Page 14 - Indian Hockey Team

Vandana returns to squad as Indian women eye fresh start in FIH Pro League

Smarting from the failure to make the Paris Olympics, a Savita Punia-led 24-member Indian women's hockey team will look to make a fresh start in the upcoming FIH Pro League matches. Savita will be assisted by Vandana Katariya, who returned to the side as vice-captain after recovering from a cheekbone fracture, which forced the senior striker to miss the Olympic Qualifiers in Ranchi earlier this month. The Indian team endured a disappointing outing in Ranchi and failed to qualify for the Olympics after having made the cut in the last two editions. In fact, in the last edition at Tokyo, the Indians finished a creditable fourth. The Bhubaneswar leg of the Pro League will begin on February 3 and end on February 9, while the Rourkela leg will commence on February 12 and last till February 18. India will take on the United States, the Netherlands, China, and Australia twice each across both legs. The Indian women will begin their campaign against reigning Asian Games champions China on

Paris Olympics: India placed in tough Pool B in men's hockey competition

Asian Games champions and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists India are place in a tough Pool B in the men's hockey competition at this year's Paris Games. Eight-time champions India, who clinched a historic bronze medal in Tokyo after a hiatus of 41 years, have been clubbed with reigning Olympic champions and world no.2 Belgium, mighty Australia, Rio Games gold medallist Argentina, New Zealand and Ireland. The Indians are currently ranked third in the world, behind Belgium and the Netherlands, and they had found it tough to beat Tokyo silver medallist Australia and Argentina in the past. Pool A, meanwhile, consists of Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, France and South Africa. The International Hockey Federation announced the pools of both men's and women's hockey competition after the completion of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers on Sunday. In the women's competition in Paris, there will be no representation from India, who finished a creditable fourth in Tokyo, as they

Indian women's hockey team fails to qualify for Paris Olympics 2024

It will be extremely difficult for India to accept that, despite having home advantage, they will not qualify for Paris after that Tokyo semifinal

IND-JAP highlights: Japan beat India 1-0, book a spot in Paris Olympics

Paris Olympics 2024: Indian women's team won't be part of Olympics, which will take place in July-August. India had a chance if they finished at third place but Japan stood there

Schopman wants her players to show up against Japan after Germany loss

Indian women's hockey team chief coach Janneke Schopman wants her players to show up against Japan in the third-fourth place classification match after their loss against Germany in the semifinals of the FIH Olympic Qualifier here on Thursday. India fumbled in the shootout to lose 3-4 after the match ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time. But India still have a chance to qualify for the Paris Olympics if they beat Japan on Friday as the top three teams from this tournament will qualify for this year's quadrennial extravaganza. "We will discuss it again. We need to give time to the disappointment. We have to rest tomorrow morning and I know they will be ready. Some of them are already ready but we need some time," Schopman said. "They get a little bit impatient and when they get impatient...but I can't always blame them for it. It was great that we could manage a large part of the game today. "I know we can play but we have to show up and have to keep fighting. We don't have a ..

Paris Olympics 2024 Hockey Qualifier Highlights: Germany beat India in SF

India chance for Olympics: While Germany booked a place in 2024 Paris Olympics along with USA, whom they face in the final on Friday, India will get another chance

Contrary to final scoreline, it was a tough match against Italy: Schopman

The Indian women's hockey team on Tuesday routed Italy 5-1 to enter the semifinals of the FIH Olympic Qualifiers here, but chief coach Janneke Schopman feels that the scoreline might not depict how tough it was out there in the middle. India finished second in Pool B behind USA and will now take on Pool A toppers Germany in the semifinals on Thursday. The top three sides from the tournament will qualify for Paris Olympics. "We have learnt from every match. In the first match, we didn't really play well. Our second game was really good and we were in control. This game against was a bit difficult, we struggled a little bit," Schopman said after the match. "The learning from here is that we actually fought ourselves back into this game and started dominating. "Italy is difficult team to play against, they are very skillfull, play hard. So lot's of learnings," the Dutch added. Schopman had words of praise for Udita Duhan, who scored a brace on her 100th international match on ...

Olympics Hockey Qualifiers: India women maul Italy 5-1 to enter semis

Udita Duhan capped her milestone 100th international appearance with a double strike that took India closer to a Paris ticket after hosts thrashed Italy 5-1 to enter the semi-final of the FIH Olympic Qualifier here on Tuesday. Udita (1st minute, 55th), Deepika (41st), Salima Tete (45th) and Navneet Kaur (53rd) were the goal scorers for Indian team as it finished second in Pool B with two wins from three games behind United States, who remained unbeaten. India will take on Pool A toppers Germany in the semifinals on Thursday, while USA will be up against Japan. The top three teams will qualify for the Paris Olympics. It was yet another good show by the Indians after the 0-1 loss to USA in their opener as they controlled the flow of the match from start to finish. Udita was rock solid at the back, while diminutive Neha Goyal and Salima controlled the proceedings in the mid-field. It was a perfect start for India as just like their previous match, the hosts took the lead in the firs

