Page 3 - Hockey

'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

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

5-Nation tournament: Indian men's hockey team loses to Spain 0-1 in opener

The Indian men's hockey team began its 5-Nation Tournament on a disappointing note, losing 0-1 to lower ranked Spain here on Friday. Alvaro Iglesias scored the only goal of the match in the 29th minute. The Indian team, which has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics after winning gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games, is ranked third in the world while Spain is eighth. Before Friday, India and Spain had played against each other twice this year and the result had been even. India beat Spain in a World Cup group match in January while the European side was victorious in a tournament at home in July. The first quarter of the match saw both the teams earn a penalty corner each but neither managed to find the back of the net. Spain took the initiative in the second quarter, forcing a penalty corner save from Indian custodian Krishan Pathak. The pressure was telling as India received a green card and Spain immediately pounced on the opportunity. Alvaro Iglesias breached India's defence a

5-Nation tournament: Indian women's hockey team suffers 2-3 defeat to Spain

Indian women's hockey team suffered a 2-3 defeat to Spain in its opening match of the 5-Nation Tournament here on Friday. Gurjit Kaur (13th minute) and Sangita Kumari (14th) scored a goal each for India, while Sara Barrios Navarro (2nd), Patricia Alvarez Nardiz (30th) and Julia Strappato Garreta (53rd) were on target for Spain. The Spanish side began the match aggressively and was rewarded for their effort with Navarro breaking the deadlock in only the second minute of the game. Thereafter, India launched a counter-attack, pushing Spain back into their half and earning a penalty corner. Gurjit Kaur capitalised on this opportunity and unleashed a powerful flick to bring India back on level terms. Soon after, Sangita Kumari breached the Spanish defence to give India the lead. The first quarter ended 2-1 in India's favour. The second quarter saw a resilient Spain fight back and equalise through Patricia Alvarez Nardiz's goal. India and Spain continued to look for the goal that would

India lose to Germany 1-4 in semifinal of FIH junior men's hockey World Cup

Penalty corner woes continued to haunt India as they failed to convert even once from 12 shots to lose 1-4 to a clinical Germany in the semifinal of junior men's hockey World Cup here on Thursday. Six-time champions Germany, on the other hand, earned just two penalty corners in the whole match but scored on both the occasions. The Indian team will need a lot of soul-searching as it was inexplicable not to score even once from a dozen penalty corners in such a crucial stage of the showpiece. The Indians had produced a spectacular display of grit and character to prevail over the Netherlands, ranked fourth in the world, in the quarterfinal on Tuesday in their 4-3 win, but penalty corner conversion let them down on Thursday. Ben Hasbach struck a brace with goals in the eighth (field goal) and 30th minute (penalty corner) to give Germany a 2-1 lead at half-time. Sudeep Chirmako (11th) scored the solitary goal for India with a field effort. The mighty Germans then consolidated their le

Junior World Cup Hockey: India come from behind to beat Dutch, make semis

India produced a spectacular display of grit and character to advance to the semifinals with a thrilling 4-3 win over the Netherlands in the hockey men's Junior World Cup here on Tuesday. Trailing 0-2 at half-time and 2-3 in the third quarter, India exhibited immense resilience to beat the Dutch in the quarterfinal and set a last four clash against Germany. The Netherlands set the ball rolling early in the first quarter with a penalty corner conversion from Timo Boers (5'). Despite the Indian side playing a solid defence, Pepijn van der Heijden (16') scored for the Netherlands in the second quarter through another penalty corner conversion taking their lead to 2-0 at half-time. India came back strongly in the third quarter with a goal from Aditya Lalage (34') assisted by Araijeet Singh Hundal. Two minutes later Araijeet scored the equaliser for India with a penalty stroke. The India colts kept the pressure on the Dutch but they managed yet another penalty corner that was converted

Jr Women's Hockey WC: Annu's brace in vain as India lose 2-3 to Belgium

Annu's brace went in vain as India lost 2-3 to Belgium in a closely-contested Pool C match to slump to their second consecutive defeat in the FIH Junior World Cup here on Saturday. Annu (47th, 51st minutes) struck twice in a span of four minutes from a penalty corner and a penalty stroke to draw level after Belgium raced to a 2-0 lead through goals from Noa Schreurs (fifth) and France de Mot (42nd). But it was not India's day as Astrid Bonami scored the winner from a penalty stroke in the 52nd minute. It was another heartbreaking loss for the Indians after they squandered a two-goal advantage to go down 3-4 to last edition's runners-up Germany on Thursday night. The Indians had, however, started their campaign on a resounding note, registering a 12-0 win over Canada. India are currently placed second in Pool C with three points from three games. Belgium are atop the pool with an all-win record from three matches. Germany will play Canada in the last match of the pool later in the

