India their second PC of the match. But a video referral by Korea denied India the chance. It was tense moments in the Moulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium with spectators on their toes. India, however, held their nerve to come up with a brilliant attack that saw Akashdeep take a shot on goal but it bounced off only to find Gurjant close in on the goal and finish the job for India. The match ended in a 1-1 draw with both teams splitting points.
On 19 October 2017, India will take on Malaysia at 17.00 hours IST in their next Super 4s encounter.