Spirited India women's hockey side eye Italy to keep Paris hopes alive

Their campaign back on track after a wobbly start, India would look for another spirited all-round performance to outwit lower-ranked Italy in their final pool match and progress to the semifinals of the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifier here on Tuesday. The Indians, ranked sixth in the world, did not have the best of starts to the tournament as they lost to world no. 12 USA 0-1 in their opening Pool B match. But the Savita Punia-led side bounced back strongly and produced a masterclass performance to beat New Zealand 3-1 in a must-win match on Sunday, which kept their Paris Olympics hopes alive. Having missed the bus through Asian Games, the ongoing tournament is India's only chance to qualify for this year's Olympics as top three teams from here will book Paris tickets. The USA are atop Pool B with two wins, while India and New Zealand currently have three points each but the hosts are below the Black Sticks on goal difference. And come Tuesday, the Indians would look for nothing le

Women's Hockey Olympic Qualifiers: India beat NZ 3-1 to keep hopes alive

India on Sunday rose from the ashes to tame New Zealand 3-1 with a spirited performance in their second pool match of the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifier to keep alive their hopes of securing a ticket to Paris Games. The Indians, who dropped a rung to seventh in the world rankings released on Saturday, did not have the best of starts in the tournament, losing to lower-ranked United States 0-1 in their opening Pool B match. In contrast, New Zealand registered an easy 3-0 win over Italy on Saturday. But it was complete turnover from the Indians on Sunday. Leaving behind the USA disappointment, the Indians produced all-round hockey on Sunday and used every corner of the turf to build their attacks with short and crisp passes. This was what India's chief coach Janneke Schopman pointed after USA match and the girls seemed to have attentively listened to the Dutch, which was evident from the team's much-improved performance on Sunday. Salima Tete had a brilliant game and was involved in

'Do yourself a favour and show up': Schopman's message that did wonders

"Just do yourself a favour and show up." This was India's chief coach Janneke Schopman's message to her wards ahead of the must-win Pool B FIH Women's Olympic Qualifier match against New Zealand here on Sunday. Schopman gave the message after India lost 0-1 to the United States in their opener on Saturday and a loss or draw against New Zealand would have dented their hopes of qualifying for the Paris Olympics. But the Indian women dished out "near-perfect" hockey to tame New Zealand 3-1 in their second match. "I said that no one's perfect. We are going to make mistakes but that doesn't matter. We just have to play and said to them 'just do yourself a favour and show up today'. The biggest message was we need to connect as a team and we need to play together and I think they did that today," Schopman said after the win. "It was close to perfect. We defended really well. New Zealand is a difficult team to play against because of their high balls. We could have awarded ourselves with

Didn't play to our strength: Schopman on Indian women's hockey loss vs USA

India did not have the best of starts in the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifier, losing 0-1 to USA in their opener here on Saturday, and the team's chief coach Janneke Schopman admitted that her side didn't play to their strength. Having missed the opportunity to book Paris Olympics ticket through last year's Asian Games, it is world no. 6 India's only chance to qualify for the quadrennial extravaganza. India wasted chances galore, including as many as seven penalty corners and some from open field play, to start their campaign on a disappointing note here. And Schopman said her wards were guilty of straying away from their style of play. "I know we are a good team, we weren't the lesser team even though we lost. We were outsmarted. We created chances but did not have composure and confidence on the ball that I am used to see in training and in matches previously," Schopman said after the match. "We rushed a little bit, we were forcing and may be that's because we were 0-1 down. We hav

FIH Women's Hockey Olympic Qualifiers: Profligate India lose 0-1 to USA in

A profligate Indian team squandered chances galore to lose 0-1 to lower-ranked United States of America in its opening match of the FIH Women's Olympic Qualifier here on Saturday. Ranked sixth in the world, India dominated the possession and created numerous scoring chances, including as many as seven penalty corners, but failed to breach the American defence. USA, ranked 24th in the world rankings, scored the solitary goal of the match through Abigail Tamer in the 16th minute of the Pool B match. The defeat would make India's road to Paris tougher as it will be up against stronger teams in next matches. There was hardly anything to separate the two sides in the first quarter which witnessed a keenly-contested battle. Both teams managed a few circle penetration but goals eluded the two sides. The Indians, however, were guilty of not using both the flanks unlike USA who build their attacks from both corners. India's woes from penalty corners remained unchanged as they wasted as ma

Olympics Women's Hockey Qualifier: NZ women excited to play hosts India

New Zealand women's hockey team is determined to prove a point during its maiden visit to India, with coach Phil Burrows terming the Black Sticks' second pool match against the hosts as "special" moment for his wards. Both India and New Zealand are placed in a tough Pool B in the FIH Olympic Qualifier here, alongside Italy and the United States, while Germany, former Asian Games champions Japan, Chile and Czech Republic are in Pool A. New Zealand, ranked ninth in the world, will open their campaign against Italy on Saturday before taking on world no. 6 India the next day. "We know game 2 is going to be pretty crazy for the girls. None of our group have experience of playing in India before, so the second match will be pretty special for them," coach Burrows said ahead of their match. "Germany certainly is a favourite, India is going to be tough to beat in their conditions. We want to be there as well. It's a tough pool, we just have to play well and try to get to the ...

