Page 4 - Indian Hockey

Asiad 2023: Indian hockey goalkeeper Sreejesh eyes direct berth to Olympics

At 35, PR Sreejesh is standing at the twilight of his career and the Hangzhou Asian Games is most likely his last appearance at the continental showpiece. But the veteran Indian hockey goalkeeper is determined to win the gold at Hangzhou to give himself a chance to earn a direct entry to the Paris Olympics next year, and do better there winning a yellow-coated medal. Eight-time champions India had won a historic bronze at the Tokyo Olympics after 41 years beating Germany 5-4 in the play-off match. "Obviously, next year's Olympics is my main target and I want to change the colour of my medal there. But having said that, we need to qualify through the Asian Games (to Olympics) so that we get ample time to prepare ourselves," Sreejesh told PTI. Sreejesh reiterated that age is just a number for a sportsperson and gave the example of tennis great Novak Djokovic in this regard. "I am right now taking one game, one tournament at a time. As (Novak) Djokovic said, 35 is the new 25. So, I'

Asiad 2023: Well prepared Indian women's hockey team leaves for Hangzhou

The Indian women's hockey team is well prepared and will look to seal an Olympic berth with a good show at the Asian Games, said skipper Savita ahead of the side's departure for Hangzhou, China. The Indian women's hockey team, which is placed in Pool A along with Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong China and Singapore, left for China on Tuesday night. The quadrennial event gets underway in Hangzhou on September 23. India will open their campaign at the prestigious event against Singapore on September 27. Japan, China, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Indonesia are placed in Pool B. The top two teams from each Pool will qualify for the semifinals. The gold medal winning team will directly qualify for next year's Paris Olympics. "We have had a long and strenuous National Camp where we worked on all the areas where we need to improve. We have formulated our strategies as per our strengths and we have studied our opponents as well, thoroughly to understand their styles of play," Savita said in a ...

Asiad 2023: India hockey teams' full schedule, squads, match timings

The Indian hockey team would be aiming for nothing less than a gold in both the men's and women's categories as a spot at the Paris Olympics is up for grabs

Saga of sacrifices inspires Indian women hockey team for Asiad, Olympics

If one saw her mother working tirelessly for earning Rs 800 a month, the other endured the agony of being unemployed for almost a decade, while another learnt the game by playing with bamboo sticks. To Savita Punia, Neha Goyal and Nikki Pradhan hockey brought solace, and these Indian women's team players did not let personal turmoil affect their game. Also plenty of sacrifices were made during their journey to the top, making them hungrier for success. They had their 'Chak de' moment in the Tokyo Olympics where they missed a podium finish by a whisker, and now they are on a mission to realise an unfulfilled dream. The first step would be to secure direct qualification to the Paris Olympics through the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. They are not leaving any stone unturned, including giving up on their favourite food, in order to improve their willpower and fitness and win gold in Hangzhou. "We know that there are immense expectations from us post Tokyo Olympics and this team is cap

Indian hockey team doesn't want to leave China with regrets: Abhishek

Rising Indian hockey forward Abhishek, who is set for his first major Asian tournament in the upcoming Hangzhou Games, says his aim is to play with confidence and leave China without "any regrets". The 24-year-old has come up the hard way and made a delayed breakthrough in his career but he has cemented his place in the Indian side with some stellar performances -- 18 goals in 48 appearances. "I am ecstatic to have been named to the squad, and I am eager to give my all on the pitch. The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 is a big tournament, and we're preparing accordingly," he said in a Hockey India release. "We'll play with confidence, and our goal is to leave China with no regrets at the end of the tournament," he added. Asked about his team's preparations for the 19th Asian Games, Abhishek said, "We will face some good teams, and we are working very hard in training to make sure we are in the best physical and mental shape when we step onto the pitch." India are placed in Pool A a

My family sacrificed for me to chase my dreams: Hockey player Karthi Selvam

Fast-rising Karthi Selvam, one of the star performers for Indian men's hockey team in the Asian Champions Trophy, feels that he has been able to live up to expectations of his parents, who sacrificed a lot to nourish his dream of weaving magic with the stick. Karthi was the first from Tamil Nadu to be selected in the senior national men's hockey team in 13 years when he made his debut in last year's Asia Cup in Jakarta. In the ACT this year, he scored two goals and had a hand in plenty of assists. Karthi scored on his debut in the opening match against Pakistan but for the 21-year-old forward, the goal against Malaysia in the group stages of ACT was something he would cherish for his entire life as it came in front of his home and crowd and more importantly his parents. "One memory that I will always cherish is scoring my first goal of the tournament (ACT) against Malaysia. This was the very first goal that I scored in front of my family who were watching me play for the first time,