Hockey coach Fulton seeks ''fresh perspective'' for Olympics preparation

Hockey India on Tuesday named a 39-member core group of players for the men's national camp to prepare for the upcoming five-nation tournament in Spain, even as head coach Craig Fulton seeks a "fresh perspective" for next year's Paris Olympics. The Indian men's hockey team, which qualified directly for Paris Olympics after winning the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games, will feature in the five-nation tournament in Valencia starting from December 15. World champions Germany, France, Belgium and the hosts Spain are the other teams in the tournament. The men's national coaching camp begins at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Bengaluru from Wednesday. It was a long break from national camp after a successful outing in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Most of the players from the team played the National Championship in Chennai, and I too got a chance to watch some of the young and upcoming players closely," Fulton said. "We will now assemble in SAI, Bengaluru, with a fresh

India seek win against Canada to open women's junior hockey WC campaign

India will look to take confidence from their past success against Canada when they meet each other in their opening match of the FIH women's junior hockey World Cup here on Wednesday. India had beaten Canada in all their previous three games. The Indian team, which had secured a fourth place in the 2022 edition, has been placed in a tricky Pool C, along with Germany, Belgium and Canada this time. Moreover, India's title triumph at the women's junior Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Japan, earlier this year will boost their confidence. The Indians are aiming to secure their maiden women's junior World Cup title. India's best finish in the prestigious tournament came in 2013 when they finished third. "We are entering the tournament with determination and focus. Our team's preparation has been intense, and we're keen to translate that into our performance on the field," team captain Preeti said. "Playing against Canada in the opener is a chance for us to set the momentum for our ...

India beat Japan 4-0 to win women's Asian Champions Trophy hockey title

Playing exhilarating hockey from the word go, an aggressive Indian women's team crushed title holders Japan 4-0 to lift its second Asian Champions Trophy title here on Sunday. The match started 50 minutes late because of issues with the floodlights. India overcame the two-time champions through goals from Sangita Kumari (17th minute), Neha (46th), Laremsiami (57th) and Vandana Katariya (60th). India won their maiden Asian Champions Trophy title in 2016 in Singapore, while Japan bagged the crown twice, in 2013 and 2021. The Indians started on an attacking note while Japan preferred to sit back and rely on counter attacks. India got a golden opportunity to take lead but Deepika failed to find the net from an one-on-one situation with Japanese goalkeeper Akio Tanaka. The Indians continued to dominate the possession as Japan were busy in defending. The Japanese too had their share of chances but they failed to breach the resolute Indian defence. Two minutes into the second quarter,

Asian Games 2023: Dhanraj Pillay calls Harmanpreet Indian hockey's MS Dhoni

The calm leadership of Harmanpreet Singh was the defining point behind the Indian men's hockey team's gold-winning effort at the Asian Games, a trait that reminded mercurial forward Dhanraj Pillay of 'Captain Cool' MS Dhoni. Dhanraj, who led India to the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games triumph, said Harmanpreet, who netted 13 goals to emerge as India's leading goal-scorer in Hangzhou, never buckled under pressure. "To a large extent, the credit (for the victory) goes to Harmanpreet's captaincy. He is the Mahendra Singh Dhoni of Indian hockey," Dhanraj told PTI Bhasha. "He keeps guiding the team from behind, does not allow emotions to overpower him and remains calm under pressure." India dominated defending champion Japan 5-1 on Friday to reclaim the gold, and the result also gave the side a direct qualification to the Paris Olympics. "This victory will be written in history. It is a historical gold. The boys played together and scored so many goals. "I am happy that we completely domina

Asian Games: Hockey India announces reward of Rs 3 lakh to women players

They defeated Japan by 2-1, with Deepika (5') and Sushila Chanu (50') finding the net for the Indian women's team while Japan captain Nagai Yuri (30') scored the sole goal for her team

India win bronze in women's hockey, beat defending champions Japan 2-1

Coming into the tournament as favourites, a wounded Indian women's hockey team rose from the shock semifinal loss to edge past defending champions Japan 2-1 and claim the bronze medal at the Asian Games here on Saturday. The Indians, ranked seventh in the world, were the favourites to win the gold here but one bad match cost them dearly as hosts China thrashed them 4-0 in the semifinal on Thursday. The Indian women thus avenged their 0-1 defeat against Japan in the last edition of the Games in Jakarta in 2018. But the Savita Punia-led side left behind the disappointment and displayed commanding hockey to clinch its seventh Asian Games medal and fourth bronze. Deepika gave India the lead in the fifth minute from a penalty stroke before Japan equalised through Yuri Nagai from a penalty corner in the 30th minute. Sushila Chanu, a rare goal scorer, handed India the winning goal in the 50th minute from a set piece that went wrong. India started brightly and went on the offensive from