Eyeing Paris Olympics berth, Indian women's team opens campaign against US

Putting behind the disappointment of finishing third at Asian Games, the Indian women's team will look to cash in on home advantage and secure a ticket to Paris as it faces the USA in its FIH Olympic Qualifiers opener here on Saturday. Hosts India, Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Japan, US, Chile and New Zealand are the eight teams vying for the top three slots here to book their Paris berths. The Paris Olympics will be held from July 26 to August 11 this year. World number five Germany are the highest ranked team in the tournament, while India are a rung below in sixth. New Zealand are ninth in the rankings chart, followed by Japan (11th), Chile (14th), US (15th), Italy (19th) and Czech Republic (25th). India are placed in Pool B alongside New Zealand, Italy, and the United States, while Germany, former Asian Games champions Japan, Chile and Czech Republic are in Pool A. After the US game, India will meet New Zealand (January 14) and Italy (January 16). The semi-finals will be p

Hockey coach Fulton picks big squad for Four-Nation tour of South Africa

India has picked a jumbo 26-member squad for the men's Four-Nation hockey tour of South Africa this month to check out as many players as possible in the crucial Olympic year. The tournament, which will mark the comeback of former captain Manpreet Singh after a break, will be played in Cape Town from January 22 with the other competing countries being France, the Netherlands and hosts South Africa. The Indians will be led by Harmanpreet Singh, while FIH Player of the Year Hardik Singh will be his deputy. "We are quite excited to get on with the season in the Olympic year with the South Africa tour where we will play quality teams," said India chief coach Craig Fulton. "We have chosen a big squad in order to give players exposure and it will also give me an opportunity to see some of the players in competition mode ahead of the Pro League," he added. Youngsters Araijeet Singh Hundal and Boby Singh Dhami have been included following an impressive outing with the junior Indian side.

Confident of entering 3rd successive Olympics: India women's hockey captain

Indian women's team is confident of booking a third successive Olympic berth and its knowledge of the conditions here will put it in good stead ahead of the eight-team hockey Olympic Qualifiers, said attacking midfielder Navneet Kaur on Monday. The Indian team, led by Savita Punia, had won the Asian Champions Trophy at the same venue of Marang Gomke Jaypal Singh Mundha AstroTurf Hockey Stadium in November last year. The hosts defeated Japan 4-0 in the final to secure their second consecutive title in the competition. "Arriving in Ranchi early has helped us gain quite a few sessions on the main pitch and it has also helped us acclimatise to this weather," Navneet said in a Hockey India release. "Since we have also played in this venue before, during the Women's Asian Champions Trophy, we know the pitch well." Fuelled by their historic fourth-place finish in the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Indian side spent about a week understanding the conditions. The Indian members also visited and

Indian Olympic sports Yearender 2023: Hockey, Javelin and Satwaik-Chirag

From historic hauls in the Asian Games to smashing records in badminton and spearing throws in Javelin, here's the Indian Olympic sports round-up for 2023

Savita Punia to lead Indian women in hockey Olympic Qualifiers, Ranchi

Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia will continue to lead the side and Vandana Katariya will be her deputy as Hockey India on Saturday named an 18-member Indian women's team for the Olympic Qualifiers scheduled to be held in Ranchi from January 13 to 19. India will take the field in Ranchi looking to finish as one of the top three teams in the competition and secure qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024. "The FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers Ranchi is an important tournament on our Paris Olympics journey. It is imperative that we live up to the expectations and all the players in the squad are working to secure qualification," Indian Women's chief coach Janneke Schopman said in a release. "After careful consideration, we have chosen a well-balanced team with immense skill and experience in all departments. Also, Savita and Vandana have faced high-pressure situations numerous times in their career so far. They are well equipped to guide the rest of the team as the Captain and ...

5-nation tournament: India beat France 5-4 in last match to record lone win

Captain Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh struck a brace each as the Indian men's hockey team beat France 5-4 in its fourth and final match to notch up its lone win in the five-nation tournament here on Wednesday. Jugraj scored in the 20th and 60th minutes while Harmanpreet found the target in the 25th and 56th minutes. Vivek Sagar Prasad (16th) struck once in the match that went back and forth throughout its duration. India thus ended their largely disappointing campaign with a win. They had lost all their earlier three matches in the tournament -- 0-1 to Spain, 2-7 to Belgium and 2-3 to Germany. France are the lowest-ranked side at ninth while India are at third. The first quarter saw France take the lead through a penalty-corner conversion from Lucas Montecot in the 11th minute. India equalised early in the second quarter through a field goal from Vivek. Jugraj then put India in the lead after converting a penalty corner before Harmanpreet doubled the lead through another pena