Women's Hockey ACT: Ranchi to host the event from October 27 to November 5

Following the successful conduct of the men's event in Chennai, India will next host the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament for women for the first time, in Ranchi from October 27 to November 5 this year. The seventh edition of the tournament will be a joint venture between Hockey India and the Government of Jharkhand. Besides India, defending champions Japan, runners-up Korea, China, Malaysia and Thailand are expected to participate in the tournament. The Indian women's team won the title in 2016 and in the following edition in 2018, it finished runners-up. Ranchi has previously hosted numerous Hockey India League matches from 2012 to 2015 and was home to the city-based franchise, Ranchi Rays. In recent years, the stadium has witnessed several top domestic events and boasts of a big fan base for the sport. Jharkhand has a rich hockey history, having produced seven Olympians who have represented India, including Jaipal Singh Munda, Silbanus Dungdung, Manohar Topno, Ajit Lak

IND vs MAL final: India come from behind to win 4th Asian Champions Trophy

Jugraj Singh (9th minute), skipper Harmanpreet Singh (45th), Gurjant Singh (45th) and Akashdeep Singh (56th) were the goal scores for India.

Rani Rampal named coach of sub-junior team, but says she isn't retiring

It remains to be seen whether she will find a place in India's squad for the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Hockey ACT: India skipper Harmanpreet wants more matches against Pakistan

More matches between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will only benefit both sides as well as continent's hockey, home team captain Harmanpreet Singh said on Tuesday ahead of their high-voltage clash in the Asian Champions Trophy here. Unbeaten India are already through to the semifinals after three wins and one draw while Pakistan's last-four hopes depend on the result of this vital clash against India on Wednesday. A win for Pakistan will guarantee them a spot in the semifinals, but a defeat would leave their fate on the result of the match between China and Japan, also on Wednesday. "Matches are important for any team. If we play more matches together, it will surely help us and Asian hockey as a whole. But, it all depends on the situation, and I feel we should play a lot more against each other," Harmanpreet said during the press conference ahead of the match. Asked why the rivalry between the two sides has become less intense as compared to earlier times, Harmanpreet said, "It (

ACT 2023, IND vs PAK Hockey: India aim to avoid complacency vs arch-rivals

Their semifinal berth already sealed, three-time champions India would look to guard against complacency when they take on arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage last round-robin league match of the Asian Champions Trophy here on Wednesday. There has been complete contrast in the overall performance of both the sides in the tournament so far. While the hosts are unbeaten in the four games they played so far, Pakistan have managed only a win along with a couple of draws and a loss and their semifinal hopes depend on the result of this vital clash. A win for Pakistan will guarantee them a spot in the last four stage, but a defeat would leave their fate on the result of the match between China and Japan. If Pakistan lose on Wednesday, they will hope for China to upset Japan. In case Japan wins, the victory of margin should be lesser. Besides Pakistan would also hope for Malaysia to beat South Korea by a big margin, which would benefit the Men in Green. With three wins and a draw, Indi

Hockey ACT: India's penatly corner issue persists, forced to draw vs Japan

Courtesy of this draw, India would now have to be content with the second position on the points table in the Men's Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2023 being held in Chennai

India vs Japan Asian Champions Trophy Hockey 2023, check match details

India faces Japan in its second Asian Champions Trophy Hockey match today at 8.30 pm IST. The match will be played at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Hockey India president says Indian team will travel to Pakistan if needed

Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey has said that the national men's team will travel to Pakistan for qualifiers in case it fails to directly qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics by winning gold at the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, starting September 23. The team winning the continental event gold shall receive direct berth in the quadrennial extravaganza as per rule but other nations need to play the qualifiers and this time venues identified are Pakistan and Spain. "We will be trying to get the job done in Hangzhou. But, if for some reason, we fail to qualify, then there are a couple of venues that have been identified for the qualifiers - Pakistan and Spain. So, wherever it happens, we will definitely go," he said during a media interaction on the eve of the tournament on Wednesday. Travelling to Pakistan requires government clearance and it is there to be seen what will be the centre's stance in case situation demands that national hockey team is needed to travel to Pakistan to

Hockey: Harmanpreet scores as Indian men's team holds England to 1-1 draw

The Indian men's hockey team came up with a spirited performance to hold England 1-1 in their third match at the ongoing 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament here on Friday. While Sam Ward scored an early goal for England in the fifth minute, India bounced back to level the scores in the 29th minute through Harmanpreet Singh. The draw meant India are out of contention for the final on Sunday. After losing to the hosts and drawing with the Netherlands in their previous matches, India were looking for an elusive win and a spot in the final. Despite their positive body language on the field, it was the Brits who got off to a good start, with Ward scoring a stunning field goal. A tumbling James Oates crossed the ball from the right flank towards the goalpost, which Ward deflected into the post, giving England the lead. Pawan, who was filling in for PR Sreejesh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak in the goalpost, could do little to defend. Despite the early .

Hockey: India men's team draws against Pro League winners the Netherlands

The Indian men's hockey team played out a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, who recently won the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022-23 title, in an intensely-fought match at the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament here. India had lost to hosts Spain in their opening game, but they bounced back on Wednesday with an impressive performance. In-form captain Harmanpreet Singh scored India's lone goal in the 12th minute, and Jasper Brinkman equalised for the Netherlands in the 40th. Getting off the blocks in an attacking mode, India built on early momentum. They created chances in the circle and eventually secured an early lead when the team earned a penalty corner. Although it was the Dutch side that earned the first PC of the match, the flick was dragged wide to the left of the post. India, however, made no such error when they were awarded a PC in the 12th minute. Harmanpreet was on song when he picked up a fine injection by his deputy Hardik Singh and ruthle

Women's Hockey: India go down to Germany 0-2, end tour with three defeats

Indian women's hockey team capped a disappointing outing, going down to Germany 0-2, for its third straight defeat of the tour here. Nike Lorenz (52nd minute) and Charlotte Stapenhorst (54th) scored the two goals for the home side in the third and final match of the Indian team's tour of Germany, on Wednesday. The Indian team had lost to China (2-3) and Germany (1-4) in its previous two outings here. The three-match German tour was a part of the Indian team's preparations for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games. In the final match of the tour, the Indian team was able to hold on to the Germans in a 0-0 stalemate until the third quarter. But, intense action unfolded in the fourth quarter when Germany unleashed a lethal attack. India had earned two penalty corners in the previous quarters, but they were unable to convert them. Germany took the lead, striking from their third penalty corner through Lorenz, who had scored a double in Tuesday's first match against India. Stapenhorst s

Germany, Spain tours part of our Asian Games preparation: Savita Punia

India captain Savita on Wednesday said the women's hockey team is looking at the tour of Germany and Spain as an opportunity to prepare for this year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The Indian team departed for Europe tour from here on Wednesday. The side will be first flying to Germany for the three-match series, where it will play the hosts in two games, besides taking on China in the other match. The series will start with the match against China in Limburg on July 16, followed by games against Germany (July 18, 19) in Wiesbaden and Russelsheim respectively. The Savita-led side will then fly to Terrassa, Spain on July 20 for the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation - International Tournament. There the Indians will open their campaign against hosts Spain on July 25, followed by games against South Africa (July27) and England (July 28). "We are really looking forward to this tour. Playing against quality sides in the lead up to the Asian Games will give us a good learni

Indian women's hockey captain Savita up for challenge from top teams

Indian women's hockey team skipper Savita Punia on Tuesday said they are no more intimidated by top-ranked opponents and playing stronger sides instead brings out "a different kind of energy" in her teammates. After finishing a creditable fourth at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and a lowly ninth at the World Cup the following year, the Indian team has scripted some new highs under coach Janneke Schopman and Punia. They won the Commonwealth Games bronze and the Nations Cup in 2022 and are now gearing for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, in September-October. "For last two-three years after the Olympics, whenever we played against any top team be it in the Pro League, World Cup, or the Commonwealth Games, never have we lost by a big margin," Savita told reporters during a virtual media conference from their SAI Camp here. "This is the big improvement. The new-found confidence in the team, the mindset that we have now for our opponents is different. "Maybe it was not the same five-six years ag

"I want to achieve much more', says Junior India hockey captain Uttam Singh

Charismatic leader and Jugraj Singh Upcoming Player of the Year Awardee Uttam Singh spoke about his journey from picking up a hockey stick to lifting the Junior Men's Asia Cup Trophy